Las Vegas go hard or go home thread

[Angry Gorilla 1769]

Absinthe is great

[Enchubben 5512]

Booked second week of March madness at park mgm. 125 for 4 nights and includes a $100 food credit.

Going to crush a burger at the place in Cosmo and definitely some Taco Bell cantina. Did prime in bellagio last year, will likely stick with more casual stuff this time around. FYI as far as game watching spots go, Twin Peaks was solid last year.

[bigcigar 1165]

2 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

Booked second week of March madness at park mgm. 125 for 4 nights and includes a $100 food credit.

Going to crush a burger at the place in Cosmo and definitely some Taco Bell cantina. Did prime in bellagio last year, will likely stick with more casual stuff this time around. FYI as far as game watching spots go, Twin Peaks was solid last year.

I’d recommend you check out Lardo for casual stuff at Cosmo. Holsteins is good, but Lardo’s sandwiches are great. They have a burger too, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll be there for the first weekend and will report back.

[GreenspointTexas 9678]

Opium is also a great show

[RPM 26356]

12 hours ago, Zepol87 said:

Thanks, been looking at some other sites and those 3 seem to be at the top of most peoples list. More interested in a show than a concert 

Any Cirque show you see will not disappoint. You'll want to see another after experiencing the first one.

[Brew 3049]

14 hours ago, bigcigar said:

I’d recommend you check out Lardo for casual stuff at Cosmo. Holsteins is good, but Lardo’s sandwiches are great. They have a burger too, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll be there for the first weekend and will report back.

Everything in that Block 16 area is good. Our last two trips we have ended up there for several meals and we’ve been happy with everything we’ve had.

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Wynn related (CNBC):


At Clean Market in Midtown, New Yorkers have a wide menu of healthy offerings to choose from, such as "superfood smoothies" and bowls with a side of a "moon dust of choice."

But if clean food isn't enough, customers can also get a boost from vitamins delivered intravenously at the NutriDrip bar. The service is growing in popularity and attracting customers from fitness and lifestyle companies like Equinox to some major hotel chains.

NutriDrip sells 15 vitamin infusions administered by medical professionals via an IV drip that takes about 30 minutes. The Nutribody drip aims to support fat loss with a combination of l-carnitine, taurine, vitamin C, B complex, among others. There are also the popular hangover remedies — Basic Recover, Super Recovery and Mega Recovery — which range in price from $119 to $199 depending on how much you're hurting from the night before. The Nutriyouth drip claims the ability to "help stop cellular aging in its tracks" with a mixture of anti-aging enzymes, molecules and vitamins for $599.


Founded five years ago, NutriDrip is looking to expand in 2020 with a Series A funding round in the first half of this year. Executives declined to say how much money they're looking to raise.
"Over the last three years, IV nutrient therapy, specifically NutriDrip, has grown, at like a 60 to 80% year-over-year growth rate, even while opening new stores," said co-founder Asa Kitfield. "So we're really excited to see what sort of saturation the market can see on like a local and national basis."

One of its new corporate clients is Wynn Hotel will be offering NutriDrip IV drips to its guests in Las Vegas in early 2020.


"As many of our guests now expect a more holistic set of wellness options, we have evolved to include broader wellness themes related to functional wellness, physical fitness, and healthy cuisine," said a Wynn spokeswoman, adding "providing IV therapy is one more way to help our guests maintain personal wellness routines while they are traveling."
The Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards also has been offering the service to guests when it opened last summer. Kitfield also told CNBC, NutriDrip is slowly rolling out the service to other Equinox gym locations in early 2020 as well.

Equinox executives Jeffrey Weinhaus and Harvey Spevak were early investors in NutriDrip parent company Clean Market, along with real estate investor Jack Terzi, Seritage Growth Properties CEO Ben Schall, fashion designer Andrew Rosen and venture capital firm Able Partners.

Celebrities, including Madonna, Rihanna and Simon Cowell, are reportedly fans of IV vitamin treatments, but it's drawn some controversy.

