She is a Lady - TR
west...@hotmail.com
will be together again. I smile as I remember our first meeting some
forty years ago. Me, an awkward man-child, with more heat than
knowledge, more desire than sense. She, older and more experienced, was
the proverbial forbidden fruit. Our relationship never followed the
easy path; we even parted company early on until the fire was rekindled
following a chance encounter. Though the passion may have ebbed over
the intervening years, the embers of my desire have never cooled. Now
as we enter a fifth decade, there is a richness and fullness to our
relationship that I could not have envisioned in my youth. For her
part, the years have proven kind; adding both character and
sophistication to the charms Mother Nature so amply bestowed. I know
she has entertained many others over the intervening years and, by
necessity or design, reinvented herself more times than she would care
to remember, yet she is still able to make me feel as if I am the only
one. It is this ability to remain reachable, but never fully attainable
that adds to both her allure and mystique. As the autumn of my life
advances, time and circumstance permit more frequent visits for which I
am sincerely grateful.
I finally succumb to sleep; secure in the knowledge she will be waiting
by the gate for me.
Well she's all you'd ever want,
She's the kind they'd like to flaunt and take to dinner.
Well she always knows her place.
She's got style, she's got grace, She's a winner.
She's a Lady. Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady.
Talkin' about that little Lady and the Lady is mine.
Las Vegas! She is a Lady and the Lady is mine for the next 14 nights
Warning: This TR is long and not recommend for those on a diet.
Abbreviations:
ACG = American Casino Guide
E = Entertainment book
LVA = Las Vegas Advisor
New = new experience
R.com = restaurant.com gift certificates
O = other discounts
09-20 I awake at 2:00 AM and head downstairs to print the highly
coveted Category-A boarding passes for our SWA flights. I won't bore
you with the details of the next several hours other than to mention
our BWI connection where we dined in elegance on a bagel at the BWI
Deli and a sub at Charlie's Grilled Subs. Our connecting plane was
delayed out of Isslip and it took 1.5 hours before Tatoo called out
"Da Plane, Da Plane". The flight to LAS was otherwise uneventful
and it was not long before the Westies shuffled to the shuttle for the
Dollar parking lot. As an Express member, I was directed to a line of
compacts, but I used an expired upgrade coupon to drive away with a
Chrysler Sebring that was sporting a moonroof. Our first stop, as
usual, was the Wal-Mart at the junction of Eastern Avenue and I-215 for
water, soda, Merlot and other supplies. Check-in at the Fiesta for the
next 12 nights was efficient and we were assigned a king, nonsmoking
room on the 9th floor.
We dined at Lindo Michoacan (New) (R.com) a family-operated, upscale
Mexican restaurant located on Sunset Road in Henderson. The usual
complimentary chips and salsa were served along with a bean dip. Based
on a Las Vegas Weekly review, ( www.lasvegasweekly.com/20...taste.html
) I requested the excellent, though spicy, chipotle salsa. Ms. Westie
ordered the cammarones dionisia - shrimp in a combination of green
chilies blended with sour cream. I chose camarones sarandeados estillo
"Tia Estther" pointing to the menu listing rather than challenge my
Spanish 101 skills. This dish is not for those with acid reflux, it is
shrimp basted in sarandeados sauce with a selection of dried chilies
and secret spices blended with a touch of mayonnaise - spicy, but
wonderful. Entrees include a cup of delicious sopa fideos (hearty broth
laced with noodles), Mexican rice and refried beans. The use of cheese
throughout was understated (amen). This is the best Mexican restaurant
we have patronized in Las Vegas. 4.5 chiles, oops Forks, out of a
possible 5.
09/21 The buffet on this day was the Orleans (ACG) where I had a
spinach and cheese omelet made with Egg Beaters along with a spoonful
(large) of hash, fresh grapefruit and orange segments plus juice. Ms.
Westie's plate(s) was filled with fresh fruit/yogurt, pancakes,
blueberry blintz and an assortment of other goodies. 3 Forks.
We barely had time for one lap (walking) around the jogging track at
Sunset Park before Mother Nature called, actually screamed, for me to
return to the Fiesta. Our first full afternoon in Las Vegas was spent
reading, resting, snoozing and a session of video poker.
The restaurant of choice this evening was Soul 2 Soul Bistro on North
Rainbow - (New, E)
www.reviewjournal.com/lvr...16600.html
www.usmenuguide.com/soul2soul.htm ). This restaurant was chosen as a
Best of Las Vegas staff selection in the soul food category, but also
serves Creole and Caribbean. The restaurant's décor was quite
attractive and service was, contrary to published reviews, fairly
efficient. We were served a light corn bread while we waited for our
entrees of mesquite grilled salmon served with mango salsa, plantains
and a tasty (dirty?) rice. The least satisfying part of our dining
experience was the fish, overcooked and surprisingly bland. 2 Forks.
