#101: Hookers, Gangs and $1.75 Beer; A Different Kind of Island

It’s amazing what you see when you stay out until 4AM on a Sunday morning in Las Vegas. Which explains why in this episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we talk about things that can’t be un-seen. Show notes:

• Visit LASIK of Nevada (50% Off Premium LASIK + $200 more if you mention VVN)
  
  
• LiLV Stuff
  • Listener Line: 206.312.0105
  • Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
  • Get your questions answered: OnAirQ@LivingInLV.com
• Weather (76) / LiLV Pool (56)
• VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK News: More interested from local celebs
• Happy Birthday Malya and Kendall
• Robb and Stuckey go out of business (Town Square)
• GREAT article about Sahara Closing by Ted Newkirk of Access Vegas
• Ellis Island Casino and Brewery
• How to get a salad, filet, potato, veggies and a beer for $6.99
• Hookers and beer

80: Enjoying Life as a Las Vegas Local

If you live in Las Vegas, you really owe it to yourself to get out and enjoy that which is Sin City. The weather. The food. The entertainment. And since our last episode, we’ve been busy doing just that!

Join us for this edition of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast where we regale you in stories of Las Vegas local fun and joy! Show notes:

• Weather (triple digits are awesome) / LiLV Pool (86 is the new 84?)
• LiLV Stuff
  • Listener Line: 206.312.0105
  • Sign up of Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
• NippleGate (thank you Wendy O)
• Commercial Property (PodWorx is expanding!)
• Recent Blog Posts
  • Friday Figures
  • Locals Deals (Social House, Bejing Noodle #9, Brand Steakhouse, Mandarin Oriental)
  • Red Rock Restaurants
  • New Firefly in Summerlin
  • Comedy/Magic talent search
• il Vino at Aliante Station
• Listener Audio [from a looooong-time listener]
• Listener Email: Viva Elvis, Job Hunt, Theatre Launch
• Hot and Horrible: Union at Aria Vodka-pairing dinner
• Enjoying Life as a Las Vegas Local by. . .
  • Staying at Wynn for Melissa’s Birthday
  • Checking out the NBA Summer League (and the most amazing discovery ever)
  • Singing along with Sgt Pepper Live featuring Cheap Trick

A lot of Vegas restaurant guides tend to favor locations on The Strip, but that’s not terribly convenient for those of us that chose to live further away. Count me among those that don’t really go down there all that often, but still want to enjoy great food! That being said, two of my favorite places for dinner just happen to be a few hundred feet from one another at the Red Rock Casino Resort.

Terra Rossa has a superb menu of well prepared Italian dishes. It’s not the cheap bowls of pasta you may have come to expect at many restaurants by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, all the pasta is homemade.

An antipasto plate will arrive at your table before you can even consider your menu options, and a bread basket will follow soon thereafter. The thin crust, wood-fire cooked pizzas make a nice appetizer, or a meal by themselves. Classic items ranging from deep fried calamari to chicken parmigiana are of course available and well prepared. A few of our favorite menu items are the prosciutto appetizer, gnocchi, and spaghetti al carbon.

There is a full bar with expert mixologists and an extensive wine list. The service is always just right, and a member of the team is sure to be nearby when you need something. [The outside dining is pretty cool as well. -Ed]

Hachi is a “Modern Japanese” restaurant with an ample selection of sushi. Why do the waiters have belt buckles shaped like the number 8? Because hachi is the Japanese word for eight!

To be honest, we tend to treat sushi restaurants as “small plate dining”, a sort of Japanese tapas. As a result, we’ve tried a lot of menu items over the three years they’ve been open, but we’ve never actually had any of their main courses. The menu sort of encourages this grazing by offering a section of 38 small dishes for $8 or less. If you like spicy food, don’t pass up the Crispy Spicy Shrimp, Kholester Roll, or the french bean tempura. For those with more traditional tastes, the crispy baby whitefish, sea bass cakes, and kumamoto oysters are excellent. A traditional assortment of sushi bar staples can be had as well, such as nigiri, miso soup, and edamame. And it’s worth saving room for dessert. (Don’t be surprised if the sake sommelier shows up at your table to talk about the sake menu, but there’s a full bar too.)

Reservations are recommended, but both restaurants can usually work you in fairly quickly if you show up without them.

Good news for our readers in Summerlin. There will be a new Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar location coming to the area. The restaurant will be located at 9560 W. Sahara Ave, which is between Grand Canyon and Fort Apache. (It is currently the home of Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill.) Firefly offers Spanish style tapas for lunch, dinner and late night dining all at a affordable price. A large portion of the menu’s over 40 items are under $10.

