Displaying Reviews for HottieCouple

"Parking Still Sucks"

It had been awhile since we've been to an event at Sam Boyd Stadium when the parking lot was so full. But not much has changed. It's still dusty and dirty--which we can live with--but exiting after the event has always been a very long process and still is a major pain in the ass.
The stadium itself is showing its age but is functional enough for football games. Could use a new video screen, though. I think the one on our house might be larger...

"Flip, Flop and Fly"

(From August 29, '08)
Flip, Flop and Fly
Since we liked one of the many earlier versions of Le Reve we were anxious to see the show after they shut it down for awhile and made it "happier" for Elaine Wynn. Being big fans of Dancing with The Stars, Steve and Elaine brought in one of the DWTS choreographers to add some ballroom dancing scenes and changed many other things, too.

I'll just start by saying that we were pretty disappointed with the new show. I guess when you have the star of the show fall asleep on a bed then it gives you license to do anything, even if it's a series of totally disjointed yet often repetitive sequences.

They flip and flop on stage and then jump into the ever-present water over and over (and over) and then they take a break from that and fly down from the ceiling. And then sometimes they do all three. Some of the bits, as individual parts, are kind of cool, kind of sexy and always wet. However, ya just wonder why they added this or that as it mostly didn't make sense why it was there. I guess dreams are like that.

The lead girl who is having the dream is often just standing around watching all the action which invariably involves pale, bald muscle men. While there are some definite visually appealing dancers and acrobats doing some well-choreographed moves, we had a tough time picking up any sort of through-line of plot so the routines lost some of their power after awhile.

The ballroom dancing was good but there was just something weird about men in long black pants tucked into their shoes and women in evening gowns dancing in a couple of inches of water, splashing and slopping around, getting their finery all wet. Like many of the other bits, they just didn't seem to fit.

If I take a step back and just watch some of the acts I would say it's a visually spectacular show but if you are trying to find meaning and plot and substance, well, good luck.

It might make Elaine Wynn happier but it doesn't do the same for us.

(Our review of one of the early versions of Le Reve, before the extensive overhaul in early '08)
Le Magnifique!
After seeing Mystere at least a dozen times over the years and O several times (along with Zumanity and a couple of touring Cirque shows), I never thought I'd see a show that went one better than Cirque du Soleil. And maybe 'cause the show is so fresh on my mind having just left the theater but I gotta say I felt Le Reve was a better show than the Cirques, at least for my tastes.

Part of it was the staging itself as the theatre in the Wynn is in the round and there's not a bad seat in the house. You are literally right on top of the action although sometimes the action is right on top of you. There's water everywhere--it surrounds the stage, it shoots out of fountains, from the ceiling, even from the performers' mouths.

The story is about a girl who has a series of sexy, sensual dreams in the water and in the air. While the Cirque shows may have just a bit more athleticism (but not much more), Le Reve has more eroticism, more sexy dancing and even a topless acrobatic piece--now that's what I'm talkin' about! I also felt the females overall were sexier than the Cirque ladies (the guys are certainly buff but all of them are bald--what's up with that?)

If you have to make a choice between another Cirque show and Le Reve, I don't think you'll be disappointed with Le Reve.

"Live Music"

We went to Sonny's to see our friend play in a blues/rock band. It has a stage and all but it's kinda set up weird as the band faces the bar (and dance floor) but all the seating is off to stage right so you really don't ever see their faces much unless you get up and dance.

We heard the bar was trying to find its groove as far as music type and they have all sorts like jazz, blues, rock and even heavy metal on different nights.

The food is bar food (the fingers were fine) and the drinks were fairly cheap. We'd go back to see a band but not sure we'd just hang there normally as it doesn't have much of a personality.

"Old School Show"

It's not a show to be taken seriously--I was actually laughing at it a few times when I suppose I shouldn't have been--but it's definitely an old school show with some nice offerings and ya gotta wonder how much longer you'll be able to see it before the town becomes Cirque-ified.

"Good But Not Great"

We'll probably be bucking the trend here but we felt Love was a good show but not great. From a music history aspect it was fun to see them bring out some of the obscure versions of Beatles songs rather than the AM radio tunes we've heard over and over. It was also cool seeing the "boys" come alive with spoken excerpts from studio sessions woven in. However, those very same aspects also slowed down the pace to a crawl at some points, including a very long "acid trip" section in the middle. Often the songs used were slower, acoustic versions or versions where the Beatles were goofing around in the studio so there was talking on top of the song. Again, it was fun to hear the non-mainstream version of a song nearly everyone on earth knows but it also slowed the momentum of the production at times.