We drove to the Orleans and enjoyed one set by IN10CT (New).
in10ct.com/ This Filipino American band won a $250,000 performance
contract in Coast Casinos' 2004 Battle of the Bands. They played
tunes by Santana, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Tower of Power, Blood Sweat &
Tears, Average White Band, and Spiro Gyro. What absolutely amazed us
was their energy and ability to move seamlessly from one tune to
another without pausing. BTW - the rumor that band members are the
illegitimate offspring of the Plaza's Sunspots is absolutely not
true. 5 Claps out of a possible 5.
09/22 Breakfast was at the Village Pub, Sunset Road (New, LVA). This is
one of several Village Pubs scattered around Las Vegas Valley and
operated by the owners of Ellis Island Casino. The restaurant menus are
very similar, as is the décor, but it lacks the staffing problems and
smoky atmosphere of the latter. Prices, however, are nominally higher.
I chose the (3) pancake special, but requested only 2. The chef
compensated by serving a pair fit for Paul Bunyan. Both dishes were
overdone. 1 Fork.
We returned to the Fiesta and played a little video poker before
driving to Commander's Palace (New, R.com) in the Desert Passage for
their $18.80, 3-course Creole lunch. Ms. Westie and I each selected the
turtle soup au sherry, blackened Mississippi catfish and banana praline
white chocolate bread pudding. This was unadulterated gastronomic
decadence! Oh yeah. I almost forgot to mention those 25-cent martinis!!
Round 1 - Westie orders a lemon drop, Ms. Westie squares off with a
Cosmo (Westie wins round)
Round 2 - Westie responds with a Commander's Palace, Ms. Westie
counters with a lemon drop (draw)
Round 3 - Westie retaliates with a Commander's Palace, Ms. Westie
passes (receives a standing 8 count)
Round 4 - Westie finishes Ms. Westie's lemon drop (Ms. Westie was
TKO'd and PO'ed)
In contrast to other reports on this lunch, the restaurant was packed
this afternoon. Our sole complaint was they ran out of martini glasses
and served our first martinis in whisky glasses. What the hey -
isn't that illegal? I managed to persuade our server to hold off on a
second round until he located two (clean) martini glasses. As I exited
singing "We are family, all the Brennans and me", the maitre d'
handed each of us a praline.
I was still shaky later in the afternoon, but managed to do pretty well
in an abbreviated video poker session courtesy of quad deuces. Ms.
Westie's stomach was doing the Texas two-step so we avoided any
discussion of food until around 8:30PM. We then shared a Cabo club
sandwich at the Fiesta's Baja Café before turning in for the night.
2 Forks.
09/23 Lite was our goal this morning so we drove to the Brooklyn Bagel
Deli (New, E) on Green Valley Parkway in Henderson. We were
disappointed that our toasted cinnamon raisin bagels were overdone. 1
Fork.
We then checked our emails at the Green Valley Library having made
advance reservations from home. Ms. Westie also checked-out a pair of
books. Next stop was Paris, parking as usual in the Barbary Coast
garage, in order to see about exchanging our "We Will Rock You"
tickets after reading that all future matinee performances were being
cancelled. The Box Office clerk told us to contact Ticketmaster
directly and, after a few transfers, we were advised that our tickets
would be honored at the 7PM performance.
We returned to the Barbary Coast for a free doggie and beer (ACG). 1
Fork (downgrade due to that wimpy yellow mustard). Next trip I will be
packing heat - Webber's Hot & Spicy mustard.
Dinner tonight was at the Mayflower Cuisiner (R.com) on West Sahara.
www.usmenuguide.com/mayflower.html
This is a gorgeous Asian restaurant, a past recipient of a Best of Las
Vegas award in the Chinese category, with impeccable service and
décor. The mother is the chef and her two children serve as waiter and
hostess/bartender. Our entrée in February received an unqualified
rating of 5 Forks so we decided not to test fate and again ordered the
miso-sake, crusted seabass with chicken ravioli, veggies and rice cake.
This time the meal was over sauced detracting from subtle flavors we
had so enjoyed in the past. 2.5 Forks.
The San Fernando Band (New) provided tonight's entertainment while we
sipped Smirnoff Ices (ACG) in the Gold Coast lounge.
www.thesanfernandoband.com/ The place was packed to the walls, but we
lucked out finding a table to share with another couple. The band was
fantastic, but we departed around 10:30PM for fear of turning into
pumpkins. 5 Claps and a standing Ovation.
09/24 I followed the road more traveled to the Orleans breakfast and
feasted on juice, milk, a spinach/cheese Egg Beaters omelet with pico
de gallo, a slab of ham and a side of bacon. We then joined the masses
at the Super Run Classic Car show in downtown Henderson. Our interest
waned after about the 50th vehicle, but we enjoyed visiting a number of
arts/craft shops on Water Street. A local realty company passed out
free bottles of water and bags of goodies (candy, coupons, key chains
etc.).
No lunch today so we arrived at the Ambiance Bakery & Bistro (New, E)
hungry. This is a 32-seat French restaurant located on East Sunset in
Henderson. www.gayot.com/restaurantp...2&code=LV. There were less than
a handful of patrons this Saturday evening and a sign hung from the
front door informing others that the restaurant would be closing early.
