Week 80 Osaka

Welcome back everyone! We know that we have been a few weeks behind blogging but as I am sure most of you understand, during the holidays is a busy time, but we are ready to get caught up and let you know about our latest restaurant adventures. 

Remember you can always find our blog on the LV Informer http://lasvegas.informermg.com/category/lv-local-interest/blog-connection/ and we are also on Facebook so if you haven't already, you should like our page http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...

I chose to go to Osaka this week because I have a lot of restaurant.com credit and I was craving hibachi. Osaka is located in Summerlin on W. Lake Mead so it is a bit of a drive for us. Was the drive worth it? Well, keep reading...

We entered Osaka which has beautiful decor and is a pretty big restaurant. We waited at the hostess station for a little over 5 minutes before anyone came over to ask if we had been seated although people kept looking at us. We are very friendly, I don't know why no one wanted to help. ;)

Anyway, we wanted hibachi and if we wanted to sit in the actual hibachi section then we would have had to wait over a half an hour. We decided we would sit at a regular table and order hibachi, big mistake. 

We sat down and just ordered water and I explained to Brett how to order hibachi. We chose dynamite as an appetizer, which was delicious by the way, not like the typical dynamite you get at most Japanese restaurants. 

I ordered chicken hibachi and Brett ordered shrimp hibachi. We both chose fried rice, which they should have noted was extra, because the waitress just said white or fried and we both picked fried. Fried was an extra $4 a person, not that it is a lot, but it would have been nice to know. The hibachi also came with miso soup and salad. 

Our food came out pretty quickly for hibachi and the portion sizes were great. I could obviously not finish mine and let Brett have the rest. Typical, I know. :) When it came time for dessert I was too full and said no. Brett must have wanted it because he stopped and got Sonic ice cream on the way home. 

Okay, now to the worst part of this review. Near our booth was a private party room, in the private party room was a drug rep. giving a conference to people about diabetes. He was so loud that I could not concentrate the whole meal because I was getting disgusted by the medical terms and such. Literally everyone who came over into our section complained and no one was doing anything about it. It was like listening to someone speaking on a megaphone for over an hour. Because of this yelling, we didn't even wait for the check, we went up to the front and asked them to bring it to us there. 

The food was great but everything else totally ruined the experience for me. I was trying to have a relaxing date after a very stressful week and stressing the upcoming weeks to come and that did not happen.

In conclusion, I rate Osaka 1.5 out of 5. If that drug conference was not there or they would have asked the guy to quiet down and I didn't have to be blinded by his power point presentation, the rating would have been a lot higher. I will not be returning. 

What Brett Says...

This week we wanted more of an experience, something different.  We decided to get some Japanese hibachi.  We went to "Osaka" at Lake Mead/Buffalo.  Teray has been growing up in Jersey, I on the other hand can't think of a single time I have had it.  The Detroit areas take on Asian cuisine is American Chinese.  I was pretty excited, I have seen it on TV and movies and just think it is cool.  Not to mention why wouldn't it be cool to see someone cool your food with some style.  Unfortunately there were no seats at the grill, we conceited and sat at a booth.  

I'll start with the service.  The service at the door was not great, they just didn't seem to care.  Luckily our server was awesome, she did more as a pregnant server then we have had others do.  She was on top of things throughout the whole meal.  We were constantly getting refills, she was happy to answer our questions.  She had some great suggestions and our table was kept pretty clear.  Now onto how the overall service was ridiculously horrible.  

What I am about to say in no way reflects upon our server, as stated she was awesome.  We were sat in the main room, after about 15min we noticed a group in the next room over.  The wall between us was a half wall and we were probably 20 feet away.  That's when it started (on a weekend night); a man started yelling and doing a PowerPoint for around twenty people.  He was a drug rep telling people about a new drug for diabetes.  Here we are trying to enjoy our meal and conversation, we heard him better then each other.  It got to the point where we just stopped talking because there was no point.  The manager could care less about our concerns, she just stood there and watched the presentation.  I could maybe understand letting this fly on a weekday, but the weekend should be preserved for couples and others trying to enjoy themselves.  This single-handed ruined the experience.  The fact that they would do it and then could care less shows what type of restaurant they are.  We were too far into our meal to move but everyone else in the dining room moved.  There was one couple that sat down for less then 5 minutes and just left; we shared a look and laugh at the situation.

