A Blind Date with 14 People

I am not organized enough to do a day by day trip report

That was gret Kes, I can't wait to read about the other 9 days.

Seriously, I'm gonna have to read it a few more times to ask questions. And feel free to talk about the caricature convention. I talked to David about it briefly and it was interesting. It was nice meeting you two and I hope y'all get back soon. Thanks!

Okay, I especially liked your eating part. And those Nathans fries are some of my favorites.

I'm glad I don't have to fly much. I don't think that I could put up with that runaround. I'd rather take a 10 hour flight than run from counter to counter hearing about delays and oversells and such. It must have been tough to sit on the ramp at Las Vegas for an hour.

I may have gotten confused. Which one of theals was the one that you took your Japanese friends to?

Thanks Again to you and David. Your trip report was great. And your MSS pizza is on the way!

On second thought, forget about the pizza, JMT. Delivery pizza is always cold when it arrives.

We took the Japanese to OutbackSteakhouse. What better thing for foreign visitors than an Australian themed steak house in America?

LOL, a better thing would be Lone Star, a Texas themed steakhouse in Nevada.

Thank you for planning my next trip for me<vbg> ... I was reading the things you did and actually backed up and started writing down some of the things I've been putting off for too long ...Big Elvis, a return to the Bellagio Conservatory/Fountains, Shark Reef, Silverton Mermaids.. and I think I'm going to have to see KA.

I wonder what's going on at Alamo ... it doesn't seem to matter what day you show up lately, they will be out of intermediate cars. It's no big problem since they upgrade readily, but it just isn't exactly good planning either.

TV meets are addicting ... we really are a community of friends. I used to go to Nevada just for the gambling and be burnt out in 2-3 days. Now, I can go for a week ... and wish I had even more time to sightsee and visit with friends.

Sooooo .. when's the next trip?

I went to that Lone Star steakhouse one Monday and they had all you can eat ribs for about $15. They were pretty good. I found juicier and more tender all you can eat ribs on Mondays for $10 at a local bar and grill. I burned out from excess and haven't back to either in a long time.

Kes,

Thanks for the very detailed trip report. Also, congratulations on organizing your first "TalkVegas Meet". It sounds like it was a great success. David's talents must have made the meet more unique than any past meets. Hope to meet you in the future.

Daisy - Don't know when the next trip is. Chances are my next one will be solo, since it is difficult for David to leave his business.

And about Alamo, technically when we were walking to the lot there was One intermediate car left in the row. There was a guy with a cane slooowly making his way towards it. I briefly thought, I can get past him! But then I realized - what was I thinking??? Anyway I wasn't surprised they were out on a late Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend. I was surprised I got a reservation at all!

JMT = excess of ribs? I don't understand that sentence.

Kestral - Thank you for a GREAT trip report - they're NEVER too long! I loved all the details!

I'm so happy that you enjoyed KA. And your description of it was just like mine - "hard to describe" and "left you speechless."

I'm also glad that you got to try the Border Grill - I've eaten there a few times and have really loved it. But I can never get anyone to go there with me! Your experience at the Shark Reef also sounded like fun.

Also sounds like you had fun gambling. Congrats on the wins!

One question - is David an artist for a living? That sounds very interesting!

I'm very sorry I missed your meet - it sounded wonderful.

Thanks again - Mike

kes-great report!you and david made the meet special.i also like the silverton,in fact the best quality food we had on our trip was at the silverton and the mss brewpub.todai is one of my fav meals in vegas but we have two outlets in seattle so we don't go there much anymore.

Kes,

Great trip report! What you stopped in Detroit and didn't give us a call! LOL! We are 10 min from the airport (in case you ever have to stop here again). We enjoyed meeting everyone too, thanks again for the meet. Can't wait to do it again!

Congrats on the win on the way out, that's the best way to do it. Take it home with you.

Thanks for the great read and it wasn't too long!

Karen

Kestal,
Thanks for the short report! I was really expecting a monster whale of a report and instead we got a guppy! LOL
I thought the tank out at silverton was nice, but what really caught my eye was the two round jelly fish tanks above the bar. Way cool!
It was nice meeting you, and I see another trip in your near future, and you must use those AA vouchers, before they expire. Thier is a $100 renewal fee charged if they go past a year old.
Thanks for taking the time to write it all up for us and we look forward to seeing you both again at a talkvegas meet. Thanks for setting this one up, your a natural!
Animal burger at In & Out, please refresh my memory, what is that again.