We learned owner/chef Jean-Pierre Giron had a number of wedding
cakes/desserts to prepare for Sunday and his lone helper had been
hospitalized earlier in the day. Our salmon in champagne sauce entrees
were accompanied by sliced potatoes and fresh veggies. The fish was
moist and everything was sublime. Portions did not seem overly large,
but still left no room for one of his signature desserts. BTW - his
desserts are available at the Palms. 4.5 Forks.
09/25 Great food, affordable prices and an interesting clientele -
can there be a better place to dine on a Sunday morning than the Ellis
Island (ACG)? www.ellisislandcasino.com/Restaurant.htm I chose easy
over eggs, wheat toast, bacon and hash browns while Ms. Westie settled
on cinnamon vanilla French toast. 2.5 Forks.
The remainder of the morning and early afternoon were spent meandering
along the streets and alleys of Lake Las Vegas where the 3rd Annual
Fall Art Show was in progress. We returned to beautiful downtown
Henderson where half dozen chicken tamales at El Mexicano (New, R.com)
provided much needed sustenance. 2 Forks. I soon retired to our room
for a long siesta while Ms. Westie read, exercised and played video
poker.
On every trip in recent memory we have enjoyed a meal at Ventano's
Corner & Oyster Bar in Henderson (R.com) and this trip would be no
exception. www.usmenuguide.com/ventano.html
Beautiful views of the valley at night, excellent southern Italian
cuisine and affordable prices proved to be a winning trifecta. We
shared a fabulous warm spinach salad, a delicious eggplant rollatini
(think lotta ricotta), a more than satisfying side order of cappelini
with marinara and a killer crème brulee. Kudos is extended to our
waitress Amy for not assessing the plate splitting charge. 4.5 Forks.
We returned to the Fiesta for a short session of video poker
highlighted by my first ever-sequential royal. WOW!
09/26 The Orleans buffet again received the early morning nod. As we
enter our 7th day in Las Vegas, I realize I have not had huevos
rancheros yet. Are we talking restraint here or what? Ms. Westie
settles on easy over eggs, a baked apple and a blintz - ho hum. 2.5
Forks.
My watchband needed an adjustment so we visited the Las Vegas Premium
Outlets on Charleston Avenue. Ms. Westie, in her official capacity as
the 2005 poster child for Chicos, managed to return home with a blouse,
(2) jerseys and a necklace. I could hardly contain my excitement when
told how much money "we" saved. Only belatedly did I realize I
would have been far better off simply trashing the watch rather than
tempt fate by driving within 10 miles of Chicos. Que sera sera.
Swish Japanese Hot Pot (New, E) on West Sahara was our dining
destination this evening.
www.reviewjournal.com/lvr...87771.html This recently opened restaurant
serves 2 types of hotpot, shabu-shabu and sukiyaki. The staff is very
friendly and patiently walks newbies through the entire process from
ordering to cooking. We selected seafood (shrimp, salmon, tilapia and
scallops) shabu-shabu. Veggies, tofu, mushrooms, and (2) types of
noodles accompany each entrée. You cook your own food in a hot pot
filled with a seaweed-enhanced water and then dip each cooked item in
one of 2 sauces. You are encouraged to adjust the sauces to taste by
adding chili sauce, scallions, hot pepper sauce, minced garlic and/or
minced white radish. The broth is not consumed, as is the case with
Vietnamese Pho. Unlimited rice is included and prices are reasonable.
It was truly a unique and delicious dining experience. 4 Forks.
We adjourned to the Suncoast for a one night only performance of
"Echoes of Woodstock", described as a celebration of the music of
Janis Joplin; Jefferson Airplane Glue; Santana; Joe Coker; Crosby,
Stills & Hash, Jimi Hendrix, and Sly & the Family Stoned.
www.reviewjournal.com/lvr...10535.html
Bill DeRoach (actually DeLoach), Danny Gans's piano accompanist,
served as producer and star of this excellent show. As they say, if you
remember the 60's, you weren't there. BTW - Danny was introduced
in the audience. 4 Claps.
09/27 It is half time for this trip so we dropped our clothes off at a
wash and fold laundry. Breakfast this morning is a shared bagel from
the Brothers Einstein and OJ in our room. I have no notes on our
whereabouts this morning so I can only conclude that we were abducted
by aliens or suffered a flashback from the 60's music of the night
prior. 3 Forks.
Kacao Grill, on Eastern (New, E), sounded different. I was under the
impression South American food was served, but the menu was about 98%
Mexican. Just what Las Vegas needs is another mediocre Mexican
restaurant. I tried a Guatemalan chili relleno tortas, a poblano pepper
stuffed with bits of beef/pork than deep-fried in a batter and serve on
a roll with avocado and lettuce. Ms. Westie wisely selected a bowl of
the tortilla soup. I will forever after remind Ms. Westie that I had
offered her a choice of the Kacao Grill or Commander's Palace. 2
Forks heavily weighted toward the tortilla soup.
Dinner this evening is at Como's (New, R.com) a French restaurant in
Lake Las Vegas. Owner/chef Joseph Keller is the co-founder with his
brother Thomas of Napa Valley's Buchon. His brother also operates the
highly acclaimed French Laundry, Buchon at the Venetian and Per Se.
