Week 30 Sumo Sushi II

Happy Holidays! We hope you all have had a wonderful holiday break so far. We can't believe tomorrow is NYE! 2011 has been the best year yet by far for us but we are so stoked to see what 2012 will bring because we have a feeling it will be even better! We have some exciting news with the blog in the next week or so, so stay tuned...we can reveal it soon! In the meantime, check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...


During this week's date night (we had two but they are going to be two separate posts), my mom was here visiting for the holidays so she joined us on our adventure. It is a little weird to go out with people sometimes and take pictures of all the food you are ordering, but she has known about this process since week 1 so I didn't feel as strange. 


We decided on Sumo Sushi because it is located not too far from our new house, but also because we ate heavy Italian meals Christmas Eve and Christmas day so we wanted something light. Sushi is the perfect light meal.

Sumo Sushi has a really nice environment. I especially loved the huge fish tank. We were seated right away and chose a table rather than the sushi bar and were seated in our own private corner in the back of the restaurant; I didn't mind that because I like to hear the people I am with talk and not be too crowded.

Sumo Sushi has our favorite, all you can eat, but like we said we wanted to eat light. I also noticed after the fact that they are on restaurant.com (so if you are going there, print out the coupon first). We decided that we all would just drink water and my mom ordered some green tea. We wrote down on our sheet two miso soups and edamame in addition to our rolls. 


The soup was brought out right away. Let me tell you, it was delicious! Perfect for a cold night. I asked the waiter purposely if I forgot to write down edamame and he said no. I wondered what was taking so long. 

As for our rolls, my mom always orders the same thing; 1 California roll. I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a salmon roll. Brett ordered the specialty rolls of Rainbow roll and Spider roll. I normally like to order the crazy ones, but again like I keep mentioning, I wanted to eat light. 

I have to say my rolls were the freshest fish that I have ever had sushi wise in Vegas. My mom said the same thing about her California roll. The salmon, tuna, and crab tasted so delicious, like they were just caught out of the ocean. :) Brett's looked really good too, but I will let him elaborate on what he ordered. 


Okay, as for the service, we never ended up getting our edamame so we asked if they could take it off the bill. Our waiter came over and looked at us like we ate it and were making it up the way he was examining the table. Someone else came over and apologized for the service because a lot of people had called off. I can understand it being crazy during holiday, so I am cutting them some slack, because I definitely would like to go back there again. Like I mentioned before it was some of the freshest sushi I had in Vegas. Overall, I enjoyed Sumo Sushi and am rating them 4 out of 5. Brett is a stickler for service, so I am curious to see what he says. 


What Brett Says... (he wanted to do it in letter format)


To Whom it may Concern:

I am writing to you today to let you know about a recent experience I had at "Sumo Sushi 2."  It was my wife, mother-in-law and myself; we chose to check it out on a Monday night.  Having never been there we were excited, you see my wife and I write a review...it's actually close to our new home.  When we got there the parking lot was full so we went in thinking we were in for a great experience.  Once we were through the door we were sat immediately, we ended up getting sat in this back corner that completely secluded us from the rest of the restaurant.  The decor was pretty cool though, not that we got to see most of it.

I would usually comment on service and whether it was good or not, the only problem this time is that there was no service.  We filled out the sushi sheet that many sushi places have.  We selected 5 rolls, 2 bowls of soup, and some edamame.  We attempted to order some tea but that took a couple tries.  Usually when we get sushi the edamame is the first thing out followed by soup and then the rolls.  After we got the soup we were expecting the edamame, when the first two rolls arrived instead we asked who I believe was the manager about our edamame, he said it was on the way.  After getting everything else and still not getting our edamame

Beings sushi is one of my favorite foods I need to make mention of the actual food.  As I said earlier we ordered 5 rolls, some Miso soup, and edamame; we already mentioned the issue with the edamame.  I personally ordered my two staple rolls: spider roll and rainbow roll.  They were two of the freshest rolls I have ever had; even the non-fish portions of the roll seemed fresh.  I am kinda jealous that I can't find avocado that fresh for myself.  They were a little pricey compared to other sushi restaurants but the taste made it worth it.  I also sampled the other rolls and I can confirm they were just as good.  As for the miso soup; it was good as well, but there wasn't enough non-broth portion.  It just seemed a little skimpy.  

