HEIDI’S PICKS

Heidi's Picks is a weekly selection of restaurant suggestions from Review-Journal critic Heidi Knapp Rinella. Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10; $$ = entrees between $10 and $20; $$$ = entrees between $20 and $30; and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.

THE CRACKED EGG

7660 W. Cheyenne Ave. (also at 6435 S. Rainbow Blvd., 5570 Painted Mirage and 100 N. Green Valley Parkway); 395-7981

The Cracked Egg lived up to its reputation as a great little breakfast place, serving such creations as an amazing banana-topped and macadamia-and-coconut-crusted French toast and a truly well crafted Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet, both of which were much more than the sum of their parts. And the homemade coffee cake is worth the trip alone. (3/30/09)

Overall: A $

HASH HOUSE A GO GO

6800 W. Sahara Ave. (and at the Imperial Palace, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. South); 804-4646

A not-too-welcoming hostess notwithstanding we enjoyed our lunch at the Hash House, which has built a deserved reputation for dishing up what it calls twisted farm food. We think it's more like farm food with a twist, but at any rate we enjoyed the quesadilla, Farm Scramble No. 1 and the Hash House Cobb Salad, and the three provided a satisfying lunch for four. (12/25/09)

Overall: A- $$

HOFBRÄUHAUS LAS VEGAS

4510 Paradise Road; 853-2337

An experience at the Hofbräuhaus has much to do with the room in which one is seated. The rear "indoor beer garden" is almost too quiet, but the raucous front room is more in keeping with the atmosphere of the Munich original. As for the food, the Sauerbraten was a tad on the dry side but the Nürmberger Rostbratwürstl, Bavarian Liver Mousse and Obazter, Swiss cheese with radishes, butter and rye bread, and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte would make Oma proud. (12/17/08)

Overall: B+ $$

MARSSA

Loew's Lake Las Vegas, 101 Montelago Blvd., Henderson; 567-6125

Marssa's happy hour is a little unusual in that it's only an hour, fairly late as these things go -- 6 to 7 p.m.-- and Tuesdays through Saturdays, instead of just weekdays. We think that's a bid to get people to come in and try the place, and it works, because Marssa puts on an awfully good face during happy hour. We were particularly enamored of the crunchy salmon roll, the beef kushiage and the lumpia, and the sake portion that was very generous at happy-hour prices. (10/2/09)

Overall: A- $$