These are all true statements about the city that sees roughly 40 million visitors a year. M and I contribute to that number at least once a year, sometimes two or three times a year! But maybe the most fitting slogan for us should be "Where should we eat?" Each trip there will inevitably begin with us doing up a short list of places that we want to try, have tried before and loved and places that we keep saying we will try but never get around to. Without further ado here is my list of where to eat (and some, where not to eat) in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!
Let's go back, all the way back to our first visit in 2008 when we ate at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Caesar's Palace. I was a little spoiled having been to his Spago Beverly Hills location a month earlier but I really wanted M to experience it, and it’s still counted as somewhere 'new'. We get done up in our fancy clothes (I was even wearing a skirt and heels!) and head towards the restaurant. I think we were both a little nervous, the trip had gone differently than planned and we weren't dating at that time, so I think the pressure of a fancy expensive dinner was taking its toll. As we are reading the menu waiting for our server we but sort of giggle to ourselves and comment that neither of us enjoy wine and in this setting you almost feel a little silly ordering a pint of beer. But nevertheless we do anyway. I knew that I wasn't going to order any of the fancy cocktails because I was still embarrassed by dumping my blood red Tom Collins all over the white table linens in the Los Angeles restaurant. Luckily the servers had cleaned up my mess when I left the table to tidy myself up so when Mr. Puck himself came by my table there was no evidence of me being a klutz. He jokingly made a comment while shaking my hand that it's too bad I was on my way out so quickly! If only I had room to start all over I would have stayed all night.
Sorry, off topic. When we had decided on what to order we waited patiently for our server. While we waited we noticed a little line at the bottom of the menu that read "tasting menu $99". We asked our server what that included and it sounded fabulous - yes, let's do that! But wait! That's $99 per person! OH SHIT! Find the server! Get him back, don't make that! We must have just been a little naive about fine dining because here we thought that we were getting a great deal, whereas really we were going way over our dinner budget for that night. Luckily Jean-Luc-Marc-Philippe came back quickly and he was able to stop that before it was started in the kitchen. Phew. Ok, I'll be honest here. I don't remember what the heck we ate, this was 7 years ago. But I do remember that it was fabulous and filling and fancy and freaking expensive. But it was so worth it. This is certainly on my list of I will go back restaurants. And the next time will be a little different for us - we like wine now, we don't have dinner budgets anymore and I have no problem being called Mrs. H. ;) Let's fast forward and forget about the timelines (frankly I can't remember which trip was which). And I have to stop using words that begin with F.
My plan is this now, I will go along the strip, from the South end to the North. Stopping in each hotel that I have eaten in and give you a short version of a full write up.
Mandalay Bay, have not eaten there. M has, he ate at a build-your-own upscale burger place that he raves about to this day. One thing about American burgers is that they always ask you how you like it cooked. For me, that's too sketchy, but I don't want to be 'that' girl so I'll say medium well. M will do his rare-med rare. I just can't do it. There's a few places here in Calgary that come to mind, so it's not uncommon. It’s for just me I feel like anything under medium tastes like you're eating raw ground beef off the Styrofoam plate. Yuck. Moving on... there aren't any restaurants here that catch my eye except for the buffet. It's one of the only in Vegas that has a full seafood spread. I actually hate buffets, but one day I will try this one.
Luxor, also have not eaten here, even though we stayed here once. Okay, that’s a lie. There is a food court in the back of the hotel. It was there I devoured two Mc D’s cheeseburgers in my hung over birthday state. They do have a little cafeteria, short order cook style and I'm sure it was just fine. Nothing to write home about. They have an awesome Mexican joint on the second floor, and I say awesome because they have a ton of tequila!! Woohooo! We did notice however that when the steakhouse type restaurant was open there was never anyone in it. That should send alarm bells, it's not going to be on my list of places to try.
