October 23 - November 3, 2005
Yeah, I know, I said my September trip might be my last trip to Las
Vegas for some time. Well, I did say "might." After the
September trip, I made a quick trip to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado for
an insanely high bungy jump. After that, I was so hyper I
just couldn't sit still. What better cure than a trip to
Vegas? A week later, I was back in the desert.
My hotel was The Flamingo. I had stayed at the Flamingo once before, and thought it was a pretty good place for the money. Nothing that happened this time would change my mind. In addition, its location is great.
I've seen prices at The Flamingo vary from $45/night up past $250/night (way past for special nights like New Year's Eve). It's a good value if you can get rates closer to the lower range.
Registration
Registration is available at the airport, although once at the hotel you must still go to the registration desk (but using a very short line). This time, the line at the airport was very long, so I crossed my fingers and decided to register at the hotel. This worked out well, as the line was very short, and I was done in less than ten minutes. However, beware: during my stay I noticed that at times the line was horrendous. I again tried the $20 trick, and got a partial Strip view room on the 23rd floor.
The Room
I was in room 23050. This was a south facing room with a partial Strip view. Directly facing my room was Bally's. To the right was Bellagio; I had a good view of the fountains. Rooms at the Flamingo are decent sized, beds are pretty good, and there's a reasonable amount of storage space. There's a safe, whose size and location seems to vary according to the tower you're in.
The tower I was in was very conveniently located - right near registration and the casino. If I had to guess, I'd say that this tower is one of the older ones. The elevators have seen better days (worn/dirty floors; lights and bells worked poorly), and the hallways are nothing to shout about. However, the room was a pleasant surprise. It appeared to have been recently renovated, with nice, clean carpeting and furniture. The bathroom was about the same as last time - on the small side, and with the shower head placed low on the wall. I'm 5'10", and it was a minor inconvenience; for anyone taller, it would be a pain in the neck - literally. Click here for pictures.
The Rest of the Hotel
What I like: the pool is one of the nicer ones in Las Vegas. That didn't matter much this trip - a little too cool - but I enjoyed it the last time I was here. Also, I've had good luck with valet parking; it's invariably speedy. Craps players will appreciate the $5 minimums sometimes available during slow periods.
On the other hand, I don't think much of the rest of the common areas. The restaurants don't look appealing, and the casino is a little dreary. The gym has OK equipment, but there's no air circulation and it's pretty warm.
·
Rock Scrambling
Rock scrambling doesn't
require any
special equipment. You climb over, around, and through rock
formations without the use of ropes or any other assistance. All
you need is a sense of balance, stamina, and a certain degree of
care. Many rock scrambling routes are poorly marked, or not
marked at all. This trip, I would go on routes following small
streams; the routes change depending upon the amount of water currently
flowing. Make sure to go with someone familiar with the route in
question. As usual, I went with Neil Sobelson
of Hike
This!. I've gone with Neil many times, and have never been
disappointed. Neil works with you to determine what kind of scramble is
right for you. Be honest about your experience and physical
condition, as rock scrambles range from somewhat challenging to
downright exhausting. If you're not sure about rock scrambling,
Neil also offers regular hikes, ranging from easy to hard.
Oak Creek Canyon
I took a total of three trips: two with Neil to Red Rock Canyon, and
one with friends to the Valley of Fire. The first was to Oak
Creek Canyon in Red Rock
Canyon. I was feeling pretty good about myself prior to
the trip, as I had done a lot of hiking and rock scrambling the
previous month, and felt I was in good shape - and since I hadn't
killed myself during previous scrambles, Neil felt I was ready for this
one.
The character of rock scrambles in the Red Rock area vary according to
location. Some scrambles involve mostly smaller rocks, perhaps
from one to three or four feet, with a few larger boulders.
Others involves somewhat larger rocks. Still others, like Oak
Creek, consist of big
boulders. Add a stream to the mix, and you end up with scenery
that is both dramatic and beautiful. I think this was my favorite
scramble of all of my Las Vegas trips. Click here for
pictures of
the Oak Creek Canyon rock scramble.
However, this scramble involved
nearly continual, fairly steep, climbing over big boulders. It
took only about 1 hour to hike 3 miles to and from the beginning of the
scramble, but then took another 4 and 1/2 hours for 3 miles of rock
scrambling (not counting breaks). And I thought I was in
shape. Well, pride goeth before a fall - or in this case, two
falls and one spill (a spill = jumping from one rock to another, then
being too tired to stop quickly enough to avoid walking into a
stream). No injuries, but muscle abuse meant I was one sore puppy
the next day.
