Author: LVA

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The Naughty Angel


The Naughty Angel is a new “French-inspired steakhouse” in a small strip mall on Sammy Davis Jr. Drive at the intersection of Resorts World Road. The owner-chef, Angel Lopez, has worked up and down the Strip, from Sadelle’s to Joel Robuchon, and opened Primal Steakhouse ini the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway in late 2020; it’s a favorite of at least one Blackjack Hall of Famer of our acquaintance.

It’s a large restaurant and bar that encompasses three storefronts and dresses up the shopping center with its massage parlor, vape shop, tattoo parlor, psychic, and hookah lounge. It’s a tasteful and eclectic place, with soft French-style cabaret music, Central American-inspired original art (Lopez is Guatemalan), and a few Asian-decor touches. If you’re looking for a quiet, non-casino, fine-dining experience, The Naughty Angel will definitely fill the bill. It’s open until midnight Mon.-Thurs., 1 a.m. Fri. and Saturday.

A great way to try out the food is during happy hour, 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Appetizers start at $5 (pommes frites), with a bargain French onion soup ($7), ratatouille ($8), and up to $12 for cheese fondue. Bottled beers are $5, shot of the day $6, well drinks $7, and glasses of international wines $10. We arrived at 6:30 on a Thursday and got in on the happy-hour zucchini and Gruyere cakes, housemade herb sausage, and ratatouile; with one beer, we’d have been out of there for around $30. But everything was so good, especially the sausage in a piquant salsa, that we stuck around for dinner.

saucisse longaniza (herb sausage)

The menu is as advertised, French and steaks. The traditional dishes include such appetizers as crudites and tartine ($17), escargot and steak tartare ($19), and bacon-wrapped prawns ($22); lobster bisque, crab louie, and Caesar ($14-$18); coq au vin and chicken fricassee ($38), linguine and clams ($40), seared duck breast ($49), Dover sole ($58), and braised lamb shanks ($65); and of course the steaks ($40-$90). Sides include garlic mashed, twice-baked potato, stuffed peppers, lemon-butter/hollandaise asparagus, and herb risotta ($9-$12); and for dessert crème brûlée, chocolate fondue, baked Alaska, and hummingbird cake ($14-$22).

Our bill for three happy-hour apps, steak and lobster, crème brûlée, and bottled water came to $178.82 with tax. Eminently reasonable for a lot of high-quality food — and we got another meal out of the steak and noodles.

We tried the lobster-tail Mafaldine with pasta in a creamy lobster sauce ($55) and the eight-ounce filet in creamy horseradish ($50), plus the crème brûlée. In true French fashion, the secret to this food are the sauces: for example, demi-glaze, peppercorn, and Bearnaise for the steaks; lemon beurre blanc for the sole; red wine and herbs for the lamb; and a cream sauce for the fricassee. Chef Angel definitely learned his lessons in long years in Strip kitchens.

filet and horseradish
lobster mafaldine

The Naughty Angel opened in April and is still getting on its legs, so service is exquisite; Angel himself served us our appetizers. We’re really rooting for the place to make it and with Resorts World directly across the street, with Circus Circus next to it and Fontainebleau on the other side, it has a good shot of becoming a local mainstay. We’ll definitely be back, especially for happy hours to come.

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The Empire Strips Back—A Burlesque Parody (Rio)

The Empire Strips Back is the new show at the Rio. ESB began as a small production in Sydney, Australia, and grew to a point where it has played in 40 cities, including London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and now Vegas.

While it’s based on the original Star Wars trilogy, it’s a jiggle show first and foremost, with nine female dancers, two males, and an emcee. Like all shows of this type, it’s one vignette after another and you have to marvel at where they get the ideas to make them different enough, but that’s where the Star Wars theme works, as the segments play off the oh-so-well-known characters — Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, CYoda, Jabba the Hutt, Chewbacca, and on and on. Of course a strip show has to have familiar music and this one delivers, featuring licks by Run DMC, Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Guns N’ Roses, among many others.

Sexy Quotient

Make no mistake, the SQ (sexy quotient) is high, but there’s almost no nudity. Other than some flashing topless moments, the rest is pretty much everything butt. We have to admit, watching the Storm Troopers strip down to their Under Wars is titillating, but that doesn’t have a thing on the moment when it becomes clear that Darth Vader is a girl!

Speaking of girls, the ladies in the audience get their turn when Luke does his thing to “Smooth Criminal,” with a few more performances by the guys throughout (after all, this was the former Chippendales stage). The highlight of the show is a romp by Chewbacca, who, thankfully, doesn’t disrobe (in part because he doesn’t have any clothes to take off). The entire cast comes out to tie a bow on it in the cool finale.

