Problem: Items selected: Red Velvet Cupcake "Breakfast" Cupcake Strawberry Macaron Apple Cinnamon Macaron Mini Eclair Mini Lemon Meringue Pie Mini Apple Cranberry Tart Mini Creampuff Funfetti Cake Located steps from my front door and having recently undergone rebranding from old-timey "Leopold's Bakery" to "Rolling in Dough Bakery [substantially subtitled] & Leopold's Cakery" I finally decided to pay the small shop a visit this Saturday; friendly service but high prices and underwhelming products perhaps my punishment for not stopping by sooner. Featuring all the 'standards' of a modern American bakery with options ranging from simple cupcakes and cookies to more fanciful macarons and choux-based options plus croissants and cinnamon rolls that did not even *appear* appetizing it was a wide swath of the menu that I was able to sample given a collection of petit fores, but almost across the board every single item was simply 'sweet' with indistinct flavors and off-textures - soggy choux, dry cake, and cloying cooked frostings the biggest offenders. Focusing on the few items that at least worked in parts, the red velvet far outdid the funfetti and 'breakfast' options by presenting moist cake and tangy cream cheese frosting while both tarts, though far too sweet to let natural fruits shine, presented a respectable buttery crust that in more restrained hands could produce a great seasonal pie. Speaking last to macarons, the general quality of most I've tasted in Las Vegas lacking, I would strongly recommend those preferring jam based centers take a look here as both cookies featured good crackle giving way to a quickly dissipating crumb over intense filling, the apple again a bit saccharine but the strawberry like an early bite of summer...two great bites amidst a $25 tab quoted off the top of the clerk's head without any listed prices or detailed receipt, none of it a reason to return even given the proximity as I've produced better versions of all but the macarons in my own kitchen.
How would this review be described?
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A: negative

Problem: People seem to give stars without regard to the price. I would say this is a 3 star hotel, BUT given the fact that it's nearly always the best value on the strip, it's a 4 star. The pool complex is good. There is a pool for kids and one for 18 and up. Also, you can get a cabana for a day for about 80$ during the week or off season. The price fluxuates but it's always worth asking. Can you beat that in Vegas? The pool used to let you bring in an outside drink if you put in a plastic cup, but on a recent trip this was not the case. I may or may not have purchased a half yard margarita, drank it, and re-filled it in the room to bring back to the pool, though. The excalibur is great for the budget minded. There is a baja fresh, with solid meals for under 10$. Also walk by Dick's Last Resort and they'll usually hand you a coupon for a free jello shot. Not bad. The location isn't the best, but there is some good stuff nearby. New York New York is right next door. The Luxor, MGM, and Mandalay Bay are also nearby. It's about a 45 minute walk to center strip. While there are a lot of families with young kids that stay there, Excalibur somehow strikes a good balance. There are kids around, but they hardly if ever bother me. Nothing like a Circus Circus type place. I wouldn't take my kids to Vegas after what I've been through there :) The rooms are clean and seem modern. I would rank them above the Flamingo, Imperial Palace, and other similar budget hotels.
How would this review be described?
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A: positive

Problem: Looking at the reviews of this place, I was hoping for at least a decent experience. What I got was frozen fish, terrible sushi construction, and a spicy tuna roll that I almost couldn't eat, but did anyways due to the inflated prices, and some awful service. I'll get the easy one out of the way. If you're the server and you see a stack of 4 dirty plates with two people who are still attempting to get some water our of empty glasses, pick it up, fill our drinks. It's simple. As for the dishes, we started with the softshell crab roll, which had too much rice and no flavor. We then got the Dynamitex2 roll, which I had expected to be spicy. What we got was spicy tuna, topped with chili sauce. Normally, this would be fine, but instead of prepping their spicy tuna the traditional way (with kewpie & sriracha) it had jalapeno folded into it. The result was flavorless and burning hot. Their spicy scallop was offensive, with a small amount of scallops mixed with crab meat and poorly shoved into a roll. The tako salad was actually tako sashimi, which I won't complain about. The slices were cut perfectly and the sauce was wonderful. Easily the standout of the meal. And lastly, Uni(sea urchin). I typically make my judgment on a sushi restaurant based on how they handle such a delicate meal. Typically, a good sushi chef tries to layer the meat in a way that the entire roll can be consumed. This wasn't layered well, and they used a good piece to hide some not good pieces. I won't be coming back. Almost $40 for 5 items, I've had better elsewhere.
How would this review be described?
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A: negative

Problem: I live down the street where TJ's is actually allot closer but after trying this place I just can't go anywhere else. The pizza is authentic NY style the sauce is great vand the toppings fresh. The dough is excellent I love having that crisp but not burned crust definitely rates like the east coast. I get takeout at least twice a week from here and the chicken parmigiana sub is definitely a must have, tonight was the first time I tried it and I was extremely pleased with every piece. The bread was excellent toasted not burnt perfect amount of sauce not dripping everywhere and causing the bread to fall apart and the cheese was excellent as well. Thanks for the excellent food guys.
How would this review be described?
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A:
positive