Based on this dining experience, Joseph is the less talented of Mrs.
Keller's sons. Our meal started off with a white bean, anchovy,
garlic and EVO spread delivered to our table with hot rolls. Ms. Westie
opted for the crispy skin salmon served with cippolini onions, Peruvian
potatoes, kalamata and asparagus tips in a sundried tomatoes tapenade.
I chose the roasted chicken over garlic spinach accompanied by
Joseph's signature French fries. I believe Heidi, the Review
Journal's restaurant reviewer, must have based her rating on these
fries because we found both entrees to be unremarkable.
www.reviewjournal.com/lvr...345956.htm 2 Forks.
In defiance of George W's wishes, we drove to the Barbary Coast (ACG)
where we had a pair of the worst cosmos ever served. A half-hour of
Dean & Friends by Tom Stevens bored me silly with his impressions of
Dean, Frank, Cary, Sammy, etc. 0.5 Clap and I am being very kind.
We walked over to Bellagio's beautiful Fontana Lounge where Jimmy
Hopper was temporarily holding court. We each ordered ice tea at $4 per
glass, but were later informed a refill was included in the price -
whoopie! Jimmy is in process of selling his Las Vegas home and
relocating to New York. He treated us to a couple of songs from his
soon to be released album of all new material. The set lasted an
hour-and-a-half and covered everything from popera to funk. He sounds,
if possible, better than ever. This has to be The Best Damn Lounge Act
Period. 5 Claps and a standing Ovation.
09/28 We arrived too late last evening to pick-up our laundry so I set
off early this AM to retrieve our unmentionables. Sporting freshly
cleaned outfits we departed the Fiesta in search of the Emerald Island
Casino (New, O), described in ads as the Jewel of downtown Henderson.
Maybe it is, but I know the bar isn't set all that high.
www.emeraldislandcasino.c...A927FFDFD8 We had the 99 cent, reduced to
69 cents with coupons received at the classic car show, breakfast
special of (2) eggs, (2) bacon strips, hash browns, toast and coffee.
Everything was good, but the bill left me in a quandary. How much do
you tip on a $1.38 bill? 20% comes to around a quarter so I settled on
$1.25, my first ever 90%+ tip. I am now considered a whale at the Jewel
of Henderson's coffee shop. 3 Forks.
Ms. Westie dropped me off at the Fiesta while on her way to the Palms
for a massage (LVA). I spent the morning and early afternoon playing
video poker, reading and otherwise rejuvenating
Dinner tonight was at Rosemary's (New, R.com) on West Sahara.
www.rosemarysrestaurant.com/
This restaurant has been selected as the Best of Las Vegas in both the
Power lunch and Gourmet categories and who am I to disagree?
www.rosemarysrestaurant.com/ I chose the 3-course prix-fix diner saving
us a whopping $3 over ordering a la carte. Our meal began with warm
potato and raisin rolls - delicious. We were also served a
complimentary dollop of seafood salad on a fried wonton. Shared
portions of Hugo's BBQ shrimp with Maytag blue cheese slaw were
delicious. My entrée was halibut Lindquist, seared fresh halibut on a
bed of garlic spinach with buttermilk onion crust topped with fried
onion rings. Ms. Westie's entrée was sesame seared ahi tuna with
Asian veggie slaw, fresh cilantro and ginger soy butter sauce. We also
shared a piece of goat cheese cheesecake that sounded far better than
it tasted. By the time our waiter arrived with a complimentary dessert,
(2) each chocolate truffles, lemon bars and peanut butter bars, we were
satiated and requested a doggie bag. 4 Forks.
Our choice for this evening's entertainment was Latin singer
Michelina Bellamy who was appearing at Casbar Lounge in the Sahara. Her
voice was pretty weak so we left immediately after the first set.
1 Clap.
09/29 It was the Gold Coast buffet this AM - fresh fruit, juice and
huevos rancheros - Ole'. Ms. Westie munched on a bunch of fresh
fruit, blueberry blintz and a small wedge of bread pudding. 2.5 Forks.
We made one circuit of the casino floor before departing for Bellagio.
The Conservatory was done in autumn flowers, apples, crows, pumpkins,
scarecrow and a huge water wheel reminiscent of one found at a New
England cider mill. The 19-foot topiary painting comprised of over
50,000 seedlings was beautiful. A total of 4 gardeners are required to
maintain the detail of this one-of-a-kind masterpiece. 5 Claps.
We visited the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts' current exhibit "The
Impressionist Landscape: From Corot to Van Gogh. The exhibit includes
34 masterpieces by 16 artists from the permanent collection of the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Also included in our tour of Bellagio were
the glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly hanging over the lobby, the floral
display behind the front desk, the beautiful glass leaves hanging above
the entry way from the Strip and the cascading fountain of chocolate at
Jean-Pierre's Patisserie. 4 Claps.
