rustic

Weiss Deli & Bakery

 
2744 N. Green Valley Parkway
Henderson, NV 89014
 
702-454-0565
 

While at work the other day we were trying to decide on some place to go for lunch, because of course where you are going for lunch is something you discuss instead of actually working.  We wanted something different from our normal go to places; not that they aren’t good, they just get a little old after awhile.  So while searching that very popular review site that rhymes with help for places near my address I found Weiss Deli & Bakery.  This deli is located in a strip mall on the corner of Green Valley Parkway and Sunset, near Trader Joes.  Honestly I have been over here and have never noticed this place before.  We got there around 11:30 am and there were two other parties seated so we had our choice of seats; at first this made me weary because it is always weird to eat in a place that is empty.  A waitress at the end of the restaurant waved us to the back to take a seat in her section; because this is a seat yourself kind of place.  Even though I had been a bit skeptical with the lack of patrons that all shortly changed through our lunch as every booth and table except for the one behind us began to fill up as it got closer to noon.

They did have a wide range of deli favorites from corn beef sandwiches to matzo ball soup; this soup was very popular I would say because I saw about 5 bowls travel past our table to the ones around us.  I decided to go with something I have never had before which was called “Ceily’s Stack”.

©Tasting LV

The Ceily’s Stack is two potato latkes stuffed with braised brisket topped with Muenster & Provolone cheeses and then drizzled with brown gravy sauce and sour cream.  I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised on how good this actually was.  I mean it certainly isn’t the prettiest thing to look at but everything worked really well together.  The braised brisket was really the shining star, it was perfectly tender and juicy with a great beef flavor.  I would come and just have brisket and the brown sauce if it is on the menu.  The brown gravy sauce was exactly what you would expect from a good brown gravy it had great beef flavor and it really worked well on this dish.  They put a good amount of cheese on this dish which as a cheese lover is fabulous and it was melted perfectly.  Now the description says that this dish comes with sour cream which I did not receive and I do think that this would have added something to the dish, because after a few bites it needed either more gravy or something else to dip each bite into, and sour cream has that tangy bite already and if it was paired with the brisket and latkes it would have added another layer of flavor.  Now I am not sure if I am just not a potato latke person; because I have never had them before, but to me they were a little too soft and flavorless.  To me they got lost in each bite, I think I would have liked them more if they were a bit crunchy to give this dish some texture.  Towards the end of the dish I just pushed the latkes to the side and ate the brisket, cheese & gravy.  I would say that if you want something different and are a fan of the latke then give this one a shot, just be sure to ask for extra gravy.

Next up was the Veggie Melt:

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The veggie melt is served open faced or closed and is a roasted portabello mushroom, sauteed spinach, roasted peppers, tomato, caramelized onions and cheddar-jack cheese on top of grilled rye bread, this also came with a choice of fries, cold slaw, potato salad or fresh fruit.  My mother ordered it with the side of fruit and received two wedges of cantaloupe, a strawberry and two orange slices.  This was a lot better than most sides of fruits where you get a couple cubes of melon and some grapes.  I had a couple bites of this sandwich and it was also really good, granted at first look it looks like it was put in the oven just a little too long to melt the cheese, but it worked out.  Again they were not shy with the cheese so for the cheese lover this is a good place to eat.  The veggies were cooked well and the portabello was nice and meaty, not over roasted so it still maintained all the goodness of a protabello.  But for me I really enjoyed the spinach it wasn’t over cooked and melded really well with the flavors of of the rye bread, then you got the creamy texture of melted cheese.

As you can see the portions are surely on the large side, and what is shown above is nothing compared to some of the items I saw go past our table.  The sandwiches are piled high with meat, definitely not for the faint of heart.  I know that I will be back to try other things on the menu because the food was worth it.  I do think the service was ok, not really slow or fast either.  My soda was only refilled once and that was at the end of the meal while my mother’s ice tea was filled up a few times throughout lunch.  But in all honestly this is what I kind of expect when I go to a diner/deli the home town feel where they run on a different time than everything else around.  Our waitress was chatting with all her tables, a few of which I think might be regulars, which is a good sign, because obviously they are doing something right when they have regulars they actually recognize.  On the decor side of things it isn’t the nicest place, it is in an older building and it shows.  On the walls are artwork that if I am not mistaken were for sale by local artists, I take this as a nod to the art supply store right next door.  I do think in some way the fact that it isn’t all gussied up is what makes it feel like a true deli, something you would find on the corner in New York or Jersey a place that locals flock to because they know that the food and people are what it is truly all about.

