Have Slot Card, Will Travel reads the card of a man
A VP player without armor in Vegas land
Westie, Westie why do you roam?
Westie, Westie, Far, far from home.
I realize most of you do not have the time or inclination to read a
detailed TR so here is the Campbell's (i.e. condensed) version:
BDL, LAS, Dollar, Sam's, zzzz, Bam, $$$, burp, crunch, wow,
applause, South Cost, BRAVO, burp, LAS, BDL
9/20 the big day arrives as it surely must so we depart from home
at 10:30AM with Max-the-Schipperke riding shotgun. First stop as
usual is Hotel Carlton where Max sucks it up big time and bravely
trots off with Hey Boy. Max's accommodations on this trip have been
upgraded. In the past he had an upper berth in Alligator Alley, but
he has taken to territorial marking which the lower berth tenant has
not appreciated. By direction of hotel management, Max-the-
Schipperke will heretofore be assigned to a larger, lower and
decidedly more expensive berth.
We are finally on the road again and stop near the airport for a
pair of double cheeseburgers and large fries. This turned out to be
an excellent move because after clearing security we discover the
airport MickeyD's is offering those very same double cheeseburgers
for a decidedly less than frugal $5.19 each wow what is Ronald
making those suckers from - Kobe beef? (0.5 Forks, $4.50).
We had 2.5 hours to kill, but on the plus side I am situated in the
highly coveted numero uno position in Southwest's A line. A few
other people arrive and position themselves behind numero uno. As
the clock slowly ticks down toward departure time we notice the
immediate area is not crowded. Sure enough after waiting a full
hour and 45 minutes, an announcement is made that there has been a
gate change. We rush to the new gate only to discover we are now in
the less coveted 25th position. I serenade Ms. Westie with Bobby
McFerrins' song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and sure enough on entering
the plane we discover the exit row seats are still available.
Our flight crew was auditioning for roles in Second City as they
delivered one amusing quip after another with the high (or low)
point being a toilet paper race. The plane landed on schedule and we
were one of the first to arrive at luggage carousel #15 only to
discover some 10 minutes later that there had been a change. We
lucked out and found both bags took the same flight as us. I
notified the shuttle driver that I am a Dollar Express member, but
my name was not on his list. I now feared our 4-month old
reservation had mysteriously been lost in cyberspace. I visited the
office and seconds later I am directed to the tent outside. I
inquire if an upgrade from my contracted economy car to a Chrysler
300 was doable while fetching a Hamilton from behind the attendant's
left ear. She voiced a small grunt before accompanying us to a 2007
Chrysler 300 with 67 miles on the odometer, no license plates and a
temporary registration dated 4 days prior.
We had 3 separate reservations totaling 11 nights at Sam's so it
took the desk clerk several minutes to combine them. I received a
Boyd logo bag for booking online and was directed to room 867
situated a floor short of the penthouse and some 30 kilometers from
the nearest elevator.
At this point you can color us both hungry and tired so we opted for
the Yukon Grill at Arizona-Charlies-Boulder.
http://www.arizonacharliesboulder.com/las_vegas_steak_restaurant.html
···
#
We do not eat a lot of beef at home so we were both looking forward
to a juicy petite filet served medium rare. Our entrees included
the soup du jour, sweet potato, and delicious garlic mashed red
potatoes with a few baby carrots. The sole problem with the meal
was our filets looked and tasted like they may have been broiled.
The accompanying béarnaise sauce was a further, though anticipated,
disappointment. (1 Fork, $36.71, POV) We stopped by the lounge to
listen to a few songs by the Vegas Road Band who I believe were
attempting to impersonate a bad lounge act. (0.5 Claps).
We were overcome with exhaustion so on their first night in Las
Vegas we find the Westie tucked securely in their bed at 10PM.
9/21 I am an EST type person temporarily living on WCT so I awoke at
1:30AM. I decided to put in a few hours on the FPDW machines and
then quietly return to our room before Ms. Westie awakes. I hold my
own for the first hour while hitting 4 natural quads, a pair of wild
royals and a natural straight flush. The next hour saw more of the
same and I now feel like I am soldiering, but, stand back Emeril,
BAM! I hit #1 quad deuces of the trip. Hour #3 finds me again
holding my own, not in a literal sense, but you catch my drift. As I
enter hour #4, I am running on fumes when BAM! I hit my #2 quad
deuces. I return to the room around 6AM and, after a short nap,
drive to Smiths Supermarket to purchase OJ and a pair of low fat,
low calorie, low cholesterol apple fritters. We shower, read the
LVRJ and drive to Wal-Mart for additional supplies before departing
for Planet Aladdin.