This is what is so frustrating; great amazing food and non-existent service.  I think by the end of this year of reviews I will have a list of the greatest places to order carry out from.  The only problem is that they are over priced for carry out.  I know Teray will want to go back here but I might try to persuade her to go elsewhere...maybe Oyshi Sushi which is 2 miles away, cheaper, and just as good.  If the food wasn't part of the rating then they would get a 1...I did get water, a chair to sit in, and chopsticks.  But the food was easily worth a 5.  So we are at a 3; throw in the pricing, seclusion, and the manager not believing us and we get down to the final rating:

Sumo Sushi 2 rating - 2.2 of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week


Thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with this outfit of the week this week. Patty actually picked it out; she has the best taste of anyone I know! This outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique is such a fantastic dress. It can be worn for fun or to work. It is short in the front and longer in the back, but not too short; more like the perfect length. The purple and black is a great color combination that can be worn for winter. The skinny black belt comes with it. The earrings are a gunmetal grey(thank you Patty!!) and are super long, perfect for us girls with long hair. This whole look is available at the Rainbow location.

I'm sure all of you fashion lovers in Vegas have money to spend or Patty's Closet gift cards, so you need to check out one of their fabulous 6 stores here and do some after holiday shopping! You can find the locations at: ilovepattyscloset.com Also, if you like them on Facebook, you can check out their new shipments in each store on Tuesdays and Fridays! http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV

Until next time, cheers to 2012 and a year of endless possibilities! 

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays everyone! No matter what you celebrate we hope you are taking this time to enjoy the ones you love and count your blessings! I'm all ready in my Christmas gear, with my fabulous leggings from Patty's Closet (of course) Town Square.

Week 29 The Underworld Grill and Bar

Happy Holidays everyone! Thanks for checking out our blog again this week. If you haven't already take a second and like our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants. We have some pretty exciting news to share starting in January about where our blog is going to be shared, so keep checking back. :)


What Teray Says...


This week it was my turn to choose where we were going. Brett always comes up with crazy ideas or places out of the norm, so I figured it was my turn to do that. I went on restaurant.com because they were having a $1 gift card sale. After looking through the pictures and places I decided on this place called The Underworld Grill and Bar. First of all, I don't know what made me choose this place. I hate horror movies, haunted houses, and I get scared at the drop of a hat, but I wanted to impress Brett with my choice of something different so I just went with it. 

When entering the restaurant, I was so scared, I wanted Brett to walk in first. I think he thought I was absolutely crazy. I crept slowly behind him, hoping nothing would pop out to scare me. The place was almost empty, which was good because I wasn't blind sided by people and then being scared, I could see everything going on. 

The restaurant is broken up into different sections. There's the eating area, a stage, the bar, a VIP lounge which is called hell (red lighting). It has Wii, couches, tables, etc. There is also a heaven area with pool tables for people that are younger that 21- but at 9 pm it is 21 and older. All around are scary characters and statues hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant is also basically dark. Horror movies play in the background. I made sure I wasn't facing a tv. 

As for the food, Brett and I started with an appetizer of fried mushrooms. You got a pretty good size portion and they were quite tasty. He ordered a southwest boogie man burger and I ordered a pizza. The pizza was huge and can definitely be shared. It is cut into little squares. We had a meal for a few days after that. The pizza was bar pizza, which I happen to really like, so I was pleased. I can't speak for Brett's burger, because I didn't try it. 

Overall, I don't know what I would rate this place. It does have a creative concept, which I don't know how long it will stay open, but it was just too scary for me. I felt like I couldn't enjoy my food because I was too focused on if something was going to pop out at me while eating. I give The Underworld Grill and Bar 2.5 out of 5.


What Brett Says...


So lets say you are really into Halloween.  What if you are really into horror/slasher movies?  What if you feel like going to a dark bar and grill?  If this is somewhere along the lines of what you are looking for then we went to your place this week.  Teray chose to take us to the "Underworld Bar and Grill."  I had never heard of it or seen it; I drive by the intersection (Spring Mt. and Valley View) all the time and it never caught my eye.  I don't really get into the dark world and slasher movies aren't my go to, I will watch them when I am bored...sometimes you can't beat cheesy horror movies.

I didn't look online before we went so I had no idea what we were getting into.  You start getting a feel for the place as you pull into the parking lot, the sign for the bar is a tombstone grey sign with "Underworld" across it.  Walking through the door you get ready for someone to jump out at you with a chainsaw and maybe stick your hands into a bowl of brains.  As you look around you see various props from Halloween stores and haunted houses, you notice random flat screens playing a cheesy slasher movies, and you notice the lights are dimmed to an appropriate underworld level.  The bar was empty except for the three people at the bar and the two employees; this is even for overwhelming because the place is huge.  There are two "VIP" rooms, a patio, a large bar area, a dining room, and a decent sized stage.  I could see it being much bigger if you had the right band playing...something along the lines of Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, or the like  The venue is a good idea, I'm just not sure it has been pulled off yet.  I give them a little slack because they just got there alcohol license and they have only been open for a few months.  Maybe with time it will become all that they want it to become.

