Quote:
Originally Posted by CKBWoP
I am coming down the WSOP flu and could use some really good matzoh ball soup. The best matzoh ball soup I found in LV was from the Caesars poker room menu a while back (I don't play there anymore).
Any recommendations?
UncleCliffy is your resident Las Vegas strip matzoh ball expert. The closing of the stage deli at Caesars a few years back was a matzoh ball tragedy. Their soup was very simple: a light chicken broth, enormous yet fluffy matzoh ball, and a few assorted carrots and pieces of chicken and that was about it. Their sandwiches were just ok, but the soup there was amazing. (note: I believe there is still a mini-Stage Deli at MGM near the poker room, but the soup is not on par with the one that used to exist at Caesars)
I've tried a few others since then, particularly the Carnegie Deli at Mirage (stick to the sandwiches). The deli at the Wynn was highly recommended, but I thought it to be nothing special, and the matzoh ball was very grainy.
So, without a doubt, the best matzoh ball soup currently in Las Vegas (in the Strip area) is at Canter's Deli at TI. It's a large bowl, chock full of goodness (noodles, rich broth, chunks of chicken, carrot, and celery), and it's already fairly salty. The ball itself is large (about the size of a baseball), and it's usually fairly light and fluffy. I've been to Canter's at least 15-20 times. I like ordering the bowl of soup + 1/2 sandwich for $10.50. I'm a huge eater and normally this would be enough, but the soup is large and filling, and of course the sandwich is big (I almost want to order 2 more pieces of rye and turn it into a full sized, more manageable sandwich, but I don't want to be that guy). I would, however, recommend ordering the soup extra hot because it usually comes out only lukewarm.
The last time I was at Canter's was just a few days ago, and I would say it was the worst experience of the 15-20. I had to wait forever to get my food, the matzoh ball was too dense (not boiled long enough) and heavy, the rye bread was slightly stale, and the pastrami was shaved too thin. But I will chalk this last experience up as an outlier of my generally excellent experiences.
In addition, if you need to run away from LV, go to Brent's Deli in Northridge (Valley area of LA). That's the best (non-homemade) matzoh ball soup in the country.