I will say the food was good.  We started with Dynamite which was delicious.  I then ordered the shrimp hibachi, there was a ton of food and it was great.  To be honest it was some of the better food we have had since starting the blog, but it wasn't good enough to make it a good experience.

I think my overall is pretty obvious.  I don't even want to discuss it anymore.  Great service by our server.  Great food.  I would never recommend this place to anyone.  I will never return.  

Rating: ZERO out of any number you want

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week

Thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week. Check out my outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique. I love a girly dress, especially one with bold colors and patterns. This is a mullet style dress (shorter in the front and longer in the back). The chain print all over the dress make it a classic. You can wear this dress for many occasions. The fit is very flattering because it cinches at the waist. Oh and aren't my earrings cute? Love these little glasses, which are from Sparkle by Patty's Closet. You can find this look at the Patty's and Sparkle at Rainbow/Windmill. - Teray

If you haven't already you should obviously head over to a Patty's near you and check out their Facebook page for all the latest items in the shipments (Tuesdays and Fridays) and locations. In my description above both Sparkle and Patty's Facebook pages are linked. Also, if you aren't lucky enough to have a Patty's near you, you can visit their online store at shop.ilovepattyscloset.com

Until next time...here's to 2012 being amazing and 2013 being even better!

Week 79 Hash House A Go Go

Welcome back friends. This introduction is going to be short and sweet because I wrote this blog once and because of an error with Blogger it got deleted. I hope everyone is getting as excited for the holidays as we are. There are lots more fun things to come in 2012 and we will continue to blog for us and for you!

Remember, you can always find us in the LV Informer http://lasvegas.informermg.com/category/lv-local-interest/blog-connection/ and we have a Facebook page which we update frequently so check it out http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...

This week we went out during the week because we had a restaurant.com certificate for Hash House A Go Go and didn't feel like cooking because or kitchen was a mess from having our floors done that day. There are a few Hash Houses  in Vegas and we went to the one on W. Sahara. 

HHAGG wasn't very crowded when we went and we were seated immediately. I really liked how the place was decorated in Christmas decor, but I would have loved to have seen more people there and not felt like I was the only person in the restaurant.

For drinks I chose a Bloody Mary because they are famous for those and Brett chose a mojito. My Bloody Mary was pretty fabulous, and I did have two but I have to say the best Bloody Mary is definitely still DW Bistro. Okay, back on topic...

For an appetizer we chose the fried tiger prawns which were delicious. You got five big pieces of shrimp and the sauce that they were dipped in was pretty amazing too. I ate two pieces and Brett ate three pieces. While waiting for our appetizer to come out we got these huge biscuits, which were my favorite part of the whole meal, but they were so big I think it filled me up for my dinner.

For dinner Brett ordered some breakfast item which I am sure he will go into more detail on and I ordered a Reuben. The sandwich I got was delicious; it came with a salad too. I can see why they are known for their big portions, because they are not just big, they are huge. I was so full by the time the food came out though that I struggled to finish half of the sandwich, but did because I felt bad not eating if Brett was paying. On the bright side, I ate the other half about four hours later when we got home. 

The service was good and we never were waiting too long without something that we wanted. I wish that next time we go back it will be for breakfast and hopefully more crowded so I can see what it typically looks like. I rate Hash House a 3.5 out of 5. 

What Brett Says...

This week decided to go to another place I drive by on a daily basis.  We found a Restaurant.com to save some cash and went to "Hash House" on Sahara@Rainbow.  I'm not really sure why it is taking us so long to get to the places I thought of when we first started the blog.  Hash House is "farm food gone crazy."

