Anyone in Las Vegas June 11-15?

[AnastassiaAsh]

Hi dear members and especially married couples!

Is there anybody who is planning on going to Las Vegas in June this year?

Me and Tim are going to stay at Monte Carlo Hotel June 11-15th for the User Conference.

We would be glad to meet some R/A couples and have fun.     

[timothe]

The Monte Carlo is nice!!  I wish I could join you, but I'm actually going to be in your neck of the woods that week.  Leave me some pie and I'll walk your dogs for you.   

[AnastassiaAsh]

hehe, interesting. Timothe, I don't have dogs or any animals, never had and never will.  But would be really glad to participate in a meeting of our members in Pittsburgh area, yes, with a cake and other delicious things too. 

[KenC]

Anastassia,
Make sure you check out Red Square in Mandalay Bay.http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/redsquare.aspx

KenC

[AnastassiaAsh]

Ok, great, I didn't even know it was there.  Thanks, Ken.

[KenC]

Anastassia,
I have two stories about Red Square.

When we took Lena's parents to eat at Red Square,  Lena's Mom got all emotional and teared up.  She was under the mistaken impression that the restaurant was mocking Russia and Communism.  She calmed down after Lena explained that it wasn't true.  We had some great gourmet Russian food too!

The other time we went to Red Square, Lena and I hooked up with my son and 3 of his frat brothers.  They were in Vegas celebrating their graduation from college.  Lena and I decided to treat the boys to some good Russian food and drink.  After Lena choose 4 or 5 vodka's from the menu that they didn't have in stock, I finally just ordered a litre bottle of Stolie Crystal for the table.  After many many shots of celebration with all the appropriate toasts (Russian style) these poor boys were in the tank.  A couple of them had to run to the bathroom when the food arrived.    We finished off the bottle and I know that that dinner is still subject for discussion when the boys get together even now.
KenC

[Turboguy]

I am sitting in Las Vegas right now Anastasia.   I can do one thing for you.  I promise not to bankrupt all of the casinos and put them out of business. 

I will make one recommendation.   I just had the best dinner of my life here and if you are looking for an amazing meal I would totally recommend David Burke's Steakhouse in the Venetian.  Everything they served was completely unique.   the second best part for me was that one of the magazine's I advertise in bought.   

[AnastassiaAsh]

Wow, Turbo, you are having fun already!  What a coincidence.  Thank you, I suppose I will have to start a RWD's list of best restaurants in L.V. and write down yours and Ken's.

Also, in Monte Carlo, there is a french restaurant - Andre's. We couldn't help dining there one time. I love French and Italian, besides it is my son's name.  It is pretty expensive, but everything is just the state of the art. You won't believe those plates and cutlery and dishes themselves.    (you have to dress really really nice there.  here is the link http://www.andrelv.com/montecarlo)

Ken, you guys I am sure were their best customers - true Russians, with great respect for some good Vodka in their hearts (and bellies).  Did the owner come out and Lena charm him? 

[KenC]

Wow, Turbo, you are having fun already!  What a coincidence.  Thank you, I suppose I will have to start a RWD's list of best restaurants in L.V. and write down yours and Ken's.

Also, in Monte Carlo, there is a french restaurant - Andre's. We couldn't help dining there one time. I love French and Italian, besides it is my son's name.  It is pretty expensive, but everything is just the state of the art. You won't believe those plates and cutlery and dishes themselves.    (you have to dress really really nice there.  here is the link http://www.andrelv.com/montecarlo)

Ken, you guys I am sure were their best customers - true Russians, with great respect for some good Vodka in their hearts (and bellies).  Did the owner come out and Lena charm him?  

Anastassia,
The manager(?) did come out when Lena was trying to order the vodka.  I think their vodka menu is a little scam too.  A marketing ploy if you will.  They brag about the 100's of vodkas on the menu, but they didn't have the first 4 or 5 that Lena selected.   I think they rely on us ignorant Americans to order what they know, which is Stolie!!!  At least I was smart enough to order the "good" Stolie!

The food there has always been great.  No peasant food for sure.  We are talking sturgeon in a vodka sauce with caviar.  There was a similar place for a while back in Michigan that served gourmet Russian food.  It was called the Red Bear.  I remember taking my kids and numerous dates to eat there.  This was long before  met Lena. 

