Las Vegas go hard or go home thread

[gyroprotagonist 2594]

Since we are talking Italian,  really enjoyed Mother wolf last month.

 

[Skipper 6136]

I'll be in Vegas next weekend with the wife and it looks likely the Stars game will start around 6PM.   Looking for dinner options with a TV.   I've done Beer Park before and it was pretty solid.   Is that still my best bet or does anyone have other ideas?   That is of course assuming I keep my current reservation at Waldorf on the strip.   We're likely going to see the J. Timberlake concert at T Mobile on Friday night (have reservations at Catch/Aria before) so will likely just keep our reservation but I'm a little tempted to pivot to Circa considering both the Mavs and Stars will have games Saturday.  I haven't been but know they have a great sportsbook and Stadium Swim setup for game watching.  Has anyone stayed there?

[Buzzrock 14922]

Four days at the Encore this week. Very nice room but $50 craps tables is a turnoff.

Hasalon (Venetian) is very good and unique. It’s pretty new from an Israeli chef. One of the best tomahawk ribeyes I’ve ever had and lots of uniquely named and delicious dishes. The beets, ceviche, okra and branzino were standouts.

Chica (Venetian) has pretty good birria tacos and a legit tequila selection.

Bouchon (Venetian) was really good for a nice breakfast. Somehow I’d never been there.

The Sphere is incredible. I took a bunch of customers to the Postcard From Earth show, and had a big grin on my face the whole time. I can’t wait to see a concert there.

[kevwun 15797]

Hasalon sounds very relevant to my interests. They get that tomahawk from Creekstone which would explain why it was so good.

Edited May 10 by kevwun

[TxEx84 405]

6 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Four days at the Encore this week. Very nice room but $50 craps tables is a turnoff.

The Sphere is incredible. I took a bunch of customers to the Postcard From Earth show, and had a big grin on my face the whole time. I can’t wait to see a concert there.

I saw Phish at The Sphere a couple of weeks ago.  Un-fucking-believable.  I've never seen Phish, but friend is big fan so he convinced me to go.  They were perfect for the environment.  Incredible visuals and sound.

Stayed at The Wynn.  Agree that the $50 tables were a turn-off. However, pro tip: If going to show at The Sphere, stay at The Wynn instead of Venetian. There's a bridge that connects the hotel to Sphere. The crowds coming from/heading to the Venetian were ridiculous, but we missed all that.

[SubliminalHorn 6806]

I will be in Vegas along with my husband, BFF, and his wife weekend of 9/7. We’ll be watching the Michigan game there. Any recs for fun places to watch the game at 9 AM? Will any bars even be open that early?

 

Just kidding. I’ve read that Circa is a good place for games. Any place else we should consider? Would they have the volume up at all for the game?

We want to have a nice dinner Saturday night before we fly back Sunday morning. What’s some must haves restaurant-wise? Not too worried about price. Don’t necessarily want a stuffy place though. The type of food doesn’t really matter either, we aren’t picky eaters

Edited May 15 by SubliminalHorn

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Adios Mirage:

LAS VEGAS -- The iconic Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip will shut its doors this summer, the end of an era for a property credited with helping transform Sin City into an ultra-luxury resort destination.

The July 17 closure will clear the way for major renovations and construction on the 80-acre property, which is to reopen in 2027 as the Hard Rock Las Vegas, featuring a hotel tower in the shape of a guitar soaring nearly 700 feet above the heart of the Strip.

"We'd like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage," Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, said Wednesday in a statement announcing the closure.

It will be the second time this year that a Strip casino shutters. The Tropicana Las Vegas closed in April after 67 years to make room for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium planned as the future home of the relocating Oakland A's.

Developed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Mirage opened with a Polynesian theme as the Strip's first megaresort in 1989, spurring a building boom on the famous boulevard through the 1990s.

Its volcano fountain was one of the first sidewalk attractions, predating the Venetian's canals and the Bellagio's dancing fountains. It was known as a venue where tourists could see Siegfried and Roy taming white tigers or a Cirque du Soleil act set to a Beatles soundtrack.

The final curtain on the Beatles-themed show, which brought Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr back together for public appearances throughout its 18-year run, also comes down in July.

