Wetzel's Pretzels

Update Review, April 2025 Visits

Another year, another National Pretzel Day, which means, free pretzels at Wetzels!

Original, Buttered, No Salt. $7.39.

I waited in a fairly long line for my free pretzel, only to have the person before me claim the last salted pretzel.  The worker unapologetically told me they didn't even have another batch baking, so plain (buttered) was all he could offer (which, confuses me, they salt them after baking and usually just pluck the plain ones from the display, dose them in more butter, and dunk in salt ...).  But anyway, original, buttered, no salt it was.

The pretzel was fairly average and as expected.  Warm but not super fresh.  Covered in butter.  Baked well, no under baked nor burnt bits.  Standard US style fairly plain base flavor (e.g. not malty like European ones).  I had a little of it then, and took the rest home to re-warm up and use as a dessert with more toppings and sauces.  Low ***.

Original, Buttered, With Salt. $7.39.

The one I got fresh, fresh, fresh out of the oven (as in, I had to wait 2 min for it to finish baking).  Amusingly, it was actually a bit darker than it should be, so they really *should* have pulled it out sooner.  Anyway, classic original pretzel, buttered, and buttered again and salted.  Well formed, piping hot, nice salt level.  I definitely liked having a flavorful mustard I brought with me to dunk it in.  *** due to freshness, but there isn't actually anything particularly remarkable about these pretzels.

Update Review, April 2024 Visit

Yes, another visit to Wetzel's Pretzels for a free pretzel on National Pretzel Day.

Original (no salt).  $5.99.

I got this hot and fresh.  It was already glistening with butter, from the bath they give the pretzels as they take the out of the oven.  I opted for no salt, so I could use it in either savory or sweet dips.  If you do get salt, it gets brushed another time with fresh butter, to help the salt stick.

The pretzel was pretty massive, and not particularly well formed, more like intersecting rings than a proper pretzel shape.  It was buttery, moist, not burnt, but not particularly good.  I tried both savory and sweet dipping sauces and glazes with it, which helped, but the base pretzel just didn't have much flavor.  Auntie Anne's, located in the same mall, and also doing free pretzels was considerably better (in both taste and shape).  Eh.  **.

Update Review, June 2023 Visit

Almond Crunch. $6.49.

Meh.

The pretzel just didn't taste very fresh.  It was taken from the display case and dunked in copious almond crunch coating (which I definitely appreciated, although much of it fell off), but I suspect it had been sitting in the case quite a while.  It also seemed sightly over-baked, was fairly dry, not dough and fluffy, and was pretty dark in one area.  It wasn't very buttery.  Solidly, meh.  

The almond crunch coating was good, sweet, crunchy, but, overall, not a good showing by Wetzel's. **+.

Update Review, April 2023 Visit

Another year, another National Pretzel Day!  Of course I went to celebrate with my favorite (free) pretzel at nearby Wetzel's.  I was thrilled that there was essentially no line, and staff seemed friendly despite the "holiday" that they likely weren't especially excited to be taking part of.

Original w/ Butter & Salt.

"Hand rolled, baked fresh, and lightly buttered & salted. Also available in non-buttered."

I managed to score one fresh out of the oven, then promptly freshly dunked in copious amounts of butter and coated in salt to order.  It was basically as good as a generic soft pretzel of this style is going to get.  It was soft and puffy, the base pretzel had a reasonable flavor (American style soft pretzel of course though, not the malty nature of a German pretzel), and the butter was glorious.  Salt made it all pop.

When you get one of these fresh, it really is quite good.  ***+.

Update Review, May 2022 Visit

National Pretzel Day.  Always a fun day for me, as I enjoy making a journey out of claiming my free pretzel at various vendors, which this year included both Auntie Anne's and Wetzel's, co-located in the same mall, just moments away from each other.  I used this opportunity to try something totally different at Wetzel's, and went to Auntie Anne's, my preferred vendor, for my sweet pretzel (which I reviewed last week).  But at Wetzel's, I kept it simple.  Very simple.

Original Pretzel. No Butter, No Salt.

Have you ever had a plain pretzel?  Like, truly plain?  No butter, no salt, just, pretzel?

I ordered one on a day I was mildly curious what Wetzel base pretzels taste like, and when I saw the display pretzels were all really sad looking ... they looked old and dried out.  And, obviously, like their pretzels normally are, buttered.  So I did the "trick" some people do to get fresh fries at McDonald's by ordering without salt, and asked for an original pretzel, no butter.  I was told there would be a slight wait, which I anticipated, and had no problem with.

It was nice to get a pretzel hot and fresh out of the oven.  It was warm, doughy, and far less crispy/dried out as they can be from sitting under the heat lamps.  It was also, um, very boring.  I knew butter added goodness to it, but, wow, I didn't realize just how plain the base is without it.  No malty, wheaty taste, no ... anything really.  Just some warm, fluffy dough.  It needed far more than mustard to make it interesting.

