Saturday, July 28, 2012

Week 59 Buffet at Asia

Welcome back!! Thanks for all of the new likes on our Facebook page this week. We appreciate it!! Our blog is gaining some serious buzz and we have a few fun things coming up that we can't wait to share with you guys, so remember to keep checking back. 


Speaking of that, if you get a chance and haven't liked our Facebook page, please do so! You can just click: www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

Also, remember you can always find us on the Las Vegas Informer website under the local interest section. http://lasvegas.informermg.com/


What Teray Says...


So this week Brett said he was really craving a buffet. When I think of buffets I think of my eyes being much bigger than my stomach and eating like I'm going to the electric chair only to end up with a serious stomach ache. I was not looking forward to it. When he decided to pick a Chinese buffet, I was a little relieved because I knew that I would only stick to eating the sushi, fish items, and the veggies. I am sure many of you can guess why (Brett tells me crazy rumors about Chinese buffets, don't know if those rumors are true or he does it to watch me squirm. Either way... no thanks).  Hehe. 


The Buffet of Asia we chose to go to was over on the east side of town because it was closer to our friends' house that we were going to after. It was located on Eastern in the 4000 block. There is also one over on Sahara and Rainbow and N. Eastern so depending where you live there is one probably close to you. 


Right off the bat walking into the place, we were asked for money by a homeless person. Granted, I am not judging homeless people, but it makes me really uncomfortable and I could not walk fast enough in the high heels I was wearing, total fashion inconvenience. Although the place was packed,  we were seated right away after paying. It was under $30 for the two of us so I can imagine you really can stuff your face for that price. I chose not to do that. LOL.


After getting our plates and soda I made my way over the the rows of food. There were so many choices, but as I said before I stuck to the stuff that I know. I know part of this blog is to be adventurous but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Brett was picking crazy things like frog legs while I stuck to rice and noodles. :)








I made my way through the buffet three times. The first time I got sushi, string beans, and lomein (the noodles) which drives me crazy that here out west they call it chow mein. On the east coast chow mein and lomein are two totally different things.  On the second round I got rice, more sushi, and this fish in a shell thing with cheese (which was amazing!!!!). I have no idea what it was called though and can't remember what the label said. On the third time through I went for dessert and got two little tiny cake things and some peanuts with caramel and sesame seeds on them. It was just enough sweet after the food. 







Overall, I don't have too much to say, but I did like the food that I chose. I think I should have branched out more like Brett but I was too afraid. My rating of Buffet of Asia is 2 out 5.


What Brett Says...


If you are an ordinary Caucasian and you want to really get out of your norm this is how.  Go to "Buffet @Asia" on Eastern, you will be the only white people surrounded by a few black people and a bunch of Hispanics inside an Asian restaurant.  It is definitely a interesting dynamic.  Growing up I had no idea Asian buffets even existed, I don't think there were any around and if there were my parents steered clear.  I came to the realization that these buffets existed my freshmen year of college.  What more could you want being a broke drunk 18 year old?  We would go from time to time; throwing health and quality out the door and just enjoying having a never ending supply of food for a couple bucks.  Well, I left the college life in 2007 and haven't visited a Asian buffet since.  That all changed this week; even though I have a few more dollars in my pocket and I now have a appreciation for culinary skills, we figured why not.

There isn't much to talk about the physical restaurant itself.  It is a pretty standard 1980's buffet; the booths are set up for those with the average waistline of the 80's...I only say this because America is fatter then ever and a Asian buffet may be the most unhealthy all you can eat there is.  I guess it is kind of a show, almost like fat person tetris.  Thankfully Teray and I fit just fine.  The buffet itself looked pretty clean; it had the sneeze shields and there was staff constantly changing the food and wiping up.  The location itself isn't in the greatest part of town, you aren't going to get shot during the day but you may just get shanked at night.  There was a very interesting bum hanging out on their front porch asking for money (he was very polite).  On the way out they had just began setting up a Mexican jewelry market next to the bum, so if you time things right you can do a good deed, get a meal, become cultured, and do some Christmas shopping.  I only point this out because people are so busy these days, this is bound to make your day easier.  

The service was interesting.  I really cannot comment on whether they were rude or not...I could not understand a word they said, in fact the entire atmosphere was different languages swirling around the air.  I will say we did get our drinks, not much on the refill end of it.  We did get our empty plates taken, had to get out own silverware.  And there seemed to be plenty of employees.  I am just thankful we got our own food because trying to get them to understand us and get our order right might have been a challenge.