First stop was the slot booth where we tendered $20/$20 Casino
Player free slot play coupons and proceeded to the lone 8/5 bonus
poker machine located near the sports book bar. Ms. Westie played
first and cashed out with an additional $21 and I did even better
with a heart stopping $35 profit if only the stock market was so
easy.
Next stop was Commander's Palace where we learned Mike Smith, the
long time manager, had departed for Texas, but I am recognized and
warmly received (big hug) by Santino, the Maitre d'. I request a
table in the Garden Room, but it is temporarily closed due to work
on the front façade so we are seated in the Wine Room. We ordered
the 3-course $18.80 lunch special:
http://www.commanderspalace.com/las_vegas/menu_detail.php?menu=13
I started off with the housemade crispy Andouille cake with green
onion crème fraiche and baby greens. My entrée was a 3 ham (Tasso,
peppered wild boar and Parma) salad with creamy roasted garlic-
artichoke dressing which sounded better than it tasted, but the
frozen bananas foster mousse dessert made my cares go away. Ms.
Westie chose the Creole vegetable bisque followed by beef debris "en
Planket", slow roasted and braised beef tenderloin in a spicy jus
over French bread with shoestring potatoes and horseradish emulsion,
plus the aforementioned mousse. We consumed a total of 5 martinis at
25 cents each: 2 juicy cupcakes and 3 Commanders Palace. (3.5
Forks, $21, Restaurant.com)
2.5 hours following our entry we were prepared to leave, I wobbled
and weaved my way toward the exit where Santino stood with a praline
in hand for each of us. The ride back to Sam's and the remainder of
the afternoon are a bit hazy, but I am sure I was happy. Fast
forward another 2 hours and we find Ms Westie announcing her return
to the living by issuing forth a loud belch and declaring she could
no longer dine, or was it drink, at Commander's Palace. Her resolve
will be tested on our next trip. In a late afternoon VP session I
lose, but Ms Westie comes through with her #1 quad deuces of the
trip. Neither of us was hungry so we were sent to bed without
dinner.
9/22 Fiesta was offering 5 x points so I saddled up the Chrysler 300
and headed to Henderson at about 4AM. On my return I checked with
the front desk for mail that I was expecting. It could not be
located, though I had a tracking number and determined it had been
delivered on 9/20 at 6AM. The hotel clerk promised to follow-up so
we headed to Paris for the breakfast buffet. This is a super buffet
and I took little bitty morsels of several items (yeah right)
including OJ, mixed fruit, chicken apple sausage, andouille sausage,
Lyonnaise potatoes, egg Benedict, assorted cheeses and a Belgian
waffle covered with fruit and a smear of whipped cream. Service was
excellent and the only negative was the egg was overdone. Burp! (4
Forks, $6.36, LVA)
We drove to Casino Royale where we parked and walked to Harrah's to
pick-up our previously reserved ½ priced tickets for the Clint
Holmes show using a LOV coupon. Next stop was the Stardust where ½
priced tickets for the Rick Thomas show were purchased using an ACG
coupon. Our energy meter was registering empty so we returned to
Sam's. I awoke some 2 hours later to find Ms. Westie had departed
for the VP machines so I followed in her footsteps she won, I
lost go figure. On our return to the room we had a message
advising that our mail had been found on someone's desk. Late
that afternoon we drove to the Gold Coast for a couple of free, pre
dinner drinks courtesy of the ACG. A piece of advice for anyone
still reading this TR do not, repeat after me, do not under any
circumstances order red or, worse yet, white wine at any Gold Coast
bar.
In an attempt to salvage the evening we proceeded to Giorgio Café at
Mandalay Place. There are at least 3 separate dining sections
offering the same menu and prices so we opted for the more intimate
back room.
http://www.lasvegas.com/searchagent/restaurant/ViewRestaurant.do?
