Las Vegas Advisor – Page 16 – Las Vegas Advisor

Posted on November 27, 2023February 22, 2024 by LVA — 1 Comment

Peter Luger Steakhouse (Caesars Palace)

We’ve been waiting for this one. Anthony Curtis has eaten at the original 136-year-old Luger Brooklyn several times and rates it as one of his favorite steakhouses. Naturally, he’s been waiting breathlessly for the Las Vegas version to arrive at Caesars Palace. There was a long delay following the original announcement, but Peter Luger Las Vegas has arrived, opening its doors in late October.

Two components make Luger Brooklyn such a treat: the food, of course, but also the ambience. The Brooklyn restaurant has been operating since 1887. It’s a red-brick standalone building located at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge in an old neighborhood with a whole lot of, let’s call it, “grit.” Inside are separate dining areas upstairs and down and wooden bars and tables. It’s simple, but people are dressed up and the vibe is something special. Sorry, but there’s just no way Caesars Palace could have replicated that. Give them credit for trying, though. The former Rao’s space has wood floors and a cool center bar. It’s not Brooklyn, but it’s not really Vegas, either. It feels good.

As for the food, it’s right on the mark. Similar to New York, the menu is minimal—steaks and some famous appetizers and sides. You can also order lamb chops, fish, shellfish towers, and a few other for-Vegas additions, but you go to Luger for steaks. Big porterhouses, to be specific. They’re dry-aged, brined, and cooked in garlic butter, then served cut in Luger’s distinctive style to dole out in portions. Fantastic!

Most famous of the sides is the salad, which comprises simply beefsteak tomatoes and slices of sweet raw onion with Luger steak sauce on the side that you drizzle on top. It’s a must. Luger is also known for its German potatoes and the plate of thick-cut bacon slices. There’s a good bread basket to start things off, the service is top notch — a delicious experience. It’s also expensive.

First, a comparison with prices in NY show about a 5%-9% mark-up at Caesars. “Single steak,” as it reads on the menu, is $71.95, but most order in multiples: steak for two is $148.95, steak for three $215.95, and steak for four $285.95. The tomatoes & onions side is $17.95. The bacon (three slices) is $24.95 and German potatoes are $14.95. Our bill for three was $582, but we did it up with drinks, including a bottle of wine. Realistically, you’re looking at about $120 to $150 per person before tip, depending on the drinks. Or are you? It was just a single sampling, but our steak for three was almost twice as much as we could eat. Unless you want the take-out, basic strategy appears to be to order one down—e.g., three in a party orders steak for two for a $67 saving. Or maybe a party of two orders a single steak and you’re out easily for under a buck-fifty total.

Luger Lunch

Another cost-saving strategy is to go for lunch and its two less-expensive options: the Luger burger for $25 and a steak sandwich for $30. We went back, tried them both, and were less impressed. The burger is just that, a burger on a bun with a slice of onion. No lettuce. No tomato. Heck, not even mustard, ketchup, or salt and pepper (we had to ask). Good burger, mind you, but we wouldn’t call it $25 good. The steak sandwich, however, was a disappointment all around. The bill for both specials, one slice of bacon ($8.95) and the tomato-onion side came to $90 (with tax, before tip). Whoa. If you go for lunch, you can order all the dinner fare discussed above; we don’t recommend it for the specials.

Luger Math

Don’t try to beat ’em on a portion premium. Usually, buying more of an item lowers the per-unit cost, but that doesn’t apply here. Following is the per-person breakdown for the steak options.

Single steak $71.95
Steak for two $74.48 per person
Steak for three $71.98 per person
Steak for four $71.48 per person

You do better with a single steak than with two of the three multiple-person options, though maybe the presentation isn’t as cool.

Finally, unlike at the original Luger in Brooklyn, which is all cash, this one takes credit cards.

Posted on November 22, 2023November 20, 2023 by LVA — 5 Comments

South Point Seafood Buffet

The Friday night seafood buffet at South Point is so popular, the first time we tried to get in, the line was two and a half hours long. That got our attention. We also know an LVA member who goes to this buffet every week. Yes, every single week. Could it be that good? How good could it be? Recently, the opening time was bumped up from 4 p.m. to 3 and we heard that the wait time was cut in half. So we determined to find out for ourselves.

Now we know. But first, about the line.