Mike - yes, David is an artist for a living. He is a caricature artist - does commission caricatures for companies, party caricatures and trade shows and events, and also is a teaching artist in the schools and libraries, teaching artist workshops. He works in Japan once a year for 6 weeks.

So, don't miss another one, Mike!

Gee Tim & karen - I will be passing through Detroit again at the end of the month, along with 20 of my closest friends --- I am escorting a Landmark Society trip to Nashville---- so if we get stuck, we'll all just drop by!

Lee, I thought those jellyfish tanks were awesome, too. The bar was full when we were there, otherwise I could just sit and stare at that for hours. And, In and OUt burger animal style means add some grilled onions grilled with mustard, and I think it also means extra sauce. Just know it tastes good!

ANd aftet getting that Aladdin offer, I am tempted to use those vouchers next month! (or my voucher, at least!) Good reminder on the renewal fee - I did not know that.

Thanks for all the comments. When David gets past his current commission I will get him to post some photos.

Kestral, I feel better about the animal style burger now. I don't know why, but I was thinking raw, and that was just too gross to even imagine you eating!
American and Continental have IMHO the best volinteer policy. They issue vouchers that have no black out dates. They have a dollar value, and can be used on any flight with out any capacity controls. Unlike Usair and others that issue a coupon for 1 free RT. Most of those are treated like Frequnt Flyer miles tickets. The more popular places are never available, because capisity controls.

We checked with American before volunteering, hoping David could use his voucher towards an international flight - they said no problem.

We almost got bumped off our Northwest flight the next day and they were offering $300 OR a RT ticket. The agent advised taking the $300 voucher, saying the RT had too many restrictions similar to FF seats.

And raw hamburger? I do like my burgers and steaks on the medium rare side, but not raw.

I save that for fish. ;-}

Kes,

No problem just call me so I can pick up all the toys so none of your closest friends trip! Oh and I can get some beverages!!! LOL! Do they deliver Black Chip Porter?

You never know, it is Michigan and you never know about the weather, yesterday almost 60 today barely 15 degrees.

Kestral

Great trip report.
I thought I had to travel for days back to Europe each time, but this hopping around from desk to desk to catch a flight is terrible.I always get really anoyed when this happens to us.

You are right about the Ramada though, we stayed there once when our chicago flight to Amsterdam was overbooked and we got bumped.

Seems you liked my favorite casino the Silverton.You must try it some time, it has great rooms for little money or even for free.They are great with comps.

Again thanks for sharing this report.

What???? No "Love Tub" room at the IP????? They advertise those in a big way around here for Valentine's Day!
We love Big Elvis! We were going to go to his Birthday Party, but figured it would be a zoo......was it? The first time we heard him, we heard recorded Elvis, and were thinking that this guy, this Big Elvis, could not sound anything like him. I hate impersonators.........anyway, I went around the end of the bank of vp machines, and it was not recorded Elvis, it was Big Elvis, live and in person......... We stayed for two shows. I think he's terrific!
Enjoyed your trip report. Your meet was great fun too. Thanks for both.
Your trip home sounds horrendous........I love going places, but when I'm headed home, I want to get there.
Congrats on your win, nice to take some money home, as a "starter" for your next trip..
And...........everyone.........for heaven's sake, quit telling everyone else how wonderful the Silverton is!!! It's getting hard to get near our favorite coffeeshop...

Okay. The Silverton coffee shop is just terrible, everybody stay away (so the Taters and Jan and David and I can get in!)

We stayed one night in a Luv Tub 2 years ago. I mean, we stayed one night in the room, not the tub. Tho it is big enough to sleep in! We got moved to the LT room when the bathtub in our room started leaking into the room below, ironically as David was taking a bath.

That luv tub sure is one big bath - and takes a loooong time to fill. It also helps with the dry weather, since its in the same room as the bed, fill that baby once and the room is humidified.

We won't talk about the mirrors.

The Big Elvis birthday party was certainly crowded, but not a zoo - at least not for the early show. We had no problem standing and watching from near the bar, and seeing the cocktail waitresses try to squeeze through the crowds.

Kes, I never noticed the mirror above the bed when I stayed there.

Larry, did I say anything about the location of the mirrors?

I better be careful here.

I think to notice the mirror you have to be facing up.



Or, at least have the lights turned on??

(my apologies for this post. As I think Daisy said, withdrawal is an ugly thing!)

