O Westie Where Art Thou

December 1-15, 2010

O brothers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O brothers let's go down,
Down in Vegas to play (1)



Good day Brothers and Sisters. The Reverend Billy Sol Westie (2) and Sister Ann welcome our regular listeners to the Westie’s Travelling Salvation Show and extend a warm greeting to those tuning in for the first time. This broadcast originates from our satellite radio station WES-T, 241 on your dial, in beautiful downtown Del Rio, Texas. (3)

We have an exciting announcement to make today; in a Glen Beck inspired moment, God has seen fit to speak to me and instructed this ministry to hold 14 days of revival meetings at the First Church of the All-Day Buffet and Indigestion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Can members of the flock sing out Hallelujah?

Joining us on the pulpit will be visiting pastors Reverend Leroy (4) and Reverend Jim Ignatowski (5). We will be on a mission of God’s to make each of us happy, holy and roly-poly. Can I get an Amen?

It is now time to turn to page 77 in your hymnals and join the choir led by Reverend Cleophus James (6) in song:

We-eee-eee!....
You know Las Vegas - make me wanna (Shout’)
Kick my heels up and (Shout’)
Throw my hands up and (Shout’)
Throw my head back and (Shout’)

We pray ya’ all can join us in Las Vegas, but don’t be forgetin’ to:

Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies
And everyone goes, 'cause everyone knows
'Bout Brother Westie’s Travelling Salvation Show (7)

Air arrangements for this trip have been made through the courtesy of Southwest Airlines, this ministry’s official airline, while ground transportation is being furnished at a substantial discount by Alamo.

As we prepare to sign off until tomorrow, can the congregation say Hallelujah?

I didn’t hear y’all – can everyone say HALLELUJAH!

Footnotes:

(1) Song performed by Allison Krauss in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou

(2) Don Immus created the character of Billy Sol Hargus, a radio evangelist, whose name was a cross between infamous radio and television preacher Billy James Hargis and Texas fertilizer swindler Billie Sol Estes.

(3) DJ Wolfman Jack howled nightly on XERF-AM, a 250,000 watt Mexican super station, located in Ciudad Acuna just over the border from Del Rio, Texas

(4) Flip Wilson character who was the pastor of the Church of What’s Happenin’ Now

(5) Character played by Christopher Lloyd in the TV show Taxi

(6) Character played by James Brown in the movie Blues Brothers

(7) Neil Diamond’s “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Showâ€


Book of Westie

12:01 The Promised Land

The plane out of Del Rio was delayed for 25 minutes due to high winds and rain, but after flying over Big Rock Candy Mountain, we arrived in the Promised Land on time only to spend the next several minutes waiting for another plane to depart from our gate.

After a short delay, we picked up our luggage and shuttled off to the rental facility where we picked up a mid-size (?), Chevrolet Cobalt, at Alamo.

http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/family/cobalt.do After stopping at a CVS for a few sundry items, we arrived at the South Point Hotel & Casino where we would be staying for the next 14 nights. I had originally booked all 14 nights through the race book, but subsequently broke it into 4 separate reservations after each of us received a free night offer. We were assigned to room 949 which offered expansive views of the casino’s roof.



Benny Binion dressed up for Christmas.


Sister Ann posing by the Christmas Tree:


This trip coincides with the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) so after dropping our luggage off in our room, we joined the throngs of cowboys and cowgirls at the Lobby Bar. This evening’s libations were a merlot for Sister Ann while I enjoyed a Black Star beer. All drinks mentioned in this TR were free courtesy of coupons from the American Casino Guide (ACG).

We decided to stay on the property for dinner, so after enjoying our drinks we went upstairs to the Primarily Prime Rib. http://www.southpointcasino.com/dining/primarily-dinner-menu.php Ann started with a mundane house salad with blue cheese dressing prepared tableside while I opted for the split pea soup which was thick and delicious.




For an entrée, she chose maple glazed salmon, a large filet served over a sweet potato pancake with corn relish. My sautéed sea bass, 2 large filets over stir fried vegetables in a light teriyaki sauce with a side of rice pilaf was very good though the latter was blah.


($28.73, Las Vegas Advisor (LVA), 3.5 Forks out of a possible 5)

Prior to retiring for the night, we stopped at the box office for complimentary tickets for tomorrow’s Dennis Bono show.

12:02 Big Balls in Cowtown

Throughout this trip, I was never able to adjust to the time change so I was up and raring to go at 2:30AM. As I crossed the casino floor on my way to the parking garage, I was amazed at the number of cowfolk still up and partying.