Pine Creek (North Fork)
This rock scramble had a different feel as compared to Oak Creek
Canyon. Here, the boulders were a smaller, and the route leveled
out from time to time, making life a little bit easier. However,
due to a rainy year there was a lot of undergrowth. It seemed
that every other plant in the area had barbs or some kind of nasty
sticker - and every one was blocking the route. Not what one
might expect in the desert! Nonetheless, a very pleasant hike -
and as an added bonus, most of it was in the shade. Click here for pictures of
the Pine Creek rock scramble.
Valley of Fire - Fire Canyon
If you've never been to the Valley of Fire, go! It's about an
hour from Las Vegas, and has very dramatic scenery. It gets its
name from the intense coloration of the rock. Hiking paths are
generally short and easy. There's not much in
the way of rock scrambling, but Fire Canyon is an exception. It
felt starker and more desert-like than Red Rock Canyon, with less
vegetation and a fair amount of sand. However, the few bushes and
trees managed to place themselves directly in our path. I hate
cat's claw, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get all of the foxtail barbs
out of my socks. Click here for
pictures of the Fire Canyon rock scramble.
·
Blue Man Group
At
The Venetian. I had seen these fellas a few years ago, when they
were at The Luxor, and enjoyed them a lot. I thought I'd see if
their act at The Venetian had changed much. I again enjoyed the
show - a lot - but I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't remember if
the show has changed much. Some things have definitely remained
the same, but to maintain the suspense I'll leave it at that.
For those of you unfamiliar with Blue Man Group, they're a lot
different from other Las Vegas acts. They combine unusual musical
instruments, visual stunts and comedy. The Venetian web site has
a good description of the group.
·
Lance Burton
At The Monte Carlo. Lance Burton is one of the more famous
magicians in Las Vegas. His is an act in the classical tradition,
with lots of glitz. If I were to describe his presentation, I'd
say it was midway between Liberace and Clint Eastwood: a big smile,
always playing to the audience, but spoken slowly and quietly.
The magic acts were well presented and original (at least to me), but I
never felt like I was involved with the show. I didn't enjoy
it. Since the only other magicians I've seen are Penn &
Teller, I can't say if I dislike just Lance Burton or traditional magic
shows in general.
I tried a few other places as well. As was true last trip, my favorite was Wynn Las Vegas - the nicest casino and the best dealers. Also like last trip, I consistently won at Wynn. However, I didn't play there often, as the minimums were $15, or even $25 during busy times.
I also checked out Casino Royale. This is the place famous for its $2 minimums and 100x odds. There were two tables which were almost always packed, plus a mini-table with chairs. The casino was pretty seedy, and the dealers were frequently unskilled (monitor your bets carefully), but the crowd was friendly, and it was fun. Give it a try.
Other casinos I tried: Bellagio (I didn't enjoy playing here; it seemed too formal); Venetian (I didn't care for the overall casino atmosphere, but spent an enjoyable few minutes there with a very funny, sarcastic dealer); Palms (middle of the road, but one plus was its $5 minimums during the day).
I didn't go as crazy as my last trip, but I still ate well. I've placed some of the longer reviews on their own pages; follow the links as directed. When I specify the amount of the bill, it includes tax and tip. It's also worth noting that these were mostly return visits. See my September 2005 trip report for reviews of many of the following restaurants, including considerably more detail.
·
L'Atelier. MGM Grand.
This restaurant opened September 16, one of two at the MGM Grand
operated
by chef Joël Robuchon (the other is Joël Robuchon
at the Mansion). I ate
here twice during my last trip, and loved it; one of the meals
was the best I'd ever had in Las Vegas.
L'Atelier is a small,
informal restaurant. It seats 40 people - 16 at four tables, 24
on stools around a food counter - and reservations are limited to peak
hours.
There's an open kitchen just behind the food counter. If you're
dining solo, and feel intimidated at more formal places, this is an
excellent choice for a top notch meal.
I again chose the nine
course tasting menu. Click here to see what I thought this time.
·
Okada. Wynn Las
Vegas. I've
eaten at Okada four times before - three times at the sushi bar, and
once in the restaurant proper.
