Adele's Restaurant and Lounge UPDATE - Carson City, NV

Where would you have your last meal? What would you have? What would and what could satisfy you fully for the last and final time? What would you put on your table before they pull the rug out from under you?

So I'm being a tiny bit dramatic. We're not dying and we're not even going to starve by any means, but deprivation will be the name of the game. Whatever we eat and whatever restaurant we eat at needs to get us through a desert week...no pressure.

ADELE'S. We saw the words "Carson City" glowing, white-upon-green on the way up to Reno, and it was a freaking beacon. A sign from above...literally...(groan)...lighting the way from the open highway.

Reservations are full, no surprise on a Saturday night, but the bar has exactly two seats, and the red patent leather beckons and gleams. The regular menu is varied enough for six restaurants, but the specials are always among the stand-outs. I stop the server when she utters Lobster Bisque. It's their soup special, and it's the one item I have to order if I hear it. I opt for the half-bowl because I expect the usual cloying cream that wrecks a lactose-intolerant stomach, but their iteration is surprisingly light. There's a strong tomato-ey finish, ripe-off-the-vine with a sprinkle of Carson City sunshine. The tang cuts through the cream, and the lobster part is only a hint.

Soup and salad go together, and to have a good salad with your soup is a right, not a privilege. The Nicoise, however is a privilege because I don't think I've ever had a salad done so well. There's a small bed of baby greens, but the plate holds a whole world of textures and tastes. The green beans are crisp, the olives add some pungence. The potatoes are soft, and vinaigrette lightens and spicens the lot. The poached egg lends a warm, gooey yolk that blankets the diced eggs around the edges. The anchovies are a wake-up call contrast to a meaty seared tuna. 

Another special calls to us, a Surf n' Turf that seems deceptively simple. The filet mignon is exactly medium rare, a rush of creamy bernaise blankets the red, raw center. And the lobster tail. What lobster has a tail this juicy and where can I get another? I should hate this plate. I hate things drowning in sauce, and this entire plate is submerged but it is done so perfectly and exactly well. Creamy decadence, deep flavors that ebb and flow, crescendos that creep into the crevices between sections of lobster and fibers of filet. This may be the most over-the-top thing I've ever seen. I swear, if I dripped a single drop onto my pants, I would literally be the lap of luxury.

The Duck Two Ways is too good not to try twice. The skin is a crisp contrast to the dense, tender breast beneath, and it houses a satisfying strip of fat over a darker leg. The red cranberry breast melts in your mouth, as heavenly as the leg confit.

The desert doesn't seem so desolate after a dinner at Adele's. The food is always fresh, it's all locally sourced, and there is not a single thing that isn't made with such meticulous measure, such delicate detail. No room for dessert is my only regret, but I think I ate enough to save my soul for the week ahead. 

Imperial Gourmet - Bishop, CA

There is really no reason to stop in Bishop. Except hunger. Crippling, gut-ripping starvation at 6 PM, knowing you won't hit another real town until 9. 

Greasy Americanized Chinese food sounded really good at the time, and Imperial Gourmet was right there. We weren't in the right place at the right time, but apparently, the Orange Chicken was. It's GOOD. Like really good. The chicken evenly breaded, and the pieces are smaller and manageably bite-size. Fresh from a fryer with new oil, served with a lot of smiles.

The Mushu Pork comes pre-made, a generous portion of tender pork, crisp cabbage, and crunchy wood-ear mushrooms wrapped in a tortilla-like pancake. The pancake could be thinner, but the flavors, textures, and bread-to-filling ratios are right on otherwise. 

We came here craving greasy Chinese take-out, but Imperial Gourmet is actually more gourmet than I would expect. Interior is tasteful, food is very tasty, and the smaller portions seem to drive up the quality. There is still no reason other than Schatz's to stop in Bishop, and I wouldn't stop just for Imperial Gourmet, but it's a definite thumbs up and a surprisingly enjoyable place to eat!

Erick Schat's Bakery - Bishop, CA

There's is no other reason to stop in Bishop. After the pizza in Independence, I would have driven through Bishop as fast as their unreasonably crawling speed limit would let me...if not for Erick Schatz. 

Any trip through Bishop is pretty pointless, but picking up a load Sheepherder Bread lets you pretend you have a purpose. It's worth the leg-stretching stop for a bit of the purest white bread you'll ever see, made from all sorts of natural well water and flour, unbleached. The crust is chewy, the heart of the bread is cotton-soft and floats on air. Don't bother making a sandwich - the bread by itself is treat enough.

