Unless you are me. So this past weekend, I went to Vegas for a board meeting for my new job. Before I get too far, a tip o’ the hat to dancerindc for getting me the hookup at his place of business. While it didn’t work out, it was great to have something in the hopper. Anyway, I got another job and it’s wonderful. My co-workers and I have come to the conclusion we’re actually all one person. I started my new job last Wednesday and left Friday for Sin City. Because we are a small community nonprofit, we stayed in “downtown” Vegas in the Plaza hotel, right next to the bus station. For those unfamiliar with Vegas, downtown is NOT the glitzy, Disneyfied Las Vegas strip. It’s the repository of the sad-ass hotels for those who can’t justify spending $200 a night at the Bellagio. It appears the clientele of the Plaza hotel (no relation to the New York Plaza hotel) came directly from the bus station. Because I am lazy I came up with a list of things I thought about in Vegas.
Non food-related thoughts
1. Downtown Vegas is swarming with Hawaiians. While Hawaiians live in paradise, they like to vacation in Sin City. A person from Hawaii I talked to said the only reason he sets foot on the mainland is to gamble in Vegas.
2. It’s amazing how totally sleazy Vegas still is. There are newspaper kiosks for hookers the way we have newspaper kiosks for apartment rentals. I am tickled and disturbed at the fact that Treasure Island slutted up it’s outdoor floor show from a pirate theme to the “sirens” of Teasure Isand girlie revue.
3. Speaking of Hawaii guess where the next board meeting is? If you can guess that, you can also guess who is going on an island getaway in September.
4. OH MY GOD. The Bellagio is the most fabulous hotel I have ever set foot in. I love the Alice in Wonderland forest even though I know it took a lot of resources to have a gazillion tulips sent to the middle of the desert. Not to mention WATERING them.
5. PENNY SLOTS!!!! My risk-averse ass has found its game. I thought I was in heaven with nickel slots. I can bet on five lines at once and still have 95 more tries!!!
Food related thoughts
1. I love the fact that the buffets reflect the nature of the clientele. Since the downtown hotels are swarming with folks from Hawaii. The buffets have an extensive Asian component (lo mein, rice, lumpia etc) and Portuguese sausage. At breakfast there’s more styles of Asian noodles than there are eggs.
2. If you are a cheapie like me and are staying downtown, DO NOT go to the Golden Nugget buffet. The macaroni, tuna, and chicken salads look like bacteria factories.
3. If you ARE staying downtown, believe the freeway signs and go to the buffet at the Main Street Station hotel. It’s extensive, fairly fresh (as those things go) and the staff is friendly.
4. I know it’s totally expensive, but get a pastry at Jean-Michel at the Bellagio. They are divine and it’s worth it just to see the world’s largest (and prettiest) chocolate fountain. Actually it’s a fountain with chocolate, mocha, vanilla, and hazelnut sauces.
5. While we resisted it, Diego, at the MGM Grand really does have some of the best Mexican food I ever taste. How can you beat guacamole made at your table?
6. OM MY GOD, I miss In ‘N Out. Apparently, so does half of the visitors in Vegas. I am still savoring my double-double.
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3 comments:
Yay! Congrats on the new job, I'm happy to hear that it worked out. (Sterfanie gave me a bit of the inside scoop on that.)
Don't miss the "loco moco" on downtown Vegas menus. Hamburger patty and gravy with fried egg over rice. The Golden Nugget's Carson Street Cafe adds caramelized onions. Mmmm.
The buffet to go to, BTW, is Main Street Station's.
I went to Vegas last April, and I'm just sorry it was pre-blogging for me cuz I had some crazy stories to tell! We stayed on the Strip, at the Luxor. The food highlight really was the breakfast buffet. What calories you eat in Vegas stay in Vegas, right?
And congrats on a new job that sends you to Hawaii! :-)
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