Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

When you first enter Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Town Square (Las Vegas, NV), you're greeted by a giant sign that says, "WARNING: Our Pizza is "WELL DONE." Though I get the double entendre, it was unsettling actually as my mind started to play with my tongue—I had this burnt ash from a bonfire taste in my mouth.

Forward I sat anyway.

It's brand new in Vegas, but it started out in 2002 by Anthony Bruno in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Bruno had another restaurant prior to the apparent success of his chain of Brooklyn style pizza parlors called Anthony's Runway 84. I've looked around, seems to be a favorite Italian joint among South Floridians.

On to the food. Now, I need to tell you that I'm pretty particular with my pizza. During my tenure in New York, got to taste the best of the best (John's, Lombardi's, Patsy's, Grimaldi's, etc) and so I approached my tasting with caution, an attitude of "prove me wrong." I only say this because I've seen and tasted how good this ubiquitous round of goodness can truly be. Really it's only being fair to those artisans that take real seriousness in what they do. I take that pride with me.

The menu was pretty streamlined. Right from the get-go, it's the pizza they want you to get, smack up top their one-page bill of fare. All the other salads, chicken wings, sides and sandwiches on the bottom playing the red-headed step-children.



So I will go ahead and breeze through these. The Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad was spectacular. They put red and green peppers on top that at first glance thought it would taint the simplicity of the dish, rather gave it depth. If it wasn't my friend's salad, I would've finished it all myself.



Skip the Coal Oven Roasted Chicken Wings. The concept is good with flatbread lining the pile of roasted wings and onions—sadly it was overcooked, dry and salty. The onions seemed like they needed to be more caramelized and it was hard to eat with it falling off all over. We ordered 20 and couldn't bring ourselves to taking the leftovers home.




As a lunch special, we ordered two personal-sized pizzas. To me, the ultimate way to measure pizza (not to mention fairly) is to get a plain ol' pepperoni pizza. From here I can gauge the ingredients and technique. No time passed from the time the waitress placed it on my table that the first slice hit my face. The sauce is tangy and runny, and you can tell that it's fresh. The pepperoni and the cheese were left to be desired. Halfway through the slice, there's this inner struggle within me to want to really like it but alas, overseasoning got the best of it as it was salty. It wasn't overpowering but enough that I couldn't truly devour it without stopping and drinking liquids to wash it down.



A friend on the other side of the table ordered his with calamata olives, long hot finger peppers and I think, the Italian sausage. He on the other hand told me that it was amazing because it was great to order it with the peppers as his Italian wife's family made them from scratch. He was happy to see it on the menu...his mouth red from the heat.

I have to mention that Grimaldi's made its presence known in Vegas lately and it's been my place to go when I miss the Big Apple. Granted it's not quite the restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge, and they do have hit or miss nights. Nevertheless it has fundamentals of an amazing pie with solid ingredients, great crust and simplicity. To me it's the best in Vegas.

If we're comparing, Anthony's to me is a good attempt at best at New York style pizza. I would go there because it's convenient, nice enough environment (nostalgic photos of Marilyn Monroe and of like era—don't really get it so much), and pizzas aren't that bad. I will give them props on the end crust which is tasty, seemingly butter or good olive oil brushed on it.

I think what Anthony's succeeds in doing is making a non-offensive pie...well done.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
6569 Las Vegas Blvd. Town Square. Suite 176
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702.361.7500

How would you like your mechanical bull prepared?

I've been on a mechanical bull once in Dallas for a Bowling for Soup photo shoot. I know it's not real but that thing was scary.

It's come locally now to haunt me again in the new Cadillac Ranch—now serving your favorite dead piece of meat, charred to you liking at Town Square in Las Vegas.

Don't fret however if you don't come in with spurs and chaps. The restaurant offers family-friendly atmosphere and even transitions to a club after hours for cowhands and hipsters alike.

Cadillac Ranch All-American Bar & Grill
6605 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 294-7300

Where I'd like everybody to know my name

Naked-Fish's. Ironic that a stripper recommended this sushi bar to me.

Okay, technically friend who was dating a stripper took him and then he took me after. Clearly the first sounds better by a mile.

Naked Fish's is intimate and low-lit with a teeny tiny sushi bar as chefs seemingly squeezed in like sardines (wha-wha). What they lack in size, they gladly deliver with quality fish and good attention to detail. Our server (ask for Wanda) was very knowledgeable and polite, if not stern. You can tell she spoke with confidence the about their menu.

We took her advice and started with the conch—sliced thin then cooked in olive oil and soy sauce (kept thinking about Lord of the Flies—Piggy, "I have the conch!"). To say nothing of the squid-like texture, it was actually addictive. Definitely eat this with a bowl of rice as it can be a bit salty by itself after a few bites on its own.


Wanda also suggested to peruse through the other specials. Took a dive at kurodai, or black sea bream, which is very close to red snapper in taste. Then the usual suspects like the buttery blue-fin toro (medium tuna belly for $10—yikes), uni (sea urchin—pretty fresh), hokkigai (surf clam—eh), ikura (salmon roe—usually this is salty and this was pleasantly not) and of course hamachi (yellow tail—nice white belly slices). I need to point out that all of the sushi was prepared masterfully, almost too pretty to eat, really. Almost.


Other good stuff; tiger roll (freshwater eel, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, and avocado drizzled with a sweet sauce) which was done very well considering this is a pretty tame dish; grilled hamachi collar was my favorite, prepared perfectly; sautéed clam sake butter (sautéed clams and garlic sprouts) had some sandy clams, otherwise quite tasty; and finally for dessert, an original house creation called Pa Pa Pa Parfait (vanilla ice cream whipped with tempura banana, strawberries, chocolate sauce and curiously, pretty sure it was garnished with Frosted Flakes)—a little too decadent but I saw the bottom of the glass anyway.


I love sushi and have hit the local scene pretty hard trying to find a place I can simply be a regular in. This is not an all-you-can eat joint so if you're super hungry, be prepared to cough it up. I will say though: it's worth it.

By the way, this provocatively named restaurant is in an unassuming strip mall, and if you're driving and don't look hard, you'll pass it by.

Just try not to.

Naked-Fish's Sushi & Grill
3945 S Durango Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89147
(702) 228-8856
I found a coupon through citycoups.com for $10 off!
Good till 5/31/09.