Week 85 Canaletto (In the Venetian)

Welcome back! I can't believe this is week 85 for the blog and we are going strong. This week when we head out it will actually be week 86 but because Brett and I both have schedules like maniacs during the week (our amazing co-workers on both ends can appreciate this) we are a little behind. 

Remember, you can always find our blog on the LV Informer under the Local Interest section http://lasvegas.informermg.com/ . We also have a Facebook page that we update almost daily so make sure to like that if you haven't already, we appreciate it http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants .

What Teray Says...

So this week we combined our dinner date with our friend Adam's birthday. Adam asked us beforehand where on the strip have we not been for our blog and we told him it was basically free choice being we don't head to the strip too much for this blog. He chose Canaletto at the Venetian because it was close to The Act nightclub which we had a table and bottle service after dinner so we did not have to walk to far. 

Canaletto is a little confusing to find, well at least it was for us. It is right at the border of the Palazzo Shops. If we ever go back in that area we will park at the Palazzo. The thing that I loved right away about this restaurant is that it is such a people watching experience. I love to look at the crazies in Vegas. 

When we were seated, which was right away because we had a reservations, our waiter greeted us right away and asked us if we wanted a drink. I had to take a few minutes to decide but I obviously went with a Riesling. I think Brett just ordered a beer and Adam had a red wine. Chelsie and Trevor joined us too at this point and I think Chelsie had Riesling as well. 

We were given a bread plate which was really good; there were all different mixtures of bread. For an appetizer we chose the fruit and cheese plate, which also was delicious. For dinner Brett ordered a pasta and pork dish, which he will talk about in his section. I tried it and it was delicious. I ordered the Barilotti Integral Al Forno, which was whole wheat barrels of pasta baked with smoked mozzarella, chopped eggplant, garlic, spicy peperoncino, tomato sauce and fresh basil. Okay, so as for my food. I love all of those ingredients separate, but I was not a fan of them together. I am not saying this meal wasn't good; I just did not like it. A lot of the reason I did not like it was because there was so much sauce. 

We were too full for dessert and knew we would be drinking later on that night so we skipped over it. As for the service, it was good, but not the best; typical from what we experienced lately when heading to the strip. My favorite part of the meal was the people watching and the company. I would highly recommend this place just for the people watching. It is a cool experience too if you are a tourist.

Overall, I rate Canaletto 3 out of 5. 

What Brett Says...

This week the decision of where to go was made for us, it was kind of nice not having to figure it out.  Our friend Adam was celebrating his birthday and was making the decisions...he chose "Canaletto" at the Venetian.  I know we don't usually go to restaurants on the strip, here and there, but you have to do what the birthday boy wants.  Canaletto is an Italian restaurant all the way in the back of the canal.

It is hard to talk about the atmosphere, there aren't many places indoors that you can eat on a patio where people are walking around in "Italy" while there are live musicians on the streets.  Not to far from people floating down the canal in a gondola.  Even though you are inside of a large casino you get the feel that you are actually outside surrounded by an Italian ambiance.  It was comfortable with a lively crowd, it was just fun to relax and have a bite to eat.  

Our server was a older Italian man, had the accent and everything.  At first everything was amazing; he was friendly, conversational, and helpful.  Everything he said and did matched the atmosphere.  Unfortunately that's where it ended.  We had a couple show up a little late and getting the drink menu and server back to our table was a challenge.  Once we placed our food order he completely disappeared, never came to check on us.  Simply put we all felt neglected, which was a letdown because it started off so good.  We wanted to keep drinking but it was impossible since we had no one to take our order.  The final straw was when the check came.  There were two couples and the birthday boy, so naturally the check needed to be split.  We asked our server to separate the check by seat, more or less so we could pay for what we each ordered.  He informed us that he could not do that, he could only split the check equally into three bills.  Well this wasn't going to work, it would be unfair to a have a single person partially pay for two couples, we ended up just splitting it down the middle and taking care of Adam's portion...it was his birthday after all.  But how can you not separate the check appropriately...in Vegas of all places.  I use to be a server and did this automatically and know it is possible to do it after the fact, especially in a premier casino like the Venetian.  I assume it is just laziness on our server's part, but reflects directly on the establishment.