Intermission

This is one of the only shows in town that has an intermission. It’s 20 minutes, which stretches the run time to almost two hours. Some like it, some don’t. We didn’t mind, if only for an easy bathroom break (see “Pro Tips”).

Pro Tips

Here are two. During the intermission, the closest restroom is mobbed. Go down the escalator and walk back toward the casino to access an easier bathroom play. And seating is tight, uncomfortably almost, especially if you want to move while the row is seated. The showroom is small, so there’s no sightline penalty for sitting in the back where it’s less cramped. If you’re not seated there to start, those seats open up after the intermission.

The Verdict

This is a good Vegas show. Whimsical, appropriately raunchy, definitely sexy, funny enough, and the dancing is impressive. The price is right (given today’s standards) starting at $76. Before and after the show there are ample good choices for dinner, then some 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker. As we’ve been pointing out since the Rio came under new ownership, it keeps getting better over there and this show is a worthy addition to the mix.

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Le Café Central

Le Café Central has opened in Chinatown (3616 Spring Mountain Rd), specializing in “authentic French and European offerings.” It’s the third in the group, joining Le Café du Val in Henderson and Le Café du Sud in Summerlin. It’s interesting that Chinatown is adding a European flair, with Central joining the recent expansion of Partage across the street from Le Café Central that added the Champagne bar, Le Club by Partage. Central is a breakfast and lunch spot open from 7 am to 3 pm seven days a week. Order at the counter and seat yourself; your food is brought out to you. Serve yourself for water.

The Food

Breakfast selections include granola bowls, croissant sandwiches, French toast (sweet and savory), galettes of all sorts (artichoke, florentine, lobster), lox dishes, crepes (caramel, berries, Nutella banana), and Benedicts. Interestingly, no quiche or omelets. Everything is $8.99 to $18.99. Lunch choices are varied, but mostly awesome sandwiches and salads. There were three of us and we all had baguette sandwiches—Paris ham with Swiss and prosciutto with Brie (both $15.99) and the French dip ($18.99). Fabuleux!

Prosciutto
French Dip

Coffees (and more)

Espresso, café au lait, red eye, fresh brew, cold brew, Americano, cappuccino, latte ($3.99-$5.99)—would you expect anything less in the coffee department? There’s also an impressive dessert selection if you want to pair the two.

The Verdict

This place is outstanding. You could go back 20 times and want to try something different on each visit. It was busy when we went, but there wasn’t a line. The bare-bones seating and service actually add to the charm and probably help keep prices down. We’ll be back, maybe 19 times.

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Pisces Bar & Seafare (Wynn Las Vegas)

Pisces is the latest super-fancy restaurant at the Wynn. It’s in the spot that was formerly Lakeside, which was supposed to be taken over by Fiola Mare out of Washington D.C., but that didn’t happen. 

The Food

The cuisine is primarily seafood with fish flown in daily from the Mediterranean. Good. Expensive. Loup de mer (wolffish) is $180 and Dover sole is $120. Seafood platters are $225-$1,000. On the lower end, king salmon and halibut are $60. The seafood paella for two comes with a lobster tail for $155. Our party of four had the paella, the halibut, and a selection of appetizers.

pisces

Paella with appetizers and a less-expensive fish is probably the way to go to get out for $100-$125 per person. Our food was excellent, though nothing really stood out. One thing that might have is a dessert called If Wishes Were Fishes that’s described as a “fish skeleton” in all the Pisces reviews. We didn’t try it, but it sure looks cool.

photo credit: Steve-Legato

Dinner and a Show

An added bonus here is the “show” that comes with dinner. The dining room looks onto Wynn’s Lake of Dreams, which lights up with a different presentation every 30 minutes. During dinner, you’ll get to see three or four of them.

The Verdict

This is a classic Wynn Las Vegas dining experience, with the emphasis on the “experience.” If you have three bills to spend on dinner for two, you won’t be disappointed (especially if you get that fish dessert). Everyone gets three hours free parking, which is enough time to get out without the extra tariff.

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Buffet Update – June 2025

Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This week breakfast is Sat & Sun, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. for $29.95 and dinner’s Fri-Sun, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. for $39.95.

Main Street Station – Garden Court Buffet: All buffet prices went up $1. Weekday Brunch is Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. for $24.99, Weekend Brunch is 8 a.m.-2 p.m. for $27.99, and Dinner’s Fri & Sat, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. for $33.99.

MGM Grand – MGM Grand Buffet: Weekday Brunch is now Mon & Tues instead of Mon-Thurs. Price and time remain the same (8 a.m.-2 p.m. for $32.99).

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Flamingo Go Pool Reopens

The pool complex at the Flamingo, which opened in the mid-’90s after the original four-story Oregon Building was demolished, has reopened following a $20 million overhaul. Given the status of the work in May, we made the over/under June 20 for completion, but credit to CET for getting it done well before that date. The following report comes from Conrad Stanley.

