BabyStacks

I've been meaning to try BabyStacks for sometime, and now there's a second location much closer to home at Buffalo/Flamingo. We finally got over there to give it a whirl on Saturday afternoon. We were seated at the counter since the tables were full. We didn't mind it.

We looked over the menu; Frank chose the Mexican Skillet ($9.95) with Red Velvet pancakes ($1.50). I went with a short order of Banana Cream Pie pancakes ($5.75).







Everything was really delicious. The skillet was the perfect blend of savory flavors, the red velvet pancakes followed like dessert and the banana cream pie pancakes weren't overly sweet - thankfully, I was nervous. It was a nice treat; and it'll be great for when I'm craving something out of the ordinary. Our server was new and still learning the ropes, but very friendly and attentive. We'll be back.

Slice of Vegas

I bought a dining certificate from Travelzoo, $39 dinner: 2 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. We called in advance to make a reservation for Friday at 7 o'clock; it was totally unnecessary. The restaurant was only half full.

We were first seated in booth overlooking the mall, but I became nauseated from the overpowering scents wafting over from Lush. They moved us without any trouble.

We asked to substitute beer for wine, but no go. House wine was the only option. Two pinot grigios were brought over. It was really sharp, way too much acidity.

We started with the tuscan salad ($10.95) Fresh spring mix, tossed with diced Roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, sliced red onion, basil, parsley and toasted chunks of herb infused bread. Finished with an aged balsamic vinaigrette.



And garlic fries ($6.95). The salad was nicely dressed and fresh only complaint was the lack of mozzarella cheese. The fries were shoestring and crisp, but pretty average. The garlic aioli was heavy; not a fan.



Next we had the Margherita ($18.95) pizza and the rigatoni with meatballs and bologonese ($17.90). With a name like Slice of Vegas I had to try the Pizza. I wish I hadn't. The rigatoni was far superior. The margherita crust was tasteless and the ingredients lacked that high quality flavor. It was a real disappointment. The meatballs were ok, they tasted too bready to me, but the bolgonese sauce with the rigatoni was a real surprise. My husband and I both liked it.





If I were judging the pasta and salad on its own, I'd say it's A-OK, but since the signature item is pizza. This was definitely "meh" and we were thankful our tab was about 50% off. It's definitely not worth full price.

Photo a Day: Week 42

October 14, 2012 ~ Guess where?



October 15, 2012 ~ Greek yogurt, honey and granola... Brings me back to Mexico.



October 16, 2012 ~ Makin' jerky.



October 17, 2012 ~ The latest treat from Kona Brewing Co.



October 18, 2012 ~ Gotta love Chicago treats in the desert.



October 19, 2012 ~ Margherita pizza that isn't delicious.



October 20, 2012 ~ If only that meant that ads would end.

Custom Built Pizza

I was born and raised in Chicago so I tend to be biased when it comes to pizza, however I can appreciate the various styles as long as they are done well.

The positive reviews on Yelp led me to Custom Built Pizza. I was skeptical, but I loved the idea and just had to try it. You walk up and select your crust, sauce, cheese and toppings. You're not nickel and dimed for every topping either. And the options are endless and fresh.

Overwhelmed by all the possibilities, I went with the classic 1889 Pizza Margherita ($7.95). It was loaded up and baked for a few short minutes. I paid my tab and was digging in while it was still piping hot. This didn't compare to those in I had in Italy, but compared to those locally and in NY this was top notch. Who knew? Someone with this brilliant idea, apparently.



My brother joined me on this visit. He had the spicy diavola mixed with the crushed tomato sauce the blend had a nice kick without overpowering the other ingredients. He went to town and chose a smorgasbord of meats and veggies ($8.95). We shared slices and his creation was quite delicious and I was most impressed that the crust held the toppings. No grimaldi's pizza I've had has been able to do this, few NY styles have. Even those I had in Naples got soggy and limp. Dine in to maintain the crisp sturdy crust.



Fresh. Quick. Tasty. Affordable.

So much so, not even a week later, I was craving the diavola sauce. My brother and I returned to Custom Built Pizza. This time I had the diavola blended with crush tomato sauce and topped with buffalo and shredded mozzarella, basil, fresh tomatoes, artichokes and roasted onions. It was a bit too cheesy and the crust weakened as a result. It was still really tasty, but I missed that crisp texture. But that's part of the fun, you make tweaks to perfect you're custom pizza.



Mike blended sauces again and tried every cheese. The gorgonzola wasn't too overpowering, it was a nice surprise. He topped his pizza with a variety of meat and roasted onions.



These Neopolitan style pies are mighty addicting. I noticed yesterday they have a fresh selection of salads. If I'm not too temped by the pizza I'll have to try one of those soon. The S'mores dessert pizza looks pretty scrumptious too.

KoMex Express

On our way back from the ET highway we were starved. I searched my bookmarks on Yelp and saw that we were near KoMex Express. It's a hole in the wall specializing in freshly prepared Korean Mexican dishes. Yes, Korean and Mexican. Marrying these bold flavors is a slam dunk of deliciousness.

We snacked on chips and salsa while we waited. Waits can be long because everything is made to order. The tasty guacamole will whet your appetite and you'll be eager to dig in when your order is up.

We had the Fusion Bulgogi Nachos and three tacos: pork, chicken, and beef with a side of stir fried kimchi.