Like I said earlier the service was sub par, which made ordering everything we wanted difficult.  We started with a fruit and cheese plate, wanting to follow it with more appetizers but had to settle for one.  I will say that their cheese selection was very good, I'm out of the game now and couldn't distinguish each type of cheese but they were delicious.  The pairings of the cheeses was great and there were no shocks from one cheese to the next.  To round out my experience I ordered the Tagliatelle Alla Castellana which was a pork tenderloin pasta dish, it had mushrooms and bacon in a creme sauce.  The portion was slightly small but not too bad.  The taste however was amazing.  I really enjoyed it, they combination of flavors made the meat pop.  I would say that it is one of the better meals I have had in Vegas.

Overall I am torn.  The atmosphere was amazing, the food was pretty amazing.  But all that is ruined by horrible service and even worse customer service after the sale.  It got so bad we declined dessert so we could get it somewhere else...which is disappointing at an Italian restaurant.  I think it's safe to go here just pray for good service and keep the check splitting issue in mind.

Rating 3 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 will be the first one to say, I never really wear body-con dresses. If it were up to Brett that is what I would be picking every week. LOL. But we all know that as a girl you need to feel like you are having a "skinny day" to wear certain things. Anyway, I love the color and pattern of this dress. The mint green and the laced flowers is perfect for the upcoming warmer weather. You can dress it up like I did for a night out or you can dress it down with some flats and a jean jacket for a brunch or running errands on a spring day. The dress is lined as well so you don't have to worry about the lace being see through. I paired this dress with some nude patent leather pumps and of this gorgeous pastel necklace and earring set that I got at Sparkle by Patty's Closet. You can find this look at the Rainbow Patty's and Rainbow Sparkle location. xo

If you haven't already make sure to check out the Patty's Facebook page and the Sparkle Facebook page which are linked above. They post pictures of new items a couple of times a week, so you don't want to miss out. Also, if you aren't lucky enough to have a PC near you, you can shop online at shop.ilovepattyscloset.com .

Until next time, cheers to the month of love. <3 

Week 34 Buca di Beppo

We have gotten so many new "likes" on our Facebook page this week! Thanks everyone who is promoting. We only need 16 more people to get to 200, so suggest the link to your friends if you can. This is the link if you haven't liked us already http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...


First and foremost I want to say THANK YOU x's a million to Bonnie Taylor for hooking us up with this amazing meal at Buca di Beppo. The food was not only perfection, but we had such a fabulous time! 


Brett and I decided to go to the Buca in Summerlin, because it is the closest one to our new house and we love the Summerlin area. It is nice on the week-end sometimes to be far away from the strip. Arriving at Buca everyone was extremely friendly. When I gave them our name I felt like we were celebrities; they were treated all the patrons like that though, which is beyond awesome!! 

We didn't have to wait long to be seated, either that or I just loved looking at all the pictures on the walls that the time went fast. :) We decided to start with our favorite, sangria. I didn't know if we should do red or white, so Brett had me pick even or odd and even meant white. Fantastic choice and glad I picked the even. 

For an appetizer we picked Cheesy Bread Florentine -A flavorful mixture of Parmesan, mozzarella and provolone cheeses with spinach, tomatoes and lots of garlic, melted on top of our house-baked Italian bread. This bread was mouthwatering. Brett and I each had two pieces. I honestly think I could have ate a whole loaf myself; the fact that I am obsessed with mozzarella cheese added to it. 

For our main courses we got two things: chicken limone and spaghetti with marinara sauce. I am not the hugest fan of chicken we all know this, but I love anything with chicken that is in a lemon sauce. It was cooked to perfection. Spaghetti is my favorite pasta in the world, so I was happy as a lark eating it. Brett of course ate more than I did, but both were beyond amazing!! 