Dinner following a few glasses of Merlot was at Bonjour Bistro on
Eastern in Henderson. www.bonjourvegas.com/dinner.htm Ms. Westie's
selection this evening was crusted salmon in a tarragon-based sauce
accompanied by carrots and wilted spinach. The filet was baked in
pastry with cheese, spinach and pine nuts. This has to be one of the
best salmon dishes ever created and I only got one itsy bitsy bite. My
bouillabaisse included ample portions of white fish and shellfish
floating in a delicious seafood/tomato broth. We shared a chocolate and
banana crepe that sounded and looked better than it actually tasted.
4.5 Forks
We spent about a half an hour locating the Freakin' Frog - a bar
located off Tropicana near UNLV. A group called the Piccadillos were
playing what is billed as mutant bluegrass (i.e. bluegrass that rocks)
and I thought it sounded interesting - well I was wrong (sorry Steve
maybe a larger venue). The bar was very small and the band played very
loud and the crowd was an odd mix of hippy and dippy and we decided we
really didn't want to listen to mutant bluegrass after all. 0 Claps.
Next stop was the Tuscany Casino's lounge for the very mellow sounds
of Kurtis May. 2.5 Claps.
09/30 Another light breakfast provided by the Brothers Einstein,
Chiquita banana and those little ole juice makers at Tropicana. We
proceeded Downtown and parked at Main Street Station's outside
parking lot. A quick stop at the cashier to obtain reimbursement for
the $2 parking fee and it was off to the Fremont Street Experience
kiosk in front of Binion's to redeem a pair of funbook coupons. Next
stop was the Golden Nugget where we signed-up for a slot card and
received $10 in slot play. Ms. Westie and I located the 8/5 bonus poker
machines and cashed out at $5 and $6.25, respectively. Next stop was
the Plaza where we played 4 tokens in the paycheck video poker machine,
winning 3 drinks (water) and a $1 keno ticket. Ms. Westie subsequently
hit 3 of 6 numbers for a $1 payoff playing keno. Sensing she was on a
roll, Ms. Westie coupled the $1with a 2 cent TITO received from Tiger
and headed directly for the penny slots. Hitting a few bonus rounds,
she brought the credits up to well over $3, but her greedy side took
over and she ended up cashing out at just over $2.
We were hungry from this running around and decided to lunch at Chicago
Hot Dogs on the Boulder Highway in Henderson. After several passes and
much cursing we located the restaurant which is closed. Never one to be
stymied, I chose plan B, the Jewel of Henderson. As compared to
breakfast, the café was nearly empty at noon. Ms. Westie selected a
grilled cheese sandwich from the gourmet section of the menu while I
opted for the daily half sandwich (ham) & cup of soup special. The soup
was pretty good, but I was hesitant to ask what it was. Turns out it
was chicken, tomato and rice - whew, I was laying odds it was clam
chowder. My gratuity exceeded 30% so my legend continues to grow. 2.5
Forks.
Picture yourself on the veranda of an Italian villa seated under palms
gently swaying in the breeze on a perfectly clear and beautiful
evening. The immediate view is of a lake bordering a golf course with
distant lights from a hillside village twinkling. This was the setting
for our dinner at the MiraLago Mediterranean Lakeside Restaurant
(R.com) in the Reflection Bay Golf Club on this Saturday evening.
www.miralagollv.com/. Ms. Westie ordered the Brie fondue rib eye -
grilled Black Angus steak with melted Brie and tempura onion ring
accompanied by fresh vegetables and potatoes. My entrée was the
pan-seared mahi topped with fresh mango crab salsa over sautéed
spinach in an orange fennel reduction and herbed rice. The Westies were
living large this evening. 5 Forks.
We were overdue for an another session of good old fashion Rock N'
Roll so we headed over the to Gold Coast lounge where the Smith
Brothers were in residence. www.angelfire.com/nv/LVSmithBros/. This is
one of my favorite Las Vegas-based bands. They play top 40 tunes,
country, ballads and lots of great 50-60's stuff. This evening we
recognized a few people in the audience. The first one was Lula, named
by us for the Janet Evanovich character - we are talking a plus-size
woman. She is always impeccably dressed and takes to the dance floor
alone. The second character is Goldie, an 80 plus year old swinger we
last encountered when she performed a lap dance for a pair of 70
year-old geysers. With walker in tow, she danced to several tunes and
flirted unabashedly with the guitar player. 4.5 Claps.
10/01 The Orleans buffet gets the nod this morning where we enjoyed
fresh fruit, juice, pancakes etc. We managed one lap around the casino
before it was time to check our emails at the Green Valley Library.
Next stop was the Casino MonteLago, which was offering a grab bag today
for all slot members. It turned out that we had a choice of a coffee
mug, BBQ utensils, a ball cap or a stuffed dog. We both opted for the
stuffed dog. After a little R&R, we caught the first set, 5:45PM, of
the Glen Williams Show in the Riviera lounge.
www.theglennwilliamsshow.com/ Glen is a talented performer who covers
anything from popera to good old Rock N'Roll. He also must be the
only performer alive that includes a Bobby Goldsboro song on his play
list - ribit. 3.5 Claps.
