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Bobby Vegas — Bad Beats and Keeping Cool

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

My crew and I were relieved that during my December Golden Week trip to Vegas, on the boot heels of NFR, I didn’t end up in the hospital. Kinda broke that curse. But that history also went on my long list of things I’ve done in Vegas twice: hospitalized twice, pulled over twice (sober), seen it snow twice, and been propositioned twice before breakfast.

It was a great trip and a great time to be there—if you didn’t mind bumping into A LOT of cowboys. Funny thing, there was no parking on the first floor of Rio self- park the last Saturday of NFR. It was full of horses. But the winning and dancing were wonderful.

Still, as bad beats just seem to keep coming, I had an unexpected and unwanted Christmas present on Christmas Eve back at home. While otherwise in a great mood and having a good day, at 1 p.m. I started having vertical stabbing pains across my left chest and down my arm.

Just days before this I thought I was having a heart attack when I woke up at 5:30 a.m., drenched in sweat and the room spinning. When I sat up, I started to retch.

Called 911 and in the ER they determined it was vertigo. I was out in seven hours after being given Meclazine.

Three days later, I actually had a “small” heart attack and found myself back in the same ER. Being Xmas Eve, they told me I’d be there a few days, as only critical patients get treated on Christmas. I had a stent put in Friday morning. Duke Hospital is top notch, though being there three times in five months, not so much.

So I’m taking a few weeks to get back and as soon as I can I’ll be blogging, about the new MRB, matchplay runs, and more.

For now, I can report I was happy to receive an invite to Wynn with an old-school offer: $25 in freeplay, $25 in resort credit (the waterfall at the spa is a wonder), and two tickets to Awakenings (it’s a few years old and I’m guessing Sphere is taking a lot of business), all for $174 a night, resort fee included. And I barely play there. I mostly go to see an old dealer friend.

Taking out the tickets and credits, that’s $75 a night for two nights. At Wynn. Free parking, no triple zero roulette, some JOB, and all is well.

See, folks, there’s hope on the horizon and as for me, well … The Cat in the Hat? With maybe nine lives.

It’s apparently very hard to kill me. And no worries, scufflers, I’ll be back soon so … Keep cool and know when to cash in.

The adventure continues.

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Nom Wah

Nom Wah has expanded to Las Vegas, having opened a few months ago at the new food hall at the Rampart (now known as Resort at Summerlin). Nom Wah is the oldest continuously running restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown, New York City’s first Chinese tea and dim sum “parlor,” which debuted in 1920. The brand has two other locations in New York, one in Philadelphia, and one in Shenzen, China. The original venue was featured in a scene in the 2014 film The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The Resort at Summerlin Nom Wah is a bustling little eatery, with a 12-seat counter, a handful of tables along the wall, and more tables out in the hallway next to Jade Asian Kitchen and Noodles.

The menu is small but mighty, offering classic and modern Cantonese dim sum. Nine dumplings ($9-$12) include pork/chicken soup, chicken and cabbage, shrimp, pork and shrimp shu mai, and edamame; spring rolls, scallion pancakes, and turnip cakes are $7-$9.50. Egg fried rice, lo mein, and wonton noodle soup ($13-$15), along with crispy chicken, Peking duck, and chili tofu buns ($10-$14), round out the choices.

You mark your selections right on the long paper menu in the usual dim sum fashion, then sit back and watch the chefs in the open kitchen do their magic. The food comes piping hot right off the grill or out of the pots and the service is so fast that steam rises from the dishes as they’re set in front of you.

We sampled the scallion pancakes, which were the essence of crisp, the exquisite chicken and cabbage dumplings, and the shrimp siu mai. Sitting at the counter watching many other dishes being prepared and served, next time we’ll be sure to try the wonton soup, duck buns, and noodles or rice, all of which looked tasty and abundant.

We took home one of each of our dishes and should confess that they barely made it in the door; we couldn’t wait to relive the 105-year-old experience and everything traveled well. Our bill came to $30.35 (with tax, without tip).

While there, we also checked out Pearl Oyster and Crudo Bar and Ai Pazzi (both a fast-food pizza place and Italian restaurant) and we’re more than ready to try those too.

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Where to go on National Happy Hour Day in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Advisor Happy Hour. National Happy Hour Day

If there was ever a holiday made for Las Vegas, it’s this one. November 12th is National Happy Hour Day. A day to raise a glass (or two) to that sacred window of time when the world slows down, the prices drop, and life just feels a little lighter.

Vegas is the envy of the foodie world with more happy hour options than most cities could dream of. From family-friendly deals to global flavors that transport your taste buds, there’s literally hundreds of great places to get together, unplug, and eat and drink really well.