Come for the bread but skip the Sorbet. The watermelon isn't real sorbet; just sugar, water, and a red dye. The lemon is more refreshing, though. Sugary frozen foods are usually my guilty pleasure, but this is too fake for even me to like.

If you're looking for the sugar-rush, go with the Pull-Apart Bread instead. It's sweet and chewy with sugar and cinnamon, the texture is so moist it's practically bread pudding, and it's an opportunity to literally break bread with your friends...(groan). 

Don't want bread? Can't eat bread? Let them eat cake. The Dutch Coffee Cake, to be exact. A flawless breakfast boost: firm, not so crumbly as to be inconvenient, and evenly and impossibly moist all the way through. The glaze on top is just perfect.

Independence was desolate enough! Bishop is pretty barren aside from that small strip of town on the 395, and there is no way I would stop for anything other than gas if not for the bakery of Schat's. Ready-made bread is a camping staple, convenient for long roadtrips and super-light for backpacking hikes. I wish Bishop were closer so I could get this bread more often. for now, I will plan on stopping by every time I pass though!

Owen's Valley Growers Co-op - Independence, CA

We went all the way through Independence just for the Still Life Cafe, and it's closed. We went two storefronts because hungry people can't walk 0.2 miles to look for the taco place, and this organic co-op is the closest thing to my car.

Owens wasn't my first choice nor my second...nor my choice so I went in begrudgingly, and the mostly-empty store did very little to allay my fears. The pizzas did look promising, and Veggie Pizza turned out to be a perfect lunch. The crust is chewy and thin, the sauce is tangy, and the sun-dried tomatoes are its enabler. There could be more cheese, but the amount that they have is cohesive; it binds together crisp green pepper, juicy mushrooms, sharp onions and olives, and startling artichoke hearts. 

Owens is young, and it still stands on shaky Bambi legs; less than a fourth of the space is filled, and there's just not enough produce to fill the space. The items they do stock look tempting to the weary traveler, and the pizza is made to order by some of the sweetest, friendliest ladies you'll meet. There's still not much going on at Owens, but they will feed your travel-stained body and soul. 

Com Tam Thuan Kieu - Garden Grove, CA

Recommended by a Vietnamese friend, a restaurant that is VERY Vietnamese in all the best ways possible.

To start, the Vietnamese coffee. The coffee is dark and bitter, shielded by an umbrella of condensed milk; sweet as sugar, thick as a storm. A prequel for the hail of broken rice to come.

They say broken rice is equal to regular rice, but I disagree. The nutritional properties and value are unchanged by the trauma, but broken rice is more beautiful in its imperfection. The smaller pieces are pebbly and the larger pieces are soft, adding a spectrum of texture that regular rice can't reach.

We are the only non-Vietnamese people in this restaurant, and we are thrilled. We point with enthusiasm to the most patient of servers, and two heaping platters are our speedy reward.

The chargrilled pork just glistens, tender and thin in a sweet marinade. The shrimp are tougher but they're flush with flavor. 

The short ribs carry a little char from the grill, and they drip with thick bulgogi. 

Each plate is already a meal in itself, but the meats keep stacking on. Shredded pork is salty and savory, a combination of lean meat and fatty skin; a great taste and texture to mix with the rice. The baked egg is a fluffy omelet, softened by strands of rice noodle in between. There are slices of salty, spam-y shrimp paste wrapped with chewy tofu skin and fatty Chinese sausage that turns to liquid fat in your mouth. The meatball is the non-shrimp version of the shrimp paste, an acquired taste for those who don't love spam. If all that isn't enough, there's a crunchy eggroll and long leg of fishcake to finish.

If it ain't broke don't fix it, but not everything broken needs to be fixed. The tastes and textures of these giant platters are a delightful adventure, a one-woman expedition into a plate deep enough for three. 

The restaurant itself can be intimidating without a common language in which to communicate, but don't let that keep you away. The menu is full of vivid photos, conducive to the universal point. Point to any dish when you come here, I doubt it'll disappoint.

Van's Bakery - Garden Grove

I'll take any excuse to get Vietnamese food in Garden Grove, but the opportunities are rare. Not enough to do for a daytrip and too long a drive for just a meal.