Our dining choice this evening was Isabella's Ristorante on Sand
Hill. www.usmenuguide.com/isabe...rmenu.htm.
I ordered penne with broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and garlic topped off
with shaved Parmesan cheese. Ms. Westie wisely chose the puttanesca
sauce over angel hair pasta. All pasta dishes come with a choice of
soup or salad - I chose Caesars while she opted for baby greens. 3
Forks.
10/02 Another 99 cent special at Emerald Island, another 60% tip. After
checking out of the Fiesta, we drove to Boulder City to attend the
annual Art in the Park show. There were 430 booths and we must have
visited more than half. Ms. Westie arrived home with a hand painted
jersey, Max-the-Schipperke is looking spiffy in a red chili pepper
visor and I earned mileage on my Southwest Airlines credit card. Last,
but certainly not least is our new Japanese painting titled "Rainy
Day".
We returned to the Fiesta for lunch at the Baja Café and ordered a
bowl of Feel Good Soup. We asked that it be split, but to avoid a
surcharge all the solid ingredients (chicken, spinach, noodles etc.)
were placed in one bowl while another bowl was half filled with broth.
3 Forks.
We drove to Boulder Station (LVA) where we will be staying for the last
2 nights. The check-in process went smoothly and we were assigned a
king, nonsmoking room on the 14th floor, we all know it is really the
13th, but who's superstitious? We soon discovered it was near
impossible to read by the light cast off by the low wattage bulbs in
our bedside lamps. After a short video poker session, I retired to our
room once again for some much needed rest and relaxation. I then went
downstairs around 5PM and purchased 2 orders of crab ragoon at China
Express as a snack to go along with our Merlot. 1 Fork.
We arrived early for the 7PM performance of "We Will Rock You" -
and it did. We were in the Bohemian section and had fantastic seats.
This show featuring the music of Queen was excellent and the recent
downsizing from 2 to 1.5 hours did not in any way detract from our
enjoyment. 4.5 Claps.
On our way out of the showroom we stopped at the lounge and caught a
few songs by the Mark O'Toole band. His voice wasn't all that great
(bad night?), but the music was very pleasing. 2.5 Claps.
We needed some sustenance so we headed, to where else, but Ellis Island
(ACG). Our waiter suggested the steak special, but I went with the fish
& chips - bad decision. The fish had spent way too long in oil and
came out very dark and a tad bit greasy although the cod itself
remained moist. Ms. Westie fared far better with a grilled chicken
breast sandwich. Westie - 1 Fork, Ms. Westie 3 Forks. We also enjoyed
before and after dinner drinks (ACG) with the latter being a delicious
Irish coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream.
10/03 The Orleans - I could not deny myself this last opportunity for
huevos rancheros that I parlayed with a sampling of chili verde -
pardon my burping. Ms. Westie went more traditional with easy over
eggs, blueberry blintz and bacon. 2.5 Forks.
We adjourned to Wynn Casino. My initial impression is it is elegant,
expensive and lacks the tourist appeal of Bellagio. We will probably
return to view the Wynn Collection of Fine Art plus possibly play the
9/6 JOB, 450 coin video poker machines.
Later this afternoon I used the business center at the Boulder Station
to read email and catch up on the UCONN Huskies. At around 5PM we once
again visited the Orleans, no wonder our gas bill this trip
approximated $160, and enjoyed a couple of free glasses of Merlot
(ACG).
Tonight's dinner reservations are at Todd's Unique (New, R. com),
Sunset Road in Henderson.
www.toddsunique.com/menu.php It is a highly acclaimed restaurant that
turned out to be at least as good as all the published reviews I read.
Contrary to most Strip restaurants, Todd is the on premises chef and
frequently (daily?) changes the menu based on the availability of
ingredients. Mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, beets and asparagus
accompanied my entrée of wild sturgeon in Cajun butter sauce. Ms.
Westie chose the daily special - monkfish in a curry sauce over mashed
potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus. Both entrees were a symphony for the
eyes and taste buds. 5 Forks.
.
10/04 I arose at around 4AM and attempted to complete the SWA online
check-in process, but the business center's computer froze up
immediately after I obtained Ms. Westie's A boarding pass. I then
headed downstairs and in my next to last video poker session of the
trip hit a second royal flush - yes, Las Vegas you can be a Lady!
Breakfast was at the Boulder Station buffet (LVA). I attempted to use
our points with the LVA 2/1 coupon, but the cashier told us it was
either/or. This buffet, like all Station buffets with the exception of
GVR, lacks the variety and quality found at the Coast Casinos, but we
were opting for convenience over quality. 1 Fork.
We still had time before we had to leave for the airport so it was one
last video poker session at the Fiesta. I managed to hold my own, but
Ms. Westie recouped most of her losses when she hit quad deuces.
Our last stop before we returned our rental car was Jersey Mike's
(New, E) for a pair of #13 subs that were consumed on our delayed, 25
minutes, nonstop flight home. www.jerseymikes.com/ 3 Forks.
Thanks to anyone that has taken the time to read this TR. The
Westie's next Las Vegas trip coincides with the NFR, in the interim
we will be fasting.
