Just before moving to Ireland, a colleague and I were lucky enough to attend a conference for work in Las Vegas. Being the well-behaved ladies that we are, we managed to resist the usual temptations of ‘Sin City’ and actually learned a thing or two to improve our work. However, that resisting is not the same as forgoing. Instead of hours of gambling or all-night madness, we found some of the simpler pleasures of Las Vegas. And for those who plan to have a few drinks and gamble in Vegas, this article might be of use…
FOOD
‘Wichcraft (sandwiches) in MGM Grand
Enter the main entrance and walk back through the casino to the restaurant concourse. Vegetarian tomato panini-style is good as is the chicken salad. Large portions so good for a lunch in the middle of a busy day. Good prices.
Gonzales Gonzales (TexMex) in New York New York
Amazing guacamole made at your table. Large portions. Good soup and fajitas. Delicious tortilla chips.
There is a casual Puck restaurant in the MGM Grande. I have eaten at other ones in that chain and it is good. I heard the duck pasta was delicious.
Mario Batali’s B & B Ristorante
There is a restaurant of Malto Mario’s in The Venetian which is open daily from 5pm to 11pm. (702) 266-9977 There are a total of three of Mr. Batali’s restaurants in Las Vegas.
Delicious exotic juices and gelato. Seating in the café or along the corridor adjacent to it, with a view.
ENTERTAINMENT
The fountains “perform” every 15 minutes (I think) during certain hours of the day. The water dances to a different tune sometimes a few tunes in a row will follow a theme. Beautiful at night. Perfect accompaniment for an after dinner stroll while enjoying an ice cream cone or Slurpee (there is a 7-11 across the street and one block up).
We enjoyed an exhibit while in town. Though it is a small space, it is peaceful and wasn’t at all crowded. One thing to be aware of is that though we were informed that no education (teacher/student with valid ID) discount is available, there is in fact a price difference. The current exhibit shows a ticket price of $15 general admission, $12 for those over 65 years of age, and $10 for students with valid ID. After we returned from our trip, I did find information online that said that teachers/educators also could get the student discount. Tickets can be purchased online and picked up at the venue box office.
Good for a special date this Cirque de Soleil performance is at the MGM Grande. This one has a bit of a plot.
SHOPPING
Zappos Shoe Outlet
When we were there, Zappos.com had an outlet store in downtown Vegas as well as one just outside the main downtown. Both were open every day from 9am to 9pm. Rumor has it there was a shuttle to the one not downtown. Now their website just lists an outlet in Kentucky. Their website is: www.zappos.com. Things may be changing for Zappos given the sale to Amazon.
3860 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas
(702) 369-7310
7770 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas
(702) 943-7900
A few photos from my Vegas trip
Slainté 