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The Sweet Side of Sin City

July 14, 2015 By Guest Blogger

Las Vegas is famous for many things, and it often means something different for different people. Some see Vegas as the gambling mecca that it obviously is, while others see it as sprawling party playground where anything goes. Some visitors come for the golf, while still others come for the legendary stage shows and concerts.

And then there are the ones who come for the food.

Las Vegas has claimed its spot as a culinary destination, and rightfully so. The hotels on the strip compete with each other and outdo themselves with decadent buffets and restaurants owned and run by the world’s top celebrity chefs. For foodies, this city has a little bit of everything that you could ever want to see on a plate.

And that includes dessert.

For those with a sweet tooth Las Vegas might just be the city of your dreams. From lavish dessert buffets to decadent ice cream shops and candy stores brimming with your favorite treats, Las Vegas offers a little something for the kid in all of us.

If you’ve had your fill of prime rib and cocktails, learn more about where you can go to get a glimpse into the sweet side of Sin City.

The Cream of the Crop

Since Las Vegas is an over-the-top city, it’s fitting that you can find over-the-top desserts in many of its most famous eateries. At Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace you can try their Golden Opulence sundae, which consists of many of the things you’d expect in a sundae, as well as 23-karat gold. Yes, you’ll find edible gold leaf atop Tahitian vanilla ice cream, and gold-dusted edible sugar flowers. This treat will set you back a measly $1,000, but you also get to keep the gold spoon and the crystal goblet that it’s served in.

Serendipity 3 has many other desserts on offer that have topped the city’s “Best of” lists, including a frozen hot chocolate and a fried Oreo sundae that kids and adults will both love.

The Candy Shop

If you are a fan of candy stores and want to immerse yourself in the midst of chocolate sweets of all kinds, why not pay a visit to HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas? With shelves piled high with all of your favorite HERSHEY’S products, as well as the ability to customize your candy bar labels, this shop is a candy lover’s dream come true. It’s also a great place to pick up gifts for those friends and family who weren’t lucky enough to make the trip.

For retro candy choices, try the B Sweet Candy Boutique, and pick up a Couture Pop at It’s Sugar as the perfect accessory for your outfit when you hit the clubs.

I Scream, You Scream

Let’s face it. The temperatures can be on the warm side in Las Vegas, and what better way to beat the heat than with ice cream. You’ll find plenty of ice cream stores here, from simple places to grab a cone to those boasting truly gourmet flavors.

Lappert’s Ice Cream is famous for its smooth ice cream base and the natural ingredients used to flavor it. Think exotic guava, fresh coconut, and macadamia nut for a taste of Hawaii, and other fabulous flavors from around the world. They offer incredible coffee as well.

For a break from the traditional, try Luv-It Frozen Custard, which Las Vegas residents have consistently voted as the best in town for several years.

The Dessert Buffet

If you’re the type who eats dessert first, Las Vegas is your kind of town. If you’re the person who only eats dessert then you might as well move here. Dessert buffets abound here, and the world may never be the same.

Try the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace for cakes, pies, and cookies, as well as tasty mochi, creme brulee, and cinnamon rolls. The Buffet at Wynn keeps things elegant with cake pops and homemade gelato. However, the one that takes the literal cake is Studio B at M Resort. If you visit from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and all day Saturday and Sunday you’ll be overwhelmed by the collection of every single dessert item from each of the buffet options.

And don’t worry, all of these buffets serve real food as well.

Las Vegas. Sin City or Sweet Spot? You be the judge.

How Feijoada (Portuguese Bean Stew) Made It Around the World

May 9, 2013 By Jillian

How many times can we repeat that one of our favorite aspects of travel is sampling new food? It seems like we aren’t the only ones given the complete obsession in America with global food. From Anthony Bourdain to the food network, American’s are obsessed with bringing a taste of their vacation or their dream travels home to their dinner table. We are really no different. From the unusual ingredients we saw hanging in markets in Asia to the easily recognizable beans and potatoes sitting in baskets across the Americas, we try to incorporate our favorite dishes or ingredients from our travels into our everyday life.