It's my favorite sushi bar in Las Vegas - top notch sushi, chefs, and
atmosphere. This
trip I ate at Okada's sushi bar. The quality and atmosphere were
as good as ever. For a review from September, click here.
·
Bartolotta. Wynn Las
Vegas. This would be my second lunch at Wynn's Italian seafood
restaurant, noted for its simple but well prepared dishes. Some
seafood is flown in from Italy daily, with prices reflecting this fact.
As an appetizer, I had a mozzarella salad. The mozzarella was
light and soft, very different from what goes for mozzarella in grocery
stores. I enjoyed it, and it wasn't too filling.
For my main course, I decided to splurge and ordered one of the fish
flown in from Italy - red snapper. I had planned to get the
simpler of two sauces - salmoriglio (olive oil and lemon with herbs),
but the server convinced me to get salsa estiva (tomatoes, arugula,
garlic, red onion, olive oil, and red wine vinegar). The whole
fish arrive at the table; my server skinned and boned it. The
sauce was provided in a bowl, to be spooned over the fish as
desired. Accompanying all of this were some finger potatoes,
roasted marinated peppers, and sliced zucchini.
The fish was very good - nicely cooked, tender, yet firm, with a mild
flavor - and I'm glad I listened to the server about the sauce.
The sauce ingredients were uncooked, perhaps marinated for a
while. Spooned over the fish, it was a great combination. I
sopped up the excess liquid with selections from the bread basket.
All this doesn't come cheap. Whole fish are sold for about $12
per 100 grams (about 3-1/2 ounces). Given the amount of waste,
figure at least 500 grams - although you have to order a whole fish.
The bill: $100. You can get away for less than half this if
you're careful, but it will cost even more if you order wine and
dessert.
·
Red 8. Wynn Las
Vegas. My second trip to Wynn's informal Asian restaurant.
It serves
a variety of Southeast Asian cuisine. The first time, I had
pretty good dim sum. This time, I decided to try something
different:
·
Oriental green onion pancake. Vaguely reminiscent of a quesadilla
with scallions, but crispier. Hoisin sauce was served as a
condiment. It didn't have much flavor; the hoisin sauce helped a
little, but not much. Fair.
·
Indian mee goreng with shrimp. Wok-fried noodles, with onion and
shrimp, and bits of a very hot pepper. The portion was very
large, probably best shared. I thought the flavor was good, and
the noodles were firm, but it was mostly just a big plate of
noodles. Good.
The bill: just under $30.
·
FIX. Bellagio.
My second trip to this trendy restaurant. As I noted previously,
the bartenders and servers certainly had that look: young, thin,
dressed in tight black skin-and-tatoo revealing clothing. Well,
this time the look was slightly different, as it was Halloween.
Call it a trendy Halloween look: lots of black, white, and the
occasional red undergarment not so discreetly displayed (not that I was
looking, of course).
I started with their daily special: toro tartare. This consisted
of several thin slices of tuna that tasted more like maguro (regular
tuna) than toro (tuna belly). Nonetheless, good.
For my entree, I had Drunken Lobster with Prosciutto Gnocchi: a lobster
tail, medium size, split and resting on what was presumably an alcohol
based sauce. That doesn't sound so great, but it was very good.
The bill: too much. With one martini (gin of course; none
of those newfangled vodka martinis for me), it came to a little
over $90.
·
Bouchon.
·
Boudin blanc with scrambled eggs, croissant and beurre noisette.
About the same as last time. The soft, smooth, flavorful sausage
was excellent. The scrambled eggs were standard, i.e., nothing
fancy added, but prepared just right. The croissant was very
good, but not as good as the first time; it was soft yet chewy inside,
but
it wasn't as incredibly flaky as last time.
·
Waffles with strawberries and applewood smoked bacon. The waffles
were light and fairly crisp. The bacon wasn't as crispy as I
would have liked, but the flavor was very good.
Bread came with the meals. It was very good -
crusty, chewy, great with a little butter. There are numerous
choices for tea and coffee. The lattes that
I've had (caramel and mocha) have been good. The bill for a full
breakfast, with latte, was between $20 and $25.
· Zoozacrackers. Wynn Las Vegas. This was the third time I ate at Wynn's delicatessen. It's fairly small, and has a limited menu. It's also pretty expensive. However, if you're at Wynn it's convenient, and their Zoozaburger is almost worth both the price ($13 plus tax and tip) and the insult to your body: a good hamburger; layer of warm pastrami; melted Swiss cheese; cole slaw; some kind of dressing; good hamburger bun. On the side are pickles, tomato, onion, and lettuce. Delicious! On the other hand, their moderately large hot dog was bland and uninspiring.