Pageant of the Masters is my excuse; Garden Grove presents a small inland detour between the beaches Redondo and Laguna. 

Van's Bakery is a random stopover, a small place in a large complex, just a chance to get some macarons. 

Never again. They're terrible. The Pistachio tastes like...something. Something nondescript and green. Is there a reason all the fillings have the texture of mucus? The Green Tea is bitter but a little better, and the Earl Grey is just gray sludge. The Raspberry is a generic berry goop, and the Passion is fake-ly sour, nothing passionate except my gag reflex. The Taro...well, that one just tastes like slime. Mouthfuls of disappointment but I just keep munching, hoping that each bite will be better than the last.

Some bakeries can make macarons. Van's makes crackers with goopy fillings. Their have plenty of Asian desserts and snacks so I'm sure there's something edible in the building, but I will be getting my macarons elsewhere...GAG.

Chubby Rice - Hawthorne

How could we possibly pass a restaurant with a name this cute and not go in? 

We went in. And we walked right into an impressive menu.

I have no self-control...Bring on the General Tso's! Wait, how could this be General Tso? General Tso is sticky, sour chunks of bland-in-the-middle chicken and steamed-to-a-pulp pieces of broccoli on the side. This is light, crispy, and flavorful. This is small, manageable slices of juicy chicken thigh, wok-kissed with an even coating of a sweet chili sauce; a touch of tang, a dash of spice. Interspersed are moist mushrooms and green onions to freshen the fried. As good as this is, the sides almost steal the show. The eggroll is as deep-fried and dark as I expect, but this is no ordinary eggroll. The shredded cabbage keeps a firm, non-soggy texture, and there's a curry after-burn to highlight the flavor. Even the Fried Rice is exceptional. Not a single drop of grease detected, and the rice is fluffy and light. The soy sauce shines through in a way that is enhancing rather than overpowering.

The Pork Chop Sandwich. Wow. This may be the best sandwich I've had in the past five years!  A crispy pork chop brick; the tenderest, juiciest, most delectable brick EVER, a slight slaw, enriched with chili aioli. All of it captured between slices of fluffy, toasted torta. To hell with the Godmother, THIS is the best sandwich in LA!

The sandwich comes with a side of fries, which they advise me to eat with green ahi sauce. Best advice I've gotten all week, calorie counts be damned. 

Wow, what is this place?!?! A lot of effort goes into each dish, far more than you'd expect for fast food, and the result is almost a cuisine of its own. This is Chinese take-out with polish and a sprinkle of sophistication, and it makes all the difference!

Ortega 120 - Redondo Beach

Travel is awesome, but it's good to be home. Visiting new places and getting lost in the world rocks, but it can put a damper on your going-out budget as well. 

Taco Tuesday is the only reason I'm not broke at home, and it's the most inexpensive excuse to go out in Redondo Beach. 5-dollar House Margaritas chase the post-Monday blues away, and despite the too-good-to-be-true price, they're still the best margaritas in town. Enough Tequila to taste, just enough sour mix to offset the burn. 

2-dollar tacos. 'Nuff said. Low price, amazing quality. Tender Shrimp with a spicy sting, juicy Carnitas with a ton of savor, and a firm Al Pastor that packs all the flavor. The flour tortillas are soft, and the corn tortillas are of a coarser texture as expected. Season with fresh cotija and cilantro, munch, indulge, repeat.

Food that is both edible and affordable is hard to find in Redondo Beach, but Ortega 120 on a Tuesday night will set you back even less than El Burrito Jr. I've heard only good things about the regular menu, and the two-dollar tacos sure don't taste like a settle! 

Pressed Juicery - Torrance

It's JUICE. Just juice. Yes, it's very very very VERY good juice, but at a whopping six dollars a bottle, I just don't get it. 

The Citrus 2: pineapple, apple, lemon, mint. It's tangy, it's tart, it's got some natural sweet, and the mint makes it refreshing and bright. Every fruit is present, and it tastes like a harmonious blend of pineapple, apple, lemon, and mint. It is sunshine in a bottle, a rather expensive bottle. 

Do we seriously live in a world where we pay six dollars for 16 ounces of pulverized veggies and fruit? I do. And I'd probably go back and pay the six dollars next time I get thirsty at the mall. 

Border Grill - Las Vegas, NV

Time to hit the road, and my family's never had Mexican food. Border Grill has tables, and we love the gorgeous view of the beach club at Mandalay Bay. 