The dancing and acrobatics were great and there were a ton of fanciful and fun costumes to go along with elaborate, in-the-round staging which made for lots of head-bobbing in order to check out all the action occurring on every corner of the stage and overhead as well.

We'd see it again and we'd request a different section so we could catch the bits we might have missed. We also might try to score some psychedelic drugs as Love seems like a really cool acid trip (not that we'd know about that sort of thing, of course).

"Many Parts Are Edible"

Ooh La La is done on the cheap in something that resembles more of a meeting room with a stage. However, that doesn't necessarily make it bad. In fact some of it is pretty good. Overall, the 5 girls are pretty attractive and fairly decent dancers although they don't really try anything too difficult (except the one girl walking on point showing off her ballet training--that was pretty difficult I'm told). They generally have fun strutting around without their tops in all sorts of sexy costumes to all sorts of music styles--some of it pretty loud and perhaps a bit too industrial for the Midwestern audience.

We really enjoyed the BDSM scene where my favorite hottie was stripped to next to nothing (only a very small g-string), bound to a rack and wrapped with ropes by two other nearly-naked naughties. I actually started to get a bit of wood as the ropes were positioned between the bound girls legs and tightened in her crotch. While the wood was fun it was also fun to see some of the conservative wives in the audience squirm in their chair and to see the guy who let out a loud "YEAH!" get elbowed in the gut by his female partner.

A few of the other acts weren't bad although overall it becomes same-o, same-o rather quickly with a few of the skits (including the audience participation one) becoming downright boring.

Overall, it's worth a look as the dancers are pretty hot, the costumes are sexy, some of the dance numbers are fun (and sexy) and a couple of the girls (the tall blond one especially) have a good eye for comic relief. It's better than some of the other similar, more expensive shows around but get there early to watch the girls stretch out on stage prior to the show. It gets the sexy mood going right away...

"It's a Start"

We got comps so decided to check this new show out. Supposedly, there are "two headliners" every night. Maybe. But "headliners" for what, is the question--the Shriners Convention?

1st of all, the MC was pretty bad. He reminded me of a guy that's kind of funny in the break room at work but when he gets on stage you've already seen his best stuff by the water cooler. Don't remember his name but that's probably for the best.

I think the 1st "headliner" was named John Bizarre. His last name was definitely "Bizarre", at any rate. He was the best part of the show. Some original stuff, read the crowd well and did some decent improvisation. Some good laughs here.

Then came the closing headliner act. Don't remember their names and they aren't listed on the web site but they were a white guy and a blind Mexican guy (seriously, he was blind). Supposedly they have been on Jay Leno and the poster outside the theater said they were George Lopez' favorite act but we thought they were incredibly weak. They thought each other was funny, however, which caused long pauses in between mediocre bits. The pair had been together for a long time (something like 15 years) so it looked like any improvisational variation they did on their standard act was quite amusing to them, leaving the audience to figure out what was so funny.

Hopefully, this venue will be able to start attracting a better quality of comedian 'cause the list price of $24.95 ain't bad (specials for locals, too) and the "Free Buffet or Two Drinks with each ticket purchased!" is kind of enticing. It's also easy to get in and out of unlike some other show rooms inside casinos .

"Elvis is Alive and Running a Drag Club!"

I left thinking several thoughts: that the place was certainly different than the Plush Horse in its prime; that if Elvis were actually still alive he might be running this very lounge just the way it is; and that one of these nights when we are in the mood for something different we'll wander back into Elvis' Restaurant & Lounge...

(Update: We went back to check out the food. We had another good time overall but the food was definitely subpar. Go for the off-beat experience, not the food.)

"An Unexpected Non-PC Treat"

I suppose we had a bit of a preconceived attitude when we read that some comic we hadn't heard of was playing at, of all places, Hooters Casino. I mean, how good could it be--Hooters?? After reading a positive review in the paper about Bobby Slayton and getting some good word-of-mouth from some friends about him we decided to see for ourselves.

