Finger Foods and the Final Frontier (TR)

Finger Foods, The Final Frontier, and other "F" words in Vegas

My most recent trip was highlighted by an assortment of Finger Foods from some of city's best quickie joints. No, not those quickie joints, silly -the other kind - the kind ya eat at.
It also marked a personal historic event - a visit to the last major casino in the city that I've left unidscovered in my 10 years of Vegas exploration -
but not anymore. Now I'm just like Johny Cash - I've been everywhere, Man! Lets check it all out.....

* * * * * FINGER FOODS * * * *

"Get that finger out of your ear! You dont know where that finger's been! "


My finger food showcase began with some awesome sandwiches posted in an article shared to us by our friendly, neighborhood Westie.
Las Vegas' Best Sandwiches

Stop #1 Naked City Pizza. Its just a short drive from Downtown on Arville Rd. I had no idea the owner was from my native Buffalo, NY. What a delight !
The big claim to fame here is the Royal Sub - an East Coast delicacy comprised of Italian Sausage, Capicola, and Mozzarella. They make their sandwich "heavy" here which is to say its all meat and cheese. Some people love it that way.
Personally, I prefer mine lightened up with lettuce and tomato but this is still a great sandwhich. THe sausage is loaded with Thyme and Oregano. You definitely need a tall beer to wash it down
The Pizza is, of course, a "10". It tastes as good as it looks in the picture. Look for this restaurant on Food Network's "Diners and Dives" show.





Stop #2 El Biratazzo Yowza - this place is way out on Charelston Road past Boulder Hgwy. The neighborhood is...interesting. You'll find it accross from a Home Depot in one of those low rent plazas where
all the stores have bars on the windows. The featured sandwich here is called the "Torta Ahogada". Yeah, I couldn't pronounce it either. Fortunately their menu comes with pictures
which saves you the embarassing exercise of murdering the Spanish language in front of the wait staff - speaking of which - my server was a 7 foot tall WWE Wrestler covered from head
to toe with prison tattoos....and he was just as friendly-n-polite as can be. The sandwhich is slow cooked pork served on crusty bread which is softened up with the spicy sauce you see on the plate.
It got my nose running and taste buds dancing. Its a good stop if you are in the mood for something different. Not sure I'd put it on my top ten list but its good.




Stop #3 was the new Coney Hot Dog joint downtown. Its located under the escalator outside Fitzgeralds. Supposedly the hot dogs are authentic Coney's just like they make in Detroit. I would be the judge of that. I wuffed down many a Coney's back in my rapping days
busting out rhymes on 8 Mile Drive. They called me Grand Master "P".
I can say this about the Vegas joint: My hot dog meal was delicous.
My hot dog meal was $9. My Hot Dog meal was not $9-delicous. But who am I kidding about wathcing my pennies? I just flushed $80 down the Batman slot next door.




But if you are watching your pennies check out the little Taco joint directly accross the street. I did..and it rocked !




Stop #4. Pepe's. Perhaps You've seen them listed in "Las Vegas's Best" review ..at least thats what they claim. There are multiple locations around the city. I went to the one thats right at the intersection
where Fremont ST turns into Boulder Hgwy. I was starving and needed some serious man-food to satisfy my empty tum-tum. Pepe's giant Steak Burrito was definitely up to the task.
Packed with steak-guacamole-and-cheese and then matched up with a fresh salsa bar the burritos here are definitely worth the hype. Give it a try.



Stop #5. LVA's featured restaurant for December is the new establishment in the arts district called simply, "Eat". They're only open for Breakfast and lunch.
I'm pretty sure you cant get a job at this place unless you have something visibly pierced or bolted shut. The owner is a delightful lady who talks to all the customers. Everything on the menu is made with premium ingredients
and that is reflected in the price. It aint cheap but its a nice place with good food and character. I'm not sure Eggs Benedict counts as finger food
but, hey, I play by my own rules in life. You should see me eat clam chowder. They call these little gems the "Downtown Benedict" which lay on top of spinich, turkey bacon, and a whole wheat English Muffin. Lovely. I might just become a regular here. I always thought I'd look good in a nose ring.
They need to sell t-shirts here that say "I ate at Eat"




You can watch the cooks prepare your meal when you sit at the counter at EAT. Its kinda liek Waffle House only with edible food.



Stop #6. "I Love Burgers" at the Palazzo Yeah, its another one of those trendy burger places that add exotic toppings to a hamburger and call it gourmet. This one is called "Heart and Seoul" (as in Seoul Korea). Get it?
They put a fried egg and some sushi condiments atop this one. I was a little worried the egg would run all over the place but there were onion straws underneath that soaked it all up. How creative. Served with a vanilla shake and parmesean fries.
Very delicious. ANd the best part is at all could be bought for the bargain basement price of....... $26 ?!?!?!? Holy crap! Somebody call Mariska Haggerty and tell her to bring the rape kit!

* * * * The Final Frontier - Hacienda * * * *



I'm a 10 year veteran traveler to Las Vegas. Every year I make a point of visiting a part of the city I've never been. Before this trip I've visited almost every major
casino in the Las Vegas metropolitan area...almost. The last frontier of my long time Vegas quest waited for me out in Hoover Damn country - The Hacienda Hotel.

Way out in Boulder City you'll find this inviting structure nestled into the mountains next to Lake Mead. Strangely enough the builders put it on the side of the mountain facing away from the lake which makes for
a great view of....absolutely nothing. Odd.