I made the first of several cross city treks to Sam’s Town to take advantage of the 5 times points being offered to seniors. I was able to keep my head above water throughout the entire 3.5 hour session courtesy of numerous Wild Royals and got firmly ahead shortly before it was time to depart when I held a pair of deuces and drew the remaining pair. For those unfamiliar with video poker (VP), the payoff for hitting quad deuces is 1,000 coins.

For breakfast we chose the Garden Buffet at the South Point. The cowfolk were sleeping in this A.M., so food was not being turned over. I enjoyed my usual fresh fruit with strawberry yogurt, OJ, a huevo ranchero, ham and breakfast potatoes. ($7.51, LVA, 2 Forks)

We retired to the room and read the newspaper prior to departing for the KSHP offices on Jones Boulevard where I exchanged a $10 gift certificate for a Yayo Taco certificate. http://www.kshp.com/

We made another cross town trip to Sam’s for a 1 hour VP session that culminated in me hitting my #2 quad deuces of the trip.

On returning to the South Point we stopped at the room for a little rest before it was time to head for the showroom for the Dennis Bono radio show. http://www.dennisbono.com/

Today’s guests included singers Corrie Sachs (Country Superstars Tribute), Jin-Jin Reeves (Hitzville), Robin Vincent (Nunsense), Larry Wayne Morbitt (Phantom of the Opera), Louis Prima Jr. and Bobby Rose. (3.5 Claps)

After exiting we directed our feet to the Lobby Bar where we enjoyed a pair of mudslides before heading to the western gift show. This show is small, though expanded from prior years, in comparison to those held at the convention centers at Mandalay Bay, the Sands and Las Vegas Hilton. There was little of interest so we did a quick walk through before entering the adjoining equestrian center where a 10 day calf roping competition was in progress.

The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to reading and napping. After a pair of merlots at the Grandview Lounge, we headed off for Tofu Hut on Spring Mountain Road. http://vegasmusings.com/?p=925

This small, informal restaurant specializes in Korean barbecue where you cook your own food over a grill. We chose the shrimp; 24 butterflied shrimp, a bountiful fresh salad with an Asian dressing, unlimited rice and 8-9 banchans (small dishes). Here is what I believe we consumed: kimchi, Oi Sobaki (seasoned cucumber), Kongnamul (bean sprouts), Kuromame (Japanese black beans), sliced Age (fried tofu), a broad noodle dish, a second cucumber dish and a potato salad. ($23.60, KSHP, 4 Forks)





After finishing this feast, we returned to the South Point just in time for the conclusion of this evening’s NFR broadcast. We quickly headed for the showroom to catch the first set by Dave Alexander and his 9 member Big Texas Swing Band that played such classics as Waltz Across Texas, Milk Cow Blues and Big Balls in Cowtown. --fOruzPN-o (3 Claps and a Fiddle)

12:03 Praise the Lord and Pass the Salsa

My very early morning VP session at the Fiesta-Henderson culminated in my #3 quad deuces.

We shared a breakfast in the room of OJ, bagel and grapefruit. After reading the newspaper, we departed for the Las Vegas Premium Outlets. “Our†only purchase was (2) pairs of bootie socks for Ann using a $10 off coupon “I†received from Jockey.

Lunch this day was at Mundo – a Culinary Haute Spot located in the nearby (walkable) World Market Center. http://tinyurl.com/2dnw5xs



We received a bowl of taco chips plus 3 housemade salsas.


We both ordered the jalapeño chile spiced chicken enchiladas with roasted tomatillo sauce, salsa asada, melted chihuahua cheese and crema fresca. Everything was very good including the service until our waiter was reassigned to duties at the bar. ($18.03, Restaurant.com (R.com), 3.5 Forks)


The remainder of the afternoon was spent doing deep breathing exercises in our room. In the evening we returned to the Grandview Lounge to watch the beginning of the rodeo while nursing a pair of merlots.

