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Miracle Eats

Miracle Eats opened a couple of months ago with six outlets and one on the way. It was originally announced as a “food collective” and was assumed to be a food hall, but as you can see in the above image, it turned out as a run-of-the-mill food court.

That said, it’s obviously brand new, large and with lots of places to sit, and tastefully done with a fair amount of artificial foliage and well-designed lighting. There are also some nice touches, such as neon signs.

You first come to Chipotle, the only one of the seven eateries with inside seating; all the others are counters and seating in the court. Irv’s Burgers, the second in Las Vegas after the first, in the Eat Your Heart Out food hall at Durango, is opening soon.

Lobster Me (with an unfortunate support beam right in front of the sign) moved from its original location in the mall with a new look and updated menu.

Dave’s Hot Chicken has two other locations in the valley, one way out on West Sahara in Summerlin and the other two doors up from the Miracle Mile Shops in the Grand Bazaar at the Horseshoe.

Even more curious is Fat Tuesday, which has a second location in Miracle Mile, plus one each in the Grand Bazaar, MGM Grand, Harmon Corner, Mandalay Bay, Casino Royale, and on and on.

This is Tacotarian’s fifth location in Las Vegas; we reviewed it in the November issue of LVA.

The one that most concerns us is Carnegie Pizza, straight from Times Square in Manhattan, at which we have a great Member Rewards Online coupon. We used it last month and you can read our review here.

Miracle Eats was originally announced to have 10 food outlets, including Fat Sal’s sandwich shop, with one other location at Neonopolis, but other than the space for Irv’s Burgers, we didn’t see where three more eateries might go. If they’re still planned, we’ll let you know.

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Buffet Update – July 2025

Buffet Update - December 2023

Bellagio The Buffet at Bellagio: The Weekend Dinner buffet price went up $5. Weekday Brunch is Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. is still $54.99. Weekend Brunch is Sat & Sun, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. is still $54.99. Weekend Dinner is Sa t& Sun, 1 p.m.-8 p.m. is now $79.99.

Circus CircusCircus Buffet: This week’s Breakfast Buffet is Sat & Sun, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. is $29.95. Then their dinner buffet is Fri-Sunt, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. is $34.95.

CosmopolitanWicked Spoon: The Weekday Brunch went up by $2. Weekday Brunch is Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. is now $49. Weekend Brunch is Sat & Sun, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. is still $54.

WynnThe Buffet: The Seafood Gourmet Brunch buffet price went up $5. Gourmet Brunch is daily, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. is now $64.99. Seafood Gourmet Dinner is daily, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. is still $79.99.

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Strip Sags in May

Las Vegas, you’ve got a problem on your hands. During May, casino revenues across the rest of the United States went up, sometimes dramatically. What did the Las Vegas Strip do? It declined 4%. And Las Vegas locals’ business was flat with 2024. Maybe consumers have gotten fed up with being dinged $26 for a tiny bottle of water. Or maybe—and more likely—the consumer is “one with no visibility into the future and thus preference for smaller/experiential purchases over large outlays/vacations.” That’s the assessment of new J.P. Morgan gaming analyst Daniel Politzer and it’s spot-on. Given that there was an extra weekend day in May this year, gaming overlords are probably thanking their lucky stars things didn’t turn out worse.

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Carnegie Pizza

Our latest Member Rewards Online coupon is a BOGO at Carnegie Pizza in Miracle Eats at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. The coupon has two tiers: Diamond members ($3 a month) get 2-for-1 slices; full Platinum members can get the two slices or two whole pies for the price of one.

As you can see from the menu, slices start at $7 (cheese) and top out at $9 (spciy pepperoni, chicken), so with the coupon, you’re looking at $3.50-$4.50 per, which is good and cheap for good and center Strip. Big eight-slice pies are $40-$50; additional toppings are $1.25-$1.50 per slice and $5-$6 per pie.

To test the coupon and try the pizza, we brought two whole pies, a Margherita and a red pepper, mushroom, and sausage, back to the office. Classic New York pizza, the two pies lasted a couple of days and reheated perfectly in the air fryer (five minutes do the trick and even the crust got crispy again).

You pay for the more expensive pie, which for us was $52 (two extra toppings). With tax and a tip, the total bill came to just under $65. A little pricey, perhaps, but we were still out the door at $32.70 per 18-inch pie. Heck, a Domino’s 14-inch pepperoni pizza is $20 and these are 22% larger. We weren’t disappointed with quantity, quality, or price. The BOGO slices are a steal and if you have a big party to feed or another reason to consume two pies, you can save most of or the whole price of a Platinum membership with this MRO.

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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.

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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Total War

That’s what Dr. Miriam Adelson and Las Vegas Sands declared on the state of Texas in their (over)zealous pursuit of a casino. The charmlessness offensive was rolled out like a fleet of Sherman tanks, as Sands argued its case over the airwaves, in print and in person. Sending over 100 lobbyists to Austin to club the Lege into submission was obvious overkill, even before it happened.

