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Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.
Nikki Ferraro opened the first of many Pizza Fortes at Sunset Station in Henderson earlier this year with a second planned at the Hard Rock Hotel soon. The wife of Domenico "Mimmo" Ferraro, who is the son of Ferraro’s owners Gino and Rosalba Ferraro, dreamed of opening Pizza Forte for nearly 10 years, and plans to open 10 locations within the next 18 to 24 months. The New York native grew up in the restaurant industry, working every position in the two restaurants her family owned. She moved to Las Vegas in 1996 and 13 years later met the Ferraro family. Ferraro is also the president of AFAN (Aid for AIDS Nevada), an organization where she volunteered for nearly 15 years. Here, Ferraro shares three of her favorite cheap eats restaurants in Las Vegas as part of the Cheap Eats Week madness.
Which restaurants do you turn to for an inexpensive meal when you’re not working?
Carson Kitchen, Glutton and Archi's Thai Restaurants.
What dishes are most memorable?
I am obsessed with the fried chicken skins at Carson Kitchen. I literally went there three times in one week just for them. It's the best part of and chicken dish all on one plate with an amazing smoked honey dipping sauce on the side. Price: $6.
At Glutton, I love the shaved Brussels sprouts ($9) and brown butter gnocchi with braised pork cheeks topped off with pine nut gremolata ($16). I could eat pounds of this the pork!
Archi's is our go-to, stay-at-home, "I don't want to cook" restaurant. My favorite dish is the beef pad see ew ($9.95) with the wide noodles, beef, Chinese broccoli, garlic and soy sauce...yum times six.
Why do you enjoy going there?
When we find the time to go out between work and kids and just life in general, we pick places with good food, fun drinks or wine menu, live music if possible and all around relaxed environment. Don't get me wrong: I love the little black dress dining but prefer heels, skinny jeans and a white tee.