Love the view, hate the food. Mexican food is awesome, but it's not meant to be upscale. Turning comfort food fancy is the fastest way to ruin it altogether. Take the Torta Ahogada, for instance. Sometimes you have to let a sandwich be a sandwich. The pork cheek is soft and tender, but it's a bit bland to begin with. Put it into a giant sub roll, and it all becomes undetectable. As if that roll weren't heavy enough, they turn it into a wet torta, soggy as heck in a thick layer of red sauce "consome", which makes it impossible to taste anything else. It also turns the bread into the texture of something a duck would eat, culminating in a bizarre creation that is more of a hot mess than a stripper at Sunday brunch. 

Avoid the "special". There's nothing special about it. Delicious ingredients for sure, but they're not much fun when they're just thrown together with abandon. Juicy shrimp and tender, medium-rare carne asada. Love the surf n' turf, and it's a theoretically winning combo with avocado and a gooey fried egg. The crunchy tortilla adds texture, but the bed of beans adds nothing. It adds up to separate entities with nothing to tie them together. Plus it's impossible to eat it all together the way it's intended, and for this price, you might as well go to a buffet and throw random things on a plate yourself.

Mandalay Bay is a must, and their gorgeous beach club makes waves. Border Grill is a mere ripple in Vegas's ocean of opportunity, and it's not a ripple worth recalling. If you're craving Mexican in Vegas, you're better off looking for something less hoity-toity - it'll probably taste better that way. 

Wicked Spoon - Las Vegas, NV

$50 per person for a more upscale Vegas buffet. I haven't tried anything fancier than the seafood at Rio so I'm pretty stoked. We sit down to polite, speedy service, and the unlimited soft drinks are a plus. Our server keeps those drinks full, and she's easy to find when we need her. 

Already, things are looking up, and it's time to grab a plate. My plates are the gold standard of tangential, and I choose carefully, visiting every single station because FOMO is the only thing stronger than starvation. 

First plate starts Italian, but the seafood takes over soon. There's a truffle fettuccini with cream sauce, a dense alfredo and can't-say-no truffles. The pasta is impressively not overcooked. I love me a good polenta, and this one is smooth enough with juicy mushrooms on top, but both the polenta and the gravy have started to congeal. I had no less than 5 pieces of bone marrow with kimchee glaze. Marrow itself isn't great quality, but quantity can equal quality when you're talking about butter with a hint of meat. The glaze doesn't add anything, but I do recommend using salt. The sushi station is never skipped. Salmon and hamachi nigiri and some select rolls. All are fresh, and the rice is almost acceptable. There's mediocre but refreshing shrimp ceviche in the seafood section, but the Mexican corn is just meh. Props for the cotija cheese, though.

There wasn't enough space for snow crab legs on the first plate, but I'm making up for lost time on the second. There's also a very fresh tuna poke with fleshy red slice in a light shoyu, and it's one of the better things I've had. There's also a beet ravioli in butter that I can't resist, and this al dente decision is a good one. Pesto cream coats crispy gnocchi, satisfying, but I let it get cold.

The oxtail pho sounds irresistible, but it disappoints. The broth is too salty, and the meat on the bone is tough.

The dessert bar may be the best part of this buffet. Rows and stack of shiny, tiny things, a free-for-all sugarfest of a feast. Macarons are just okay - they're too hard to make well in this kind of bulk. The raspberry does taste like a sweetened raspberry, though. Props for being kinda close enough. I'm a sucker for a childhood snack, and the rice crispy treat has the right ratio of marshmallow to snap-crackle-pop. My favorite is the vanilla mousse cone; creamy mousse and a crispy cone. The chocolate tart is the best-made thing they have, a smooth mousse and a rich, crumbly center. I will also have the cake. ALL the cake. Tres leches is moist and milky-sweet, passionfruit fun-fetti will do, there are lemon cakes Sansa-style, and the mango cake is lighter than it looks. Oh, and the bread pudding is the best. The bread pudding is always the best.

It may be a mass-produced buffet, but Wicked Spoon can be wicked cool. The buffet stays well-supplied, and the service is a pleasant surprise, but we probably would have liked it more if we had gone at a better time. The never-ending buffet dilemma: 5PM beats the crowd, but all the stuff tends to sit. Brave a longer line and be prepared to fight for the better foods. Either option works; guess I'll have come back at a better time.