Max Jacobson

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Seriously chili in here: J & J Szechuan’s menu will delight those searching for the hotness; Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009; Some like it hot. Fans of J & J Szechuan like it HOT!!!!
Jazzing up brunch: Spend a lazy Sunday at the Wynn’s Country Club Grill; Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009; Carlos Guia's new brunch is stocked with goodies, like gumbo and French-toast bread pudding.
The well-hidden ‘snacks’ of Los Antojos: Mexican standout is finally emerging from 10 years of relative obscurity; Monday, Nov. 23, 2009; Mexican standout Los Antojos is finally emerging from 10 years of relative obscurity.
The best chicken in Vegas: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009; Namaste's tandoori chicken is the best in Vegas, a revelation when eaten with garlic naan.
Choose-your-own burger adventure: Grind Burger Bar & Lounge takes DIY burgers off the Strip; Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009; The idea is a fail-safe one: DIY burgers with plenty more to like.
A pizza primer: Our food expert breaks down the perfect pie; Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009; Thick or thin, soft or crispy, sharp or mild, pizza is something we all love.
All Thai’d up at Sakun: There’s tough competition here, sure, but make room for scrumptious Sakun; Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009; At this tiny Thai storefront, a bilingual menu reveals wonders like beef salad Lao-style, glass noodles with crab claw and Thai pork stew. Let's put it this way, Max Jacobson is a regular.
Proper pastrami: Tommy offers thick, tasty deli sandwiches ... by Vegas standards; Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009; What survive in today’s idiom of Ashkenaz—or Eastern European Jewish—foods are pastrami, corned beef and matzo ball soup, although credible versions are hard to find, even in Vegas. See how Tommy Pastrami matches up.
No sticky wicket here: Garfield’s takes a tasty trip around the world—from its lake-side perch; Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009; Garfield’s might just be the only place in the city that would look equally at home in Barbados, but the menu is eclectic here, featuring French, Italian and American fare, with hints of North Africa and Asia along the way.
Italian shake-up: Caffe Dolce remakes traditional dishes in appealing new ways; Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009; So few Italian places bring anything new to the table, not so at Caffe Dolce.
Make room for Anthony’s: Florida chain’s arrival adds more fuel to Vegas’ coal-oven pizza fire; Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009; Coal-oven pizza is something of a religion in New York’s SoHo; the coal oven creates a blackened crust, chewy, bubbly and yielding. It’s really all about the crust.
Fishing for lunch: RM’s midday menu splashes down as one of Vegas’ absolute best; Thursday, July 30, 2009; Update your lunch with RM Seafood's deliriously good Vidalia onion and bacon quiche, esteemed clam chowder and raw-bar done right.
Bosa truly is No. 1: For Vietnamese food, look no further than this unassuming Vegas joint; Thursday, July 9, 2009; Bosa 1 is a Vietnamese restaurant that doesn't serve pho. But don't let that deter you.
From Russia with love: Matryoshka is a Cold War throwback, but its food will warm you up; Thursday, June 18, 2009; Most of us know what matryoshka are, right? Well, they are those cute Russian nesting dolls as well as Las Vegas’ newest Russian restaurant.
Eclectic pub fare: Set among chains galore, Bar Louie stands out; Thursday, June 4, 2009; Too much of a good thing is anathema in the restaurant world. So, in spite of the fact that I enjoyed myself at Bar Louie, the place puzzles me.
Local Italian joint has old-time flair: Thursday, May 7, 2009; Are you nostalgic for old Vegas? Head right over to Capo, an old Vegas Italian restaurant at 5675 W. Sahara Ave. Owner Nico Santucci has included his sense of humor to go with his latest contribution to the Vegas dining scene.
Room for improvement: The Edge of Town shows promise, but falls short too often; Thursday, May 7, 2009; One thing that differentiates us from larger American cities is the absence of the gastropub, a concept that has already taken root in New York, Chicago and LA.
Eclectic restaurant boasts ethnic flair: Thursday, April 30, 2009; If you're in the mood for some truly eclectic dining, the handsome, new Elements Kitchen & Martini Bar has recently opened at 4950 S. Rainbow Blvd. The restaurant belongs to Argentine chef Jose Luis Pawelek, and his Dutch wife, Catherine, who has been in this country for thirty years. The Paweleks are no strangers to the business. It so happens that they have had several restaurants in Florida. This is their first in Vegas.