"Anytime you poke a hole in somebody's vein, there is some risk that they'll bleed excessively. There's also some risk that they will clot excessively," said Dr. David Katz, founding director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "So the risks are not great. And the risks are not very common, but there are risks, and the only way to justify any risk in medicine is by a greater likely benefit."
He said there is "minimal evidence that there is any meaningful benefit for most people."

Kitfield said NutriDrip doesn't make grand promises about its treatments but said the company and customers clearly believe in its benefits.
"When you look at our business where 50 to 60% of our revenue comes from regulars, and that's why we continue to grow, the proof is kind of in the pudding, Kitfield said.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit that tracks the industry, the global wellness market is a $4.5 trillion industry. While IV therapy and alternative medicine is a small portion of the overall spending, GWI says it's among the fastest-growing sectors

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Wynn restaurant update (LVRJ):


The Wynn Las Vegas/Encore complex is about to get its first Mexican restaurant since the resort opened in 2005. It’ll be adjacent to the Encore Beach Club, in the space originally occupied by the shape-changing Switch and most recently by Andrea’s.

Elio, scheduled to open March 19, is from ATM Group, the international hospitality company from chefs Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes and partner Santiago Perez, the team behind the restaurants Cosme and Atla in New York City and Pujol in Mexico City.

This is not going to be a sombreros-and-serapes kind of place. In a news release, Olvera said Elio is inspired by the ’40s and ’50s, “a golden age for the Mexican cinema.” It will embody two current restaurant trends with an emphasis on the social and a minimalist look with artistic accents, the warm dining room contrasting the high-energy bar.


The menu will have an emphasis on the regional and seasonal, with a focus on seafood and produce in small plates, appetizers and shareable entrees. It will be open daily and serve weekend brunch. For updates, visit eliolv.com.

[bigcigar 1165]

2 hours ago, Brew said:

Everything in that Block 16 area is good. Our last two trips we have ended up there for several meals and we’ve been happy with everything we’ve had.

For sure. I think we only ate a couple meals elsewhere last trip.

[HornPhD 1368]

On 1/6/2020 at 3:49 AM, After irth said:

Four-night trip coming up. Staying at The Cosmo. 

Gonna wander the AVN expo while we’re there. Tattoo by Mike Roche (from TSOL) at  Hart & Huntington. Will check out Brian Slagel’s new record store. Y&T concert on our last night there. 

Was too slow to secure a res at Lotus Of Siam, but I think The Cosmo food options should cover our needs nicely.  

My favorite gambling activity consists of Craps sessions broken up by repeated rounds at Whiskey Down. No real mandatory stops other than that. 

A simple trip. Tattoos, Porn, and Rock & Roll. Vegas, baby!

For Lotus of Siam without reservations, you can eat at the bar or in the lounge area. 

[RPM 26356]

LoS reopened their original location so there's 2 now.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/food/lotus-of-siam-to-re-open-original-las-vegas-location-1897004/

[Native Horn 3516]

As someone who has had many a hangover in Vegas, it would have to be one HELL of a hangover to pay $119-$199 in order to cure it.  

[Landomatic 3813]

On 1/13/2020 at 11:38 AM, Zepol87 said:

Any rankings you guys can give on the shows? I heard the Cirque Beatles show is pretty badass. Never seen one live and want to change that.

Spearmint Rhino has a pretty good show.  If she’s cool, she’ll dig it.

[Incredulity 11683]

6 hours ago, Native Horn said:

As someone who has had many a hangover in Vegas, it would have to be one HELL of a hangover to pay $119-$199 in order to cure it.  

I’m going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

I would have sold my soul to the devil to fix some of my Vegas hangovers.

[Zepol87 9191]

When I was in the navy I dated a nurse in Pensacola. Got super fucked up one night and when I got to her place she gave me an IV and I woke up like a million dollars. It was awesome. 