She knows just what to do, and how to please me.
She's a lady. Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's a lady.
Talkin' about that little lady and the lady is mine.
Yeah yeah yeah She's a Lady
Listen to me baby, She's a Lady
Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady
And the Lady is mine
tc1...@webtv.net
time. Tom in Ct
jrogow
I gained three pounds just reading this well written TR!
<west...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1129064418.4...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Chris....@gmail.com
have ever read. Just out of curiosity, did you steal a menu from each
restaurant in order to remember what you had, or was there laborious
handwriting involved?
Amy from Iowa
west...@hotmail.com wrote:
> I lie in bed, but sleep eludes me, my thoughts are on tomorrow when we
> will be together again. I smile as I remember our first meeting some
> forty years ago.
Westie, you outdid yourself here! I did not give your report a full
read on the LVA boards, but dug right in when you posted it here.
Thanks for writing! I like the way you fit in which coupons you used
(next trip can you add total cost too -- just like the LVA?) and I like
all the out of the way places you visit and review. We do longer trips
and rent a car too, so we like to wonder a bit as well. This is the
first report I've printed in many moons to take home to my non-computer
litterate mate -- holy cats! this thing is TEN pages long!!!
Some observations:
1) I am now very eager to see the new Filipino band, In10ct at the
Orleans. You note that they are not related to my beloved Sunspots --
do you know this because they are not quite so sexy & rockin'? Did they
at least do perenial fan-favorite "Brick House"? I hope I hope I hope.
2) I'm glad you were brave enough to post a not so positive review of
the Freakin' Frog. We are looking forward to giving it and the
Pickadillos a go in December, but I'll be prepared for a small room.
And I'll alow a bit of time to find the place. We have trouble finding
things in LV area strip malls for some reason... a few years back we
made 2 seperate fruitless trips to find Barley's Casino only to stumble
upon it by chance on the next trip!
3) The Japanese Hot Pot place sounds really great and novel -- it's now
on my short list of must-try's!
4) Loved the reference to Janet Evonovich's "Lulu" character!
5) The food! Can I just say IMFG! The thought of that ribeye with brie
at MiraLago alone is enough to feed my food fantasies for a month!
Thank God you got that one lap walk in! (actually, making a mental note
to check on location of Sunset Park for our walking routine next trip.)
6) Congrats on all the VP successes! not just a royal, but a sequential
royal... nice.
Regards,
Amy
Mr.David
"Amy from Iowa" <amie...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1129073350.3...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>
> 2) I'm glad you were brave enough to post a not so positive review of
> the Freakin' Frog. We are looking forward to giving it and the
> Pickadillos a go in December, but I'll be prepared for a small room.
> And I'll alow a bit of time to find the place. We have trouble finding
> things in LV area strip malls for some reason...
I've been to the Frog twice. It's a college bar, and a dump at that, I have
no problem saying that. I've been to a lot of crappy places. That said, It
does have a good atmosphere and that makes up for some of the dumpiness of
the joint. I've heard the food is good, lots of people seemed to be eating
there. Also, they project movies on the wall (subtitles turned on) which is
differently weird. I'm from NYC, and spent a lot of my youth in far worse
places. (Anyone familiar, think East Village dive bars) Size and condition
aren't that important; coldness of beer and service and entertainment make
up for lots. The bartenders hustle and actually seem to give a shit about
what they're doing.
It's on the East side of Maryland parkway, right next to DIVERSITY, which
is a tattoo/smoke shop. The DIVERSITY sign is approximately the size of an
overhead highway sign, so look for that. The frog is to the right of it. I
missed it the first time too. I think most people do, so maybe you can be
the first to find it on the first try. I can't find anything in a strip mall
either, don't feel bad.
Steve Harder-Kucera
>We spent about a half an hour locating the Freakin' Frog - a bar
>located off Tropicana near UNLV. A group called the Piccadillos were
>playing what is billed as mutant bluegrass (i.e. bluegrass that rocks)
>and I thought it sounded interesting - well I was wrong (sorry Steve
>maybe a larger venue). The bar was very small and the band played very
>loud and the crowd was an odd mix of hippy and dippy and we decided we
>really didn't want to listen to mutant bluegrass after all. 0 Claps.
No need for sorry.. thanks for giving it a shot. We're working on the
bigger venue thing right now, but we'll stick with the Frog on
Thursdays for a while, they've been pretty good to us so far.
Awesome trip report.
Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
http://www.thepickadillos.com
LVTravel
My watchband needed an adjustment so we visited the Las Vegas Premium
Outlets on Charleston Avenue. Ms. Westie, in her official capacity as
the 2005 poster child for Chicos, managed to return home with a blouse,
(2) jerseys and a necklace. I could hardly contain my excitement when
told how much money "we" saved. Only belatedly did I realize I
would have been far better off simply trashing the watch rather than
tempt fate by driving within 10 miles of Chicos. Que sera sera.
SNIP...
