thentic and fresh fare at affordable prices by the pound. And they should all aspire to dishes like this: cubed bites of raw ahi tuna tossed with mild kimchi, green onions and sesame oil. Pair with a sweet fruit drink and shrimp chips, or feast on it over rice. CB
$6.50
torta ahogada at El Birotazo
Torta ahogada means “drowned sandwich,” named after, I assume, the first Guadalajaran who tried to swim after eating this dense pork bundle. El Birotazo makes an authentic version of the regional entrée with a semihard French roll stuffed with pierna, then doused in a red chile de arbol salsa, lime and onion, served gliding in a pool of excess sauce. Life jacket not included. CB 4262 E. Charleston Blvd, 702-888-0858, elbirotazolasvegas.com
655 W. Craig Road #118, 702-639-0500
$6.99
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$6-$10
kimchi ahi poke at Poke Express
Poke Express is what every grocery store deli counter should aspire to, offering au-
fried catfish meal
at The Hamburger Hut ’N’ Market
sesame noodles at Fat C h oy
While practically all of Sheridan Su’s outstanding menu could be on this list and two of my favorites — the pot stickers and shrimp toast — were our 2013 DEALicious Meal of the Year, my latest go-to dish is his sesame noodles. The vegetarian dish delivers more than a hint of heat — and the generous amount of mushrooms means you won’t miss any protein. JB Inside the Eureka Casino, 595 E. Sahara Ave.,
The Hamburger Hut won’t win any restaurant decor awards, but its entire menu can be on this list, especially the fried catfish meal. The chow-pack comes with two catfish pieces coated in a Southern-style cornmeal batter and fried to a crispy-moist brilliance, then served on a bed of fries with homemade tartar and house hot sauce. CB 2512 E. Cheyenne Ave., 702-657-9202
702-794-3464, fatchoylv.com
DEALicious burgers
C
onservative estimate, I’ve probably eaten 2,500 burgers in my (no doubt considerably shortened) life. So, as we survey a few boutique burger chains — which, for this exercise, we define as fast-foodish chains existing between the luxe-burger joints of the spendy class and the mass patties of the hoi polloi — I have this to say: Get your buns in gear, Five Guys cheeseburger ($6.59, fiveguys.com). Sure, your weighty, double-patty mouthful thrills my inner carnivore. Lotta meat there, and quality stuff. But you don’t bring quite enough char or robust beefiness; remember, hype isn’t a seasoning. But big feelz for Smashburger’s Smash Classic ($5.99, smashburger.com). It tasted fresher, the in-mouth interplay of ingredients more varied and satisfying — though it could pump up the beef flavor, too. No such worries with The Farmer’s Burger at Farmer Boys ($6.39, farmerboys.com). It may not live up to the company’s winking hyperbole — “The World’s Greatest Hamburger” — but there’s a nice, high char on this two-patty belly-buster, which neatly complements the bacon. (Though I did have to dislodge an unappetizingly large lump of avocado.) If you’re not up for Burger Bar or down for Burger King, plow down a Farmer. — SD J U LY 2 0 1 4
DesertCompanion.com
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