[wild_turkey 3182]

As someone who has had many a hangover in Vegas, it would have to be one HELL of a hangover to pay $119-$199 in order to cure it.  

That’s only 2 black chips.

[wild_turkey 3182]

Any rankings you guys can give on the shows? I heard the Cirque Beatles show is pretty badass. Never seen one live and want to change that.

I’ve seen O, Ka, and Love. I think I enjoyed O the most but they were all very good.

[Landomatic 3813]

In all seriousness @Zepol87 I’ve never been to a real show in Vegas but all of my trusted sources tell me absinthe is where it’s at.

[GreenspointTexas 9678]

Seen absinthe 3 times and opium once

 

both are great. Headed back in 2 days, seeing O cirque (dont really give a fuck about it, but friends wanna see it) and Opium again

[Brew 3049]

9 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

 

I’ve seen O, Ka, and Love. I think I enjoyed O the most but they were all very good.

 

Seen the same 3, I liked Love the best but that was primarily because of the music. O was the best show from a Cirque standpoint I think, but the interplay with the music in Love still wins for me. I did not care for Ka at all.

[TXSooner518 2438]

Absinthe and Opium are great. Zumanity is a pretty sexy Cirque show, good choice with GF imo. Ka and O also excellent.

[LonghornJones 837]

11 hours ago, Incredulity said:

I’m going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

I would have sold my soul to the devil to fix some of my Vegas hangovers.

100%

[Zepol87 9191]

Absinthe and Zumanity it is. Thanks everyone

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

On 1/15/2020 at 12:16 PM, Zepol87 said:

Absinthe and Zumanity it is. Thanks everyone

Late to the thread.  Seen the following in Vegas:

Absinthe (2x)

Zumanity

Ka

O

Whatever the show was at Aria---not the Elvis show, the Cirque show that closed after a year or two

Jersey Boys (no longer around)

Beatles Love (2x)

Penn & Teller (2x)

Absinthe is my favorite of all, with Love a close second.  Zumanity is fine; if you get one of the couches that is stageside, and your significant other becomes slightly aroused, you may get some mild crotch grabbing during the show.  Or so I've heard.  But aside from that, Absinthe is vile enough I've seen people get offended and walk out.  Not suggesting for a moment here you are of that category (hell, you post here) but know your girl before you walk in.  Oh, and if you are on the front row, there's a strong chance you are going to get picked on.  I was the "republican" at the show I attended last July (the photographer told my wife and I afterwards when we were purchasing the pics that they thought I was going to get chosen for the lap dance, but alas---I just got glory hole jokes aimed at my direction for the entire show).  Those of you here who have seen Absinthe know what I am talking of.

 I took a few pics at that show of Melody Sweets and The Gazillionaire, but honestly, I was laughing so hard I thought I couldn't breath or remember to take more pics (as I was the first time I went):

Melody Sweets (not as hot as the last one, but she retired):

 

 

 

She just wouldn't bend over all the way in front of me, dammit:

Teh 

 

 

Got a few pics of the lap dance contest:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by Francisco 2.0

[Zepol87 9191]

Also staying at Vdara. Anything special good/bad to look out for?

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Also staying at Vdara. Anything special good/bad to look out for?

Rooms are great. Non smoking hotel with no casino. Covered walkway to Bellagio. Easy/short walk over to Aria. To get to Cosmo, come out of Vdara entrance turn left and immediately look for hidden stairs behind some shrubs. Take those down to street level and walk into Cosmo entrance next door.

[Parliament 14325]

When I was in the navy I dated a nurse in Pensacola. Got super fucked up one night and when I got to her place she gave me an IV and I woke up like a million dollars. It was awesome. 

Did she give you a round of antibiotics as well?

[Landomatic 3813]

3 hours ago, Zepol87 said:

Also staying at Vdara. Anything special good/bad to look out for?

