Las Vegas: Ciao Ciao Cafe & Bar

Another popular place to get a cold treat on the Las Vegas Strip is at Ciao Ciao Cafe & Bar, located deep inside The Forum Shops (specifically across the huge H&M) at Caesars Palace. It is not immediately accessible from outside, so this kiosk is ideal to check out after some shopping. 

Gelato!

The main offering at Ciao Ciao Cafe & Bar is gelato... and lots of it. There are multiple glass cases with so many different flavours of gelato, it's hard to choose just one flavour! They also sell drinks and more filling food like pizza, nachos, and hot dogs. 

Mango Sorbetto and Strawberry Sorbetto.

The gelato here is a little pricey. The Regular, or smallest, size (1 flavour) costs $6.25, Mid-Size (1-2 flavours) costs $7.99, V.I.P. (1, 2, or 3 flavours) costs $9.99 and is the most popular size, and Terminator (1, 2, or 3 flavours) costs $12.99. I wasn't going to buy any at first, but I couldn't resist! I ended up choosing the Strawberry Sorbetto in the regular size for myself, while my sister-in-law went with the Mango Sorbetto. 

Strawberry Sorbetto.

Using a tiny spoon to pick up tiny scoops of gelato many times really gives the illusion that you're eating more than you actually are. I thought my strawberry sorbetto was refreshing and not too sweet (maybe a little sour, but not in a terribly bad way). I tried some of my sister-in-law's mango sorbetto and I loved how sweeter it was compared to mine. Was this worth the $6.25? For the flavour I picked, probably not. I would recommend getting the V.I.P. size instead since it comes in a much larger cup and is only a few dollars more. 

The gelato at Ciao Ciao Cafe & Bar is something I would purchase if I wanted to treat myself. I wouldn't consider this shop a go-to place for a cool treat just because of its expensive price. However, I thought the sorbetto was of high quality so definitely give Ciao Ciao Cafe & Bar a visit if you're in the mood for some gelato/sorbetto. Just be prepared to pay a slightly hefty price (especially if you're just getting the regular size!). 

Las Vegas: BLVD Creamery

The desert heat in Las Vegas can get really intense, so I'm glad there are tons of ice cream/gelato options available on The Strip. While on a night time walk with my family, I decided to stop by BLVD Creamery for a cold treat. 

The menu.

BLVD Creamery is an ice cream shop located at the Monte Carlo hotel. The ice cream can be served in a cup, cone, or as an ice cream sandwich. There are also alcohol infused milkshakes for the adults. 

I'm afraid I didn't take any shots of the interior, but I thought the shop looked really nice - bright lights, fun and colourful details, and an entire wall dedicated to their merchandise (which included stuffed animals!). 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

It was almost a few minutes until their closing time at 11:00 PM, so there wasn't a lot of selection left. I went for my all time favourite ice cream flavour: mint chocolate chip. A single scoop cost me $3.50, but a triple scoop for $7 is their best value. 

I love ice cream.

BLVD Creamery's version of mint chocolate chip isn't the best I've had, but it was still really tasty and perfect for keeping cool. The ice cream was also smooth and creamy, while the single scoop was actually a good portion size for me. 

Macarons!!!

In addition to ice cream, BLVD Creamery also offers other desserts in a display case next to the cash register. The macarons totally caught my eye and I was really tempted to buy one (or more...). 

BLVD Creamery was a nice break indoors away from the heat. I would love to try their other ice cream flavours like tres leches or snickers to name a few. They are open daily from 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM. 

Las Vegas: Gordon Ramsay BurGR

In a previous blog post I mentioned that I would write about some of my Las Vegas and Southern California food adventures, so here is the first one of many!

During my stay in Las Vegas, I was determined to check out celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurant called BurGR. This restaurant features a casual burger concept and is located inside Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (specifically in the casino).

Fire display.

The first thing you might notice before stepping inside the restaurant is this 30 foot long fire display. I loved how the flames energized the room, and it really sets the tone for an exciting visit. 

The interior.

I was expecting a long wait knowing the popularity of this restaurant, but surprisingly my mom and I were seated almost immediately. Our table was positioned towards the outside of the restaurant, so we weren't able to take in the entire space or atmosphere. Nevertheless, I was happy being close to some natural light! 

The menu part 1.

The menu part 2.

The menu part 3!!

Gordon Ramsay BurGR obviously focuses on burgers, but they also offer snacks, salads, fries, "Devil Dawgs", and shakes. I thought most of the menu items were decently priced and this restaurant is definitely one of the not-as-expensive options on The Strip.

Shake #4 (left) and Shake #3 (right).

Shortly after ordering, the first thing we received were our shakes. So quick! I chose Shake #4 ($9) which consists of crème brulee pudding, oreo shake, and an oreo cookie on top. I started by eating just the pudding and it was delicious on its own. I thought it was pretty neat how at first I would only be drinking the oreo shake, but over time the pudding began to meld with the rest of the drink. My shake then became quite thick and perhaps a little too sweet for my liking. However, I did enjoy the experience of trying this despite its hefty cost. My mom picked Shake #3 ($9) which comes with butterscotch pudding, banana shake, and a snickerdoodle cookie. She also enjoyed hers overall but did comment on the level of sweetness in the drink. 

Sweet Potato Fries.

To start off our lunch, we ordered Sweet Potato Fries ($9). The fries are topped with vanilla powdered sugar and served with some honey jalapeño mayo. I love sweet potato fries, and these ones at BurGR were great. The fries were hot and crispy and actually went really well with the subtly sweet powdered sugar. The best part was the dip, which was a mix of sweet and spicy. 

Farm Burger.

I was very excited to try one of Gordon Ramsay's burgers! I wasn't sure which burger to get at first, but when I read that the Farm Burger ($15) came with a fried egg I knew it was the one for me. In my opinion, anything with a fried egg tastes amazing. Additionally, the burger comes with duck breast bacon and English sharp cheddar. So how did it taste? Really, really good! I absolutely loved every bite. The burger patty, which is grilled over apple and alder wood, was juicy, tender, and seasoned well with a nice char. I was happy to see that both the patty and the lightly toasted, pillowy bun weren't so overwhelmingly thick. The fried egg added a pleasant richness, while the cheddar cheese was distinct and creamy. With the addition of the bacon, it made for a very delicious meal. The Farm Burger is definitely one of the best burgers I've eaten. 

Chanterelle Burger.

My mom ordered the Chanterelle Burger ($16) for herself. This burger comes with chanterelle mushrooms, arugula, and figgy-onion jam. My mom was also really impressed with her burger and was all smiles as she ate. She even saved half her burger to give to my dad afterwards (hehe). 

iPad showing the menu.

I had a wonderful experience eating at Gordon Ramsay BurGR. The food I tried was excellent and arrived really fast, the atmosphere was very lively, and most notably, the service was amazing despite the number of people dining in. Our server was also friendly and regularly checked in on us. Another cool thing to note is that the menu items are shown on an iPad with pictures which can really help if you're more of a visual person and decide on what to eat based on pictures. I guess the main downside would be the pricing, such as the shakes which had a pretty steep price tag for what it was. Also, the fact that the burgers didn't already come with a side might be a negative point for some. Overall, I would say that I had a great time at BurGR and so did my mom! I highly recommend checking out BurGR if you're ever craving quality burgers while on The Strip. Who wouldn't want to dine in a celebrity chef's restaurant? 

Like BurGR's Facebook page and follow BurGR (and Gordon Ramsay's other Las Vegas restaurants) on Twitter (@GordonRamsayLV).