When we arrived at 3 p.m. on the nose, the line was back to the escalators. It moves forward around 50 feet to the front of the buffet and another maybe 20 feet beyond it, then wraps around and comes back the same 20 to the cash registers. We expected the line to move quickly when the buffet opened, but it didn’t; at least it wasn’t around the corner and all the way back to the race book (another hour at least) like it was the last time we checked. From the escalators, it took 20 minutes to get to the front of the buffet (under the sign), then another 30 to make the turn and get to the head of the line.

At a bit before 4 after a 55-minute wait, there were plenty of available tables when we got in.

Meanwhile, the back of the line had moved up a lot. At 4 p.m., the wait looked to be perhaps a half-hour (and we’ve heard from others that’s usually the case). The bottleneck at the 3 p.m. opening is over and tables are still available. We kept an eye on the line and around 4:10, the end was well on the near side of the cashier, maybe 20 minutes long.

Anyway, once seated, plated, and reseated, it was exactly an hour from end of the line to food, glorious food.

And the verdict on how good it is: OMG! What a buffet!

There’s no lobster and that was just fine with us; with the immensity of the seafood selection, we didn’t miss it at all. Check out this line-up of ocean delicacies: steamed cracked crab legs, cold Dungeness crab claws, cold cracked snow crab legs, three kinds of salmon, oysters Rockefeller, clams, peel-and-eat and fried shrimp and shrimp ceviche, cioppino, swai, tilapia, fried cod, black-bean calamari, and more, plus live-action stations of shrimp tacos and build-your-own pasta with red and white clam sauces, and Manhattan clam chowder, which we can’t remember ever seeing at a buffet.

A line inside is always 10 deep for the big crab legs and if you want to see gluttony, even for a buffet, watch as people empty entire steam-table trays of crab on as many plates as they can balance. Meanwhile, the Dungeness crab claws are there for the taking, no waiting, and are as good as we could’ve wanted.

But it’s not just the voracious crowds and variety of seafood that astounded us. Check out the rest of the choices: fruit and melons; Caesars, potato, BLT, caprese, jicama, chicken, and spinach salads and four soups; beef broccoli, pad Thai, barbecue pork, sweet and sour, Chinese vegetables, egg rolls, fried and steamed rice, etc. at the Asian station; pizza, calzones, sausage and peppers, chicken parmesan, and the pasta station for Italian; the usual Mexican; house-smoked garlic salmon, maple-glazed salmon, ribs, rotisserie chicken, and prime rib at the carvery; even a Mongolian grill with beef, chicken, and shrimp and all the toppings!

After so much variety and so many good things to try, we were loaded down and had room only for one return trip for seconds, when we usually go back three or four times. All we had any room for again were the smoked salmon (excellent with horseradish sauce) and the crab claws.

For dessert, an action station serves warm apple strudel, along with a half-dozen pies, cakes and cheesecakes, brownies, eclairs, crème puffs, cookies, soft serve with toppings, the perfect choices to top off the pigfest.

Oh, and did we mention you get two tickets? One ticket equals one drink (beer or wine) from the bar.

All that for $45.95 (plus tax and tip) with a club card, an insane value (especially considering that the marginal MGM Grand brunch buffet is only $9 less expensive).

On our way out at 5, the end of the line was all the way back to the escalators. By then, the buffet was completely full, people weren’t leaving, and when they did, it took some to clean the tables, so the wait was back to at least an hour.

We say the play is to come right at 4 p.m. and hope for the best. But however long you have to wait, this buffet is all that and more.

Posted on November 21, 2023November 20, 2023 by LVA — 1 Comment

Kyle Martin’s Piano Man

Kyle Martin’s Piano Man
V3 Theater, Miracle Mile Shops
Thurs.-Mon. 6:30 p.m.
$29.44-$64.44

Shows at the small V theaters at the Miracle Mile Shops come and go with some regularity, but Kyle Martin’s Piano Man has demonstrated some longevity, going on a couple of years. After seeing it, we’re not surprised. Martin does spot-on impersonations of Billy Joel and Elton John, both at the keyboard and microphone and with the costuming, and the four-piece backup band—lead and bass guitars, sax, and drums—are all talented musicians in their own right; all do the two superstar rockers proud.

The show starts with the ferocious instrumental prelude to Joel’s “Angry Young Man” from Turnstiles, the fourth album, the way Joel often opened concerts in the ’70s and early ’80s and a most worthy representation of the classically trained pianist and self-trained composer. When the prelude ends, Martin skips the song itself to segue right into “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” also a truncated version, followed by a medley of “Moving out,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

All the while, the wall of screens behind the band is projecting relevant and engaging images.