Hey, thanks for increasing the value of my Chico's stock. It's always nice
to hear that someone is buying clothes to increase my retirement fund. I
just wish my wife would not buy more clothes there than the stock gains in
value (up 1800% since I bought it.) They just opened a new store near my
town yesterday. Ouch, the cost of it all.
Actually this was a great trip report and it was really interesting reading.
I was there about the same time (9-17th-24th) but didn't travel around the
city like you did. I'm not one for "fancy" eating and my stomach can't
handle the hot, spicy foods either. I'll be back sometime in January, '06
for about a week.
Good luck on the next trip.
Thomas W.
wrote:
>Some observations:
>
>1) I am now very eager to see the new Filipino band, In10ct at the
>Orleans. You note that they are not related to my beloved Sunspots --
>do you know this because they are not quite so sexy & rockin'? Did they
>at least do perenial fan-favorite "Brick House"? I hope I hope I hope.
>
Amy, I'm afraid you're gonna need help with this terrible addiction of
yours. Maybe listening to some real music by the Pickadillos will save
you.
Thomas W.
west...@hotmail.com
A little of each, but I mostly wrote down the details each time I
returned to the room.
west...@hotmail.com
comments/observations:
1) I am now very eager to see the new Filipino band, In10ct at the
Orleans. You note that they are not related to my beloved Sunspots --
do you know this because they are not quite so sexy & rockin'? Did they
at least do perenial fan-favorite "Brick House"? I hope I hope I hope.
I would say they are a lot livelier than the Sunspots, but sexier is in
the eyes of the beholder. I am not familiar with Brick House, but
maybe they take requests.
Keep in mind that they also play at the other Coast properties so check
the Neon section of the LVRJ.
2) I'm glad you were brave enough to post a not so positive review of
the Freakin' Frog. We are looking forward to giving it and the
Pickadillos a go in December, but I'll be prepared for a small room.
And I'll alow a bit of time to find the place. We have trouble finding
things in LV area strip malls for some reason... a few years back we
made 2 seperate fruitless trips to find Barley's Casino only to stumble
upon it by chance on the next trip!
-- I know what you are talking about - we also experience problems
finding places in those strip malls in Las Vegas. We stopped to ask
for directions at a few places and usually got a raised eyebrow and
some vague directions, but we kept missing the Freakin Frog. It is sort
of hidden in the back and to the right in this nondescript mall.
3) The Japanese Hot Pot place sounds really great and novel -- it's now
on my short list of must-try's!
- - Three other patrons ordered the beef sukiyaki (like BBQ with
broth) and it looked really good as well. The meat is sliced upon
ordering and very fresh. The fish, though a small portion, was sushi
grade. They offer two sizes - healthy and hungry, we opted fro the
former. The entire staff including one of the owners was extremely
helpful and friendly. The owner highly recommended the cheesecake
which he described as being different from any we have had in the past
- maybe next time.
5) The food! Can I just say IMFG! The thought of that ribeye with brie
at MiraLago alone is enough to feed my food fantasies for a month!
--- We enjoyed the food and dining experience at Miralago on our first
trip, rainy night in February, but this particular night on the veranda
was perfection. I have been told the Sunday brunch is exceptional and
features many of the menu entrees. I would suggest you buy a
restaurant.com $25 gift certificate for this restaurant. They are
currently available, through 10/31 at a 50% discount by using code
78114 at check out.
Thank God you got that one lap walk in! (actually, making a mental note
to check on location of Sunset Park for our walking routine next trip.)
------------It is located at the corner of Eastern and Sunset. Driving
west on Sunset you pass Wayne Newton's property. We usually stop by
several times on a vacation to walk and enjoy visiting the two dog runs.
Walt
restaurants. And thanks for all the hard work in writing up the
report.
--- Walt
Sr.
=SEN0UR TR0UT=
--
Have A Great Day...
<west...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1129064418.4...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Thomas W.
writers posting here from time to time.
Hilarious, very informative and very usuable trip report. Only thing I
would have preferred were prices for the meals you had.
You hit some of my favorite restaurants and gave me quite a few new
ideas for my upcoming trip. I also thought that it was kinda nice to
have a less enthousistic review of the Pickadillos - though judging
from the music available on their website, I think I'm going to like
them better than you did.
Keep on posting, posts like yours are what make this newsgroup great.
Thomas W.
west...@hotmail.com
and gratuity at at the finer restaurants.
Mayflower Cuisiner - 42.59
Commander's Palace - 23.60 (lunch with 5 martinis)
Soul 2 Soul Bistro - 17.09
Viva Michoacan - 19.17
Isabella's - 25.04
Como's - 30.85
MiraLago - 30.38
Todd's Unique - 31.95
BonJour Bistro - 36.86
Rosemary's - 63.60
Swish - 21.07
Ventano's - 14.86
Ambiance Bistro - 22.15
west...@hotmail.com
Thanks for your comments. I am looking forward to when Steve finds a
bigger place for his band to play.
Thomas W.
Thnaks for taking the time to figure this out - are those for one or
two persons ? Commander's Palace for two seems even cheaper than I
thought, already taking into account the $0.25 Martinis.
Thomas W.