The restaurant itself is pretty nice, it has a comfortable atmosphere.  One thing that I like is that the tables don't seem to be on top of each other.  We went on a Thursday night and it was dead; I was actually surprised at how slow they were.  I think they draw a much larger breakfast crowd.  They sat us a two top that actually allowed us to have plates on the table, we were next to their Christmas Tree.  It was pretty cool because the lighting was a little different then the rest of the restaurant.

The service was kind of  a win lose for me.  Our server was friendly and helpful with the menu.  On the other hand we had to request a second round of drinks instead of being offered.  This is surprising since the tip is added to the bill with a Restaurant.com, therefore the more you increase the tab through selling the more money you make.  On a side note I hate when servers tell me what to tip; I refuse to tip more then the amount.  You weren't interested in my idea for a tip so you usually miss out on extra money.  Back on topic the support staff was helpful; they were constantly clearing plates and refilling water.  The service was good but not worth going out of your way to experience.

On to the food.  Like I said they are primarily known for their breakfast, so I wasn't sure about dinner.  We decided to start with "Crispy Cornmeal Fried Tiger Prawns" which were amazing.  They had a chili mayo sauce which added even more flavor.  The prawns themselves were fairly large and the presentation was great.  About the only thing that had any presentation to it was the shrimp.  I decided to have a couple drinks, I chose the mojito.  It was a really good mojito and was actually hand made instead of just using cheap mixers.  For dinner I went with a breakfast twist, didn't want to risk the dinner.  I ordered the Boston Hash, I'm torn on this.  The crab cake was up there as one of the best crab cakes I have had.  The eggs were good but not special.  The potatoes ruined it; they took over the entire meal and were either soggy or burnt.  There were some sauteed veggies which were decent.  My problem with the potatoes is that they took the cheapest ingredient and over use it to make the dish seem larger and they screwed them up at that.

Overall I think I would save this place for breakfast, if you do chose it for dinner go when there is no occasion involved.  It was boring and didn't really stand out in any way.  I just have a feeling breakfast would be much more of a success.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week
Thanks to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week. Check out my outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique. I love this look for two main reasons, the first is because the color combination is so girly and the second is that I love a jacket, especially this season's trend

of the tuxedo jacket. The jacket is a blush colored pink with a black lapel. It is perfect for work or a night out. I paired it with this fabulous multi-colored scarf from Patty's. The scarf has a combination of skulls and trees as well as other little designs. You can find this look at the Rainbow location!

If you aren't lucky enough to have a Patty's by you, you can go to their online store at shop.ilovepattyscloset.com and if you are lucky enough to live in a location that has a Patty's make sure you like their Facebook page which is linked above to see pics of all the newest items. They get shipments on Tuesdays and Fridays and all stores have different items!

Until next time, here's to being kind. xoxo

Week 78 M & M Soul Food

Happy December friends! Are you getting excited for the holiday?! We definitely are with so many gatherings that we are hosting and going to and with so many things to celebrate (Christmas, my birthday, NYE, NYD), I can hardly contain myself. Now, onto the blog...

Remember, you can always find our reviews on the LV Informer http://lasvegas.informermg.com/. We also have a Facebook page that we update daily, so check it out http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants .

What Teray Says...

So it was Brett's turn to pick and because we had something to do that night, we decided to go out for lunch during the day. Brett says he has been dying to go to M & M Soul Food since we started the blog because he drives by it while in the ambulance. I don't know why he didn't say anything sooner, because if I had known how amazing this place was, I would have been back many times by now if we had gone sooner!

M & M is located at W. Charleston and Valley View, a cross section I have never ventured into during my five years in Vegas. Before going in, I thought it was going to be a small place in which you ordered, got the food from the counter and sat at one of the few tables. I was very mistaken because this place is good in size with tons of tables and it is a typical sit down restaurant. 