I actually just brought it home, reheated it up (I know, defeating the purpose of having it fresh!), and dunked half in cheese sauce (yum!) and did the other half covered in cinnamon roll glaze I had left over, and the non-buttered base made it a perfect vehicle for both sweet and savory toppings.  If you plan to bring your pretzel home to use for something else, I recommend this no butter approach, but if you want something to enjoy on the spot, unless you are getting interesting dip, go for the buttery goodness.  Butter is a good thing.

**+.

Update Review, November/December 2021 Visits

Nearly two years in to the pandemic, and my regular mall soft pretzel place, Auntie Anne's, was still closed.  So even though I didn't love Wetzel's Pretzel's my first visit, I decided to try a few more times, this time getting more decadent coated options.

The good news is that I found one I do like, but, I like to have whipped cream to dunk it in, and I like it warm ... and Wetzel's never seem particularly warm nor fresh.

Sinful Cinnamon. $5.79.

"A whole pretzel baked fresh and tossed with cinnamon sugar. Sweet!"

Since the regular pretzel I had last time was a bit boring, I decided to go for a sweet, dessert-like pretzel.  My choices were cinnamon sugar or almond crunch.  I opted for the former, sorta craving a churro at the time.  I went for a full size pretzel, known as the "Sinful Cinammon".  When served in smaller bite form, the cinnamon sugar bites are known as "Cin-A-Bitz".

My pretzel was tossed in cinnamon sugar to order, but the pretzel itself was a plain buttered pretzel plucked from the display.  It was lukewarm, kinda hard, and I don't think was particularly fresh.  

When I tried the Original pretzel, I found it didn't have much base flavor, so this was an improvement over that, in that the sugar and cinnamon coating was generous, and it did add flavor and sweetness.  I found myself still wanting something to dunk in it, or icing, or just ... something.

So overall kinda lackluster, and at $5.79, it just felt expensive for a mediocre item (cinnamon sugar is $0.50 more than plain pretzel).

**+.   It was much better when I brought it home, heated it up, and dunked into whipped cream.  ***.

Almond Crunch. $5.79.

"Make it nutty! A fresh baked Wetzel's Pretzel topped with our sweet and salty almond crunch."

I still have yet to find a Wetzel's pretzel that makes me as happy as I want it to, so for my next selection, I went for the most decadent of the sweet options, the almond crunch.  Much like the Soulful Cinnamon, it was coated in the crunch coat to order, but was otherwise was a plain buttered pretzel plucked from the display.

This was the best pretzel I had so far, but, it still let me down.  The pretzel was both hard and soft, was lukewarm, and clearly was not fresh.  Sigh.  The base flavor was again fairly boring, although it was heavily buttered.

The coating was good though, and very generously applied.  I was impressed with how well the coating stuck to the exterior.  That said, it in no way tasted like almond, and there were no bits of almond identifiable.  "Sugary crunch" seemed more accurate than "almond crunch".

This pretzel was sweet enough, and decadent enough, to be close to a dessert, which is what I was looking for, but it really still needed either caramel to dip into, or whipped cream, or something.  Although, at 596 calories, it didn't "need" it from that aspect ...

Like the Sinful Cinnamon, this pretzel was $0.50 more for the coating.

*** as served, but again, once I brought the other half home, heated it up, and dunked into whipped cream, it took it up a notch, ***+.

Almond Crunch. $5.79.

"Make it nutty! A fresh baked Wetzel's Pretzel topped with our sweet and salty almond crunch."

I had a free pretzel coupon to use a few months later, and since the almond crunch was the best I had so far, I went for it again.  It came out looking like a pretzel from a totally different place, way less coating on it.  I also was able to watch it being made, and saw a regular, unsalted pretzel was plucked from the case, dunked into liquid hot butter, and then put into the crunch coating.  I wonder if you can ask for one salted, or one without butter?

Anyway, this version actually had larger bits of crunch coating, and seemed crunchier than the previous one, even though that one had so much more coating on it.  I think I liked it a bit more, but I also knew what to expect at this point - warm dough, not what I think of as a pretzel, very buttery, slightly sweet coating.  It still needs a caramel or icing dip, or whipped cream and ice cream, or something to complete it for me.

*** as served, ***+ once I added my own ice cream this time.

Jalaroni Twist. $6.29.

"Fresh baked cheese pretzel topped with pepperoni slices and big, juicy slices of jalapeño."

And finally, I went savory.  And rather all out, if you are thinking of a stop at a pretzel place as a "snack".

I'm not really sure this should be considered a pretzel at this point.  Yes, I think it is the same base dough that Wetzel's uses for all their pretzels, and yes it was vaguely pretzel shaped, but ... it really didn't remind me of a pretzel in any way.

But let me back up.  In the savory, cheesy department, Wetzel's has several offerings, all dubbed "Twists", starting with the simple "Cheese Meltdown", which, the best I can tell is just cheesy bread (using their 3 cheese blend), then they have jalapeño or pepperoni versions, and this, the "Jalaroni" which has both.  All are cheesy, and, although they look like pizza, none have pizza sauce (although you can purchase marinara dip separately).  Hence, my evaluation of basically cheesy bread vaguely shaped like a pretzel, more like what you find at a pizza place, just, shaped like pretzels instead of breadsticks.

