To Buffet or Not to Buffet, That is the Question

Before ever traveling to Vegas, I had watched National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation.  The buffet scene was all too much for me, I was grossed out.  I was under the impression that you could get a buffet for $2.99 and it was all kraptacular food, and not worth it.  I was wrong.

Las Vegas today is different.  The resorts and casinos pride themselves on great service, cleanliness, and quality.  Our first trip included a breakfast at the Le Village Buffet in Paris.  At about $15/person, its not cheap by any means for a breakfast.  It is, however, delicious and well worth it if you are in the mood to stuff your face silly.  Okay, that might be harsh, how about:  Its well worth it if you want a good, fresh, custom made omelet, crepes, or your choice of 3-5 different sausages (yes, 3-5 different sausages each day!).  I fell in love with the buffet and even treated my sister and her bachelorette party for breakfast there one day.

Le Village Buffet is hands down my favorite slow breakfast in Vegas.  I take my time.  I savor every bite.  I get an apple or cherry crepe, which is made right in front of you, where your mouth starts watering as you are in awe by their skills.  I think about my possible toppings: powdered sugar, pudding, whipped cream, syrup, or just Au natural.  I wait in line for the omelet stand.  I get a bowl of fruit.  Oh yes, and don't forget the smoked salmon and capers!  This buffet is quite large, but easy to navigate.  If you miss the hash browns or bacon near the waffles, they will probably also be found by the eggs Benedicts.  This meal lasts about an hour.  I enjoy it.  Fully.

Most of the items at the buffets are easily found in all the restaurants in that casino, its just a matter if you and your traveling partners want the same thing or how hungry you are.  I suggest you don't miss the Le Village Buffet, but wait until the day you leave Vegas to splurge and pig out.  This way, you will be satisfied, full, and you won't starve if you are at the airport waiting for a weather delay to pass (which will happen if you are hungover).  If you fall asleep on the plane from carb comatose, no biggie. 

Every resort/casino has a buffet.  The Total Rewards casinos have a special called "Buffet of Buffets."  Essentially, it costs $45 for a 24 hour pass to a slew of different buffets.  You can eat as much as you want, go to each buffet as many times as you want, and just go crazy.  The buffets included in the Buffet of Buffets are:  Spice Market Buffet (in Planet Hollywood), Paradise Garden Buffet (in Flamingo), Carnival World Buffet (in The Rio), Flavors Buffet (in Harrah's), and of course Le Village Buffet, in Paris.  For an additional $15, you can also add the Seafood Buffet at The Rio, which my boyfriend has told me wondrous things about.  If you love Crab Legs and all things fine seafood, its one to hit.  This 24 hour pass is a good deal if you plan on going to most of these places during that time.  Its easy to spend $45 on just dinner for one at one fine dining establishment in Las Vegas, so it can be a money saver for the penny pincher...or the hearty eater!

Cheap [Good] Eats in Las Vegas

Las Vegas can get really expensive, really fast.  As much as I love going to Rao's, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, and trying new yummy places, I also love fast, cheap eats.  They are everywhere in Vegas, if you know where to look.