Our dining destination this evening was Barcelona, a tapas bar, emphasis on bar, located nearby on Southern Highlands Parkway. http://www.usmenuguide.com/barcelonatapasbar.html We were started off with a plate of grilled bread, hummus and an addictive, though spicy, garlic cream cheese spread (2.5 Forks). Our first order was pan fried dates stuffed with almonds wrapped in bacon with a wine reduction sauce and blue cheese (3.5) and quesa fundido, baked cheese in a roasted pepper and tomato sauce (2.5). We then shared an entrée of paella which was mediocre due to the absence of saffron, a good seafood broth and chorizo (2). We concluded the meal by sharing a delicious flan (4). ($20.46, R.com)





On our return we again managed to catch the conclusion of the rodeo and then moved into the showroom to listen to Seth Turner, but no seats were available so we moved on to the Grandview Lounge and listened to the VooDoo Cowboys, a local band last seen at Sam’s. http://voodoocowboys.com/ (2.5 Claps)

12:04 Cross Town Express

Today’s VP session featured innumerable 5’s of a kind (5OAKS) and wild royals plus my #4 quad dueces of the trip. On my return we enjoyed a glass of OJ and some grapefruit before departing for Ellis Island where we each ordered easy over eggs, wheat toast and hash browns.


http://www.ellisislandcasino.com/Restaurant.htm Service was noticeably slower than on recent trips, but our food arrived hot from the kitchen. ($8, ACG, 3 Forks)

We each had $10 in free play from our last trip so we played it off netting a tax free $13.75. We also swiped our cards at a kiosk for free bingo entries but neither of us hit even a single number.

Traveling east we made a short stop at Terrible’s where Ann converted 20,000 points into a $75 McCormick & Schmick’s gift certificate that we used later in the trip. http://www.terriblescasinos.com/

We then reversed direction, parked at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and walked to the Flamingo where we redeemed an online coupon for 2 free tickets to the Nathan Burton Comedy Magic Show.

http://www.vegas4locals.com/couponnathanburtoncomedymagic.html

One final U-turn had us heading east again to Sam’s Town for a short VP session, Ann played while I Waltzed Across Sam’s.

In the early evening we each enjoyed a pair of merlots while watching the first half hour of the rodeo before departing for Bernard’s Bistro at Lake Las Vegas. Ann ordered the braised chicken mille Feuille with mushrooms, artichokes and garlic topped by puff pastry in a mustard fondue sauce with mashed potatoes. We expected this dish to be somewhat similar to a chicken pot pie, but it was more like a deconstructed pie with very little puff pastry.


My entrée of marinated white fish in garlic miso served with Asian noodles, crispy vegetables and ginger sesame sauce was also not what I expected. The vegetables were served over, rather than under, the fish making the plate visually unappetizing and the noodles were dry and tasteless.

Although the meal was good, it proved to be a little disappointing in comparison to the one we enjoyed in September. ($22.63, R.com, 2.5)

Our last stop of the evening was the Club Fortune to listen to a Touch of Silk. The music was way too loud and the casino was smoke-filled so we quickly retreated to our car and retired to our smoke-free room. http://www.clubfortunecasino.com/

12:05 Happy Birthday Baby

At 2:30AM this morning both Seth Turner and I were up; he was performing in the showroom so I listened for a half hour before departing for the VP machines at the Fiesta. I managed to turn a small profit by hitting an ungodly number of 4 and 5OAKS.

It was Ann’s birthday so for the second year in a row we headed to Waffles Café where we each ordered; drum roll please, a waffle topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. ($12.10, 4 Forks) http://www.wafflescafe.com/



Since we were in the immediate vicinity – wink, wink, we stopped at BonJour Euro Bakers for a pastry to go. On returning to the room we read the newspaper and rested though Ann did put in a short session at the 8/5 bonus poker machines.

In the early evening we headed for Sam’s to watch the rodeo while nursing a merlot (Ann) and a Fat Tire (me). Dinner this evening was at Carve in the Eastside Cannery. http://tinyurl.com/2az9mgq



We were started with a basket of warm bread and then shared a warm spinach salad with bacon dressing, mushrooms, hard boiled egg and red onions.



Our 12 ounce prime rib entrees were served medium rare as requested with au jus and a horseradish sauce. Accompaniments included a grilled tomato and baked sweet potatoe with maple butter on the side. Our spinach salads and entrees were very good. ($28.46, R.com, 4 Forks)


We adjourned to Marilyn’s Lounge to listen to the band Copper Hollow, but the music was again too loud so we returned to our hotel room.

12:06 The (Real) Royal Engagement

After experiencing 4 consecutive winning days, I was long overdue for a bad session and my expectations were realized until I was dealt 3 hearts to the royal and pulled the remaining 2 for my first Royal of the trip.

We again enjoyed a breakfast in the room of fresh fruit, OJ and a shared bagel.

This morning’s first stop was the Paseo Verde library to check our emails followed by a visit to the Flamingo branch of the Clark County Library where Ann borrowed 3 books.