As for the food.  There was a lot of it, there was variety, and it was hot when it was suppose to be and cold when it was suppose to be.  I can also say that neither of us got sick afterward.  They had traditional Chinese, Mongolian BBQ, Sushi, some American, and dessert.  I did a little bit of trying here and there, I did not try the sushi or the Mongolian BBQ...buffet sushi scares me.  Just looking at the food you feel unhealthy and almost want to call a cardiologist to schedule a bypass...job security for me.  Everything tasted pretty good, it tasted like I remember from college.  I would however say that this is far from memorable cuisine.  The Chinese donut balls were amazing though.

This week I will have two ratings, the current rating by Brett and my college rating by Fish(my nickname).

Brett: 2 out of 5 (based on flavor, atmosphere, and sobriety)
Fish: 3.75 out of 5 (price was a little high for a college kid but who cares about taste...we're drunk)



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! I love this jacket...actually let me rephrase that...I'm obsessed with this jacket. In the front it looks like a snazzy white jacket that you can wear to work or to play but when you turn around the pattern on the back is gorgeous and so fun!! I love pieces like this that are unique and can be worn many ways. I paired it with a tank and jean shorts for a casual look, but it can also be dressed up for work. This jacket is available at the Rainbow location!



Fashion lovers, there are so many great things coming up with Patty's Closet right now!! They are opening another Sparkle next to the Rainbow store; they are opening a shoe boutique called Heart and Soul over there too, and new stores are going to be popping up in Jersey and Hawaii. How amazing is that???!!!! 

For the most up to date news on all of these great events check out their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV. They update their page with new shipment items all the time (shipment days are Tuesdays and Fridays). Also, if you are not lucky enough to have a Patty's near you yet, you can check out their online store: shop.ilovepattyscloset.com

Until next time, cheers to loving life and the real ones in it. xoxo


Friday, July 20, 2012

Week 58 Chocolate and Spice Bakery

Hi everyone :) We hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are! I know we say this every week but we appreciate all of the readers so much! I can't believe the number of views we have on this blog. It amazes me everyday. Our goal is to get to 20,000 by the end of the year, and at the rate we are going, we definitely will! 

As I mention every week you can always find our blog on the LV Informer and even if you already know where our blog is, you need to check out this online newspaper to stay in the know of what is going on in Vegas!!! http://lasvegas.informermg.com/

Also, thanks for all the Facebook likes, and if you haven't already click on our page. We always like feedback and post frequently. http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants?bookmark_t=page

What Teray Says...

So this week we went of the suggestion of one of my friends Cecilia Clemmons to try Chocolate and Spice and I am so glad that we did. Chocolate and Spice is a bakery located in Summerlin, but it is much more than a bakery, it is the cutest place ever! (I will elaborate). When you walk into C & S it basically is like walking into bakery paradise. The decor is absolutely beautiful and the atmosphere is so relaxed and cheery that you immediately are in a good mood when you enter the door. I told Brett that I would love to have some sort of party here and I will still to the plan. 

There is a longer counter type table with higher chairs and mini tables with lush animal print chairs all over the bakery. It is basically like sitting in your cosy living room, chatting with your best friends and having a meal (my type of place). 



Well, I could go on about the decor forever, but I will continue with my review. :) There are many beverage choices and I went with an iced coffee (my favorite summer drink...heck my favorite drink all year round). Brett chose a frap, which I tasted and it was amazing, way better than the chain coffee places I am always visiting. We went at lunch time so I can speak for those options. There were many types of sandwiches, salads, macaroni dishes, and lunch meat pies. Although my mouth was watering for everything I went for a turkey sandwich with the fixings on fresh cranberry bread. Not only was this by far the best turkey sandwich I have ever had, the prices were phenomenal. Brett also ordered the same thing and we both finished the whole thing very quickly, which if you are a loyal reader, you know it is a rare occasion that I finish every bite of what I order. 





Let's get to the icing on the cake, the desserts. First take a look at these pictures and you will be able to see why I had a hard time deciding. 