His act opens with a video montage of a bunch of name comedians poking fun at Bobby including the Smothers Brothers, Rita Rudner, Jay Leno and Robin Williams. Then the self-proclaimed "pit bull of comedy" comes out and, in his scratchy, godfather-on-crack voice proceeds to lampoon, without mercy, pretty much every ethnic and sexual stereotype present in the audience. If you want to be picked on, sit in the front couple of rows and hang on. Blondes, blacks, asians and "homos" are all beat up and just when it seems to cross the line, Bobby does the same thing to himself, his wife and their sex life, effectively diffusing any built up audience resentment.

We left satisfied that we had finally, once again, seen a non-politically correct show in Las Vegas, something that seems difficult to find these days. We both gave the show a thumbs up. (When we rated this show we gave the "attitude" a #1 which means "asshole". We only did that 'cause he's trying to be an asshole on stage. In reality, he seems like he's actually a nice guy.)

FYI: I guess his opening acts change regularly but we saw a guy named Steve Caoette who was actually quite funny in his own right.

"Fun & Good"

LowLife Note: While we didn't utilize it on this night, we were told of a "secret stairway" on the way to the restrooms. While it's ostensively an upstairs smoking lounge, it doesn't get used a lot and our friends actually had sex up there overlooking the patrons below. Some info LowLifes can use...

"Guys Good, the Rest Mediocre"

What started as a reality show on VH-1 a couple of years ago has evolved into this show at the Riviera Hotel. The winners of the show were awarded a Las Vegas contract. Just not sure they knew it would be at the Riv. The dancers themselves are very good-looking and in excellent shape with 6-pack abs being standard. Most of them have been on the covers of various fitness magazines and are put together quite well.

They also appear to be having a lot of fun, perhaps too much fun as they seemed to be going through the motions at times and smiling and laughing at inside jokes between each other.

Overall, they aren't the best dancers--several were very stiff (so to speak)--and the primitive and hokey choreography doesn't tax them too much (which is probably for the best).
This particular show room at the Riviera is also primitive with many high schools having better seats and stages. The dance music was very loud and had lots of treble so every once in awhile people would cringe during certain musical passages.

While there were many negatives to the production, the boys did a good job of working the bachelorette-type of crowd into a frenzy with lots of trips into the screaming females and several audience-participation numbers on stage (often involving the heftier gals).

Overall, it was fun, the guys were hot to look at and it might be a good place for a group of ladies out on the town to begin an evening of misbehavin'.

"Cool Hotel"

We went to a Chamber of Commerce mixer at this hotel. I guess I had heard that it opened awhile back but didn't pay it too much attention since it didn't have gaming or a night-club or a show. However, if I was a Vegas visitor I would definitely consider this place as it's pretty damn cool and very close to the Strip (near Flamingo & the Strip).

Being the curious LowLife that I am, I decided to poke around the place a bit and see what it was all about (which was much more enjoyable that getting hit on by copier salesmen, printers, and insurance agents in the C of C mixer itself).

The rooms are all suites, starting at 910 square feet, with separate bedrooms, plasma TVs, double whirlpool tubs and balconies you can actually use, many with great views of the Strip.

Their pool area (where the mixer was held) is classy and cool (also with a good view of the Strip) and is half inside and half outside. The hotel is non-gaming and non-smoking and the owner has paid attention to a lot of little details making it a place we have to actually stay the next time we play tourists in our own town.

"Better than Teatro"

This is the same lounge in the MGM that used to be Teatro. Teatro was pretty cool but usually pretty dead. They have since remodeled the place and it seems to get much more traffic. It's still very sensual inside but they have opened it up so it looks out onto the busy walkway. Now it's a great place for people watching and it's more inviting for people walking by. The wait and bar staff are all very attractive, of course, so that hasn't changed either.

This is a very good place to meet another couple for the first time if one of them is staying in the MGM.

"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.

"A Pretty Good Show"

The Mrs. and I went to the Vegas version of the Phantom of the Opera playing at the Venetian. All in all, a fairly good show. While I have never seen another stage version of it so I can't compare it to that, the Mrs. has the movie playing every now and then so I've seen most of the show several times, if only scattered parts of it from the other room. Frankly, it really isn't the type of show I would go out of my way to see.

However, it was the Mrs.' b-day and therefore it became something I would go out of my way to get tickets for...

Mrs. H seemed to enjoy the show as she teared-up two or three times. Me, well, I had a few questions about the plot and it seems that with the show being cut down to 95 minutes there were a few background details they either had to leave out or rush in and they also didn't have quite as much time to develop the personal relationship between the two.