We both have had a yearning for street tacos since our September trip, so we made the short drive to Yayo Taco across from UNLV. http://www.yayotaco.com/ We each ordered a pair of al pastor tacos that were topped with cilantro, pineapple and onion with a squeeze of lime plus taco chips and black beans. The weather was so pleasant that we ended up dining on the patio. ($2, KSHP, 3.5 Forks)




On our return to the South Point it was obvious from the odor that the calf roping competition in the equestrian center was peaking.

We stopped by the Grandview Lounge for merlots and noticed this evening’s crowd was a mix of locals watching the Patriots/Jets game and cowpokes watching the rodeo. Ann & I did not want to offend either group so we watched both before departing for Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood. http://www.ventanoitalian.com/



Ventano’s is our favorite southern Italian restaurant in Las Vegas though it has been over 2 years since our last visit. We were served a loaf of bread in a paper bag direct from the oven along with EVO and balsamic vinegar. There was no need for menus as we ordered our standard meal; shared orders of spinach salad, eggplant rollatini and crème brulee. The spinach salad included red onions and mushrooms tossed in warm bacon dressing topped with chopped hard boiled egg.


The eggplant rollatini was brought to the table bubbling hot in two baking dishes along with a side of linguini. Fortunately, we had just enough room for the delicious crème brulee.



No doggy bag required this evening. Service throughout was friendly and competent. ($23.84, Groupon, 4 Forks)

The evening concluded in the South Point showroom while listening to Nashville performer Susie Dobbs. http://susiedobbs.com/music.htm We have enjoyed listening to Susie for many years during past rodeos initially at the Gold Coast followed by a short stint at the Orleans. Her 3 year old daughter joined her on stage a few times during each set. (3 Claps)

12:07 Thou Shall Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain

As I was driving down Silverado Boulevard this morning, a small black cat started to cross in front of me and I figured this had to be an omen of bad things to come. On the positive side the cat still has 8 more lives and I managed to score my 5th quad deuces of the trip.

We decided to breakfast at the South Point buffet and as we waited for our juice to arrive Susie and her daughter walked by. She looked tired and said both of them had been up until 1AM this morning. Today’s breakfast included easy over eggs, fresh fruit with yogurt, corned beef hash and a peach crepe. ($9.51, LVA, 2.5 Forks)

After reading the paper, we drove to Organelle Spa on Durango for Ann’s 11AM massage. We arrived 10 minutes early only to discover the door was locked. After waiting several minutes we called the telephone number and were told he (Derek) was running late. Though Ann’s gift certificate was for a medical massage, Derek included Swedish and hot stone treatments. http://lvorganelle.com/ ($54, Groupon, 4 Hands) Meanwhile, I killed the hour checking out Chinatown restaurants for our next trip.

We returned to the room for a short rest before departing for Paul Mitchell School where Ann had an appointment for a blow dry and styling. http://school.paulmitchell.edu/las-vegas-nv/ In the meantime, I drove to the Fiesta-Henderson for a 30-minute session that featured a wild royal and my #6 quad deuces of the trip.

She was not ready on my return so I sat in the waiting area fearing she had been abducted. Ann finally emerged a half hour later, some 1.5 hours after entering. She was more than a little frosted and I am not referring to her hair color. The problem was this was her student hair dresser’s first day so the instructor had to walk her through the entire process while doing most of the actual work himself. ($13, 1Brush)

In an effort to soothe the savage beast, I suggested we walk over to Pizzaria Enzo for some gelato, but it was closed for renovations. My guess is this is a euphemism for out-of-business, new ownership to renovate.

In the early evening we settled in atthe Karaoke bar at Ellis Island and enjoyed our one and only eggnog of this trip. (4 Sips)






Dinner this evening was at the nearby McCormick & Schmick’s. http://tinyurl.com/37sasqy

We shared a Dungeness crab, avocado and mango tower with orange vinaigrette that was not as impressive as it looked.
We also shared a very good Caesar salad.


For entrees we each ordered the fresh sea scallops over sautéed spinach with a chipotle carrot sauce that was very good as was the crème brulee we shared.