restaurantId=3735
We shared a pretty good Caesar salad and each ordered the evening's
special of seared escolar with green peppercorn and heirloom tomato
sauce accompanied by pencil asparagus and butternut squash. The
esocolar was moist and the accompanying sauce was incredible. (3.5
Forks, $42.56, Restaurant.com)
On our return to Sam's we stopped by Roxy's where the energetic, but
talent deficient Stinson Brothers were performing. One thought kept
running through my mind as I watched them could these two be the
illegitimate offspring of Tommy Rocker? (0.5 Claps)
09/23 Sam's FPDW extracted a pound of flesh at this morning's
session. We drove to the Gold Coast for the breakfast buffet where
I sampled the fresh fruit (limited variety), assembled a huevos
ranchero (overdone easy over eggs) and a few sides. There were not
many patrons on this Saturday morning so turnover proved to be a
real problem. (1 Fork, $6.95, ACG) I stopped by the box office to
redeem a coupon for 2 free tickets to Forever Plaid for the Thursday
following. We then drove to Fiesta-Henderson where we each made a
craps bet using free bet coupons. Ms. Westie played the come line
and I chose the dark side. This strategy guarantees one of us will
win unless a 12 is thrown on the come out roll any guesses on what
the shooter threw? Fortunately, the next 2 rolls were an 8 followed
by a 7. We wanted to play some FPDW, but the points were not
registering so we beat a hasty retreat back to Sam's where Ms.
Westie got in a little playing time and I relaxed in the room.
At around 4:30PM we drove to the South Coast, but I missed the LV
Blvd. turn off and ended up heading south on I-15 where I exited at
the Blue Diamond exchange. Traffic was backed up as we approached
the intersection with the LV Boulevard so I slowed down and finally
stopped. The driver in the car behind us must have been attracted to
my car because his car kissed my bumper leaving a small dent. We
called in the incident and after a 45 minute delay we were on our
way again. It took a few free (ACG) drinks at the South Coast
before my blood pressure returned to near normalcy.
Dinner this evening was at Chandelier Mediterranean, Henderson,
located at the junction of St. Rose Parkway and Eastern. We toured
one shopping center for around 15 minutes before giving up and
sought directions at a nearby gas station. As it turned out, there
was another shopping center (Lowe's) on the northwest corner, but
even then it wasn't all that easy to find the restaurant. The menu
is billed as Mediterranean which is a stretch, but do I care?
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-25-Fri-
2006/weekly/9131005.html We start off with an amazing mezzeh
(appetizer) sampler that included the baba ghanosh, tabouleh,
hummus, and 2 falafel ringed by slices of warm pita bread. The
plate was beautiful and the food a pure delight. Ms. Westie chose
the kafta kabab (3) entrée which was served over lemon rice. The
minced beef was combined with aromatic spices that lingered long
after we departed the restaurant. I chose the pesto salmon which
was beautifully presented. The salmon was moist and the pesto so
fresh and bountiful that I wish I could have taken the leftover home
to serve with pasta. My meal came with mashed potatoes, but they
accommodated my request to have it served with lemon rice. We both
agreed the lemon rice was pleasing to the eyes, but a tad too dry.
(4 Forks, $25.39, Restaurant.com)
We returned to the South Coast to see the dueling pianos, but
learned they did not start until 10PM so we played a little bonus
poker with me redeeming an ACG coupon for a free buffet after
hitting a 4OAK before returning to Sam's.
9/24 This morning's VP session at Sam's fell into the no pain, no
gain category. Breakfast was at the Village Pub (Cannery) on
Flamingo. It is basically a bar that offers pretty much the same
menu found at Ellis Island or the other Village Pubs scattered
across the valley. We opted for the 2 eggs, hash browns and toast
special. (2 Forks, $5.25, LVA daily deal)
I had reserved computer time from home for us at the Clark County
Library on Flamingo so that was our next stop. We then drove to
Terribles where we each signed up for a slot card and received a T-
shirt (me) and baseball hat (Ms. Westie) she got the better of the
deal. Our next stop was Ichabods Lounge on Flamingo that is
reportedly favored by locals for the quality of the food served.
http://lasvegas.citysearch.com/profile/7035392
When we requested cups of pasta fagioli the waitress suggested we
choose the salad bar because the soup was included, but we were not
that hungry. The soup could have used more seasoning, but it filled
our tummies. (1 Fork, Entertainment, $5.03)
The remainder of the day was devoted to reading and snoozing in the
room, before our departure for Spiedini's in the J. W. Marriott.
http://www.spiedini.com I requested the spinach salad which was not
available because of the e.coli situation. We ended up sharing a
fairly decent Caesar salad though the dressing probably came
directly from a bottle. I ordered breast of chicken involtini
breaded and apparently deep fried until ever bit of moistness had
been cooked away. The breast was stuffed with mushrooms, spinach
and fontina cheese and accompanied by lukewarm rosemary potatoes and
a mix of summer squash. It was only after our departure that I
realized the accompanying lemon basil sauce had been AWOL. Ms.