·
In-N-Out Burger. At long
last I tried this western U.S. hamburger chain. It has a very
limited menu, with the star being the - what else - hamburger. Of
note is the secret menu. You can order your selections fixed many
different ways, if you know what to ask for, but it isn't on the
menu. For example, would you like a really big sandwich?
Order a 3-by-3, which translates to 3 hamburger patties and 3 slices of
cheese. Want your fries crispier? Order them well
done. Or, order your fries animal style - with cheese, spread,
onions, and pickles on top. I ordered a double double (2 patties,
2 pieces of cheese) and animal style fries. The hamburger was
very good, although hardly a transcendent experience. I also
enjoyed the animal style fries, but the fries themselves were mediocre.
In the interests of fairness, I should disclose that I ate here
immediately after a five hour rock scramble, and was starving. To
be fair, I went back again later in the trip and enjoyed the food just
as much. Oh, the sacrifices I make!
ISO: The Perfect Pancake
Starting with last month's trip
to Las Vegas, I'd had a yen for pancakes. I went to Wynn's
Terrace Point Café; no luck. The Original Pancake House;
no luck. The search continued this trip:
·
Country Club Grill. Wynn Las Vegas. I heard that this place had great pancakes.
Well, either I heard wrong, or they'd changed the menu. No
pancakes here! I headed elsewhere.
·
Tableau. Wynn Las Vegas. As of late October 2005, the web site stated that
Tableau was open to non-guests only for dinner. However, when I
stayed at Wynn in September, a sign had indicated otherwise, and I
confirmed via email that Tableau was open to non-guests for all
meals. The atmosphere was very formal: white tablecloths, with a
single cymbidium flower in a vase; soft music in the background. I tried their
Banana Ricotta Pancakes with Walnut Honey Butter. They were light
to medium in texture, with a moderate banana flavor. They were
pretty good, but not special - and at $15 plus tax and tip not worth it.
·
Grand Lux Café. Venetian.
This is The Venetian's 24 hour café. It's a fancier
version of The Cheesecake Factory, and part of the same chain. At
7:30 am on a weekday, there was a 5 minute wait for a table. The
server was friendly and efficient. After ordering, food arrived
in 8 minutes. So far, so good. I ordered a short stack of
pancakes, not the full stack, as the server warned me that a short
stack consisted of three large pancakes. Good advice. The
pancakes were light, tangy, with slightly crisp edges. They were
served with a good sized chunk of solid butter (not that whipped crap
that melts down to nothing), and syrup. Maybe not perfect, but
very good! I also ordered sausage - 4 links that were meaty but
dry - apparently cooked prior to my order.
I returned to The Grand Lux later in the trip, and again got
pancakes. They were just as good the second time. Success!
Miscellaneous Junk Food
Milk Shakes - Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's? Based on an
exhaustive taste test, using a vanilla milk shake as the benchmark, I
can categorically state that Häagen-Dazs has the better
product. It's creamy, thick, with definite vanilla flavor; I
enjoyed it (well...them,
actually)
to the last slurp. On the other hand, Ben & Jerry's shake is
thinner (too much milk?), not as creamy, and has little vanilla flavor;
not bad, but nothing special.
Wynn's chocolate shop has great macaroons, especially the chocolate
ones. They're very different from traditional coconut macaroons,
and are more like chewy cookies with a crunchy meringue component.
The Flamingo Hotel has some pretty good, pretty cheap, desserts:
big chocolate chip cookies; big triangular chocolate almond pastries;
really big, intensely chocolate brownies. They're not the best on
the Strip, but at the price ($2 or so, less for a cookie), they're a
bargain. Get them at the coffee shop towards the back of the
property, or the dessert/snack shop near the front.
Miscellany
·
Another one bites the dust - Boardwalk
Hotel and Casino. Yet another hotel about to fall prey to the wrecker's
ball - this time to make way for MGM's Project City Center. Click here for pictures.
·
Three new pedestrian bridges. Some of the long awaited pedestrian
bridges near
Wynn Las Vegas are complete. You may now use bridges from Wynn to
Fashion Show Mall, and from Fashion Show Mall to TI. The bridge
between Wynn and The Venetian looks to be a way off yet.
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