We used the $75 gift certificate from Terrible’s. ($16.77, 3.5 Forks)

We concluded the evening at Sam’s Town where in an abbreviated 15 minute session I hit a few wild royals and cashed out with a small profit. Ann continued to play while I adjourned to Roxy’s Lounge to listen to Skid Rodeo perform. This 5 member band includes twin brothers from England who apparently share a hair stylist. http://tinyurl.com/37sasqy (3 Claps)

12:08 On the 7th Day We Washed

The Fiesta-Henderson was offering 5 x points today so that was my destination this morning. The good news about my VP session was I filled in an amazing number of inside straights; the bad news was I had a lot of opportunities. I also managed to eke out a modest profit after hitting my 7th quad deuces.

Our first priority of the day was dropping off our dirty clothes at a local wash and fold followed by a shared bagel at Einstein Brothers. Next stop was the Paseo Verde library to check emails and to purchase and print out a pair of vouchers good for $50 in free play at the South Point for $25. A link to this offer was included in our room confirmation and fortunately one of us, not me, picked up on it.

On our return to the South Point we headed for one of the ballrooms to view the Art of the American Cowboy exhibit and auction. (3 Brushes)

We were both hungry so we had lunch at Baja Miguel’s Mexican restaurant. We ordered the $8.95 luncheon special that includes a margarita, fideo soup and a 2-item combination. We went with a traditional margarita on the rocks and chile relleno/enchilada for our combo. The margarita and soup were good, but Miguel’s interpretation of Tex-Mex was pretty typical (e.g. mediocre) for a casino eatery.


($12.67, ACG, 2 Forks)

In mid-afternoon we returned our car, total cost $113.80, and picked up a second Chevy Cobalt. The reasons I chose (2) one week rentals over a 14-day rental were two-fold; I was able to use an online $25 coupon and receive 3 Rapid Rewards credits for each rental.

This was our evening to watch the rodeo in its entirety so we settled in at the Grandview Lounge early and nursed our drinks. After the rodeo we were only mildly hungry so we shared a corned beef on rye accompanied by a side of potato salad from the Del Mar Deli. ($11.35, 3 Forks)

On returning to the room we pulled the dessert purchased several days prior at BonJour Euro Bakers out of the refrigerator, but like me, it had not aged well. .

12:09 Elvis Would Have Been Disappointed

Sam’s was offering seniors 5 x points so I make the drive one more time. This morning’s VP session yielded yet another modest profit after I hit my #8 quad deuces of the trip. I also qualified for the Sapphire level of the slot club which entitles me to 2 x points on all future play plus enhanced offers.

We again enjoyed breakfast at the South Point buffet. ($7.51, LVA, 2.5 Forks) We then headed downtown where we parked at the El Cortez. After playing $10 through the bar top VP machines, we tendered our LVA play $10 get $10 in free play coupons and then played off the free play for a combined net profit of $21.25.

We then walked over to the Four Queens where we tendered $10 in free play coupons from the LVA plus Ann received an additional $20 in free play because it was her birthday month. We did not fare quite as well, cashing out at $20. On our return to the car we stopped and enjoyed watching the spray can painter create a few pieces of art. 9ie6OSWEAmI

Our next stop was Sam’s where Ann played for an hour hitting quad deuces while I walked around the casino and stopped to take a few photos of the Winter Wonderland at the Mystic Falls Park.

Following our return to the South Point I went directly to the showroom to secure seats for this week’s Dennis Bono show. This was his annual Christmas show so the room was packed, but I managed to find two seats before the doors were closed to late arrivals. This week’s line-up included Clint Holmes, Corrie Sachs (Country Superstars Tribute show), Lorraine Hunt Bono (Dennis’ wife and former Lieutenant Governor), Wendy Edmead (jazz singer and former member of the Pointer Sisters) and the Bob Rosario Ensemble. (3 Claps)

After resting in our room for what seemed like 5 minutes, we headed down to the Grandview Lounge to nurse a few merlots before departing for Memphis Championship BBQ on Warm Springs Road.




http://www.memphis-bbq.com/ Ann had a buy one, get one coupon in recognition of her birthday so she ordered a full rack of baby back ribs while I ordered pork shoulder. The ribs were overdone and the pork shoulder lacked flavor. The sides were hit and miss: potato salad (too much mayo), baked beans (excellent) and mac and cheese (fair). We are going to take a pass on this offer in the future.


($14.80, 2 Forks)

On our return to the South Point we once again watched the closing moments of this night’s rodeo.

12:10 The Streak Ends

I have managed to earn a profit on each of the first 8 days of this trip, but like all streaks it was bound to end and today so it did.

Once again I bought a bagel from Del Mar Deli which we enjoyed with an orange and OJ. After reading the newspaper, we decided to check our email at the Paseo Verde library.