The adults-only Go Pool added two new pools to bring the total to five, with a “wet deck” (shallow pool where sunbathers can lounge on chaises in the water), a cenote-like cave area with a small infinity pool and skylight, plenty of mature palm trees, a wraparound bar, a swim-up bar, and a DJ spinning tunes nonstop. The Family (all ages) Pool remains pretty much the same.

Food is available from the poolside restaurant: granola and yogurt bowl $15, breakfast croissant or burrito $20, chicken Caesar $20, loaded fries or nachos $23, burger $24, and family platters (nachos, tenders, or sliders) $90.

Beers $12.99 each or a bucket of six for $76.99. Most are 16-ounce cans or aluminum bottles, though Corona, Modelo, Pacifica, and a handful of craft beers and seltzers don’t produce 16 ouncers, so the 12 ouncers go for the same price. The best play is Heineken 16-ounce aluminum bottles. Cocktails are $23.99 for a small and $39.99 for a large.

You can reserve daybeds (basically, double chaise lounges under umbrellas) and cabanas at both the Go and Family pools, starting at $65 for a weekday-morning daybed (9-11:30 a.m., four guests) at the Family Pool and going up to $750 for a weekend full-day super cabana (11 a.m.-6 p.m., 10 guests) at VIP pools #2 and #3.

GO Pool joins the Palms pool as the two at major resorts that are free and open to the public; you don’t have to be a Flamingo guest to get in. But definitely show up as early as you can (it opens at 9 a.m.) to secure a free lounge chair, but don’t expect a relaxing afternoon. It’s more of a pool party than a quiet swim. And don’t forget that unless you walk in (or take public or private transportation), you’ll have to pay for parking.

We suspect that these pools will be busier than ever this summer, hitting the maximum according to the fire code very early, then hotel guests at the Flamingo and other Caesars properties will have priority. We’ll keep you posted on those details when or if they develop.

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Khoury’s Mediterranean Restaurant

Mediterranean food, particularly Middle Eastern, is one of the “in” culinary trends of late, but all the new restaurants have some work to do to catch up to Khoury’s, which has been operating since 1966 (not to be confused with Khoury’s Fine Win & Spirits, a wine shop on the east side). What sets Khoury’s apart from other Mediterranean restaurants in Las Vegas is that it’s Lebanese, which is a different style from Greek, Iranian, or any of the others that serve Mediterranean cuisine.

Off the Strip

Khoury’s is located at 9340 W. Sahara, which is a bit of a drive, about 11 miles from the Strip. The easiest route is to go straight up Sahara and it’s in a shopping mall at the corner of Sahara and Ft. Apache. We’ve eaten here with Lebanese friends who confirm that this is the real deal, so you’ll find it worth the trip. Khoury’s is open seven days a week from 11 am to 9 pm (10 pm weekends).

The Food

All the Lebanese favorites are here: hummus; baba ghanoush; loubieh (green beens); bamieh (okra); olives; pickles; grape leaves; falafel; six different kabobs; schwarma and gyro sandwiches; lentil or beef and rice tomato soup; and salads of all kinds made with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, spinach, onions, mint, lemon juice, even some with lettuce, and we rate the tabbouleh as the best in town. Chicken livers are $17.95, Farooj (whole baked chicken in spices) $23.95, and lamb chops $32.95. Good stuff, but we go for the kibbi-naya ($34.95), ground raw lamb mixed with cracked wheat and spices. Scoop it with the pita that’s baked fresh in brick ovens and brought to the table hot and risen.

The Mediterranean Feast

You want to get a taste of lots of things here, so you can go for the house mezza ($35.95) or mini-house mezza ($21.95). There’s also a “dinner for two” option ($54.95) that gives you a choice of several options. If you want to go nuts, the Mediterranean Feast is available for parties of six or more for $32.95 per person. It’s a whole lotta grub. We did it, but probably wouldn’t again, as some of the meat dishes were dry and there are just too many other good things on the menu to go for rather than the MF that’s bound to have some things you don’t necessarily want.

The Verdict

Khoury’s is our top pick of all of Las Vegas’ Middle Eastern options. Our play is the kibbi-naya and tabbouleh, which is easily enough for two, for $50. If raw lamb isn’t your thing, there are the options listed here and more. Top it off with an Almaza Lebanese beer.

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Oyster Bar (Red Rock Resort)

More good things from Station Casinos? We can hardly stand it, but we also can’t ignore it. It doesn’t get anywhere the buzz that the Oyster Bar at Palace Station gets, but we’ll take the Oyster Bar at Red Rock Resort anytime. It runs specials Mon.-Fri.; we tried the Tuesday Buck A Shuck and Thursday lobster rolls. 