So how was it?  Well, like all my pretzels from Wetzels, not exactly hot and fresh.  Lukewarm.  Sigh.  Auntie Anne's really does a much better job with freshness.  The base dough used by Wetzels never strikes me as very pretzel-y, not like Bavarian style soft pretzels, which drives me crazy when having a plain pretzel, but works better here.  The very generic dough makes a decent enough base for cheesy bread, but, besides the shape, I wouldn't say it was any different than very generic pizza place cheesy breadsticks.  The jalapeño did add little pops of spice, and the pepperoni made it kinda taste like pizza in a traditional sense, and made it a bit greasier, but still ... just pretzel shaped cheesy bread.  

I think with marinara sauce dip it likely could serve as a pizza replacement, but, at 600 calories per pretzel, uh, why not just get real pizza?  It really isn't a "snack" like this.

Overall, glad to try it, but, eh.

**+.

Original Review, May 2021

Mmm, soft pretzels.  Such classic mall food court food.  Or, well, I suppose the classic setting is sporting events or street vendors selling reheated Superpretzels (which, don't get me wrong, can be quite tasty!), but I'm talking about fresh soft pretzels, usually made right there in front of you, the aroma irresistible, with a bunch of fun dips to pick from.  Like my usual goto, Auntie Anne's.  

Wetzel's has been around since 1994, but I don't think I ever saw them before ... 2015 or so?  Not the common brand where I grew up, and a late comer compared to Auntie Anne's.  They have franchises all over the US, and a few internationally.

Much like Auntie Anne's, pretzels come in "original" (salted with butter), "soulful cinnamon" (cinnamon & sugar), sour cream & onion, and sweet almond crunch.

They also make a slew of pretzels with cheese baked in (some with pepperoni, jalapeno, etc too), smaller "bitz" - nope, not "bites", "bitz", and of course, crowd favorites, pretzel dogs (in several varieties).  Standard soft pretzel shop dips are offered (savory options like cheese or pizza sauce, sweet ones like caramel or icing glaze), and a few fountain drinks like classic lemonade.

Wetzel's Stand at the mall.

Whenever I've walked by Wetzel's, I've seen it as "the other" pretzel place in the mall.  Auntie Anne's was always my goto for a soft pretzel, and they had a "real" storefront, whereas Wetzel's just has a little kiosk in the middle of the hall.  Plus, Auntie Anne's was open for years before Wetzel's joined the lineup.

But Auntie Anne's closed during COVID, and didn't reopen.  Wetzel's did.  Plus, really, how do you resist the aroma of a fresh baked pretzel?  Even with my mask on, I couldn't resist the smell.

Pretzel Making.

Since the kiosk has no separate kitchen, all prep is done right in front of customers.  I felt a bit bad watching with such fascination, much like watching a pizza dough being tossed, but it was really amazing to watch the pretzel dough be rolled out, shaped into a pretzel with the flick of a wrist, and laid out.  The next one was done before I could blink.

Another staff member took the formed pretzels, dipped them in a solution, and put on baking tray.

From there, they went into the oven, where they baked until timer went off, then were rotated 180*, baked again until timer went off, then were moved down to a different rack, and a new batch put in.  One more baking, one more rotation, and they were done.

Clearly a *very* well controlled baking experience.

Bag.

I had to laugh at the message on the bag: "Moderation has a time and place. This isn't it".

<3.

Original with Butter & Salt. $4.89.

"Hand rolled, baked fresh, and lightly buttered & salted. Also available in non-buttered."

For my first pretzel from Wetzel's, I went simple: original.  But yes, of course I got butter and salt.

My pretzel was hot and fresh.  As fresh as can be, literally, we had to wait for them to come out of the oven.  And then to cool a little before they'd hand over.

I was given the option of salted or not, and clearly went for salted, the salt was applied to order, along with being dipped in fresh butter.

It was hot.  It was fresh.  It was glistening with butter.  Salted just enough to really have salt in every bite, but not excessive.  Fairly evenly applied.  All great things.

The pretzel had a lovely chew to it, a bit chewy on the outside, but very soft inside.  Really, just perfectly cooked.

But I'm not raving about it.  Every aspect of the execution was spot on.  It just didn't ... taste like much?  Butter and salt, sure.  But the base pretzel was really lacking in any depth.

I had a packet of mustard in my bag, so I dunked some in there, and it worked, but this really screamed out for something more like warm cheese dip, or even an icing.  Maybe cinnamon/sugar?

So, execution wise?  ****+, but actual satisfaction?  **+.  Overall ... ***.

The $4.89 price seemed high for a pretzel too.

Read More...

Garrett's Popcorn

Garrett's Popcorn is THE famous popcorn from Chicago.  Whenever I mention my popcorn obsession to others, they always ask, "Oh, have you had Garrett's?"  Given that I have never been to Chicago my answer thus far has been no.

Update Review, 2025 - Las Vegas Location

When I was recently in Las Vegas, I spotted a Garrett popcorn store in the mall I was walking through.  I wasn't actually hungry for a snack, having just finished a meal, and wasn't going back to my hotel anytime soon, so I didn't really want to lug popcorn around with me, but I couldn't resist taking a closer look ...

