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Las Vegas - The Outer Limits

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2westie	Las Vegas - The Outer Limits		Lead	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/29/11 1:46 PM	Tags : None May 11-25, 2011 There is nothing wrong with your computer or internet connection. Do not attempt to adjust your speakers or monitor. The Westies are in control. If we wish to make the sound louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it down to a whisper. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next half hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see, hear and read. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your computer. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to -----------------------Las Vegas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I7vPbthvWo 05/11 We departed home at 11AM making an intermediate stop at the VCA Cromwell Vet where Max-the-Schipperke had a reservation for 14 nights in a suite on Alligator Alley before continuing on to Executive Valet Parking. I used accumulated points to cover the entire bill with the exception of the last night. As usual, Ann was flying free courtesy of the Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program while I paid full freight. Our 6-hour non stop flight was pretty much uneventful until we encountered turbulence in the mid west that felt like we were attempting to bust a bucking bronco. Our matching luggage was among the first pieces on the carousel. We were also fortunate that the shuttle bus to the consolidated rental facility was waiting curbside and I was able to complete the check-in process at an Alamo kiosk. I booked 2 consecutive one-week car rentals in order to take advantage of an online Alamo Insiders’ $40 coupon. The weekly all-in rate of $77.08, $25 before taxes and fees, for a mid-size car was the best I have seen in many years. Our Toyota Corolla was of recent vintage with only 5,790 miles on the odometer. It was only a short drive to the South Point where we would be staying for the duration of this trip. http://www.southpointcasino.com The check-in process went smoothly and my request for an upgrade to a room on an upper floor was honored. Our assigned room, # 2254, offered a view of the pool area and included a king-size bed, wide screen TV, in-room safe, coffee maker, couch, table with two chairs, ample closet and drawer space. After unpacking we headed for the main bar at the Ellis Island Casino and Conservatory. http://www.ellisislandcasino.com/ Using an American Casino Guide (ACG) coupon, Ann ordered her first merlot of the trip while I selected the in-house brewed hard lemonade. This year’s vintage was not as good as in the past so on the second round I joined Ann in ordering a merlot. We drove to Palace Station for dinner and encountered a long line waiting to be seated at the Oyster Bar. http://www.palacestation.com/dining/oyster-bar/ In March the line moved rapidly, but this evening we ended up waiting and waiting and waiting. On being seated Ann ordered a bowl of New England clam chowder while I opted for the cioppino, a spicy tomato-based stew that included crab, shrimp, mussels and fish. Both dishes were good, but we were more interested in getting some shuteye than eating after our long flight. ($5, Points, 3 Forks out of a possible 5) Prior to exiting, we stopped at the Grand Café’s dessert case and purchased a slice of summerberry cake plus a red velvet cupcake for later consumption. The cost of both desserts was $3.68, but I used a Station Casinos $100 gift card that I previously purchased for $50 at http://www.weluvlocals.com/ (WeLuv) reducing the effective cost to only $1.84. 05/12 Sam’s Town offers seniors 5 x points on Thursdays so I made the first of numerous cross town trips at 3AM. This video poker (VP) session was pure misery until about 15 minutes before I planned to quit when I started hitting a succession of wild royals and 5 of a kinds (5OAKS). Immediately prior to ending this session, I was dealt a pair of deuces and caught the remaining pair for my first #1 quad deuces of the trip resulting in a modest profit. For breakfast we drove to Sunset Station for the buffet. I had my typical Las Vegas breakfast; OJ, fresh fruit, huevos rancheros, ambrosia and corned beef hash. I was able to stack the aforementioned Stations gift card on top of a 2/1 coupon I printed from the WeLuv website that reduced the cost of our breakfast $2.70. (2.5 Forks) On our return to the South Point we made an intermediate stop at a nearby Wal-Mar for sundry items. The first order of business on entering the room was to take the summerberry dessert out of the refrigerator, realizing too late that it was best consumed at room temperature. (2 Forks) Later in the day Ann attempted to eat the red velvet cupcake, but it was too stale so it ended up in the waste basked. Note to Westie: in the future, consume all desserts immediately. We went to the showroom at around 1:30PM and secured excellent seats for the live broadcast of the Dennis Bono show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3OAGFx4etI This week’s music performers were amazing - Corrie Sachs’ Denise Clemente; Las Vegas Tenors; Sylk, Satin and Lace; Tom Wells; Mosaic and the Bob Rosario ensemble. ($0, 4 Claps) After