Packing a "Picnic" Basket in Las Vegas -- Ideas Appreciated

@insin read my mind! I also second the Goodwich stop, if it's not too outta your way.

Picnic with wine sounds fabulous either way!

 

This got me thinking about a spectacular dining experience @dbueler and I during my trip, which I still need to include in my trip report. We dined at Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock. The meal, service and venue were awesome and at half of strip prices. I liked it so much if I didn't have a Salon Suite in Encore I'd book a Saturday or Sunday night there to be able to enjoy the weekend brunch and dinner and drink with no worries about driving, while getting in some good VP and Bingo in the middle. https://osteriafiorella.com/

I hadn't thought about this before but we could have an early dinner at Osteria Fiorella -- dinner starts at 4:30 -- and take desserts to go and be right near the canyon to do the loop from 6 to 8. Hhhmmm. That's another thought. One downside is there would be no wine for me but I could take one for the team.

 

I took my mother to Vegas numerous times when she was in her 80s and once or twice in her 90s. My biggest problem was trying to get her to slow down. She wanted to gamble and flirt with guys all night long. I would say, "Momma, it's time to go to bed." To this she would reply, "Baby, I've got fish to fry!"

Sorry. No suggestions.

 

The fooooood, such beautiful food here! (Osteria Fiorella)
Fantastic food, dessert with a view and then walk it all off!
No wine, boo! Making great memories is better than wine.
Done and done!

 

That's so awesome, just awesome.

I recognize my post may suggest my mother is frail. She definitely is not! I get my stamina from her and I still remember our trip from April 2019, when she was 86, and was playing WOF at Encore while drinking JW Blacks. It was approaching 5 am. I could not keep my eyes open but she wanted to play just a few more minutes, until she got to X hundred quarters even. What a great memory. A lot has happened to her since then, hence my being overly cautious, but her spirit is still very much the same, even more so. I told her back in March she had 90 days to work hard with PT and OT so she could maximize her Vegas experience. The PT and OT folks have found her progress nothing short of remarkable. Nothing like an incentive.

 

Yeah, I think I just made a decision but these suggestions were awesome and I'll use them as I have a number of short trips planned -- some solo and some my playing host -- for the rest of the year.

 

You are the reigning "Queen of the Wynn". You host should be happy to do this for you. . . . .

 

Now I totally want that grazing box from Cured & Whey.....

 

If you're able to get your host to pack you something, you could look into the following:

• Hot Smoked Salmon w/ cream cheese and crackers
• Your choice of dip with the crackers mentioned previously
  
• Spanakopita
  • Picture of Spanakopita
• Sujeonggwa: It's a refreshing Korean cinnamon-ginger drink that's served cold, and it would be perfect if chilled and stored in a thermos.
  
  • Picture of Sujeonggwa
• Gimbap: This is a Korean sliced roll that looks like sushi, but it's great finger food that's packed with cooked items, like bulgogi. Getting this fresh from a restaurant is better than getting it from a supermarket that prepares them in advance.
  
  • Picture of Gimbap
• Chicken/Pork Cutlet/Spam Musubi

 

Patisserie Manon is on W Charleston near Ft Apache if that's how you are entering Red Rock. Pastries and light sandwiches would make a great picnic basket.

 

If you happen to be in the Henderson area the day before, Valley Cheese and Wine does Charcuterie and Cheese plates similar to Cured and Whey (which is now on my list to try!). I've gotten gift baskets there before for the family and have been very happy with both the products and the service. They've also restarted their (approximately) weekly wine classes which sound like a lot of fun.

 

Thanks for the suggestion and also the tip about the wine classes. Those sound like fun.

 

I think the first thing you need to do is check with your friend and her mom as to what they like and, more importantly, what they can and cannot eat. Maybe they're gluten-free. Maybe cheese or dairy doesn't agree with them. Maybe their tastes aren't very fancy or "exotic".

Lots of wonderful sounding ideas here. But make sure there are items your friend and her mom can eat and enjoy.

And if you're doing the driving, skip the wine or any alcohol for yourself. You're responsible for the others as well as yourself. Better safe than sorry.

 

My girlfriend is indeed gluten free but I know her mother well -- 100% Italian -- so I know she'll be good with the meats and cheeses and wine, and yes, as I noted above, if we dine at Red Rock before the trip no wine for me.

 

The tip I give everyone going everywhere that time of year is put some frozen waters and or gatorade in your pack, unless you have a massive cooler full of ice. I bought some at a gas station off Kyle canyon road below mount Charleston, had them in one of those insulated lunch bags, and drive from there to valley of fire. By the time we got inside valley of fire they were all melted enough to drink with balls of ice still floating in them, nice and cool. Even having grown up in Florida heat, I was impressed with how fast ice melted in the shade in the desert!

 

There is a Smith's grocery store located very near Charleston and 215. It's a couple blocks east of Red Rock Hotel on the north side of the street They would have everything you need before heading into Red Rocks park.

Be sure to check to see if Red Rocks is still requiring reservations. Last time I tried to enter the park I was turned away because I did not know that capacity was limited.

 

I think reservations are ending this month but, to your point, I'm planning to go in the middle of the first full week in July rather than on a weekend.

 

@Flowers first off I just want to say that between your trip reports and other postings on here, I am certain the world is a better place because of you, and that the world would be a hell of a lot better if more people like you were in it.

That being said, I think the biggest factor to consider is the cooling factor. Even in air conditioning things can get very warm. Perhaps utilize your host to have a higher quality cooler primed and then filled with block ice. Priming brings the coolers temperature down (like chilling a glass from your masterclass) and allows the second fill of ice to actually hold up, block ice (literally 5-7lb blocks) typically melts much more slowly and will keep wetness and condensation from being a problem. I don't prefer pre pack boxes like the photos above because the cold can do weird things to crackers and breads. Instead keep your cheeses and meats and salads and such in the cooler and breads and nuts and crackers in a separate bag. If everything has to go in the cooler keep the crackers and breads as high up as possible (warmest air will always be on top).

Also for ease of eating, make sure cheeses and meats are pre sliced and as a result you will probably want to focus mostly on hard cheeses (no blues, brie, fontinas etc).

 

Hi @alexm. Thank you for your kind and informative note. Was thinking more about the temp issue in light of what you and @MCann shared and now I really am leaning towards dinner at Red Rock at the place I had hoped to take my mom in any event and getting our desserts to go.

Ryan, the guide for my Death Valley trips, did indeed have a full blown large cooler, two I think actually as one was for drinks and the other for food, including candy he kept in there so it too wouldn't melt though they were in the back of the truck.

I am loving these ideas but I'm thinking I'll be more likely to do now if I am solo or if we do wind up doing a second trip to say Mt. Charleston.

Given that I very much wanted to dine at Osteria Fiorella again -- I highly recommend it for everyone/will post pics in my TR later this week -- I'm going to see about getting a reservation when they open. Then after dinner everyone can hit the restroom at Red Rock before we hit the road and take a couple of hours to do the loop at a leisurely pace.