In the movie I sensed a deeper relationship between the Phantom and the female and in the Vegas version it seemed that he was more of a mad and deformed stalker with bad hair and a good singing voice.

I also had just a bit of trouble understanding more than a few words they were singing so while I was getting the gist of what they were feeling and should be saying, I had to fill in a few blanks. Mrs. H, on the other hand, was often singing along so I suppose it was just me.

The staging was good, the singing was more than fine and the acting was just under superb so I give it three and a half stars. And since the Mrs. was very happy with me afterwards (wink, wink) I gave it four stars!

One thing I did wonder about throughout the show was how much the extras in the balconies make just sitting there in costume show after show--no wonder the tickets cost so much!

"Ka a Bit Blah"

Having seen many different Cirque shows over the years, we left Ka feeling slightly under-whelmed. Maybe we are getting Cirqued-out or something.

Ka had some good points but most of those had to do with the elaborate stages and the costumes. The stages were these huge slabs of metal that would twist and turn and stand upright and were sometimes a floor, sometimes a inclined ramp and sometimes a huge wall. The costumes were typically cool Cirque creations with some big insects that were unique.

However, there were several parts in the Ka storyline (this is a linear journey as compared to the series of spectacles Cirque usually does) that bogged down into overkill and slight boredom.

One gripe I have with it was that the humor was weak. O and Mystere have running gags that break the mood in just the right places but Ka's humor didn't even generate too many smiles.

I suppose the main gripe is the lack of danger involved. In all but one routine, safety ropes were used. Most of the aerials and other gymnastic demonstrations we're simply flying around on a rope, something Mrs. H and I could do. We wouldn't look so graceful but we could do it. Personally, even if there's a net, I like to see if the performers can do the stunt or not. If they fail I assume it was pretty damn difficult but when there's no chance of failure it diminishes the feat greatly.

I still gave the production 3 1/2 stars because of the innovation, the staging, the costumes and the choreography which were all very good but it's much more like watching a graceful ballet than a risk-taking circus.

"Totally Unexpected"

We went to the Men's Club the other night with the Mrs. and ate at the Alchemy Kitchen, the gourmet restaurant inside the club. We expected it to be pretty good but we had no idea it would be downright incredible!

We've eaten at a lot of restaurants in town but when you taste something so good that you say "that just might be the best thing I've ever eaten" then you know it's something special.

First of all, the club itself is very elegant, perhaps the classiest gentleman's club in town. The upstairs has several very cool private rooms and one large room that looks like something out of an upscale, old school men's social club--sort of an old world ultra lounge. And that's where we ate (although you can actually eat anywhere in the club). It was very comfortable, very classy and very sexy, especially with a topless performer doing her thing on the stage below and the sexy cocktail servers bringing us drinks.

We were served the 7 course tasting menu paired with proper beverages (beer or wine). The first two courses were from the Raw Bar (the sister sushi bar also inside the Men's Club) and were delicious. We ate some of the freshest scallops we've ever had anywhere (and we're in the middle of the freakin' desert!).

Chef John Church (Chef du Cuisine) who trained under famous local chef Andre Rochat (Andre's, Alize') and Chef Shaun King (Raw Bar), along with the excellent support staff, have made the Men's Club truly a fine dining experience you must try!

"A Different Vegas"

Fremont Street is an interesting "experience". Some people turn their nose up at the place because it's a bit lower class than the fancy Strip hotels and nightclubs but we like downtown Las Vegas every now and then.
We enjoy the Triple George restaurant, Hugo's inside the Four Queens is unexpectedly good and almost everything in the newly renovated Golden Nugget is top notch. And downtown may be the place for alternative and live music with the Beauty Bar and occasional acts in the Celebrity and especially with CBGB's and Emo's coming soon. Hogs 'n' Heifers is also a fun place as there's always a few partyin' women dancing on the bar.

The street itself is just ok but it is fun to walk from casino to casino with a drink in your hand and a Rolling Stones cover band playing in the background. The overhead video display awning is a one-time thing and once ya see it it's kind of boring the next time but the first time it's kind of cool.

Fremont Street is not the first thing we think of when trying to figure out a night out but we usually have a good time when we actually visit the place.

"Hurry! This is Good!"