Can you still change it?  I went over there just to check it out when we stayed at Aria one time.  Can’t really put my finger on it, but it just didn’t feel at all like Vegas.  Along with no casino (we don’t really gamble so didn’t really care about that so much), it just had a completely different feel.  Way too bright and cheery and not nearly enough dark and debaucherous.  Plus their restaurant/bar choices pretty much suck, at least compared to other places.  I don’t see you digging that place at all.

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

5 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Can you still change it?  I went over there just to check it out when we stayed at Aria one time.  Can’t really put my finger on it, but it just didn’t feel at all like Vegas.  Along with no casino (we don’t really gamble so didn’t really care about that so much), it just had a completely different feel.  Way too bright and cheery and not nearly enough dark and debaucherous.  Plus their restaurant/bar choices pretty much suck, at least compared to other places.  I don’t see you digging that place at all.

 

It's probably just going to be a fuckpad.  

But I concur with the rest of your sentiment.  You could plop Vdara down in Chicago and it would fit right in.

[Landomatic 3813]

5 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

 

It's probably just going to be a fuckpad.  

But I concur with the rest of your sentiment.  You could plop Vdara down in Chicago and it would fit right in.

Yeah...or Dallas or Houston.  Or even Kansas City or like Tulsa or something.

And I get the whole fuckpad thing, but why go to Vegas for a 6 fuckpad when you can do an 11 fuckpad?

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

About a year or two ago or so, I read an article someplace how room rates had spiked for a week in April 2020...rumored to be for the NFL draft.  Then, the announcement came and Vegas had landed the draft.

 Now, this.  It's going to be wild.  Completely closing down the strip for vehicles from TI to Aria for 3 days:

 

https://www.reviewjournal.com/?p=1938095?itm_source=parsely-api

 

Quote

The 2020 NFL draft is set to be one of the biggest events in Las Vegas’ rich history and is expected to produce the most significant closure of Las Vegas Boulevard to date.

The Las Vegas Strip would be shut down to vehicle traffic the three days of the draft, April 23-25, to accommodate an expected 400,000 or more attendees, according to a source with direct knowledge of the draft plan.

The exact stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that would be closed is still being decided, but in 1,500 pages of documents obtained earlier by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, event organizers discussed a closure reaching from Spring Mountain Road to Harmon Avenue.

 

Quote

Las Vegas Boulevard near Flamingo Road would be the most impacted area, with the Fountains of Bellagio being touted as the “showpiece” of the draft, according to the source.

Locating the draft’s stage at the Bellagio was the “dream scenario” proposed by draft organizers, and it appears it will become a reality, two sources said, pending approval Tuesday by the Clark County Commission.

NFL representatives are scheduled to give the commission an in-depth presentation Tuesday that will break down road closures and draft venues.

“At the Tuesday (Clark) County Commission meeting, all will be known,” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said Friday.

The LVCVA has been working for months with the NFL to plan the three-day event. Hill said much of the preparation centers on safety and security, and NFL officials were in Las Vegas every other month in 2019 for preparatory meetings.

 

Spoiler

Staging the draft in front of the Bellagio would result in rolling closures of the Strip over roughly 20 days while the NFL is setting up and tearing down the draft stage.

To accommodate the Bellagio plan, Las Vegas Boulevard would be reduced to two lanes in front of the fountains for a significant period surrounding the draft, the source with direct knowledge said.

Officials from the NFL and Bellagio owner MGM Resorts International declined to comment on the draft plan.

“No comment,” said Raiders President Marc Badain when asked Friday about the plan. “See you Tuesday.”

Hill and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was in Las Vegas Friday for the Vegas Chamber’s annual Preview Las Vegas networking and forecasting event, indicated multiple Vegas icons would be showcased.

“We are going to try and incorporate all the iconic features of this city,” Goodell said. “We are going to do what we can to show the tremendous entertainment and hospitality that goes on in this city.”

The source with direct knowledge said the Caesars Forum convention center, which opens in March, will serve as a focal point. A second source said the NFL Fan Zone could be located near the Westin Las Vegas at Flamingo near Koval Lane.