the show, Ann remained downstairs to play some Not So Ugly Deuces (NSUD) while I spent most of the remaining hours of daylight in the room snoozing. At around 5PM we reconvened at the Grandview Lounge for merlots using our Dennis Bono tickets stubs and listened to Wes Winters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ7hB0YzrBI Neither his piano playing nor enthusiasm is questioned, but his voice is way beyond mediocre. (1 Clap) Tonight’s dinner was at the highly regarded Aburiya Raku, considered by many to be one of the top restaurants in Las Vegas. There are a relatively few tables and a small counter with chairs so we secured advance reservations several days prior to our departure for Las Vegas. http://www.raku-grill.com/ We started off with bacon wrapped asparagus ($2.80, 3 Forks) which was tasty, but too stringy, Kobe beef skirt steak with garlic ($7.50, 4 Forks) and cucumber with 3 types of seaweed salad ($5, 3 Forks). Our next order included grilled rice balls which proved to a real yawner ($5, 2Forks), juicy fried chicken ($9, 4.5 Forks) and a very micro sized piece of yellowtail with soy sauce ($5, 3 Forks). Although the entire meal was good, nothing stood out as memorable and I felt the price points were too high. ($46.32, 3 Forks) On returning to the South Point I proceeded to the room while Ann put in another VP session before calling it a night. 05/13 It was Friday the 13^th, but my I turned potential disaster into a profit when I hit my 2^nd quad deuces of the trip early in this morning’s session. We enjoyed one of our more typical breakfasts of a shared toasted bagel, OJ and fresh fruit. ($3, 2.5 Forks) In mid-morning we drove Downtown and parked at the El Cortez in order to cash our IRS refund check; receiving the maximum free play of $50 which was credited to Ann’s account. In addition, we each redeemed a LVA coupon good for an additional $10 in free play. I left our 9/6 JOB strategy sheet in the room so we decided to hold off using our free play until later in the week. http://www.elcortezhotelcasino.com/index.php Our next stop was Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall where we parked in order to tour Bellagio, our favorite casino. In quick order we covered the hotel lobby, botanical garden, Chihuly shop and Jean-Philippe Patisserie. We then took the tram to Crystals and hoofed it to The Cosmopolitan where we had lunch reservations at Estiatorio Milos. http://tinyurl.com/3w46l2u This restaurant is considered to be one of the best Greek restaurants in North America and was recently selected as the best new restaurant by the Las Vegas Weekly. A $20.11 3-course lunch is offered which has to be the best dining deal on the Strip since Commanders Palace closed albeit martinis will set you back a lot more than 25 cents. The restaurant is large, open and very impressive, but the day was too perfect to sit inside so we opted for the semi enclosed patio that overlooks the Strip and CityCenter. We received grilled bread along with EVO to start. We then shared the Xortopita appetizer (housemade phyllo stuffed with greens, herbs, feta, Greek yogurt and salumi). Our second appetizer was a Greek meze plate that was truly “amezing”; four spreads (taramasalata, tzatziki, htipita and manouri cheese) along with a stuffed grape leaf, olives and cherry tomatoes. Each spread was delicious, but the spicy hitipitia, made from roasted red pepper, feta and other tasty delights, was pure joy. Ann chose the Honjake salmon which was a bit underdone to suit her taste, but delicious while I opted for the whole lavraki, a farm raised sea bass known in Italy as branzini or branzino, which was finished simply with EVO and capers. The finale of the feast was a slice of walnut cake and a delicious yogurt martini, Greek yogurt topped candied oranges. Service throughout our meal was perfect and one of the chefs stopped by our table a few times to make sure we were enjoying our meal and answer any of our questions. ($50.48, 4.5 Forks) On our return to the South Pont we were disappointed to discover our room was not made up even though we requested early service. We called housekeeping and then went to the lobby where we read the newspaper until our room was available. At around 5:30PM we returned to the Grandview Lounge for the Friday night happy hour where all drinks are a mere $2. http://www.southpointcasi...ress/09-tequila-time.php We chose lemon drop martinis with Belvedere vodka on the first round followed by French martinis. ($10, 4 Sips) In the meantime, we discovered Wes Winters sounds considerably better after a martini or two. We then drove over to the Henderson Events Plaza to listen to the Nevada Chamber Symphony perform “Out of This World”, a program featuring music with an outer space connection. Some of the music performed included `The Empire Strikes Back, Moon River, Blue Moon and Cielito Lindo. ($0, 4 Claps) http://www.hendersonlive....Enevada-chamber-symphony We were both a little hungry so at the intermission we headed off to Slidin’ Thru HQ where we ordered a trio of sliders; pulled porky (slow cooked pork. caramelized jalapeño. bbq sauce), captain’s order (roma tomato, arugula, crisp bacon, feta cheese, sautéed onion, balsamic reduction) and caprese (grilled eggplant, roma tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella, balsamic