Continuing on with our little adventure we or course had to eat.  The menu was pretty limited, everything had a name that went along with the theme.  Teray said the menu in person was not the same she saw online.  Pretty much everything was standard bar food; we started with some fried mushrooms.  They are good, however I had two issues with them.  1. They were pre made frozen mushrooms (probably Gordon Foods) and 2.  They are overpriced for the size and quantity.  But like I said they were good.  I had a southwest burger and Teray

I think I would go back if I knew they had grown.  This is the kind of place that needs to have bodies in it to be enjoyable.  I would also like to see them expand their menu, maybe make the food/drink prices more on par with the normal Vegas local bar.  As of right now I can't really recommend them for more then takeout.  It does look like it would be a cool place to see a band perform; whether I like the kind of bands they bring in is yet to be determined.  If I do go back I think I would shoot for Halloween night just to see what all they would do.  

Rating 2.5 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week


I hope all of you have been doing a lot of Christmas shopping at one of the 7 Patty's Closet locations. I just can't get enough of that store. Obsessed. Anyway, of course thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this which I love by the way, because it was not the typical way that I normally dress. :)

This outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique is the perfect look for the holiday season. It combines my favorite things for holiday time, sequins and metallic. The top is meant to be loose fitting, and love that it says "love" and has the sequined heart. The leggings are silver and black, and although they are patterned can be worn with a lot. I am not a fan of wearing leggings as pants unless I am at the gym, so I paired it with a tank dress, to give it the skirt and shirt effect. This whole look is available at the Rainbow location! 


Like I mentioned above, you need to hit up Patty's Closet to finish up your last minute shopping. Plus I am sure all of you fashion lovers out there want something to wear for holiday get togethers and NYE! To find the location nearest you (or to hit up them all like I like to do) check out their website: ilovepattyscloset.com  and like their Facebook page to see all of the new shipments Tuesdays and Fridays. Each store has different items!! http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV


My mom will most likely be joining us on our blog outing this week, so I am hoping she will be a guest contributor. In the meantime, cheer to a safe and happy holiday. Count your blessings; I am beyond thankful for ours. xoxo

Week 28 Bougainville Cafe in Terrible's Casino

Welcome back friends! Thanks for checking out this week's review. We have some beyond exciting news in the New Year for this blog, so keep checking back and we will be revealing it soon :) In the meantime please like our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants We update it frequently, so it is a fun way to stay connected. 

What Teray Says...

This week it was Brett's turn to choose where we went for the blog. Brett is all about choosing things that I would never even think of in a million years. When he told me we were going to Terrible's for our dinner, I kind of looked at him like he was crazy. I even asked, "Why are we going to eat at the gas station?" All I thought of was beef jerky and chips. Brett then reminded me of the casino over by UNLV. He said he drives by and sees the specials all the time and it looked appealing.

Arriving for dinner this was my first time at Terrible's. It is a small casino, and probably a place where all locals go. Anyway, we went up to the second floor to the Bougainville Cafe. There was a huge line; I think because the buffet was closed. 

 It was a little bit of a wait, by we didn't mind because we had a lot to talk about. Once we were seated we were immediately brought rolls (which were really good) and asked what we would like to drink. We ordered a bottle of wine because it was only $9! I hadn't had a drink in a bit because of my surgery so I was excited to have some wine :) The one glass that I can have ;) 

We started with an appetizer of chicken fingers. Whenever we order an appetizer, I get a little nervous because I never can eat the majority of my dinner when we eat food before hand. The chicken fingers were fantastic though. Of course, as a west coast thing, they brought ranch for dipping. As a Jersey girl, I highly prefer blue cheese, but the ranch was just as good. 

For our meal I went back and forth what to eat. I still wasn't clear to bite into things so I had to get something you could cut up into small pieces. I saw this sign before we went in for a cheeseburger that was $4.99 and huge and I couldn't stop thinking about the burger. I chose to order that. Let me tell you, this burger was beyond huge. I think I maybe ate 3/4 of it. Also, it comes with so many fries. Fries are one of my favorite foods although I always feel guilty after eating them. I didn't even have a chance to eat many because I was so full from the burger portion that I only ate some. 

Brett ordered one of my favorite dishes, spaghetti and meatballs. It looked so good, but I didn't have a taste being I had noodles in my soup at lunch (I don't like to eat the same thing two meals in a row). From what he said, it was delicious, so he will expand more on that. 

This review for me is short and sweet, but the cafe at Terrible's was actually pretty awesome. I would love, love, love to go back for the breakfast specials because they are like all under $5.  I would give the Bougainville Cafe 3.5 out of 5. 


