Lee-PA July 2003 "To Do" list

Shows,
Well, my luck with shows has been pretty bad lately, so I figure I need to switch and maybe think outside the box a little.

I'm thinking adult show of some kind. I've put this on my other to-do lists, but never made it. This trip is the one!!!
I'll probably hit a comedy club also, as these are relative cheap. I also may break down and see Mac king that everyone has been raving about here on talkvegas.
I'll see the Fireworks somewhere, probably out at Texas Station.
Bellagio, atrium and take in a lounge act

Food,
Fat Burger (been craving ne of those for weeks now)
PF Changs (always on the list)
Main Street Station Brew pub (sushi and black chip porter beer)
Pasta Pirate (haven't seen Dean for a couple of trips now)
Green Valley Ranch Stations irish pub for Sunday brunch and bloody mary bar.
Canal Street for dinner at the Orleans
Anna Bella's for dinner with Wendell & company! LOL
Barleys for some dark beer and fish & chips

Gambling,
This stays pretty solid, and doesn't change much from trip to trip.
California & Main Street Station (treasure Chest Machines), Fremont (to do battle with the only $5 treasure chest machine they have), Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas Club (nickle Jackpot Party reel machines), Flamingo & Paris & Bally's (at least at my favorite bars), Imperial Palace, Sahara (if I can get Sharon to sit down at a table for some blackjack), Green Valley Ranch Station, Sunset Station, Barleys, Palace Station, Canery (just because I like the place), Golden Nugget (progressive deuces wild)

Other Stuff,
I'm looking forward to having my Daughter & Son-in-law along for a portion of this trip.
I'd love to go horseback riding, but not this trip, way too warm for that IMHO.
Who knows, maybe I'll even go to the pool one daythis trip. It's been years since I did that on a LV vacation.
Check out the Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa, (old Maxium).
Do a roller Coaster or 2 this trip. I still haven't ridden the Manhatten Express yet! This should be the trip for it. Heck maybe I can con my daughter and son in law on it too!
Visit with friends.

Well, that is it.
I don't plan to do a lot of driving, and I'm hoping I have better luck with my rental car (so it doesn't get hit by a bus this trip)

Lee -

If you're going to take in a lounge act at Bellagio, I highly recommend Jimmy Hopper who plays at the Fontana Lounge. He plays 3 or 4 nights per week. He's got a very eclectic band and they play mostly cover tunes. He looks like Sting and sounds like a cross between Sting and Billy Joel. I'll also add that I've had A LOT of luck at the dollar DB and DDB machines right outside the Fontana Lounge - more luck on the DDB machines closer to the Fontana and the DB machines closer to the cashier's cage.

I have never been able to get myself to get a Fat Burger. I can't tell you the number of times I've walked into the one across from Monte Carlo and they just didn't look good to me. I'm going to have to force myself to try one next time - they're always on your list!

PF Changs - always excellent! They opened one near where I work and I'm a regular now.

I think it's funny that you like sushi now - I remember a while back when you said you didn't even want to try it.

The Manhattan Express is a fun ride. It's especially thrilling when you go zinging around the Statue of Liberty.

I didn't see the Mexican restaurant at Terribles on your list. I'm intending on trying that place on my next trip at YOUR recommendation! Hmmm....

I'm not familiar with Canal Street at the Orleans. What type of food is that.

From all my questions and comments, can you tell I like to eat??

Have fun!

Mike

Good food choices Lee. Nice variety of foods and types of places. I'll have to try Changs sometime. I have never been there.

Mike,
I had left the Mexican at Terribles off the list because it's just a cafe, that we normally end up at one time during out trip. It's a given one day I'll be there, without trying! LOL

As for canal Street, it's the Orleans high end resturant, with out the highend prices. Service always fine, with an old vegas feel about the place. You know, the guy with the crumb scrapper, the saled cart and such.

Your correct about the sushi thing, I used to call it "Bait"! LOL I admit I don't like all of it. I do love the tuna, it melts like butter in my mouth! The yellow tail is another favorite. Oddly enough, it's the "rolls" I don't much care for. Each trip I try new choices. I'm very picky where I'll eat sushi. Main Street Station seems to sell a lot of it, so I feel it stays pretty fresh. The last thing I want is bad fish on vacation!

Mike, you really should give fat burger a try, and please don't forget to order a real milkshake, while your there! JMT took me to my first fat burger meal many years ago, and I haven't found another place that makes them as good, including my home grilling! I always over order and over eat at this place. Oh and thier egg sandwich is pretty darn good too! And yes, I washed that down with a real vanilla shake too! LOL the juke box also has some nice tunes in it also. At Sunset station I usually enjoy playing the VP closest to the fat burger juke box, when it's cranking out the tunes!

