Casual Dining at Canonita, Nacho Daddy, The Barrymore | Las Vegas Part 2

The food and shows are what I get most excited about in Las Vegas. This time in Vegas, I saw Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson One. The music and dancing was obviously amazing, but I had higher expectations from One since it is highly rated. I would still recommend seeing One, but before that you must see O at the Bellagio which is spectacular. When it comes to food in Las Vegas, with so many fabulous restaurants to choose from the cost can quickly get out of control. Here are three great options for Casual Dining in Las Vegas that are a bit more reasonable with great food. Enjoy!

1. Canonita @ The Venetian
Watch the gondolas glide on the canal while enjoying excellent Mexican food.

Cocktails + Antojitos
Coco Pina (right-left): Bacardi Light, coconut milk and pineapple juice served in a coconut shell. This drink was quite good, but quite sweet for me. At $12, you are certainly getting value for your money.
Sangria de Rojo (right-right): Housemade Sangria swirled with classic margarita. Excellent with just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. A favorite!
Tuna Ceviche Tostada (left): Ahi Tuna, red onion, lime juice, avocado, cilantro, and serrano pesto. Delicious with bold flavors of the cilantro pesto. I loved the fresh avocado on top. Well made!

Canonita Clasicos
Wild Mushroom Enchiladas: Poblano cream sauce, white rice, borracho beans, and pico de gallo. Buttery, creamy in a delicious cilantro sauce. The enchilada simply melts in your mouth. Excellent choice for vegetarians. NOTE: Smaller portion since I wanted to try the dish. A favorite!

Platos Fuertes
Santa Rosa Pork Barbacoa (top left): Cilantro rice, black beans cooked in a chipotle barbeque sauce. Tender slow roasted pork that effortlessly fell apart and melts in your mouth. Juicy, delicious, sweet and a little bit spicy. NOTE: Smaller portion since I wanted to try this dish. A favorite!
Pescado Veracruz (top right): Essentially a stew prepared with the catch of the day in a marisco broth, sautéed chiles and white rice. The fish of the day was Mahi Mahi which was cooked perfectly along with bell peppers and other veggies. This dish was just okay for me.
Chipaneco Salmon (bottom): Grilled salmon, plantain huarache, Mexican street corn, chipotle aioli, and cilantro pesto. The salmon itself was cooked to perfection, however the cilantro flavor was too overpowering which took away from the salmon. I wasn’t really able to taste the chipotle aioli. The corn was buttery, flavorful, and crunchy. Furthermore, the corn tortillas filled with plantains were good and a nice touch to the dish. Overall, I still enjoyed this dish tremendously despite the bold cilantro flavors only because I love cilantro. Close to perfection!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Canonita @ The Venetian
COST: $$
CUISINE: Mexican
FAVORITES: Sangria de Rojo | Wild Mushroom Enchiladas | Santa Rosa Pork Barbacoa
VERDICT: 4.25 / 5
For the canal view at the Venetian, food quality, and reasonable cost, Canonita is a steal in my opinion. This place serves authentic and modern Mexican food and should not be missed if you’re looking for a casual place to dine.There were some great dishes on the menu and the folks at Canonita were gracious enough to let me order smaller portions of a couple dishes. Additionally, Canonita serves breakfast and also offers a vegetarian menu. There is something for everyone at this wonderful and charming Mexican restaurant.
Food: Excellent | Drinks: Excellent | Décor: Casual/Romantic | Service: Friendly/Attentive |Value: Excellent

LOCATION
The Venetian – The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3377 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas

2. Nacho Daddy @ Miracle Mile
The daddy of all nachos! Truly the best nachos in the world and excellent margaritas!

Cocktails + Appetizer
Daddy’s Margarita (left-left): An award-winning margarita made with el Jimador Reposado, triple sec and Nacho Daddy’s house made sweet & sour. Blended perfectly on the rocks! A favorite!
Watermelon Margarita (left-right): Lightly sweet margarita with bold citrus flavors and smooth. A favorite!
Ceviche (right): Shrimp, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, cilantro, and serrano chilies topped with fresh avocado and citrus marinade served with house made chips. Juicy and citrusy, made fresh to order. Well made.

World Famous Nachos
Fiesta Nachos: Tender and shredded chicken breast, salsa, sautéed onions, refried beans, cheese blend on tri-colored chips topped with queso fresco, pico de gallo, guacamole & sour cream. These nachos were so loaded with flavor and a ton of chicken, I’ve posted two images below just to prove it to you. Tender and juicy! Easily the BEST NACHOS I have had to date! A favorite and absolute must-do!

