Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, a problem sometimes with this dish. Among the spe-
cialty dishes, the vegetarian offerings are solid, especially the hearty Shanghai Ong
Choy ($7.95, basically a number of unusual vegetables in a pungent garlic sauce).
So though it's not overwhelmingly special—the decor is convention hall bland,
despite the red lacquered chairs and a few pieces of Asian art scattered here and
there—the fair pricing and serviceable food make it a contender should you need
to stop for dinner at the Stratosphere (especially if you're squeamish around singing
waiters—hey, everybody's got their bugaboos).
$-$$$
Or you could ditch the Stratosphere altogether and head to one of the
most unlikely places I've ever found for fine cuisine: Hojos. It's in this chain motel
that the seriously authentic, seriously tasty
Florida Café
55
(1401 Las Vegas
Blvd S., at the Howard Johnson;
%
702/385-3013; www.floridacafecuban.com;
daily 7am-10pm; AE, DISC, MC, V)
is bringing the comforting, garlicky flavors of
Havana to Vegas. A labor of love for Cuban émigré Sergio Perez, who founded the
place in 1997, it's family run, with Sergio himself doing much of the cooking
using recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother. Boy, did they know
how to cook. Dishes include
Bistec de Palomilla,
a lime infused thin-pounded
steak ($15);
pierna de puerco asada,
a leg of pork ($13) marinated in a
mojo
of OJ,
lime, lemon, garlic, and spices; and perfectly roasted chicken with a coat of
romance-destroying (but exquisite) garlic sauce ($12). All the main dishes come
with rice and beans. People with lighter appetites are catered to as well with ten
sandwich choices (the highlight: a Cuban for $7.95); pizzas with such Cuban-
style toppings as chorizo sausage, pineapple or shredded beef ($8-$10); and a raft
of oversized appetizers, including croquetas served on a bed of melted cheese and
ham ($4.95); and
tostones,
thick pieces of fried plantain topped with ground or
shredded beef ($5.95) or shrimp ($6.95). Desserts are elegantly plated and just as
friendly to the taste buds, so don't skip the flan ($5.95) or
tres leches
cake ($6.95).
For families, there's an American-style kids' menu, with such choices as cheese-
burgers and chicken tenders for between $4.25 and $5.95. My only criticism
here, and the reason this place gets two stars rather than three, is the service (don't
ever come here if you're in a rush, the waitstaff is on “island time”); and the decor.
They're certainly trying with the latter—covering the walls with Caribbean art,
putting palm frond print pillows on the chairs—but ultimately it looks like, well,
like a gussied up Hojos. But if you close your eyes, concentrate on the stuff in
your mouth and the lilting Cuban soundtrack . . . you might well feel like you've
jetted out of the desert and into a tropical oasis.
$$
Good, affordable buffets are scarce at this end of the Strip, so I only have one
all-day option to recommend:
Circus Buffet
(in Circus Circus;
%
877/434-9175;
www.circuscircus.com; breakfast
$
10, lunch
$
11, dinner
$
12; daily 7am-2:30pm
and 4:30-10pm; AE, DISC, MC, V).
Long famous as the cheapest buffet on the
Strip, it's now lost that title (and the huge crowds who used to come here for that
$3 meal), but may have gained a bit of ground in quality control in its stead. In
looks, it's about equivalent to a college cafeteria (perhaps for the Ringling
Brothers Clown School, thanks to all the circus murals lining the walls). The food
is also a tad institutional, though the last time I visited the salad bar offered an
abundance of crisp greens, the soups were topnotch, and there were some creative