Although I was stuffed, I had to make room for dessert. We chose by suggestion of the waiter, the Italian Creme Cake-Six layers of rich lemon cake and mascarpone cheese filling served in a pool of raspberry-hazelnut sauce and topped with fresh whipped cream and mint sprig. This cake was by far one of the best cakes I have ever had in my life. I really want to go back and order a bunch of pieces and just eat it every night, but then I wouldn't be ready for pool season ;) 

As for the service, our waiter was beyond awesome. He was the perfect amount of funny, friendly, and helpful. We never had to wait for anything we needed! Again, beyond fantastic! Overall, I rate Buca di Beppo without hesitation a 5 out of 5!


What Brett Says...
This week we had it easy choosing our restaurant; we actually had a reader invite us to "Buca di Beppo."  The fact that someone other then our mom's read our blog got us a little excited, so we had to oblige.  Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of people log on to see Teray's outfit of the week but to actually see that along with that outfit goes an entire meal...I felt special.  There are now three Buca's in town; one on the east side, one at Excalibur, and the one we tried out on the west side.  Buca is a chain of Italian restaurants; from what I saw, way more authentic then any other chain Italian restaurant.

When you walk through the front door you are instantly hit with atmosphere.  Think of Applebee's on steroids; there is so much random crap on the walls you don't even know where to start.  You can stare at a single wall for hours just examining; you'll be doing this the entire dinner.  In fact your eyes might hurt at the end of it.  We had a reservation so we didn't have to wait long, not sure what the wait would be without one, but it didn't seem to be too crazy.  We were sat at a large booth in a decent size room; there seemed to be groups ranging from 2 people on a date to an entire extended family.  This all added to the atmosphere of this family style restaurant.  Once sat our server, Ken, came by to get us started.  It seems like every week I am either bitching about the service or just not mentioning it because it isn't worth the keystrokes.  This week however is different, like a few times in the past we ended up with someone who actually does their job.  Ken was money; he met our needs, had awesome suggestions, joked around with us, and made sure we were taken care of.  We always had something coming to our table, whether it was refills or part of our order, we never felt like we were being forgotten.  When we go back to this location we will be making sure he is working before we make the drive.

Talking about an Italian restaurant really comes down to one thing...FOOD.  The atmosphere, service, prices, location, and everything else is irrelevant without good food.  Well, BucaBuca for another day or throw a third wheel into the mix.  We started with Cheesy Bread Florentine.  Imagine fat/thick pizza shop cheesy bread, then put Alfredo sauce on top, finish it off by melting different cheeses on top.  This is the perfect beginning for a guy who could survive on cheese; I mean cheesy bread with a cheesy sauce topped with melted cheese.  Next up was the entree; with family style your dinner guests and you need to come to some kind of agreement.  Luckily Teray and I are married and stuff, so we can usually come to some kind of compromise.  We chose two different entrees, a meat and a pasta.  For our meat we opted to go with Chicken Limone; baked chicken with a lemon cream sauce with capers.  The pasta we kept classic by ordering spaghetti with red sauce.  They don't traditionally go together since one is a cream and the other is a tomato sauce; lucky for us we don't always follow food rules.  While the spaghetti was good, nothing special though, the Chicken Limone was amazing.  I could have eaten an entire order myself.  We chose to order a carafe of sangria to wash it all down; Teray said it was the best sangria she has every had, I on the other hand think it was decent but in no way comparable to Firefly's.  Finally we wrapped up the meal with dessert, Ken's suggestion actually, Italian Creme Cake.  Lucky for me Teray is a 3-5 bite girl when it comes to dessert.  This was way bigger then 5 bites so I got to enjoy this.  It was light and full of flavor, I kinda wish I would have had one to myself...those 5 bites were missed.

All in all I think it's obvious that I enjoyed our experience at Buca di Beppo.  The food was amazing, the service was beyond good, and the atmosphere was entertaining.  While a date here was great (recommended in fact) I think the next time we go we are bringing both sides of our family...just means we can order even more of a variety.