Comfort food all night long: The Bar is mostly above-average fare, but—oh!—the meatloaf sliders!; Thursday, April 30, 2009; Another killer—if you don’t mind the metaphor—here is “angry” mac ’n’ cheese, which gets its dudgeon from the addition of jalapeños, and has a nice, bubbly top crust. If you like crab cakes, The Bar does the genre proud.
An epic experience: Thai Pepper boasts a menu with more than 150 items—most of them worth trying; Thursday, April 23, 2009; All the dishes I tried at Thai Pepper were interesting, and some were downright terrific. I started with a beef soup that I’ve never seen on a Thai menu in this country called kao-low - funky in the extreme and definitely not for the faint of heart.
Wood-fired pizzas invoke Italian inspiration: Wednesday, April 22, 2009; Add Due Pizzeria, the newest concept from restaurant innovator Mark DiMartino, to the Vegas pizza sweepstakes. His creatively topped, wood-fired pizzas are amazing, and so are his chicken wings, which pay homage to Buffalo's legendary La Nova Pizzeria.
Well done: Rare is a terrific steak house with a killer wine list to boot; Thursday, April 16, 2009; Beef is still, apparently, what most people want for dinner. One busy Thursday evening, thanks to a porthole in the wall above my table, I could hear noisy conversation in the bar area, the restaurant was rocking, and juicy, nicely charred steaks appeared to be starring on every table.
Fanciful cakes abound in local Jewish bakery: Wednesday, April 15, 2009; Freed's Bakery, which started back in the Stone Age (1959), has long been, and remains, the premier Jewish bakery in the city. Their Trop location is legendary, but since Labor Day 2007, they have been serving their famous rugelach, chocolate chip Danishes, Black and White cookies, and strawberry shortcakes at a 2,800 sq. ft. location in Richmar Plaza, 9555 S. Eastern Ave.
Pour some Bourbon on it!: Thursday, April 9, 2009; Carl’s Jr. has debuted its new Kentucky Bourbon Burger... don’t even think about the calorie count.
Finding its beat: Rhythm Kitchen can improve, but some sensational dishes make it worthwhile; Thursday, April 9, 2009; Most of the time, if I see an ambitious new restaurant, I pull for it consciously and subconsciously. Rhythm Kitchen is currently our only upscale restaurant with a New Orleans theme that doesn’t belong to Emeril. That makes me pull for it all the more.
Local offers a little bit of baked heaven: Wednesday, April 8, 2009; The next time you slather a piece of artisan bread with French butter in an upscale Vegas restaurant, take note. You may be eating a creation from Master Baker Carlos Pereira, owner of Bon Breads Baking Co., a 15,000 baking facility located behind an industrial park near the cross streets of Arville and Hacienda.
Personality crisis: Maru serves Korean and Japanese--we recommend the former; Thursday, April 2, 2009; Last week, I led with information about a Korean taco truck that is sweeping Los Angeles, so it got me in the mood for Korean food. That led me to Maru, the newest and handsomest Korean restaurant in the city.
Casinos serve up flavorful bargains: Wednesday, April 1, 2009; With all the talk about the economic stimulus packages, it's no wonder that a few innovative local operators have come up with matching restaurant ideas. The BOA Steakhouse and neighboring Sushi Roku, are part of the restaurant group that calls itself Innovative Dining Group, so this new offering seems in character.
Tacos, tequila ... sorry, lost our train of thought: T&T offers two great tastes that taste great together; Thursday, March 26, 2009; Tacos are cheap, versatile and delicious, so there is always an audience for them, on- or off-Strip. The newest Mexican concept in town is called T&T, an acronym for tacos and tequila. Okay, get your mind out of the gutter.
Italian cuisine in downtown Las Vegas: Wednesday, March 25, 2009; Sometimes it's fun to venture downtown for an old Vegas Italian dinner, where the sauces tend to be crimson red and the service is as solicitous as it would be in a London Gentlemen's Club.
Do not pass Goa: The decor at India’s Grill is nothing to brag about, but the food is extraordinary; Thursday, March 19, 2009; India’s Grill is a dreary-looking restaurant in a dreary part of town. Why then, is my mouth watering whenever I think back to what I ate there?