We were greeted right away by friendly staff and I just loved every one's energy so much that I knew this was going to be a good experience. We studied the menu for a few minutes but knew exactly what we were getting almost right away.

 Brett ordered jambalaya and I ordered friend chicken. The fried chicken came with a choice of three sides; I picked macaroni and cheese and I let Brett pick the other two which were collared greens and sweet potatoes. 

While waiting for our orders we drank our sodas which were in mason jars (I am obsessed with this trend) and ate corn bread pancakes which they brought out two helpings. 

The food came out pretty fast, the menu said fried items would take at least 20 minutes but I feel like it was shorter than that, maybe it is because we were having such a nice time. My fried chicken was beyond amazing, without a doubt the best I have ever had. The whole portion, which I ordered so I could share it with Brett came with three pieces. I ate two and gave Brett one. The macaroni and cheese, collard greens and sweet potatoes also were the best of those foods that I have ever had. Seriously, this food was like a dream come true for food lovers. Speaking of loving food, Brett's jambalaya was also to die for, just look at the picture and you will see why. 

I was way too full for dessert but Brett ordered peach cobbler. I had one bite and that also was amazing. Next time I definitely will leave room for dessert. 

Overall, my experience at M & M was one of the best that I have had in Vegas. For service, atmosphere and most of all food I rate them 5 out 5. If my scale was higher it would be higher, but I have to stay with my tried and true rating system. M & M is definitely the best of the best. 

What Brett Says...

Sometimes you just need some home cookin' southern style.  This was one of those days.  I drive by "M&M Soul Food Cafe" everyday, I've been driving by for over three years.  For the past three years I just never took the time to stop and actually check it out, it just looks like a place you can get real soul food.  Sometimes you just get that feeling.  We have been doing this blog for a year and a half...they have been on my list since the beginning, why it took me till now is beyond me.  Well, we finally went and they had a coupon in the Entertainment book (buy one get one free).  Not that it says it on the coupon but apparently they don't accept them on the weekend, luckily they made an exception.  They are located at Charleston and Valley View in a strip mall.  

If you happen to be like us; both white, Teray with her blonde hair, and dressed like stereotypical white folk expect to get a bunch of looks when you walk in the door...you know the "they must be lost" looks.  But fortunately that's where it ends, once you sit down it is business as usual and the atmosphere and service is very welcoming.  I don't usually start with the service, because it is usually horrible, but M&M has some awesome people on staff.  Everyone we dealt with was over the top friendly and helpful.  The staff couldn't do enough to make it an enjoyable experience, constatly getting us refills of our water and cornbread pancakes.  If you aren't from east of the Mississippi then you might not get it but this is how a Mom and Pop restaurant should feel.  People just making people feel welcome, it isn't an act they put on because they have to it is just their personalities.

The restaurant itself was nothing like what I was expecting.  You create this image in your head when you only see places from the outside.  I was expecting a small place where you order at a counter and sit down at a table if you want.  More of a takeout place.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  This is a full out restaurant, Mom and Pop style.  They have quite a few tables and even a counter you can eat at.  The tables and chairs are old school but it works for a place like this.  It reminds me of the 24hr diners back in Michigan.  They are confident in their product and don't need to change as the trends change.  They realize tables and chairs are just that, tables and chairs.  They are selling an atmosphere, service, and food.

When you talk about a soul food restaurant nothing really matters except the food.  Everything else is just extra, without good food there is no point in going.  Soul food is either really good or worthless, there is no in between.  M&M is definitely on the amazing end of the spectrum.  They have chicken and waffles, seafood gumbo, catfish, liver and onions, and the rest of the staples.  When you sit down they bring you cornbread pancakes, refills if you want.  The other major staple they have...Kool-Aid.  Starting with the cornbread, it can only be described as amazing.  I could have just sat there all day eating it, it was moist and had the right flavor.  Since we went on a Saturday I decided to get their seafood gumbo which is only available on the weekends.  Don't think of other gumbos you have had where there is rice and beans with some random seafood and sausage mixed in.  Think gumbo crab bake.  In my gumbo I had whole chicken wings, shrimp, sausage, crab legs, claws and a little rice.  You have to work for the food and it is worth the work.  I spent 20min just working through the bowl and not even caring about the mess I was making.  I couldn't get enough of it.  Luckily Teray never eats all of her food (not that there wasn't enough in my dish, the food was just too good to stop eating).  I had some of her fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, yams.  That was amazing too.  This was as close to grandma's home cooking as I could get, that is if my grandma was a southern black woman.  I honestly cannot imagine a person going here an not being satisfied and stuffed when they leave.  But in true fashion I couldn't leave it there.  I had to get dessert, I decided to get the peach cobbler, another success.