“Big Shot,” “Uptown Girl,” and “New York State of Mind” keep the hits, though halved, coming, and “In the Middle of the Night” is the appropriate break at the 35-minute mark for some band-member solos while Martin runs off stage and comes back all glammed up as Elton John doing “Philadelphia Freedom.” Medleys of “Candle in the Wind,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” and “Benny and the Jets” take up another 30 minutes.

The first encore brings the show back around to Billy with “Piano Man,” naturally. The second encore is Elton’s “Your Song,” his first hit, written by a 17-year-old Bernie Taupin and marking the start of a 50-plus-yeaer musician-lyricist partnership, one of the most enduring in rock ’n’ roll. That’s followed by another Elton song, “I’m Still Standing” and the show ends with Joel’s “You May Be Right” at exactly 80 minutes.

All seats are fine, though we opted for the middle-priced ticket at $49.44 and we were glad we weren’t in the last four rows in the long narrow venue. Still, with the service and order-processing fees, the total came to $71.75, which felt a tad rich for a small show that starts at 6:30, especially since we’d just seen the spectacular Shin Lim in the 1,000-seat Mirage Theater for a total ticket price of $81.06, only $9.31 more. But if you, like us, are big fans of both piano men, you won’t be disappointed in this show, which will start your evening off with a big bang.

Posted on November 19, 2023November 19, 2023 by LVA — 1 Comment

The Trip to Zippy’s

It’s no coincidence or accident that Zippy’s, the beloved 57-year-old restaurant chain with 22 locations on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island, opened its first restaurant outside of Hawaii in Las Vegas, which is often called the “ninth island” for its popularity with island visitors and transplants. When it opened on October 10 at 10:10 a.m. (a long five years after the initial announcement) on Rainbow Blvd. just south of the Beltway, the pent-upness was so strong that management had to issue a set of rules for impatient patrons. We waited a month for the hoopla to die down to see what all the excitement is about; a few parking spaces were available in the main lot, indicating that things have quieted down since opening.

We can certainly see why islander tourists and transplants flock to Zippy’s — the aloha vibe, Hawaiian comfort food, and familiarity with the brand, named after the zip code, which had been recently introduced when the chain was launched in 1966. The 24/7 restaurant is known for its Hawaiian chili (the signature dish), fried chicken, oxtail soup, saimin, loco moco (white rice topped with hamburger, fried egg, and brown gravy), mahi sandwiches, and Zip Pac bentos (boxed lunch).

Frankly, we weren’t expecting much. We like the food in Hawaii, for its melting pot of Polynesian, Asian, and European origins and its focus on fresh local ingredients such as coconut, pineapple, seafood, and slow-cooked whole pig (kalua). But it doesn’t seem to transfer beyond the islands. And it didn’t at Zippy’s, at least for us.

We were disappointed to start by the unavailability of the loco moco and mahi sandwiches. We tried the signature chili, basically chili without any signature that we could find and the large bowl ($9) was more white rice than spicy beans. The $14.75 bento was, again, a lot of rice; the fried chicken was crispy and moist and the teriyaki beef was decent, but we’re not big fans of Spam and the hoki (breaded fish) was tasteless.

Zippy’s is also known for its “napples,” apple turnovers (the “n” is for the Zippy-brand Napoleon bakery, $3.99), and malasadas, plain round donuts rolled in sugar ($1.40). They were the perfect bland desserts for the nothing-special lunches.

Granted, Zippy’s says the menu has been purposely limited in order to iron out the kinks of the first location on the mainland, so we’ll watch to see if and when it changes for the better. Also, we can’t argue with the food-delivery system. A greeter outside the front door directs you to the correct line (right to eat in, left to take out; there’s also an eight-seat counter for quick dine-in). Both options are very fast and efficient.

For take-out, you order and pay at the cashier, then repair to the waiting area where a readerboard tracks the progress of your order. When it’s ready, the server checks your ID (good idea) and hands you your bag o’ food.

Our bill for the bento, chili, and baked goods came to $30.23, including tax. Definitely reasonable for the amount of food and another explanation why Zippy’s is so popular.

Posted on November 18, 2023November 19, 2023 by LVA — 1 Comment

Attending a Raiders Home Game

Lucking into two tickets to the Giants game on November 5, we (Anthony and Deke) attended, the first time either of us had seen a game at Allegiant Stadium. (We did take the tour; see the review in LVA 8/21).

Deke started out from the Jockey Club, catching the tram at the Shops at Crystals to Park MGM, then crossing Tropicana and picking up the tram at Excalibur. That’s where the silver-and-black crowd starts to gather.