4.5 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. I was obsessed with it quite frankly.  Can I just say I am dying over these palazzo pants?! They are available at the Rainbow location! I have been wanting a pair since I saw Kourtney K rocking some YSL ones a few months back. These pants are not only comfortable but the ivory and black flowers on them really make them pop. They are high waisted and pretty long in length, but they are meant to be worn with heels. I paired them with a black satin button down simple shirt from the Town Square Patty's because I wanted the pants to be the main focus of the outfit. My black patent leather peep toes are also from the Rainbow location. Palazzo pants are perfect for the upcoming spring and summer season!! ♥

Patty's has many locations across Las Vegas and they all have different items. They get new items on Tuesdays and Fridays. For exact locations check out their website: ilovepattyscloset.com and to see the shipments and stay up to date on store openings check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV

So super beyond exciting news!! Sparkle by Patty's Closet opens this Saturday!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparkle-by-Pattys-Closet/160713480701946 The new Sparkle store will be located at 9345 S. Cimmarron Rd.,currently the location of Patty’s Closet Blue Diamond store. Doors open at 11 am and you get 20% off your purchase!! There are even going to be food trucks and everything! Can you imagine, all accessories??? I cannot wait!!! I hope to see you guys there!!! You could even win an iPad!!!

Until next week, cheers to happiness and surrounding yourself with people that lift you up. xo

Week 16 Bootlegger's

Hi Everyone! This week the blog post is a little later than normal because I (Teray) have been sick. I am glad I felt well enough to out this week, even though we almost didn't make it. Again, thanks for all the feedback on the blog; we love that you guys are taking the restaurants recommendations! We know the majority of you get the link of the blog through our Facebook page, so if you haven't already check it out. We have daily updates, pictures, etc. 


http://www.facebook.com/thenewlywedsguidetovegasrestaurants

What Teray Says...
This week I chose to go to Bootlegger's for Italian food. Normally this time of year Brett and I always go to the San Genaro feast and have been since we both moved here, but because I was feeling under the weather, we couldn't make it but I still wanted my Italian food fix. A few week's back Brett bought a Groupon for Bootlegger's which included two glasses of wine, an appetizer and two entrees for $48. 

Bootlegger is located on Las Vegas Blvd. over by the outlets. When you go in the place is very big. There is a bar and dining area. The decor is very old school with lots of famous people on the wall. The color of the red walls is what I want to use as a paint color when Brett and I get a house. I really wanted to ask the owners what color the paint was, but I didn't. LOL.

We were seated right away and a waiter came right over. We told him that we had a Groupon and he guided us in the right direction as of what to do. I guess the Groupon had been very popular that week. We started with wine, and what a shocker, Brett and I both got Riesling. 


The waiter put our appetizer order in right away and while we were waiting we got these garlic knot type things that were to die for. I am a huge garlic fan; everything I cook with normally has some type of garlic in it. (Just ask Brett). I could not help but look around as we sat there noticing a piano, more pictures of famous people, and the gorgeous decor. Within a short amount of time our appetizer arrived which included: calamari, fried ravioli, and shrimp scampi. The shrimp scampi probably was some of the best that I have ever had in my life. The fried ravioli was perfectly done, because it was not too greasy, which we all know I hate when it comes to fried food and lastly, the calamari was to die for and I tried to pick out all the pieces that looked like they had octopus legs because those are my favorite, even though the circle type ones that look like rings taste the same. 

appetizer platter

After enjoying our appetizer, Brett ordered some more wine (I ended up having to give him most of my wine because it was not mixing well with my antibiotics). Brett decided to order the special which was a 12 oz bone in pork chop and I ordered one of my favorite Italian dishes of chicken franchese which came with  fettuccine alfredo. I took one bite of Brett's and can say it was very tender, but he will speak more on his food. My chicken franchese was absolutely to die for! The chicken was very thick and cooked to perfection. The franchese sauce was not too lemony, but just the right amount of thickness to not be too rich. The alfredo was fantastic, and such a treat for me because it is something that I never even entertain eating due to calories. I ate almost every single bite because it was so fantastic. I would compare it to chicken franchese back home in NJ which is a huge compliment because NJ is the capital of Italian food. 

My chicken franchese

Brett's pork chop

So we had dessert for the first time in a few weeks because no matter how full I am, I never would pass up dessert at an Italian restaurant. Of course I had to pick my all time favorite dessert of cannolis. The cream inside was perfect thickness and not too sweet and there was the exact right amount of chocolate chips. There as one for each of us, and it was a very decent size. 