1. Tequila Bar and Grill, Bally's:  Try the perfectly seasoned and well prepared $2 tacos and $2 draft beers and margaritas.  From 11pm - 6 am, get 2 eggs any style with bacon or sausage, hash browns and toast for only $3.  Open from noon - 6am daily
2. Nosh, Bally's:  We eat here almost daily when in Las Vegas.  Off to the side and near the Jubilee entrance, this sandwich shop has $2 Nathan's hot dogs.  Nothing fancy, just a nice big hot dog with your choice of ketchup, mustard or relish.  At $2, its a great snack during the lunch hour.
3. New York Pizzeria, NYNY: Behind all the slot machines is a walkway of different fast food style shops (and it feels like you are walking on an old downtown street in NYC).  There lies New York Pizzeria.  For about $10, you can get a large draft beer and a huge slice of New York Style Pizza.  Trust me, after about 4 hours of bloody marys while sitting at a blackjack table, and you will think this is the best pizza in the world.  Coming from a true Chicagoan, that's a compliment!
4. Victorian Cafe, Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon:  This downtown-feel casino is actually right next door to Bally's.  From midnight - 6 am, they feature a Steak & Eggs Breakfast for $6.99.  My boyfriend and I have had this and thought it was surprisingly good.  Granted, it was 2 am and we were tired, drunk, and not ready to call it in for the night.  The steak is very thin, but moist, tender, and hit the spot.  The ambiance of the Victorian Cafe isn't much to be desired, it is a greasy spoon of a place where only your waiter, the cashier and the host/ess knows english, but it is everything you crave after a night of heavy gambling and drinking.
5. Mr. Lucky's 24/7, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino:  This old school diner features amazing nightly specials.  I had been there for their famous $7.77 steak and shrimp dinner, which was a few years back.  Currently, their website is promoting a $3.99 burger and fries and a $4.99 Steak, eggs, hashbrowns and toast.  These new specials are good from midnight to 8 am, with your player's card. 
6. La Salsa Cantina, Planet Hollywood in the Miracle Mile Shops:  Between Planet Hollywood and Paris Casinos is the Miracle Mile Shops.  Its large, techy, with bright lights and high ceilings, you will find La Salsa Cantina, who has a sign for a $3.95 breakfast special from 8 am -11 am.  I have not tried this, but I clearly remember the sign every time we go for a walk down there.  This restaurant is located close to the Stripper 101 class, and might be a perfect way to start the day, do some shopping, get your stripper workout on, and then travel back to the room for a shower and to get ready for the nitelife!
7. Try Restaurant.com for amazing deals:  I signed up for the mailing list at restaurant.com before our last trip to Vegas.  Periodically, they send me coupon codes to get a $25 gift certificate for only $2.  There are lots of restaurants in Vegas that you can get $10, $25, and $50 gift certificates for on this site.  I love it, because if they have a sale, I might spend $4 bucks on a $50 gift certificate to an upscale restaurant at Mandalay Bay, but saving $50 on a tab that would have cost $90 is a great deal and well worth it.  I like to accumulate these throughout the year, and bring them with, they usually don't expire, and then depending on where we are or the mood we are in, I might be able to save us some $$ and enjoy a delicious meal.  Most gift certificates have a minimum order or they will add on gratuity, but its still a great deal if you wanted to try that particular restaurant anyway.
8. Get your Groupon!  Groupon.com features daily deals in most major cities.  I have the Groupon app on my ipad, and I check Las Vegas deals daily.  Try checking the restaurants that seem like local establishments, like the pizzerias and call them first to see if they deliver to the hotels.  I love getting room service, especially when its a great deal like a $20 pizza for $10.
9. Ask your concierge or the Players Club desk for a coupon booklet.  After we check in, I always go to the concierge desk to see if they have any coupons for my player's card/club.  Ballys and the Total Rewards players club usually will give us a coupon book that includes all the Total Rewards affiliated casinos.  Usually, you can find a half off burger or $5 off your $20 meal at a few great spots.  We will always use at least one coupon from the book each trip. 

HINT: All the hotels on the strip have etexsive websites, with all dining options available.  Most of the restaurants listed will have links to their menus, which can be invaluable.

Total Rewards Readies for Year of the Dragon

Total Rewards is the players club for Caesars Entertainment.  It includes: Caesars Palace, Bally's, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Rio, Bill's, Harrah's, and the Flamingo (possibly more).  Their blog, The Pulse of Vegas, has an article about a special Total Rewards Card coming out to mark the Year of the Dragon, which can be read here:
Total Rewards Readies for Year of the Dragon

Total Rewards is a wonderful program---their website is interactive and easy to navigate.  I make all my reservations through this site, because we get such great offers.  One card works at all the above casinos, and the points gather and accumulate so easy, especially with all these great places located very close to each other on the Strip.  You can also easily gain points with regular online shopping you do at home.  Just click on the "Marketplace" link on the total rewards site, and they will track how much $$ you spend at the participating online retailers (like jcp.com, clinique.com, oldnavy.com, and petsmart.com).  You get rewards points for every dollar you spend!  Because I do a lot of shopping online at Christmas time, I have gained 300 points without leaving my house this winter!  I feel confident that will get me a few free nights at Ballys on our next stay, which is AWESOME!

I was born in the Year  of the Dragon, so I am super excited and want one!  Do you think they will save one for me?

