Binga's Stadium Smokehouse and Sportsbar- Portland, Maine

http://www.bingasstadium.com/

We went to Binga's Stadium on 77 Free Street in Portland Maine because we had been in town for a boxing event and at the event they told us to bring our ticket stub in for half price wings. So with money savings on our mind we went out to lunch the very next day. We got to Binga's right at opening and we were starving as we had skipped Breakfast. It is located directly across from the Civic Center so I imagine it must get busy after Hockey games. However, we went on Sunday morning and had the place to ourselves. From the outside Binga's looks like every other neighboor hood bar, but inside it is very clean and actually pretty swanky. There are TV's everywhere showing the games and even separate TVs for the individual seating booths. The bar has a huge assortment of beers on tap. Just as large as the beer assortment is the wing sauce assortment, 28 to be exact ranging from the traditional Buffalo to Peanut Butter and Jelly. You can have your wings three different ways. Smoked, Breaded or Boneless Tenders.  We decided to try the smoked with a Buffalo Bacon Nacho Sauce. 

The wings arrived hot and messy, The Bacon laced Cheesy Buffalo Sauce was perfect with the meaty smoked wings and drumsticks. They were moist and had a decent amount of meat on them. They were top notch and served with a side of Blanch, with is a combo of Ranch and Blue Cheese dressing.  If you're smart, take the left over dressing and put it to the side to dip your fries in later, you will not regret it.

After destroying the wings , it was time to tackle the entrees. Simone ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich with pickles. Personally, I find pickles repulsive however Simone really likes them and such enjoyed her sandwich. The pork was moist, tender and smokey with just a hint of sauce. The bun was very good, fresh and hearty from a local bakery and it sopped up the juices nicely. It came with a side of chips that we left for the next customer.

For my meal I went with the Kimwich. House made Smoked Pastrami is griddled  with melted Swiss and then topped with Red Cabbage slaw, house sauce and served on that great bakery fresh bun. This sandwich was awesome, The Pastrami with it juices and Swiss were grilled to a golden brown crisp together on the grill and combined for a delicious blend of salt and smoke. The slaw was not the creamy kind, but vinegar based and lent a perfect crunch to the sandwich.  I could eat ten of these if I didn't care about my arteries.

 I ordered fresh house made fries with my sandwich  and Simone and I spilt those. Although not as crispy as I like my fries to be, they were still very good especially when used to mop up the leftover wing sauce and dip.

Overall this was a get down and dirty sticky hands meal. It was pure goodness. This was a great authentic BBQ find in Portland and we will be back many more times. 5 stars for Binga's.

I Love Burgers- Palazzo Hotel and Casino ,Las Vegas

http://www.iloveburgers.com/

Who don't love burgers ? This was the question that I asked my wife as we passed by the sign while shopping at the Grand Canal Shops at The Palazzo in Las Vegas during our most recent vacation to sin city.

So it was we decided that for our next Culinary adventure we would sit down and gorge ourselves at I Love Burgers. The dining room is large with plenty of seating and lots of TVs to watch the games on. The menu is not overwhelming so you should not spend an hour trying to make a decision on what to eat (aka, that's you my dear wife). 

For our appetizer we went with Mac and Cheese Nuggets. Little gems of Mac and Cheese breaded, fried and topped with shredded Parmesan are served with a side of spicy cheese sauce, because what else would be served with cheese but more cheese ? We finished these off pretty quickly and easily.

We could talk about my wife Simone's choice for an entree but I'm going to be honest, I don't want to. It was basically Eggplant Parmesan in a hamburger bun. Yes it was good, but why you would order a vegetarian burger at a place the specializes in cooking MEAT Hamburgers is beyond me. So on to some real food.

 I love Bacon... oh yes... Bacon Bacon Bacon... The I love bacon burger is kinda insane and you probably should consult you doctor before partaking in it. It is half a pound of ground sirloin and ground bacon pattied together and grilled up into one delectable smoky juicy mouth full of a burger meal. On top of this god like burger is yet more crispy applewood bacon, smokey Gouda cheese, fried onion straws and of course bacon mayonnaise. Absurdly delicious and filling, this was a treat for the tummy.