Brett and I decided to order two things each. It's cheat day, so we can indulge. Hehe. Anyway, I chose a strawberry cake and a peanut butter and jelly bar. Brett chose a peanut butter and jelly bar and a Snicker's type thing. He will elaborate more I am sure. As for what we didn't choose there was everything from tons of flavored chocolates, to cupcakes, to pies, to more dessert bars. If you go there you will see the list goes on forever. My mouth is watering as I type this. They were the perfect size and again I feel like if I had a party soon, this is where I would be getting my desserts from for sure!


Overall, I absolutely loved Chocolate and Spice. I have found my new spot whenever I head over to Summerlin. Based on everything from the staff, the prices and the amazing food I would rate Chocolate and Spice absoultely perfect 5 out of 5! Check out their webpage: http://chocolatenspice.com/

What Brett Says...

Trying to get away from the standard restaurant once in a while is good.  Sometimes you don't want to have a waiter or wait for food to be cooked.  Sometimes you just need a relaxing environment where no one is bothering you.  It was that kind of week, so we decided to check out "Chocolate and Spice" on Sahara at Tenaya.  Chocolate and Spice is bakery meets coffeehouse meets deli.  Being the manly man I think I am I usually don't say what I'm about to say, but the place is cute.  I think everyone can like part of this place...hipster, upity, hippie, and maybe even redneck.


The place itself is pretty cool.  You order everything at the counter, the two women working were amazing.  Two of the nicest people I have encountered at a restaurant.  They both seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs.  Service here is reason enough to return.  The counter you order at is one of the most tempting things I have ever seen.  They have sandwiches, pastas, baked goods, and candies.  As a former fat kid I really wish I had no concern for my waistline or my financial status.  I really wish I could tell you about everything they offer, I really do.  The rest of the restaurant has a pretty relaxing feel.  The have some counters, some tables, and a bunch of large comfortable chairs.  It kind of reminds me of a more extensive "Central Perk" from Friends.  The other upside is the smell, it is amazing and makes you crave more.


Lets get down to the good stuff...the food.  Teray and I both opted to get a turkey sandwich.  Only this turkey sandwich comes on a large cranberry ciabatta bun.  It was pretty large.  I'm not usually a fan of cold meat sandwiches but this is different.  The flavors are on point and the bread was amazing.  I also ordered a blended coffee drink, it took a little while to get but once I got it it was worth it.  The best part was that it was actually blended, I can't stand when my blended drinks have large chunks of ice that clog up the straw.  Once we were done with all that we decided to go back up for some dessert.  I ordered two little "homemade" candy bars; one was a peanut butter and jelly and the other was s'mores.  I was impressed and the only disappointment was that I limited my ordered to those two items.
I can only sum "Chocolate and Spice" with one word...AMAZING.
Rating: 5 out of 5



Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week:
Fashion lovers, here is your favorite part!! Of course thank you to Patty and Juan of Patty's Closet for providing me with my outfit of the week. I am in love with this dress. Not only is it gorgeous, but it is so comfy! The halter style top and empire waist make it very flattering. The colors at the bottom give you many accessory and shoe choices. Lastly, I love that it is longer in the back and shorter in the front. :) You can find this fabulous dress at the Rainbow location!


Make sure that you like Patty's Closet Facebook page for all the latest shipment items (Tuesdays and Fridays) as well as new store openings. Also, for my tri-state area friends, they are running a contest that if you like the Facebook page, you could win a $100 to spend at the new store opening next month in NJ!!! How exciting is that??!!! So make sure you do that now!! http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV

Also, if you aren't lucky enough to have a Patty's Closet near you yet, you can order online from their online store at: shop.ilovepattyscloset.com

Until next time, cheers to all things sweet in life, whatever that may be to you. xoxo




Friday, July 13, 2012

Week 57: The Turing Point (Pier Village- Long Branch, NJ)

Hey Everyone :) I'm back from Jersey. I had such a great trip and figured I might as well blog from there being a big part of this blog (Patty's Closet) is opening their first store in New Jersey soon! How exciting right?!


While we were there my mom and I also got to be apart of a Glam Fairy episode for the Style Network. Patty and Juan from Patty's Closet were so nice and provided me with an outfit to wear for the episode. I can't wait for you guys to see it!! It will air in October. 


Isn't this colored, leopard dress fabulous??!!! I am obsessed. The fit was so flattering and of course it has my favorite things: cinched waist and shorter in the front with longer in the back. This dress is from the Rainbow location. If you check on the side of my pic you can see me with Alexa from Glam Fairy. It is kind of blurry from all of the lighting- but she is beyond nice and beautiful. Love her!




