Given that it’s Christmas this week, I’m coming off the bench to substitute for our Best Bites columnist, Marco D’Angelo. And with the holiday season in mind, I want to express best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020.
This week, I’m writing about one of my favorite places to eat in all of Las Vegas. The Tuscany Grill is located on the busy Eastern Avenue corridor in Henderson. And full disclosure, this is less of a review and more of an endorsement because of how much I love the place and its operators. And in case you may be wondering, I will not receive anything in return for doing this column.
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I’ll begin by saying that I loathe chain restaurants. Any place that has the cookie cutter format and what I dub “factory food,” is not my thing. Yes, I know that chains are enjoyed by the masses, but not me. I prefer to support small businesses when possible.
That’s the case at Tuscany, as the working partners Mike McQuady and Lou DeFilippis, along with chef Jerry Bormann have only worked and operated family-owned businesses. Mike learned his trade from the notable DiMartino family. Jerry and Lou were at a landmark spot Philips Supper House..
O.K., enough history and on to the food. Apart from a large menu that has everything from hot and cold appetizers, 15 pasta dishes, chicken, steak, veal, and seafood, Tuscany has a daily special every evening. And they are designated specials for each day of the week. People flock to Tuscany on Monday nights for the four-course prime rib special ($24.95). It starts with a shrimp cocktail, followed by soup or salad, then an English cut of prime rib, and culminates with a piece of homemade N.Y. cheesecake.
Personally, I like Thursday night’s special the best when they have a half roasted chicken ($19.95) that’s marinated overnight in olive oil, garlic and spices. It’s served with banana wax peppers and it’s always moist. The dinner comes with soup or salad (I love the house dressing) and a side of pasta or vegetable.
Tuscany has an extensive wine list and guess what? The prices are very fair. I’m happy with the house Chianti that Jo pours at the bar.
Speaking of the bar, it has a sports pub feel. There are several booths, great screens for viewing sports, and 15 video poker machines if you want to dabble.
They also have a terrific patio where you can dine or sit and enjoy a drink on a comfortable outdoor sofa.
Recently, Las Vegas has experienced a bevy of criticism with regard to value. This is certainly not the case at Tuscany Grill. The portions are healthy, salads/sides are included, and best of all the owners and staff are like family.