Going to Vegas

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Hey all,

I'm headed to Vegas (first time) for 5 nights in early Dec as a get away for the wife and I after a stressful year, and also as a build up to next year (doing the equivelant of a civilian deployment). We already got our hotel and airfare paid for, and have set aside a wad of cash for gambling. I'd like to know what things I need to do while I am there, cost is no issue.

What we like: We like to drink. Not copious amounts, but we like a nice, expensive night of classy cocktails. We also have been known to enjoy drunken party nights in Senor Frogs Waikiki from time to time.

We are foodies. Good food or great food, we are there. We love going to 5 star joints, however we like great tasting food even better.

We have shows covered as we purchased tickets to Ka' and George Wallace. We were wondering is Mystere or Zarkana would be a good one to see as well.

I imagine that Vegas in the winter is well, cold. So outdoor activites are probably out and thats ok.

So, what is it that we can not miss in Vegas? (We will be traveling by taxi btw).

[Bowser]

I'm fairly novice at the Vegas experience, but this is what I can tell you.

This is a new joint that I went to during SHOT this year. I liked this buffet more than any of the buffets I went to for the last 2 SHOT Shows, and that even includes going to the M.

http://www.caesarspalace.com/restaurants/bacchanal-buffet.html

There's a small pizza spot tucked away in the Cosmopolitan.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/secret-pizza-las-vegas

You said you like 5 star spots, well try some 3 or 2 star (3 is the highest and that means it's good enough to just fly there from OCONUS just to eat and then leave.) Michelin places.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/joel-robuchon-las-vegas-6

Penn & Teller are supposed to be a good show and they usually hang out with patrons afterwards.

[Sam]

Which hotel will you be staying?

You're in luck, Vegas is full of bars and fine restaurants. The city also never sleeps, you can drink and eat any time of day/night.

The buffets are GREAT, they're not like the $12 Golden Corrals. Buffets cost from around $29 to $45 for dinner. My favorite buffet is at the Mirage, reasonably priced and awesome quality food. Full service restaurants require reservations. I've eaten at the buffets at Caesars/Harrah's/Bellagio/Paris, and they're good but I don't feel they're on par with Mirage. All of the steakhouses in the casinos are wonderful. The Delmonico at the Venetian is awesome, M4C moderators have been spotted there during SHOT shows. :). The Mirage has a killer New York style deli, the Carnegie. We usually split a corned beef sandwich, they're huge. Samba (Brazillian churiscaria steak) at Mirage is also good. The Noodle place at the Venetian has great Asian food.

The winter is not that cold in Vegas, but it's also been known to snow. So check the weather channel before you go and pack accordingly. The mornings can get as cold as the 20s but on the average it's in the upper 30s or even in the lower 40s. The afternoons can get anywhere from the high 40s on the cold side to the 70s on the warm side. Last January at SHOT show, the day we got there (Monday) the high was in the upper 20s, all the fountains on the strip were frozen. By Friday, the high was in the lower 60s.

Have fun.

[dhrith]

MGM breakfast buffet.

I haven't been there in probably 15 years and still have dreams. ;p

[ALCOAR]

Restaurants:

The Palm @ Caesars
Piero's Italian Cuisine
Morton's Steakhouse

[Caduceus]

Yes, it can snow in Vegas. Check out the elevation.

Most casinos will have at least one buffet and one classy restaurant. All priced just enoug to continue seperating you from your money.

I wish I could tell you all the fun stuff, but I grew up a 4 hour drive from there. My parents took us a few times a year, so I associate it with being incredibly bored ahd video games.

[ST911]

I don't drink or gamble, but love Vegas for the people watching. Riding the deuce late was entertaining, to say the least.

For food, my favorite meal was at a very nice restaurant in the Venetian. Name escapes me, but the shark steaks, pasta, and dessert were amazing. The BLT at the Nascar cafe in the Sahara was a pretty good sandwich, too.

[ForTehNguyen]

www.exoticsracing.com

www.battlefieldvegas.com

www.machinegunsvegas.com

other attractions:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g45963-Activities-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

[montanadave]

Valentino's at the Venetian has a "Taste of our Menu" sampler that offers individual selections from across the menu (appetizers, cheeses, pasta, seafood, meat, dessert) served over six or seven courses which can be paired up with wine selections for each individual dish. It's a fantastic meal and a very enjoyable way to spend an evening.

[RearwardAssist]

The palms has been my favorite place to eat and hang out. The ghost bar is great on the top of the palms has a plexiglass floor section that sits over a 200+ foot drop can freak you out after a few drinks. The resturants I ate at were very good as well one of the best steaks I have had was from n9ne at the palms. Moderate to upper price but worth the money figure 200 for dinner, sides, and cocktails.

http://www.palms.com/fine-dining/n9ne-steakhouse.

[Koshinn]

I've always heard the buffet at the Wynn beats all others. I haven't been there, but I have been to the Mirage buffet a few times and it's also pretty good.

See some shows, especially the newer Cirque shows.

There's a couple of "machine gun" rental places right off the strip as well as some legitimate ranges, like The Range 702, which is awesome.

If you want to see a good magic show, go to Penn & Teller's show at the Rio. They talk a LOT about individual freedoms as a part of their act, you'd definitely enjoy it. It's not like most other Vegas Shows with songs and dances and explosions and naked women, but as something of a magic-nut myself, they were better than David Copperfield and Lance Burton.


