try a new restaurant each month

Why I Want To Do This
I’m not very adventurous, especially when it comes to food. I grew up on a meat-and-three-veg diet, so most of my “favourites” are pretty bland. I order the same three things when I eat out: lasagne, fish and chips, and chicken parmigiana. I do love them, but I want to try new things too. Maybe I’ll discover some new favourites, and be less scared of trying new tastes.

How I’ll Start To Do It
I’ll pick a restaurant, any restaurant. I’ll be more inclined to go to places if I have discounts, so I’ll look for some coupons. I’ll let my fiance order for me, since he’s a little more adventurous than I am. And I won’t beat myself up if I don’t actually like what I eat.

Jennifer and I tried out this new coffee shop/sandwich shop at lunch today. It was good. As normal in a little sandwhich shop, it was a little expensive. All you got was a sandwich and a pickle for $6. No chips, no drink. I’d go back though for another try.

Went to Fuego for lunch back in February, which was formerly another upscale restaurant called Duce. I think Feugo is a reincarnation of Duce, but either way I have a feeling this restaurant will go the way of Duce sometime soon because the retail space looks like a trap for small, strip mall upscale restaurants.

Anyway, for lunch I had a glass of riesling, and started off with some bruschetta. The bruschetta was disappointing, a rock hard slice of almost Melba toast with diced tomatoes and a runny dollop of mozzarella. I mean, that’s what bruschetta is all about, but the taste and presentation was a bit off.

The entree I chose was this “Monte Carlo” essentially without bread. It was roasted chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto and cheese and some sort of leafy green, sitting in an orange-ey pool of sauce. An avid viewer of Top Chef, Tom Colicchio would most certainly not be impressed by the presentation. The meal itself was kinda gummy and saucy, so I just hoped for the best with the dessert.

The dessert was kind of a run-of-the-mill three layer white chocolate mousse cake that could easily be purchased at Central Market, so were it not for the ultra enthusiastic and kind server, I would have left thoroughly disappointed.

My friend Erin took me to a cute little place downtown called Samurai Sam’s. They have reasonably priced oriental chicken-rice bowls. It was good and low in calories too. I have had the same thing at a restaurant which is closer though. Although I wouldn’t be opposed to going back to Samurai Sam’s, it probably won’t make it into my normal dinner rotation.

This evening we paid a visit to the Cannery Casino Eastside and tried out its Mexican restaurant. Kathy ordered the sizzling steak fajitas. They delivered the fajita combo platter instead, but she kept it anyway: chicken, steak and shrimp served on a hot cast iron platter. I had the seafood enchilada special with chicken tortilla soup.

We enjoyed the meal because we had not been out to a new restaurant for a long time, but we had expected better. Casa Cocina won a Best of Las Vegas Award last year. It was not nearly as good as the Cantina at the Tuscany, and its salsa bar was anemic…just three salsas and bag-bought chips, not fresh. Guadalajara Bar & Grille at nearby Boulder Station offers homemade.

Thankfully, we had a 2-for-1 entree coupon, so the meal came to just $14.00 for the two of us. The service was otherwise good, but it did not make up for the mediocre meals. We will probably be back to the casino, but will give this restaurant a pass.

This weekend I tried a new restaurant: Fireworks. Honestly, I ate there about 8 years ago and did not like it at all. Since then, they have closed the restaurant; opened a new one in a different location and changed the menu. So I am considering this a brand new restuarant. And I really enjoyed it. I had the “Not Your Mother’s Chicken Salad Sandwich” and it was quite excellent. I am going to try and make something like it at home. I would definately try Fireworks again, and now their new location is a lot closer to my house.

It wasn’t a glamorous new restaurant, but oh how I do love my sub sandwiches. Can you believe I had never tried Mr. Goodcents? I probably won’t go back very often though, it wasn’t a Blimpies or even a Subway. I would put it more on par with Little King. And it’s far away from my house and my job, so it won’t be making it into the lunch rotation! It was pretty expensive too. They did have my favorite kind of ice though!

Whenever I go out to eat I always try the same restaurants. I mean I have some favorites, so why go anywhere else? Well, what if my new favorite is just down the street but I haven’t let myself try it yet? In the past year I have fallen in love with: La Mexicana, Barry’s Bar and Grill, Ming’s Place, Mazatlan (Margarita night) and D’Leons. What if I had never tried these places?

Today I went through the yellow-pages and made a list a few different restuarants that I have never eaten at but always meant to. This list will get me started:

George’s Gourmet Grill
Greg’s Restaurant
Texas Roadhouse
Billy Browns
Blue Heron Wine Bar and Bistro
Mr. Goodscents
The new P.O.Pears
Tam O’Shanter

Not enough money and not enough restaurants in my town

Visit more restaurants frequently, everytime a different one