Is Park on Fremont Cool Enough to Have Good Food?

Al Mancini at CityLife says that other food critics have knocked him for considering the cool factor of a restaurant more than the food when he reviews a restaurant. While he wanted to like the food at the new Park on Fremont because of the cool factor, he says, "I wanted to like this place so badly I was striving for reasons to cut it slack."

None of the dishes he ordered were executed properly. The macaroni and cheese that tops the Philly steak sandwich featured subpar steak and "the mac and cheese wasn't much better than what you can get in a grocery store." The corned beef on the Reuben not only wasn't brined in house but tasted as if it wasn't sliced to order, it was so dry. The super thin chicken in the chicken and waffle sandwich was overcooked. The potato tater tots were soaked in maple syrup. Even the chaquiles had what Mancini called "low-end steak ? reminiscent of what you'd get at a Denny's or a low-rent casino coffee shop."

While Mancini feels he might be too hard on Park on Fremont and the food might be perfect for late-night revelers, he thinks the owners are trying to be more ambitious than that with the menu. "No amount of coolness can make a serious foodie overlook that fact."

In an unusual move, CityLife let another writer, Max Plenke, write a dissenting opinion on Park on Fremont. Seems Plenke likes food that gets all over his clothes, requires 10 fingers to eat and disintegrates into tiny mismatched pieces. [CL]

Erik Chudy at Vegas Burger Blog heads over to PoshBurger Bistro to try the $29 Kobe burger. His tale of being way overcharged on a Groupon deal is just one of the ordeals he went through. the burger is advertised as served on a brioche bun with truffle aioli, seared foie gras, frizzled onion, watercress cherry tomatoes and a fried quail egg. "Despite all those toppings, I was brought out a burger that was completely flavorless and sadly disappointing. The meat on its own had no seasoning at all, and was just lost in the burger. ?.It was also quite dry, despite the mess of grease that formed on my plate early on." [VBB]

Max Jacobson at Vegas Seven says the jury is still out on whether the location of Vic's in Anthem Center will work since it's in the middle of a senior center. On the food side, while many of the ingredients come from U.S. Foods, where chef Vic Moea is the executive corporate chef, Jacobson likes the anything but light fare, including the meatloaf spring rolls and Uncle Joe's fried corn. [EaterWire]

Aside from tipping off news that Aces & Ales is opening a second location on Tenaya Way near Cheyenne Avenue, Jim Begley at Las Vegas Weekly says that the 20 beers on tap sometimes overshadow the comfort food on the menu here. Aside from ordering the beer bites, he recommends the mac and cheese menu, a smorgasbord of seven varieties including Buffalo chicken and shrimp. [LVW]

Heidi Knapp Rinella at the Las Vegas Review-Journal says people often ask her how she picks the restaurants she reviews (not how she comes up with her ridiculous grading system). She discovered Jammin' Jerk Hut when she reviewed Flava Flav's House of Flavor. If you must know, she gives the food and service here a B+, the atmosphere a B- for an overall B+. [LVRJ]