America Restaurant
Coffee
Frosted Flake French Toast
Monte Cristo – Black Forest Ham, Sliced Turkey, Gouda, Brioche
Apple Fritter
Boston Cream – Chocolate Iced, Custard Cream Filled
Monkey-See Monkey-Donut – Bananas Foster-Filled with Chocolate Icing, Toasted Nuts
Nutella Cronut
Candy Cake – Chocolate Cake Donut, White Sprinkles, Chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Probably not the first place on most Las Vegas gourmand agendas, the 24/7 “America” at New York-New York Casino had always interested me if only for its kitschy design plus one of the city’s few Monte Cristo sandwiches, but it was not until I heard about the restaurant’s in-house donut program that I finally committed to an early morning visit; the expansive restaurant largely unoccupied as servers joked around at the bar while “American” Top-40 played from speakers hidden by the enormous map of the good ol’ USA. Featuring a menu of expectedly American classics ranging from pancakes and waffles to country fried steaks and eggs it was with a bit of disdain that I arrived to find the Monte Cristo now relegated to the ‘lunch’ menu but happy to accommodate given the restaurant’s 24-hour nature it was with a simple request that the sandwich was prepared and arriving on a covered plate alongside the Frosted Flake French Toast both dishes would prove competent , though nothing to write home about, with prices and portions both in line with other Las Vegas Boulevard breakfast joints thus leaving plenty of stomach space for a sampling of the restaurant’s deep fried dough. Featuring no less than a dozen different varieties with three cronuts plus fritters, crullers, filled, raised, cake, and fancy on display it was with a bit of indecision that I pondered my options and eventually settling on a few personal favorites plus those most interesting a quintet was selected at a total of $12.50 and aside from the lackluster, artificial banana flavor of “Monkey See, Monkey Do-nut” the results were very impressive indeed; the ‘cronut’ as close to Dominique Ansel’s original in texture as I’ve found (a plus for those seeking authenticity, though I still prefer Coco’s rendition to both,) the Boston Cream featuring surprising subtle custard inside a delicate yeasty pocket, and the apple fritter rife with fresh fruit beneath a delicate sugar crunch plus plenty of cinnamon rivaling some of the finest I’ve ever sampled; the best in Las Vegas by far.