What Brett Says...


I know every time I pick I mention how I drive around and see random places and thats how I choose the restaurant, well thats not the case this week.  This week I chose to go to the cafe at Terrible's Casino (Flamingo & Paradise), not because I see it all the time(which I do) but because of Chevron.  Yes the gas station...at the end of each shift we get gas at a Chevron, which in Vegas is paired with Terribles.  While I stand there and fill up I watch the tv at the pump, all they do is show these amazing looking dishes at the casino for JUST $9.99.  So I finally took the bait.  I wanted to see what this was all about, the worst that could happen is we are out a couple bucks and I bash another establishment.  

So on to the actual review.  I'm not really sure of the actual name of the cafe, I think Teray is posting a picture of the sign (if not Google that shit).  I will tell you that you are required to walk through a casino that echoes the old ones downtown.  The cafe is on the second floor which is more of a hallway with a cafe at the end of it.  To our surprise there was a line to get in, apparently a lot of people buy Chevron with Techron.  While standing there looking at the crowd in line and the tables of people inside one thing became very clear to me...we were possibly the youngest people in the entire casino.  That doesn't really bother me, if the service is bad and we tip to reflect the service they blame it more on our generation, technology, and video games.  The actual decor of the cafe reminded me of what an Applebee's

The service confused me a bit, but I think we confused them too.  When someone came up to get our drink order we confused them by asking about getting a bottle of wine (apparently the high class folks that dine there aren't wine connoisseurs).  I was confused that she was confused, she exited politely by letting us know that she would be back with two waters.  Shortly after our server came by, an older guy in his 50's/60's, he jumped right into "are you ready to order?"  We asked him about the wine and he had answers, actually hooked it up with a bottle of house white zin for $9.  We then ordered our appetizer, he caught on that we weren't in a rush and adjusted accordingly.  From there he set a comfortable pace for the rest of our dinner.  Service was pretty good, it was nice not being hit left and right with Vegas show.  It was just small town care.

Now for the part that captured my attention at the gas station...Food.  For our appetizer we ordered chicken fingers.  They were good, you got six of them and they had a thick crunchy batter on the outside.  Surprisingly when we asked for ranch for them we didn't get the standard 2-4oz container, we got probably half a bottle of ranch.  As for the dinner; Teray ordered a cheeseburger, the $4 special.  I was blown away by how big the burger was.  For my meal I chose the spaghetti and meatballs, the bowl was huge and the meatballs were huge too.  I usually put my meal away and finish Teray's, not the case this week.  I barely finished mine, the server was surprised too.  I wish I would have tried the burger but I have absolutely no complaints about the bsgetti and meatballs.  The food had that mom and pop restaurant taste to it, they aren't going to be recognized by Zagat anytime soon but it had a level of comfort.  I would eat there again in a second.  If I remember the receipt right the appetizer was more expensive then the entrees.

All in all I was happy with this weeks selection.  It wasn't fancy but we knew that going in.  For under $30 we got a bottle of wine, chicken fingers, a burger, and spaghetti and meatballs.  Every portion was overwhelming, the atmosphere was comfortable, and it gets you away from "Vegas."  I think this is a good place to go if you are feeling a little home sick.  Plus they have a Mexican menu, a breakfast menu, and a Chinese menu.  I will definitely bring my boys here when they are in town and they are in the mood for random food at cheap prices.  It is the perfect place to make everyone happy...how often does everyone want the same genre of food?  

Rating 3.5 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week

Can I just say how awesome it feels that people go into Patty's and mention this blog and my outfit of the week? That is so beyond cool! Anyway, of course thank you to Patty and Juan for providing me with this outfit of the week and all the support they show the blog. :)

This outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique is totally vintage style. The top is a sheer light pink with polka dots. It buttons in the back for a perfect neckline fit. The shirt is fitted, but lose enough that you can wear it to work or play.I paired it with a black Patty's cami underneath and black skinny pants and boots. It also would be fabulous with pants. This adorable look is available at the Blue Diamond location. I love that this is a top for all seasons!

So fellow fashionistas, Christmas is just around the corner. You need to check out one of the six Patty's Closet locations for gifts and gift cards. You can get the addresses for the locations at ilovepattyscloset.com

Also, they get new shipments every Tuesday and Friday. Every store has different items! Check out their facebook page to see the latest items in each store: http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV

In the meantime, cheers to a great holiday season and the ones that you love...