At Mandalay Bay, it’s a simple matter of following the crowd to the back of the casino and out to the Hacienda Avenue bridge over I-15 (signs point the way). Everyone marches to the stadium like an impromptu parade in their Raiders’ T-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, scarves, bandanas, caps, masks, chains, beads, and makeup, with a respectable representation of the visiting team’s colors in the mix (in our case, Giants blue). Not surprisingly, Allegiant attracts one of the largest percentages of visiting-team fans in the NFL.

The scene on the bridge gets the game juices flowing: a drum line, ferocious reefer fumes, cops keeping order (and ignoring the pot smoke), one of many water stations around the stadium, even a human doomsday billboard.

You come off the bridge at the north entrance to the stadium, where you’re engulfed by Raiders merch tents, Modelo-, Coors-, and Jack Daniels-themed bars, and tailgate parties.

If you’re getting dropped off, the closest you’ll come is to the southwest and northwest entrances to the stadium on Polaris, which is turned into a one-way street going north from Russell. That’s where Anthony came in and hooked up with Deke. As for parking, surface lots are everywhere, both on and off the stadium property. A four-story parking garage on the northwest corner of Russell and Polaris is brand new.

The ticketing is via QR codes on the Raiders app, all seamless. The stadium is credit-card only; no cash is accepted for anything.

Once inside, finding your seats can be a challenge. We were sitting five rows from the top on the 400 level and had to wander around a bit to find our row. Rows consist of 30 seats between aisles and we were in seats 15 and 16, right smack dab in the middle, so getting in and out wasn’t exactly convenient. Each of us came and went once and spotting our empty seats in the vast sea of spectators was another effort. Deke blundered his way back, but the stranger in the seat next to his spotted Anthony and signaled, saving the day.

Food is plentiful, varied, and surprisingly high quality. The stadium website and app list all the concessions and their locations, from barbecue and chicken to sushi and vegan, with burgers, hot dogs, Mexican, pizza, pretzels, salads, and sandwiches in between. Given the crowds, time constraints, and challenge of carrying food and drink back to the seats, surprisingly few fans were eating and drinking around us. We tried a hot dog ($8) and meatball bowl ($15) from Ferraro’s, the long-running local Italian eatery; the dog was forgettable, but the meatballs were restaurant-quality and ample.

Beers are $13 (domestic draft) to $17 (premium can), but beyond the prices, even if your seats are near the aisle and have an easy in and out, you probably want to refrain from drinking; the lines into the bathrooms, both men’s and women’s, are perpetually pitiless.

As for the game, of course, there’s nothing like being at a huge event like this. The collective energy, people watching, fan frenzy, live entertainment, logistics of 65,000 people getting in, getting along, and getting out, and the football are all sights to behold. Some people prefer watching games on television and we do too, but for a once-in-a-blue-moon experience, being there live and in person is monumental.

The crowds exiting at the end of the game are massive, many walking back across the bridge to MBay to catch the tram. Deke opted out of that mess and hoofed it up to Park MGM, roughly two miles and 40 minutes, then caught the tram to center Strip, while Anthony got picked up on Russell.

All in all, it was a long day, but absolutely worth it and one we won’t soon forget.

As for acquiring tickets to the games, our blogger Dapper Dave Kamsler provided a tutorial on the resale market, which you can read here.

Posted on October 31, 2023January 27, 2024 by LVA — 2 Comments

The Sundry — Latest Overpriced Food Hall

The Sundry is the brand new food hall at the unfinished Uncommons, Las Vegas’ latest lifestyle center located just off the 215 Beltway and directly across Durango Road from the Durango, Station’s hotel-casino in the southwest valley.

Like Famous Foods Street Eats at Resorts World and Proper Eats at Aria, your first time here presents something of a challenge. When you walk in the front door, the big signboard directs you to the hostess, who seats you.

Posted on October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 by LVA — 2 Comments

Buffet Update – November 2023

Bellagio – The Buffet at Bellagio: The price for Friday Dinner went up $10. Making it the same price as Saturday Crab Leg Dinner at $79.99.

