I know I have been MIA for long again, but it is for a good cause, at least for me :). I have been doing some tourism. I got to visit Las Vegas and part of the California North Coast, the Redwoods and Fort Bragg. It was filled with fun and food. I did not really take pictures of the dishes but I have a couple of recommendations for our readers.
If you are in Las Vegas, you have to visit Firefly Tapas Kitchen and Bar, the food is to die for and so are the drinks; and to top it all: it is not expensive. We went to the one on Paradise, the road parallel to the strip, but it seems they have two other locations in Vegas.
A couple of tapas are enough to fill you up and what is really nice is that you can order a dessert combo where you can taste all of their desserts. These were pleasant but not over the top good.
I don’t know if you guys do this but my friends and I always had this sharing policy and same for Clint and me. It is a way to try more stuff, especially in places that you might not visit again or not as often.
I had the Artichoke Toasts and the Mushroom Tart that I shared with Clint who ordered the Veggie Empanada and the Chicken and Chorizo Stuffed Mushroom. The description of the stuffed Mushroom on their menu was just Yum and they did not lie! You also want to try their Mojitos… We had the flavored ones: Passion fruit for Clint and Mango for me.
You might want to stop at the Rainforest Café too. The food is good and the ambiance is quite interesting, since you are sitting in a “jungle” under a sky that keeps changing colors. The forest comes to life every 15 minutes and you can see some of the animals moving, you can also hear the elephant trumpeting and the tiger roaring. We had the Jungle chop Salad (Romaine and Iceberg lettuce, black olives, cucumbers, carrots, candied pecans, Blue cheese crumbles, dried cranberries and grilled chicken tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing) and Taste of the Islands (Coconut Shrimp, Blackened Tilapia topped with a mango salsa and Dynamite Scallops and Shrimp).
They also have several other locations I think, you do not have to be in Las Vegas to go there.
Now if you are in Fort Bragg, you need to go to the North Coast Brewing Co Taproom and Grill. Again Clint and I co-ordered there and I think I can safely say that I had one of the best Clam Chowders ever and by far the best Calamari Steak. They complemented it with garlic and lemon, some broccoli and rice, all of that just enhanced the flavor. You don’t want to miss their Garlic Fries either. For all garlic lovers out there this is the dish for you, they are pretty generous with the seasoning.
We also shared the 4 beers sampler, where you get to choose the beers you want we went for the Belgian Gold: Le Merle, the Red Seal Ale, the Old No 38 Stout and the Old Rasputin.
The Belgian Gold and the Old Rasputin were both amazing, the rest was good but not exceptional for me. I was surprised by the Belgian Gold to be honest, because I tend to prefer darker beers.
You might want to have a coffee in Mendocino at Moody’s, I had a tremendous mocha there. They use organic coffee and you better be prepared if you want that mocha, it contains two shots of espresso.
Of course you don’t want to miss the Redwoods and the Avenue of the Giants, these trees give you perspective and you cannot help but being amazed by God’s creation and craftsmanship.
The Taste-Buds 