Week 27 Coconuts

Hola friends! Welcome back; thanks again for checking out our latest review. We still find it so awesome that you guys Tweet us, Facebook us, and email us of suggestions where to go, so please keep your ideas and comments coming. If you haven't already take a minute and like our Facebook page. We check it daily! http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...
This week we had the pleasure of going to Coconuts Beach Bar and Mexican Grill. It is a new restaurant that opened in Town Square where Lolita's used to be. Brett found a Groupon about a week and a half ago, which consisted of two specialty drinks, one appetizer, two meals, and one dessert for $35. Talk about a steal!


When  you walk into Coconuts you know off the bat it is going to be a fun place. It is decorated in a beachy theme, and is actually a really big place. I didn't realize how big this place actually was. There are high rise tables by the bar, a dance floor in the middle, and then booths which are set up around the dance floor, like you are VIP style. There is also another area of tables and booths farther back. There is also a big bus in the middle which is the dj station, and beer pong on college nights in the back. It is just a fun vibe all around.

We were greeted and seated right away by the friendly staff. We started off with some drinks, there are so many choices. I feel like I may go there one day and just try about 3 or 4 of them and need a cab ride home, but this was not my goal for the evening. ;) Brett decided to order a coconut mojito and I ordered a bloody maria (which we all know bloody mary is my favorite- this is just the same with tequila, so it is actually wayyy better). My mouth is actually watering for it as I type this. I took one sip of Brett's and it was delightful; if I wasn't afraid of mixing sweet and spicy, I would have had that too, but we will be back again soon, so I can order it then.

coconut mojito and bloody maria

The service here is spot on. Our waitress was extremely on top of everything and we never felt like we were waiting or wondering where she was. (If you read our reviews weekly, you know that good service is not something we get a lot of). For our appetizer we decided to order guacamole. The chips were the best chips I have ever had, that we even refilled our bowl and ate more. The guacamole is very fresh and it comes with three types of salsa; I wanted to eat more, but I didn't want to be too full for my meal. Again, best guacamole hands down that I have ever had. 

For our meal I ordered the shrimp fajitas and Brett ordered marinated skirt steak. I can speak for my fajitas and just say, "wow." It came with nice big pieces of shrimp, which I gave Brett some, rice, beans, 3 wraps, and grilled veggies. The cool thing is that you get to pick your sides, so I picked spanish rice and pinto beans. I wanted to stay with the theme. I was able to eat two fajitas and then got full, so like every week, I took the rest home and Brett ate it for lunch the next day. Brett will talk more about his skirt steak, but I took a bite and it was so tender. Pretty awesome if you ask me. 

shrimp fajitas

skirt steak

Next, we got to choose a dessert. We went with our waitress's suggestion of the coconut cheese cake. Well, while in the mix of things, we were told that we got a free dessert because I had tweeted Coconuts earlier in the day! How awesome is that?! For our second dessert we picked the fire and ice which is Habanero caramel served over vanilla ice cream. We chose this because the waitress said that no one has ever ordered it. Brett said that she had to try it at the table. LOL. Well, because I am blonde, and sheltered, and live under a rock, and many other reasons... I did not know what habanero was. I thought it was just some fancy spanish word for caramel. Little did I know it is a spicy pepper! The first bite kind of tingles your whole mouth, but second bite it, it is awesomely delicious. Both dessert were fantastic. 

coconut cheesecake

fire and ice

Overall, my experience at Coconuts was fabulous, not only was the food some of the best Mexican food I have had in Vegas, the drinks were a-mazing, and the atmosphere was fun! The service was like a said before top notch. You know the service is good at a place when you have servers from other tables checking on your table. Everyone was very pleasant and so friendly. I am definitely planning our next adventure back and rate Coconuts 5 out of 5. You must go there!!!! Plus if you tweet them and like them on Facebook- they have specials: http://www.facebook.com/coconutsbeachbarmexicangrill

What Brett Says...


This week we went where Groupon took us again, "Coconuts" is in Town Square on the second floor across from Rave.  A couple weeks ago Groupon had a deal; $35 for an appetizer, 2 specialty drinks, 2 entrees, and a dessert.  Even if the food was terrible it still would have been a good deal.  Lucky for us things worked out better.

