Steve
08-14-2006, 01:59 PM
Steve and Eileen's Trip Report: July 13th-20th.
Steve speaking - Non eventful flight from NY to Chicago to Las Vegas. Eileen does not like changing planes but it's OK with me as I get stir crazy on a 5 1/2 hour flight from NY.
Eileen speaking - I just think it takes time away that we could be in Vegas and gambling!
Steve speaking - We arrived in Las Vegas at 10:30 PM. We go to the baggage claim area and even though none of our flights baggage are rolling off the luggage racks we see our three bags in a separate area for unclaimed baggage which meant that they put our luggage on an earlier flight to Las Vegas! Why couldn't they put us on that flight also?
After about a 20 minute wait for a cab we finally arrived at the Imperial Palace at about 11:30 PM.
Eileen speaking - I was exhausted but Steve was hungry so we went upstairs to the 24 hour cafe. I just ordered tea and toast which took a really long time to come. Steve ordered steak and eggs and it took so long that I finally left him to go to the room and go to bed. I think he waited an hour for his meal!
Steve speaking - We had our favorite 02 room as it is called. It's a room that has a semi-seperate bedroom area with the bathroom located as soon as you enter the room. This makes it easy for Eileen to sleep in as I am an early riser and she can't hear any bathroom noises from the bedroom area. The only problem with the room was the shower as the water would go from hot to cold and cold to hot automatically.
This late arrival really threw my equilibrium off for the entire next day so I don't think I will do the late arrival thing again unless it's my only option.
The next day we were meeting Eileen's best friend from Queens, Susan and her husband Eddie aka "Henry" as you will know why further in the trip report.
We really had a good time with Susan and Eddie. They both got hooked on the penny machines especially Susan with the giant version of Wheel Of Fortune. It didn't matter what machine she played that she lost on but if Eileen or I played the same machine, we would usually win on it. Or if Eileen and I had luck on a machine and won, if Susan played the same machine, she would lose...even a machine that had 243 ways to win...Susan found 243 ways to lose.
Eileen speaking - Poor Susan! She really had a bad run of luck. It didn't help that everytime we won, Steve had to go and tell her! LOL
Gambling:
I cashed a few horse tickets and did manage to cash one dog ticket. The dogs name was Vegas Eyes so I had to throw a $10.00 bill on it.
Eileen didn't do so well this time except for a hunch bet. Susan and Eddie, despite our warning took a bus down to Fremont Street. We warned them that the trip down would not be too bad but the trip back would not be pleasant. We were right and even though they were staying at the IP, they got OFF THE BUS at TI, walked to the IP and still beat the bus there. All Susan said that night was I was ON THE BUS over and over again. If she said it once, she said it 20 times. Now wouldn't you know the next day at Belmont Park there was a horse named ON THE BUS. Of course Eileen bet it and of course at 27-1 the horse looks dead to me. Well, of course the horse wins and pays $57.00. I felt like getting ON THE BUS and heading right out of town.
Eileen speaking - I was so excited when that horse won! I couldn't believe that Steve didn't bet it. I tell him all the time that when he sees a hunch bet - forget the odds - just bet it! You're in Vegas - take a chance.
Steve speaking - I do have a great slot story to tell. We had dinner at The Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse and after that we went to the Spacequest Casino near The Star Trek Experience. Of course since I only have one kidney, I had to go to the men's room more than a normal person. While you are standing in front of the urinal, an orb like mirror appears with a written message. Mine said "The force will be with you for the next twelve minutes." Of course I thought it was a sign from God and ran right to the Triple Double Stars slot machine. On my third pull, I won $120.00 just missing the top jackpot and the 2nd highest jackpot as one symbol landed above and one symbol landed below the payline. So I cashed that out.
Meanwhile, Eileen went to cash in some chips before we were going to leave and I sat down at a penny "Ghost Hunters."machine. I stuck in a $10.00 bill and got the bonus and the second pull. I rounded up the entire screen of "escaped spirits" and won $180.00. Both of these wins came within the 12 minute "force be with you" time frame. You should have seen the look on Susan's face when I won this jackpot! She called me every name in the book......in fun.
As fas as other slots went: Eileen and I did OK with the penny slots and we had some nice hits and Money Storm, Lighthouse Loot, Mystery Quest and Hex.
But we did not come out ahead.
Pai Gow:
I had one session where I did not lose a hand and another session where I won maybe two hands total. I think Eileen did very well. BUT .........
There was a problem. Eileen was paying BONUS PAI GOW and making a $5.00 bonus bet. Now in that particular game, if other players bet $5.00 and ANY player get a BONUS hand, then they get paid also. It's called and ENVY BET.