DO: See JAMM at Bally's Las Vegas

Bally's is my favorite place to stay when in Vegas.  One of the main reasons I love Bally's is to see this highly talented band play.  JAMM is the house band at the Indigo Lounge at Bally's.  I have the luck to see them during the week when we stay at Bally's.  What I love about the Indigo Lounge is that it is very open (no doors or walls!).  They do have tables and seats, with wait staff that will serve you drinks, but you can also watch them from the slot machines and hear them while at Blackjack, Roulette, or Craps.  There is a small dance floor directly in front of the band, where about 8 couples can comfortably dance.  The lighting is dark and focused on the band, but the best show, in my opinion, is watching the ladies playing the slot machines right outside the lounge dance in their seats while playing Wheel of Fortune or Triple Butterflies.  The Indigo Lounge is also right next door to the Tequilla Bar, which has $2 tacos, draft beers and frozen house margaritas.  So, I love to check in on my boyfriend (who is putting in a 8 hr shift at the blackjack table), go grab a few tacos and wash it down with a beer and enjoy some great music to put me in that Vegas mood!  If it weren't for JAMM, I would be retiring early to bed.  They help keep you motivated and energized, which I need at 10 pm!  (Especially since I wake up around 5 am in Vegas).

JAMM is a band that appeals to the masses.  No matter what your age, background, ethnicity, or music preference is, they have a set list that rivals that of a wedding band.  Expect a mix of everything from the 50s to today.  I enjoy them because they are upbeat and act completely professional.  You can tell this group has been around for awhile, by the spot on performances and how they easily transition from an upbeat modern song to a slow, relaxing cool 70s ballad.  Their female vocalist can belt out a wide range, and isn't scared to show it off, either.  I have seen this band play a lot of Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, and even Frank Sinatra.  Here is a youtube video of JAMM with their frontman, Jonathan Potenciano, singing Frank Sinantra's The Way You Tonight. 

HINT: JAMM is a band that has a facebook fan page.  Check out Bally's or JAMM's page on Facebook the week you are in Vegas to see when/where they are performing.  Then, go to Bally's and grab a late night snack at the Tequilla Bar (open til 6 am!) for $10 and enjoy the show!

Essential Item: Emergen-C (your vitamins)

emergenc.com

Everyone has their hangover cure.  I don't drink enough to have a cure, but when I'm up for 18 hours straight all go-go-go, with the bright lights, noise, and excitement, this sure helps me in the morning.  Basically, Emergen-C is just a ton of vitamin C and other vitamins, kinda like what you would find in a daily multivitamin.  Its in powdered form, and you just add it to your glass of water and stir.  It has that alka-selter reaction with the water and makes a bit of a fizzy drink.  It comes in different flavors, and the Super Orange reminds me of Orange Tang from when I was a little kid.  After trying Emergen-C when I had an awful cold, I became hooked.  Now, I take it whenever I feel under the weather or after a very long, tiring, and stressful day.  I honestly think its the B vitamins and electrolytes that make me feel so much better in such a short amount of time.  We pack about 10 of these to share between my boyfriend and I on a 3 night trip to Vegas.  If we don't go through them all, that's great.  But, it sucks when you have to go to the sundries shop to buy two for $3.  I don't recommend taking more than two of these in one day, there is 1,000 mg of Vitamin C in each one, and too much Vitamin C isn't good for you, either (always talk to your doctor and read the label first.) They are easy to find at Walgreens or your local drugstore in the vitamin section.  Amazon.com also sells them in many different flavors in different sized packs.  At my local store, I can find these in a 30 pack for about $10.  For those that just want to try it, I believe they have a 10 pack at Walgreens for about $5. 

HINT: Before you retire for the night in Vegas, grab a small bottle of water from the drink bunny (and don't forget to tip her $1).  Bottled water can cost $3-$5 at the food shops and sundry stores.  These are smaller, but perfect to go to your room with.  In the morning, then you have some drinking water to take your Emergen-C!

DO: Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

Every casino has something to see or do during the day at little or no cost.  It brings people in, and it gives something for you to do thats low-key without feeling too tourist-y.  I think this was our second trip to Las Vegas.  We decided to walk through the shark reef aquarium exhibit. I had found it at Mandalay Bay's website (or now they have their own site: sharkreef.com) and instantly wrote it down on our "to do" list.   If you love the ocean and marine life, you will thouroughly enjoy this.  It costs $18 per adult (with reduced childrens rates), and I think worth every penny. 

