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. 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, (
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2003/10_16/food_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)
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jun-03-Fri-
2005/weekly/1916600.html
http://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).
http://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.
http://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.
http://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. http://www.gayot.com/restaurantpages/LasVegasInfo.php?
tag=LVRES050202&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)? http://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. http://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.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jun-01-Wed-
2005/living/1887771.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.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-30-Fri-
2005/news/3610535.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.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-16-Fri-
2005/weekly/3345956.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. http://www.emeraldislandcasino.com/?
CFID=16213286&CFTOKEN=219b98243b3f7de3-5415DD4D-F1F6-9482-
3513DEA927FFDFD8 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.
http://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?
http://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. http://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 more than 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. 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. http://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. http://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.
http://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. http://www.usmenuguide.com/isabellasdinnermenu.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.
http://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. http://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