joe don't know italian

Chicago Joe's
820 S 4th St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 382-5637

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

*shrug* it's ok. i think i was expecting better tasting fare because the folks i went with raved about the food. the restaurant itself looked charming with these quirky street signs tacked inside the restaurant. there was also a little nook for the bachelorette dinner that my friend had there. nice.

the food, however, not so much. one of the regulars in our party recommended the meat lasagna. i ordered that because i really dig lasagna too. entrees came with a choice of soup or salad. i opted for the salad and picked the creamy garlic dressing. oddly enough, that salad was the best part of the meal...oh, and the soft, yet crusty bread they served as you waited. mmmm...carbs.

my meat lasagna was too meaty and too cheesy, i know right? when are either of these two ingredients ever too much? in this situation, i disliked the fact that there was overwhelmingly more meat than the pasta itself. i felt like i was eating a chili bowl without the beans. the cheese was pretty funky too. it reminded me of a creamy brie cheese which i enjoy on crackers, but not in my pasta. the cheese made the lasagna altogether too mushy and again, there wasn't enough pasta to provide contrast in texture while eating it. overall, the lasagna portion was too big and just not yummy enough to warrant the fat grams that night.

a friend that sat right next to me ordered spaghetti and was able to get 1/2 an order of meatballs and a sausage. i think the kitchen staff just couldn't resist. 2 words: food porn. her entree came out with an erect sausage placed between two meatballs. i didn't know it was possible to get food THAT excited, but it was. i saw it coming and i thought, HOW APPROPRIATE for this bachelorette night.