Enchiladas, Tacos, Tamales (Smaller portions for trial purpose)
Fish Tacos (left): Flour tortillas filled with marinated grilled/battered shredded cabbage, serrano aioli, mango salsa, avocado & cilantro. I opted for the grilled fish taco which was juicy and had a kick. I absolutely loved the aioli sauce and the mango salsa which helped bring out the flavors in this taco. A favorite!
Chicken Tamale (top-right): Open faced corn tamale, queso fresco, sour cream served with green chili sauce. I prefer closed tamales to open ones. The tamale was just okay for me with a little bit of sweetness and a little salty.
Chicken Enchilada & Pork Enchilada (bottom-right): Tender chicken or Mojo Pork stuffed in a corn tortilla and smothered with green enchilada sauce, monterey jack cheese and sour cream. Both enchiladas were decent, but nothing to write home about, the pork enchilada was chewy and salty. Additionally, the rice and beans were way below average. Very disappointing dish.

Desserts
Deep Fried Ice-Cream: Deep fried flour chips topped with whipped cream and fried vanilla bean ice-cream coated with cinnamon sugar, and then finished off with more whipped cream, chocolate and raspberry sauces with a cherry top… BOOM! Decadent dessert that was so well made and clearly it is a huge portion which can easily be shared amongst 3-4 people. A favorite!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Nacho Daddy @ Miracle Mile
COST: $$
CUISINE: Mexican/Breakfast & Brunch
FAVORITES: Daddy’s Margarita | Watermelon Margarita | Fiesta Nacho | Fish Tacos | Deep Fried Ice-Cream
VERDICT: 4 / 5
Nacho Daddy has 3 locations in Las Vegas, the Miracle Mile location is on The Strip. This is one place I would go back to in a heartbeat just for those nachos, and next time I would order a few varieties of nachos, such as, Buffalo Hot Nacho, Thai Chicken Nacho, and Enchilada Nacho. The Fiesta Nachos were outstanding, I have never had more amazing nachos in my life, not to mention how amazing their margaritas were. There were a few disappointments on the menu, but just stick with my recommendations and you should be good! Lastly, Nacho Daddy offers a vegan menu which is pretty great if you ask me.
Food: Very Good | Drinks: Outstanding | Décor: Casual | Service: Friendly |Value: Excellent

LOCATION
Miracle Mile Shops, 3663 S Las Vegas Blvd #595, Las Vegas (+ 2 other locations in Las Vegas)

3. The Barrymore
Good option for classic American dining. Dined here on Thanksgiving and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Located just behind Encore, slightly off The Strip!

Complimentary Starter
Bread Basket: The bread arrived warm which was exciting. My favorite was the pretzel bread as well as the crispy Parmesan flatbread.

Appetizers
Autumn Beet Salad: Mixed greens with roasted beets, Fiji apple, goat cheese, candied pepitas, and cider vinaigrette. The salad consisted of three different types of beets, and the goat cheese in this particular salad was mild which was nice. I loved the crispy pepitas. Excellent salad to order. A favorite!
Belgian Endive Salad: Endive with duck prosciutto, candied walnuts, bleu cheese, & pomegranate champagne vinaigrette. Overall, this lightly dressed salad was quite good.

Entrees
Chilean Sea bass: Butternut squash risotto prepared in a butter sage sauce and topped with fried root vegetables. Unfortunately, the sea bass was very underwhelming for me with no flavor. The risotto is cheesy and is flavored with basil oil, but overall I wasn’t impressed with this dish.
Thanksgiving Entrée: The turkey was a bit chewy and parts of it were a little dry. Both the regular and sweet potato mashed potatoes were very good and not overly buttery which was nice. The cranberry sauce was a nice balance of sweet and tart – delicious. The stuffing was good, but a little too creamy in texture, I prefer classic stuffing which is usually a bit drier.

Sides
Cream Corn & Lobster: The cream corn & lobster had a strong bacon flavor and was quite rich. The bacon added a nice crunch. I loved this side and would most definitely order it again. A favorite.

Coffee & Dessert
Pistachio-Vanilla Bean Swirl Creme Brulee: The crème brulee was light and delicious. Below the top layer was a light green pistachio custard and then finished off with raspberries which was a beautiful touch. A favorite!
Pumpkin Tart: This was a Thanksgiving dessert. I found the tart to be rather dry and had a strong flavor of whiskey. Sadly, I wasn’t a fan.
Coffee: Excellent, robust! A favorite!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: The Barrymore
COST: $$$
CUISINE: American/Steakhouse
FAVORITES: Autumn Beet Salad | Cream Corn & Lobster | Pistachio-Vanilla Bean Swirl Crème Brulee | Coffee
VERDICT: 3.5 / 5
The Barrymore is located right behind Encore, and slightly off the strip. This restaurant is old-school, an all American steakhouse, hence it’s classy. Aside from a few disappointments, I really enjoyed the Bread Basket, Autumn Beet Salad which was loaded with flavor and that Cream Corn & Lobster, so delicious!
Food: Good | Drinks: n/a | Décor: Classy/Dressy | Service: Professional |Value: Good

LOCATION
99 Convention Center Dr, Las Vegas (slightly off The Strip)

Other Casual Restaurant Recommendations
The Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge
Grand Luxe Cafe @ The Venetian
Gordon Ramsey BurGR @ Planet Hollywood

Older Posts on Las Vegas

Have you been to Las Vegas? If so, what are some of your recommendations for lunch/desserts?