We figured we should get to Coconuts soon considering it is in a spot that seems to be a business killer.  I think they are the third or fourth business in that spot in less then four years.  Teray had heard about them and was excited to go, I on the other hand am so far out of the loop since I left the industry that I didn't even know it was there as I was walking through the door.  But that's no surprise since Teray knows about everything before it becomes something.  The inside is kinda what you would expect from the frat house in the movie Animal House if they had gone to school in California...allow me to expand.  There is a VW bus as a DJ booth, tons of colors everywhere, a dance floor, alcohol, and girls in bikinis.  Ladies, I know you are thinking how degrading it must be to work where bikinis are the uniform let alone eat there, well they class it up a bit with white tank tops and jean shorts.  For the guys, don't worry the tank tops are tiny and low cut and the jean shorts are tiny and high cut.  But I was with my beautiful wife so I didn't notice any of that, I actually heard about it from a guy who notices that kind of stuff.  Aside from the waitress' the place is pretty cool, you definitely get the whole beach vibe.  They have video streaming from past nights and from what I could tell they have a pretty lively nightlife.  The manager was telling us that they do college night and work with a couple fraternities.  Considering Cadillac Ranch is no longer I think they are getting some business from them, except it is college kids instead of well you know...trash.  Not to mention every once in a while we need to act like we are in college for a night so we can regret it for three days.  

The service was good, December has already brought us luck in this department.  They weren't that busy so I can't speak to what it would be like at other times.  We were greeted at the door by multiple employees and sat immediately.  Our waitress was friendly, and they do that whole "Joe's Crabshack" thing where they grab a chair and sit with you when they take your order.  She was on top of things, which we haven't had lately.  Everything we ordered came out quick, she had suggestions when we needed them, and we didn't have to ask to order.  One thing that really stood out when we were there was that other waitress' took care of us too; if someone saw that we had empty plates or needed refills it just happened, we didn't have to wait till our waitress came by.  We had a manager and who I think was the owner come by, it was nice being acknowledged and thanked for coming in.  They weren't that busy and they are new, that is exactly what should be happening with management.  From my personal experience working everywhere I have customers seem to do better and come out happier when someone stops by and thanks them for coming in that isn't getting the tip.  We also ordered a dessert that our waitress said she had never had, we told her she would have to try it if we ordered...she did.  Everyone we encountered was fun and laid back, they (the staff and restaurant) aren't trying to be what they aren't.  How many times have you been somewhere that reminds you of a guy wearing a tux at a BBQ?  They know what they are shooting for, stick to it, and accomplish it.

Of course I have to touch on the food, beings it is a restaurant review and all.  Like I said earlier we went with the prix fixe Groupon, so we got a ton of food and it was cheap.  Looking at the menu it didn't look like it would be all that much without a Groupon...we plan on going back without the Groupon.  We ordered the guacamole as an appetizer; you get a basket of tortilla chips, 3 salsas, and a huge bowl of guac.  We had so much guac that we had to order a second basket of chips.  We also got to order some specialty drinks, I went with a coconut mojito and Teray went with a bloody mary margarita (Bloody Maria).  Both drinks were good, mine specifically was amazing, it was the kind of drink you want to wake up to and keep drinking all day.  Who knows I may just do it someday, just hope you aren't the one I call to come drive me home.  For our entrees I ordered the skirt steak and Teray ordered shrimp fajitas.  Since I ate all of mine and half of hers I can attest to both that they were also amazing.  You get a huge plate of food; they don't skimp on anything...you get meat (whatever you choose), two sides, and tortillas.  If you are someone that doesn't go for overindulgence there is easily enough for a meal and a take home snack.  We also got a dessert as part of our deal, we went with coconut cheesecake.  Yeah you guessed it...amazing.  It was more like a coconut cheesecake mousse, Teray even asked if she could have a big one for her birthday cake.  Then the manager surprised us and said that since Teray tweeted about them (still no way I will ever have a Twitter) we got a free dessert.  So for dessert #2 we went with Habenero caramel ice cream, this was the one we made our waitress try.  It is definitely something you have to take more then one bite of, the first bite hits you and by the third you are wanting more.  I'm not a fan of spicy but for some reason this works.  It isn't something I would get everytime but for a first time or just to give it a shot you won't be disappointed. 

So to sum things up...it was amazing, we will go back, and it kinda makes me miss my frat boy days.  

5 out 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week

Hi fashion lovers! I hope your are all enjoying the transition into winter clothes and Christmas shopping away (especially at one of the 6 Patty's Closet stores here in Vegas). Anyway, of course thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week. When I was searching for what to find, I wanted some color, because in the winter I tend to stick to the blacks, browns, and greys. The blue was a perfect way to change it up. Patty also helped me pick out the fabulous accessories to this outfit (the necklace and legging tights). She has the perfect eye to make any outfit complete!

This outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique is one of my favorite looks, the mini dress. I love a mini dress because in the summer you can wear it with bare legs and in the fall you can make it so cool with leggings or tights. Never too much exposed :) The blue is such a rich color and the sleeves flare out at the end. The tights are a thick material that are like leggings and are footless. The neckalce is a gun metal and silver statement piece. This whole look is available at the Rainbow location. Love it!

