Jacobson Finds What He Calls the Best Thai Food in Vegas

Max Jacobson discovered the joys of Penn’s Thai House, a tiny Thai joint run by Penn Amarapayark and her Thai-speaking friend.

“And in a city chockablock with Thai restaurants, this one truly stood out. The food here is homey, generously portioned, and to a fault, glorious.”

Expect to find a bare bones place with a few Thai pieces of artwork. Jacobson found the “best Thai beef jerky I’ve tasted in Vegas, or maybe anywhere, what tasted like filet mignon,” the version of the chicken soup with a coconut milk base (tom yum) and chicken larb, what Jacobson calls “a work of art. ? I can’t remember eating a better one in Thailand, a country I’ve visited eight times.”

Jim Begley with the Las Vegas Weekly says the toughest thing about the Russian restaurant Tverskaya is actually finding it. “In the back corner of the strip mall at the southeast corner of Flamingo and Decatur, it’s hidden away behind a storefront with limited signage. And it’s worth the extra effort spent trying to find it.” [LVW]

Al Mancini with CityLife checks out German Bread Bakery. “The bakers pride themselves on their traditional methods. Everything is handmade in the store. Breads are made from carefully sourced varieties of flour, natural leavening agents and no sugar. Their pastries are purposefully less sweet than what many Americans are used to.” [CL]

Jacobson, this time writing for Vegas Seven, says Oscar’s steakhouse at the Plaza doesn’t “meat” his expectations. He talked to Oscar Goodman about the restaurant. “No one cares where the meat comes from,” he told me. “They want a big martini, a few broads and a nice evening.” Jacobson goes on to say, “Mr. Goodman: That thinking is behind the times, even for the downtown crowd. Judging from the success of meat programs with American wagyu and steaks from boutique purveyors such as Pat LaFrieda at Old Homestead in Caesars Palace, a new day has dawned with regard to the venerable American steak.” [VS]

Heidi Knapp Rinella at the Las Vegas Review-Journal gets the name wrong at Lobster ME. The ME does stand for Maine. So confusing to read reviews where she loves the food and gives it a B+ “And here was the great thing about it: It was all lobster, all the time, including the meat of three smallish claws arranged across the top of the — wait for it — authentic split-top, side-buttered-and-grilled bun. It was excellent.” [LVRJ]