reduction) plus a soda. All 3 sliders were good, but we agreed the caprese was the standout. http://www.slidinthru.com/hq/ ($6.08, Groupon, 3 Forks) 05/14 I was floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee during this morning’s VP session; hitting quad deuces #3 and #4. Breakfast this morning was the buffet at Sunset Station where I consumed my usual OJ, fresh fruit with strawberry yogurt, huevos rancheros and bacon. ($2.70, WeLuv, LVA, 2.5 Forks) We then proceeded to the Paseo Verde library where we checked our email and purchased 3 hard cover books for Ann. Our next stop was KSHP where we exchanged a pair of gift certificates; receiving similarly denominated ones for Tacos el Gordo and Elite Hair Salon. On returning to the room, I napped while Ann put in an hour of VP. At the bewitching hour (5PM), we headed for the Miguel’s Tequila bar for the Wed – Sunday happy hour when all tequila drinks are priced at $2 from 5-7PM. http://www.southpointcasi...ress/09-tequila-time.php Ann ordered a tequila mockingbird followed by a tequila sunrise; both receiving a rating of 4 Sips. I was less than successful when I ordered a paloma (1.5 Sips) and Patron margarita (2 Sips). ($10) For some now unfathomable reason, I thought it would be a bright idea to dine downtown on a Saturday evening. In addition to the usual weekend crowds, the El Cortez was particularly busy due to the nearby Helldorado Days celebration as well as a food truck convention in its parking lot. We were very fortunate to secure the last remaining spot in the parking garage. http://www.elkshelldorado.com/ Dinner was at the Flame Steakhouse where the room seemed pretty impressive thanks to subdued lighting. http://www.elcortezhotelc....com/menus/FlameMenu.pdf We started with a basket of warm bread that included an Asiago roll, walnut & cranberry bread and a French roll. We each ordered broiled walleyed pike which turned out to be slightly dry and shared a baked potato (overdone) and creamed corn. We concluded the meal by sharing a crème brulee. The creamed corn, served in a large casserole dish that was finished under a broiler, was by far the standout of this meal. On the downside, the crème brulee was one of the worst we have had the misfortune to eat. ($34.90, LVA, 2 Forks) After exiting we walked to the Fremont Street Experience to catch the light show, the Helldorado Days parade and fireworks. We continued on to the First Street stage expecting a Motown review by the Jacks and Fives, but a classic rock band was performing this evening so we stood and watched for approximately an hour while enjoying the parade of humanity that passed by. (3 Claps) 05/15 I was hotter than a pepper sprout this morning, hitting numerous 5OAKS, wild royals and my #5 quads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhzCF77GDo We traveled to the Sunshine Café on N Decatur Blvd this morning for breakfast. I ordered a short stack of pretty ordinary pancakes while Ann could not resist the day’s special, apple cinnamon French toast accompanied by an excessively sweet, sticky syrup. ($6.08, KSHP, 2 Forks) We made an intermediate stop Downtown to redeem LVA play $10; receive $10 in free play coupons at the Four Queens. We then returned to the El Cortez to play off our free play netting a grand total of $77.25 On returning to the room, we read the newspaper and rested for the remainder of the afternoon though Ann put in a profitable session of VP. In the late afternoon we drove to M Resort to listen to Mark O’Toole in the Revello Lounge. Mark was the 1994 Star Search vocalist champion and now sings what I believe may be best described as easy listening music. http://tinyurl.com/3w76szo (3.5 Claps) On departing we drove to Sunset Station expecting to take advantage of the happy hour at the Capri Lounge, but learned it had been discontinued 2 days prior. Not to be denied, we settled at the 5 cent FPDW machines with the intention of securing complimentary merlots. Now everyone who has ever played for drinks, the most likely outcome is we will end up paying Dom Perignon prices for cheap merlot, but we turned the tables on Stations when I hit a royal flush. Dinner this evening was at the upscale Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse. http://www.sunsetstation.com/dining/sonoma/ We started off with a breadbasket and shared a very good Caesar salad. This restaurant, like most of the Station Casino steakhouses, currently offers a $14.99 prime rib special that included garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. The slab of animal protein, weighing in at over a pound, was cooked medium rare as requested, but the quality was somewhat south of prime. Overall the meal was satisfying and represented a good value, but I cranked up the value quotient a notch when I brandished my Station’s gift card to pay our bill. It is time for you to hold onto your seats because Westie was not through; I made our reservations through Opentable thereby earning 1,000 points worth $10 towards a future dining experience. http://www.opentable.com/las-vegas-restaurants ($20, WeLuv, 2.5 Forks) Our last stop of this evening was Roxy’s lounge in Sam’s Town to listen to Mark Giovi and Genevieve Drew for one set. They covered a wide variety of music and were very entertaining. (4 Claps) Edited 10 times by 2westie 06/03/11 11:36 AM.