Hill said he expects more than 600,000 people to jam the city for the draft, which will likely produce the strongest April visitation in history.

“The only thing that’s going to hold back attendance at this event is just the sheer size of the lots that are available for the draft itself,” he said.

In July 2018, MGM Resorts executives gave two NFL executives a tour of the fountains, the Park Theater and the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The festival grounds were part of the initial list of potential sites but were removed before the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting.

Other possible sites

The documents reviewed by the Review-Journal also identified 33 possible sites and celebrities associated with them that could be incorporated into announcements of draft picks. Those celebrities include:

■ Celine Dion and Elton John at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

■ Vegas Golden Knights players.

■ The Backstreet Boys, Pitbull or Jennifer Lopez at Planet Hollywood Resort.

■ Cirque Du Soleil characters.

■ The stars of the TV show “Pawn Stars.”

Also proposed were unique ways to unveil some draft picks, including skyjumping from The Strat, displaying a pick on the Wynn Las Vegas marquee and having a presenter step out of a High Roller pod with a pick.

For it all to work, a logistics plan must be in place to ensure vital employees can get to and from their job sites on the Strip.

Roadwork on the north end of the Strip would be suspended during the draft timeframe, the source with direct knowledge said.

Hosting the draft is another piece in the city’s bid to dominate sports and entertainment.

“We may not quite be the sports and entertainment capital yet, but we are certainly the sports interest capital of the world right now,” Hill said. “Everybody is interested in coming to Vegas. Every league and every team and every type of event wants to be in Vegas. They know what being in Vegas can mean to them, and it’s great for us.”

Goodell hopes the draft leaves a positive impression on the city, since the event will usher in the NFL era in Las Vegas.

“I think what will come out of that is that you all will be done with that and then say, ‘Wow that was special,’ ” he said. “Hopefully (it will) leave a lasting legacy here in the community that people look back and say the draft was a great event here and we would want it back.”

 

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by Francisco 2.0

[Buzzrock 14944]

The non-Vegasness of it is why I like Vdara. Killer location without the mayhem.

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

 

 

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

In looking at the approved NFL proposal for the draft, the players/families will be behind the Flamingo/Linq area in green rooms.  They will be transported down Flamingo (it will be closed off) to the front of the Bellagio, where they will then be boated over to the stage when they are drafted.  Then, they will return to Caesar's new convention center behind Harrah's.  Unfucking real.

 

 

 

I had forgotten Caesars was building a new convention center behind Harrah's.  The NFL is going to get that entire open area behind the giant wheel for their draft shit:

 

 

 

[Landomatic 3813]

How long is this whole boating players in and out thing gonna take?  Seems like a major time killer to me.

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

How long is this whole boating players in and out thing gonna take?  Seems like a major time killer to me.

More time for Mel Kiper Jr and Chris Mortensen to pontificate.  Plus some cheesy ass videos of a draft pick and their hometown, their grade school football coach interview, etc.

I also suspect there will be plenty of time for some C-Level musical entertainment whilst we wait for the next pick.

"And now, live from Circus Circus, it's Demi Lovato"

[Buzzrock 14944]

Ghost Donkey is worth seeking out for a drink but fair warning, it’s pricey. The latest in the Cosmo secret spots.

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

[HookEm 2468]

Just got back from Vegas.  Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really care for Absinthe or Opium.  I'm all for crude humor if it is at all clever.  To me though, these shows just seem lazy.  They were funny at the time, but entirely forgettable.  Like eating a candy bar.  Except the candy bar is priced like a steak.  Oh, you're swinging around a dildo. That's so provocative! Yawn.

In fact, that is starting to be my feeling about Las Vegas as a whole.  Everything is glittery on the surface, but that's about it.  They whole thing is a rip-off facsimile of better, more authentic places.  Everything costs a ton, and then the vacation is ultimately forgettable.  