They actually only had a few flavors: the classic CheeseCorn and CaramelCrisp of course, along with one with nuts, and I think either butter or plain.  Not much jumped out at me, so I nearly walked away, when the staff member asked if I wanted a sample of anything.  I of *course* turned right back around to get one! 

Adorable mini sample bags.

I was absolutely charmed by the sample bags.  Mini, really mini, popcorn bags.  <3!

Spicy CheeseCorn.

"Experience the savory delight of freshly melted sharp-cheddar cheese - with a spicy, chili-lime twist - in this gourmet popcorn from Garrett Popcorn Shops."

I went for the most novel, the limited edition Spicy Cheesecorn, to see how spicy it was.  The answer?  Not very.  I was quite underwhelmed by the spice level.  Great cheesiness, like their regular CheeseCorn, but the heat was quite subtle, and took quite a few pieces to build it.  It was fine, but not as spicy as I was anticipating.  ***.

Original Review, 2016

But, this past year, one of my co-workers went to Chicago and came back with ... yup, a giant tub of Garrett's Popcorn!

Garrett's has been making popcorn since 1949.  The signature creation is Garrett Mix®, their version of Chicago Mix (which used to be marketed as such, until, lawsuit).  In addition to "CheeseCorn" and "CaramelCrisp", the two components of Garrett Mix, they also offer up plain and butter, plus some nutty variations on CaramelCrisp: Macadamia, Pecan, Almond, and Cashew.

My co-worker of course brought the Garrett Mix.  I was glad to try it, but, well, I don't see any reason to hop on a plane to Chicago for it.

Garrett Mix®

"Our handcrafted recipe is often imitated, but never duplicated. First created by our loyal fans, the Garrett Mix® combines the sophisticated sweetness of CaramelCrisp® with the savory goodness of CheeseCorn. The original Chicago style Popcorn, from THE original gourmet Popcorn Shop."

Breaking this down into its mixed components:

CheeseCorn: "Freshly-melted, sharp cheddar cheese is stirred into each and every batch. Fans proudly display their "Cheesy-Fingers!"

Ok, wow, yes, this gave me cheesy fingers.  Each piece was absolutely coated in orange goodness.  It tasted like fake cheddar, but I really liked it.  It required consumption by the handful.  And, yes, of course I liked it better frozen.

CaramelCrisp: "Deep butter notes, sweet brown sugar and a crème brûlée crunch combine for a rich taste sensation."

Caramel corn can go so many ways.  This one was ... mediocre for me.  It was sweet and they get great credit for perfectly coating the kernels, but, the caramel itself was just a bit too deep of a flavor.  I still did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't my favorite.

The interesting thing to me is that I didn't really like these when mixed together.  I love mixing sweet and savory.  I should have loved this mix.  But, I didn't.  I had the same experience last time I had Chicago Mix, from G.H. Cretors.

So, I froze a bunch, gleefully ate all the cheese corn, and eventually ate the caramel.

Read More...

TCBY, Las Vegas Airport

Before I visited the Las Vegas airport, I of course did a tiny bit of research to see my food options, so I could plan to bring my own, or get something there.  I was pretty thrilled to see the large number of decent places in the D gates area where I was departing from, including ... ZOMG, froyo!  And not just any froyo, TCBY!  My hometown had a TCBY when I was much younger, and I had such fond memories of it.  Not somewhere we got to go often, definitely just a special treat, and I remember loving the Shivers.  But it closed when I was probably 10 years old at most, so it had been a really, really, really long.  I was so excited, despite the fact that this location gets *horrible* reviews (for the service, for having such a limited menu, etc).

I approached the counter eagerly.  My first TCBY in more than 30 years!!!  I was met by an extremely unfriendly staff member.  She was openly mean and hostile towards each guest.  Well, now I understand the reviews at least.  She made me feel so incredibly unwelcome, and honestly, I wasn't sure she'd even prepare my order.  She burst my bubble slightly (ok, a lot, I didn't do anything remotely annoying, didn't make special requests, wasn't indecisive, etc, and she was still just soooo mean!), but I still was happy to claim my treat.  

TCBY / Mrs. Fields.

This location is tiny, just a little counter shared with Mrs. Fields.

They had only two flavors, golden vanilla or dutch chocolate.  Only 4 toppings/mix-ins (mini m&m's, Oreo, sprinkles, Butterfinger), although the toppings sign said they had chopped mixed nuts too. When I tried to order these, I got VERY rudely told "We don't have!  See, only have these!", and she pointed at the little bins of toppings in front of her.  The menu board clearly had the 5 options listed, but she just GLARED at me, and I didn't press further.  Anyway.

Froyo comes in two sizes, or in shake or Shiver form, both of which are one size only.

Golden Vanilla Shiver, M&M.  $6.49.

"Your favorite frozen yogurt swirled and blended with your choice of toppings."