Our next stop was Rice Trax Asian Grill on Jones Boulevard. We were the only customers this afternoon at this small family-owned business.



We each ordered 4 sticks of yakitori chicken, a small salad

and white rice with garlic sauce on the side. It was an enjoyable lunch but I would not be in a rush to return.

($7.66, Groupon, 2 Forks)

After lunch we were planning to see the Nathan Burton Comedy Magic show but neither of us had much energy so we returned to the room and rested.

Let he who has not overeaten at a buffet cast the first crème brulee

On this Friday evening we drove to M Resort for the Studio B seafood buffet. I was expecting a long line, but it took less than 5 minutes to pay the cashier, but another 10 to be seated. The buffet was good, but we did not feel the addition of raw oysters and crab legs to the regular buffet line-up warranted the additional cost.

I taste tested the following::

Shrimp cocktail – 2.5

Fried shrimp – 2.5

Pasta primavera – 2

Spinach salad with fennel and oranges 3

Cucumber salad – 2.5

Pickled ginger – 3

Warm snow crab - 3

Asparagus with mustard dressing – 3

Daikon – 2.5

Kimichi – 2.5

Ginger crab legs – 2

Bok choy and mushroom stir fry – 3.5

Mahi mahi – 2 (overcooked0

Sweet potato mash – 4

Tempura sweet potato – 3

Thai cucumber salad – 4

Pumpkin shooter – 4

Fruit tart – 2

Crème brulee – 2.5

Coconut gelato – 3

Cappuccino w/Baileys – 4






($32.42, LVA)

On exiting the buffet we stopped at the Lobby Bar to listen to the Brothers Ali play a little jazz before returning to our room. (2 Claps) http://www.thebrothersali.com/about/

12:11 French Toast Itch

I incurred my second consecutive loss this morning while playing at the Fiesta.


Ann was experiencing something akin to withdrawal symptoms so I hastily drove her to Ellis Island for the cinnamon vanilla French toast. It took awhile to be served, but it was worth the wait. ($8, LVA, 3.5 Forks)


After satisfying one of her itches, we drove to Town Square to redeem a $15 off a $40 purchase coupon at Sephora where WE bought a bottle of perfume. I managed to avoid losing my car keys (see my last TR) so we returned to the South Point without further delay. http://www.townsquarelasvegas.com/

After reading the newspaper we headed to the Lobby Bar for a mudslide before departing for the Gold Coast’s lounge to listen to the Drew Baker Duo. You could literally count the number of people in the lounge on one hand, but they belted out some pretty decent country standards. (3 Claps)

We then redeemed a LVA play $10, get $10 in free play coupon at the bar tops earning a grand total of only $6.25 less a tip for the bartender who served us a soda and Stella Artois. Ann swiped her slot card at a kiosk and earned a birthday bonus of 2,000 points.

The early evening found the Westies once again seated at the Grandview Lounge nursing a pair of merlots while watching the beginning of the rodeo. This was the last night of the rodeo and the number of cowboys and cowgirls milling throughout the casino was amazing though I suspect most were all hat, no horse.

We departed for the Royal Persis, a Persian/Iranian restaurant located on Flamingo Road. http://royalpersis.net/ This restaurant is very basic, serving as both a restaurant and banquet hall. On this Saturday evening a large group from Nellis Airforce base occupied 2 long banquet tables with the remaining diners scattered around the large room.

We shared a delicious appetizer of Kashk-E-Bademjan, fried eggplant mixed with Kashk (whey) flavored with sauteed garlic and mint. We also shared an order of Shiraz, a Persian salad of fresh chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, onion and house dressing that was less satisfying.

Ann’s entrée was Fesenjon, fried walnut pomegranate sauce, mixed with boiled chicken and a side of Basmati rice. My entrée was another stew, Baghali Polo, basmati rice mixed with fresh dill and lima beans served with a cooked lamb shank in tomato sauce. The amount of rice served was almost overwhelming.





The owner, Amy, stopped by our table to inquire how we enjoyed our meal and ended up sitting with us for a half hour while we enjoyed complimentary orders of baklava and tea. ($20.64, R.com, 2.5 Forks)

On our return we headed to the showroom for one set by Billy Childers before calling it a night.
(2 Claps) http://www.billychilders.com/

12:12 A New Streak Commences

Up until this morning I had not hit a natural straight flush on this trip, but early this morning I was dealt one followed shortly by a 2nd. Later in the session I became resigned to the fact that I was about to suffer a 3rd consecutive loss when I was dealt 4 spades to the Royal and pulled the queen for my 2nd Royal of the trip.