Here's what happened. The cards are all dealt but the warning light on the automatic shuffler comes on. The dealer says "nobody touch their cards" and no one did. The Pit Boss comes over to the table, checks the shuffler out and says everything's fine. The players pick up their cards and Eileen is dealt a Straight Flush that pays 50-1 and other players have the ENVY BET going. Eileen calls the Straight Flush and at the same time another player announces he only has six cards, and you're supposed to have seven. The Pit Boss after giving permission to the players to "play" announces the hand is void. Now I am standing in back of Eileen saying "that's not fair, you allowed the dealt cards to be played." The other players were also upset, one to the point that he stormed away from the table. Neither Eileen or any other of the ENVY BET players were paid. Now to be fair to the IP, this possibly could have been called a "mixed deal" and by house rules been declared void. The players position was the since the Pit Boss gave a verbal OK to play, then the players that were entitled to a bonus payoff, should still be paid. The only recourse the players had was to insist that a Floor Supervisor be called over but this was not done and it cost Eileen $250.00.
Eileen speaking - I had a lot of fun playing PaiGow this trip. And I won a total of $220 playing. But that misdeal really hurt. We had a nice table of people and we were having a good time until this happened. The table broke up soon after.
Dining:
The Imperial Palace Buffet:
Steve speaking - Looks like they have a new cooking staff working the buffet as it was actually better this trip than the last one. The salad and soup bars which always were OK remained unchanged. The carving station was improved as was the quality of food in general.
There was only one off day when Mexican cuisine was featured. But all-in-all, I give the buffet a B rating.
Pizza Palace at Imperial Palace:
I wanted to go to Ming's but everyone else wanted to eat light so I went along with what the majority wanted. I got the Spaghetti and Meatball and Minestrone Soup. Eileen, Susan and Eddie got the Salad Bar and shared a Pizza. The Salad Bar is very overpriced at $8.95. My soup was very watery and the spaghetti sauce was on the spicy side but still not too bad. The meatballs were good.
The bill without the tip came to $36 a couple which to me was very high for what we ordered.....$36 just for 4 Salad Bars. We could have had a nice Chinese meal at Ming's for the same money. But we still had a good time at Pizza Palace.
Eileen speaking - The pizza was pretty good and the garlic bread sticks were too good! The company was better.
Cravings Buffet at The Mirage.
Steve speaking - We all decided to go to the buffet after LOVE as we figured that at 9pm, it would not be too crowded. We just beat the rest of the show-goers who all had the same idea that we did. Even being the 6th person in line, it still took almost 20 minutes to be seated. We also had to deal with "Miss Sunshine",the cashier who looked like she wanted to go home at 7pm...not very customer friendly.
We knew when we sat down at 9:20 ( I figure we should have been seated 15 minutes earlier)we were well aware that we had a very limited amount of time for the food. So we hustled to get our salad which is hand-tossed with your choice of many salad items. We managed to get one plate of real food before what looked to be a qualifying round on food removal for the Guiness Book Of Records. It would have been nice to post or announce what time the food would be taken down. What we did eat was very good. I didn't get to try the Prime Rib as that was gone quicker than a David Copperfield rabbit. I guess we overstayed our welcome as one of the hostesses came over and ask if we wanted the food on our plate wrapped? But all things considered, this was a good buffet and I would go there again.
Eileen speaking - I love this salad bar! I could just eat the salad except for the dessert bar that is right next to it. I had pistachio gelato with pistachios sprinkled on top - to die for!
The Aladdin Buffet:
Steve speaking: There's no other way to describe this other than to say it is the best in Las Vegas. It had the best Penne Pomodoro that I have ever had and I did eat a lot of it. Also the sliced NY Strip Steak was awesome. We had a great waiter that was always smiling and kept our beverage glasses full.
Everyone should try this buffet one time.
NOTE: At the time we went to the buffet, there was a $5.00 coupon available for the lunch buffet from Sunday-Thursday.
The Sterling Brunch At Bally's:
This is always the highlight of our trip and something that Eileen and I look forward to. The Brunch is MUST DO even if you have to start a piggybank to save your change. The price is $68 a person now.
The best thing about the Brunch is it changes with the seasons so you always have different selections. There is a salad area, a breakfast area, carving station that features lamb, beef and turkey. There is stuffed lobster, filet mignon, caviar, prawns and so much more including a wonderful dessert area. If you don't see something, ask for it and your waiter will try his best to get it for you.
What makes this brunch even better than the food selections is it's host llario Pescol. If there is a more charming host in Las Vegas, we haven't met them yet. He is the only man that can kiss my wife and get away with it! And, he always gives her a rose when she leaves. llario is meticulous in seeing that everything is perfect and that you are 100% satisfied. If you go to the Brunch, make sure you tell llario that you are a member of my newsletter. I highly recommend this Brunch.
Eileen speaking - As I've said before, don't eat for 24 hours before going to this buffet! There are so many delicious dishes, cheeses, fruits and salads that you have to sample them all - or at least try!
The Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse:
Steve speaking - As my readers know, this is my favorite Steakhouse in Las Vegas. So all that I will say is that the meal the four of us had in no way would make me change my mind.
Everything was cooked to perfection and the portions were more than adequate although I ordered the large filet and it looked like I got the small one. If you do decide to have dinner here, remember the side orders are large enough for two people to share. The host's name is Jay and he does know me and is familiar with the newsletter.
Penazzi's at Harrah's.
What do The Beatles and Penazzi's have in common? People know when you have a hit and it shoots right to the top of the charts. In this case, Penazzi's is #1 with a bullet!
Susan and Eddie wanted to treat us to dinner one night so on the advice of Gabrielle Zapata, the manager of Harrah's buffet, I chose Penazzi's and what a great choice it was.
Located in the same spot as Andreotti's was, Penazzi's takes Italian cooking to another level. The inside looked basically the same as Andreotti's did with a few new additions. We were escorted to the lower level of the restaurant, which I think is a lot more romantic the floor level area. Our host and waiter Sammy was very charming and attentive.
The menu, or should I say small book, contains 27 entrees and trust me, narrowing it down to just one is a tough thing to do.
We started with soup with Susan's and my selection being the Minestrone Soup and Eileen
chose the Creamy Artichoke soup. My Minestrone soup looked to be in some type of cream base and was simply fantastic. It was hard getting a reaction from Eileen and Susan but you could tell between the OOh's and the Ahh's that their soup was great also. I also have to mention the bread...the best, we had three servings of it.
Eileen speaking - I love artichokes but I had never had artichoke soup. This was heaven in a bowl - absolutely the best soup I have ever tasted. I wanted to get the recipe to give to my friend so she can make it for me. LOL I hate to cook.
Steve speaking - All of our main courses were excellent. My choice was the Chicken Parmigiana which was simply fantastic. I don't remember what Susan and Eddie had but to quote Susan, "This was the best meal I have had in my life."
Mr. Penazzi personally sees that everything is perfect when he comes over to your table. Penazzi who is a third generation restaurateur, comes from Imola, Italy, a small town in central Italy. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this restaurant and it shows from start to finish. An added attraction is a wonderful strolling musician who knows just about every song there is. You haven't heard anything until you hear "It's A Small World" sung with an Italian accent. He did this at a table with three small children at it and it just added to the charm of the restaurant.
Dinner for the four of us including drinks (soda) and dessert was under $200 which I thought was very reasonable for such a wonderful evening.
I highly recommend Penazzi's to all my members. And be sure to mention the newsletter to Mr. Penazzi.
Shows:
LOVE:
Steve speaking - Let's start off by saying that two large popcorns and two large sodas were over $20, there wasn't a lot of LOVE in my heart at that time. The best thing about the large sodas was that it did include a commemorative cup even though it was plastic.
Eileen speaking - And we left the cup next to a slot maching in the Mirage...
Steve speaking - The showroom is shaped very weird and the stairs are very steep if you sit in the lower rows which we did. I would advise anyone to sit in the raised sections of seats rather than the ones that are floor level as you probably won't see everything that's going on.
When the show started I couldn't put two and two together to figure out what anything I was seeing related to the Beatles. As the show progressed, I was able to solve the equation.
I was very impressed with the sound system as I heard notes in some songs that I have never heard before. Highlights for me were Octopus's Garden and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, neither being a Lennon/McCartney song, along with standards like Yesterday and Revolution. There are acrobats, skateboarders, jugglers and fantastic visual effect including a tent effect that I won't spoil for people that have not already seen the show.
The only fault I found was that when there were objects or large props onstage, it blocked your view as to what was going on on the opposite side of the stage. But this show is a winner and should be around for a long, long time.
The show ends of course with "All You Need Is Love" but I was waiting for the final line to be "And In The End, The Love You Make Is Equal To The Love You Make" but that wasn't the case.
Eileen speaking - I enjoyed this show very much. It is not your typical Cirque Du Soleil in that there are not as many acrobats in LOVE. I was glad to see there were no contortionists. The costumes were fantastic and the music -though not live - was, of course, great. I know Susan especially loved this show and spent quite a bit of money in the LOVE shop afterwards.
Legends In Concert:
Steve speaking - This has to be the 9th or 10th time that I have seen this show and I think I am Legends out. I might have enjoyed the show a little more if the people at the next booth along with their two nonstop talking daughters would have been a little more quiet.
The show started with Tina Turner whom I did not like at all followed by Prince who was OK. Next was Brittany Spears whose music I am really not familiar with so I did not like her too much. Next were The Temptations who are always very good. The finally is always Elvis and he also was very good. If I hadn't seen this show as many times as I have, it would have been enjoyable, but not to me this time.
Eileen speaking - I enjoy Legends every time I see it. It never gets old for me. This was the first time I saw Brittany Spears. I liked her the best at this show. She was great! I also liked Prince, The Temptations and Elvis. I agree with Steve on Tina Turner - I wasn't impressed with her.