We went to see Burn The Floor last night and thought it was excellent. If you like classic ball room dancing mixed with the hottest Latin dances mixed with swing and jitterbug performed by some very hot dancers then this show might interest you. If you liked the movies "Take The Lead" (Antonio Banderas), "Shall We Dance" and even "Dirty Dancing" then you will definitely like this show.

The women are fantastic dancers and great to drool over (we really like the tall blonde from Australia!) and the men are superb. The costumes are great and the choreography is excellent--very creative. It's a high energy show that's over all too soon.
Unfortunately, it closes on November 26th to resume the world tour so if you are going to catch it you should go ASAP!

"Definitely a Secret "

We checked out a relatively new gentleman's club called Hidden Secrets. The building has been a few different things over the years but I do remember having a burger and a few beers inside there several years ago when it was a restaurant/bar so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Well, they've done an excellent job with the interior and it's one of the nicer mid-size strip clubs in town. The girls are extremely friendly and don't ignore couples like some of the other clubs. While they have a private VIP area, regular lap dances are usually done upstairs where there is a good amount of privacy. The DJ mentioned a "two dances for $30 special" so we grabbed a little hottie and Mrs. H had a couple of very initmate dances.

There are a couple of things to be aware of here. The girls are required to wear pasties as Hidden Secrets doesn't have a full topless license. Mrs. H actually found that kind of sexy and I eventually stopped noticing.

Also, since it's a new club, it wasn't particularly busy and there weren't that many girls to chose from (although we loved ours). I'm sure that will change as the secret of Hidden Secrets becomes better known.

"Misbehavior Encouraged"

On a lark, we ended up checking out the Tempo ultralounge. We walked into something that looked like it was out of an Austin Powers movie--everything in orange and black and brushed stainless steel. Very retro yet very modern--kind of surprising for the Hilton.

We knew we were in for a good time when the club manager came up to us and said "feel free to get as crazy as you want!" which was a refreshing change from many of the stuffy and conservative clubs on the Strip. We replied "we can get pretty crazy" and he said "that's what we want!". Pushing him further I said "but you might lose your gaming license!" and he said "when you cross that line we'll move you over to a more private area". With encouragement like that knew we had found a place we could relax and do whatever we felt like.

The waiters and bartenders were a pretty good looking and friendly bunch and were referred to as "bev-er-tainers" as they also broke out in the occasional dance routine either alone or as a group. The music was at a good level for both talking and dancing and the DJ was mixing some fun oldies in with some current dance hits. There's a center area near the bar that seems to be the unofficial dance floor and that's where most everyone gathered to shake it. This area was carpeted so several ladies had their shoes off and the soft landing came in handy as a couple of tipsy women kept falling over the more they dirty-danced with each other.

There were plenty of comfortable places to sit without having to buy a bottle and people seemed to be spontaneously dancing everywhere, often simulating bent over sexual positions in the process. It seemed almost like an off-premise swing club at times! While the crowd itself wasn't top tier like some of the trendy clubs (although there were a few exceptions), it was an incredibly fun atmosphere with a nearly "anything-goes" attitude.

Next time I think we'll bring our own group and see just how crazy they let us get...

"Good Rock Club"

With live rock bands playing original songs harder and harder to come by, it was refreshing to listen to some decent rock n roll at a local bar. We checked out a band called Less Than Zero and had a great evening.
The Hurricane has a large stage area with a nice size dance floor in front of it and the sound quality was quite good.
The kitchen made some good pizza and the drinks weren't too expensive at all. We went on a festive night as it was the owner's birthday and the Jim Beam girls were there but I would suspect it's a partyin' place most of the time, at least that's what our friends who are regulars say.
The only thing wrong with the joint was that it was a K.C. Chief's bar on Sundays but we'll forgive them for that mix-up in judgment this one time...

"Great Party Place!"

We recently attended a lifestyle takeover of this normally gay resort. It was a perfect choice for a wild weekend as the staff was used to an "anything goes" atmosphere and that's certainly what happened! It's too much fun when you can run through the halls naked, get frisky out by the very nice pool or have group activity in the party suite and leave the door wide open.

There's also a secluded hot tub area (under a waterfall) where the action can get even hotter than the jacuzzi and there's even a very clean but oh-so-much fun steam room to play in. As an added treat one could get wild in a video room complete with couches, loveseats and even a glory hole! Woo hoo! Glory holes are pretty cool when you're with a group where everyone is desirable...