Awaiting me inside was a barage of slot machines, table games, and some real old school charm. The decor inside is dated and you get the feeling thats done on purpose...
kinda like they do at El Cortez. I cant complain about the games. Video poker schedules are great, table games have low limits, and the cocktails come as fast as you can order them....but there is absolutely no
energy here at all. It feels more like an Amish CHeese House than a casino.


The Hacienda is a beatiful property - just a little too quiet. Nice artwork in the hotel lobby....


The Hacienda has its own movie theatre on site. Its just at the top of this short, 2000-step, deathtrap staricase....



Ya know how Kate Middleton is kinda pretty but boring but then she's got that hot sister, Pippa, who partys and makes sex tapes? Or was it Kate that made the sex tape? Oh, whatever, my point is Pippa is the hot and fun one.
Yeah, well thats sorta how the Railroad Pass Casino compares to Hacienda.
Its just located a few miles down the road in Boulder City and its much more fun. The people at Railroad Pass are a blast. Most of them look like they live in the neighboring trailer park.
They're there for the cheap beer, cheap tables, and a red-necky-licous good time. I played Video poker at the main bar for over an hour. By the time I left I was on a first name basis with everyone sitting near me.
What a friendly and fun bunch.

One dollar Buds are a big draw at the Railroad Pass.




When all was said and done I enjoyed my Final Frontier - thanks in large part to the Railroad Pass. And thats despite the fact
I didn't get to make it with a green chick.

* * * Other "F" words * * * *



I wanted to see Vinnie (F)avorito at the (F)lamingo but he was done for the Holidays. I saw George Wallace instead. Hey, George, Eddie Murphy called. He wants his 1980's act back. I hope he doesn't sue you for plagerizing all his jokes.

(F)remont Street Christmas.



(F)itzgeralds! I still call it Fitzgeralds instead of the "D". There just aren't many cool words that start with "D": Dumb, Dull, Douchebag...see what I mean?


How about the (F)ireside Lounge at the Peppermill. Its super groovy and I hope it always stays that way.


(F)ruity drinks. Seems like everyplace has one of these bars now. This one is by the "D"..oops, I mean Fitzgeralds.



(F)REDO ! You broke my heart !

You'll find Fredo and other gangsters immortalized at the new Mob Museum downtown.
The museum boasts a few really neat exhibits including the actual wall shot at in the Valentines Day massacre. You can see the bullet holes.

Unfortunately 90% of the museum is just big pictures on the wall with a few paragraphs of description which is great if you are among the 10 people left in the country that
dont know about Wikipedia. I'd like to see more artifacts and interactive exhibits. Its a young museum so I suspect more stuff like that will be added over time.
All in all, its a fun 45 minutes. The default price of $20 is too much...MRB gives you $5 off which would put it at the high end of what I would consider an acceptable price




And then there's Dotty's. I kept seeing these places all over the city. One was next to the gas station where I was filling up.
They have some 8/6 Bonus Poker here. Thats better than any schedule I've ever seen for it in the major casinos. I popped in a twenty and worked it up to pay for half my gas.
I might just stop in again. Oh.... wait....I just realized there's no "F" in Dotty's. Well where else am I going to put it?


So I guess while I'm off topic I'll add this neat little sign at the Plaza. Notice the drink specials.


And so there you have it ! Next time you feel inclined to drop the F-Bomb use one of my handy F-words instead. In the meantime I'm gonna get the Fremont outta here! Good night.

Dude - you're having way too much fun! I'm planning on some "suicide fries" at Naked City Pizza on my next trip to funky town. (notice my F-word?)

Thanks, PJ, for that (F)abulous (here's another "F" word for you) report as well as for the (F)un (F)otos (oops, I mean photos)!

I have yet to make it out to Boulder Highway to check out those casinos. Who knows, maybe I'll make it out there someday.

Now as for this "8/6 Bonus Poker" at Dottie's (maybe this is one good use of a "D" lettered word) -- are you sure that it was on the up and up? What I mean by that is did you carefully check out the entire pay schedule to make sure that nothing else on it was shortchanged (like that 2 Pair could have been paying 1 For 1 instead of 2 For 1) or something else that could have been shorted on the pay schedule? Do they have a Slot Club too? And if so, do you know what it returns?

And where is this specific Dotty's located? I've definitely heard of them as well and know that Bob Dancer has mentioned them on his radio shows in the past.

RecVPPlayer

Hey Recv..yes - I checked the whole schedule. BP is my favorite game so I am very familiar with it. The one I went to was on Desert SPrings Road somewhere between the strip and Boulder Hgwy. But I saw one on Rampart Dr not far from Texas Station...and theres another on on Boulder not far from Sahara Dr.
Check one out on your next trip.

Thanks PJ, Nice report and nice pictures.

Right now I'm eating breakfast here on the east coast,
but would gladly swap it for that good looking chilli dog, or that gooey, cheesy, pepperoni pizza. LOL

Thanks for taking the time to write and share.

Rick

PJ- I have to felicitate you on your fantastic and facetious trip report. All of those pictures of food have left me famished. Having grown up north of Detroit, I definitely have to try the Coney's at the D. Do they serve Vernors Ginger Ale or Faygo Red Pop? Thanks again for the T.R.

what a hoot! Fantastic! Fabulous! A Flaming Good Time!

Ted in Chico