As Shivers were what I always got as a kid, that is clearly what I had to get, even though they didn't have Heath Bar nor peanut butter cups (which I think is what I always got back then?).  I opted for the mini m&m's not very excitedly, as it was the best of the 4 options: I don't care for Oreo, I kinda OD'ed on Butterfinger a while back when my office had it as a topping for froyo, and sprinkles I adore, and find essential in my daily life, but more as a garnish, not the star.  So, m&ms it was.

It came well mixed up, with a reasonable number of m&ms.  The country vanilla flavor was fine, pretty average vanilla flavor, average sweetness.  Definitely froyo, not richer, creamier soft serve ice cream, but not tart or lower sugar tasting.  Reasonably creamy, melted fairly nicely.

This hit the spot in terms of giving me something to do in the airport, and for scratching a *serious* nostalgia itch, but it wasn't particularly amazing.  Still more enjoyable than a McFlurry, as I think the base froyo flavor is a bit better than McD's soft serve.  ***+.

Read More...

Special Event at Stripsteak, Las Vegas

Michael Mina is chef who I learned about early on in my time exploring San Francisco's dining scene, when I went to his flagship Michelin starred restaurant (back when it was on Union Square), and loved it. Sadly, the newer location let me down in 2012, as did the Farewell to Foie Gras dinner we attended there later that year.  But I still followed his restaurants, and really enjoyed the cocktails and desserts at his smokehouse collab with Ayesha Curry, International Smoke, some of the sushi and bites I had from his Japanese Izakaya, Pabu, some of the bites and desserts from (now closed) RN74, and the (now-closed) Hawaiian inspired Trailblazer Tavern.  These were all in San Francisco.

I was excited to see that he had a restraurant in Las Vegas, where I recently was for a business trip.

"Located inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, STRIPSTEAK Las Vegas offers a reimagined dining experience where the elegance of a modern steakhouse meets the vibrant energy of the Las Vegas Strip. 

Designed to evoke the natural beauty of the Mojave desert, STRIPSTEAK provides an upscale yet inviting atmosphere, perfect for both intimate dinners and lively private events. Indulge in premium cuts of beef, fresh seafood, and an array of signature dishes crafted by renowned Chef Michael Mina."

The restaurant is a classic steakhouse, open only for dinner.  I visited two nights in a row, both times for hosted happy hours.  I would gladly return for a proper dinner though, as the main menu has some items I was really, really interested in (I'm looking at you caviar jelly donut (!!!), seared foie gras, lump crab cakes, and basically, ALL of the desserts).

Setting

The location is ideal for those attending conventions at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, as it is in the area between the convention center and the main hotel complex.  Every single person walking through must go right past it.

Entrance.

The area has a decently large bar with lounge seating around it, and a dining room.  The whole establishment is quasi-open to the hallway, as is common for many of the restaurants in this area.

Drinks

The first event I attended had a full open bar, with no special menu set out for us, and seemingly no limits on what we could order.

Special Cocktail Menu

The second night had a special cocktail menu, with 9 cocktails named after the happy hour theme (the Killers, since it was right before a concert for them).

Cabernet Sauvignon.

The first night, I had wine.  When I asked for "red wine", I was given a choice of pinot noir or cabernet.  I gleefully selected the cab.  The server told me the maker, but I didn't quite catch it.  In retrospect, I wish I did!  It was actually really quite good.  I think it may have been Pillar & Post Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, as that was offered the subsequent night, and is the cheapest cab on their wines by the glass menu.

Very little acid, very little tanin, yet still really well structured and robust.  I enjoyed it more than any other cab in recent memory.  ****.

Speciality Cocktail.

The second night, I opted for a cocktail, but ... I don't remember which I actually got.  This was my third stop that night, after the tasty margaritas and blue drinks at Border Grill, so my memory is a bit fuzzy.  I think it was probably the Neon Tiger (mezcal, aperol, lime, pineapple, vanilla, orange peel) or the Mr. Brightside (bourbon, sugar, orange bitters), as those are the ones that still jump out at me now, but I can't be certain.  I also don't recall much about it, besides that I vaguely liked it?

Food - Canapes

Since I attended Happy Hour special events, the hosts had pre-selected food both nights from the event menu, which included passed canapes and a few stationed platters.

For passed canapes, Stripsteak has 7 items available (1 vegetarian, 1 vegan, 3 seafood, 2 beef).  I skipped the tuna tostada since I had one just a few minutes before at Border Grill, and the falafel as I'm not generally into it, but I tried everything else.

This is not a cheap place to host an event, where every piece is priced at $8-11 each, with 24 pieces per item minimum.

Stripsteak Cheeseburger Sliders. ($11).

"American cheese, secret sauce."

The first item to show up was a slider.  For a moment I thought, "ho-hum", everywhere has sliders right?  Classic happy hour grub.  Usually mediocre bread, thin fully cooked well done patty, congealed cheese, maybe some attempt at a special sauce.  I nearly skipped it, but, I thought, "Hey, this is a steak place after all ...".

It also just looked dry and bland.  They didn't try to add lettuce, tomato, onion, caramelized onion, pickles, or anything to jazz it up.  Which at first glance, definitely made this look like a below average slider.

It was definitely the best slider I've had in ages.  As in, it was actually good.  But not without flaws.