The new Firefly location will be approximately 6,000 square feet and will seat around 200 people. Firefly has two other locations in the valley: 3900 Paradise Road (by the Hard Rock Casino) and inside the Plaza Hotel (Fremont Street and Main Street). There is no time-line to open the new restaurant, however it should be open by the start of August.

Social House, which is a unique sushi restaurant owned by Pure Management Group, has opened inside Crystals at CityCenter. Executive Chief Joe Elevado has trained under “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto to deliver what should be an interesting and diverse blend of Pan-Asian style. Locals just need to show a valid Nevada ID and receive 20% off Sunday through Thursday.

I did not have the opportunity to eat at the old Social House which was located inside Treasure Island. So I would be interested to hear from some of our listeners who ate at the old Social House and compare it to the new Social House.

[Melissa and I have taken many LV visitors to the TI-based Social House. It was one of our “go to” places. We’re not sushi people, but those who are raved. For we cooked-food lovers, their food was excellent as well. — Scott]

Beijing Noodle No. 9, which is an Chinese-themed restaurant inside Caesars Palace, is offering a discount for locals. Just show your Nevada ID and receive 20% off your bill. According to the Caesars website, Beijing Noodle No. 9 is their newest restaurant.

A quick glance reveals the menu to be quite varied, from Cantonese Roast Duck to something called a Stuffed Seafood Pancake! Sounds like it could be an adventure for those of you with a more varied palate.

Brand Steakhouse inside the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino is offering a 20% off for Las Vegas locals. To receive your 20% discount, just show you local Nevada ID.

Brand Steakhouse is a 5,000 square foot facility located right in the heart of the casino. I did a quick scan of the menu online and the prices seem relatively reasonable when you take the 20% discount into account. Also two things jumped off the page at me besides the prices:

1) The offer a Tomahawk Ribeye! [Yes!! -ed]

2) They offer a steak for six people! It is 120 ounces and if one person can eat the whole steak it is on the house! So I encourage all locals to have a light lunch one day and indulge your inner carnivore that evening at Brand Steakhouse. We hope to see you there.

I’ve always found it odd that most businesses struggling to make ends meet catering to tourists fail to realize that there are two million people who live in the Las Vegas Valley who are hungry, thirsty and in search of entertainment as well.  While many locals avoid The Strip because of high prices ($18 for a drink?!  Are you kidding me?!?), more would certainly make the Strip Trip if offered a locals-only discount. 

So, here’s an official “attaboy” to the folks at Wolfgang Puck.

Several Wolfgang Puck restaurants are offering locals 20% off through September 30.  The offer is good for lunch and dinner food only (not drinks) seven days a week at the following restaurants:

• Spago (The Forum Shops)
• CUT (Palazzo)
• Trattoria del Lupo (Mandalay Bay)
• Postrio Bar & Grill (Grand Canal Shops/Venetian)
• Wofgang Puck Pizzeria (Crystals, CityCenter)

Locals must show ID to their server to take advantage of the offer.  More info can be found at www.wolfgangpuck.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White, a Las Vegas resident, is looking to build a better playhouse somewhere in the Summerlin area.

Mr. White is looking at places to build an entertainment complex for families similar to “Dave and Busters” chain. Dave and Busters combine restaurants and bars with a variety of video games, from NASCAR simulations to Boxing simulators, wrestling video games, laser tag, etc. It is unclear if Mr. White’s new potential entertainment complex will serve food and alcohol or even what the name will be. Time line for construction will be within the next 12 to 18 months.

(For UFC Fans, the UFC Fan Expo will be held here in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center May 28th and 29th.)

77: LiLV Podcast — Bowling, Beautiful People, Brrrr, Bird Poop and Blues

While not for the faint of heart, sometimes, you just got to pick a letter of the alphabet and form an entire show around it. Lesser folks would shy away from such a bold move. . .but not your fearless hosts. In this edition of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we focus on the letter "B" — which is what "Melissa" means in Spanish (bee, that is)**. Show notes:

• PHOTOS! (Utah girl’s snow trip)
• Weather (Ahhh, that’s nice) / LiLV Pool (clear and slowly improving)
• LiLV Stuff
  • Listener Line: 206.312.0105
  • Sign up of Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
• LiLV
  Spring 2010 Meet Up Latest News
• New Friends of the LiLV Podcast (Mike, Jennifer, Greg)
• Bowling at Red Rock (Bowling #b1)
• XS Nightclub at Encore (Beautiful People #b2)
• Utah Ski Trip (Brrrrrrr #b3)
• Le Reve / Stratta (Bird Poop #b4)
• Listener Email: Elvis asks a question, Mark offers a drink
• Hot and Horrible: BB King’s Blues Club (Blues, #b5)

** Okay, we really didn’t start off trying to create a show about things starting with “B”. I was just looking for a theme. Don’t judge me.

« Previous Page — Next Page »