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Posts: 7052 05/29/11 1:47 PM	05/16 I broke even this morning after hitting a flurry of wild royals just before it was time to return to the room. Breakfast was at the South Point buffet which we always enjoy. I opted for easy over eggs, OJ, fresh fruit with strawberry yogurt and a large dollop of corned beef hash. ($7.39, LVA, 2.5 Forks) We departed for the Paseo Verde library where we checked our email accounts and then made the short drive to the Henderson Multigenerational Center to view an exhibit of watercolors by local artist Judy Blakenship. (2 Brushes) In mid-afternoon we departed the South Point for the Las Vegas Hilton where we saw the show Nunsense. http://www.lvrj.com/neon/-nunsense---104556844.html This show would probably be most enjoyed by those, like Ann, who went to a Catholic school, but even I found much of it to be hilarious. I kept focusing on Sister Amnesia, a part played by Clint Holmes’ wife, Kelly Clinton, and thinking what a masterful job the make-up people have performed. Later during a meet and greet with the cast members, I discovered an understudy had assumed the role for this performance. ($15, KSHP, 3 Rulers) We next made the short drive to Ellis Island Racket Club and Conference Center where we enjoyed a pair of nuts and berries followed by a merlot (Ann) and hefe weiss (me). (ACG, 3 Sips) Dinner was at our favorite southern Italian restaurant, Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood. http://ventanoitalian.com/ The beautiful, modern restaurant sits on a hillside overlooking the Las Vegas Valley. This evening we shared a delicious grilled hearts of romaine salad with prosciutto, the world’s best eggplant rollatini plus a pair of merlots. ($34.49, Groupon, 4.5 Forks) 05/17 On entering Sam’s this morning; I found a nickel on the floor which proved to be insufficient to offset my gambling loss. For breakfast we had fruit and juice in the room before journeying to Ronald’s Donuts where we shared an apple fritter and plain buttermilk bar. The fritter was delicious as usual, but the buttermilk bar was dry and probably best consumed by dunking it into a cup of coffee. ($2.10, 3 Forks) In mid-morning, I dropped Ann off for a Swedish massage at Spa Moulay in the Loews at Lake Las Vegas. http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Lake-Las-Vegas-Resort/spa ($90, 4.5 Hands) In the meantime, I checked the VP inventory at Sunset Station and played a little VP. Just before it was time to leave I managed to hit my #6 quad deuces of the trip. After picking up Ann, we drove to Nielsen’s Frozen Custard on Eastern Avenue and ordered our first ever concretes (shakes that you eat with a spoon). http://www.nielsensfrozencustard.net/ Ann chose chocolate with brownies while I enjoyed the chocolate with toffee bits. We each managed to finish our concretes though in the future we will share one. ($5.69, Groupon, 4.5 Spoons) In the late afternoon we made another mandatory trip to Ellis where Ann enjoyed a merlot while I sought salvation by having another hefe weiss. (ACG, 3 Sips) Dinner this evening was served by Tofu Hut, a Korean BBQ restaurant, situated on Spring Mountain Road. This time we shared orders of tender beef and shrimp along with a bountiful salad and 6 banchans. Pak, our server, was particularly informative so we learned a little more about this cuisine than during our last visit. ($25.45, KSHP, 4 Forks) I called it an early night while Ann responded to a distress call from the VP machines before retiring. 05/18 I got skewered this morning while playing VP at Sam’s. Today marks the midway point in our Las Vegas holiday so our initial stop this morning was at our favorite wash and fold before we continued on to Ellis Island for breakfast. Ann ordered the cinnamon French toast while I had my customary easy over eggs, breakfast potatoes and wheat toast. Everything was cooked to perfection and service, as usual, was very good. ($8, LVA, 3 Forks) We also played $10 before tendering our LVA coupons to the slot booth attendant. I lost my entire investment while Ann cashed out at $2.50. This is not how these coupons are supposed to work, but we have a chance for redemption when we play off our $10 in free play in a few days. Our next stop was Elite Hair Salon where Ann had her washed and styled by Angela, the owner. http://vegashairdiva.com/about_us ($23, KSHP, 4 Brushes) We returned the car to Alamo where I requested the same car for the upcoming week. Later in the afternoon we picked up our clothes and enjoyed 2 more merlots and hefe weiss’ at Ellis Island. Talk about being in a rut, but an enjoyable rut nonetheless. It was Wednesday night and as everyone knows in Henderson, Todd’s Unique waives the normal $20 corkage fee. http://www.toddsunique.com/ This is our favorite Las Vegas restaurant for a number of reasons not the least of which is that Todd is an amazing chef who is creative and only uses seasonal produce and seafood. Prices are more than reasonable given the quality of the dining experience and service that has been consistently outstanding. Our wine this evening was a bottle of Blackstone merlot which was fantastic in comparison to the wine we have been drinking on this trip. We started off with a Dungeness crab cake appetizer which was the best crab cake we have ever encountered albeit a little smaller than I would prefer. For an entrée I ordered Teriyaki halibut which, in season, is always a popular menu item particularly in the Westie household. It was accompanied by coconut rice, a baked tomato, bok choy, beets and an enoki mushroom. Ann’s entrée was a good very rare piece of ahi tuna in a soy garlic sauce that literally melted in her mouth. Accompanying this entrée was a large dollop of waabi mashed potatoes that she refused to share with me. LOL At the conclusion of the meal Todd stopped by our table to thank us for our continuing patronage as well as to comp us glasses of an after dinner drink made with chocolate from Holland and wine. I used a $50 gift check earned by using the Opentable reservations system. ($34.43, 5 Forks) Before calling it a night we played a little VP at Sunset Station. 