Remember, you can always find our blog on one of my favorite online publications, The Las Vegas Informer. Check them out here: http://lasvegas.informermg.com/ We are under the local interest section.


Also, if you haven't liked our Facebook page yet, you definitely should. We update it all the time! http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants?bookmark_t=page

What Teray Says...


So because Brett was in Vegas while I was in Jersey this week, this blog is just going to be what I say. Shorter for you guys to read. :) Hehe. One of my favorite places to go when I am in home at the Jersey Shore is Pier Village. Pier Village is basically condos, shops, restaurants, and nightlife right on the beach. If you ever go down to the Jersey Shore you need to visit there. The JS cast, Glam Fairy, and Jerseylicious cast visit their frequently from what I hear. :)


Anyway, my mom and I decided to go to Tuning Point because it is one of my favorite breakfast, brunch, lunch places in NJ. The food is so delicious and my favorite part is that you sit outside right on the beach. 







There wasn't a long wait to be seated and of course because of the nice day my mom and I chose to sit outside. I have sat inside too, the decor is beautiful and beachy. Being away from the beach, I just wanted to breathe in the smell of the air. 


My mom and I started off by ordering some coffee; she ordered hot coffee and I ordered iced coffee. They put iced water dispensers on your table with lemon already in the water. It is so refreshing. 






There is an extensive breakfast and lunch menu there. I couldn't decide at first which kind of food I wanted being that there were so many choices. My decided on ordering an egg white omelet with baby spinach, tomato, and cheese. It was also served with melon and an English muffin. My mom loved her omelet. From the taste I had it was delicious. 






I decided to order lunch food and went with half a sandwich and half a salad. For the sandwich I chose a grilled chicken pesto sandwich and for the salad I chose a Caesar salad. I have been on a Caesar salad obsession lately. I get these weird kicks with food where I will want to eat the same thing all the time and then not eat it again for awhile. The Caesar salad was fantastic. It even had lemon on it, which is more of an east coast thing to squeeze the lemon on the salad. These grated cheese was so fresh and the lettuce was crisp and fresh. I personally think that veggies on the east coast are way better than the west coast, but maybe I am biased. The sandwich also was beyond amazing and the half was so big that I felt like I had a whole sandwich. A few people seated around us even asked what I ordered. I should order sandwiches with pesto more often, because it was amazing! It also came with chips and salsa, which was a treat!








Overall, The Turning Point is amazing. If you ask anyone from Monmouth County, I am sure they would stay the same. The atmosphere, food, service, and the company of my mom all made me rate The Turning Point 5 out 5 and cannot wait to visit again when I go back! 




Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week
Thanks to Patty and Juan for providing me with my outfit of the week this week! I love this type of top because you can wear it so many ways! I chose to wear it more like a tunic and put a black romper underneath it. The color combination is so classic, and it can be dressed up or down. I also love the collar detail and the opening in the back. As you can see by the picture it also is shorter in the front and longer in the back. This look can be found at the Rainbow location!




Great news Patty's Closet fashion lovers, they are coming to NJ as I mentioned above. Make sure you check out their Facebook page for the details of that and also to see their new shipment items at all the stores on Tuesdays and Fridays. http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV You can also get the looks from their online store: shop.ilovepattyscloset.com 


Until next time, cheers to fashions coast to coast. xo



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Week 56 Casa Don Juan

Happy 4th of July Everyone! Hope you are all having an amazing summer!! Again, to anyone new that has liked our Facebook page; thank you so much and we appreciate you!! If you haven't already you can like our page right here: http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants?bookmark_t=page

Also, you can always find our blog on the LV Informer, which we still cannot get over how cool that is! http://lasvegas.informermg.com/category/lv-local-interest/blog-connection/We are under the local interest section. 


What Teray Says...

So this week we chose another restaurant based on Groupon. We have gotten suggestions in the past for this place, so I knew it was going to be good. Our groupon included 2 meals and 2 jumbo margaritas (my summer fave!). 

Casa Don Juan is located downtown on Main Street. There is seating on the sidewalk outside, which would be amazing at night when it cools down, but the fact that when we went it was still over 100 degrees, we headed inside for the air conditioning.

