Recent 4Q Trip

I just got back from a stay there this week. The restaurants are slowly returning to normal, with a few caveats.

Magnolia's is starting to expand the menu. They still don't have all the options they used to have, but they have added quite a few. There were a lot of new faces there, but they had just gone from 50% capacity to 80%, so they may still be staffing up. There were some service issues. They still aren't open 24 hours, and since I had a morning flight when I returned, I had to go across the street to get breakfast from Dunkin'.

Lines seemed a little longer, but I think that's largely because the lines are more spread out.

Hugo's Cellar is also starting to expand the menu. LOTS of new faces. I have probably eaten there 30 or 40 times over the years and most of the familiar faces were not there. I suppose it is possible that Monday is just their normal night off. But the only familiar face was the guy who made my salad. That having been said, the service was as good as ever.

I still believe that the huge menus at many restaurants might take a long time to come back, if they ever do. And honestly, that's OK, because if there are too many options, it takes me too long to decide what to order. That's not just Vegas - I think restaurants across the country will take a long look at the spoilage associated with trying to satisfy everyone.

I will be headed back in August. Hopefully, Magnolia's will be back to 24 hours by then.

 

Interesting - took a look at the menu, which has indeed changed since I looked at it a few weeks ago, and it looks like they added some things but took a couple items off They did bring back the avocado melt, which is an excellent lunch/dinner option, so focus on the positive I guess I guess one could always ask if they order something that was on the before-times menu - the worst they can say is no

 

Yes, love the avocado melt and the gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, which was also back on the menu.

 

I see the menu updates, and as with any menu update, it's an opportunity to up the prices. Most of the increases are 50 cents. Strangely, while expanding the menu, they dropped the Queen's Breakfast from the menu (the one with eggs, silver dollar pancakes, French toast, and sausage/bacon).

 

A VMB favorite, the country fried steak and eggs, went up $2.50 from $10.99 to $13.49 on the new menu. Now the breakfast CFS is the same price as the dinner CFS.

 

Good catch on the CFS! The other significant increases are the 10 inch pizza, up to $15 from $12, and the Prime Rib up to $21 from $17. Steak dinners up $2-3.

14oz root beer up from $3 to $4.50, while almost all other beverages unchanged. Must be a run on root beer there! ;-)

Pastrami and Reuben sandwiches are gone.

 

The good news is that biscuits are back on the menu...love CFS with a biscuit covered in even more gravy instead of bread.