Overall I think it is pretty obvious that I recommend this place and plan on returning.  The service was amazing and the food was even better.  If you drive by it you know the place, it has a way of catching your eye.  Stop just driving by and get in there to enjoy it.  This is the kind of place that makes trying a new place every week worth it.

A very easy 5 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week

Thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week! Check out my outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique. I love sweaters because the weather is getting cooler and this one is fabulous because it adds a little glitz and glamour to an everyday outfit because it shimmers.

 The color combination is perfect for the holiday season. I paired it with a pair of combat boots fromHeart&Sole by PC and earrings by Sparkle by Patty's Closet. You can find this look at the trifecta of stores at Rainbow/Windmill.

If you haven't already you need to like the Patty's, Heart and Sole, and Sparkle Facebook pages that are linked within their names above. They get shipments every Tuesday and Friday and they post pics of the new items as well as store openings. Also, if you aren't lucky enough to have a Patty's near you, you can order online at shop.ilovepattyscloset.com

Until next time cheers to making spirits bright <3 

Week 77 808 Tapas

Welcome back everyone! This is such a busy time of the year, so we are a little bit behind on our reviews, but our goal is to be caught up within the week. We hope that everyone is doing well and we thank you for your continued support with this blog. 

Remember, you can always find us in the LV Informer under the Local Interest section, http://lasvegas.informermg.com/. Also, we have a Facebook that we update frequently, so feel free to like our page! http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...

So being it was Thanksgiving week-end that we went on this date, Brett and I really did not want to eat heavily being we had the day before at dinner. I suggested Brett go through Groupon and try to find one for something light and we lucked out and found 808 Tapas. 808 Tapas is by the same people that own my favorite sushi place in Vegas, 808 Sushi. It is located in the Village Square Plaza over by the movie theater. If you don't know where this is located, it is W. Sahara and Ft. Apache. There is also is a Patty's Closet and Sparkle there (you need to hit those up). 

808 Tapas was pretty busy when we arrived, but we got a table right away. We were greeted by one of our servers (they were doing community serving because it was so busy) who took our drink order. We both decided on water being we had been celebrating the previous two days with alcohol and needed a break. :)

We started off by ordering the shrimp cerviche and the fish tacos. Shrimp cerviche is always something I order no matter what tapas restaurant I go to. This one was a little different in the way the chips were (they were thinner) and the flavor of the cerviche was not what I was used to. I am not sure if this is because everything was chopped up so small or the flavoring they use, but it was by far the best I have ever had. Yes, I will through it out there, this cerviche is way better than my favorite place in Las Vegas' cerviche which also has tapas (you can figure it out).  The portion size was great too because there was plenty for both Brett and I. 

The fish tacos (you get two of them) were also amazing, again probably some of the best I have ever have. I can see why they are a favorite on the menu. The size of one is perfect for one person (it is full size), not a mini taco you would expect for tapas. 

The next things that we ordered were the dynamite (which I have made Brett a fan of from eating in NJ with my sister every time we went to sushi) and some sushi. There were many rolls to order and I cannot remember the name of the one we did. The dynamite again, was like the other tapas some of the best I have ever had. I knew I would love the sushi because I as I mentioned in the introduction, 808 Sushi is my favorite sushi place in Vegas, so it was a given for me. Also, the portions were fabulous to share on both of these menu items. 

