The Frugal Foodie: Cana

I was recently rewarded with my first comped meal as a food blogger last week at Cana in Town Square. I was shocked at the offer of a $100 media credit (and grateful!), but after hanging up the phone I was worried they'd picked the wrong person for the job. I didn't want to go, not like it, and feel obligated to favorably review it, so I almost called back and refused. Almost.

When I initially noticed Cana a couple of months ago I was excited at the idea of a Firefly competitor (not because I don't like Firefly, but because we need more tapas restaurants). I was dissuaded from going, however, as I had read reviews that weren't entirely favorable, on top of which, the prices seemed high. I probably never would have gone without the offer, and luckily it ended up being much better than I had expected it would be. The manager was welcoming and omnipresent, the waitress was attentive and sweet, and the food was well-executed, for the most part. I could get used to this food writer thing...

Some items we ordered were done very well, and others needed some work. My favorite dishes were the Crispy Shrimp ($13) and the Beef Tenderloin Tiradito with avocado, red onion , and truffle mayo ($14). The shrimp came out hot, snappy, and crispy, which completely sold me. My only complaint was that the preparation didn't exude originality. Nobu in London was the first place I'd seen fried shrimp dressed this way (in a spicy aioli), and since then I've noticed the exact dish on quite a few menus. The Tenderloin Tiradito (AKA 'carpaccio') was slightly more unique, but I wish we'd been given a heavier dose of the wonderful truffle mayo.

The dates ($9) were also prepared well, though the ratio of dates to other ingredients (bacon, cheese, and almonds) was off, causing it to be too sweet and texturally amiss. The Mac and Cheese ($8) was boring, under-seasoned, and needed a more plentiful and browned panko crust, but with a little doctoring it was more than edible (mac n' cheese almost always is). The Cuban Sliders ($11) were somewhat misleading, and heavy, but the mini brioche buns were fresh and the burgers juicy. We finished with the addictive non-churro Churros ($7). If they had been advertised as fried, twisted cinnamon roll dough then the description would have been accurate (and equally exciting), but I hate being deceived so I was a little disappointed.

My overall opinion is that Cana is the perfect place to take your girlfriends when they come visit. Town Square is a more relaxing place to hang out than the Strip, and Cana fills the lite bite need there perfectly. I couldn't get over the fact that the dates were twice as expensive and only 2/3 as good as Firefly, but between three of us the bill still only came out to $109 with an adequate amount of drinks. Speaking of drinks, I recommend the Pisco Sour, a tart drink made with Pisco brandy. It packs more punch than their other drinks, and not many Vegas drink menus feature egg white foams (this addition tastes much better than it sounds).

Today's Food Ratings:

Crispy Shrimp: 8.5

Beef Tiradito: 7.5

Dates: 6.5

Sliders: 5.5

Mac n' Cheese: 5.5

Non-churro Churro: 8

Pisco Sour: 9

Would I go back? MAYBE. EVERYTHING WAS DONE FAIRLY WELL, BUT THE PRICES ARE HIGHER THAN WHAT I NORMALLY LIKE TO PAY FOR TAPAS AND THE MENU ISN'T TERRIBLY ORIGINAL. I DO APPRECIATE THE WONDERFUL HOSPITALITY, HOWEVER, AND WILL RECOMMEND CANA TO PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO GET OFF LVB.