Like I mentioned above, you need to check out the Patty's Closet nearest you! You can find all of the locations listed on their website (all 6 of them!) at ilovepattyscloset.com

Also, if you like their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV you can check out their shipments every Tuesdays and Fridays. Every store has different stuff so it is worth hitting up different ones! With Xmas and my birthday coming up, I think I have hinted to everyone that Patty's Closet gift cards are the perfect gift for me! They are for your friends too!!


Until next time, hope everyone is having a great December! Cheers to holidays, family, the Christmas countdown, and cheer all around!

Week 26 Republic Kitchen and Bar

Hi Guys, can't believe we are on week 26! I have to say this blog has really become a conversation staple for us. People always talk about our reviews and I love the fact that you guys, the readers are going to places we recommend and recommending your favorites to us! We love the feedback so keep it coming! If you haven't already take a minute and like our Facebook page and leave feedback and suggestions there! http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants


What Teray Says...


This week our favorite just engaged couple Trevor and Chelsie invited us on a double date to go to Republic Kitchen and Bar. I had heard of it, because Holly Madison just frequented there last week and I guess other famous people have been there recently too. People that know me know I love celebrity hot spots, so I felt cool going in!


Republic Kitchen and Bar is located on Eastern and 215. The decor of Republic and the vibe is one of my favorite types of places to go to eat. With the colors and decors of reds, blacks, rich woods, tans, and such, it is like you are in a hip, swanky place. There are high top tables and regular tables. We sat a hightop table by the bar.


We started off by ordering some drinks. I ordered a Republic Dill martini which was (Stoli Vodka with muddled cucumber, dill, fresh squeezed lime and agave nectar). The first sip I was I think just taken back by the dill taste, but after the first sip, I really enjoyed this drink and finished it to the last drop of course. It was very strong though, so my second drink was just my typical "skinny bitch" (diet coke and vodka). Brett ordered some beer that had black and normal beer. I don't know what it is called. He will know. I just know the basic beers. :)

On to the appetizers, Trevor and Chelsie have been to Republic before so they recommended some things to us. We ordered pigs in a blanket and mac and cheese. Let me tell you, I love foods like pigs in a blanket but I rarely eat them because of the guilt, so this was a treat to me. You got 8 pigs in a blanket and the mac and cheese was a nice size. The cheese was perfectly baked and beyond fantastic (I am a huge cheese lover).  Both were so amazing. I was drooling, probably literally. 

Brett and I also ordered a Cesar salad and split it. If you are ordering a salad from here, splitting it still gives you plenty to eat. 

Now on to the food. This place has a lot of great choices, and something for everyone. There is everything on the menu from pasta, to burgers, to fish, to tv dinners. Definitely check out their extensive menu; I was very impressed. http://www.republickitchenandbar.com/menu.html
They even have an HCG menu, which I have never seen a restaurant have that for those on that diet. Being in the bad eating mood I was in, I ordered the fried chicken which came with mashed potatoes and biscuits. Oh.my.god. this fried chicken was sooooo delicious. The skin was just the right amount of crispiness and seasoning. The chicken was tender and not full of major bones. The mashed potatoes came with this fantastic gravy and the biscuits were like the ones you get at any fabulous fried chicken place. This meal was so great, that I purposely didn't finish so that I could eat some the next day for lunch. Typical Teray. 

On to Brett's meal, I only took a little taste of the meat, but man, was it great. He ordered the Republic Kobe Sloppy Joe – Ground Kobe beef, fried shoe string onions, and tender ripe tomatoes. I don't know if it was the fact that again it was another food that I don't allow myself to eat mixed with the Kobe beef, but the taste I had was so delicious. I'm sure Brett will expand on this. :)

All of us decided to not order dessert because we were very full. Now onto the service. Here's the thing, when I am out to dinner and not in a rush, I don't really mind that the service is slow. I like to enjoy my time, so it is not something that bothers me. I think Brett might say differently, but maybe not. The only thing that was kind of stinky was that they must have been understaffed that night because the bartender was also our waiter running back and forth between the bar and tables. Not to his fault, he had a lot of running around to do, so I think that is why it took so long to get everything, but I am not going to mark points down a lot for that because I liked the atmosphere and food so much. 


Overall, I really enjoyed Republic; I would love to go back there for their brunch on Sundays because it is all you can drink bloody mary's (my fave!). I rate Republic 4 out of 5. 

What Brett Says....

This week we met some friends for dinner at “Republic,” on Eastern south of the 215.  We went there because they had a comp from the manager for a free meal, the last time they were there the service was horrible and they screwed up the order.  Teray and I were excited to go so we could actually see how it was and if it was a one time thing or if in fact they are that bad.  We went on a Saturday night around 8pm…which is usually prime time for trendy new restaurants.

