BT Vegas July 2010

8/8/2019 BT Vegas July 2010

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VEGAS!VEGAS!VEGAS!

Looking south downLas Vegas Boulevardfrom the pedestrianbridge linking theBellagio and Bally’s

On the Strip, off the Strip, and out of town—native Geraldine Campbellreveals insider tips to make your next trip a win-win-win proposition.

p h o t o g r a p h s by d a n i e l h e n n e s



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LOW-KEY LUNCH In a cityull o acsimiles,Todd English

P.U.B. ’s take on a traditionalBritish watering hole is updatedin all the right ways—with 26- ootceilings, a food o natural light,and ar tastier ood. From primerib chili to rotisserie sandwicheso roast duck, you’d almost orgetwhere the culinary inspirationcomes rom, were it not or thepresence o bangers and mash onthe menu. At the bar, Newcastlepints are poured alongside localmicrobrew Tenaya Creek NutBrown Ale.Crystals at CityCenter,3720 Las Vegas Blvd. S., toddenglishpub.com, entrées from $12.

ART STROLL Althoughcultural pursuits have neverbeen a strength o the Strip, anew contemporary art collectionsituated among the hotels andcasinos o the 8-month-oldCityCenter complex has made ana ternoon o art appreciation aviable addition to any itinerary.Fi teen big-name artists arerepresented— rom Maya Lin toClaes Oldenburg—and all thepieces are accessible to thepublic, with ree maps availableat the Aria Resort & Casinoconcierge desk. Las Vegas Blvd. S.,citycenter.com, free.

SPA SPLURGE At CityCenter’sVdara Health & Beauty spa, a50-minute pedicure comes witha fute o Veuve Clicquot andunlimited access to the sauna,eucalyptus steam room, and hotplunge pool. It’s not cheap, buti you come early and make a dayo it (especially midweek, whenyou’re likely to have the place toyoursel ), the investment more

than pays o .Vdara Hotel & Spa,2600 W. Harmon Ave., vdara.com,champagne pedicure $75.

EVENING WARM-UP I dinner at Chicago che ShawnMcClain’s opulent new modern-American restaurant, Sage , in theAria Resort & Casino, is more thanyou’d like to spend, mark yourcalendar or the last Monday o each month, when the rontlounge hosts ProhibitionMondays. Bartenders in 1920sgarb serve discounted cocktailsand ree bar snacks like riedpickles, crispy pork skins, andhouse-made pretzels. Aria Resort &Casino, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S.,arialasvegas.com, cocktails from $10.

LATE-NIGHT EATS For suchan all-hours town, nding greatgreasy-spoon ood a ter midnightcan be surprisingly tricky. Thebest bet or post-party provisionsis First Food & Bar at the Palazzo,

where gra ti-tagged nooks andwacky chandeliers set the scene

or wee-hours easts o DrPepper–glazed ribs or chickenand wa fes with honey-bourbonmaple syrup . The Shoppes at ThePalazzo, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd. S.,

rstfoodandbar.com, entrées from $12.

RETRO ROOMS At 64 yearsyoung, The Flamingo is theStrip’s oldest operating casinoand hotel, and its block o 1,032recently redesigned “Go” roomscombines the best o then andnow: iPod docks with surround-sound speakers, white tu ted-vinyl headboards, and adedphotos rom its Rat Pack past.3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S., amingolasvegas.com, doubles from $90.

IMAGINE TIMES SQUAREON STEROIDS. NAVIGATINGTHE STRIP AND ITS MANYCHARACTERS REQUIRESSOME FORTITUDE, BUT THEREWARDS GO BEYONDTHE LIGHT SHOW: MUSEUM-QUALITY ARTWORKS OPENTO THE PUBLIC, A SMARTLYDESIGNED HOTEL THATWINKS AT HISTORY, ANDTHE BEST DINING DEALS THIS SIDE OF THE BUFFET.

