Adam Richman from Man vs. Food ate at Hash House a Go Go while in Vegas. He tasted a Fried Chicken Benedict. Older Son (13) and Mr. 94CG each ordered one. The thing's absolutely humongous... and the son ate the entire thing. Every yum-tastic bite. All the waiters kept coming over to ask us if we wanted to-go boxes, but he kept refusing, and kept plugging away at his meal. One of the waiters finally told us that 99% of the people who eat there don't finish their food and have to get to-go boxes, so that's why they make the practice of frequently asking if you want one. Older Son got a standing ovation and five or six fist-bumps from the waitstaff. I believe he took a photo of the food on his cell phone, but he and the phone are at school right now, so I'll have to work that out later.
Younger Son had a waffle with bacon in it. I had the Warsaw Hash- ground turkey, bacon, smoked mozzarella, and onions, served over potatoes with two eggs any style (mine are over medium). Both absolutely great, although I only ate half of mine. Again... humongous portions.
House of Blues in Mandalay Bay has had celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez re-vamp their menu, and that location is the first in the country to roll out the changes. Really good stuff. Had a pine nut flatbread pizza that was really damn good, and thank GOD they serve Coca-Cola products there. I can't friggin' stand Diet Pepsi, and that's all that the casinos we basically stayed at (Mandalay Bay and Luxor, for the most part) serve. The Juicy Lucy burger I had was really tasty, but it was supposed to be two patties stuffed with cheese (I think Gouda), and the cheese had cooked out, so it just had... kind of... essence of cheese. But still tasty.
Don't let the heat fool you- yes, it's 107, but the Mandalay Bay beach and pool area gets a really brisk wind which tends to get chilly. Wear water shoes or flip-flops on every piece of sand or sidewalk you encounter or your feet will burn. Badly. The lazy river actually moves you at a pretty good clip and it's always packed. If you ain't on a rented or bought float, expect to get kicked in the head. Stay in one of the regular pools or the wave pool. And their Moorea Bay pool area is adults-only, although we didn't go. Mr. 94CG wondered how the casino gets away with allowing "tops optional" there because it's technically a public place, but it's not like we looked into it.
For those who don't know, Mr. Lucky's 24/7 at the Hard Rock casino has a gambler's special- steak, 3 shrimp, garlic mashed potatoes, and salad for $7.77. I believe it's a skirt steak (which is fajita meat), but it's juicy and flavorful and you don't get a crapload of bone and gristle for your money. They also have late-night specials served between midnight and 8am-ish... one's a steak-and-egg breakfast for 4.99 and the other's a burger plate for 3.99. Both good deals and good meals.
For foofy dessert lovers, Jean-Philippe Patisserie (original Vegas location is in the Bellagio, newer one is in either Cosmopolitan or Aria, can't remember offhand which) offers really good crepes and gelato. Nutella crepe = win.
Speaking of the Cosmopolitan, their Wicked Spoon Buffet is the best casino in Vegas, I think. The ones at Luxor, Planet Hollywood, and Monte Carlo are also reliably very good. I think Bellagio is too expensive comparatively, and some of their dishes are iffy sometimes. Stay the hell away from the Excalibur Buffet. Canned gravy, just-add-water potatoes, and "fresh" fruits that obviously came out of cans. However, the Excalibur does offer Beer Pong tables, both poolside and at one or two of the bars inside, so if you're into that...
Gold and Silver Pawn Shop (of Pawn Stars fame) is always fun to visit. They have some really interesting stuff in there, and it's free to go in. Lots of antique guns and knives and swords to see, some pedal cars.
Went to the Clark County Museum as well. It's in Henderson on Boulder City Highway, but admission is cheap ($2 adults, $1 kids) and their 30-acre complex really has a lot of neat stuff. They have a model street of several houses and buildings that were in Vegas years ago, such as a print shop from about 1910, houses from the 1940's, 30's, and 10's, a barn, a Paiute Indian camp, and a ghost town. Go in the morning when they open at 9- not because it's busy, but because you'll get hot and thirsty walking around outside. Inside is an exhibit of Vegas from Indian times to the silver mines to farming to Hoover Dam to the development of the casinos. Then they have another room that's a rotating exhibit- this one is a history of office-related technology. I know it sounds boring, but it was kinda cool. The kids got to punch a time clock and use two typewriters- one of the old ones with the round push-keys (maybe Coach will remember what it's called?
) and an electric one from the 70's.
And we didn't go this time, but there's a great Italian place just off the strip called Battista's. It's owned by a casino corp now, but they have kept it the same way it's been for many years, and have kept most of the employees as well- including the tiny little hunchbacked man, Gordy, who wanders around and plays songs on the accordion for tips. (Every time we go, one of us has coincidentally worn a Texas-related shirt, and he always tells us that he loves Texas people and plays "Deep in the Heart of Texas" for us.) Menus are on the walls, and dishes are divided according to price category, but it's all-inclusive. For example, for $27.95, you'll get fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken, salad or minestrone, bread, after-meal cappuccino, and carafes of red or white house wine throughout your meal. There are photos all over the place of Vegas and the restaurant in its heyday. Last time we were there, we spoke at length with our waiter, who relayed numerous stories of things that happened when the Rat Pack and Sinatra came to eat at the place.