South Point – Garden Buffet: All buffet prices went up by $1. Breakfast is now $17.95, Lunch is now $20.95, Prime Rib & Champagne Brunch is now $29.95, and Prime Rib Dinner is now $29.95. The Seafood Dinner ft. Prime Rib Buffet stayed the same at $49.95 regular price, but the club members pay one dollar more than before at $45.95 now. The hours for the Seafood Dinner also changed, it is now one hour earlier at 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Posted on October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 by LVA — 2 Comments

Backstage Deli —Ghost of Luxor Past

When Luxor first opened, the Backstage Deli was a full-scale restaurant with a kosher-style menu and we tried the pastrami, matzo ball soup, and latke. It was 30 years ago and we still remember it. It wasn’t New York caliber, but good enough for an Egyptian-themed casino that seemed to be making some kind of statement about the Passover story.

We certainly had no intention of ever revisiting the skeletal remains of that deli. But a day earlier, a Sunday, we’d eyeballed the Luxor and Excalibur brunch buffets and Luxor looked so good that we returned the next day to try it, only to find it closed (open Wed.-Sun.). Meanwhile, we were famished, so we really had no choice but to grab a quick lunch at the nearby Backstage.

Posted on October 28, 2023October 27, 2023 by LVA — Leave a comment

A Burger and a Breakfast in a Bar

Not that we’re implying that kitchens in Las Vegas bars are better than kitchens in the bars of other cities, but they just might be. The key is factoring in price. Las Vegas bars have gambling machines, which allows them to comp drinks to gamblers. That dynamic also affects pricing on food, as a good dining deal attracts and reattracts customers who play the games. Two prime examples are the burger at Jackpot Bar and Grill and breakfast at Kopper Keg West. Note that both of these bars are known for their good kitchens and rank high on our list of places for best bar food in general.

Jackpot Burger, Jackpot Bar and Grill (4485 S. Jones)

Served around the clock, the Jackpot burger ($13.99) is one of our favorites in town. No, it’s not tricked out with bleu cheese crumbles or strips of bacon (although, those versions are available for the same price), it’s just an old-fashioned half-pounder with the mixin’s of fixin’s that belong on an old-fashioned half-pounder—tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickle. Jackpot’s owner confirms, “It’s a full half-pound, that’s for sure.” As such, it can be cooked to order better than most. It’s served with choice of fries or onion rings. The one negative is the bun has a hard time containing its cargo—tread lightly, or be prepared to finish with a fork. An interesting side note: When we first wrote about this burger in 2017, it was $7.77 and came with a beer.

If you go on Mon., Wed., or Friday, Jackpot runs a play-$500-get-$50 promo. Designated a Kansas City Chiefs bar, the TVs are always tuned to sports, maybe because manager and swing-shift bartender Susan usually has a 3- to 10-teamer in play. Be alert and you might spot one of the Runnin’ Rebels from the ’90 NCAA Championship basketball team; a few of them hang out here.

Breakfast Special, Kopper Keg West (2257. S. Rainbow)

A bit farther north and west, Kopper Keg West checks in with one of the best breakfast specials in town. It’s the standard two eggs, choice of meat, potatoes, and toast, but this one’s a cut above. Get it with the thick-cut bacon and breakfast potatoes that are prepped in-house, not cracked out of a frozen bag. The best part, going back to the gambling/bargain dynamic, is it’s just $6—about as low as you’ll find anywhere for a full breakfast these days. And here’s a breakfast bonus. When we went in to try the special, KK’s resident Bloody Mary master, Shelly, said, “The special is fantastic, but Marco also makes the best omelets.” We had to try. Omelets, in general, are about as unremarkable as scrambled eggs, but not this one. As fluffy as an omelet can be and packed with your choice of three ingredients, it comes with toast and tots for $13. Kopper Keg gets it, the difference is in the details. The one negative is availability, the kitchen doesn’t open till 9 am.

Kopper Keg was for years one of Vegas’ top Cleveland Browns bars. They no longer have the NFL feed, so not all the Browns games are shown. But if the game is on network, the place will be full of “Dawgs.” If Shelly is behind the bar, be sure to get one of her famous Bloody Marys; they’re comped if you’re gambling (Kayla makes a pretty good one, too).

Posted on October 27, 2023October 27, 2023 by LVA — Leave a comment

Aqua Seafood and Caviar Restaurant— Now We Can Say We Tried It

We’ve been intrigued by the Caviar Bar, recently renamed Aqua Seafood and Caviar, since it opened at Resorts World. Not that we’d pay the freight for the regular menu: $6 per oyster ($15 each with caviar), $22 for a Caesars salad, $29 for a crab-cake or foie-gras appetizer, $28 for spaghetti and tomato sauce, $34 for fried chicken, $89 for Dover sole, $110 for eight ounces of king crab, $175-$850 for caviar, let alone $16 for mashed potatoes or French fries.

Category: Las Vegas Advisor