Westie fared better with the roasted chicken, spinach and ricotta
ravioli in a light pinot grigio sauce with tomatoes entree. Neither
of us desired dessert, but Ms. Westie requested coffee which was
initially served cold. (2 Forks, $22.80, Restaurant.com)
We drove the short distance to the Suncoast to attend the John
Pizzarelli concert.
http://www.johnpizzarelli.com/ He is an accomplished jazz
singer/musician who is currently touring in support of his recently
released album titled "Dear Mr. Sinatra". One interesting bit of
trivia is that he was the first artist to perform in Bellagio's
Fontana lounge. (4 Claps). On exiting the showroom I realized the
night was still young, but I am not so we returned to Sam's and went
nighty night.
9/25 The early morning session at Terribles was not great, but it
wasn't a stinker either. Our choice for breakfast was Le Village
buffet at Paris. Same menu, egg Benedict (overdone), fresh fruit,
Belgian waffle with fresh berries and whipped cream, Lyonnaise
potatoes, OJ and assorted cheeses. (3.5 Forks, $8.60, LVA) I eased
myself back into the car, readjusted the seat to accommodate my
expanded girth and headed to Terribles. Ms. Westie hit quad quads
while my quad was the loneliest one in the casino. We returned to
Sam's in the early afternoon where we read and napped until it was
time to leave for the Rick Thomas show. The audience at the
Stardust numbered less than 100 and Rick turned out to be a far
better magician than entertainer. Nevertheless we enjoyed the
show. (2 Claps).
Our next stop was the nearby Fashion Show Mall which we toured
before arriving for happy hour at Café Ba Ba Reeba.
http://www.cafebabareeba.com/ This tapas restaurant by way of
Chicago offers ½ priced Sangria and an assortment of $3 appetizers
in the bar area on weekdays from 4-7PM. Our waitress also served as
bartender so service tended to be on the slow side. We started off
with a carafe of red sangria ($10) and a chicken empanada (3 Forks,
$3) served with what tasted like mustard spiked mayonnaise. Our
next round included a tiny portion of seafood salad (1.5 Forks, $3)
and a large portion of spicy potatoes with tomato aioli (3 Forks,
$3). Meanwhile we kept working on the Sangria while enjoying the
bar scene. It was at this point that we decided we were not going
to be in the mood for a full meal so we asked the waitress/bartender
if we could use the Restaurant.com certificate for the Sangria and
appetizers. Not a problem said my now much more efficient waitress.
As the bewitching hour of 7PM approached we quickly requested the
Serrano ham and tomato bread tapas. (0.5 Forks, $3) I did a quick
calculation using the Dewey Decimal System and determined we were
going to have a difficult time reaching the $35 minimum required for
use of the Restaurant.com certificate so we ordered the goat cheese
baked in tomato sauce tapas (5 Forks, $7). We were now satiated and
ready to quit, but we ordered 2 mini desserts, coconut bread pudding
with sorbet and a truffle chocolate cake (2.5 Forks, $4). Based on
my updated calculations we were still nominally short of the
requirement, but I asked the waitress for the bill wow 14 cents to
the good. (2.5 Forks, $19.14, Restaurant.com)
It was at this point in the trip that I figured out why I have been
so tired, it was because my body had been working overtime
converting calories to fat. We trudged off to the car and returned
to Sam's. I head upstairs while Ms. Westie directs her feet to the
FPDW machines. It is an hour or so later when Ms. Westie returns
holding a fistful of greenbacks after recording a Royal Flush. I
believe I smiled, turned over and fell back to sleep.