I would suggest going to this after breakfast, early in the day.  Think of it as going to an underwater zoo.  You will walk through the aquarium, and it feels almost like a tunnel at times, with the aquarium around you.  I thought to myself, "Are they on show for us, or are we the show for them?"  The coolest part was walking in a room where the floor was glass, as was the walls, and there are sea creatures of all types around you.  Be prepared to see stingrays, turtles, octipii, over 10 different species of sharks, eels, various fish, and more.  At one point you will walk through a glass tunnel where the sharks are swimming (very fast) over you.  Right over your heads!  There are no dolphin shows or penguins on display.  It is, however, relatively quiet, peaceful, interesting, and fun.  From the time you get to the entrance, this walk-through aquarium will take about an hour or so of your time.  You will want to walk through it again on your next trip. 

HINT: Wear good, comfortable walking shoes when you venture to Mandalay Bay.  Besides navigating around the casino, you will be walking the aquarium, which feels rather large. Afterwards, Mandalay Bay has wonderful restaurants perfect for a quick lunch bite.

Eats: Rao's

I can't let you go to Vegas and not eat at one of my favorite restaurants -- Rao's.  Rao's is classic Italian eating.  It feels like fine dining but at reasonable prices. The first Rao's is located in New York City, and is famous for how hard it is to get a table.  People actually pass their table down from generation to generation.  The first Rao's was founded in 1896 in East Harlem, and although I have never had the pleasure to go there, I have gone to the sister location, also owned by the same owners in Las Vegas, at fabulous Caesars Palace. 

Designed to be a copycat of the original (I have a feeling they added more tables, though, to this one), the menu is fantastic.  It changes from season to season, but they offer a sample menu online at Caesar's website.  This food is fresh, flavorful, and amazing.  It is not sloppy, overcooked glop by any means.  You can easily taste the quality of every ingredient.  I think the pasta portions are large, and I would suggest sharing.  Most plates are vibrant in color and texture.  Some of the best shrimp I have ate has been here. 

The perfect meal here?  Share an appetizer, then share a pasta and an entree.  The server will be more than happy to serve family style here.  The meatballs are really good.  We have had these as our appetizer and they are not to be missed.  You get two large meatballs, and they are moist, tender, and covered in a wonderfully rich tomato based sauce.  The pasta is always cooked perfect, as well.  My mouth starts watering as we are walking from the Bellagio thru to Caesars.  The zig-zagging walk through Caesar's is pure torture, knowing we are minutes away from my favorite first night ritual and only meal I will most likely be sober for.  My boyfriend and I actually glaze the menu over online a week or so before our trip, debating what to get.  Again, I can't emphasize this enough:  Share Share Share!  Don't try to rush this meal, either.  There is nothing wrong in savoring this meal.  We usually order our appetizer and then order our food when the app comes.  This is a great, romantic quiet time where we can talk about what we want to do that night, where we want to go, what games looked good on the walk over, etc.     The waitstaff is wonderful and professional here, and they will accomodate your requests.  You will feel special.  You will get full.  You will LOVE IT! 

Average price, not including drinks: about $35/person

HINT: Ask for a table in the bar area.  Its quieter, darker, and romantic.  The booths are all wood, and I found them a bit uncomfortable.

Essential Item: Sanitizer

More often than not, I forget to pack my little tiny 2 oz bottle of hand sanitizer.  It cost 99 cents at Target and Walgreens.  In Las Vegas, I once paid $3.20 for one little tube (as seen here).  Trust me, you will not only want this with you, but you will become suddenly addicted and crave it, especially right before you sit down to eat or when you walk in your hotel room. I carry mine in my travel purse and use it all the time!  Well, when you think about the germs going from slot machine to slot machine and then sitting at a table game and touching the same cards everyone else touches over and over.  Then, walking from casino to casino and grabbing those doors to enter and exit...well, after awhile it just grosses me out.

Of course, you might think no big deal.  If you need it, you'll buy it.  But, all those things you forget you need until you get to town will add up quickly!  $5 worth of travel items could be $20 at the sundry shop in your resort.  Depending on how your gambling is going, that might not make your day.

