Crazy Pita Hosts ‘Crazy Pita Pita Challenge’ For Charity

If you live in Las Vegas, you've definitely heard of local favorite chain, Crazy Pita. The fresh, casual Mediterranean restaurant is primarily known for its mouth-watering pita sandwiches and salad creations, but what you might not know is that the chain is also very charitable, frequently donating to local non-profits.

On Wednesday, March 20th, Crazy Pita hosted the "Crazy Pita Pita Challenge' with three creators and three judges. I and my fellow creators would be challenged with creating the most unique, tasty pita we could craft up, and the judges would ultimately decide whose pita scored the highest. When it was all said and done, Crazy Pita would donate $500 dollars to the winning creator's charity of choice. Would my pita come out on top and take the gold? Keep reading to find out!

When deciding what ingredients I would put inside my pita sandwich, I knew exactly what direction I would take. I named my creation "The Sauce Boss." Who doesn't love all the sauce, right? I put every sauce available inside my pita. Hummus, garlic paste, eggplant dip - I added everything I could that would give the judges the sauciest experience of their lives. I went with steak as my protein, and I added cheese, artichoke hearts, and a few roasted peppers. After the two other creators had crafted their pitas, it was time for the judges to do the taste test.

The judges carefully and considerably dove into each of our three pitas. They would take a bite, ponder for a few moments, then turn to their score cards to take notes and put down their rankings. Once they had finished jotting down their decisions, the Crazy Pita team whisked away the score cards and started tallying the votes. Before we knew it, they came back and said there was a tie! It was my pita and another creator's that had received the exact same final scores. How would this tie breaker be decided?

The voting then went into sudden death. Each judge was forced to choose their favorite pita between the two. Each judge supplied their answer, and the Crazy Pita team then went to retrieve the giant check that would ultimately don the name of the winner's charity of choice. Before we knew it, they emerged with the check turned around. And the winner was... Sammi Reeves! I couldn't believe it! $500 would be awarded to the charity of my choice, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Southern Nevada.

The creators and judges alike had such a wonderful time, and more than anything, we were all thrilled to be participating in an event with Crazy Pita that would ultimately be giving back to a great cause. I can't wait to try to defend my title next year and hopefully raise more money for a charity of my choice!

Here are some new restaurants in Las Vegas that you need to try in 2024.

Las Vegas is a city filled with creative gastronomy, fine international cuisine and great bites.

Honestly, a perfect night is bar hopping in downtown Las Vegas finished with some 3 a.m. slices of pizza or even some late-night Korean BBQ.

Sin City has become a beacon of culinary genius, and the city is almost a melting pot of out-of-the box ideas when it comes to concepts and what's offered on the menu. Our city breeds beast chefs that have amazing stories and amazing eateries.

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board and UNLV, food and beverage sales make up about 22% of a casino's yearly revenue.

Another interesting fact is the change in food scenery when it comes to On-The-Strip and Off-The-Strip dining. A report from the Foodservice Equipment and Supplies publication states that the Las Vegas Strip geared activities and entertainment to be more "family friendly." As a result. many casinos decided to offer affordable restaurants, which was actually successful.

2023 was the year of food halls. Eat Your Heart Out; in the new Durango Casino and Resort, Cheongdam Food Hall; on Spring Mountain Road and Durango Drive, and the antipcated Canteen Food Hall in the Rio Hotel & Casino are just a few new or about-to-open food halls that we're excited to try.

Most casinos now have thrown away the buffet option and replaced them with food halls. And the idea of food halls make perfect sense. They're fast, offer variety and convenient. (Personal rant: But personally, I'm not a big fan of ordering food at machines, which is what some food halls have. I still prefer ordering food from a person at a cash register.)

According to Simplot Foods Foodservice Solutions, there are another 127 food halls in development in the United States with many having an open date in 2024.

From food halls to stand-alone restaurants, there is constant innovation and change in Las Vegas. 2024 is not exception to our city's ever desire to find the next "big thing." Here are some new restaurants that you must check out in 2024!

Address: 1130 E Charleston Blvd Suite 140, Las Vegas, NV 89104

Winnie & Ethel's Diner was the winner of the The Great Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway, and the couple who owns this breakfast eatery is awesome! Winnie & Ethel's takes traditional Americana breakfast with an elevated flavor profile. The days of dry pork chops and bad corned beef sandwiches are over! Everything at Winnie & Ethel's is seasoned to perfection, crispy and packed with flavor. Some of our personal menu highlights are the Babka French Toast, which is a thick cut of French toast stuffed with chocolate and topped with pecan butter. Don't forget the candied pecans and orange syrup. The Country Fried Steak will take you back to nostalgia, and it's paired with crispy hash browns that just warms your soul up. 

Address: 8610 W Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89117

Nestled on Durango Drive and Spring Mountain Road, Cheongdam Food Hall is the city's local-centered food hall. Cheongdam Food Hall offers six different dining concepts. Smile Shota All-You-Can-Eat sushi, Teddy Butter House; coffee and pastries, Tacos By Carmen & Jose 1982, Curry Ya; a Japanese curry eatery, HoHo Crunch; a Korean dessert shop and Halgatteok; a Korean street food restaurant.

It's in a great location with many different office buildings, local businesses and casinos in short distance.

Open Date: Spring 2024

 Address 2620 S Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102

According to Eater Vegas, H Mart is set to open a food hall -- surprise! Here are some of the restaurants that will be housed in H Mart's food court: Bb.q Chicken; a Korean fried chicken place, Moobongri Soondae; a traditional Korean noodle, hot pot and bbq eatery, Jopok Topokki; offering tteokbokki rice cakes, Paik's Noodles, Hanmo Tofu, Oh-K Dog & Egg Toast and Tiger Sugar; a bubble tea house. 

Along with a food court, H Mart is a Korean grocery store that offers food, ingredients and goods from different Asian countries. H Mart is a foundation in many Korean families' lives, so it's exciting that they're finally bringing one to Las Vegas! From tasty small plates, exciting snacks, great fish and meat and other great produce, H Mart will be a great addition to the Las Vegas food scene as a whole.

Address: 3154 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102

Calling all breakfast lovers, Morning News is Las Vegas newest and trendy breakfast joint. From chorizo poutine, Fuji Apple pie pancakes, and beautifully thick-cut bacon, the menu at Morning News teethers on traditional breakfast with a peppering of West Coast flair and flavor.

Address: 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 located inside of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

It's hyped, pricey but looks so fabulous -- it's Papi Steak. Located inside of the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Papi Steak, "fuses Golden Era Hollywood swagger with modern day spectacle to create an entirely new steakhouse experience," according to the website. It's popular in Miami, and it's a place where you go for the experience. You can quite literally get caviar as a steak topper. The atmosphere covers you in a club-like setting, and you just feel excitement when you eat here.