9/26 The early morning session at Sam's culminated in my #3 quad
deuces. Breakfast was at Ellis Island where I enjoyed the poached
eggs, toast and taters special. Ms. Westie settled on the vanilla,
cinnamon French toast and coffee. http://www.ellisislandcasino.com/
We have noticed a marked improvement in service on the past two
trips and I suspect it relates to hiring an individual to deliver
all orders rather having the waiter perform this function. (3.5
Forks, $4.35, ACG)
I dropped Ms. Westie off at the Palms for her usual Swedish massage
(3.5 Hands, $85.70, LVA) and headed off to Fiesta-Rancho to use our
free play. Note: the Palms spa is currently undergoing extensive
renovation so many services such as the Jacuzzi are not in
available. After returning to pick up Ms. Westie, we drove to El
Coqui for a cup of their fabulous chicken noodle soup and a slice of
their equally delicious coconut flan. (4 Forks, $8.18,
Entertainment)
I devoted the remainder of the afternoon to reading and snoozing
while the little Olde Money Maker known as Ms. Westie hit her #2
quad deuces of the trip. Feeling refreshed and financially secure
we drove to Ellis Island and ordered glasses of Louis Jardot
Beaujolais using another ACG coupon. Our enjoyment was marred by
the nonstop talker on the stool next to us. Next stop was Buzios
Seafood Restaurant at the Rio where we each ordered the lobster
vichyssoise which was deficient in lobster, taste and temperature.
Our entrees were decidedly better with Ms. Westie ordering potato
and wasabi coated ahi tuna and me the corn husk roasted Alaskan
halibut. Both entrees were moist and delicious. (4 Forks, $18.96,
Harrah's dining certificates)
http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/rio/restaurants-dining/buzios-seafood-
restaurant-detail.html
One problem with staying at Sam's is you have the opportunity to see
a lot of lounge acts appearing at Roxy's. On Tuesday it is the
Ultimate Variety show which I understand changes weekly. Neither
the blonde singer nor the comedian/magician were worthy of our time.
9/27 I drove to the Fiesta-Henderson in the morning for the 3 x
points for seniors, but the slot club was offline and I do not think
I ever received credit for my play. Our breakfast this morning was
at the Orleans buffet where I indulged in huevos rancheros, fresh
fruit, a cherry crepe, OJ and bacon. Though I usually consider the
breakfast buffets at the Gold Coast and Orleans to exchangeable, the
Orleans was by far the better of the two on this trip. ($6.95, 2.5
Forks, ACG)
The next stop was the Las Vegas Premium Outlets where Ms. Westie
scored a long sleeve jersey at Liz Claiborne and I purchased 5 T-
shirts at Izod and Ralph Lauren. After returning to Sam's in mid-
afternoon, we each put in a short VP session with the home team
throwing a no hitter. Ellis Island got the early evening beverage
call and we requested Beaujolais again, but the bottle had run dry
so we selected the house merlot.
We then departed for Ming's Table @ Harrah's.
http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/harrahs-las-vegas/restaurants-
dining/mings-table-detail.html. It was several minutes before the
maitre d' arrived and we were told it would be a 30 minute wait for
a table though it was obvious several tables were available. We sat
in the nearby keno area with a unobstructed view of the entrance and
in less than 10 minutes I observed 2 separate groups arriving and
being seated. It was obvious neither had reservations as each
paused to read the menu posted outside. I walked over to the Maitre
d' and politely asked why these groups were being seated while we
were told we had to wait. The maitre d' claimed I was told we would
be seated at the next available table, but the placard on our table
stated 8:45PM (i.e. 30 minutes from the time we arrived). Under
normal circumstances I would have left, but I was too hungry and the
other dining options were less appealing. We ordered the crab
Rangoon appetizer for $6.99. There was just an itty bitty smear of
cream cheese in each (4) Rangoon and I would guess the closest any
of them came to a crab was when the chef waved a crab claw over
each. It was therefore with much trepidation that we waited for our
entrees of Singapore noodles and pad Thai to arrive. The Singapore
noodles turned out to be very good and spicy, but the pad Thai was
unrecognizable, by either looks or taste. (1 Fork, $5, Harrah's
dining certificates)
It was still early so we drove to the Sahara to see Bertie Higgins
in the Casbar Lounge. I stopped at the bar immediately outside and
requested 2 glasses of ice water. I offered the bartender a $1 tip,
but he waved it off I pinched myself because this just doesn't
happen in Las Vegas. We had never seen Bertie though I previously
checked out his website, http://www.bertiehiggins.com/, so I had no
clue that this pirate was a munchkin He reminded me of Dustin
Hoffman in the movie Hook, but proved to be a more than capable
performer. (2.5 Claps).