The Scintas:
Steve speaking - Just like a good bottle of wine, The Scintas get better with age. They started at The Hilton, moved to The Rio and are now at The Sahara. I personally enjoyed the show at The Sahara more than the show at The Rio. Some of the showroom frills are gone but not the quality of entertainment.
There is a lot of new stuff in the act as well as some of the old stuff. Chrissie, the sister has a few more vocals in this show and her voice has never been better. Joey and Frankie continue to be the modern day Martin and Lewis (whom they do imitate in the show) trading comical insults back and forth. You have to see Joey's impression of Joe Cocker and Mick Jagger. Frankie shines as George Burns and Louie Armstrong. Longtime friend Peter O’Donnell, the drummer completes the main group. There is also a talanted trio of musicians that bring more impact to the vocal parts in the show.
This show is still one of the best in Las Vegas and you will leave with a smile on your face.
Eileen speaking - It was nice that Chrissie gets some time on stage alone talking to the audience. In previous shows she mostly just came out to sing but this time she came out and chatted a bit which was nice. It's another show that I never seem to get tired of! I don't understand why Harrah's did not renew their contract. They should have put them in the Flamingo - forget about Toni Braxton!
The Price Is Right.
Steve speaking - A bit overpriced at $39.95, this afternoon show at Bally's is a lot of fun especially if someone you know wins the right to go onstage.
The show is basically the same as the TV show and is hosted by Todd Newton who does a great job. Winning your way onstage sounds easy but it's very tough. When you are seated, there is a keypad at your seat with A-B-C and D on it. You are shown three items that you must price from the highest priced item to the lowest priced item and visa-versa on some items. You do this by pushing the letter that corresponds to the items that are shown.
Well, the four of us had no luck until the Showcase Showdown, the finale of the show. There are three rounds to the Showcase Showdown and each contains three item your have to price. At the end of the second round it was announced that only 6 people out of 914 had the first 6 items right with one of the six being Susan's husband Eddie. They showed the third set of items which happened to be cars from the 70's and 80's. Eddie punched in his guesses and when the prices were revealed, he got them all right so we knew he had a shot to make it onstage. The first person called was "Henry" I don't remember his last and the second person called was "Eddie." Susan went crazy and Eileen and I screamed so loud, we both ended up with headaches.
They walk onstage and Todd says to Eddie "Who are you here with?" Even from as far back as we were sitting we could see Eddie was very nervous and flustered. After a 5 second pause, Eddie looked over at the other man's name tag and said "Henry!" completely forgetting Susan, Eileen and me. The entire audience cracked up and Susan had a few works to say that can't be put here! Finally Eddie said he was with his wife and her two friends - he couldn't remember our names!
Eileen speaking - We laughed so hard and for so long that I have no idea what happened for about 3 minutes after that!
Steve speaking - Now the fun really started as they brought out the items that were in the Showcase. First were two tickets to Bally's Steakhouse, next was an Air Hockey table followed by some other small items. Then came the car !!!!! and then came a second car and we went wild jumping up and down thinking that Eddie could win two cars.
Then came the announcement AFTER all the items were shown that the only prize they could win was the Air Hockey table UNLESS they came within $500 of the total price of the Showcase. Let me tell you the three of us along with a lot of other audience members got very upset thinking that these two contestants could win these two cars. We heard a lot of boo's and a lot of people even walked out. Well, as it ended up, both Henry and Eddie both overbid and as a consolation prize, they were given a small totebag. They really could have splurged with maybe dinner for two at The Steakhouse or even the buffet. The totebag was really not a great consolation prize considering that they were the only two people out of 914 to make it to the Showcase Showdown.
But even with this happening, we still had a good time and it was worth every penny we didn't pay (it was comped) just to see Eddie sweat.
Eileen speaking - I have to say that Eddie was a good sport about it. We tortured him the entire day and would have continued to do so except that we were leaving the next day. I laughed so hard an hour later trying to tell my daughter what happened that Susan wanted to grab the phone from me to tell the story. I'm still going to get him a t-shirt that says "I'm with Henry" on it.
Just want to mention the Members Meeting:
Steve speaking - We had about 25 people show up along with Charlie Bass from Vegas Talk Radio and Bob Cohen from the IP who added a lot of expertise to some of the members questions. Charlie is a walking encyclopedia of Las Vegas and Bob let us know the current and future status of the IP.
I think in the future I will do away with the chairs at the next get together as it seemed to some members it was like a Board Meeting instead of a Members Meeting. I will make the future get togethers more informal.
Eileen speaking - It was very nice meeting Charlie and getting his opinions on some of the Vegas sights. The group asked quite a few questions. I want to say a special hello to Marty - a good e-mail buddy that I finally got to meet!