Here are a few great deals to celebrate National Happy Hour Day the Vegas way.

holsteins happy hour

Holsteins Burgers & Shakes Happy Hour

After 15 years on The Strip, Holstein’s moved to the udder side of town in the Arts District. For National Happy Hour Day, Holsteins is extending its happy hour from 11 AM to 10 PM for an all-day celebration. $5 drafts and a $16 Happiest Meal (burger, fries, cocktail). emooojis here:

Spy Ninjas HQ – Retro Bar Happy Hour

PacMan and Pumpkin Martini for National Happy Hour Day?It’s on like Donkey Kong at The Retro Bar with 80’s themed drinks & bites from $4-$11 and a seasonal happy hour menu. Plus, the Cabbage Patch Kids get to zip, jump, climb and crawl around the huge indoor park. Happy Family Hour!

MGM Grand 24 hours of Happy Hour

MGM Grand is taking National Happy Hour Day to a whole new level with 24 hours of rotating happy hour deals. Try $7-7-7 wells, wines, beers across multiple MGM Grand venues including BetMGM Sportsbook. Sip and celebrate all day, all night and all the time where happy hour never sleeps. Yep, that’s Vegas!

Scotch 80 Prime Happy Hour – Palms Casino

Scotch 80 Prime new social hour menu items including 30% OFF the really good stuff. Try steak tartar, shrimp cocktails, wine from the gods and signature cocktails for $11-$18. Today and every Mon -Thurs 5-7 PM.

Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca Happy Hour

Giornata Nazionale dell’Aperitivo! Happy Hour Day Deal! Half-off the regular $8 happy hour menu. From 4 to 6 PM Wednesday, Nov. 12, guests can enjoy $4 dishes including mozzarella & tomato caprese, zucchini chips, meatballs and pizzettes with $4.5 specialty cocktails and wines.

Enjoy National Happy Hour Day and check out Happy Hour Vegas for more Las Vegas Happy Hours everyday.

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Wizard of Oz at Sphere

Like everyone else, I’d heard all the amazing things about Sphere over the last two years. I’d been wanting to experience it firsthand, but none of the bands that have played there so far have interested me enough to go and certainly not enough to pay Sphere prices to see them.

So I was excited when I realized that my next scheduled Vegas trip was only a few weeks after Sphere’s debut of the remake of The Wizard of Oz. I grabbed tickets early and was glad I did; demand has only gotten stronger after all the word of mouth about the show.

Two caveats. This review contains spoilers and is from the perspective of someone who hadn’t yet experienced the largest screen on Earth. If you’ve already seen a concert or movie there, some of this will be old territory for you.

I went to a 10 a.m. show and arrived a little before 9. There were plenty of kids and families at that hour and a handful of people (kids and adults alike) were dressed up in character; Sphere is encouraging people to don Oz costumes for their Halloween-weekend screenings. Doors opened between 9 and 9:15 and entry/security checkpoints went more smoothly than I expected. You don’t need to arrive as early as I did, but do give yourself some extra time. Merchandise lines are long and there are a few fun things to see in the lobby.

My seat was in Section 307, row 11, which was ideal: dead center and not too high up. I would have had a better view from one of the lower rows of my section, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be in the 200s; in the rear rows of the 200s, your view is partially blocked by the overhang from the 300 sections.

You have to climb down some very steep stairs from the concourse to the 300-level seats; if you’re prone to veritgo or dizziness, keep your head down, focus on the stairs, and wait to look around the theater until you’re in place. And no one, vertigo or not, should navigate the stairs without hanging onto the handrail for dear life.

The show itself was absolutely amazing all around. You felt like you were inside the movie. The best comparison I can make is that it’s like riding Soarin’ at Disney World for an hour-plus. At certain points, you feel like the theater is actually moving (it’s not, but again, if you’re prone to vertigo, maybe close your eyes for a few seconds during these sequences). The film is so high def that you can count individual pieces of straw during the Scarecrow’s scenes. The sound is impressive (though I did spot some minor lip-sync issues in one or two spots — barely noticable and not surprising, considering all the work they did to transform the original film).

And the effects … man! I can’t overstate how impressive they are. There’s not a lot of Disney/Vegas crossover in general, but this really was Disney-level Imagineering, like you’d get on a ride such as Remy or Rise of the Resistance: Apples fall from the sky during the forest scene, actual flying monkeys in the theater supplement the ones on screen, and the tornado scene causes the audience to break into spontaneous applause. I won’t completely spoil it for you. Suffice it to say, you’ll be very impressed.

Runtime is 75 minutes (the movie has been edited down slightly, though what’s missing isn’t particularly discernible), but budget some time to take in the post-show theatrics in the lobby.