Meals from celebrity chefs to your hand: Wednesday, March 18, 2009; Saturday, February 28 was an important night for the Vegas medical community and the food world, when the Keep Memory Alive foundation welcomed the Cleveland Clinic to Las Vegas for "One Time, One Cause," the annual benefit for the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Siegfried and Roy made an amazing, unforgettable appearance.
Carpe Deia!: There’s a little something for everyone at the French- and Spanish-themed Café Deia; Thursday, March 12, 2009; Man cannot live by tapas alone, newly evidenced by Café Deia, which serves an eclectic combination of French, Spanish and just plain made-up fare, most of it delicious.
Whole Foods has lunchtime in the bag: Wednesday, March 11, 2009; In this time of belt tightening and money crunching, good entrepreneurial ideas that both save us money and bring attractive option to the food world often surface. One such idea is Lunch Lady LLC, founded by a pair of enterprising Boulder City businesswomen, Lori Johnson and Valery Behr. Here's how it works.
Staying in character(s): Beijing Noodle No. 9 offers the real deal, right down to the language on the menu; Thursday, March 5, 2009; Most of my Chinese friends have one drop-dead criterion for eating in a Chinese restaurant: The menu must have some of the dishes written in Chinese characters.
M is for marvelous: Wednesday, March 4, 2009; By now, most of you may know about The M Resort, the electrifying, state of the art hotel and casino at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway. The resort's innovative design and some food and beverage imagination yields rewards for the first time visitor.
Great view, great food: Carmine’s on the Hill benefits from its owner’s attention to detail; Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009; Last week I found myself in the United Kingdom, ushering four Chinese friends on a mini-tour.
New restaurants bring flavor to valley: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009; A spate of openings, of both familiar and new restaurants, is happening across the Valley, so take that, you sluggish economy.
Gourmet pizza joints deliver authentic taste: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; Today's theme is pizza, and no one does them better than Brad Otton, owner and operator of Settebello in Green Valley. The name comes from a card game, Scopa, in which the card nicknamed Settebello, a seven embossed with gold spots, is the most valuable one.
Bun and games: You’ll find fewer creative burger joints than BLT Burger; Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; Perhaps you just have to be French, like star chef Laurent Tourondel, to get this wacky with burgers.
Try dim sum for Chinese New Year: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009; Allow me to wish belated Happy Chinese New Year, for this, the Year of The Ox, to one and all. I suppose you'd like me to show respect and not write about steak for at least a week. Okay, be that way.
Are you game?: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; For anyone heading up to Brian Head, Zion or points north in Utah, a stop at the wild-game restaurant the Gun Barrel is a delightful surprise.
Upscale joints dress up hamburgers: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; By now, many of you have made the trip over to the new Aliante Station Casino, to try their new restaurants. MRKT Sea & Land, which specializes in steak and seafood, will be in this space next week. But today, the spotlight is on Pips, an Italian restaurant belonging to wine guru Rino Armeni, featuring incredible cooking from chef Gerald Chin.
Unusual name, great food: Pips does Italian right (and reasonably priced) at Aliante Station; Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Take one highly seasoned food and wine professional. Then add a brilliant young chef and a sleek modern design. The result is Pips at the Aliante Station Casino, so far one of this year’s big surprises.
Juicy new eateries don't dry up wallets: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; If you haven't been to any of the new restaurants at Encore, such as the Asian bistro Wazuzu, or Sinatra, where chef Theo Schoenegger mans the stoves, the buzz is exciting.
Whet your appetite with new restaurant column: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; My name is Max Jacobson, and I come, if you'll allow me to paraphrase the Bard, to praise local dining, not to bury it.
Turkish delight: Ibo fills a much-needed niche in Vegas’ food scene; Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; I've been reviewing restaurants since 1984, and if one great cuisine has been sorely absent from my columns, it is the glorious cooking of Turkey.
Spicing up the suburbs: Henderson’s first Indian restaurant has goat curry—and so much more; Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; Where does one go for a decent goat curry? I hear you cry. Taza, Henderson’s first Indian restaurant, has one every day on its bountiful lunch buffet.
Who needs dinner?: The Sunday brunch at Simon is arguably the finest in the city; Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; I hate brunch, but the way I feel right now, I wouldn’t mind eating one at Simon Restaurant & Lounge every week for the next 10 years.
Green Valley gets cracking: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; Fans of hearty sit-down breakfasts, take heart. The popular Cracked Egg has opened in the mall housing Smith’s, on Green Valley Parkway adjacent to the 215.