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Clockwise from top left: the Flamingo’s pink-plumedmotif, a Strip landmark for six decades; Nancy

Rubins’s cluster of boats, Big Edge , the centerpiecthe CityCenter art collection; one of the Flamingo

hotel’s $90 “Go” rooms; a chandelier made of frostedantique Coca-Cola bottles in First Food & Bar



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ALL-DAY BRUNCH It takes agame spirit to get past the silkrobes and boxer shorts at thepajama-themed poolside Sundaybrunch at the Simon at PalmsPlace restaurant. But this all-day

graze- est still stands out romthe rowdy pool parties you’ll

nd elsewhere in town. Here,you can settle into a lounge chairand order an endless stream o tasty treats rom che (and PlazaHotel alum) Kerry Simon—everything rom pulled-pork

Benedict and Anson Millsgraham pancakes to wood- redpizzas and sesame rice rolls. A$38 charge covers pool accessand all-you-can-eat ood; addbottomless champagne and

Bellinis or just $16 more.Palms Place, 4381 W. Flamingo Rd.,simonatpalmsplace.com, brunch $38.

BEST BETTING Let’s ace it:In the long run, the house alwayswins. Still, some win aster andmore punishingly than others,and according to gambling guruMichael Shackle ord, a.k.a. theWizard o Odds (wizardo odds.com), the loosest slots in townare at the Palms . Shackle ord, a

ormer University o Nevada, LasVegas, pro essor o casino math(yes, it exists), has run studieson everything rom casino airquality to Megabucks jackpots.His expertise is compiledin the 2005 book Gambling 102:The Best Strategies for All CasinoGames(Huntington Press, $15)—recommended reading i you’rehoping to walk away a winner.Whatever you do, don’t testyour luck in the airport: Thoseone-armed bandits have the

worst odds o any machines onor o the Strip.4321 W. FlamingoRd., palms.com.

KITSCHY COCKTAIL HOUR

Hal a mile west o Las VegasBoulevard, Frankie’s Tiki Room ,run by local nightli e icon P Moss,is a 24-hour, Blue Hawaii–styledrinking den, complete withblow sh lamps and hand-carvedtiki sculptures. Moss rst openedthe wildly popular Double DownSaloon, a sel -described anti-Vegas hangout, back in 1992. Hislatest endeavor is equally beloved

or its strong drinks (such as the

Unlike manyof the city’s

splashy spots, thePalms Place pool

is open onlyto guests—and tobrunch patrons.

Opposite: Aneon sign lights

Frankie’sTiki Room

on CharlestonBoulevard

MOST VISITORS NEVER LEAVE THE STRIP—AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD.FROM DOWNTOWN TO CHINATOWN, YOU’LLDISCOVER TREASURED INSIDER STANDBYSLIKE A CHEF-TESTED JAPANESE GRILL, FORGIVING SLOT MACHINES, AND THE CITY’SBEST—SOME SAY, ONLY —BAR CRAWL.

Tiki Bandit, a potent combo o pineapple rum, apricot brandy,151-proo rum, and blue curaçao)and a jukebox loaded with sur rock. 1712 W. Charleston Blvd.,frankiestikiroom.com, cocktails $8,with souvenir mug $20.

INSIDER DINING A termidnight, the town’s top che skick back at Aburiya Raku , a tiny(by Vegas standards), 49-seatrestaurant o Spring MountainRoad in Chinatown. Even atthat hour, a reservation isrecommended—you won’t be theonly one hungry or a second

dinner. The ocus here is onrobata-style (charcoal-grilled)meats, sh, and vegetables; thecustardy, ried agedashito u,served in a sweet, briny dashibroth, shouldn’t be missed,either. 5030 W. Spring Mountain Rd.,raku-grill.com, eggplantrobata $4.

BAR-HOPPING HAVEN Muchhas been made o east FremontStreet’s recent rise rom gritty toglamorous, although, in allhonesty, the three-block stretchis still a little rough around theedges. That scru ness hasn’tdeterred bar owners or the local

party crowd, who consideo the only realistically wbar crawls in the city. StarGrif n (511 Fremont St., 70577, cocktails rom $6), lounge with vaulted ceilinpits, and PBR on tap. A eaway, Beauty Bar (517 FrSt., beautybar.com, cockta$7) lls up with a motorcyboots-and-miniskirts crowaround the corner, the spestyle Downtown Cocktail Room

(111 Las Vegas Blvd. S., dlv.net, cocktails rom $6) a slightly more sophisticathough still artsy, set.