We decided to celebrate at Bernard’s Bistro on Lake Las Vegas. The weather throughout this trip was beautiful with cloudless skies and daytime highs in the 60’s, but it was a little to cool for patio dining this morning. Though we did not receive complimentary glasses of Champagne as we did in September, the meal was equally delicious. This time we each ordered quiche Lorraine accompanied by a petite salad and a few slices of wine poached pear.


($17.24, R.com, 4.5 Forks)

We walked around the lake shore and village before departing for the Fiesta where Ann hit her #2 quad deuces and I pulled my 3rd natural straight flush of the day and last of the trip.

On our return to the South Point we noticed numerous horse stalls beneath the parking garage. It did not take Sherlock Holmes to figure this was the source of the odor we have smelt each time we entered the parking garage. We subsequently learned from a security guard that there are 1,500 stalls divided between the garage and a detached barn plus another 500 horses can be housed using temporary stalls.


In the late afternoon we each played off our $50 in slot play, but neither of us could locate the cash out button so we ended up losing half of our original investment.

Dinner tonight was at Agave, an upscale Mexican restaurant in Summerlin that we have frequented in the past. http://www.agavelasvegas.com/ We started off with complimentary blue and corn tortilla chips plus a pair of tasty salsas and a mediocre bean dip. Our entrees were shrimp and crab stacked enchiladas - Dungeness crab with Mexican white shrimp, sweet corn-guajillo chile enchilada sauce and micro-greens. The enchiladas were very good. ($29.27, Groupon, 3 Forks)



Prior to calling it a night, we stopped at the Orleans in order for Ann to swipe her slot card for a birthday bonus of 1,000 points. This also was the beginning of a Christmas promotion where each day slot members, us, could swipe their cards for an additional 1,200 points.

12:13 Walking to Arizona

My first stop this morning was the Orleans where I swiped both cards for an additional 1,200 points before driving to Sam’s. Over the next 3 hours I hit #9 and #10 quad deuces for a nice profit.

We once again settled on the Garden Buffet at the hotel for our breakfast. ($2, Points, 2.5 Forks)

This morning we visited Boulder City with our first stop being Hemenway Valley Park in the hope of seeing big horn sheep. We had no luck but we did see a hummingbird and a covey of Gambel’s quail. On our return to the car we talked to a local who said the sheep have not been seen in approximately 3 weeks. http://tinyurl.com/27u6ls9


We continued on to the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, better known as the Hoover Dam bypass. After a short wait we were able to secure a space in the parking lot and walked across the bridge to the Arizona side and back. http://tinyurl.com/2ewgldw



Dinner this evening was at India Palace on Twain. Since our last visit approximately 3 years ago, the restaurant has undergone a complete makeover so the dining room is quite nice though the immediate area surrounding the restaurant remains depressed.


We did not require our reservation as the dining room was empty. Shortly after being seated we were served complimentary papadum and 3 chutney/sauces. We decided to share orders of garlic naan, chicken tika masala, basmati rice and lamb sagwala. The flavor and spice level of each dish proved to be too tame for my taste buds.

($20.84, R.com, 2 Forks)

12:14 Hotter than Hades

I was hotter than Hades this morning after hitting quads #11, 12 and 13.

Breakfast in our room included a shared bagel, orange and OJ. After we read the newspaper we headed to the Atomic Testing Museum which was an interesting and informative way to spend an hour or two.
($14, LivingSocial, 2.5 Mushrooms) (http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/

Following a short VP session at Sam’s, we did a quick walk through the Sheplers tent temporarily set in the parking during the rode. We then drove to Los Antojos for bowls of consommé loco, a delicious chicken rice soup with fresh cilantro and avocado served with a pair of warm tortillas.

($7.49, 3.5 Spoons)

I spent the remainder of the day in the room snoozing while Ann read and put in a short stint on the VP machines.

We held dinner reservations at Technique at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, but neither of was up for drive so we canceled. After a few merlots at the Lobby Bar we decided on revisiting Don Vito’s Italian restaurant in the South Point.

We received warm rolls and a small bowl of EVO with sundried tomatoes and roasted garlic.


Entrees include a choice of soup or salad; we each chose the pasta fagioli which was pretty good though it would have benefited by the addition of some herbs. My entrée was spaghetti and meatballs while Ann chose eggplant parmesan. Both were a little better than satisfactory though Ann’s would have benefited by some additional gravy (sauce). We used coupons from the funbooks received a check-in for free desserts, tiramisu and crème brulee.