Hard Rock International said Wednesday that more than 3,000 employees will be laid off and it expects to pay them $80 million in severance.

The Culinary Workers Union, which represents numerous types of casino and hotel workers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the closure.

The Mirage became the first Strip property to be run by a Native American tribe in 2022, after Hard Rock International, which is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, purchased it from MGM Resorts in a cash deal worth nearly $1.1 billion.

Hard Rock said at the time that the property would remain open and operate under the Mirage brand for several years while it finalized renovation plans.

The Mirage is accepting no bookings for after July 14 and said any reservations past that date will be canceled and refunded.

https://abc7.com/post/the-mirage-hotel-casino-on-las-vegas-strip-to-close-this-summer-july-17/14821723/

[WBT 20600]

I liked the Mirage.  The lobby fish tank and their atrium were cool and Love was a good show.

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Also liked Mirage. The pool and sports book were decent and it’s a great location.

[SamsCorner 395]

Headed out next week for annual golf trip.  Gonna be 16 of us, an absolute blast.  One round at DragonRidge and 3 rounds a Cascata.  Any off strip recs for cheaper tables?  Played craps at Ellis Island last time out which was okay, but had to wait 30 minutes to get on the lone table they have.

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

It’s been awhile for me, but we played craps at Red Rocks Casino in Summerlin once. Decent locals casino in a nice area and I think the table minimums were reasonable maybe not like Ellis Island but definitely better than the Strip.

Someone on here would know but one of the downtown casinos also has low minimums for craps perhaps it’s El Cortez

[SubliminalHorn 6806]

21 hours ago, WBT said:

I liked the Mirage.  The lobby fish tank and their atrium were cool and Love was a good show.

My husband has never been to Vegas and I always told him that when we go we are for sure seeing Love. But of course it’s closing in July and we’re finally going in September 😭 

[sasquatch69 603]

Spent this week in Vegas for a work thing, so wasn’t able to be a restaurant high-roller (our order was keep expenses low). Having said that, the takeaway at Bang Bar (Momofuku’s casual concept at Cosmo) was quite good. Also watched the Mavs and Stars on Monday at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook, which was great – much more space than the cramped ones at Park MGM and Caesars that I checked out. Mainly spent my non-work time walking around and people watching.  Overall, it’s shockingly expensive compared to the last time I was there, too many damn people and the airport is dumpy. 

Edited May 17 by sasquatch69

[thunderlounge 7865]

2 hours ago, SubliminalHorn said:

My husband has never been to Vegas and I always told him that when we go we are for sure seeing Love. But of course it’s closing in July and we’re finally going in September 😭 

 

Take him to see "O" instead, over at Bellagio. So fucking worth it.

[Bill Brasky 1449]

10 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

It’s been awhile for me, but we played craps at Red Rocks Casino in Summerlin once. Decent locals casino in a nice area and I think the table minimums were reasonable maybe not like Ellis Island but definitely better than the Strip.

Someone on here would know but one of the downtown casinos also has low minimums for craps perhaps it’s El Cortez

El Cortez and California downtown were lowest minimums downtown in February -$10 when most others were $15 even with zero players 

[Skipper 6136]

On 5/16/2024 at 9:43 AM, SamsCorner said:

 Played craps at Ellis Island last time out which was okay, but had to wait 30 minutes to get on the lone table they have.

They have multiple tables.  Only 1 was open?  I walked right up to a $10 min table around midnight last Friday.  My favorite near strip place to gamble.  Makes me realize I never came back and did a trip report.  Here we go:

Stayed at Waldorf which I remain a big fan of.  Quiet and nice center strip location.  Your wife will like it.  Great for a work trip.  Would not recommend for a guys trip.  Never a wait to check in which is nice.  Top floor skybar under renovation so only a small area open for now but still a good place for a pre-dinner drink.  Super chill (no-party) pool that we went to for a bit Friday afternoon after landing.

Fri Dinner:  Catch @ Aria.  My 2nd time but had been several years.  Was actually really impressed (much moreso than first trip for a work dinner).  Everything we had was great except for branching out and trying a mojito pre-dinner drink which was awful.  Server saw our reaction and immediately took them and offered our choice.  Good service.