[Landomatic 3813]

35 minutes ago, HookEm said:

Just got back from Vegas.  Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really care for Absinthe or Opium.  I'm all for crude humor if it is at all clever.  To me though, these shows just seem lazy.  They were funny at the time, but entirely forgettable.  Like eating a candy bar.  Except the candy bar is priced like a steak.  Oh, you're swinging around a dildo. That's so provocative! Yawn.

In fact, that is starting to be my feeling about Las Vegas as a whole.  Everything is glittery on the surface, but that's about it.  They whole thing is a rip-off facsimile of better, more authentic places.  Everything costs a ton, and then the vacation is ultimately forgettable.  

Getting old sucks.

[HookEm 2468]

43 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Getting old sucks.

Fair.

[Landomatic 3813]

4 hours ago, HookEm said:

Fair.

Starting to feel the same.  Partying my balls off isn’t as much fun as it used to be.  Don’t really gamble.  And the only really truly over the top opulent amazing thing they’ve added in forever is the Wynn/Encore which is now like 15 years old and starting to feel dated.  It’s lost it’s appeal for sure.  But I figure it’s just because I’m getting older.  Used to go 3-4 times a year for fun.  I’ll be surprised if I go at all this year.

[RPM 26356]

I'm old and I had a blast last time I was there. I also smoked a LOT of weed. That may have been a contributing factor.

[Buzzrock 14944]

At Libertine Social, the new gastropubat Mandalay, they have a $175 beef short rib pastrami for the table. They slice it and give you some accoutrements like lettuce wraps and horseradish. Then they take about half of it back and make reubens out of it. It’s ridiculously good and feeds probably six people.

I didn’t get a before shot.

[Bartles 769]

Vegas gets like 2 percent less fun every time I go, but I'm nowhere near giving it up. A couple things in my wheelhouse that have actually improved over time are the preponderance of flatscreen TVs showing live sports (not just in the books) and availability of decent draft beer in most strip casinos.

[Francisco 2.0 32430]

16 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Starting to feel the same.  Partying my balls off isn’t as much fun as it used to be.  Don’t really gamble.  And the only really truly over the top opulent amazing thing they’ve added in forever is the Wynn/Encore which is now like 15 years old and starting to feel dated.  It’s lost it’s appeal for sure.  But I figure it’s just because I’m getting older.  Used to go 3-4 times a year for fun.  I’ll be surprised if I go at all this year.

You'll have Resorts World to take a gander at in the next year or so.  Equaling the Wynn properties is a high bar.  Maybe they can reach it.

Wonder if Wynn is still going to develop the land across the strip anytime soon.

As for the older thing, yeah.  Last trip, like we've done several times before, we went to Sterling Brunch.  Walking out of Bally's, my wife asked me if it felt underwhelming to me, as it did her.  I had to agree.  We aren't doing it this summer.

 

 

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Wonder if Wynn is still going to develop the land across the strip anytime soon.
 
 

Still in the planning (re-planning) phase. Nothing concrete announced yet but likely they will go forward to develop that land.

[Angry Gorilla 1769]

At Libertine Social, the new gastropubat Mandalay, they have a $175 beef short rib pastrami for the table. They slice it and give you some accoutrements like lettuce wraps and horseradish. Then they take about half of it back and make reubens out of it. It’s ridiculously good and feeds probably six people.

I didn’t get a before shot.

Libertine Social is great. And the chef is from Dallas.

[Junior Miller 1502]

On 1/13/2020 at 11:38 AM, Zepol87 said:

Any rankings you guys can give on the shows? I heard the Cirque Beatles show is pretty badass. Never seen one live and want to change that.

When we went last year we wanted a low down and dirty type of show to try and we chose Zombie Burlesque at the Planet Hollywood. We at a dinner at Mr Chow in Cesar's, got liquored up at the Davidoff of Geneva cigar bar, and really enjoyed that show. 

[bigup2dahorns 3343]