Well I hope you enjoyed our Trip Report.
Steve and Eileen
Steve speaking - Non eventful flight from NY to Chicago to Las Vegas. Eileen does not like changing planes but it's OK with me as I get stir crazy on a 5 1/2 hour flight from NY.
Eileen speaking - I just think it takes time away that we could be in Vegas and gambling!
Steve speaking - We arrived in Las Vegas at 10:30 PM. We go to the baggage claim area and even though none of our flights baggage are rolling off the luggage racks we see our three bags in a separate area for unclaimed baggage which meant that they put our luggage on an earlier flight to Las Vegas! Why couldn't they put us on that flight also?
After about a 20 minute wait for a cab we finally arrived at the Imperial Palace at about 11:30 PM.
Eileen speaking - I was exhausted but Steve was hungry so we went upstairs to the 24 hour cafe. I just ordered tea and toast which took a really long time to come. Steve ordered steak and eggs and it took so long that I finally left him to go to the room and go to bed. I think he waited an hour for his meal!
Steve speaking - We had our favorite 02 room as it is called. It's a room that has a semi-seperate bedroom area with the bathroom located as soon as you enter the room. This makes it easy for Eileen to sleep in as I am an early riser and she can't hear any bathroom noises from the bedroom area. The only problem with the room was the shower as the water would go from hot to cold and cold to hot automatically.
This late arrival really threw my equilibrium off for the entire next day so I don't think I will do the late arrival thing again unless it's my only option.
The next day we were meeting Eileen's best friend from Queens, Susan and her husband Eddie aka "Henry" as you will know why further in the trip report.
We really had a good time with Susan and Eddie. They both got hooked on the penny machines especially Susan with the giant version of Wheel Of Fortune. It didn't matter what machine she played that she lost on but if Eileen or I played the same machine, we would usually win on it. Or if Eileen and I had luck on a machine and won, if Susan played the same machine, she would lose...even a machine that had 243 ways to win...Susan found 243 ways to lose.
Eileen speaking - Poor Susan! She really had a bad run of luck. It didn't help that everytime we won, Steve had to go and tell her! LOL
Gambling:
I cashed a few horse tickets and did manage to cash one dog ticket. The dogs name was Vegas Eyes so I had to throw a $10.00 bill on it.
Eileen didn't do so well this time except for a hunch bet. Susan and Eddie, despite our warning took a bus down to Fremont Street. We warned them that the trip down would not be too bad but the trip back would not be pleasant. We were right and even though they were staying at the IP, they got OFF THE BUS at TI, walked to the IP and still beat the bus there. All Susan said that night was I was ON THE BUS over and over again. If she said it once, she said it 20 times. Now wouldn't you know the next day at Belmont Park there was a horse named ON THE BUS. Of course Eileen bet it and of course at 27-1 the horse looks dead to me. Well, of course the horse wins and pays $57.00. I felt like getting ON THE BUS and heading right out of town.
Eileen speaking - I was so excited when that horse won! I couldn't believe that Steve didn't bet it. I tell him all the time that when he sees a hunch bet - forget the odds - just bet it! You're in Vegas - take a chance.
Steve speaking - I do have a great slot story to tell. We had dinner at The Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse and after that we went to the Spacequest Casino near The Star Trek Experience. Of course since I only have one kidney, I had to go to the men's room more than a normal person. While you are standing in front of the urinal, an orb like mirror appears with a written message. Mine said "The force will be with you for the next twelve minutes." Of course I thought it was a sign from God and ran right to the Triple Double Stars slot machine. On my third pull, I won $120.00 just missing the top jackpot and the 2nd highest jackpot as one symbol landed above and one symbol landed below the payline. So I cashed that out.
Meanwhile, Eileen went to cash in some chips before we were going to leave and I sat down at a penny "Ghost Hunters."machine. I stuck in a $10.00 bill and got the bonus and the second pull. I rounded up the entire screen of "escaped spirits" and won $180.00. Both of these wins came within the 12 minute "force be with you" time frame. You should have seen the look on Susan's face when I won this jackpot! She called me every name in the book......in fun.
As fas as other slots went: Eileen and I did OK with the penny slots and we had some nice hits and Money Storm, Lighthouse Loot, Mystery Quest and Hex.
But we did not come out ahead.
Pai Gow:
I had one session where I did not lose a hand and another session where I won maybe two hands total. I think Eileen did very well. BUT .........
There was a problem. Eileen was paying BONUS PAI GOW and making a $5.00 bonus bet. Now in that particular game, if other players bet $5.00 and ANY player get a BONUS hand, then they get paid also. It's called and ENVY BET.