J. Timberlake Concert:  Tons of fun.  His pre-concert DJ may have been just as good.  Nothing but 90's and 2000's jams he knew his audience.  T Mobile is a great venue for anything.

Ellis Island:  Great as always.  Grinded on a craps table for a couple of hours and think I cashed out +$60.  That's a win.

Crack Shack:  Ok, this is a place I found on my last work trip.  Convinced my wife to ditch the fancy brunch we had scheduled and hit it right next door for chicken sandwiches and champagne.  Really good shit.

Circa:  So we went here for Mavs game 3 v. OKC (12:30 local start).  I bet $500 on the Mavs and got a $450 minimum spend daybed.   We know how that played out so daybed and lots of drinks were effectively free.  We did NOT hit our minimum (I did my part, wife couldn't hang) but great afternoon.  Stadium Swim is phenomenal as is the sports book in the casino.  After leaving we walked down the Freemont St. experience and I lost $100 or so at blackjack in some casino.  I don't think I have been downtown in 15+ years but was very impressed with what they have done.  I think we are all in on staying at Circa next trip and just doing 1 night trip to the strip.  I like (but don't love) to gamble and tons of "Eliis Island" equivalents downtown. The steakhouse at Circa is supposed to be great as well for a good meal.

Dinner:  Somehow made it to Pieros.  It was solid as always.  Kind of a blur.  I got my Veal Parm and we got a pasta dish and salad and split it all and left a lot of food on the table.  Stars game started so had to leave.

Beer Park:  Still my favorite (only place I know not a sportsbook?) to watch a big game.  Great bar setup.  Bellagio fountains going.  Stars win.  All fantastic.

On way back I drag my wife through Planet Hollywood and find a craps table.  Tread water a couple of rolls then guy at end of table has a massive roll.  He finally crapped out when I had over $500 still on the table but I took $650 off before that.  Probably should have seen how far the Mavs, Stars, Craps heater could take me but was done at that point so tipped dealers, cashed out and called it a trip. 

Great time as always.  Love that city. 

 

 

 

[NoRagrets 1125]

Has anyone been to the Italian American Club?  Went last night. Ambiance A+, Food a solid B. 

Edited May 20 by NoRagrets

[Francisco 2.0 32395]

On 5/18/2024 at 8:25 PM, Skipper said:

 The steakhouse at Circa is supposed to be great as well for a good meal.

 

It's great.  Wife and I went a few years ago; Barry came to our table, introduced himself, gave us a few recommendations on the menu (he recommended the wet aged rib cap steak, which I highly recommend as well), then doubled back after we had been served and visited for a bit.   Outstanding service, atmosphere is similar to Bavette's. 

 

 

[Carl Spackler 3485]

On 5/18/2024 at 8:25 PM, Skipper said:

They have multiple tables.  Only 1 was open?  I walked right up to a $10 min table around midnight last Friday.  My favorite near strip place to gamble. 

Ellis was running only one craps table on a Saturday night the last time I was there, which was early December last year.  Still like going there for off-Strip gambling.  Always seem to walk away even or better.

[Goofyboy 3293]

Apparently Ellis is suing F1 Vegas for losses during the race.

[Buzzrock 14922]

 
Take him to see "O" instead, over at Bellagio. So fucking worth it.

Unpopular opinion but I like Ka better than O.

Avoid Mystere.

[kevwun 15797]

15 hours ago, Goofyboy said:

Apparently Ellis is suing F1 Vegas for losses during the race.

Might as well get that lawyer to draw up their bankruptcy filing because that's around the corner.

Edited May 22 by kevwun

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Jose Andres rumors:

We’re hearing Bazaar Meat restaurant, brainchild of chef and philanthropist Jose Andres, is expected to close in the next few months.

This chatter comes on the heels of Andres revealing the name of a new restaurant he announced back in March 2023. Bazaar Mar will open at the The Shops at Crystals, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Zaytinya is set for the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. We told you Caesars was getting a Jose Andres restaurant way back in 2021.

Bazaar Meat is considered by many to be one of the best steakhouses in Las Vegas.