Neither of us are too familiar with Korean dishes. So, I can't vouch for how authentic these flavors are, but they are indeed tasty.

The Nachos were ginormous and better than most you'd find in Mexican restaurants. The chips are crisp and can easily support the sweet heat mountain of toppings. This is a feast. The only complaint is that we wished the cheese was thoroughly melted.

The tacos were really great too. This visit the chicken had more flavor than the other two. I'm usually the biggest fan of pork so this was quite a surprise. The kimchi on the side was decent, but the weakest link. It just didn't pack the punch the tacos or the nachos did.

These fusion bites are good eats. It's a nice find for when you're craving something a little out of the ordinary.

Extraterrestrial Highway

Last weekend, Frank got off work early and the weather was beautiful; a nice long cruise in the Firebird was in order. We decided to check out the Extraterrestrial Highway. We got up to Alamo and noticed the tire pressure was low. We topped it off and set off on our way.







After a photo opp stop, we continued down the loniest highway. Only it was not too lonely we came across seven other vehicles before we were forced to turn back because we were losing air, something was wrong with the tire.







We went back to Alamo, and thankfully, Oscar's garage was open. He was able to diagnose the problem, change the air stem, and get us back on the road in a jiffy. We were incredibly thankful it was 110 miles to home and not much in between. That's far more than any spare tire should bear.

We made it back home without any other troubles. We hit some new top speeds in the process. We'll have to attempt the loniest highway again sometime soon.

Photo a Day: Week 41

October 7, 2012 ~ A scrumptious breakfast



October 8, 2012 ~ A fresh batch of homemade salsa



October 9, 2012 ~ Margherita pizza from Custom Built Pizza - Brilliant.



October 10, 2012 ~ A place to pin our travels



October 11, 2012 ~ Flash floods are the real deal.



October 12, 2012 ~ Frozen meal for lunch. Blah.



October 13, 2012 ~ This hefe is looking like the breakfast of champions.

Photo a Day: Week 40

September 30, 2012 ~ Full Moon



October 1, 2012 ~ MNF! Go Bears!



October 2, 2012 ~ Weird sight spotted at Walmart



October 3, 2012 ~ What a blast from the past!



October 4, 2012 ~ Lunchtime, Los Tacos Burrito



October 5, 2012 ~ Love these prices!



October 6, 2012 ~ Blooms have begun again.

An Old Favorite

Last weekend, we got together with a few friends and had dinner at Stack before seeing Daniel Tosh at Mirage. When it came to picking a restaurant the choice was easily decided. Stack has been a long time favorite, and it's been way too long since we've dined there.

We had beers at the Sportsbook bar beforehand. It's been 23 years since the Mirage opened, and I must admit it's still one of my favorites. And that book is still one of the better ones around.

Anyway, our party of five was seated shortly after our 7 o'clock reservation. Bread is now only available upon request. Of course, we requested it. Warm popovers were brought over with softened herbed butter. Yum! Our friends started with salads, but we opted for the King Crab & Jalapeno Tacos ($23). These four tacos are itty-bitty, but tasty bites. Although, with jalapeno in the name I expected them to pack a punch, but they did not. Overall texture and flavor reminded me of ceviche.

We had a lull between courses and our server was very apologetic and with compliments of the house we were offered our choice of shot for the trouble.

For the main course, I went surf, Frank and friends went turf. Our friends had steak; the bone in filet and the porterhouse for two. Both steaks were prepared to perfection. There were no complaints. Frank had the Lamb Shank ($38). This was the dish that sold me on lamb and it is still delicious! Thanks to the six hour braise it is so tender it falls off the bone. It's served over lentils in a port wine sauce. I chose the Seabass ($42). The only protein except for chicken I have not had at Stack. It was cooked beautifully with a wonderful sear and served over lobster risotto. I was surprised to find large chunks of lobster. It was nicely prepared too. To accompany the main dish we had adult tater tots ($11) and potato gratin ($11). Is there a better comfort food than potato? I think not.

All in all, everything was still top notch. Prices have gone up over time, but where haven't they? My only complaint is they've resorted clubby beats instead of classic rock tunes. I miss music.

We grabbed a round of drinks at BB Kings before the show. Despite the billion signs stating "no comped drinks", I got one. All it took was being completely ignored. It seemed that I didn't exist because I was lacking a penis. Every man at the bar got served before me. Apparently, ladies first did not apply. And in turn, I broke their no comped drink rule.

Showtime finally neared and we made our way to the Terry Fator Theater. We were way in back, but the seats weren't bad. The show opener was hilarious. I wish I recalled his name. Tosh opened stronger than he closed, but he was highly entertaining. He's toured half a dozen times before and we kept missing him due to conflicting schedules or sold out shows so it was nice that we finally made it happen.

Photo a Day: Week 39

September 23, 2012 ~ Nach-o usual nachos.



September 24, 2012 ~ We chopped down a tree.



September 25, 2012 ~ Looking better, the tree was along the driveway by the rock.



September 26, 2012 ~ First look at the Reynolds Hall at Smith Center.



September 27, 2012 ~ Saw Wicked last night and loved it.



September 28, 2012 ~ This bush has never bloomed. I guess all that rain was good for something.



September 29, 2012 ~ Sunset from Mirage.