  Once you walk in it is pretty cool.  They have a dining room that flows into high tops around a cool looking bar.  If you look up there is a second floor, we didn’t make it up there but it seemed to be a lively atmosphere.  People were up there partying, playing pool, and who knows what else.  We sat at one of the high tops a couple feet from the bar, for some reason they had a pair of stanchions set up along one table.  Kinda like someone thought about roping off the bar from the dining room but gave up after six feet.  The bar itself had a good selection of liquors and 10-12 beers on tap, which is not the most common thing out here in Vegas. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have much good to say about the service…seems like the theme for November.  I will say that everyone we dealt with on staff was nice and friendly.  Since we were sitting in the bar area we had the bartender as our server.  The restaurant was at lets call it 30% capacity wise…if that.  We were greeted pretty quickly and the bartender gave off the impression that he was on top of his game.  When we were slow on choosing drinks he said he would start us with some waters and give us some more time, which is nice because he is doing something and we at least have something to drink.  Once we did finally order drinks it seemed like everything slowed down.  We had to prompt him to have us order our appetizers, again so we could get another round of drinks, and after being there for 45-50 minutes we asked if we could order our main course.  All said and done for 2 rounds of drinks, apps, and entrees we were there over two hours.  And it wasn’t like we set it up to be there that long or told him not to rush.  It legitimately took over two hours to get through the meal.  Luckily there were four of us so we were able to entertain ourselves.  At least the order was correct, which was apparently a big issue the last time our friends went there. 

Speaking of food.  I’m not sure how to classify Republic genre wise; if I had to I would go with “Gourmet bar food meats Mom’s home cooking.”  And I’m talking about your mom being Martha Stewart with some class.  We decided to order two appetizers for the table; a mac & cheese and pigs in a blanket.  They were both pretty much amazing.  Just imagine how Martha would make them…with class of course.  I would have been happy hoarding them and not letting the other three people at the table have any but I would have lost in the long run; considering it was my wife, one of my best friends, and his fiancé.  Next it was entrée time, after the appetizers I was excited.  I went with sloppy joes and Teray went with fried chicken.  I know at first that doesn’t sound that exciting, but remember our appetizers were mac and cheese and pigs in a blanket.  So how do you make our entrees special and different?  Well with fried chicken you just make them damn good, which the piece I tried was.  As for sloppy joes…you don’t use Manwich and you don’t just use the ground beef on sale. Instead you create an amazing sauce (to be honest it could have been Manwich) and you mix it with Kobe beef.  I saw it on the menu and I was sold; I’m a big fan of Kobe beef, I hadn’t had sloppy joes in a while, and everytime I hear sloppy joes I think of Billy Madison.  So they even provided humor, even if it was just for me and it was in my head.  The fries were good too.  This order of sloppy joes (just laughed again in my head) was by far the most amazing order of sloppy joes (and again) I have ever had.  I would drive the 30 minutes round trip just to get this to go.

CLIFF NOTES:

-We went out to eat with friends, at Republic

-Republic is @215 & Eastern

-It’s in a strip mall

-The place is two floors…upstairs sounded fun

-Service pretty much sucked even though they weren’t busy

-Bad service is the November theme

-The food was AMAZING, would only get it to go…never eat in

-I laugh in my head because sloppy joes reminds me of Billy Madison

Rating: No idea, the food was amazing, the physical restaurant seemed kinda cool, but the service was bad.  Come up with a number between 0-5 and go with it.  It was better then a zero and worse then a five, I just can’t figure out how to weigh it out.  Just know the food is worth it, maybe try getting it to go.

    

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week

Thanks to Patty and Juan of my favorite store ever (obviously) Patty's Closet for providing me with this outfit of the week. My outfit of the week is the perfect dress for fall. First of all it is a length in which you can wear it to work or for play. Second, of all the colors are fantastic for fall, and the belt comes with it!!!! It is a satin like material and it scoops in the back. This dress is available at the Rainbow location. The tights are also from the Rainbow location (vintage Patty's) and the boots are from the St. Rose Patty's. I cannot wait to wear this dress again!


If you haven't already like Patty's Closet's Facebook page. They post their new shipments every Tuesday and Friday! http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV Also check out their website: ilovepattyscloset.com for all store locations.

This week we are heading to eat on Thursday for the blog because I am getting oral surgery on Friday- boo to that. So stay tuned for our thoughts and my outfit of the week this week which I just picked up at the Rainbow location and it is fantastic!! Until next time; cheers to dreams coming true and the spirit of the holiday season :)