The outstanding restaurant has been hobbled by being located at the Sahara casino, whose asshat owner filed a baseless lawsuit against this blog about a rumor related to the resort’s financial struggles, a mistake which cost him substantially more than $95,000 in our legal fees when he and his buffoonish lawyers got their asses handed to them in court. Multiple times. Fun read, not a particularly fun nine months for us.

The First Amendment won, legal bullying lost. Our free speech doesn’t chill, sorry.

Anyway, we haven’t talked about Sahara for several years, because they don’t deserve our patronage or attention (we were the resort’s most vocal fan until the aforementioned asshattery), but a potential Bazaar Meat closure is big news because we’re excited Chef Andres and his team can now throw off the yoke of a toxic casino owner and expand their family of dining offerings in Las Vegas.

Andres also operates the well-regarded Jaleo and E by Jose Andres at Cosmopolitan.

Yes, it’s supposed to be “é” (pronounced “ay”) but we don’t do stylistic affectation, sorry. Please ignore our use of the first person plural so we don’t seem like a complete hypocrite, thanks.

We are a big fan of Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen. The organization was recently in the headlines for horrific reasons. Seven World Central Kitchen workers died in Gaza following an air strike. Yeah, the world is fairly FUBAR at the moment.

Word of the looming closure of Bazaar Meat was passed along by multiple employees, according to a source. The rumor is the restaurant will “probably be gone within three months.”

There has been no official announcement of the closure, nor any confirmation of the rumor. We have not heard back from Bazaar Meat or Sahara about this rumor. We aren’t exactly on speaking terms with Sahara, despite our love and compassion for its employees, so we aren’t holding our breath for a response.

Our fondest wish is when Bazaar Meat closes, they take the Sloppy Joe to one of the chef’s new restaurants. We miss it so.

https://www.casino.org/vitalvegas/rumor-look-for-closing-of-bazaar-meat-in-next-few-months/

[kevwun 15797]

They have been working on that restaurant in The Shops forever it seems like.  Between our last 2 trips to Vegas there was no discernible progress made on it.

Edited May 22 by kevwun

[GreenspointTexas 9616]

Bazaar Meat is one of the best restaurants in Vegas. Its a must visit for the wife and I every time we get to town. Sad to see it go
 

Bazaar Mar should be fun

[BHMCruiser 1814]

I have to say I have eaten several times for dinner at Bouchon and think it's at best mediocre.

[TXSooner518 2438]

I have to say I have eaten several times for dinner at Bouchon and think it's at best mediocre.

Get breakfast/brunch there.

[MidTexHorn 822]

7 hours ago, BHMCruiser said:

I have to say I have eaten several times for dinner at Bouchon and think it's at best mediocre.

We only ever do brunch there, and it's one of my all time favorite brunches ever, anywhere. We like it so much that when we had a 4 hour layover in Vegas a few years back we took a cab over to the Venetian just to have brunch at Bouchon before heading back to the airport. Everyone we take loves it too.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

MDW lit.  Best bungalow at LIV pool and wet today.  LIV tonight 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

Update.  Rough recovery.  Fountainebleau is gonna struggle a bit.  Casino floor was empty.  Just their f&b venues packed.  That won’t cut it with what they spent.  

Vegas still lagging far behind miami for talent.  It’s BYOB for the most part.  

Still a blast, can’t wait for F1.  

[Scary Stranger 1715]

Apparently, I've made so many poor life choices.

[BHMCruiser 1814]

On 5/23/2024 at 9:50 PM, MidTexHorn said:

We only ever do brunch there, and it's one of my all time favorite brunches ever, anywhere. We like it so much that when we had a 4 hour layover in Vegas a few years back we took a cab over to the Venetian just to have brunch at Bouchon before heading back to the airport. Everyone we take loves it too.

10-4 good to know. I go to the Venetian/Palazzo every year so I will try brunch there next time. 

[RPM 26322]

On 5/30/2024 at 11:36 PM, ChiTownDoc said:

Vegas still lagging far behind miami for talent.

It's Thursday. Only the bottom feeders are out. The Main Stage shows up on Friday.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

1 hour ago, RPM said:

It's Thursday. Only the bottom feeders are out. The Main Stage shows up on Friday.