05/19 I hit (2) 5OAKS in the first 2 minutes this AM followed later in the session by #7 and #8 quad deuces. Breakfast this morning was in the room where we shared a bagel, OJ and fresh fruit. Later in the day we drove to the Silverton where we purchased a T-shirt for a friend at the Bass Pro Shop. We subsequently spent an hour stuck in traffic on I-15 due to an accident that came close to shutting down the highway. The delay was almost worth it after we feasted on quartet of adobada (spicy pork) tacos with pineapple and grilled scallions plus peppers at Tacos el Gordo on Charleston Avenue. We also ordered a cola (Ann) and whipped pina colada (me). We both agreed that these were hands down the best street tacos we have ever tasted. ($1.40, KSHP, 4 Forks) Note: I just read on the chowhound board that a second Tacos el Gordo has recently opened in the Key Center just north of Encore on the Las Vegas Strip. We returned to the South Point just in time to catch the Dennis Bono show. His guests today included Sheena Easton, singer Ronnie Rose, comedian Geechy Guy (Dirty Jokes Show @ Hooters), Kristin Herten (female lead in the Phantom), and David Itkain (maestro of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra) plus regulars Corrie Sachs (Country Superstars Tribute) and the Bob Rosario Ensemble. (3 Claps) After the show I retuned to the room while Ann hit her #1 quad deuces of the trip. Later in the afternoon we used show ticket stubs for merlots while listening to Wes Winters perform in the Grandview Lounge. We were told if we listened to Wes one more time on this trip we would be inducted into Wes’s fan club so we decided to have our evening libations elsewhere. We headed to Pat Thai restaurant on Eastern Avenue only to discover the management no longer accepts Crowd Savings coupons. We quickly adopted Plan B which was dinner at Flame Kabob, a Persian (read Iraqi) restaurant, located on Sunset Road immediately across from a McCarran runway. http://www.flamekabobnv.com/ As we entered the restaurant an airplane landed and it felt as if the restaurant was situated in the middle of the runway. We each ordered the lamb kabob which came with a colorful rice mixture, baby lettuce leaves and taftoon. The lamb was gamey and way overdone, the rice was bland, the baby lettuce leaves were undressed and the taftoon came right out of a bag. We also had a mediocre piece of baklava. The final insult was when a gratuity of 20% was added to our bill though we ordered and picked up our meals at the counter. ($17.25, R.com, 1 Fork) The evening was concluded after a short, but unprofitable VP session at Sunset Station. 05/20 The quad deuces proved to be elusive even though I was dealt 8 hands containing 3 deuces. On my return to the room we enjoyed OJ and fresh fruit prior to departing for the Maple Tree Country Kitchen. http://www.usmenuguide.com/mapletree.htm This restaurant was one of the best places for breakfast in Las Vegas prior to the economic downturn, but had deteriorated in recent years. Fortunately, new ownership took over this past March with the intent to restore it to its prior glory. Our waiter was the brother of the new owner and the chef is his aunt. The menu has not changed much except for an overall increase in prices. We each ordered the New England Benny, poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce over twin crab cakes and English muffins accompanied by a choice of breakfast potatoes. The meal was very good, but the crab cakes must have been on the Jenny Craig system because they were noticeably thinner than in the past. ($22.11, Groupon, 3 Forks) Our next stop was the Winchester Cultural Center to view an exhibit of paintings by Martin Kreloff. http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/winchester-cultural-center.aspx ($0, 3 Brushes) We also visited the Henderson farmers’ market before checking our email at the Paseo Verde library. Later in the afternoon Ann won a few dollars while I basically snoozed the afternoon away. I woke up when the bell rang signaling the commencement of the South Point’s Friday night happy hour when all drinks are a mere $2. We started off with a pair of made from scratch lemon drop martinis followed by a pair of blueberry pomegranate martinis. http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Blueberry-Pomegranate-Martinis-Recipe ($10, 4.5 Sips) We had dinner at the Primarily Prime Rib. The menu has undergone a dramatic change, not for the better IMHO, since our last visit this past March. We each ordered the salmon Wellington with spinach in puff pastry and the house salad with blue cheese dressing. Our meals included a choice of starch with Ann ordering mashed potatoes that had to come out of a box and me ordering an overdone baker. ($6, LVA, Points, 2.5 Forks) We finished in time to catch the Las Vegas Tenors show. The make-up of this group has changed over the years, but the quality of their performance has not. The tenors were backed by an 8 piece band that included the four-piece Bella Strings. http://www.myspace.com/lasvegastenors The Tenors performed a wide variety of music ranging from country to Broadway to popopera. The evening’s special guests were Mosaic who previously opened for many stars including George Wallace who was in the audience this evening. http://www.notaboyband.com/ ($20, LVA, 4 Claps) Edited 3 times by 2westie 05/29/11 2:38 PM.