Tickets are expensive (and dynamic — check the website for your preferred show and seat location), but I paid $150 to a company owned by someone I find distasteful to see a movie I own on video and definitely felt it was worth it.

Sphere’s website claims to have strict no-bag and no-photo/video policies, but I saw both violated with abandon and no apparent consequences, but your mileage may vary.

If you’re on the fence about this, don’t be. The Wizard of Oz lives up to all the hype.

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Casino Collectibles Show

This year’s was the 32nd annual Casino Collectibles Convention. The show is open to everyone, free at certain times, and we’ve been meaning to attend since it arrived in Las Vegas, debuting at the Aladdin in 1993; for five years prior to that, it was an adjunct to the American Numismatic Association Convention. We finally made it to South Point in June and took lots of photos.

The convention runs for four days and includes such special events as celebrity meet and greets, a silent auction, raffles, educational seminars, ladies luncheon, members-only tradeshow, and banquet.

But the heart of the event is the show floor, where all the action takes place between buyers and sellers.

This room on the second floor of the South Point meeting wing is the promised land for collectors of casino memorabilia: casino chips, poker chips, commemorative chips, antique chips, plaques, and silver strikes, along with playing cards, players cards, dice, matchbooks, ashtrays, postcards, hotel-room keys, and soap, even shoe-shine cloths. We also saw interesting table-game layouts, movie posters, T-shirts, caps, and educational exhibits.

The show returns to South Point next year June 18-20.

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Flower Child

We first bumped into Flower Child, completely by accident, on a trip to Phoenix. We liked it so much that we got to wondering if it was a chain and if so, where else it might be located. Imagine our surprise when we found one in Las Vegas, out at the corner of Rampart and W. Charleston. It’s become one of our go-to eateries for healthy, simple, and soul-satisfying meals at surprisingly inexpensive prices. Flower Child’s parent company, Fox Restaurant Concepts, also owns and operates the Henry brand, with a location at the Cosmopolitan.

Phoenix’s four locations all have walk-up to-go windows, but Las Vegas’ doesn’t enjoy the convenience. You can order online or through the app and pick up inside; otherwise, you stand at the cash register to order and pay and the process sometimes takes awhile. If the line gets too long, a second register opens, which moves things along.

Otherwise, Flower Child is well run. Once you order, you take a number and a server finds you when your food is ready, usually in a matter of minutes, which is impressive, since everything is made to order.

The menu features six kinds of salads ($11-$15), seven bowls, such as Peruvian braised beef, chicken yakisoba, and chicken kabobs ($12-$17), and wraps (grass-fed steak, black-bean falafel, bbq chicken) for $11-$13. But the best deal, at least according to us, is the selection of build-your-own entrees. With these, you specify your protein, starting with tofu ($13) and including chicken ($14) and salmon, shrimp, and steak ($16 each), then add two sides, such as sesame noodles, mac n cheese, three kinds of potatoes, quinoa, cauliflower risotto, grilled asparagus with white beans, and roasted broccolini.

We got the chicken, asparagus, and mashed potatoes and a turkey and avocado Cobb salad. Along with a lemon olive-oil muffin, the total bill came to $43.46 with tax. We had two full meals left over and they were just as good as when they came out of the kitchen.

Flower Child is a special place, especially for a chain, and we recommend it highly.

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Guy Fieri’s Flavortown AYCE Brunch


Located at the Horseshoe entrance to restaurant row right off the casino in the walkway to Paris, Flavortown is a large sports bar with at least a dozen small TV screens scattered around the walls, a big video wall with three screens, each larger than the one next to it, and a 28-seat egg-shaped bar in the center. Ordinarily, a celebrity-chef’s overpriced restaurant on the center Strip, even one showing sports all day and night, wouldn’t interest us. But Flavortown is currently promoting a unique deal that caught our attention.

It’s not a buffet, but it is an all-you-can-eat brunch served Mon.-Thurs. from 8 am to 2 pm. You mix and match off the menu and keep eating until you bust. The starting price is $19.99 for bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast, Caesar and house salads, chili, and brisket mac ‘n cheese. You can add on avocado toast, a club sandwich, or chicken and waffles for $5 and steak and eggs (seven-ounce strip) for $10. It’s another $29.99 for bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, and margaritas. 

Since you eat as much as you can, the diner next to us ordered three eggs instead of two with his steak and avocado toast, the latter two adding $15 for a total of $34.99. (In the photos, those are potatoes that look kind of like fried shrimp.)

At 11 a.m. on a Thursday, it was a half-hour wait for a table, but a few seats were open at the 28-seat bar, which has video poker machines in front of every other seat. (Careful, these are the worst pay schedules possible, 6/5 JoB and Bonus in all denominations from nickels to $5. And par for the course, people were playing.)

