of vegetable and 10-spice based curry sauce, and whatever else you want. Fried shrimp or tofu? Chunks of tender beef or kurobuta sausage? Spinach, Spam, cheese or corn? Customize today, crave tomorrow. BR (5020 Spring Mountain Road, 702-985-1192, curryzen.com)
M o st p owe rfu l p owe r lu nc h
Best cur e for missing Mom Mac + Cheese x Five at RX Boiler Room I happen to be a transplant from Georgia who grew up on hot buttered biscuits, golden fried okra and fresh peach cobbler from my Mom’s kitchen. I miss her (and the food) often. When I do, there is one certain remedy — Rick Moonen’s “Mac + Cheese x Five” at RX Boiler Room. It begins with a simple pinwheel pasta. (The first time I saw it, I could hear my inner child squeal, “Pinwheels!”) Then there are the cheeses: The blue, Parmesan, brie, cheddar and blanc balance tart sophistication with creamy simplicity. The sum of pinwheels plus five delectable cheeses is a fitting, melty homage to the greatest cook most of us have ever known — Mom. Misti Yang (3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-632-9900, rxboilerroom.com)
Best goblet of tiramisu Buddy V’s The Cake Boss’s Italian food at his giant new Vegas restaurant is better than you might expect from the star of a reality show about a Jersey bakery, but there’s no surprises with the sweet stuff: Of course dessert is delicious at Buddy V’s. The signature cream-filled, lobster tail-shaped pastry is the big seller, but consider splitting this royally huge glass of custardy, cakey,
Hot hot heat: Curry Zen
vs.
Eat It’s no surprise that chef Natalie Young’s soulful breakfast-andlunchery has become the de facto eatand-meet for Downtown’s developers; Eat is, after all, a Downtown Project project. But the rest of the shrimpand-grits loving world has discovered this comfy place. We believe one of the reasons Downtown’s momentum stays surging is because industry titans are just making excuses to munch on the world’s greatest BLT. It’s so good, you’ll want to move your company Downtown, too. BR (707 Carson Ave., 702-534-1515, eatdowntownlv.com)
Vintner Grill Las Vegas might be morphing into the kind of place where the big biz is done in the center of the city, but many of our major players still hover over the valley’s perimeter and Summerlin’s stylish, regal Vintner Grill is still the spot where they meet and eat. Wine and housemade cheese give way to martinis and mesquite-grilled steak sandwiches if the wheeling and dealing gets super serious. For the housewives and socialites sipping and snacking, there are curried chicken salads and seared halibut steaks with couscous and lemon gremolata. BR (10100 W. Charleston Blvd. #150, 702-214-5590, vglasvegas.com)
caffeinated and cocoa-topped tiramisu with your big loud family, Italian or otherwise. BR (Venetian, 702-607-2355, venetian.com)
I stake my name on it. JB (4155 S. Buffalo Drive #103/104, 702778-5566, komexexpress.com)
Best fried rice
Downtown 3rd Want to cook like a top chef? Step one is to start with good ingredients. Every Friday at the former bus terminal on Stewart and Ogden, the public is bestowed access to the same pristine produce prepared in some of the city’s best fine-dining restaurants. Perhaps you have no idea what to do with Buddha’s hands or baby artichokes? That’s okay — chances are you’ll rub elbows with a local chef who can offer advice. Just be sure to visit early for the best selection. DL (300 E. Stewart Ave., 702-541-941-0386, downtown3rdfarmersmarket.com)
B e s t fa r m e r s m a r k e t Jim ’s Fried Rice at KoMex Fusion Express Full disclosure: I’m the Jim of Jim’s Fried Rice fame and I’m addicted to the stuff. Lest you think it’s because it’s my eponymous dish, I can assure you I was a junkie when I took my first hit when it was just bulgogi fried rice. Rich with bulgogi — Korean marinated beef — and topped with umami-infused nori strips, the dish belts out a myriad of flavors and textures. Smokiness melds with sweetness as crisp meat gives way to tender rice. If you try it just once, you’ll be hooked, too.
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