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Posts: 7052 05/29/11 1:48 PM	05/21 It was another losing session this morning. We again enjoyed a breakfast of shared bagel, OJ and fresh fruit in our room before heading off to tour the Aria casino. As many others have reported, the casino is very dark and we found no compelling reason to return any time in the near future. Lunch was served at Yayo Tacos across from UNLV. We ordered 4 pastor tacos and a flan. The day was beautiful so we dined on wooden tables set outside overlooking the parking lot. The tacos were amply filled, but the pork was less than tender. We fared better with the flan which was smooth and silky. ($5, KSHP, 2.5 Forks) On our return to the South Point, Ann put in a losing session while I snoozed the afternoon away. At 5PM sharp we headed to Miguel’s Tequila bar for happy hour where we enjoyed tequila sunrises and tequila hummingbirds. ($10, 3 Sips) During the hour plus that we sat at the bar, we witnessed one customer consuming a total of 8 shots of tequila plus a margarita. As far as we know, the guy could still be downing shots. We had dinner on the patio of Annie’s Gourmet Italian restaurant in a beautiful setting on West Horizon Ridge Parkway. http://www.anniesgourmetitalian.com/ IMG]http://i323.photobucket.c...sVegasMay11238.jpg[/IMG] We received a basketful of warm, but tasteless rolls. Our lasagna entrees and house salads were pretty mediocre as well. Prior to our departing, Annie stopped by to say hello. ($28.71, Groupon, 2 Forks) [ 05/22 I lost for the 3^rd consecutive morning. We read the newspaper before departing for Bernard’s Bistro on Lake Las Vegas on this gorgeous Sunday morning. We were warmly greeted by Roger, our regular server, and shown a table on the patio shaded by a small tree. Ann ordered her usual Florentine quiche accompanied by a baby lettuce salad and garnished with a segment of cantaloupe and strawberry. My entrée was leek and eggplant crepes in a béchamel sauce with a side salad. Both of the meals were executed to perfection as was the service. ($22.45, R.com, 4.5 Forks) Prior to departing, we walked around the entire village which was virtually empty except for a wedding party posing for photos. On the return trip to the room we made a short detour into the Fiesta-Henderson to play a little VP. In the late afternoon we directed our feet to the Grandview Lounge for a round of merlots courtesy of our showroom ticket stubs before departing for Thai Original BBQ on W Flamingo. This small owner operated restaurant has received many favorable reviews on yelp and urbanspoon so we were optimistic. Ann ordered the Pat Thai which was pretty good, but my order of BBQ chicken, aka kai yang, was amazing. I received half of a chicken that was cooked until it was lightly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside with a BBQ flavor that was not overwhelming. My plate also included a large portion of shrimp fried rice that was both moist and flavorful. Service throughout was excellent. ($10.78, Groupon, 4 Forks) We beat a hasty retreat to the Imperial Palace where we enjoyed the Human Nature show again. We were seated a little too close to the stage, just in front of the first booth where Andrew’s wife and baby were seated. This Motown review by a quartet of Australian singers (Andrew and his brother Mike plus childhood friends Phil and Toby) rocked our boat again. They had the audience swinging and a singing throughout the 90 minute performance. Since our last visit, they have introduced a new segment that involves them sitting around a piano and singing one of their early hits when they were a boy band. Hopefully this new segment is a work-in-progress and eventually will include more of their earlier work. ($39, DineLV, 4 Claps) We concluded the night by participating in a scavenger hunt involving us trying to relocate our car in the Imperial Palace’s parking garage. 05/23 I experienced my fourth consecutive losing session this morning. We enjoyed breakfast at BabyCakes on N Buffalo Drive in Summerlin. This small eatery is very popular, but our timing was perfect so were immediately seated. http://www.babycakescafelv.com/ After reviewing the menu and ogling the plates on surrounding tables we decided to share short stacks of red velvet and strawberry pancakes. The red velvet pancakes are topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips with a cream cheese syrup served on the side. The strawberry pancakes include sliced strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, powdered sugar and strawberry sauce. ($7.63, Groupon, 4 Forks) Ann put in another VP session at the South Point on our return and hit her #2 quad deuces of the trip while I rested peacefully in our room. In the early evening we made the now routine drive to Ellis Island where enjoyed glasses of merlot and hefe weiss while talking to a couple from PA who were on a business trip. Before departing we played off our free play with Ann cashing out $3.75 and me $12.50 resulting an overall loss of $1.25 on our play $10, receive $10 in free play coupons from the LVA. It was déjà vous all over again when we dined at Thai Original BBQ. This time Ann ordered the BBQ chicken which was just as good as last night’s while I tried the BBQ pork ribs. I received 4 good sized ribs that were tasty, but very tough. Shrimp fried rice accompanied both of our entrees. ($24.62, 3 Forks) We drove to Sam’s to listen to Whiskey Revival, a local country group, in Roxy’s lounge, but found them to be talent deprived so we exited stage right and put in a short VP session. ($0, 1 Clap) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whiskey-Revival/300883128693 05/24 I broke a personal record this morning by registering a 5th consecutive morning session without hitting quad deuces. At 8:30AM we picked up GregRio at the Rio and continued on to Red Rock Resort for the breakfast buffet. Greg is the ambassador for Las Vegas entertainment and goes out of his way to share his knowledge and opinions with members of several discussion boards. He also wears red sneakers, but I won’t hold that against him. LOL There were several dishes not usually found at a breakfast buffet, but we all started off with fresh fruit. While they stood in line at the omelet station, I sampled a delicious pulled pork and egg burrito. I subsequently filled my ample belly with strips of bacon, breakfast potatoes and a pair of mini quiches, mushroom and spinach. These quiches were