After finishing those tapas we ordered a few more things. Brett picked the chicken skewers and the pork belly skewers. I picked the garlic edamame. I tasted both of the skewers. I am not the biggest skewer fan but they were pretty good. I let Brett eat most of those. I on the other hand devoured the garlic edamame. I am such a garlic fan and this just hit the spot. I could probably eat this every day for every meal, but then Brett would never come near me. Hahahaha.

The food at 808 Tapas is top notch, probably some of the best that I have had. The service was good, but I was getting a little confused who our waitress/waiter was and it took awhile to get the check, but I know that they were busy. If I were the I would get more seating, because this place is definitely going to be a huge success. Overall, I rate 808 Tapas 4 out of 5. 

What Brett Says....


So we have already been to “808 Sushi” so naturally we figured we should try out “808 Tapas.”  I was pretty excited because 808 sushi was pretty impressive, so the bar was set a little high already for their take on tapas.  They are located at Sahara and Ft. Apache in the same strip mall as the movie theater.  As of right now you should expect to become frustrated with the parking situation, don’t take it out on your restaurant experience.  The powers that be that run that particular shopping corner have decided to expand and improve it.  Unfortunately whoever they hired to do it all is a complete moron, they have made the parking lot worse then a random dirt lot next to the Super Bowl.  The lanes are all jacked up and there are random curbs. Plan on at least 15min just to park, for this reason alone I will not be returning to any business in that complex until it is completed.  That’s my rant about that stupidity but now lets get to 808.

I will start with the food.  Teray and I are both fans of tapas, so we know what we like.  808 throws in the Pacific Islander/sushi twist, I wouldn’t say they are a true tapa restaurant like Firefly.  They have some as well as larger meals and sushi.  We did a good mixture of cold food, hot food, and sushi.  Everything we had was pretty good.  The menu had a good flow to it and nothing stood out as not belonging.  I do think they are pushing the sushi a little too much, especially since they have a dedicated sushi restaurant.  I think that they should think about doing an all-you-can-eat deal like so many sushi places do.  They have enough on the menu that they could pick a couple from each category and make a special AYCE menu.  I think it would lend itself better to the sushi and tapas.  All that aside the food was good and I did enjoy everything.

As for the actual restaurant; I wasn’t impressed.  It was a long room with a bunch of table and then a sushi bar.  It looks like they were confused when building…is a tapas restaurant or is it a sushi restaurant.  The sushi bar is in the back and kind of hidden.  In the center of the layout is a large high top table that can be used for larger parties or several smaller parties.  I think this is a great idea, I just think they are too small to use it for their layout.  Aesthetically they restaurant is boring, the walls are just red.  So you have red walls, tables and a sushi bar you can’t even see.  Another thing that was annoying was the hostess stand.  It was halfway into the restaurant, so you walk in and have the dilemma of whether it is seat yourself or wait to be seated.  Since there was nothing to make the hostess stand obvious and there was no sign you just stand there and look stupid.  Which brings me to my next point; where do you stand while waiting for your table?  Do you stand by the hostess?  But then you are standing next to people as they eat.  They do have benches but they are in the complete opposite direction of the hostess stand.  Or you could just do what a bunch of people did, stand at the door with it open…forcing me to continually ask them to close it because I am sitting at the first table and it is kind of cold.  All in all the restaurant itself makes me think this would be a better take out place, like I said the food was good.

Now onto service.  I’m torn on this one.  Everyone we dealt with was very friendly and helpful.  Unfortunately we dealt with everyone.  I’m not sure if it was because they were shorthanded or if the management chooses to use a community server set up.  Either way it was as annoying as the parking.  The hostess was also the bartender and I guess even a server.  We didn’t have a set server, so we weren’t sure who to give our order to each time.  Also, we were constantly interrupted because someone new was checking on us.  There was no communication between the employees…how many times can we get asked if we are ready for the check.  They kind of do the same thing at 808 sushi but it is executed much better, at times it was just getting annoying.  Towards the end we just wanted to leave so it would stop.  I will say when we did order the food came out pretty quick and the fact that we got bugged every couple minutes by a different person made it easy to get water refills.  I just don’t think it works, I would much rather have had a single server.