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NATURE WALK NavigatingVegas with kids can be achallenge. (You can only watchthe Bellagio’s ountains so manytimes.) Fortunately, the 180-acreSprings Preserve , about 10 milesnorth o the Strip, has enoughbotanical gardens, hiking trails,and educational activities to killhal an a ternoon. Our avorite:the exhibits o the OrigenExperience, home to desertrabbits, bats, oxes, and lizards.333 S. Valley View Blvd., springspreserve.org, adults $19, kids $11.

ONE-OF-A-KIND FEAST It should come as no surprisethat the 3-year-old Hachi , tuckedbehind a solid neon-pink açade,is no run-o -the-mill sushi joint.The menu o ormer Nobu che Linda Rodriguez is ull o play ul

touches, like specialty rollsnamed or illegal substances andunconventional sushi ingredientssuch as watermelon, cilantro,and crispy coconut shrimp. Besto all: A “38 or under $8” listencourages experimentation.Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, 11011W. Charleston Blvd., ilovehachi.com,specialty rolls from $13.

ON-CALL TOUR GUIDE The new Vegas edition o GyPSyGuide ’s GPS-based electronictours is the ultimate independenttraveler’s resource. Just stick it toyour car’s dashboard and start theengine; as you tool around, thenarrator kicks in, spitting out

actoids (“Las Vegas has the mostoutdoor escalators in the world”),suggesting photo ops, anddirecting color ul side trips tospots as ar o as the HooverDam, 30 miles southeast. gypsyguide.com, $49 per day.

COOL HIKES Come summer,100-degree days are the rule, not

the exception. But just outsideo town, temperatures drop ast:Atop the 11,918- ootMountCharleston , the mercury slips byas much as 45 degrees, an enticingreason to try the 10.3-mile hiketo the summit and back (SpringMountains National RecreationArea, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., reeentry). I you’re a ter something alittle tamer, Red Rock Canyon ’s2.6-mile Ice Box Canyon trail isa shaded, gentler walk that canstill clear the din o slot machines

rom your ears (redrockcanyonlv.org, $5 per car).

PIE CHARTING Ask anynative: The best pizza in townis not at some ancy Batali jointon the Strip, but in a shoppingcenter in Henderson, about12 miles away. SettebelloPizzeria Napoletana serves realNeapolitan pizzas, with a thin,lightly charred crust and SanMarzano tomatoes imported rom

Italy. Give your dressy dudsthe night o —dinner here is a

amily a air, jeans are the norm,and sharing is encouraged. 140Green Valley Pkwy., settebello.net,Margherita pizza $10.

SCENIC OUTPOST At the814-room Red Rock Casino,Resort & Spa , 14 miles westo the Strip, panoramic views o color-washed rock ormations areonly the most obvious sellingpoint. There’s also the AdventureSpa, with hiking, biking, andkayaking tours; a 16-theatercinema; a bowling alley; andrestaurants ranging rom theno-nonsense Bagel Ca e to abrand-new outpost o the YardHouse, a beer-centric bar with130 dra ts on tap. Free shuttlestransport guests to and rom theStrip six times a day. 11011 W.Charleston Blvd., redrocklasvegas.com,doubles from $85.

GREATER LAS VEGAS SPANSALMOST 600 SQUARE MILES, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,MANY OF THE CITY’S MOSTWORTHWHILE SIGHTS AREACTUALLY ON ITS FRINGE—IN THE HENDERSON ANDSUMMERLIN SUBURBS AND

IN THE DRAMATIC DESERTSTHAT SURROUND THE CITY.

Clockwise from left: a turnoff on the 13-mile scenic drivewithin Red Rock Canyon; a standard double room at the Red

Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, a 25-minute shuttle ridefrom the Strip; the desert trail at Springs Preserve; Hachi,

which stocks more than 30 varieties of sake

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BT Vegas July 2010