Here's what happened. The cards are all dealt but the warning light on the automatic shuffler comes on. The dealer says "nobody touch their cards" and no one did. The Pit Boss comes over to the table, checks the shuffler out and says everything's fine. The players pick up their cards and Eileen is dealt a Straight Flush that pays 50-1 and other players have the ENVY BET going. Eileen calls the Straight Flush and at the same time another player announces he only has six cards, and you're supposed to have seven. The Pit Boss after giving permission to the players to "play" announces the hand is void. Now I am standing in back of Eileen saying "that's not fair, you allowed the dealt cards to be played." The other players were also upset, one to the point that he stormed away from the table. Neither Eileen or any other of the ENVY BET players were paid. Now to be fair to the IP, this possibly could have been called a "mixed deal" and by house rules been declared void. The players position was the since the Pit Boss gave a verbal OK to play, then the players that were entitled to a bonus payoff, should still be paid. The only recourse the players had was to insist that a Floor Supervisor be called over but this was not done and it cost Eileen $250.00.
Eileen speaking - I had a lot of fun playing PaiGow this trip. And I won a total of $220 playing. But that misdeal really hurt. We had a nice table of people and we were having a good time until this happened. The table broke up soon after.
Dining:
The Imperial Palace Buffet:
Steve speaking - Looks like they have a new cooking staff working the buffet as it was actually better this trip than the last one. The salad and soup bars which always were OK remained unchanged. The carving station was improved as was the quality of food in general.
There was only one off day when Mexican cuisine was featured. But all-in-all, I give the buffet a B rating.
Pizza Palace at Imperial Palace:
I wanted to go to Ming's but everyone else wanted to eat light so I went along with what the majority wanted. I got the Spaghetti and Meatball and Minestrone Soup. Eileen, Susan and Eddie got the Salad Bar and shared a Pizza. The Salad Bar is very overpriced at $8.95. My soup was very watery and the spaghetti sauce was on the spicy side but still not too bad. The meatballs were good.
The bill without the tip came to $36 a couple which to me was very high for what we ordered.....$36 just for 4 Salad Bars. We could have had a nice Chinese meal at Ming's for the same money. But we still had a good time at Pizza Palace.
Eileen speaking - The pizza was pretty good and the garlic bread sticks were too good! The company was better.
Cravings Buffet at The Mirage.
Steve speaking - We all decided to go to the buffet after LOVE as we figured that at 9pm, it would not be too crowded. We just beat the rest of the show-goers who all had the same idea that we did. Even being the 6th person in line, it still took almost 20 minutes to be seated. We also had to deal with "Miss Sunshine",the cashier who looked like she wanted to go home at 7pm...not very customer friendly.
We knew when we sat down at 9:20 ( I figure we should have been seated 15 minutes earlier)we were well aware that we had a very limited amount of time for the food. So we hustled to get our salad which is hand-tossed with your choice of many salad items. We managed to get one plate of real food before what looked to be a qualifying round on food removal for the Guiness Book Of Records. It would have been nice to post or announce what time the food would be taken down. What we did eat was very good. I didn't get to try the Prime Rib as that was gone quicker than a David Copperfield rabbit. I guess we overstayed our welcome as one of the hostesses came over and ask if we wanted the food on our plate wrapped? But all things considered, this was a good buffet and I would go there again.
Eileen speaking - I love this salad bar! I could just eat the salad except for the dessert bar that is right next to it. I had pistachio gelato with pistachios sprinkled on top - to die for!
The Aladdin Buffet:
Steve speaking: There's no other way to describe this other than to say it is the best in Las Vegas. It had the best Penne Pomodoro that I have ever had and I did eat a lot of it. Also the sliced NY Strip Steak was awesome. We had a great waiter that was always smiling and kept our beverage glasses full.
Everyone should try this buffet one time.
NOTE: At the time we went to the buffet, there was a $5.00 coupon available for the lunch buffet from Sunday-Thursday.
The Sterling Brunch At Bally's:
This is always the highlight of our trip and something that Eileen and I look forward to. The Brunch is MUST DO even if you have to start a piggybank to save your change. The price is $68 a person now.
The best thing about the Brunch is it changes with the seasons so you always have different selections. There is a salad area, a breakfast area, carving station that features lamb, beef and turkey. There is stuffed lobster, filet mignon, caviar, prawns and so much more including a wonderful dessert area. If you don't see something, ask for it and your waiter will try his best to get it for you.
What makes this brunch even better than the food selections is it's host llario Pescol. If there is a more charming host in Las Vegas, we haven't met them yet. He is the only man that can kiss my wife and get away with it! And, he always gives her a rose when she leaves. llario is meticulous in seeing that everything is perfect and that you are 100% satisfied. If you go to the Brunch, make sure you tell llario that you are a member of my newsletter. I highly recommend this Brunch.
Eileen speaking - As I've said before, don't eat for 24 hours before going to this buffet! There are so many delicious dishes, cheeses, fruits and salads that you have to sample them all - or at least try!
The Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse:
Steve speaking - As my readers know, this is my favorite Steakhouse in Las Vegas. So all that I will say is that the meal the four of us had in no way would make me change my mind.