Overall I would say the experience was a bust, a let down compared to 808 sushi.  I would recommend management go out to eat at Firefly and see how tapas service is done right.  The parking is horrible.  The restaurant is visibly unappealing.  The food was very good.  The service was annoying but very friendly and attentive.  I would either go here for takeout or find out when they are dead, definitely not a good place to go Friday/Saturday night.  I will most likely not return.

Rating 2 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week
Thanks to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week. Patty herself helped me pick this fabulous look at Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique. As much as I love to dress up, sometimes you just want a casual, fun look. This sweater fits just that description. It is the classic color combo of black and ivory which can be paired with many options for bottoms. The sweater is striped and the best part about it is the skull patches on the sleeves. Talk about unique!!! You can find this sweater at the Rainbow location. 

If you haven't already started Christmas shopping I suggest you head over to a Patty's near you. You can find all of their locations on the Facebook page, which I linked above. They also have Sparkle the all accessories store and Heart and Sole the shoe store. Also, if you aren't lucky enough to have a Patty's Closet near you, you can shop online at shop.ilovepattyscloset.com . A lot of you always say you would love to come shop with me. Well, if you hit up the Rainbow location of Patty's, Sparkle, and Heart and Sole you will find me there every Tuesday afternoon; so hopefully I will see some of you there! <3

Until next time, cheers to time for joy and time for cheer xoxo

Week 76 Rise and Shine, A Steak and Egg Place

Welcome back readers!!! So great news, Brett is back for this blog. While it has been so fun having guest bloggers, I am happy to have my best friend and partner in crime back with me on this food journey. Can you believe it is only a month until Christmas? We are getting so excited because it is our first Christmas that we are hosting and it is going to be a big one. Christmas is my favorite time of year so for the next month, I will be in an even better mood than I normally am. If you know me, you know this will be way high on the ecstatic meter because I love life. 

Remember, you can always find our blog on the LV Informer under the Local Interest section http://lasvegas.informermg.com/category/lv-local-interest/blog-connection/. We also have a Facebook page which we update frequently so check it out; http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants . 

What Teray Says...

So we had originally planned going out on Saturday night but because Brett got home that day we were way too tired and wanted to spend the night in. We decided we were going to go to my favorite meal, brunch, on Sunday morning. Brunch makes me so happy, so I had no complaints. I did the research and chose to go to Rise and Shine, A Steak and Egg Place in Southern Highlands. I love Southern Highlands. The complex that Rise and Shine is located in has many restaurants that we have gone to for the blog (Barcelona, Off the Strip, and Extreme Sushi). My goal is to eat in all the restaurants that I have never been to in that plaza. 

When you walk into Rise and Shine you are immediately put into a good mood, if you aren't in one already, because of the decor. There are these upside umbrella looking things that look like flowers hanging from the ceiling. The waitresses are in pajamas and the colors of the walls are bright and sunny. We were seated right away and greeted by our waitress. 

We ordered our food fairly quickly, I knew what I wanted right away and Brett needed a few minutes to decide. I ordered the fried chicken and waffles. I just really love that combination and I know it is so awful for you, but once in a while a girl has got to splurge. What was awesome about this meal is that it comes with a pot of bread. What is a pot of bread you ask? It is a little flower pot with cinnamon roll bread in it. It is absolutely pure amazement, so I recommend when you go here, you get the pot of bread rather than just plain toast. 

It didn't take long for our food to come out. My chicken and waffles were amazing. The size of the piece of chicken that you got was so big, that of course Brett ate some of my meal. I normally can eat every bite at brunch, so this shows the portion size was good. I don't know exactly what Brett ordered, I am sure he will elaborate more, but his was delicious and the portion size was also huge. 

