Poke express on Craig has several fantastic takeout options for poke. Their hours are quirky, so check first. http://m.yelp.com/biz/poke-express-no...

It sounds like you would enjoy exploring some of the other options at Commercial Center.

Beyond those, here are some that I like that fit your price point:

Mint Indian Bistro has a creditable $9.99 lunch buffet and they're really nice folks. India Palace is also very good but a little more expensive. India Oven at Paradise and Sahara is another good moderately priced Indian option.

Banh mi from Pho Thanh Huong; their pho is excellent too, but my favorite pho is Pho Saigon 8.

Monta Ramen fits your price point & is out of this world. Closer to the strip and slightly more expensive is Yokohama Kaigenro. Sushi is probably outside your price range but there are decent all you can eat options that run around $25 pp - Sushi Mon for example.

For breakfast or lunch, Harrie's Bagelmania has good bagels and deli options, and Merkato in the same strip mall offers tasty Ethiopian food. Daytime is best for visiting this strip mall.

You'll find many dim sum recommendations on this board. I like Chang's Hong Kong Cuisine.

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Bagelmania
855 E Twain Ave # 120, Las Vegas, NV

India Palace
505 E Twain Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89169

Sushi Mon
9770 S Maryland Pkwy Ste 3, Las Vegas, NV 89183

Pho Saigon 8
5650 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89146

Yokohama Kaigenro
4503 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89169

Sushi Mon
8320 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117

Pho Thanh Huong
1131 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119

India Oven
2218 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89104

Mint Indian Bistro
730 E Flamingo Rd, Paradise, NV 89119

I'm not familiar with Zen Sushi Bistro, but there's a Sushi Zen on Craig in N. Las Vegas that I can recommend - it's family owned (more often than not we have women sushi chefs there, yay!), and the staff is always friendly. They can be slow if it's busy, though. Our other favorite N. Las Vegas sushi is Sushi Tachi on Centennial Pkwy - it's part of the Sushi Mon local chain, but because of the location doesn't attract the crowds that the Sahara location does, and they also have an AYCE option.

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Sushi Zen
4210 W Craig Rd Ste 100, North Las Vegas, NV 89032

Sushi Tachi
2745 W Centennial Pkwy # 130, North Las Vegas, NV

The U-pick farm is Gilcrease Orchard (http://www.gilcreaseorchard.org/ ).

I find the grocery stores vary a lot by neighborhood - the main chains are Vons, Smiths and Albertsons and each one has certain stores that are great and some that won't dazzle you with their selection. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods/Wild Oats are also pretty well represented, especially on the west side of town.

There are lots of neighborhood Asian markets, and the two largest that I know of on the west side are the 99 Ranch on Spring Mountain and the International Marketplace down Decatur near Tropicana, both of which carry food from around the world. You'll have already read about the hot food at Mariana's, the Mexican grocery store on this board; their west side location is at Valley View and Sahara. I have not been to an Indian market but I think there is one that also rents Indian videos across Maryland Parkway from UNLV.

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Gilcrease Orchard
7000 Gilcrease Ave, Las Vegas, NV

Visited their new Summerlin store. More bodega-like than any other Las Vegas grocery (and with a uniformed security guard at the door - ?!) -small space with no in-store bakery, meat counter, etc - and lots of single-unit sizes. If you like getting in and out of a store fast, or if you experience sensory overload at Albertsons, F & E seems like a good pick.

The selection was fine but not exotic - the main international items I saw were things like fideo noodles in the pasta section and fresh chorizo in the meats. Produce was displayed in bins but almost all prepackaged, and the bakery had a wide selection of single-serve prepackaged items.

Next time I drive out of my way for groceries I'll probably go to Sunflower, but if I wanted to stop in on the way to work to pick up packaged stuff for lunch and get in and out fast, Fresh & Easy would do the job.

It is a pretty drive. Once you leave Boulder City I think the only stopping point is the fireworks store on the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza, so you may want to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at Valley of Fire.

If you choose to eat in Boulder City on the dam end of the trip, I recommend the enchiladas at Carlos Mexican Cafe (561 Hotel Plz, Boulder City, NV Tel: (702) 294-6640). I like the pine nut ans spinach enchilada, but traditional favorites are also represented.

If you do end your day in Boulder City, you might also consider Milo's Best Cellars, a wine bar with outdoor seating and sandwiches and salads.

Any Las Vegans noticed the absence of yellowtail from local sushi spots lately? I tried Sushi Zen on Craig, Makino's downtown and Makino's Summerlin last week and none were serving yellowtail.