Guidebooks always tell you what the “staple” dish of a place is, but sometimes more interesting than the ingredients is the history of the dish. Sometimes you can get this from a recipe book, but better yet, get it from actually going to the place where the dish originated. We love the history of food, for it’s really the history of human exploration. Given that globalization started happening centuries ago, it’s not hard to draw similarities between the dishes of exploration centers like Portugal and far flung ports in Mozambique or Brazil. Enter one of the best examples of Portugal’s dominance in world exploration- the simple, yet delicious feijoada.

Feijoada is one of those “traditional” dishes that calls multiple countries, separated by a vast ocean, home. Originally from Portugal, Feijoada is a bean, beef and pork stew that we saw in Brazil, Mozambique and pretty much anywhere we traveled along a coastline that the Portuguese had explored. The Brazilians in fact, call it their national dish. Why? Well, like so many of the “great” dishes of a culture or region it’s simple, homemade food. Although you can find it at the best restaurants and although you can find it at any Portugal hotel or restaurant, it’s a dish beloved by many and found in all levels of Portuguese cuisine. There’s nothing pretentious in feijoada, just beans, pork and oh let’s say the most delicious mix of spices you’ve ever had. Think of it like a Sunday supper meal that stews all day. The name, feijoada actually comes from the Portguese word for beans – feijao.

Although I love anything that has the word “stew” in it, for me the most interesting aspect of feijoada is its long history. Just as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, Portuguese families still make this dish, albeit with certain variants for a delicious weekend supper. Food made at home and meant to be consumed family style is the best, especially for those travelers looking to get a taste of regional flavor and take it home with them.

Maybe on our next trip through the Iberian Peninsula we’ll make a tour of feijoada….who’s with me?

Photo Credit: Shared via a creative commons license from flickr user Fotos Gov/Ba.

Eat Your Heart Out in Cyprus

March 1, 2013 By Jillian

When visiting the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, there are a few foods you won’t want to miss. While Greek influence is strong, Cypriot cuisine has a unique spin on some of the more typical Greek dishes.

Souvlaki is a favorite “fast food” on the island of Cyprus. Skewered lean meat, usually lamb, pork or chicken, is tucked inside a wrap of Cypriot pita bread. Lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and onion are some of the accompanying condiments. White cabbage and green chili peppers are other common additions, as well as tzatziki dip made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and spices. In addition to the regular souvlaki, you can also get it “mixed” with sheftalia, a kind of spiced and minced pork sausage. You might see either version being served street side or as a to-go food from neighborhood restaurants. Don’t miss it!

If it’s vegetables you prefer, Cyprus is known for its fresh vegetables including asparagus, artichokes, and elongated Cypriot potatoes. Many meals are complemented with a fresh village salad made from cucumbers, peppers, black olives, onions and tomatoes. It’s often tossed with local olive oil and feta cheese. While this may sound typically Mediterranean, in Cyprus fresh coriander is usually sprinkled on the salad giving it that extra Cypriot touch.

Cyprus also has plenty of delicious desserts that you can’t miss, even if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth! It’s worthwhile checking out flights to Cyprus when your sweet tooth strikes for some fresh Cypriot baklava. Baklava is a sweet concoction of finely chopped nuts, usually walnuts and almonds, combined with sugar, cinnamon, honey and lemon juice and wrapped in paper-thin layers of filo pastry. This syrupy nut and cinnamon mixture is a common basis for Cypriot desserts, similarly featured in daktila, a kind of finger shaped pastry.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Geoff Peters 604

A Traveler’s Taste of Polish Cuisine

February 26, 2013 By Guest Blogger

Editor’s Note: These Polish dishes sound absolutely delicious. We may just have to make a trip to Poland soon..