Overall, I would rate Rise and Shine without a doubt 5 out of 5. If I lived closer I would be there every single week, but I am sure I will definitely be back again.

What Brett Says...

On a normal day I just drink a protein shake for breakfast, sometimes that just doesn't cut it and you need a real breakfast.  After not seeing Teray for 3 weeks and living a rough life for those 3 weeks...it just so happened to be that kind of morning.  Teray keeps hearing about random restaurants and they keep showing up in the same shopping complex in Southern Highlands.  This week we went to "Rise and Shine."

"Rise and Shine" gives off a mom and pop feel...with a Vegas twist of course.  It isn't very big which was nice, unless I'm watching football and drinking beer with my eggs I don't really like crowds for breakfast.  The entire layout was just cool.  The overhead lighting were lit up flowers made of umbrellas (the Vegas twist), there were colors everywhere, and you could see most of what was going on.  Another nice thing was that the menu was simple and made it easy to pick what I wanted, the downside to the menu was the pricing.  For the two of us it came to around $30; we didn't order coffee but it is $3.85 for coffee and you only get two cups...really?  I think their location and size are going to be key to their survival, in a town where you can get breakfast for <$5 in any local bar you need something.

Another key selling point to this place is the service.  Our waitress was amazing, not just saying that since she is from Michigan.  It wasn't just the server either, the hostess was friendly and the manager made sure everything worked out.  Everyone went about making sure we were happy without the routine feel that other restaurants use.  Our waitress also took their time to explain things to us and other tables around us, at no point did feel stupid for asking what "pot bread" was.

Now on to the food.  They cover all the breakfast basics and then some, there is something for everyone.  I chose to get an omelet with steak on top, hash browns, a side of hollandaise sauce, and a pot of bread.  That is correct, a pot of bread.  I had to ask, once answered I had to order it.  It is cinnamon white bread baked in a small plant pot, interesting idea and amazing taste.  I would consider getting this as a snack if I lived closer.  The omelet was also very good, next time I would ask that the steak be cut up more and put inside the eggs but it wasn't a deal breaker.  I'm not sure if the hollandaise sauce was homemade or not but it was really good and went with the meal well.  The hash browns were, well they were hash browns.  I also ordered an orange juice which was freshly made, so fresh there was a seed.  The Vegas twist they don't have is that they do not serve alcohol, so after eating we went to the bar for drinks and football.

Overall "Rise and Shine" was good.  I think it is more of a place to go for a breakfast date or if family is in town.  If you are just shooting for breakfast then stick to your local bar; save some cash and have a drink.  It is worth checking out because the experience and atmosphere are worth it.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week
Thanks to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week this week. Check out my outfit of the week provided by Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique. I am obsessed with crosses. Everyone that has seen my house knows this. I love this top because it can be dressed up and dressed down. It is a mullet style top. I 

paired it with some jeggings and over the knee boots from Heart&Sole by PC. These boots as you can see in the picture have amazing zippers in the back which make them so unique. My earrings are from Sparkle by Patty's Closetand are a real classic piece of jewelry that can be worn over and over again. You can find this look at the trifecta of stores at Rainbow and Windmill. 

So as I mentioned above we know Christmas and other holidays are approaching so if you are lucky enough to have a Patty's Closet near you (Las Vegas, Portland, Englewood, and Hawaii) you guys should really do your holiday shopping for presents and attire there. If you haven't already you should also like their Facebook pages for Patty's, Sparkle, and Heart and Sole, all of which are linked above if you click on the names of the stores. They get shipments every Tuesday and Friday and post the items on the Facebook pages, so check it out! Lastly, if you are not lucky enough to have a Patty's near you, you can shop online at:shop.Ilovepattyscloset.com . I head to Patty's every Tuesday afternoon so maybe I will see you guys there this week!

Until next time, cheers to the holiday season, the most wonderful time of the year. xoxo <3