Kes,

Great novel!

I always hate it when there's virgins at a meet and I can't make it. Glad to hear you had a good time. Guess we'll have to meet another time.

Is the Borg invasion a ride similar to the old one? I think I've been to it 3 times.

You need to try the chicken fried steak at the Silverton coffee shop. It's kind of like a big hub cap with gravy. Actually, it's delicious. I try to splurge there for breakfast one per trip. You can kind of hear your veins cloggin up as you eat.

Thanks for the great report. Really enjoyed reading it.

Sounds yummy Jeff - actually it really does. I love chicken fried steak.

The Borg invasion is different than the old ride. Well, they both start with walk throughs and encounters with actors. The Borg walk thru is more like a haunted house, in a fun way. Then at the end,, instead of a ride simulator you enter a theatre and see a 3-D movie, with a few 4-D surprises. It's fun.

I guess by Daisy's count there were six of us virgins at this meet. Better get to one soon or there won't be any of us left!

Kes - I really enjoyed you and your blind date with 14 was a huge sucess - your spouse with his artistic talents really stole the show. Your report indicates you really got a bang for your buck in Vegas, so when is your next trip?? Hope you guys can make it Thanksgiving. I note that you share my taste for "chicken fried steak" - don't mean to brag but I have yet to find any better than here in Texas - I intend to pursue JMT,S quest next week in Vegas. You really made a great report, hosted a great meet, and had a great trip - hope to see you guys soon!

I tried the one at the Silverton. It was big. The taste was not bad. Unfortunately it did not rank with a real Texas chicken fried steak. It reminded me of just another prefab that arrived frozen and was deep fried at the last minute. It was a good hearty meal at a good price. I still have a few others to try before I give up.

JMT,

I think you were at a meet at Z-Tejas when I had a chicken-fried ribeye. It was pretty good but even fattier than normal for a ribeye.

Describe the meat in a "real Texas chicken fried steak". Is it like a pounded flank steak?

I know it sounds like I'm a tough customer that is impossible to please. I sort of like the challenge of looking for my ideal foods.

I always use tenderized round steak. I don't think I would try it with flank steak. Plate based steaks like flank and skirt are usually tough and greasy. These butcher cuts are best for fajitas, which isn't high on my food choice. Rib eyes are kinda fatty for chicken fried. I had a couple at ZTejas. Cute and gimmicky with good flavor, but as you said, too fatty.

Regardless, I like my chicken fried steak to be tenderized, dipped in an egg and water wash, coated in a white flour, and cooked in a skillet. And that's what I am looking for. That would meet the basic requirement. Z-Tejas did that. It's not on their menu anymore.

Once the steak is prepared in the right manner, it can be enchanced. They can use different cuts, different thicknesses, etc. It should be able to be cut with a fork. There are various ways to season or marinate the meat, season the egg wash, season the flour, and season the gravy to fine tune it. I also find that a cast iron skillet does a much better job. On a good chicken fried steak, the breading should not easily come off the steak as it is cut. This is a product of the correct egg/water mixture, the wetness of the steak, and the fry temperature.

Most of my finds lately are thin steaks that were pressed with a gritty yellow flour, frozen, and deep fried at the restaurant. I've also found that about half of the chicken fried steaks I see are on the breakfast menu. At the Silverton, I had the dinner version which came with mashed potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob.

"Excellent" recipe above Senator - try it, you just might like it. I prefer my fine tuning with good gravy.

montana chicken fried-traveled montana and would search out the small town restaurants in search of a good chicken fried steak.the best would be a hunk of round steak,pounded with seasoned flour,cooked in a skillet.remove steak and add beef stock and flour to make like a red-eye gravy and serve with mashed and green beans. yum gonna hafta cook some up tomorrow for dinner

Had a good time reading your report. You gave me a couple things to make a mental note about. (Although mental notes don't always work with me). I've been going to go see Big Elvis for a couple years...I need to do that the next trip. Also I had never heard about the Mermaids at Silverton. I've never been to Silverton and that will give me a reason to go. Sounds like you had a great trip.

Yeah, mental notes don't work with me either.

The ink always smears when I wipe my forehead. :rolleyes:

The mermaid show at Silverton is new. Alot over there is new. It was a pleasant surprise.

We just caught Big Elvis by luck, we went in to get David's free hot dog & beer with the ACG coupon.

Yes, it was a great trip. thanks for reading!

kes