more the consistency of scrambled eggs and were totally devoid of flavor. I concluded my meal with a pair of cookies. Overall the food was very good, the company even better. We did a lot more gabbing than eating and prior to departing we realized the buffet had switched from breakfast to lunch. In an effort to achieve Frugal Hall of Fame status, I decided to treat Greg. Ann used a LVA 2/1 buffet coupon and our gift card to pay for their breakfasts while I settled mine with points. The net cost for our 3 buffets was $2.70 with Greg handling the gratuity. (3 Forks) After dropping Greg off at the Rio, we returned to the South Point where Ann played her last VP session of the trip while I read and napped. In the late afternoon we enjoyed our last merlots at the Grandview lounge before driving to the Silverton in order to dine at the Twin Creeks Steakhouse. Twin Creeks is one of our favorite restaurants, offering high quality food at reasonable prices in a refined atmosphere, but tonight we were there for the tapas. On Tuesday through Thursdays evenings between 6PM and 8PM, all tapas and specialty drinks are available at ½ off menu prices. We were offered a choice of seating in the bar area or restaurant proper, choosing the latter. Our first order was bacon wrapped dates sprinkled with blue cheese in a red wine reduction ($3.50, 3 Forks) and roasted paquillo peppers stuffed with a garlic cream cheese that were beyond delicious ($3.50, 5 Forks). The second order included calamari with a delicious chipotle aioli ($4, 2.5 Forks) and 6 mini meatballs in an amazing sherry tomato sauce ($3, 4 Forks). Our last order was the delicious paquillo peppers. ($5, Points, 4 Forks) 05/25 Last session, last chance to hit quad deuces and I did registering my 9th quads of the trip. We were one of the first in line at the South Point’s buffet this morning. I had my usual fresh fruit with yogurt, OJ and huevos. ($6.43, LVA, 2.5 Forks) We returned the car without incident and soon were shuttling off to the airport which was much busier than in the recent past. Our return flight was uneventful, but it was “seats belts on” for most of the trip. Lastly we enjoyed our final merlot of this trip shortly before landing. Thus concludes the latest Westie adventure. Our 14 days of feasting will now be followed by 14 days of fasting Team Westie hit one mini royal and 11 quad deuces on this trip. We had our 14th winning trip in the past 17 though our “profit” barely covered the cost of our car rental, gasoline and lunch at Milos. Hopefully everyone enjoyed being taken vicariously on our most recent Las Vegas vacation. We welcome your questions or comments. “If our lives are indeed the sum total of the choices we've made, then we cannot change who we are. But with every new choice we're given, we can change who we're going to be.” ---------The Control Voice, The Outer Limits (Season 4)----------- Edited 7 times by 2westie 05/29/11 8:46 PM.
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goldengreeke		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 543 05/29/11 4:00 PM	OMG I have never seen so much food porn in my life. I would have gained twenty pounds! Fantastic report and fantastic pictures. The problem DW and I have is that we are having so much fun playing and drinking in Vegas that we forget to eat. We have never been able to use even half of our food comps on any trip yet. Thanks for sharing your report, it sounds like you really had a wonderful time.
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jackincols		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 15082 05/29/11 4:10 PM	Westie, I'm still laughing at your matching luggage. No place to start or end when it comes to your dining. Just love the pics and accompanying details of everyplace you go. It's been many moons since I've done the Sunset Station buffet. Sounds like it's still up to par. And I had a very good steak at Twin Creeks at Silverton on my Mar. trip. You're so right...very good food at reasonable prices. Nice to read you were able to meet up with GregRio. Thanks, as always, for a wonderful "foodie" trip report. I never tire of reading about the places you get to, to dine.
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kestral55		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3380 05/29/11 10:24 PM	Hey Westie - you forgot to return control of our computers! Loved your report - as always. I think of myself as a foodie, but you eat things and use terms that even I don't know (what's taftoon?) Thanks so much for the great and salivating report! Kes "If you see it once, you'll never be the same again!" [img]
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2westie		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/30/11 4:10 AM	kestral55 wrote: I think of myself as a foodie, but you eat things and use terms that even I don't know (what's taftoon?) Kestral - I use terms even I don't know what they mean. Prior to deciding to dine at ethnic restaurants like Milos and the Flame Kabob, I always review the menus to see what is interesting and then google anything that I don't understand. Taftoon is a Persian bread prepared in a clay oven that I believe is similar to the ones used to bake Indian naan. In the case of Flame Kabob, I saw them taking the bread directly out of a plastic bag and tossing it on a grill. Edited 1 time by 2westie 05/30/11 11:31 AM.
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Rick1323		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3392 05/30/11 11:00 AM	Great stuff Westie! I love how you get around town and manage to keep your head above water on such long trips. I ate at a place last year similar to Baby Cakes, but it was in Henderson. It even had Red Velvet pancakes that looked identical. I wonder if it is owned by the same folks? We have seen HN twice now and probably will go again in Oct.....great guys and a great show. I feel sorry for people who don't gamble. They could be walking around lucky and never know it.
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chriss in uk		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1079 05/30/11 11:30 AM	Another fantastic Westie Report!!!-you and Ann always have such a wonderful time,doing so much!!! Many thanks for another great read!!!!
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pluto		#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 823 05/30/11 1:52 PM	Always enjoy your trip reports, Westie - there is so much information in them.