Settebello Pizzeria

 

140 Green Valley Pkwy
Henderson, NV 89012

702-222-3556

http://www.settebello.net

I had a friend recommend this pizza place to me a few months back, but it seemed like we just were never in the mood for pizza when we got together or in the area to swing by.  So last week I had a craving for pizza and since their location is close to my office I headed over there for my lunch break.

They state that their pizzas are the traditional Napoli style pizzas, using only specific ingredients based off of tradition and baked in a brick oven only fueled by wood. If you would like to read the full history about the ingredients & technique click here to go to their website, sorry there was no direct link to their about us page.

Settebello is located in The District in the southwest part of the valley, you can’t see it from the street because it is located on the inside of the shopping center, so it could easily be missed if you didn’t already know where you are going.  Upon entering we were quickly seated and for a Thursday afternoon it wasn’t too busy.  Despite the fact that they were not busy it did take awhile for someone to come over and take our drink order.  But once our waitress did show up she was very friendly and quickly went over how their pizzas differ from what we are use to since it was our first visit here.  The pizzas are only cooked for a few minutes in the hot brick oven and they tend to be a lot softer and cannot hold up to a lot of toppings so she advised us against altering their pizzas by too much.  Each pizza is approximately 12 inches around and could easily serve two if you have a small appetite or got one of their antipastos to share before hand.  The waitress also informed us that they do not slice your pizza unless you ask them to, since this is the traditional way to be served.  I can honestly say that I have never encountered pizza not being sliced before being served but I also haven’t been to Napoli.

I apologize up front for the half eaten pictures even though I had been taking notes before we got the food once it showed up we just dived right in before I realized I didn’t snap a picture, guess that is one downside to good company you get engulfed in the conversation and forget that you are doing a food review blog.  Oh well I did manage to remember before more than half was enjoyed.

First up my pizza:

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I ordered the emelia pizza it was a white pizza so it does not come with their crushed tomato sauce, instead it is going to have a cream sauce. This pizza has prosciutto cotto, panna (Italian cream), mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, basil & extra virgin olive oil. The crust has a nice chewy bite with a nice charcoal flavor from the wood burning oven. Because it is cooked at high temperature it allows the exterior of the crust to get a nice crunch while staying soft and chewy on the inside. The center of the pizza was a lot less sturdy than what most people are use to, so I can see why they would shy you away from putting too many toppings on your pizza. I decided to go with a pizza without red sauce so I was trying something out of my normal pizza box. I was very glad that I did, the panna had this wonderful sour note that blended perfectly with the sweetness of the prosciutto and the smoothness of the mozzarella.  I did ask for a side of their balsamic vinaigrette that came with the insalata to dip my pizza in, this added another lovely level of flavor.  Even though I only dipped the whole pizza in the vinaigrette a couple times it was a perfect addition to dip the crust in, almost like having bread before the meal.  If you come here and you want something a little different I would recommend this one.

Next up my folk’s pizza:

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My parents ordered the settebello pizza it has crushed tomatoes, pancetta, roasted fennel sausage, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil & extra virgin olive oil. This pizza normally comes with mushrooms but they ordered it without them.  This was also another lovely pizza, the red sauce had a nice tangy bite of a good red sauce and the crust was exactly the same as the white pizza above.  My step-dad quickly devoured this pizza and said that it was good, even though he would’ve liked a little more meat.  I preferred the flavors of my white pizza, but for a more traditional pizza I would go for this one.

My mother ordered the insalata (not pictured) to have in addition to splitting the pizza with my step-dad, she was very unimpressed with it. It was field greens with 3 large shavings of parmigiano reggiano, pepper & the balsamic vinaigrette. She said that for $5 there should’ve been at least some tomatoes, she would advise against spending the money on this particular menu item.  The vinaigrette was the only good part and it is what made me ask for it on the side for my pizza crust.

For our lunch our bill came to right under $50 including tip; we got 2 pizzas, 1 salad & 3 sodas which comes to around $16 a person, this may not fit in to a lot of people’s lunch budgets but I would say that I don’t feel like I wasted my money.  I was satisfied when I left, and for most of us this is big thing you want to feel like you got your monies worth when eating out.