Buck A Shuck

Strange as it may sound, there are people who don’t like raw oysters but do like raw clams. No problem, both are available for $1 per on Tuesdays (there actually is a discernable difference). This is the only place we know of in town that does the clams. Two of us ordered a dozen of each and split, both favoring the oysters. You can order in any quantity. Hard to beat.

oysters
clams

Lobster Rolls

Really, two lobster rolls for $10? Yes, and two different kinds at that (you can’t mix the two in the same order). The difference is typically that Maine is served cold and Connecticut hot. We tried the Connecticut and it’s good, but we’ll go Maine on future visits. It looks spectacular, but it’s more roll than lobster. To illustrate, this is what ours looked like before and after (from a waiter: “I see a lot of plates that look like that.”). Still, for ten bucks, no complaints.

Chowders

The RR Oyster Bar has both Boston (white) and Manhattan (red) clam chowder. We tried both over our two visits. They’re big servings that are loaded with clams for $11.99. Pictured here is the Manhattan, but we preferred the Boston.

Cool Place

Whereas you’ll almost certainly have to wait in line at the Palace Station Oyster Bar (we still don’t understand its popularity), there were plenty of seats available on both of our visits. The bar is sparkling clean. TVs are tuned to sports. The cooks, who work in the open kitchen behind the bar talk with the customers. The customers talk with the customers. It’s open-air onto the casino floor. Excellent setting.

Check the Jackpots

If you park in the garage, check out the scrolling jackpots screen when you get off the elevator. You see versions of this on chalkboards in bars, but not in casinos. We discuss it at length on our YouTube “Jackpots” show.

The Verdict

If you haven’t figured it out by now, we really like this place. It’s a trek from the Strip, but well worth it if you’re hankerin’ for any of these specials. And by all means, combine it with a bowl of chowder. We rate this the best oyster bar in Vegas. Look for us on a Tuesday coming soon.

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Buffet Update – May 2025

Caesars Palace – Bacchanal Buffet: All buffet prices went up by $7. Weekday Dinner is Mon – Thur, 3:30 p.m.-10 p.m. is now $86.99. Friday Dinner is 3:30 p.m.-10 p.m. is now $91.99. Weekend Dinner is Sat & Sun, 3 p.m.-10 p.m. is now $91.99. Weekend Crab Brunch is Sat & Sun, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. is now $86.99.

Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This week’s breakfast buffet is Fri-Sun, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. is $32.95. Then their dinner buffet is Fri&Sat, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. is $41.95.

Luxor – The Buffet at Luxor: Officially closed March 30.

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Patisserie

One of the many unusual sights in Las Vegas is the 26-foot-tall chocolate fountain at the Patisserie, located at Bellagio just beyond the Conservatory.

Three different kinds and colors (white, dark, and milk) of chocolate flow from oyster-shell-type tier to tier through the fountain. Enclosed in a temperature-controlled glass case, 4,000 pounds of liquid chocolate ooze along at a rate of 30 gallons per minute, facilitated by six pumps and 500 feet of stainless-steel pipe.

Once the largest chocolate fountain in the world, it was surpassed only in 2020 by a 30-foot-tall display at a Lindt factory, museum, and shop in Zurich, Switzerland, so now the Patisserie fountain is “merely” the largest in the U.S.

As tempting as it looks, the chocolate is for decoration only; it’s never converted into anything edible. But that doesn’t stop the Patisserie from selling shelves upon shelves of candy in canisters, such as peanut M&Ms ($20 for the large), chocolate-covered hazelnuts ($10), pistachio white-chocolate green glass ($11.50), and blueberry-pearl mint chocolate ($19.85), plus bags of Remill coffee and cakes turning round and round on motorized lazy susans.


The line for the Patisserie’s menu items goes all the way around the half-circular counter and often extends out into the hall, but service is very fast. You order, pay at the cashier, and watch your food being made at the glassed-in front counter.

You can get your order to go in a bag, eat standing up at one of the small tables, or carry it over to the comfortable seating area in a rotunda-like alcove down the hall.

Breakfasts include yogurt-berry parfaits, muesli, and fruit bowls ($12), egg-cheese-bacon croissant ($17), smoked salmon plate ($23), four kinds of omelets ($17), sweet and savory crepes ($15-$17), sandwiches and salads ($19), along with all the hot and iced coffee drinks you’d expect from a French café ($5.50-$7.25).

We tried the strawberry and whipped-cream crepe and an almond croissant and the bill came to $23.79 with tax — anything but bargain prices, but this is Bellagio, after all, and the Patisserie offerings are fancy, fast, and plentiful. Good play for something light and quick and a great reason to see the record-setting fountain, especially if you’re checking out the latest display at the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.