John, All I can say to you is, Your missing the boat on this one! To date, I've never taken anyone in PF Changs and for them not to enjoy the food. Hint, order a couple long island iced tea's. My favorite mixed drink in the place!

Lee -

You SHOULD be picky about where you eat sushi. If I see a place that's busy a lot of the time, they're usually the best places. It's the places that seem empty most of the time that you should be wary about.

As far as the rolls go, spicy tuna rolls are my favorite. If you haven't tried one of those, you should.

Mike

Mike, I haven't tried the spicy tuna rolls yet. The California, shrimp & crab are the only types I tried, then gave up. I was disapointed, because the california roll is probably the most popular type, and it did nothing for me!

One note to other would-be sushi eaters....watch out for the Wasabi!

Lee, I heard a rumor that a comedy club act with Darryl Rhoads would be in Vegas in July. Do you happen to have it on any of your lists? I saw the band back in the 70s when it was Darry Rhoades and the Hahavishnu Orchestra. They were somewhere between Frank Zappa and the Atlanta Rhythm Section It's probably something I shouldn't try to mentally revisit although it would be an incentive for a Vegas trip.

Lee - quite a list of activities you have there - it will be interesting to note how much you have to "down size" - I had to down size mine quite abit. (For Mike: The Canal Street at the Orleans specializes in "Cajun", howcver; their rib-eye with that terrific sauce is great - restaurant is comparable with the Cortez of the Gold Coast, both being "top notch" restaurants. Don McGuils (sp) at the Orleans is also great for Mexican food, especially when served with great Margaritas. For Lee: See ya soon. LOL

fyi-- canal menu on the orleans website

Lee.....If you want to try another great spot for fish and chips, directly across the street from Barley's is the Village Pub. They have a great fish and chips basket on their menu. I usually get a bottle of Newcastle to go with it.

Let me know when you are going to be at Barley's or in that area, we could hook up for a brew.

Lee - it looks like you've planned another leisurely, sit around the casino/the pool/the bar trip NOT!

Its always fun to read your plans and even more fun to read your trip reports!

Your restaurant list reminds me - have you (or other TV folks out there) eaten at Sammy's woodfired pizza? We met David's cousin at one of them - the chopped chicken salad was good and really different. Imagine a green salad with italian dressing, chopped really fine with chunks of chicken and served in a huge mound. Not your chicken mayo celery salad. That was new to me.

Looks like we'll be spending perfectly good traveling money on home improvements this summer - so I'll be depending on the trip reports for my LV fix!

Kes

The Irish pub in Rampart Casino out by Suncoast has some excellent food. Shelley had some great Irish stew and I had some wonderful fish and chips. The fish portion was almost as good as what I was getting in Scotland last March. The chips were just fries. Not bad but not the equal to Scotland's.

Oh yea, they've got beer. <g>

There's also a new Irish pub opening up in NYNY that looks interesting. Could be another good place for fish and chips and beer. I think it's called Nine Irishmen.

Don't get me wrong, I like Barley's. I just prefer them for pizza and a beer.

Oh My God! Ralph, are you telling me they have NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE there? I come from Newcastle Upon Tyne which is where that beer originates (Its called 'Dog'in the local vernacular)

Lee, like I said in my trip report, PF Changs was one of the best meals I had ever (actually twice) - great choice! Also, I haven't gotten around to posting this yet, but we went to see 'Viva Las Vegas' one afternoon at the Strat, expecting a really low quality, cheesy revue show - but for the price of a beer it was really good, pretty funny comics and an excellent girl singer whose name unfortunately escapes me - give it a try.

Yes......Newcastle Brown Ale is served in many places around here. They have it on tap at the new H@@TER's that recently opened in Sunset Station, Romano's Macaroni Grill has Newcastle on tap also. I love the stuff

Vease & Ralph,
I've heard it called "brown dog" on a couple of carribean islands I've visited. Newcastle is a great beer. I remember a day on Grand Caymen, well sort of....the end of the day got a little fuzzy.
Ralph, I have no idea of when we'll go to Barleys or Sunset station. e-mail me a phone number and I can call and give you a heads up. Or you can always join the party at Anna Bella's on the 3rd of July!

Lee....Anything in the evening is not possible at this time, lil' Cajun's baseball practice has us on the ballfield 6 nights a week right now for All-Stars.

However, I do have the day off on Thursday the 3rd of July. If you want to hook up for lunch and a brew that day would work out. Gordon Biersh around noon would be a good choice, Mrs. LVC has to work, but she might be able to join us for lunch since she works right by the place in the WFC tower.

Phone number will be in your email.

Ralph,
Noon, Gordon Breich July 3rd we'll be there!
Lee-PA

Roger that on GB's at noon on the 3rd.