Overall I wasn’t overly impressed with Settebello, the service was a bit spotty it seemed to me there was a lot of running around but not a lot of people helping those that are seated.  But when you did get their attention and let them know you needed something they were quick to get it out to you, so to me that part was very good.  Also while there are plenty of food options it was just ok.  Even though I enjoyed the flavors of my pizza and the crust, I don’t think I am going to be sitting at home and have a sudden craving for their pizza specifically.  That being said if I was nearby shopping and was craving pizza I wouldn’t hesitate to stop here.

Bob Taylor’s Original Ranch House
 
 
6250 Rio Vista St.
Las Vegas, NV 89130
702-425-1885
 
http://www.bobtaylorsranchhouse.com
 

Bob Talor’s is an old school rustic steak house, in the north side of the valley.  I remember when there was nothing out there but this place, but the city has grown right around it, you can see the 215 right from the parking lot these days.  The parking for this restaurant is limited and you may end up parking on a gravel lot if you come when it is really busy.  This is not a typical Las Vegas strip type steakhouse, the decor is old and hasn’t been updated in awhile, so if you are looking for a modern, updated & high-end place this is not it.  They are definitely on the down home casual side.  The nice part of the decor was that you can see the grill that they cook the steaks on upon entering, you walk right past this to be seated.

Photo Courtesy of Bob Taylor’s Ranch House

The tables in the dining area are crammed together, which I think made it difficult for the waiters to serve the tables.  Our waitress kept having to squeeze past on her tip toes to get to around.  Because of this closeness I could’ve joined the conversation at the table right behind my chair if I wanted to.  I pretty much heard every detail anyway.

On the walls you will find what looks like old movie posters, black & white photos of all kinds and cowboy type memories.  To me they didn’t seem to have an overall theme for the decor, just a mix match of western type items.

Each of the entrees come with your choice of soup or salad to start.  And then a choice of one of their potatoes, rice or mixed veggies with your meal.  I went for the soup of lobster bisque which I was excited for since it had been awhile since I have had it.  I apologize for the dark photo below – downside to a dark restaurant and cell phone camera.

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My opinion the soup was bad, it tasted like a canned condensed soup with no lobster pieces or flavor and had this vinegar sour taste to it.  The consistency of the soup was gelatin like, almost as if they did not put enough cream into the mix while cooking.  I took a couple bites hoping it would get better but it didn’t, it was very disappointing.  On top of the bad flavor & consistency it was luke warm to cold, maybe this is why it was on the thicker gelatin consistency but if you are serving soup it should be hot.  Why cut corners and not use the freshest possible ingredients that you can when you are charging roughly $30-50 a plate.  The other disappointment of the dinner was the cheesy garlic bread that comes out, it was plain white bread topped with garlic flavoring and some kind of cheese.  I found this to be almost stale and cold, it was hard to chew I had one piece and that was it, and I am bread person.

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This is how my 12oz filet was delivered to me, it took up half the plate and the other half was empty, so if you are looking for presentation this is not the place to go.  I ordered my steak medium-rare and got really rare, which meant it was undone in the middle and cold.  I had to ask for them to take it back and cook it a bit more because I prefer my steak medium-rare, so the center is warmed through.  When I did get my steak back it was still on the rare side but it was warmed through.  My mother ordered her filet medium rare and it came out perfect.  And my step-father’s ribeye came out a bit on the rare side but it was ok for him.  So it seems they have a bit of inconsistency on cooking temps.  It did have a nice beef flavor and was really juicy, you did not need any sauce to enjoy it.  The seasoning on the outside tasted mainly of salt, it was not overly salty but I did not pick up any other flavors.  The reason they are getting 3.5 stars is because their redeeming factor was their beef, it was juicy, tender and a nice cut of beef overall.  I had the twice baked potato as my side and it was good, nothing that special, but as I left I realized I should have just gone with the baked potato because they really good as I passed them.  And this is something I don’t thing the restaurant wants you to think when you leave, that you should’ve ordered something else.

The only non-steak dish we ordered was one of their chicken entrees for my god-mother, Chicken Marsala they were nice enough to make it for her without any sauce, and she said that it was tender and juicy.  I did not taste any of this but it looked and smelled really good.

For the four of us to dine here and 3 of us had one cocktail each our total bill with tax was $150 before tip – so for approximately $38 a person; the dinner was just OK.  I think if I was going to spend this money again I would go back to Ron’s Steak House this place is a little bit more per person, but the service, ambiance and food make up for the difference in price.