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Bobby Vegas — Welcome to NoResortFeeNation

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

Ya know what I love about Vegas? Casino competition. When they sweat, we win.

A couple corporate casino number crunchers are sitting around at the bar, cooking up short con schemes, and wondering, “So! How can we squeeze another couple of bucks — No, wait! How can we really hose these yahoos out of as many of their hard-earned scheckels as (in)humanly possible? Let’s add a resort fee and charge ’em for things they’re already getting! And a parking fee! And raise prices on everything, even coffee, and make it real hard to cash TITOs, and even charge for plates and tableware on room-service deliveries. And while we’re at it, let’s keep laying off employees to save on the expense side.”

Well, that worked like a charm, to the tune of a billion smackolas a month for a few years and you’re all fat and happy. But you know what? The regulars aren’t just grumbling, but are finally downright PISSED. “Vegas ain’t what it used ta be. Where’s value gone? I’m bein’ hosed six ways thru Sunday.”

A lot of them got their revenge. How? They stopped coming.

Empty rooms. Shows closing. Gross gaming revenue down 10 months in a row. International tourism down 20%. Corporate shills sweating. What to do? Sober up? Fuggedabouddit.

Lightbulb moment. “Let’s drop resort fees!” Brilliant.

Now, I don’t hate to say I told you so. I’m glad I said, “The trickle of No Resort Fees this spring is gonna turn into a river.”

I reported many no resort fee deals (call it NRF), like Treasure Island and Fontainebleau. And just last month Golden Nugget and just this week Resorts World. Ka-ching. Next!

Oh, and a shout out to Four Queens and Binion’s, which are always NRF (plus great video poker and points promos).

I’ve already written about the awesome $125-a-day package at the Plaza: 2 nights, 2 meals a day, unlimited drinks, NRF, and free parking. (Or try their bingo deal.)

Now Downtown Grand is running to catch up: two weekend nights, $100 food an beverage credit, 4 drink tix, upgraded room, free parking (that’s a given) NRF for (drumroll) 250 smackers. Add the food-bev credits, toss in the $50 matchplay at checkin, and you’re talking a Hilton-quality room for $50 a night. On the weekend.
(Use code SMRWEMD. During the week SMRWDAY.)

This is the Vegas I love. Great quality, low cost, gamble till dawn.

And here are a couple of other cool your ***off freebies. $2 ice cream cones at Baskin Robbins right now and my new favorite, at Tiffs Treats, 45 days of a dozen cookies delivered to you or a friend for $99! A $1,000 value. Yummy! And no Red Robin burger debacle either; I already bought it, but Summer Passes are limited, so if you have the munchies or just a sweet tooth, as David Lee Roth sings, JUMP!

Special Announcement: My next, and hopefully last, surgery is Wednesday July 2. Please say a prayer. Whether you believe or not, it helps. Well wishes, sacrificial goats, vestal virgins, it’s all good. Except what exactly is a vestal virgin anyway?

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Princess Diana & the Royals: The Exhibition

If you’re a fan of the British royals (or even just the Netflix series “The Crown”), you’ll probably want to check out the Princess Diana exhibit at The Shops at Crystals. Located on the third floor next to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, this is an worthwhile daytime activity (open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) if you’re looking to take a break from the crowds and noise of the casinos.

The exhibit occupies more than 10,000 square feet and boasts 700-plus artifacts related to Diana and the royal family. It’s organized into three main collections: “Wedding of the Century,” “Fashion Icon,” and “Royal Obsession.” It traces her life from her own family’s background of nobility through her school days, her whirlwind courtship with Charles, her life as princess, and her tragic death. The exhibit also follows her children, Prince William and Prince Harry, into adulthood; like most modern media accounts, the exhibit tends to subtly favor William.

Artifacts include her school papers, some memorabilia from her 1981 wedding (a piece of wedding cake, a seating chart from the wedding reception, an official pass to Clarence House where Diana prepared for her wedding day), historic royal textiles, and seven evening gowns, reportedly the largest collection on display anywhere. You can also get glimpses of her less serious side, such as store-bought birthday cards she sent to friends (including one to pop star George Michael).

My wife, a former archivist, had some technical criticisms. For example, many of the labels were either missing, difficult to read, or crooked and most of the gowns, tiaras, and Diana’s wedding dress on display are re-creations (which wasn’t clearly indicated).

We purchased the timed-entry tickets, which required a little advance planning, but it wasn’t at all crowded when we went (10 a.m. on a Friday morning), so I can’t imagine that walk-up tickets weren’t available. A VIP ticketing option is available, with all-day entry and an audio headset, but we found that wasn’t necessary. Some visitors might like the context of and untold stories behind the artifacts that the audio provides.

Tickets are $32.95 base and just a $2.50 booking fee, $35.45 total, with discounts for 55+, military, locals, and children (6-12). Photography and videography are allowed without flash and you can use the hashtag #vegaslovesdiana for a 10% discount in the gift shop.

All in all, we enjoyed the exhibit and were glad that we went. It’s definitely worth an hour of your time if you’re at all interested in Diana, British royalty, or a distinctly non-Vegas experience.