If it’s new, weird or over the top, you can find it on the Vegas food scene.  Check out some of the places we went over the weekend…

Ice Cream Tasting Game At RM Seafood

There are plenty of food challenges in Vegas: the 6-pound B3 burrito at the NASCAR Cafe in the Sahara, Blazin’ hot wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, 5 pounds of Vietnamese food at Pho 87.  But I don’t like to risk death to conquer food; I prefer to enjoy it.

And the ice cream tasting game at RM Seafood inside Mandalay Bay makes it easy… except for the frightening mystery flavor.

The challenge is to sample sixteen ice cream flavors and attempt to identify each flavor.  It’s harder than it sounds, especially when you taste complex flavors such as blackberry chamomile or strawberry champagne grape sorbet.

Plus, you never know when you’ll hit a landmine of grossness.  We thought we tried the nastiest flavor when we ate watermelon, which was disturbingly tangy.  But oh no, the worst came when we tasted… gazpacho.

Disgusting gazpacho flavored ice cream.  A cold raw vegetable soup should never be in ice cream form; that’s like a sick genetic experiment by a mad scientist.  It’s sour and vinegary and tastes like fermented seaweed.  The man responsible for this hideous concoction is a taste bud terrorist.

Luckily the delicious peanut butter and jelly, banana nutella, and carrot cake flavors made up for it.

Luv-It Frozen Custard

The best ice cream you will ever taste is at a dumpy shack on a shady stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Stratosphere and downtown.  Well, it’s not really ice cream, it’s custard.  No matter what it is, it’s certainly worth the risk of being shanked by a drug dealer to taste it.

Luv-It‘s frozen custard is a smoother, creamier, richer alternative to ice cream that’s actually healthier ( don’t let that fool you, it’s still an unhealthy treat).

They only serve four flavors a day and you can only get it after 1 o’clock.  I went with the lemon custard in a waffle cone and I have no shame in admitting that I’m dumping my long time love.  I hate to make this public, ice cream, but I’m moving on to something better.  It’s been a good ride.

Dad’s Grilled Cheese

A restaurant dedicated entirely to grilled cheese sounds like a gateway to heaven.  Unfortunately, Dad’s Grilled Cheese was a gateway to mediocrity.  The sandwiches were alright, but it’s expensive for what it is.  A sandwich, side of fries, cup of tomato soup and a drink costs over $10.  Pay your mom $5 and she’ll make a better grilled cheese, guaranteed.

Mr. Lucky’s “Secret” Special

One of the best food finds is at Mr. Lucky’s inside the Hard Rock.  It’s a 24-hour joint with an awesome “secret” deal that’s really not a secret at all.  Who knows whether it’s called “The Special,” “The Gambler’s Special,” or “The Local’s Special,” it’s all the same thing: an 8-ounce flat iron steak, 3 jumbo grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes and a salad for $7.77.  It’s not on the menu so you have to be totally stealthy when you whisper your order.

Bayside Buffet At Mandalay Bay

The Bayside Buffet is like a microcosm of all that Vegas stands for, for better or worse: it’s expensive, it’s large, it’s excessive, and it’s totally worth it.

Here’s what was available at the Memorial Day brunch: any breakfast item you can imagine, an omelet station, freshly carved meats, fried foods galore, steaks, fresh crab legs and shrimp, a huge dessert section… and, oh yeah, a fruit and salad section that looked untouched.

Just don’t sit by the window overlooking the pool full of svelte, tanned hard bodies wearing very little.  The fried shrimp will still taste good, but it’s never good to eat your sadness.

Namaste Indian Food

Namaste has insanely good reviews on just about every website, leading me to believe that either people don’t know what Indian food is supposed to taste like, or they just don’t care.

The food was the definition of average, though it was cheap since we had a Restaurant.com coupon (if you haven’t signed up for their mailing list yet, do it!  You can buy $25 certificates to select restaurants for only $2 during their monthly 80% off sale).

There’s a much better Indian restaurant in Vegas called Tamba.  Even though they advertise, I’m sure nobody knows where the hell the restaurant is because every time we go there, even on Friday nights, the place is empty.  I don’t even know how it stays open.  Indian mob money?

BLT Burger

BLT Burger is ranked as one of the best places to get a burger in Vegas, but what really makes this place popular are the spiked milkshakes and the kick ass desserts, like the Krispy Kreme doughnut bread pudding.

FIREFLY*

I had never had tapas before, but after eating at FIREFLY* Tapas Kitchen & Bar, I wanted to invent a time machine so I could go back in time and rectify this travesty.  Sure, it’s pricey and it adds up quick, but eating one thing can get boring; it’s fun sampling a bunch of different items.

We tried some awesome items like tuna tartar, bacon-wrapped dates stuff with almonds, a skillet bubbling with cheese and chorizo, skewers, empanadas, and mac ‘n’ cheese.  For dessert we went with banana-nutella sandwiches, which were like dessert versions of grilled cheese sandwiches.

We washed it all down with pomegranate mojitos and shots of infused vodka made with berries and lychee.  Just awesome.

Hash House A Go Go

Comfort food in unthinkably large portions is a winner anytime.  But Hash House A Go Go does it the best.  We make it a point to go here at least once when we’re in Vegas, especially on Friday when the chicken and waffles is on special for only $12.95.

One plate comes with two large, perfectly moist and juicy fried chicken breasts on top of deliciously chewy waffles.  But here’s the best part: they bake an entire strip of bacon inside each waffle.  I declare the bacon waffle my lord and savior.

Bring a defibrillator with you to the dinner table and everything will be alright.