The bun was incredible.  I know it doesn't look special, but it was shockingly delicious.  Definitely buttered, rich and fluffy, lightly sweet.  Just, wow, such a good bun.  I'm not normally one to fill up on bread, but this was totally worth it.  **** bun.

The online event menu said the cheese was just American cheese, but the cheese on this was shockingly good too, and didn't seem like American.  It was a white cheese, not too sharp or anything, but had a depth and nuttiness to it.  I really liked the cheese, although it wasn't particularly soft and gooey.  ***+.

The menu also said it would have secret sauce, and mine did not have any sauce.  I luckily had a packet of ketchup in my bag (always prepared!), and that was good to add.  I think it really must have just been an error that it was missing any sauce.

So, fantastic bread and cheese, would be happy enough with it just as a cheese toastie!

Slider: Close Up.

But of course, this is a steakhouse.  The patty was also a highlight.  Very thick, much thicker than your average cocktail slider.  Nice char/sear to it.  Flavorful beef.  Very moist.  And ... mid-rare!  The bite you see here is actually the most cooked, it was really nicely rare in the center.  Such a surprise for an event.  ***+.

Interestingly, the next night when I was also at a happy hour there, others had the sliders (after I raved about them) and they were medium-well, a totally different experience.  I would have had one that second night, but after seeing theirs, I skipped.

Lobster Fritter ($10).

"Pink peppercorn tartar."

Next came lobster!  

I thought the lobster fritter would be an easy favorite of mine, but I found it only ok.  It was nicely crispy, but I didn't taste any lobster at all, and seemed to mostly be like risotto?  The aioli was too easily lost.  Fine for an arancini, but boo for a lobster fritter.  **.

I realize in retrospect that possibly the server misspoke when presenting this, and it was actually the vegetarian mushroom arancini?  That would make considerably more sense.

Beef Kebab Skewer. ($10).

"Chimichurri, cilantro."

After the great slider, I had high hopes for the beef skewers, and again, I was at a steak place after all.  

The skewer beef itself let me down - it was slightly chewy, although quite tender, and cooked medium-well.  I really wanted more pink.  **+.

The chimichurri however was absolutely fantastic.  Fresh, vibrant, and extremely flavorful.  It opened my eyes to how good chimi could be, and definitely went well with the steak.  ****.

Tempura Shrimp Skewer. ($9).

"Spicy aioli, sesame, nori."

Another fairly common cocktail hour item, shrimp tempura.

This was a decent tempura shrimp.  Not quite as crisp as I'd like, probably because it wasn't super fresh (I got the last one from the tray), but the shrimp inside was succulent, and I appreciated the spicy aioli drizzle.  ***+.

Market Vegetable Crudite. $25/pp.

"Housemade buttermilk ranch." 

I was really craving veggies and not just standard happy hour appetizers after several days of this kind of reception, so I was really happy the hosts the second night selected the crudite platter.  

Everything was fresh and crisp, although some was a bit random, like, the slices of tomato?  Fairly average ranch dip. ***+.

Cheese and Charcuterie. $35/pp.

"Assorted artisanal cured meats & cheeses."

We also had a basic charcuterie and cheese board to graze on that second night.  I had the triple cream, it was fine.  I prefer more funk, and riper.  ***.

The mortadella though was fantastic.  I appreciated how huge the slices were.  Tender, flavorful, mmmm.  I love good mortadella.  ****.  Second favorite bite from the event.

The $35 per person price seemed quite high, as most people had at most 1-2 bites from here.

Read More...

The Club, Las Vegas Airport

The Club has two locations in the Las Vegas airport, one in Terminal 3 at the E gates (that I didn't visit) and one at the D gates, which is a satellite terminal accessible by train from either Terminal 1 or Terminal 3.  It is that one that I visited, briefly, when flying out of Las Vegas recently.

I somehow failed to take photos of the actual space, but it is a totally reasonable lounge, fairly large, fairly light filled, with plenty of seating, all different styles.  There was a side room with more comfortable seating, a bar area with seating, a dining area adjacent to the buffet, and more assorted seating along the windows.  Plenty of power and USB outlets.  Wifi worked well.  They even had showers.

I had access through Priority Pass, and there was no wait (mid-week, mid-day).  

Buffet

The buffet at this location is really quite minimal, as the focus is more on made to order items, which I hadn't seen at a Club location before (granted, I've only visited the very ho-hum ones in Boston and in Seattle, and the newly opened fairly impressive one in San Francisco).

In addition to the food, there was a water tap for still or sparkling, and self-serve coffee machine (it did not make hot chocolate, which was quite a sore point with a family there when I arrived).  I didn't see any sodas available.

Basic Salad Bar.

The main offering is a salad bar, with mixed greens, carrots, croutons, red onion, and dressing.  Everything was fairly fresh and vibrant.

Salad Bar Toppings.

They also had tomatoes, pepperoncini, and olives.

And that was it.   No pasta nor potato salad as most Club locations have.  No celery/carrot sticks nor hummus.

Basic Salad.

Still, I made a basic salad.

It really was fine, the greens crispy and not limp nor browning, the tomatoes relatively juicy.  I wasn't unhappy with my simple side salad.  ***+.