Not that it was at all needed but we also ordered a not to be missed side of crispy thin cut Garlic Parmesan dusted french fries and managed to get most of those down also. As I was being rolled out on that stretcher by the paramedics, I couldn't help but smile about my I love Burger adventure. 4 Stars.

Secret Pizzeria at Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

I will start this review with the following disclosure: The following Pizzeria does not exist. It has no menu, it has no website, it has no signs advertising a family meal deal. It is also not down a long hallway lined with old music album covers on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It is not one of the best deals on the strip. It is also not the Best Pizza on the Strip. I HAVE KEPT THE SECRET.

Now onto the food review... for the best pizza and best pizza deals in Vegas you need to find the secret Pizzeria at Cosmo. The cost is almost two dollars less per slice then any other pizza joint on the strip ( including my other favorite at the Wynn) and the super thin crust , fresh taste and general New York ambiance just can't be beat. Although thin , the crust is still sturdy enough to bend without breaking and strong enough to hold any toppings. Speaking of toppings... unless you order ahead of time ( is there an actual number to the place?) then you will be having your pizza topped with whatever the chefs whim is. There is no formal menu.

On this day Simone and I had our choice of 5 different pizza pies. We both choose for our first slice portabello mushroom pizza with red sauce. With meaty fresh thin sliced mushroms, sweet fresh tasting marinara creamy mozzarella cheese and a crispy blistered crust this one was a winner. Savory till the last bite it leaves you wanting more... so I obliged.

This time when I went back to the counter looking me in the face was a white pizza with fresh roasted garlic, Ricotta Cheese and Olive Oil. This one may have been better then the mushroom. The crust was sauce less and had even more crunch. The garlic was sweet, the Ricotta Creamy and slightly melted and the Olive Oil was the icing on my pizza experience. 

The Pizzeria does not seem to offer any sides and I didn't ask because none were needed. They do have fountain drinks and beer. Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes can be found at the stand up bar that you can eat on. Without any other choices, The pizza definitely stands alone (although three days later we went back and tried a cannolli for dessert and that was delicious as well).

New York thin crust pizza is what its all about here at The Cosmopolitan, and these guys are experts. Hands down, this is a 5 Star place. Just remember, you didn't here the secret from me.

China Grill- Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

http://mandalaybay.com/dining/signature-restaurants/china-grill.aspx

The China Grill at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is not a Chinese food restaurant.  As it was explained adamantly by my waiter , it is a global fusion that brings together the flavors of Japan, Thailand, Chinese and American cuisine ( I guess that meant no Pu-Pu platter for two).

With our no Chinese food explanation at the fore front of our minds Simone and I set upon the task of looking over the not so Chinese menu.  All items on the menu are meant to be eaten family style and shared -much like in China (oops). At the suggestion of our waiter we started our fusion journey with the not Chinese Beef and Scallion Dumplings. The dumplings were soft and pillow like, filled with minced tender beef and chopped scallions and served with a micro green salad on top and of a pool of spicy sauce. Alone, they were bland but eating them in a 5 alarm pool of soy, ginger chili sauce took care of that problem nicely. After downing an entire glass of water to ease the fiery pain , we then decided to choose our entree.

Our entree choice was the not Japanese Sake Marinated Drunken Chicken, served with a sweet Hoison laced Ponzu sauce and Bok Choy slaw with crispy onions, and for our side a not Chinese Duck Fried Rice.  The chicken arrived whole, but already cut for our convenience. It was excellent,  the sweet Sake marinade combined with the natural juices of the chicken kept every bite moist and full of intense flavor. The slaw was crunchy and vinegary and was a great compliment to the dish. The side of duck fried rice was good also. The rice was very lightly fried with sesame and soy but not overwhelming in salt or oil. The shredded duck was rather dry, but the overall flavor of the rice was excellent.