9/28 I was optimistic that at this morning's session at Terribles I
would be able to capitalize on the double royals promotion. I
subsequently learned all 9/6 JOB machines are excluded so I
demonstrated my ire by not hitting one take that Mr. Terrible. I
returned to Sam's and in short order proceeded to hit my #4 quad
deuces of the trip, on the redraw no less - a first! We drove to
Paris for what seemed the umpteenth time. I enjoyed a
mushroom/cheese omelet, OJ, fresh berries with strawberry yogurt,
assorted cheeses, dried fruit and Lyonnaise potatoes. (4 Forks,
$8.60, POV)
It was time to bite the bullet and file an accident report with
Dollar. The process was reasonably painless and we were soon on our
way back to Sam's. Ms. Westie returned from her VP session aglow
after hitting her #3 quad deuces of the trip. Our pre dinner bar of
choice this night was the Gold Coast where we each selected a draft
rather than assault our taste buds once again by ordering wine.
We still had several Harrah's dining certificates so we chose to
return to Buzios because the other restaurant options were uniformly
mediocre and overpriced. Our lump crab cakes (2) appetizer was just
fair. We chose the combination pan roast entree listed as a Buzios
Signature Dish - shrimp, king crab and oysters in a cream style
stew. I have had this same dish countless times at more than a half-
dozen places in Las Vegas and hands down this was the worst. An odd
flavor and a real shortage of seafood characterized this entree. (1
Fork, $16.19, Harrah's dining certificates)
The evening changed for the better as we attended Forever Plaid at
the Gold Coast.
http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/entertainment/index.html This was the
third time we have seen this show and, possibly because we were
seated within 5 feet of the stage, the best. This was a 4 Kleenex
performance for Ms. Westie as tears rolled down her cheeks for much
of the performance. We even purchased their CD which the cast
autographed. I, for one, sincerely hope the show finds a new home
after their run at the Gold Coast concludes on or about year-end.
(5 Claps)
9/29 I may have confused the VP gods by using Ms. Westie's slot card
at Fiesta-Henderson this morning and the result was my 2nd lifetime
dealt royal flush WOW! Returning to Sam's I felt at the top of my
game so we decided on the Original Pancake House at Green Valley
Ranch for breakfast. http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/ We each
opted for the Grand Treat a senior special of 3 buttermilk
pancakes, 2 slices of bacon (or sausage) and 2 eggs. How Paul
Bunyan, much less a senior, can finish this meal is beyond
comprehension, but much to our amazement we saw several cleaning
their plates. The pancakes were light and fluffy, the bacon thick
and lean, and the eggs cooked as requested. Who could ask for
more? Well actually it gets better - the restaurant is several
notches above Ellis in ambiance and the service is faster than a
speeding bullet. What you won't be able to do after consuming all
this food is leap tall buildings. (4 Forks, $4.79, Restaurant.com)
We drove to the Strip, parking at the Barbary Coast, split up with
me heading to Caesars to pick up a "Gold Medallion" for my buddy
Tiger and Ms. Westie off for a little window shopping in Bellagio.
We then regrouped and walked over to view the Bellagio's
Conservatory and Botanical Gardens which were not quite as beautiful
as on past visits. I felt bad for the 200 banyan tree suffering in
quiet from the humiliation of having its limbs spray painted. On
the positive side the topiary mallard ducks, pumpkins, flowers and
cider mill were all wonderful. (3 Claps)
We decided to see if lightening would strike twice and drove to the
Fiesta-Henderson. This time, using my own card, I hit my #5 and
final quad deuces of the trip. On our return to Sam's I stopped by
Panda Express and ordered a pair of tasteless vegetarian spring
rolls. (0.5 Forks, $3 approx.)
The Gold Coast again received the nod for pre dinner drinks (ACG).
Dinner was at the Voo Doo Café on the 50th floor of the Rio. We
shared an appetizer of coconut (4) shrimp with a tasty citrus Malibu
rum sauce and sunflower sprouts. Our entrees were pan roasted
Chilean sea bass wrapped in bacon accompanied by a fingerling
potato, 2 Jonah crab claws and a baked tomato in a white wine
sauce. What the menu failed to mention is the sea bass was served
on a bed of mashed potatoes. (4.5 Forks, $12, Harrah's dining
certificates) We then followed the stairway up to the patio of the
Voo Doo Lounge and enjoyed the incredible views on a clear and
beautiful evening.
http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/rio/restaurants-dining/voodoo-Cafe-
and-lounge-detail.html
I was exhausted from all this high living so we returned to Sam's
where I retired to the room while Ms. Westie played a little more
VP. Shortly after my return I began hearing boom, boom, boom. I
looked out the window and saw fireworks off in the distance a
wonderful surprise!