Everything was cooked to perfection and the portions were more than adequate although I ordered the large filet and it looked like I got the small one. If you do decide to have dinner here, remember the side orders are large enough for two people to share. The host's name is Jay and he does know me and is familiar with the newsletter.
Penazzi's at Harrah's.
What do The Beatles and Penazzi's have in common? People know when you have a hit and it shoots right to the top of the charts. In this case, Penazzi's is #1 with a bullet!
Susan and Eddie wanted to treat us to dinner one night so on the advice of Gabrielle Zapata, the manager of Harrah's buffet, I chose Penazzi's and what a great choice it was.
Located in the same spot as Andreotti's was, Penazzi's takes Italian cooking to another level. The inside looked basically the same as Andreotti's did with a few new additions. We were escorted to the lower level of the restaurant, which I think is a lot more romantic the floor level area. Our host and waiter Sammy was very charming and attentive.
The menu, or should I say small book, contains 27 entrees and trust me, narrowing it down to just one is a tough thing to do.
We started with soup with Susan's and my selection being the Minestrone Soup and Eileen
chose the Creamy Artichoke soup. My Minestrone soup looked to be in some type of cream base and was simply fantastic. It was hard getting a reaction from Eileen and Susan but you could tell between the OOh's and the Ahh's that their soup was great also. I also have to mention the bread...the best, we had three servings of it.
Eileen speaking - I love artichokes but I had never had artichoke soup. This was heaven in a bowl - absolutely the best soup I have ever tasted. I wanted to get the recipe to give to my friend so she can make it for me. LOL I hate to cook.
Steve speaking - All of our main courses were excellent. My choice was the Chicken Parmigiana which was simply fantastic. I don't remember what Susan and Eddie had but to quote Susan, "This was the best meal I have had in my life."
Mr. Penazzi personally sees that everything is perfect when he comes over to your table. Penazzi who is a third generation restaurateur, comes from Imola, Italy, a small town in central Italy. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this restaurant and it shows from start to finish. An added attraction is a wonderful strolling musician who knows just about every song there is. You haven't heard anything until you hear "It's A Small World" sung with an Italian accent. He did this at a table with three small children at it and it just added to the charm of the restaurant.
Dinner for the four of us including drinks (soda) and dessert was under $200 which I thought was very reasonable for such a wonderful evening.
I highly recommend Penazzi's to all my members. And be sure to mention the newsletter to Mr. Penazzi.
Shows:
LOVE:
Steve speaking - Let's start off by saying that two large popcorns and two large sodas were over $20, there wasn't a lot of LOVE in my heart at that time. The best thing about the large sodas was that it did include a commemorative cup even though it was plastic.
Eileen speaking - And we left the cup next to a slot maching in the Mirage...
Steve speaking - The showroom is shaped very weird and the stairs are very steep if you sit in the lower rows which we did. I would advise anyone to sit in the raised sections of seats rather than the ones that are floor level as you probably won't see everything that's going on.
When the show started I couldn't put two and two together to figure out what anything I was seeing related to the Beatles. As the show progressed, I was able to solve the equation.
I was very impressed with the sound system as I heard notes in some songs that I have never heard before. Highlights for me were Octopus's Garden and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, neither being a Lennon/McCartney song, along with standards like Yesterday and Revolution. There are acrobats, skateboarders, jugglers and fantastic visual effect including a tent effect that I won't spoil for people that have not already seen the show.
The only fault I found was that when there were objects or large props onstage, it blocked your view as to what was going on on the opposite side of the stage. But this show is a winner and should be around for a long, long time.
The show ends of course with "All You Need Is Love" but I was waiting for the final line to be "And In The End, The Love You Make Is Equal To The Love You Make" but that wasn't the case.
Eileen speaking - I enjoyed this show very much. It is not your typical Cirque Du Soleil in that there are not as many acrobats in LOVE. I was glad to see there were no contortionists. The costumes were fantastic and the music -though not live - was, of course, great. I know Susan especially loved this show and spent quite a bit of money in the LOVE shop afterwards.
Legends In Concert:
Steve speaking - This has to be the 9th or 10th time that I have seen this show and I think I am Legends out. I might have enjoyed the show a little more if the people at the next booth along with their two nonstop talking daughters would have been a little more quiet.
The show started with Tina Turner whom I did not like at all followed by Prince who was OK. Next was Brittany Spears whose music I am really not familiar with so I did not like her too much. Next were The Temptations who are always very good. The finally is always Elvis and he also was very good. If I hadn't seen this show as many times as I have, it would have been enjoyable, but not to me this time.
Eileen speaking - I enjoy Legends every time I see it. It never gets old for me. This was the first time I saw Brittany Spears. I liked her the best at this show. She was great! I also liked Prince, The Temptations and Elvis. I agree with Steve on Tina Turner - I wasn't impressed with her.