Overall, I would rate Bootlegger's a 4 out of 5. I am a very harsh critic when it comes to Italian food but this place is amazing. I would love to return there next time and try another pasta dish and dessert. I also would love to sit at the bar because the people over there looked like they were having a lot of fun. This is definitely a place to go for a romantic date, and that is just what we did. 


What Brett Says...


So after 15 weeks of random restaurants my New Jersey Italian wife chose an Italian joint. "Bootleggers."  What made it better is I found a Groupon to get another prix fixe meal, you can't beat paying a set price for multiple courses.  If you aren't familiar with "Bootleggers" it is just south of the outlets at Las Vegas Blvd and Robindale, east side of the blvd...kinda obvious.  I drive by it often, always thought it was a upscale Vegas locals bar.  It is but with a nice restaurant surrounding that bar.

This week I will start with the food.  Like I said we had a prix fixe; it came with an appetizer sampler, two entrees, and two glasses of wine.  The sampler was some fried calamari, fried ravioli, and some shrimp scampi.  Out of the three of these the ravioli was the best; he other two were something you would expect from "Fazoli's," neither were bad but lacked much of a flavor...the ravioli was pretty bomb though.  As for my entree I chose to get the special; the 12oz bone-in pork chop with potatoes and asparagus.  It was good, again nothing stood out but I would order it again.  The meat was tender, the sizing of the entree was more then I expected, and the potatoes had an original flavor...what that flavor was I don't know.  To round it out I ordered a glass of the only Riesling on the menu, what can I say...it was wine and it was good.  We took it beyond the prix fixe and ordered dessert this week...cannolis.  I can happily say that the cannolis were awesome, there were two and good size.  The filling was good, I'm talking old Italian grandma good.

The next part of this review will be short and sweet, about the service.  Service was good; drinks and refills were prompt, the staff was friendly and helpful, and timing was right.  I don't remember our servers name and I couldn't pick him out of a line up but he was good.  

As for the atmosphere.  We were sitting in the restaurant part of the establishment, which was extremely nice and well organized.  At times you kinda feel like you are on the outside of where all the cool kids are...you can see the bar, you can hear the bar, and you think you might be part of the fun but you know in reality you aren't.  I think there needs to be more separation of the two...or more integration of the two.

I know this review is shorter then most of mine, sometimes it is hard coming up with enough of the clever funny things you all tune in for...because lets be honest, you are here for my opinion on restaurants not Teray's outfit of the week (yeah I know I am just pumping up my own ego).  I can't really blame you though, she is a hottie.  But in all seriousness I think you can take my lack of substance as a good indicator of "Bootleggers."  It wasn't good enough to rave about and it wasn't bad enough to tear apart.  I think they are just confused as to what they want to be, are they a good Italian restaurant or a local bar...if they want to be amazing I think they need to choose one of the two and push more in whatever direction that is.  The food was good, but more bar quality than stand out restaurant.  The service was good, but I wouldn't go back just for that.  I would like to try it again but on a weekend night at the bar, I think it might be a little bit better.  Since I go with a 5pt rating scale I have to go just on the upside of average...Bootleggers gets a 3 from me.

Patty's Closet Outfit of the Week
Thanks to Patty, Juan and Jose of Patty's Closet for providing me with and helping me pick out my outfit of the week this week. I love what I wore this week because it is extremely versatile and grey is such an easy color to wear. One sleeve is a normal short sleeve while the other is a boat neck type style, so it falls off the shoulders on both sides, giving it kind of an 80's vibe. There is also embellishment of silver, copper, and gold stud detail. I wore this dress on Sunday with a tank dress underneath so that it wouldn't be too short, but yet I wore it again today with jeans as a top. I love when outfits can be used in more than one way!

This outfit can be found at the Blue Diamond and Cimmaron store. The booties I am wearing I bought a couple of weeks back at the Rainbow store. If you haven't already you should check out Patty's Closet online at www.ilovepattyscloset.com and like them on Facebook to see the clothes each store gets every week http://www.facebook.com/PattysClosetLV


Until next time, cheers to fall, fun, food, and fashion. xoxo