9/30 I drove to the Fiesta-Henderson to use a 3 x point mailer, but
I lost x times more than the value of the points. After 10 days
straight of playing VP for 4-5 hours per day I found my tushy was in
dire need of a cushy. Never one to refuse giving a buffet a second
chance we returned to the Gold Coast this morning. My trough
included huevos rancheros, grapefruit, OJ, and corned beef hash.
Senior Editor's Note: Ms. Westie's personal tasting menu is more
limited in terms of both variety and volume than mine, though bread
pudding serves as the base of her individual food pyramid.
We then drove out Flamingo on our way to the Summerlin Art Festival
where I spotted a gas station offering petro at $2.459, a full 10
cents less expensive than surrounding stations. It got even better
when I pulled in and saw the pump price was only $2.359. The
festival was pretty interesting though we have encountered many of
the same vendors at similar shows in Lake Las Vegas, downtown
Henderson and Boulder City in the past. Students and an instructor
from the local Culinary Institute provided a fruit and vegetable
carving demonstration and students enrolled in the Nevada Ballet
Academy performed both ballet and other dance routines much to our
delight. Other highlights included sidewalk art and the winning
photos from the town's photo contest. The Bitch of the Day award was
extended to a local who on noticing Ms. Westie Terribles ball cap
remarked "you don't play in that dump do you"? Last, but by no
means least, Ms. Westie purchased a beautiful pin/broach.
It was turning from warm to hot so we drove to the nearby Red Rock
Station. Wow just beautiful. Earth tones throughout with each
separate area and restaurant in harmony with its immediate
surroundings. As hard as it is to believe, Red Rock Station proved
to be more gorgeous and upscale than Sam's lol.
Dinner this evening was at our favorite Las Vegas Indian restaurant,
India Palace located on Twain.
http://www.usmenuguide.com/indiapalace.html We ordered naan, basmati
rice, chicken tika marsala and rata lamb. We received naan, basmati
rice, chicken tika marsala and rata chicken. Not a problem because
we have never had rata chicken or rata lamb or rata anything for
that matter. Each entrée was both flavorful and spicy. (4.5 Forks,
$26.48, Entertainment)
1,872 performances spread over 6.5 years while performing at
Harrah's for the last time in front of a packed house, we knew Clint
Holmes was going to soar this evening. The crowd was abuzz with
loads of insiders in attendance including Norm, Mike Weatherford,
Robin Letch (Leach) and his girly toy dressed in hot pants, Mama
Holmes, girl friend Kelly Clinton, his children and Smokey
Robinson. And soar he did with one of the best performances we have
had the privilege to witness. It was like a greatest hits show with
many of the best pieces taken from his prior shows. He spent much
time, as he has in the past, spotlighting the talents of the various
band members, his music conductor Bill Fayne and the two back-up
singers that included his sister Gail. Highlights included a tribute
to Sammy Davis Jr. and excerpts from West Side Story that left us
with goose bumps. The show closed after he called the entire band
to the front of the stage and sang "You Are So Beautiful" to them.
(5 Claps)
10/1 They say go west young man, but I sought fame and fortune this
morning to the north at Boulder Station. In retrospect, I
coulda/shoulda listened to them. Ellis Island drew the long straw
today with me feasting on poached eggs, sourdough toast and home
fries. Ms. Westie countered with another order of vanilla, cinnamon
French toast. The service was once again excellent. (3.5 Forks,
$4.25, ACG)
We then visited Terrible's on a 3 x points day. A quick return to
Sam's for check out and it was off to the South Coast for the next 3
nights. I went down to the casino shortly thereafter and quickly
hit a pair of quads and redeemed ACG coupons for (2) free buffets.
The big mistake of the day was when I used the 2 free buffet coupons
later that Sunday evening. Everything was awful. The highpoint was
the small shell on shrimp and salad. I next tried sushi that was
drier than a bone and entirely tasteless, I also checked out the
carving station and chose the chicken that turned out to be drier
than dirt. Ever resilient I also tried lo mien, a tamale and a
dessert with similar results. This is an example of a free meal
being too expensive.
We then cruised north to the Suncoast for the Dr. John show. Dr.
John, along with the Neville Brothers, Pete Fountain, Paddy
O'Brien's and Louis Armstrong, epitomize New Orleans music for me.
http://www.drjohn.org/ If you attend one of Dr. John's shows and
don't feel the need to dance, stomp your feet or at least tap your
fingers, I suggest you have your partner check your pulse because
you more than likely are dead.
