In the Illusion State Part 2, I introduced the Sazerac Lying Club, a fictitious group of barroom storytellers in the tradition of taproom raconteurs everywhere for all time — in this case in 1870s’ Austin, Nevada. The whole thing was a flight of fancy from the dying boomtown’s newspaper editor who needed some text to […]
Posts in category Lifestyle & Travel Tips
Greater Vegas—The Illusion State 2
In my last blog, I described Greater Vegas as an illusion, built on a foundation of falsehood and fantasy. This isn’t my own idea; it’s an outgrowth (indirect as it might be) from a long tradition of journalism in the American west, which incorporated elements of exaggeration, satire, ribaldry, and just plain fiction to fill […]
Ellis Island – Monday Lounge Brunch
Ellis Island does a creative brunch on Mondays. The “Monday Lounge Brunch” runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features bottomless bloody Marys and mimosas for $12. There’s also six entrée choices for $6.99 each. We can vouch for the eggs Benedict and the quiche. As […]
Las Vegas Story Slam
Anyone familiar with The Moth will understand the Las Vegas Story Slam immediately. Story Slam is a monthly meeting of people from all walks of life. Some get up to tell a story. The rules are, the story must be true, it must have happened to the person telling it, there are no notes or […]
Greater Vegas—The Illusion State
I’ve been a Nevada resident for 30 years, written numerous books about the Silver State, and am more at home here than in the other six places on two continents where I’ve lived, so I feel I’m qualified to say that no other state in this (currently dubious) union is built on more of a […]
Local Corner—Marché Bacchus French Bistro and W...
Local Corner—Marché Bacchus French Bistro and Wine Shop 2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 106, 702-804-8008 We’ve had an odd relationship with Marché Bacchus. It’s one of the most acclaimed non-casino restaurants in town, a perennial “Essential 50” selection (and even a Top 10 pick in the 2013 edition) of Eating Las Vegas, and a place where […]
20 Lessons Learned After 50 Years in Restaurant...
[Editor’s Note: This is another sneak preview of Eating Las Vegas 2018, which will be released in November. Author John Curtas estimates he’s eaten 20,000 meals in restaurants over five decades and the following 20 lessons he’s learned about dining out are presented in the form of advice you can take with you to any eatery.] […]
Greater Vegas—Bristlecone Pines
Excavations and carbon dating of artifacts discovered in a number of caves around Nevada, including Tule Springs and Gypsum Cave near Las Vegas, have supplied evidence that aboriginals occupied the region as early as 11,000 B.C. In northern Nevada live a prehistoric species of sucker fish known as cui-ui (pronounced kwee-wee) that teemed in the […]
Greater Vegas’ Oldest Restaurant
Nearly 100 years ago in 1920, native Italians John and Elvira Casale met in Reno, married, acquired a little piece of property from the dairy farm where John worked, and opened Casale’s Market, a produce stand. Elvira also sold fresh raviolis, which became so popular that the Casales built a small seating area where she […]
Greater Vegas — Pahranagat National Wildlife Re...
The vast majority of Vegas visitors who travel on Interstate 15 do so between Sin City and southern California, often in heavy traffic inbound on Friday and outbound on Sunday. The few who head northeast out of Las Vegas are going to Valley of Fire State Park or Mesquite, St. George, Utah, and points beyond. […]
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