We all know food plays a significant role when traveling the world. If you decide to head to Eastern Europe and spend a few days in Poland, there are certain dishes you might not be familiar with, but you definitely need to try them in order to have a taste of traditional Polish food. Polish cuisine might be considered by many as “heavy” and “stodgy” as most of dishes are made of flour and cereal (pastas, dumplings, noodles), but putting a few pounds on is absolutely worth it! You will discover a fresh taste of sour cream, cottage cheese, mushrooms and Polish sausages and your mouth will start watering when looking at Polish cakes.

Here are 5 top traditional Polish foods you can’t miss:

1. Soups – Rosó? (Polish Meat Broth)
You can come across many different varieties of rosó?, but the one you should definitely have for your lunch or dinner should be traditional chicken soup, served with homemade thin noodles, fried onion, boiled carrot and parsley. This dish will definitely warm you up in cold days and get you back on your feet when you have a cold! It’s a custom to have it on Sunday.

2. Starters –Polish herring
Polish people love eating pickled herrings for Christmas and Easter. It’s not only tasty and affordable, but also very easy to make it. You can either have your herrings in sour cream or oil with some pickled onion. Traditional Polish herring is slightly salty and sour.

3. Main course – Polish pierogi
Pierogi (Polish dumplings) are made of unleavened dough and filled with either cottage cheese, cabbage with mushrooms, fruits or meat and vegetables depending on the season and the weather (strawberry and blueberry pierogi are mainly served in summer, cabbage and mushrooms in winter). Pierogi are extremely delicious, but difficult to make. They are boiled first and then baked or fried in order to get crispy texture. Served with oil, onions and tiny pieces of bacon or sour cream and sugar (fruit ones).

4. Snacks – Faworki
Faworki are thin and crispy biscuits sprinkled with icing sugar. They are often called “Angel wings” for the sake of their shape of twisted ribbons. Faworki are not very sweet, so it would be a perfect snack choice for anyone. If you want, you can put some strawberry jam or nutella chocolate on top. Faworki are eaten in the period just before Lent, often during Carnival and on Fat Thursday. I used to make them with my mom and grandmother for Christmas too.

5. Dessert – Hot szarlotka
Who would resist the temptation of a little piece of amazing Polish apple tart? Nobody, believe me! Especially when it is served with whipped cream or ice cream of your choice. Szarlotka’s crust is very sweet and it is made with butter, looks very sophisticated but is not that hard to make.

As you can see Poland has a lot to offer in terms of its traditional food. Whether you feel an urge to try something super sweet, sour or salty, Polish cuisine will definitely live up to your expectations.

About the guest author:
Agness is a Polish vagabond who, after graduation, left her comfort zone and set off for a journey of her lifetime to China in 2011. She has been constantly traveling the world since then (slowly, but surely as she says), living like a local for less than $25 a day. She became a photography passionate and adventure blogger sharing her life enthusiasm and travel experience with everyone around. Connect with Agness on Twitter or Facebook!

Photo Credit: Guest blogger Agness

Photo: Soupa Azteca

March 5, 2012 By Danny

It was one of the first days of our two year trip around the world when I first tasted Sopa Azteca (or Tortilla Soup) at a restaurant in Chihuahua, in Mexico’s north. I’d never tasted soup so good and after leaving Mexico I never would again….until just a few weeks ago when we went back to Mexico!

This was literally the first meal we ate in Mexico and it was something I’d been craving for two years. This bowl of Mexican spicy goodness did not disappoint as I finished it and found myself looking for more! Here in the states, I’ve tried it in a few restaurants, but nothing ever comes close.

IF YOU GO: Having an authentic bowl of Mexican tortilla soup is an excellent reason to head for some relaxing holidays to Mexico! Anywhere in Mexico you should be able to find it but having said that, one night we had another bowl which wasn’t so great. Still, anytime you’re in Mexico this meal is an absolute must!

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.