10/2 This morning found me on the BP machines at South Coast. I hit
2 more quads including Aces, but I learned from the floor supervisor
that the free buffets must be used by 10/23 when signage to South
Point is expected to be completed. What a bummer because I planned
on trading them to the unsuspecting for an S&H green stamp or two.
Note: those under 60 will have to look up that reference along with
the words to the theme song for the classic TV show Palladin.
We then drove to Paris for the buffet where I enjoyed copious
amounts of food including a Belgian waffle covered with fresh
berries and whipped cream, an egg Benedict Arnold, fruit both fresh
and dried plus OJ. Once again service was excellent. (3 Forks,
$8.60, LVA)
We proceeded to the Fiesta where we both lost before returning to
South Coast for late afternoon lounging by the pool and Jacuzzi.
Somewhat surprisingly an announcement was made at around 5:45PM to
vacate the area because they were closing for the evening. We took
a quick shower before heading downstairs for drinkie poos. I was
feeling particularly macho this evening so I ordered a raspberry
martini (ACG). A drink or two later and it was off to Caesar's
where we had dinner reservations at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.
http://www.mesagrill.com/
We started off with the goat cheese "queso fundido" with roasted
green chile sauce and blue corn tortillas appetizer and could easily
have stopped right there and been happy. We each ordered the highly
acclaimed New Mexican spice rubbed tenderloin with bourbon-ancho
chile and a sweet potato tamale with crushed pecan butter. The only
side we ordered was a grossly overpriced and underwhelming double
baked potato with horseradish, green onions and crème fraiche. In
actuality the potato turned out to be one-half of a small spud that
had been overcooked. I tendered the last of our Harrah's dining
certificates, but was told 2 of them did not have a casino stamp on
the back and therefore could not be accepted. (4 Forks, $34.40,
Harrah's dining certificates)
The evening was picture perfect so a stroll along the sidewalk in
front of the Bellagio fountains was in order. It was pure
happenstance that both Sarah Brightman and Andre Bocelli were in the
immediate area, though we saw neither, and chose to accompany the
fountain show. Before calling it a night we drove to the Orleans,
but the band performing at this evening's Rock N'Roll Fantasy show
was pretty lame so we called it an early evening.
10/3 I am still experiencing nightmares over this morning's VP
session so mum is the word. Breakfast was at the South Coast's
Coronado Café. We ordered one of the Graveyard specials at $1.29,
available until 9AM, eggs, toast, bacon and taters. The downside
was Ms Westie's $2 coffee cost more than her meal. (2.5 Forks,
$5.85) As we tried to walk off our breakfast, we passed the sports
book where Ms. Westie noticed that Max West was running at the
Meadowlands. I made a $2 across the board bet and we then headed to
the Green Valley library to check our email and print our SWA
boarding passes. On our return to South Coast I caught the finish of
the race with Max West in the in the lead only to be beaten at the
finish line. My $6 bet cleared a $1.40 profit, not quite sufficient
to cover this morning's coffee. In the meantime Ms. Westie was
luxuriating at the Costa del Sur spa and taking advantage of the 2/1
special included in our room rate. Her massage and facial were both
excellent. (4.5 Hands, $162).
We had an option of dining at either the Flavors buffet @ Harrah's
for free or Todd's Unique using a Restaurant.com gift certificate.
We chose Todd's and shared a very much overpriced and underwhelming
roasted beet, fennel and grapefruit salad. Ms, Westie ordered the
seared Ahi tuna entrée served wasabi mashed potatoes and crisp
leeks - excellent. My entrée was the braised boneless short ribs,
gravy and jalapeno mashed potatoes. My dish was good, but not the
type of dish I enjoy.
http://www.toddsunique.com/contactus.htm (3 Forks, $45.42,
Restaurant.com)
10/4 I am up early for a VP session characterized by a number near
misses. We used a 2/1 buffet coupon from the South Coast funbook.
It was okay, but again suffered because customers were few and far
between. (2 Forks, $6.95) We returned the car to Dollar, filled
out second accident report and arrived at the airport early.
Security backed everyone up and we found ourselves delayed for 30
minutes, but eventually arrived at the gate only to learn the entire
east coast was delayed. At first we thought it was due to weather,
but more likely it was related to strong tail winds and the
unavailability of a gate in Hartford. As it turned out, we left Las
Vegas more than an hour late and arrived home almost on time.
Overall we had a super time and made enough money to cover Max-the-
Schipperke's kennel bill. Thanks to one and all who read the whole
trip report.