We gotta give kudos to the staff because without their totally cool attitude, the weekend wouldn't have been nearly so much fun. All in all, this is a great place to have a swing event. And with a complete upgrade of all the rooms happening this December, the resort should be even better in '07.

"Small, Out-of-the-Way Italian Restaurant"

We've been going to the Pasta Shop for years but hadn't gone back for quite awhile, simply because there are so many new places to try in town.

However, some out-of-town friends of ours wanted to try someplace intimate and off the Strip so we headed to the Pasta Shop.

It's a very small restaurant (10 tables?) hidden in a strip mall but the cuisine is excellent. One of the brothers usually prepares the food and the other brother generally serves it so it's quite a family affair. One of their signature dishes is the Tiger Shrimp and you can fill up on their cheesy bread strips so watch yourself with those.

If you are looking for something that might fit better in, say, San Francisco, check out the Pasta Shop. Even though we hadn't been back for awhile, one thing is unchanged: the food is worth the trip.

"Fun Concert Venue"

Mandalay Bay has a series of summer concerts at their very large wave pool and we always look forward to them. There's something about flip flops and bikini tops, holding cups of liquid refreshment while standing in water looking up at the performers (although much of the audience is lounging on beach towels on the Mandalay Beach).

While the concerts are generally less expensive than a typical concert they are also usually a bit shorter, too. But we like the atmosphere of being able to roam around in our beach clothes, drink in hand, chatting with friends and future friends with top notch party music playing in the background (they have excellent canned music prior).

We recently attended the Pink and Everclear concerts and both had good sound quality and despite the fact the performers are staged higher up than a normal concert, it still felt very intimate, perhaps because the artists were very relaxed, a reaction to the party atmosphere.

We also attended something called a Rock n Roll Wine Amp'd Festival which was supposed to be a wine tasting event combined with rock music. The music was great but the wine part sucked. While not wine snobs, we expected quite a bit more than the cheapest wines from most of the 35 vineyards represented. We even had a couple of the booths apologize to us for bringing their rot-gut varietals, saying that the organizers felt it would be an unsophisticated crowd so not to worry with the finer bottles.

Well, I'm not sure how sophisticated our group was but we constantly grimaced and wrinkled our faces when tasting the offerings, and that after having to wait in a long line.

Mandalay Beach does concerts right but they need help with their wine tastings. There are plenty of other ones in town that are far superior.

"Sleek Place, Large Pours"

We stopped in the 55 Degrees Wine Bar and sampled several different types of wine. It's very cool inside (55 degrees, perhaps?) but it's unlike any wine cellar we've ever been in. Very modern with glass and stainless steel, trendy chairs and glassware.

While there's a very wide variety of bottles for sale in the multitude of racks, there really aren't a whole lot of varieties on the sampler listing. But that didn't bother us as we chose several different wines to taste. While the menu says the samples are 2 ounces, they seem much larger than that.

One of our favorites was actually one of the least expensive pours, a $4 sample of a Chilean Cabernet called Marques De Casa Concha out of Puente Alto.

In more ways than one, 55 Degrees is a good place to "chill" after playing in the Mandalay.

"Ice is Kinda Cool"

Ice has been around for awhile (used to be Drink) and is still a pretty good club. It still tends to get crowded, mostly with locals, and due to its design it has always been a bit difficult to move around (narrow hallways), to get a drink (bars on the other side of a mass of humanity) and to get relief (not enough restrooms).

However, its unusual 2-story design and large dance floor surrounded by hallways, congregation rooms and a balcony make it just quirky enough to be kinda cool. We've always had good luck with the music and the people that go there. And since it's not located in a casino you can get in and out pretty easily.

"What You Would Expect"

A friend of mine (also a Vegas resident) and I have a theory about Hooters in Las Vegas. We think that in other towns Hooters will attract some of the better looking local ladies to wait tables there because they can make pretty good money without taking off their clothes.

We don't think that's how it works in Las Vegas. There are too many clubs and bars and shows and hotels where fine looking lasses can make big bucks and not have to wear a Hooters outfit (or take off their clothes--whichever is worse).

That pretty much sums up most of the Hooters girls at Hooters Casino. Even though Miss Hooters 2006 works at the Casino, we didn't see a lot of eye candy. A few of the dealers looked pretty hot, however (and it's odd to see dealers in Hooters gear) so it wasn't a total waste. We heard they hired some hot babes from all over the country when they first opened but many of them have now left for greener (if ya know what I mean) Las Vegas pastures.

