Off the Strip....our first stop

What Teray Says...
So we went to our first restaurant yesterday, Off the Strip. I chose this place based on recommendations from friends. When the first person suggested to me in person, I was like, "Okay, off the strip, but what is it called?" not realizing it was the name of a restaurant in typical Teray fashion.

Anyway, Off the Strip is located in Southern Highlands. It took us about 10 minutes to get there. I read that there is another one on Tropicana and Grand Canyon, but I am not positive. The place is in a strip mall, and you would never ever notice that it was there unless you drive up to it. When you go inside though, it is a totally different story! It is a like an east coast restaurant with the west coast vibe. The decor is quaint and cozy with yellow walls and fabulous signs and colors, but it also makes you feel like you are eating in a hip hot spot. The bar is beautiful with lights and there are about 12 tables (11 which were full). We were seated after about a minute, and our waiter was a friendly guy, who got to know us right away. We had our east coast connection based on our accents, me being from Jersey and him from Long Island. We asked him for some recommendations and started with his suggestion of the "Rolled New York." According to the menu, the Rolled New York is: We’ve never known exactly what to call this item, but it sure is good. Choice Black Angus New York Strip cut thin

and wrapped around grilled asparagus and provolone with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Dressed with a

Marsala mushroom sauce. For 12.50 this melted in your mouth; it was amazing. 

Brett and opted to order beer, rather than the typical wine we normally go for. Beer was only between 3.00-4.00, so not too bad. I was disappointed there was no Bud 55 or MG64 on the menu, but that is what I get for liking "beer water" I guess. The waiter explained all of the specials to us, but Brett ordered meatloaf and I ordered linguine with white clams, which I have been craving since I got back from Jersey last June, and this one hit the spot. The portion sizes were fantastic. Being part Italian, I am pretty hard on Italian food, but again, this was fabulousness in my mouth. LOL. Can you tell I enjoyed it? I loved it because it was not super oily or too much garlic, just the perfect amount of white sauce and clams. 


Lastly, the waiter brought us out Al's Famous Cheesecake, which was complimentary for being our first time there. It was beyond delicious, the type of cheesecake that you would find in one of those bakeries in which an old lady makes all of the desserts. :) I probably could have ate a whole cheesecake myself.


Overall, I really enjoyed our first spot and can see why so many people recommended it. It is the type of place in which you could dress up or dress down and fit right it. There were families, couples on dates, and the hip crowd in their 20s and 30s sitting at the bar. I definitely will head "Off the Strip" again to this place! I rate it 4.5 out of 5. 


What Brett says...

Teray already did the intro to what we are doing.  So, to let you know about myself and restaurants.  I worked in the Food industry for 10 years, I have worked in the kitchen and on the floor.  I have done everything from cook, bus, serve, to security just to name a few.  I know good food when I taste it.  I can tell when food has been neglected.  I am also very critical on the staff because I know what their job entails, I also know how easy it is.  So I am looking forward to telling you where someone or somewhere has screwed up.  But I am also willing to praise when I feel a place deserves it.

Flip Flop Elegant

So for the first week of our little restaurant tour Teray chose "Off the Strip."  It is located in Southern Highlands, after looking online at the menu I was expecting a stand alone building with an Italian theme.  Turns out it is in a strip mall, the outside is completely unassuming.  The sign doesn't stand out at all, just some vinyl lettering in the windows.  Nothing about this place catches your eye.  As we walk in perception completely changes.  You go from bland strip mall restaurant to New York Italian Cafe, or at least what a Midwest boy would expect a New York Italian Cafe to look like.  The place was clean and modern; a little 12 table sit down joint with a 10 foot bar.  The kitchen is wide open so you can see everything going on.  Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, the bar is also the "wine room."  There are only two employees running around the tables and a couple more in the kitchen.  After a minute or two one of the servers sat us, nice little table for two by the wall.  Looking around I just felt like I was in a hotspot; little beer cooler displaying their selection, chalked out menu above the kitchen (you get menus at the table too), and a crowd that wasn't overwhelming...not too quite but not crickets either.  Our server was friendly, talked with us for a few, had great recommendations, and of course a Brooklyn accent.  He took time to joke with us, kinda get to know us, and made us feel comfortable.  He did this while being one of the two servers/bartenders/hosts.  We didn't feel rushed, we asked what he recommended for an app..."Rolled New York ($12.50."  It was amazing, we each got about 3-4 bites.  Great taste without being too much to ruin the dinner.  He brought us bread basket after bread basket, which we indulged.

I again asked for a recommendation for the entree, he threw out a couple suggestions.  I told him that I kept coming back to the Meatloaf ($12), he said I should get it because I wouldn't be disappointed(even though it wasn't one of his suggestions).  

I'm glad he convinced me to go with my first instinct, it was hometown but with some twang.  The mashed potatoes were kinda a twice baked mashed, the veggies were good and actually still hot.  As for the actual meatloaf, it had a gravy over it that added to the meat that was juicy and tender.  Finally we decided we had to try Chef Al's Cheesecake ($8)...WOW.  This is the kind of cheese cake you would expect to get from a place that only does cheesecakes, way better then Cheesecake Factory.  It came with strawberries, chocolate and caramel.  The cheesecake was light and full of flavor, the crust was thick and had a flavor you can't describe except that it was perfect for the rest of the dish.  Over all I have to say "Off the Strip" was amazing.  If you eat out in Vegas you know how hard it can be to get good service and good food at the same time, well this is that match.  The food is high end quality, moderate pricing, and a perfect unassuming atmosphere...all this in a strip mall.  I will return without a doubt.  I'm not going to have some cleaver rating system, simple and easy..."Off the Strip" gets a 4 out of 5.

Check out their website: offthestriplv.com 

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