Initially, service was non-existent. Two bartenders split waiter duties and the guy next to us got a menu, ordered, and was served by the other bartender in the first 10 minutes, while our order wasn’t even taken for 15. Once it was, we waited another 15 minutes for the food — (bad) luck of the draw …

The eggs, which come without toast, and French toast arrived at the same time. It was all what you’d expect from a sports bar; the French toast was one inch-thick slice with a little bacon, a couple of hunks of caramelized banana, and good maple syrup.

When we arrived at 11, the place was packed and most people were ordering breakfast; by the time we left around noon, Flavortown had thinned out considerably and people were now ordering lunch. Typical for a sports bar, it’s big food, definitely quantity over quality. And though it’s nice to know you can eat eat eat, most appetites will be satisfied with just a couple of the offerings, either breakfast or lunch.

All in all, it’s a good gimmick and not a bad deal during the week at center Strip. With tax and a tip, we were out of there for $25.

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Gjelina at the Venetian

Gjelina was a restaurant we’d been curious about since it was announced in 2023 and opened the day after Christmas last year.

The first Gjelina, named for the owner’s grandmother, debuted in Venice Beach, California, in 2008 and since then has expanded into a diverse business, with Gjusta Bakery, GTA (take-out), Gjusta Goods (retail), Gjusta Grocer (market), Gjusta Flower Shop, and Gjelina Hotel. The restaurant in the Venetian is their third Gjelina; the other is on Bond Street in Lower Manhattan.

Gjelina touts its menu as “guided by conversations and long-standing relationships with southern California farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and co-ops.” The Las Vegas venue serves lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch. The three menus are similar, though dinner has more vegetables, plus “plates” (entrees). Dinner features a raw bar and charcuterie ($10 for marinated olives up to $50 for a dozen oysters); four salads($20-$24) and a soup ($12); a dozen or so vegetable dishes, such as roasted oyster mushroom, Japanese sweet potato, and broccolini ($17-$23); and entrees, including beef tartare (the least expensive at $25), PEI black mussels, wood-roasted prawns, lamb chop, and rib eye (the most expensive at $89); and eight pizzas with gourmet cheeses and mushrooms, plus lamb sausage, chorizo, and guanciale (cured pork) for $21 to $28.

For lunch, the menu is essentially the same, with the same prices, though fewer raw-bar, salad, plate, veggie, and pizza selections. There are also four sandwiches. We went for lunch and tried an appetizer: the English pea and cipollini onion in a chickpeas miso butter sauce appetizer, which the waiter said was “really good.” And it was: barely cooked fresh peas and sweet onion in an outstanding sauce ($18).

Our lamb burger ($24) and blackened sea bass sandwich ($23) were fine as far as they went, though we estimated perhaps three minimal ounces of sea bass. Both came with “giardiniera” pickled vegetables, which, like the peas, were excellent.

All in all, however, the experience left us a little wanting. First, we were upsold an $8 bottle of spring water (one of those deals where the server ran through her spiel about drinks so fast that we didn’t hear that the “water” was for sale — or she didn’t mention it). Second, Gjelina is one of the few restaurants in Las Vegas that tacks on an autosuck 20% gratuity. It’s clearly stated on the menus and the servers made a point of communicating it as well. Still, we don’t like it for a number of reasons. Third, for a $100 lunch ($78 for food and drink, $15.60 “mandatory service charge,” and $6.53 tax), both of us were hungry an hour later. And fourth, due to circumstances, we valet parked at the Venetian, which cost another $45.

The verdict: yet another very expensive and less than satisfying couple of hours on the Strip.

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Valet Parking at the Venetian

We hadn’t valet parked in Vegas in decades, but on our visit to Gjelina at the Venetian, we were accompanied by a disabled person, so we opted for the convenience.

There were no surprises. A big sign as you pull into the porte cochere says, “Valet Parking $40 a Day.” Self-parking is $20 anyway, so we bit the bullet; the extra $20 for the well being of our guest was certainly worth it.

You drop off your trusty steed in the usual fashion: pulling up to the valet area under the portico in front, giving up your key, and receiving a claim ticket. But when you come out to retrieve your car, you do so at the Valet Pick-Up Kiosk.

You follow the few simple instructions on the screen. First, you scan the QR code on your ticket.

Then the credit card screen comes up. The arrow points to the card reader, where you pay by swiping, inserting, or tapping.

The last screen tells you that your car is on its way. You don’t have to talk to anyone; no one is there to talk to anyway, since the one or two valet attendants are busy running cars from the garage to the portico. Ours took another 15 minutes to show up on a Wednesday afternoon around 2:30.

With the $5 tip, parking at Venetian added $45 to our lunch tab at Gjelina.