The inside of the hotel does, for better or worse, certainly resemble a Hooters restaurant. It has just the right amount of tackiness to be familiar. Makes ya want to order some chicken wings and a Bud. It was common to see guys in white t-shirts, jeans and flip-flops sportin' a NASCAR hat. Bet they do tons of business during the races held at the speedway.

Hooters Casino Hotel won't satisfy people looking for class but then ya don't go to a Hooters looking for class. Unfortunately, it won't satisfy people looking for the top-of-the-line Hooters girls, either, as those are probably right down the street from where you live.

"It's Still Happening"

After all these years, Drai's is still a happening place. The music was full of energy and there's a very large dance floor, much larger than the old days. The place was full of hotties, most of which seemed to be buzzin' on something more than just life. And that was more than fine with us for it made for a sexy, sensual atmosphere.
Still hate going in and out of the Barbary Coast but Drai's is still worth it.

(It does seem to be a bit over-priced when ya pay $8 for a bottle of water, however.)

"Great Steaks, Romantic Place"

It's amazing how much the staff can make a difference. While the restaurant is elegant and romantic, our waiters and wine steward were friendly and funny and we ended up having a great time just being there, not to mention the top notch steaks, appetizers and sides.

It's officially part of the 4 Seasons Hotel which is on embedded into Mandalay Bay so it's not as well known as other places. But it's worth the walk down the long corridor from the Mandalay Lobby to experience an excellent restaurant.

"Gourmet Mexican Food?"

Prior to a "Concert on the Beach" (i.e. Mandalay's large wave pool with sound stage), we ate at Border Grill, a gourmet Mexican restaurant, which has patio dining that looks out over the Mandalay pool action. We had some very good Sangria and people were raving about the mojitos. It's an interesting concept, however, trying to turn a type of food which is not known as gourmet into a high-end offering. While our group generally had raves for the presentation, the sauces and the dishes overall, it's difficult to comprehend paying $28 for a chicken tamale when one generally eats a much larger portion at a traditional Mexican restaurant for less than $8.

However, I assume we were paying more for the fun and classy atmosphere, the proximity to the upcoming concert, the nice view and all the hotties running around so I won't complain too much.

"Almost 5 Stars"

The new Red Rock Hotel & Casino is an extremely nice hotel, especially for a "locals" hotel. It's very classy inside with lots of attention to detail and Stations Casinos outdid themselves with this one!

Their central pool is quite large with lots and lots of bungalows to rent and their adult pool is very sexy and chic. There's an abundance of eye-candy at both. The standard rooms are better than the average hotel's standard rooms (although ask for one far away from the on-going construction) and, if you are into bathrooms, these are spacious and very modern.

This hotel ranks up there with Green Valley Ranch as THE top locals hotel/casino, given the class and the entertainment options.

Our only complaints, however minor, would be these:
--The staff, while friendly and generally attractive bunch, aren't quite grooved into their customer service roles and it seems the coordination is sometimes lacking, especially in the pool area. I have a feeling this will smooth out as they gain experience and a feel for their hotel.

--We've heard several complaints that the restaurants weren't quite on par with the rest of the hotel, with the reason being given that Red Rock owns their own restaurants rather than have some outside celebrity chef or well-known NYC/L.A./Miami eatery lease some of their space. We can't confirm this mostly because we can't really remember the food! We were with another party couple and had been in the party mode for several hours and we had a great (and probably loud and certainly flirtatious) time and we all seem to recall that we did, in fact, eat something and that it's possible the service might have been slow but we left T-bones Chophouse refueled and laughing like fools and ready for more partying so the place worked for us!

"Warehouse Casino?"

While the outside isn't too bad, the inside looks like it could have been either a Sam's Club or a Costco. It's just a vast expanse of openness with slot machines, chairs and table games plopped down throughout. The restaurants look similar--just open spaces with tables and chairs next to each other with no faux semi-private areas. The poker room isn't really a room at all but more like part of the hallway that leads to the escalators to the movie complex upstairs.

I guess I thought Coast Casinos was going to make this hotel their flagship much like Stations has done with Red Rock Casino. Instead it looks like it was done on the cheap with very little imagination.