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HAYLEYMSMOM		#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13624 05/30/11 5:36 PM	OMG, that's some good-lookin' food there, as usual. There are also red velvet pancakes on the Wicked Spoon buffet at The Cosmopolitan, so I'm looking forward to trying them even more after seeing what they look like. I, too, had to Google some of your meals to see what exactly you were eating. (Not the first time, either.) Love the Westies' feet downtown, lol! Hope the Human Nature show is just as enjoyable for me when I finally get to see it on my SSST. I have a feeling I will be pleased with just about anything they do, though. Fantastic score on the car rental, and nice photo of the Westies with GREGRIO! Plus, congrats on the winning trip! When will the next Westie adventure take place? I'm guessing in the fall. Thanks, Westie! Bright lights, Sin City - love it all! My blog: http://hayleysmomonvegas.blogspot.com/ Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/HayleysMom1021
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2westie		#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/30/11 7:10 PM	HAYLEYMSMOM wrote: When will the next Westie adventure take place? I'm guessing in the fall. HM - I always look forward to your comments on my TR - thanks for taking the time. We completely changed our usual schedule this year from April, Sept and December to Mar, May and October. The average weather is better, but I will miss the country music during the rodeo. Hopefully your red velvet pancakes are as good as were.
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dewey089		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1066 05/30/11 7:42 PM	Thanks for all the places to try someday for really good Vegas food. Your reports are amazing. The photo of the Walleye at the Flame has some small short green bits as garnish. I tried to find out what these were and I thought they told me "bean seeds" but that makes no sense to me or my goggle. I'd like to incorporate them in my own cooking. Do you know what they are or what sort of a place might sell them? Great to know someone is coming home a winner. I just started Deuces. I hope it changes my luck. Glad you had a great time. Resort Fee information: http://vegasresortfees.blogspot.com/ Bed Bug notes and links:http://bedbugvegas.blogspot.com/ Vegas TR's and such: http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/ Edited 1 time by dewey089 05/31/11 4:43 AM.
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Blonde4ever		#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 33897 05/30/11 8:07 PM Administrator	*Loved that opening.* *No need to include the link to the Twilight Zone.* *I think everyone of a "certain age" knows those famous words!!!* *OK...explain the matching luggage.* *Was this just random garbage laying around?* *I am grateful to you for discovering a great lunch special that I can actually get to!* *MILOS! But what a strange price.....20.11???* *I also enjoyed seeing that you and Gregrio got together* *Thanks for another mouth watering report!!!*
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tagac27.travelaol		#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3466 05/30/11 9:40 PM	Fun trip report Thanks for taking the time to share it with us! Great photos!
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2westie		#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/31/11 3:43 AM	Blonde4ever wrote: *No need to include the link to the Twilight Zone.* *I think everyone of a "certain age" knows those famous words!!!* *----------Twilight Zone? - that is the intro to The Outer Limits* *OK...explain the matching luggage.* Was this just random garbage laying around? -----------That is our dirty clothes on their way to the wash and fold *I am grateful to you for discovering a great lunch special that I can actually get to! MILOS! But what a strange price.....20.11??* *----------$20.11, like the year 2011! If you are not into fresh fish, Milos also offers lamb chops or chicken brochette as entree choices.* I also enjoyed seeing that you and Gregrio got together ------------This is the 2nd time we have managed to connect Edited 3 times by 2westie 05/31/11 8:20 AM.
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2westie		#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/31/11 3:49 AM	dewey089 wrote: The photo of the Walleye at the Flame has some small short green bits as garnish. I tried to find out what these were and I thought they told me "bean seeds" but that makes no sense to me or my goggle. I'd like to incorporate them in my own cooking. So you know what they are or what sort of a place might sell them? -------------------Sorry, I also was curious, but I forgot to ask when our waitress came by to pick up the plates. Great to know someone is coming home a winner. I just started Deuces. I hope it changes my luck. -------------------Since the long-term EV is over 100%, I am sure it will The big problem is finding them. Edited 1 time by 2westie 05/31/11 3:56 AM.
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Dshort2727		#17	[url]	[-]
Posts: 673 05/31/11 3:53 AM	As always a fantastic report. Vegasgang reported on Tacos el Gordo in tihs weeks show. We stay at the Encore so I will have to try it on one of my morning walks to the Riv. Also loved the luggage. great use of bags for dirties. Like Goldengreek, Maureen and I also forget to eat, so I make 1 or 2 Opentable reservations to force us to have a meal. Also Groupon which was very successful for lunch this rrip although I didn't see some of yours. You really didn't go back to the piano bar after the HOF offer. Dan
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lipgloss		#18	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1078 05/31/11 7:56 AM	Great report, I'm very much looking forward to the 20.11 deal at Milos, nice to see some pictures of it. Good to hear about so many off strip places, I'll never get to them but fun to read about somewhere different.
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Blonde4ever		#19	[url]	[-]
Posts: 33897 05/31/11 8:30 AM Administrator	Twilight Zone? - that is the intro to The Outer Limits Whoops..giant brain fart..you know what I mean!!! $20.11 = 2011 Ahhh! The light dawns. You have to explain the obvious to me....
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2westie		#20	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7052 05/31/11 2:08 PM	Here are a few bonus photos of public art taken on our stroll through Aria and Crystals that I have not previously posted:
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