"HottieCouple"
05/06/07 -see other reviews-
Attitude - 4 Eye Candy - 3 Price - 2
"Good 'n' Fun"
I used to go to the Bootlegger all the time when it was in its old location. In fact, it was a Sunday tradition to get a pizza from Maria's, the takeout portion of the restaurant named after the Bootlegger matriarch. Despite the great food, I had never visited the new location as I am usually leery when a successful restaurant sheds its comfortable digs and becomes all big and new.
However, some friends of ours said we need to check out the Bootlegger again as the food was still as tasty as ever and now they had some pretty good entertainment nightly. So we went on a Saturday night and had a great time.
First of all, the building is much larger and spacious inside, they've kept much of the original artwork, photos and overall feel of the old place (and Maria is still around, too--now in her 80's). And the food is every bit as good as I remember. Mrs. H said it was the best veal parmagian she's had in town so that was a good sign. My chicken picatta was superb and I cleaned my plate, even though I had pigged-out on the garlic bread bits and marinara sauce prior.
What made the evening a downright hoot was the entertainment. If you want to visit perhaps the last remaining link to old Vegas, you ought to check out Freddie Bell on a Saturday night. In the 50's & 60's, Freddie and the Bellboys played in all the Vegas lounges including the Sands, the Dunes and the Sahara. He performed with Frank, Dean, Sammy and other Rat-Packers. And now, well into his 70's, Freddie still has it. The show doesn't have a break as other performers make guest appearances, including a wannabe singer with a bad hairpiece, a very good singer who chewed gum and sang at the same time and an excellent singer who used to be in the LA production of Phantom.
They have different types of entertainment every night of the week so check their website but if you want a taste of excellent Italian food and a taste of Vegas from the good old days, check out the Bootlegger on a Saturday night.
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