($5, Points, 3 Forks)

I should note that the South Point was running their annual 50% of when paying with slot point promotion.

Ann headed for the VP machines for one final session while I was soon snug in my bed while visions of royals danced in my head.

12:15 The Party’s Over

My last VP session of the trip was held at the Fiesta-Henderson and included 5OAKS on 3 consecutive hands and my 14th quad deuces of the trip.

We had a quick breakfast at the Garden buffet ($2, Points, 2.5 Forks) before returning our rental. The attendant’s printer would not work so he had to fetch another one, but our patience was rewarded when he deducted $30 off our bill. The total cost of our rental was only $80.07.

At the airline check-in, Ann came close to being involuntarily bumped, but fortunately a volunteer was foud allowing us to return to Hartford on the same flight.

This was our 12th winning trip out of the past 15.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read this lengthily TR. As Max-the-Schipperke passes the virtual collection plate around, please feel free to add your comments and questions.

“Turn out the lights, the party‘s overâ€

Don Meredith 1938-2010

 

OMG, OMG, OMG, you have outdone yourself, Westie!!!!! And I've only gotten thru the first day of the trip report!!

 

very nice. thank you.

The persian look interesting.

The indian looked ok but I think you've reported better.

Whats the best indian food you've tried in vegas - in walking distance from the strip/ downtown - and secondly - anywhere in vegas..


thanks... This will help me plan for my next trip - I feel the need for curry!

 

Amen, Brother Westie, Amen!!

 

Sitting here humming Neil Diamond through the whole reading................

 

What a great TR!

Love the rating system, and thank-you for the pictures. Always beneficial to see shots of the food.

You really see a lot of Vegas and the surrounding areas, which is amazing.

Good job on a great read

 

"12:08 On the 7th Day We Washed"

... Not to nitpick but you spelled "WARSHED" wrong.

...Listen I live close enough to Boston to know that they have a lot of extra R's they don't use in words like "PAHK" and "CAH" and they mail them down your way. You are supposed to then insert them into words like "washed" so they don't go to waste.


...."I dont care if it rains or freezes long as I got my plastic jesus riding on the dashboard of my car! I can go a thousand miles an hour, long as I got the almighty power riding on the dashboard of my car!"

 

-----Not quite walkable, but across the road from the Hard Rock is Origin India which is the best Indian restaurant that I've found in Las Vegas.

On the Strip I would go to Tamba in the Hawaiian Marketplace, the chef's reputation is very good though I have never dined there.

 

Great report

Loved the pics and reviews of the food, nice to see reviews of off -the- strip places

Happy belated bday to Sister Ann

 

Thanks for sharing Westie!

I love trip reports with pics!!! Great job!

 

Now that was a fun read! I loved the pictures and you have given me many ideas for fun off the beaten track. Well done

 

westie,
Outstanding as usual.
Just to verify, one can walk the Tillman Bridge anytime. Is that correct and how tough is parking?

 

We got there on a weekday around 11AM and the parking lot was full though the turnover rate was high. After parking, you climb up a short hill using either stairs or a series of switchbacks that are handicap accessible. The walk from one end of the bridge to the other is comparatively easy except for those of us with acrophobia.

One suggestion that I wished I thought of at the time is to drive down to the dam after exiting the bridge parking lot in order to take photos of the bridge from that location.

 

I'm always impressed by your travels and eats. This time is no different, well done! Had to laugh at your hotel room view, my company did that roof, it appears to be holding up well. Los Antojos is on my must try list. Waffles is around the corner from me, tried to eat there before they opened (ages ago, it seems), I should really check it out. I still have a Mundo restaurant.com certificate that I should really use. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Westie,

As usual, an excellent report!!! I love your detail and especially the detail about the food stops you and Ann made! I fashion some of my food choices by yours, so thank you for reporting on each restaurant!!

 

Great trip report and pictures. We will be going over that bridge next summer. My husband will be driving and my eyes will be closed. I don't like heights. We live in AZ, so we have to go across it.

 

--------I really have acrophobia, but you cannot see much while driving the bridge because of the concrete embankments so you should be able to keep your eyes open. The walk across the bridge will probably scare the daylights out of you, it did me.

 

I somehow managed to skip over our visit to Bellagio, but here are some photos of the hotel lobby, conservatory and Chihuly shop for anyone interested.