We were seated right away and brought chips and salsa, bean dip, and guacomole. The chips were fantastic and so were all the dips. Whenever I go to a restaurant with chips, I know that I am going to be in trouble, because I could probably eat 3 bowls myself, especially if they are extra salty. 



For our Cadillac margaritas Brett chose a frozen one and I chose one on the rocks. I could probably drink margs as I call them all day, especially if they were the skinny version, but normally one is enough for me. :) They were fantastic by the way and I would come back here just for the drink and to me that is a big deal. 


For our meal, we both ordered the same thing: shrimp tacos. The tacos were huge! It came with rice and beans and the portion size was amazing. Of course I could only eat one taco and brought the other one home. I ate it a few hours later though. The food was so fresh, especially the sauces and shrimp, and there was just a perfect mix of flavors. Probably some of the best tacos I have had in Vegas. 


For dessert we ordered flan. I always for some odd reason get flan mixed up with another dessert that I can't think of right now, but after eating this flan, I will remember what it is from now on. It had to be the best flan that I have had in a long time. The portion size was perfect too so that we could share it!!! 


Again this week our Groupon find was a hit. The service was excellent, the food was to die for and the atmosphere was so fun. I can imagine having a great dinner with friends there (stay tuned friends for the invite :) ) I would rate Casa Don Juan 5 out of 5 and will definitely be heading there for Mexican food from now on.

What Brett Says...


This week was Mexican food week, thanks to another Groupon.  We decided to check out "Casa Don Juan" down on Main Street; can't beat Mexican food and margaritas during a hot Vegas summer.  They are located on Main Street just south of Charleston, it is pretty hard to miss.  Our Groupon covered two entrees and two margaritas, can't beat it for $25.

Casa Don Juan kinda tricks you.  From the outside it looks like another hole in the wall place, tiny, with a couple tables outside.  When you walk in you realize the place is really nice and surprisingly large; so large in fact we had a group of 24 people next to us.  The walls are covered with Mexican images, ranging from photos to paintings.  The seating was comfortable and spacious.  We didn't do a any exploring of the restaurant but it appeared to have two large rooms and a large bar, the outside sidewalk tables would probably be best saved for a cool fall Friday night...maybe on a first Friday.  One thing I really liked was that it was authentic Mexican, the menu was in Spanish, but they were nice enough to put English underneath.  I really appreciate this since most of Vegas is English with Spanish subtitles...just learn the language already.  I was surprised by the service, they were really busy (I mentioned the 24 people next to us), but our server was right on top of things.  He was at our table within a minute or two of us sitting down, we told him we had the Groupon and he walked us through what we could and couldn't get.  We didn't feel forgotten and best of all we didn't feel rushed.

Being such a perfect couple we are we ended up pretty much getting the same thing.  We each had the large margarita; except I had blended and hers was on the rocks.  I can't speak for hers...she did that up there, but mine was really good.  You could taste the tequila and it went down cold and smooth.  As for our entree we each ordered the shrimp tacos.  I was expecting some half assed Del Taco like shrimp taco, instead we got two huge overflowing tacos.  They used the baby shrimp and they put plenty in there for you, I ended up having to scoop up the parts that fell out of the tortilla.  Along with the tacos we got rice and beans...these were pretty standard, nothing to talk about.  A very filling meal overall.

Rating 4 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! Love them- they are such amazing people. This look is so fierce! I am dying over this skull top, which is beyond edgy. I love the fact that it can be worn all seasons, because it is long sleeved. The shorts are such a pop of color and the fact that they are high-waisted makes them a great piece that can be worn with any kind of top. The buttons on them are the perfect detail. They are also so comfortable, which is important in my book! You can find this look at the Rainbow location.

 If you haven't already like I say every week you need to like Patty's Closet on Facebook because you will be able to check out all the new inventory each week on Tuesdays and Fridays at each store as well as keep updated on events and future store openings! You can like their page right here if you haven't already: http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV

Also, no matter where you live you can order from Patty's Closet online! The website is right here: shop.ilovepattyscloset.com

Lastly, being I am from NJ you know I have to let you in on the fabulous news that Patty's Closet is coming to NJ in August. It will be in Englewood and details will be coming soon, so you need to like Patty's Closet Facebook page for these details NJ friends!! <3 

Until next time: cheers to fireworks, freedom, food, fun, and most of all: family! xo