I had a habit of taking a bunch of foods to my Babushka's house for her and her husband to enjoy because they were older and not too mobile.  I would bring them something like four or five bags of Russian delicacies that I knew they loved but could not afford.  Her husband had quite a sweet tooth as he had always worked as a baker, so at least one big bag was cakes and such.  I would also bring them 4 to 6 prepared dinners from a very good Polish restaurant I knew.  Any way, on one of these goodwill runs I told my Babushka about the Red Bear and showed her the business card from there.  Her eyes lit up like diamonds and a big smile came across her face.  It seems, as she explained, had met "grandpa Tom" at the Red Bear restaurant/bar in Detroit in the 40's.  Same name and logo as the new restaurant. (Sorry for digressing here)

We like the French restaurant in the Paris casino next to the replica of the Eiffel Tower.  Not as upscale as the one you mentioned, but the food is wonderful.
KenC

[groovlstk]

Be sure to have a martini in the lounge at the top of the Stratosphere hotel in the evening, the view is breathtaking.

[myrddin]

Be sure to have a martini in the lounge at the top of the Stratosphere hotel in the evening, the view is breathtaking.

I think Anastassia will have a pretty long list of restaurants there: it's hard to find a place on the strip that's not good (also hard to find one that's inexpensive, but that's why they have those experiments in applied probability )

But anyway, I have to second groov's recommendation: definitely check out the Stratosphere.  Just make sure to do the restaurant/lounge after the rides 

KenC, I'd start a thread about the best vodkas, but I'm afraid I don't know enough to start the list!

[timothe]

I think Anastassia will have a pretty long list of restaurants there: it's hard to find a place on the strip that's not good (also hard to find one that's inexpensive, but that's why they have those experiments in applied probability )

But anyway, I have to second groov's recommendation: definitely check out the Stratosphere.  Just make sure to do the restaurant/lounge after the rides 

KenC, I'd start a thread about the best vodkas, but I'm afraid I don't know enough to start the list!

I usually stay at the Excalibur when I'm in Vegas.  (I don't have the big bucks to stay in the other places mentioned.)  There are no good restaurants in Excalibur....none.  I usually end up going to the Luxor to eat. 

I do have a friend living in Vegas that knows the manager of the sportsbook at the Mirage.  He gave us comps for the NY deli there which was fantastic!!  I've never had better Pastrami.

[Turboguy]

Actually before the magazine offered to take me to dinner my dinner plans were to have some Sbarro's pizza with my son who is out here with me.    I have eaten at my share of nice restaurants but last nights made eating at some place like Ruth's Chris Steak house or Smith and Wollensky seem like dumpster diving at McDonalds.  I would give it two stars over any place I ever ate in my life.  I am usually not very big on recommending restaurants.   I will agree with Myrddin that the cheap food has disappeared from Vegas.   The $ 8.95 buffet's from a decade ago are now $ 25.00.  The tab last night probably hit about $ 400 but I didn't see it to know for sure.   The NY strip was $ 44 and the  1.5 pound Lobster Fillet was $ 60.00.  We sort of did home made surf and turf's out of it.  

Tim, when I was out here two weeks ago my show was next to Excalibur at the Mandalay Bay and you can add that to the list of places with restaurants to avoid.

[myrddin]

I usually stay at the Excalibur when I'm in Vegas.  (I don't have the big bucks to stay in the other places mentioned.)  There are no good restaurants in Excalibur....none.  I usually end up going to the Luxor to eat. 

I do have a friend living in Vegas that knows the manager of the sportsbook at the Mirage.  He gave us comps for the NY deli there which was fantastic!!  I've never had better Pastrami.

off topic?
My first trip to Vegas I was supposed to stay at Excalibur.  There were many people going and we made two separate reservations at different times.  The rooms were booked for different times on different days, but alas used the same credit card. 

Since Excalibur never answered the phone (or transfered me to an eventual hangup), it was impossible to confirm a reservation.  When we finally reached the front desk at 12:30am (2:30am body clock time from Chicago), with printed reservations in hand, we discovered both reservations had been canceled without notice   .  And the hotel was full (not one single room at all, they claimed).  After two hours of trying to sort this out and some of the rudest treatment I have ever received in the US (from both Excalibur and expedia), we gave up and went all the way to the Strat.

Center strip, there's always Casino Royale. No frills at all, but hey, save your money for food and entertainment!   

[Makkin]

Hi,

  Yea the stage hypnotist seminar and convention in there on about those dates.

  The Riviera is the hub for this effect and the students will be a part of the show/shows.

  Hmm..Yea I may be there too.

Makkin

[ca71447]

Hi ....

A little known item about Vegas .... there is a beautiful alpine forest in the mountains about a 45 minute drive away.  The view from up there is quite something to see.  As you look out from the lodge through the pass .... all you can see is the very stark desert .... and you are standing in the midst of an alpine forest.  Highly recommended ....