Lol that was the update for MDW when I was there.  I left well before making any assessment ha

[hornbri 1400]

On 5/30/2024 at 11:36 PM, ChiTownDoc said:

Fountainebleau is gonna struggle a bit.  Casino floor was empty.  Just their f&b venues packed.  That won’t cut it with what they spent.  

Same experience when I was there. 

 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

3 minutes ago, hornbri said:

Same experience when I was there. 

 

Yes.  And Dave Grutman pretty pissed about how they’re running things.  Pushing to have ‘his’ people take over ops on the clubs/restaurants.  He got 5% or so for licensing the names basically.  So f&b is only thing working cash flow wise and that’s in real trouble.  This could end up a legendary fail.  
 

Forgot to mention.  Poodle room there is fucking amazing.  I think it’s a bitch to get in and they actually follow a no pics rule.  Few girls had their phones taken away until they left.  Worth going if you can, may not be around too long.  

[RPM 26322]

12 hours ago, hornbri said:

Same experience when I was there. 

 

That site struggled for years just to be completed. 

[Francisco 2.0 32395]

 

 

 

[Goofyboy 3293]

Yes.  And Dave Grutman pretty pissed about how they’re running things.  Pushing to have ‘his’ people take over ops on the clubs/restaurants.  He got 5% or so for licensing the names basically.  So f&b is only thing working cash flow wise and that’s in real trouble.  This could end up a legendary fail.  
 
Forgot to mention.  Poodle room there is fucking amazing.  I think it’s a bitch to get in and they actually follow a no pics rule.  Few girls had their phones taken away until they left.  Worth going if you can, may not be around too long.  

Poodle Room is a members only spot. Rough price for membership is $20k. I can’t imagine why it might go away.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

2 hours ago, Goofyboy said:

Poodle Room is a members only spot. Rough price for membership is $20k. I can’t imagine why it might go away.

We know the FB people well.  Didn’t know the membership thing - I meant go away if the whole thing goes under.  

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Eagles to the Sphere

[Surly Bevo 25036]

1 hour ago, bigup2dahorns said:

Eagles to the Sphere
 

[RPM 26322]

5 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

Eagles to the Sphere
 

Fuck yeah!

[kevwun 15797]

Looks like MGM is gonna fuck people who had status at Cosmo real good.  I am in the 2nd highest tier at Cosmo and am going to be in the 2nd lowest after the switch.  I don't know if we're gonna get free rooms anymore.  They are even taking away access to the quick check in line.  My friend who has a host and is in the highest tier is going to end up in the same tier as me.  She's getting super fucked.

[thunderlounge 7865]

Yep, super fucked.

It’s a shame their the only property left with private balconies, unless I missed one.

[hornbri 1400]

On 6/21/2024 at 9:08 AM, thunderlounge said:

Yep, super fucked.

It’s a shame their the only property left with private balconies, unless I missed one.

MGM Grand has some in their “signature” tower. But they are not strip facing. 

Edited June 22 by hornbri

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Las Vegas blistered past the previous all-time high temperature record, hitting 120 degrees at 3:38 p.m. Sunday.

“We thought it couldn’t go any higher and then it did,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Ashley Nickerson.

The morning low at Harry Reid International Airport, the official measuring station, was 88 at 5:20 a.m., well short of the July 7 highest low of 93 set in 2018.
The temperature hit 100 at 8:35 a.m. and climbed again to 106 around 10:45 a.m.

[Francisco 2.0 32395]

Just got back from 6 nights at Encore.  Had both Peter Lugar's and SW this trip, and maybe it was a bad night---but SW was head and shoulders better, both in food and service.  Sinatra was outstanding.  Spent an evening at a few NBA summer league games, had a cabana at the pool for a couple of days,  sat at the lobby bar at Encore for hours splitting a couple of bottles of wine with the missus; you get the idea.  

The older I get, it's getting harder and harder to find a reason to leave the Wynn/Encore complex during our stay.  

 

 

[kevwun 15797]

Peter Lugar's does not make good steaks.  The sides are fine, but I can make a better steak at home and it's not close.