The Scintas:
Steve speaking - Just like a good bottle of wine, The Scintas get better with age. They started at The Hilton, moved to The Rio and are now at The Sahara. I personally enjoyed the show at The Sahara more than the show at The Rio. Some of the showroom frills are gone but not the quality of entertainment.
There is a lot of new stuff in the act as well as some of the old stuff. Chrissie, the sister has a few more vocals in this show and her voice has never been better. Joey and Frankie continue to be the modern day Martin and Lewis (whom they do imitate in the show) trading comical insults back and forth. You have to see Joey's impression of Joe Cocker and Mick Jagger. Frankie shines as George Burns and Louie Armstrong. Longtime friend Peter O’Donnell, the drummer completes the main group. There is also a talanted trio of musicians that bring more impact to the vocal parts in the show.
This show is still one of the best in Las Vegas and you will leave with a smile on your face.
Eileen speaking - It was nice that Chrissie gets some time on stage alone talking to the audience. In previous shows she mostly just came out to sing but this time she came out and chatted a bit which was nice. It's another show that I never seem to get tired of! I don't understand why Harrah's did not renew their contract. They should have put them in the Flamingo - forget about Toni Braxton!
The Price Is Right.
Steve speaking - A bit overpriced at $39.95, this afternoon show at Bally's is a lot of fun especially if someone you know wins the right to go onstage.
The show is basically the same as the TV show and is hosted by Todd Newton who does a great job. Winning your way onstage sounds easy but it's very tough. When you are seated, there is a keypad at your seat with A-B-C and D on it. You are shown three items that you must price from the highest priced item to the lowest priced item and visa-versa on some items. You do this by pushing the letter that corresponds to the items that are shown.
Well, the four of us had no luck until the Showcase Showdown, the finale of the show. There are three rounds to the Showcase Showdown and each contains three item your have to price. At the end of the second round it was announced that only 6 people out of 914 had the first 6 items right with one of the six being Susan's husband Eddie. They showed the third set of items which happened to be cars from the 70's and 80's. Eddie punched in his guesses and when the prices were revealed, he got them all right so we knew he had a shot to make it onstage. The first person called was "Henry" I don't remember his last and the second person called was "Eddie." Susan went crazy and Eileen and I screamed so loud, we both ended up with headaches.
They walk onstage and Todd says to Eddie "Who are you here with?" Even from as far back as we were sitting we could see Eddie was very nervous and flustered. After a 5 second pause, Eddie looked over at the other man's name tag and said "Henry!" completely forgetting Susan, Eileen and me. The entire audience cracked up and Susan had a few works to say that can't be put here! Finally Eddie said he was with his wife and her two friends - he couldn't remember our names!
Eileen speaking - We laughed so hard and for so long that I have no idea what happened for about 3 minutes after that!
Steve speaking - Now the fun really started as they brought out the items that were in the Showcase. First were two tickets to Bally's Steakhouse, next was an Air Hockey table followed by some other small items. Then came the car !!!!! and then came a second car and we went wild jumping up and down thinking that Eddie could win two cars.
Then came the announcement AFTER all the items were shown that the only prize they could win was the Air Hockey table UNLESS they came within $500 of the total price of the Showcase. Let me tell you the three of us along with a lot of other audience members got very upset thinking that these two contestants could win these two cars. We heard a lot of boo's and a lot of people even walked out. Well, as it ended up, both Henry and Eddie both overbid and as a consolation prize, they were given a small totebag. They really could have splurged with maybe dinner for two at The Steakhouse or even the buffet. The totebag was really not a great consolation prize considering that they were the only two people out of 914 to make it to the Showcase Showdown.
But even with this happening, we still had a good time and it was worth every penny we didn't pay (it was comped) just to see Eddie sweat.
Eileen speaking - I have to say that Eddie was a good sport about it. We tortured him the entire day and would have continued to do so except that we were leaving the next day. I laughed so hard an hour later trying to tell my daughter what happened that Susan wanted to grab the phone from me to tell the story. I'm still going to get him a t-shirt that says "I'm with Henry" on it.
Just want to mention the Members Meeting:
Steve speaking - We had about 25 people show up along with Charlie Bass from Vegas Talk Radio and Bob Cohen from the IP who added a lot of expertise to some of the members questions. Charlie is a walking encyclopedia of Las Vegas and Bob let us know the current and future status of the IP.
I think in the future I will do away with the chairs at the next get together as it seemed to some members it was like a Board Meeting instead of a Members Meeting. I will make the future get togethers more informal.
Eileen speaking - It was very nice meeting Charlie and getting his opinions on some of the Vegas sights. The group asked quite a few questions. I want to say a special hello to Marty - a good e-mail buddy that I finally got to meet!
Well I hope you enjoyed our Trip Report.
Steve and Eileen