Breadsticks & Soup.

As is common in lounges, there was also one soup of the day (garden vegetable) and warm breadsticks.  Kids seemed really into the breadsticks.

Snack Mix.

There was also a trio of snack mixes: milk chocolate raisins, "Sunburst Trail Mix" and "College Crunch", all from Truly Good Foods, who supplies all of the Club locations.

The milk chocolate raisins were standard. The trail mix is basically GORP, but with the addition of almonds. The college crunch was 90% sunflower seeds, some quality control is needed here!

Made to Order

Each table / seat has a QR code to scan to place an order for other food and drinks.

Menu

There were 4 small plates available: one vegan/gf, one vegan, one meat, one chicken.  And just one dessert (brownies, that seem like they could easily just be on the buffet line?  I saw them served to others, and they didn't do anything to embellish them, no whipped cream nor berries nor drizzle of sauce, so really not sure why they weren't just on the buffet).  You were limited to ordering 2 per person.

Hot Italian Slider.

"Ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, hot cherry peppers, pepperoncini on an Italian seasoned brioche bun."

Somehow it felt fancier to order the slider through the mobile ordering.  I realize in retrospect that if this was sitting in a buffet, as is standard for little sandwiches, I would have looked right past it.  But it felt ... special somehow to order it.  Lol.

Anyway, um, yes, it was just a deli meat slider.  Not quite sure what I was expecting.  I think maybe it was supposed to be served hot?  But it was kinda just room temp, with the provolone cheese kinda congealed like it had been melted long ago, pretty unattractive.  Again, I would have looked right past this on a buffet, but now I had it in front of me.  Oops.

Inside, along with the congealed cheese, was a single slice of salami, a single slice of pepperoni, and a piece of ham folded over, along with 3 slices of pepperoncini.  There were no condiments of any kind, no mustard nor mayo, so it was really quite dry.  The deli meats were low grade average.  The bun did have a sprinkle of Italian seasoning on top, but it wasn't particularly flavorful, and didn't taste particularly fresh.

Overall, really lower end buffet quality, even if ordered in a slightly fancy way.  *+.

Vegan Cauliflower Wrap. (Vegan, GF)

"Filled with chili seasoned cauliflower, shredded cabbage, and pico de gallo."

I was moderately excited for the cauliflower wrap, which just happened to be vegan and gluten free.  I go through phases from time to time of really liking cauliflower, generally roasted or grilled.  My brain somehow thought this was going to be battered fried cauliflower, or perhaps buffalo cauliflower style, but it wasn't either of those.  It was just ... as they said, chili seasoned cooked cauliflower.  Lukewarm. With cold pico de gallo, in lettuce.  It lacked anything creamy, it lacked anything for crunch.  Just, boring, very healthy, vaguely Mexican I guess. Eh. **.

I did not try the chicken tacos, nor the bruschetta.

Drinks

Beer, wine, standard cocktails, and a few signature cocktails and mocktails are also available through the app.  These are limited to 1 per person.

Wine List.

The wine list was fairly large, with 3 white, 3 red, and a rose on offer.  All seemed to be in the $10-15 range.

Colby Red Blend.

I went for the red blend, and was given a generous pour.

It was an absolutely fine wine.  Low acid, low tanin, easy to drink.  Not too boring though, a bit of complexity to it.  I was more than happy with it and would get it again.  ***+.

Read More...

Border Grill, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Border Grill is a Mexican restaurant mini-chain that I've heard of before, but never paid any attention to, as Mexican food is really not a cuisine I gravitate towards.  

"Critically acclaimed Modern Mexican cuisine featuring conscientiously-sourced, seasonal fare from Chef/Owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.   Since opening on Melrose in 1985, Border Grill has been renowned for spotlighting sophisticated regional Mexican cuisine. Today, Border Grill has locations in Las Vegas and LAX Airport, multiple sister restaurants, food trucks, and a full-service events and catering business based in Los Angeles."

I did know of it however, probably from seeing locations elsewhere, and seeing the chef-owners on Food Network shows at some point.  Again, not really my thing, but I was recently in Las Vegas for a conference, and Border Grill was chosen by event sponsors multiple nights  to host our happy hours, and thus, I visited, only quasi by choice.

Setting

Border Grill's Las Vegas location is inside Mandalay Bay, closer to the convention center than the hotel areas.

Entrance.

It has an open entrance and dining room to the main hallway, with a lot of foot traffic (particularly during a convention) and thus is pretty loud.

Bar + Dining.

Upstairs is the main bar and dining room, along with a second dining room that can be closed off.  I didn't get a photo of it, but that dining area is where the first event I attended was held.  Very convenient location, and the noise isolation in the private room was a must.

Outside Patio.

"Steps away from Mandalay Beach and the Lazy River, surrounded by trees and string lighting; warmed by heaters in winter."

The second evening I attended an event at Border Grill, it was downstairs, and actually, outside.  Downstairs they have multiple indoor spaces, including several dining rooms or a room with a bar.  Outside, they have a bar area (suitable for groups up to 60 for cocktails and passed appetizers), and a large patio space that can be reserved together or separately.  We had both the outdoor spaces for our event.