We finished the entire bird and rice and still had some room for Deep Fried Cheesecake for dessert. Cream Cheese filled fried wontons arrived with  a five spice chocolate dipping sauce, assorted fruit and Mango Raspberry puree. The chocolate was rich and spicy with ginger overtones, and the Mango puree was fresh and sweet.. Both were great with the wontons. Overall this was a very good "fusion" meal at the Not so China Grill in Mandalay Bay. 3.5 stars.

Battista's Hole In the Wall- Las Vegas

http://www.battistaslasvegas.com/

Simone and I have always loved Battista's Hole In the Wall located just off the strip in Las Vegas. It has an old Vegas vibe, and always has very good home cooked Italian food.  We first went to Battista's during our honeymoon on the advise of a travel book and we have been back three or four times since. With our vacation winding down and the reality of going back to our everyday world creeping in, we decided what better way to cheer ourselves up then to visit our old standby.  Although located in a easy to miss small strip mall behind the Flamingo Hotel and Casino Battista's is always busy, no matter what time or what day you go, be prepared to either make a reservation or wait for at least 15 minutes. They are only open for dinner and locals and tourists alike fill up the many tables quickly.  Waiting for a table at Battista's is torture for the soul. As you sit and take in the many pictures of celebrities, the mini Liquor bottle collection and the strange Knic-knacks that fill the ceiling you are overcome by the delicious aroma from the kitchen of fresh baked Garlic Bread and Ripe Tomato Sauce.

After about a 15 minute wait Simone and I were led to a table in one of the side rooms. It was only a few seconds before the waitress got to our table with two full pitchers of House Red and White Wine. This is one of the wonderful surprises that you get at Battista's. With every meal comes lots of House Red and White wine, and while a wine snob may not find this to be the best they have ever tasted, to a Maine redneck like me, it is perfection in a pitcher.

Also free with the meal is some very toasty Garlic bread that is pasted with crushed whole cloves of garlic. Don't worry about saving the bread for dinner, when you finish it they'll bring you more. 

                                                     Each meal also comes with Minestrone Soup or a fresh Italian Salad with house made vinaigrette, salami, cheese, tomatoes and an olive.  We have never had the soup ( don't want to fill up on all that broth) but we do enjoy the salad. To finish off the free stuff you also get a side of basic pasta with your choice of sauce.

There are no menus on the table at Battista's. They are posted on the wall of every room. Although the prices at first glance seem pricey ( chicken at 27.00- insanity !) keep in mind you are getting endless wine and bread, fresh soup or salad, pasta and oh yeah, the best damn Cappuccino ever to finish the meal. More on that later.

For her meal, Simone had Spaghetti and Meatballs and I ordered Veal Parmesan. While we waited for our meal we were greeted with a song from our favorite little old man accordion player. It is rumored that he has been going from table to table performing since Battista's first came to Vegas more then 30 years ago. He looks to be in his nineties, but he plays a damn good accordion, and in my opinion ( which is always correct) He really just puts the icing on the whole Battista experience. Italian wine, Italian food and Italian music. You get it all when you are here.

The food arrived shortly after our evening serenade and although I have seen prettier dishes, they were cooked perfectly. The Veal was literally drowning in melted Mozzarella and fresh ripe tasting Tomato Sauce. If you do not love your cheese then avoid this. If you do love cheese ( and also baby cow) then this is the dish for you.  Along with the Veal was a side of intense flavored spinach seasoned with spices including a good dose of nutmeg. This was different but good. Simone shared her meatballs which were also very good. Large, tender and well seasoned they mixed perfectly with the tomato sauce and al dente spaghetti. Surprisingly we finished everything ( including most of the wine-yow!)

After some deliberation we decided to finish the meal with the Italian specialty Cannoli, with of course two (free) Cappuccino's. The Cannoli shell was crispy and mildly vanilla flavored while the smooth and creamy cheese filling was rich and dense.

The Cappuccino is not to be missed, it is unlike any other - Its not at all like coffee. Its not bitter but slightly chocolaty sweet and it is the perfect way to end your meal. 

We love it here and would suggest it to anyone looking to get away from the craziness of the strip, get drunk on cheap wine, and have some damn good Italian food while being brought back to the old world .  4.5 stars for Battista's Hole in the Wall.