I don't go to the strip very often but there are some really good restaurants there! There are Michelin-rated restaurants from 2009 in Las Vegas, but they haven't done a more recent one since then so the restaurant scene has definitely changed. But that shows the quality :D http://govegas.about.com/od/dining/a/michelinrest.htm

[CGSteve]

As far as shows go, I've seen both Ka and O. If you can only see one Vegas Cirque show, it would, and should, be O. This one is constantly sold out so you should lock these in advance.

As far as food goes, Vegas is a hub of very nice restaurants. As others have mentioned, don't view the word "buffet" as a negative in Las Vegas. Don't think of your $20 fake American-Chinese food places or Golden Corrals. At places like Wynn or Bellagio, think oysters Rockefeller, roast lamb, prime rib, fresh bruschetta with different spreads, fresh soups, fresh desserts.

I would recommend the Wynn over the Bellagio, as over the years the Bellagio has gotten too crowded, and while the quality of the food may not have gone down, your experience may be a bit less pleasant due to having to view masses of people everywhere in there. The Wynn is located further down on the strip so you'll have less people willing to go there. Also, the layout of the dining area at the Wynn buffet is spaced out better, adding to a more comfortable dining experience.

The only non buffet restaurant I've been to and worth mentioniong I remember off the top of my head is Bouchon. Here's a link: http://bouchonbistro.com/

It is pricey, but you said money was not an issue.

As far as things to do besides gambling, eating and your scheduled shows, most of the things to see in Vegas require no money at all. If you're a first timer, part of the big draw is walking through all the different hotels/casinos. As I'm sure you are aware, they are all themed and offer free shows or displays. One such show is the Bellagio water show. Each hotel also has fine outfitters that set up shop there (Rolex, pricey women's shoe brands and such), if you can afford that kind of luxury.

Gambling: If you want to feel like a big shot, you can gamble in the nicer hotels like The Wynn, Bellagio, or Caesar's but truthfully, you can do the best gambling at the smaller hotels or in Old Las Vegas. There you'll find less expensive tables and less wait times.

I hope you have a blast but I think after having gone there so many times, Vegas has lost its flair to me. I'm not a club guy, a CEO, in organized crime, or just turned 21 so all of the vices I want to enjoy I can do it in AZ without spending a fortune or traveling too far.

I won't say it will be "cold" but it is a dry heat with low humidity so it may be chilly at night but I don't think you'll be jumping in the pool at night will you? I think you have common sense and street smarts, but one word of caution no one else has mentioned is the strip is full of all kinds of peddlers, and pan handlers and bums. Don't be swindled and don't fall for what seems like bullshit. Don't be alarmed when you see all the illegal aliens handing out escort service fliers. Don't bother taking them. Try to stay on the strip, outside of Las Vegas, NV is a shitty place full of drugs, gangs, and "poverty" and these elements will come here to try and get easy tourists. Hell, in old Vegas there are signs at entrances that state no gang colors allowed or some such.

[Koshinn]

Try to stay on the strip, outside of Las Vegas, NV is a shitty place full of drugs, gangs, and "poverty" and these elements will come here to try and get easy tourists. Hell, in old Vegas there are signs at entrances that state no gang colors allowed or some such.

Right outside the strip, yes, it's very shady.

But if you go west, northwest, or south east, you get to very nice residential areas.

[Iraqgunz]

The strip is shady, but I still like to go. It will be cold in winter no doubt. We are already getting into the mid-50's at night and last year during SHOT it was pretty chilly.

[Vegas]

The experience of just walking up the strip has changed in recent years for sure, bordering on unsafe. Like any city, awareness of your surroundings is key.

The good stuff? Some have already mentioned Delmonico and Bouchon at Venetian, the buffet at Wynn and secret pizza at Cosmo. I also like Mesa at Caesars, Holsteins at Cosmo, the Japanese restaurant at Wynn and the new Buddy V's by the cake boss fella at Venetian. When it comes to food, Vegas is tough to best. So much choice. If you want to watch a game while you are here, Lagasse Stadium is a cool place to check at the Palazzo. Lastly, if you like beer, Public House at Venetian has an awesome selection!

Have fun and be safe!

[JohnnyC]

I work for Cirque. My recommendations are Ka and O. Mystere is old and Zarkana is kinda meh. The Michael Jackson show is either awesome or horrible depending on who you talk to, there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. I haven't seen it to give an opinion though.

Not sure if they're performing Ka with the battle scene since that woman died, but even without it, it's an amazing show. Technologically speaking, even being in the industry I still become awestruck seeing it. Although that may be because I know the scale and difficulty of everything. I'll ask friends of mine on the show if they're back to a full show track. It really is a spectacle when they do the whole thing.

O is just damn cool. I'd really like to make my retirement gig a diver on that show. The positions are nicknamed "Artist Handle-her" for good reason. I've had friends that have been artists on that show and have nothing but good things to say about it.

La Reve is another water show and is very good, although it's not a Cirque show.

[interfan]

For the "TV Chef" experience, the Gordon Ramsey restaurants are also good (Caesar's and Paris), as is the Mario Batali restaurant at the Palazzo.

For a casual lunch, the I (heart) burgers is good at the Palazzo.

Some hotels are better than others, and generally have a decent selection of food (Caesar's, Bellagio, Palazzo/Venetian, etc.). A hidden gem of a hotel is the Four Seasons at the Mandalay Bay. The Charlie Palmer Steak restaurant is excellent, and the bar there is great for a Scotch and cigar. For a more "romantic" type of dinner, it is great.

Unless people are visiting, I don't find myself on the strip too often these days. It can get dicey at night some times and some hotels draw a bad type of crowd.