I really liked the outside space, as the weather was lovely.

Drinks

The drink menu at Border Grill has a slew of margaritas (everything from the classic blanco to one with guava), cervesas, and sangria as you'd expect, plus a fairly long list of "crafted cocktails".

I attended special events two different nights, and each night had a couple signature cocktails to pick from, rather than a full cocktail menu.  The drinks were the highlight of the evening, both times.

Margarita. $14.

"Tequila blanco, agave nectar, fresh lime."

The first night, I had a margarita.  I'm assuming this was the basic margarita blanco, they were being handed out by servers as you entered, so I wasn't provided details.  It was this or a Corona, my choice was clear.

The margarita was actually pretty good.  Tons of salt on the rim.  Good sour notes, slight sweetness, fairly strong tequila undertones, refreshing.  Made me almost want to consider getting one sometime in the future somewhere, as it had been years since I last had one as they just haven't really been my thing.  It was particularly fitting and refreshing for the hot weather.  ***+.

Special Cocktail.

"Tequila, lime juice, blue curacao."

The second night, there were no pre-made cocktails, but rather a curated list of special cocktails for us to order from at the outdoor bar.  I went for this one, because it both looked cool, and I do like tequila drinks.  

This drink was also pretty good, again, lots of salt on the rim, balanced flavors, and hey, it *looked* cool.  ***+.

Food

Both events I attended were simple happy hour type receptions, not full dinners.  The hosts both nights selected a few passed appetizers for the group, which came out fairly infrequently.  Besides the chips and salsa, the food was fairly limited, which I'm assuming was a decision made by the hosts to keep costs down?  Still, for a 80+ person event, a server coming out with a single tray with only about 8 pieces on it seemed odd.  They never made it more than a few steps into the space, and never came back with a replenished tray.

I had of course scoped out the event menu in advance, to see if there would hopefully be things I was interested in.  Even just for passed appetizers, Border Grill has a huge selection - I think I counted nearly 65 items to pick from!  It is clear they specialize in these kinds of parties, which makes sense, given the location.  The menu is obviously very Mexican, with a slew of mini tostadas, tacos, sopes, tamales, ceviches, empanadas, and skewers, plus ... toasts and sliders.  They have plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free offerings.

 The event menu has a number of appetizers I actually thought sounded fun, like mini lobster corn dogs or butter poached lobster rolls on mini brioche buns, or even cubano sliders, but alas, my hosts for both events didn't pick any of those items (or, at least, I never saw them).  I didn't enjoy any of the food.

Chips & Trio of Salsas. (GF) $4/pp.

"Tomatillo | arbol | smoky chipotle."

Both events I attended had plentiful chips and salsa around, set out on all the tables.  These are also featured on all their regular menus as a starter (NOT complimentary as is common at Mexican restaurants).

Chips and salsa aren't really my thing, but I was pretty hungry, so I tried them.  The chips were very, very average, a surprise for such a well regarded Mexican establishment.  I'd think chips would be something they'd do a bit better than average, but these seemed like they could have easily come from the grocery store.

The smoky salsa was my favorite, it had some nice smoke.  But overall, still pretty average.  **+. 

Event pricing is $4 per person for the provided chips; from the regular menu a serving is $5.

Fish Tostaditas. (GF).  $6/7 piece.

I'm not actually sure which kind of tostada this was.  The server just said "fish", and I assumed it was thus the "Baja Ceviche Tostaditas", which has "lime marinated sustainable seasonal fish & shrimp | tomato | jalapeño aioli", but it also could have been the tuna one, with "ahi tuna | ancho crema | avocado balm | salsa macha".  I couldn't really tell what kind the fish was, nor what the minimal toppings were, and the dot of green could have been jalapeño aioli or avocado balm, as it was too tiny of a dot to really taste.

Anyway, this was not particularly good nor bad.  A very small bite.  The tortilla flavor dominated.  The fish (tuna?) was fine, but there was just not much flavor at all.  Low ***.

Duck Confit Sope. (GF). $5/piece.

"Blue corn masa | fennel and orange slaw | avocado."

The servers came around with two animal proteins next, either lamb tamales (boo, I don't like lamb) or these duck confit sopes.  Duck confit sounded good to me, but I didn't notice until I had started to grab it that it was loaded with avocado, which I'm allergic to.

My allergy isn't severe to avocado though, so I still tried it, just removing the avocado as much as possible.  It had a thick blue corn base, kinda greasy pulled duck, and obviously lots of avocado.  I didn't like any element really, and obviously I'm allergic to avocado, so this one was a fail for me.  *.

Dobladito. $4.50/piece.

"Grilled corn | shishito pepper | mexican cheese | kale | crispy bbq chips | salsa macha aioli."

The dobladito is one of their signature items, a vegetarian quesadilla.  

This had a nice char on the crispy tortilla.  I appreciated the tortilla.  The filling was basic Mexican veggies (corn, peppers, cheese).  I didn't find the bbq chips or salsa macha aioli in mine.  It needed toppings.  **.

Read More...