"A Classy Place"

We spent the night at the Venetian on a Thursday night last week and found the rooms, which are all mini-suites and above, to be extremely nice for the price (can't say what a weekend or during a special event is like). Many top notch restaurants abound and the night club Tao is popular even during the week (mostly late 20/30-somethings in the bar area, upstairs was slightly older probably 'cause it took money or connections to get up there).

The pool area (3 pools surrounding a bar with restaurants and shops nearby) has some decent eye candy and you don't have to get there at 10 a.m. to get a chaise lounge, i.e. they were readily available.

The hotel has a very classy feel to it overall and even the food court has some tasty yet not-too-expensive hangover food. Another nice touch was a lady who brought us free bottles of ice cold water while we were watiing for valet.
This is one of our faves.

"Very Promising!"

We went to the grand opening of this place and felt like we had stepped into a NYC dance club--part industrial, part chic. The only thing missing (besides the attitude) was the obligatory narrow concrete steps downstairs to the booming music--perhaps that's why they have a long concrete, canopy-covered entrance, instead. It's probably no coincidence that the owners are from the Big Apple.

It's a mid-sized club although the dance floor is pretty large and is overlooked by VIP booths upstairs. The music is the kind you hear in a lot of gay clubs, a house dance mixture that gets ya moving. There's a large, rectangular bar downstairs and a smaller one upstairs that doesn't open until later in the evening. Besides the VIP booths upstairs, there are also a bunch of pool tables packed together, supposedly an obligation due to a zoning requirement. Hopefully, they can do something about those as they consume a lot of much-needed space. For reference, the club is larger than the Gipsy and smaller than Krave.

The parking could be another issue as the front lot fills up fast. There are a couple of businesses next door and perhaps the Chinese store owners in the mall across busy Spring Mountain won't mind the extra cars--we'll see how that goes.

The inaugural employees are top notch and several are former Krave employees. Barcode has big plans for future promotions and special guests to fill up the stage at the end of the dance floor. We'll definitely be checking it out now and then especially when looking for a place to boogie but don't want to go into a casino and wait in line.

"Ahhhhh Sin!"

We were at the Paris Hotel for a wine tasting event and decided to grab a bite before heading home. We went to Mon Ami Gabi as the idea of patio dining and people-watching on the Strip appealed to us. The wait for Mon Ami was at least 2 hours.

We were heading out to leave and stopped by Ah Sin just to see if they had any room for us. We were able to get a table on their patio within 10 minutes and had some wonderful sushi, sashimi, Cal rolls, teriyaki chicken, and, of course, lots and lots of sake!

The patio was packed with hotties, the foot traffic was fun to watch and the Bellagio fountains put on a couple of nice shows for us so all-in-all, this was a great way to end our day at the Paris.

Plus, we liked the name of the place as it reminded us of what we were going to do later that evening...

"Underwhelmed"

I guess if you have a doorman then it must be a nice place inside, right? Well, Mist isn't much more than a regular bar with restricted access (is that why they are calling it an "Ultra Lounge"?). The interior was pretty small (I've seen larger living rooms) and although somewhat swanky, it wasn't anything exceptional, especially in this town.

On the positive side, the doorman was a great guy and we met some friendly bartenders and waitresses. There was also some decidedly decent eye-candy.

All in all, it was nothing special. I suppose if I had a room at the TI I would hang there for a few drinks but I'm not sure about making a special trip to visit the place.

"We Likee."

This has turned into one of our favorite places--a perfect place to go before going out dancing. It's a funky, artsy, place with a wide mixture of different types of people. It's just off of Sahara near I-15 so it's not far from many of the Strip hotspots, especially if you have a car.
It's laid back and chillin' and we always get lost in the ambiance.

Edit: The word is out on this place and is getting quite crowded. We love the bartenders Tom and Patricia!

"Cool but Crowded"

If there's a specific sporting event you want to watch make sure you get there early as this place fills up long before the game starts. If you can get a table with personal TVs in your booth it's a very cool place to watch a game. The bar is ok except it's so damn smokey.

"Artsy Fartsy"

The Art Bar isn't in the best location but has been drawing some pretty good crowds. Most of the regulars are early 20-somethings who appear to be the artsy type, which makes sense considering the paintings covering the walls (many of which are by local artists and for sale).
There's often a DJ spinning discs, sometimes just as background music and sometimes playing avant-garde dance stuff. Once in awhile they have a band.
Nice looking bar babes serving fairly inexpensive drinks.
A diamond in the rough.