Excalibur has Dick's. Yes there is a food court, and a buffet and a medieval times show with horses and half naked men, but Dick's is the selling point for me. Probably because I'm a server and I've always wanted to be able to do this to my guests. The staff here are rude to you. On PURPOSE! Dick's Last Resort is just off the casino floor and decorated like a blind autistic kid did drugs while listening to his Walkman. But this is all part of the charm. Look - this place is not for the faint of heart. Or those looking for good food. Or those wanting decent service. The minute you walk in someone is berating you, and if you have half a brain you realize that it’s an act. The trouble for them is that the patrons they get walking in off the street don’t' understand the concept. They have 3 out of 5 on Yelp and a 62% on Urbanspoon and majority of people are biching because "my waiter was SO RUDE!" and "I will NEVER come back - the way I was treated was disgusting". Oh for fuck's sake. Pardon my anger. We've even had a few times there and no, the food is not amazing. Its finger food mostly, ribs, wings, chicken fingers. If you ask for a fork the server will probably throw it at your head. If you sit at the bar you can chat with the bartender and you'll get to talk to them on a normal level. They aren't always jerks. Added bonus fun is your server will make you a stupid hat that you wear during dinner. Some examples I have seen are "Big as a house, hung like a mouse" and “Even my mom thinks I’m a whore". Ha! Hahaha! Her mom was there with her! Hilarious. If you don’t think that’s funny then go stick your head in the stand and count to 100. I laugh every single time we go. And we go every single time we are in Vegas. It's a great place for some laughs and not taking life so seriously. When the DJ is there and plays a well-known song half the guests get up and start doing the dance to the corresponding song. Great times. I wish we had one of these in Canada.
Tropicana, never been, can't say I'm ever going to go.
New York New York. My favourite hotel in Las Vegas. There is so much to see and do and eat in this hotel. Most of the restaurants are right off the casino floor so very easy to find once you're inside. Let's start at the place dearest to my heart. Nine Fine Irishman, an Irish pub of course, and an excellent place for food. We've been more than once but this one time stands out in my mind. Just after dinner time and it's packed. We do get a table upstairs overlooking the bar below. The bar is done in dark woods, muted tones with a large center stage for all the live bands they host. This visit I was famished, so I went all out. The 14 oz rib-eye with potatoes and a side of creamed corn. The funniest part of this trip is that it wasn't the steak or the potatoes that did it for me. It was the corn. If you've ever had the Green Giant Cream Corn then you know what I’m thinking about, what I’m expecting. Now forget everything you've ever imagined creamed corn to be. This dish was in-cred-i-ble. The corn is whole kernels and the cream is cream. It's a little bit sweet and the starch from the corn thickens the cream sauce. From asking the staff I gather that this is the traditional way to eat it, as it would be served in Ireland. I've been fooled all my life thinking that is should be like the little green can. Was I ever blown away. Best meal in a pub that I can think of. I don't even know what M ate that day and really it doesn't matter. M knows the way to my heart is with good food, so if I'm happy then he's happy.
We ate at the Italian restaurant on the opposite side of the floor, Il Fornaio, and it was good. Forgive me for lack of description here but it was quite a while ago, and I don't remember much about it. It gives me the sort of vibe like they are trying very hard to be authentic but it's just not working. If you have a hankering for pasta it's about your only real bet for some in this hotel.
Gallagher's is the properties' steakhouse and although we have not yet been, we do have reservations for our next trip which is coming up in May. I'll be sure to update you then! For now you can just wander by the restaurant and see all the steaks they have on display showcasing their dry-aging process they use.
There is a Mexican joint, an Asian buffet-style restaurant and a cowboy girl-dancing-on-bar honky-tonk kind of place. There is a burger joint, which is one of M's favourite places, and a pizzeria, and a deli and a bagel place. And it’s all decorated like you're walking the streets of NYC. I've not eaten at each place but frankly I would. I'm in love with this hotel: its' theme, the rooms, the food. If you're new to Vegas, or maybe you just haven't stayed there I recommend it whole heartedly. And when you're there please stop in to NFI and try the creamed corn. Pretty please :)
Monte Carlo is the next hotel on this side of the road so let's go in there. This hotel is home to M's favourite place to drink. And my favourite place to... watch him drink? Diablo's is a Mexican cantina right on the corner of the hotel. It gives awesome people watching views while being inside in the air conditioned bar. The reason it's his favourite?
This here: The Diablo's Chupacabra: Casamigo Blanco Tequila, fresh jalapenos, cane sugar, lime, ginger soda with a chili salt rim. While he drinks 1 - 4 of those I will usually have a mojito or 4, but they also have deals on per hour. We've been so many times that we know the regular bartenders, and JP was the one who filled us in on how the specials work. Once an hour they will pick a pretty girl (or maybe ugly girls too, I've just never seen it. I mean, if a tree falls in a forest does it make a noise?) And she will stand up on the bar and give this giant wheel a spin. Whatever it lands on is the next special. Anything from $3 bottles of bud to $5 shots of Jager. I think if you spin the wheel you get that drink for free too. Maybe. I don't remember, I'd probably already had a few drinks before that. Don't judge – this is Vegas.
More to come, my fingers hurt and I need to use the restroom...
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