I have found hand sanitizer an invaluable item, as long as I don't have to pay more than $1 for it. 

Sex & The City Slot Machine

This video from YouTube shows someone getting a bonus on the fabulous Sex & the City Slot Game.  You can play 4 games at once for $2/pull.  Some people bet as much as $6 or $8 each pull on those four little screens.  Get 3 S&TC hearts on one screen to initiate the bonus round, which is the most fun!  Here, we see this gambler getting the Dress Bonus.  Watch her win!

HINT: This game is fun, interactive, and exciting.  It is also addictive!  It is easy to spend $40 in 5 minutes on this game and not get a bonus.  When the game is hot, you might get back to back bonuses. If its cold, you might just get pissed. 

I love this game, and I look for it at each casino.  I prefer to play it at different times, but I love to watch others play it as well.  You can easily start watching everyone play, while waiting for a seat to open up, and find yourself rooting for perfect strangers.  Its a lot of fun and one of my favorite games in Vegas.

Can I Get You A Drink? Yes, PLEASE!

Part of the fun in Vegas are the free drinks.  Well, nothing is free...you still need to tip your waitress or bartender.  If you don't, they may not come back to you.  If you tip them well, they will check on you every time around (about every 10-20 minutes). 

Keep in mind the table games have regular cocktail service.  The waitress will come to each table, drop off and gather new orders, go back to the bar, wait for the drinks to be made, and come back.  The cycle begins again.   She usually has the entire wing or row of table games, so she may be waiting on anywhere around 20 or more guests each round.  It can take a good 20 minutes to get your drink, but she will be back quite regularly.  Tip this woman well.  At least $1 per drink each time around.  It is okay to give her chips, too.  If you are asking for a name brand liquor (say Captain and Coke instead of a rum and coke), its nice to give her $2 once in awhile so she 'remembers' you like Captain Morgan instead of house rum.  HINT: when playing a table game, always ask for ones or singles, so you have money for tipping your dealer and the drink bunny.

If you are playing the slots, well, that's another story.  Remember, I like going to Vegas during the week, so on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the casinos don't have 10 servers walking around...its a limited number of what I call 'drink bunnies'.  At Bally's (my favorite place), they may only have 2 drink bunnies for the entire slot area.  Even though there are less people playing slots, those drink bunnies have more area to cover, so it takes them longer, and if you hop from machine to machine, you can easily be missed.  To avoid this problem, I like to start my day off at the bar.   Go to the Sports Book Bar or even one of the bar areas of any casino.  There should be electronic poker games recessed in the bar.  Play for awhile, and the bartender will "comp" your drink.  Remember to tip him/her, just like the drink bunnies.  The best part?  Your drinks are seriously better here.  My boyfriend will get a draft beer in this area of the casino, but at the slots or tables, he always orders bottled beer.  The drafts are at least pint size, and the bloody marys are bigger (my early drink of the day).  The poker game at the bar will cost you 25 cents each game.

In our past experience, when we really wanted a drink and couldn't find a bunny, we would order a drink at the bar and have to pay for it.  Two beers at the bar may cost $10 easily if you are not playing a game.  We also have tried the theory of finding a drink bunny and then sitting down quickly to play a game so she would come take our order.  But, then, playing a game for 20 minutes and not winning cost us $30 before she came back with our drinks!  It makes sense to just sit at the bar, plop down $5 in the poker machine, and play for 20 minutes while enjoying my first drink of the day.  At the same time, the bartender will most likely want to make small talk, and they will be happy to give you some great advice for the day.

Our most recent trip, we arrived in Vegas around 10 am.  After checking in and getting everything to the room, we made it to the bar around 11 am and sat down, each playing $5 in poker.  Believe it or not, the $5 lasted us a good half hour, we still had money (because sometimes you win!), and the bartender told us about a great place to get lunch at (which we did and LOVED!).  It was a win-win.  By the time we made it to the other casino, I was tipsy, but I was having a great time.   We had only spent a few bucks, already warmed up our game fingers, and had a good relaxing time.

The Best Days of the Week

I know most of us have either little vacation time, no vacation time, or don't want to use vacation time if we don't have to.  Granted, it would be nice to leave after work on Friday, party it up all Saturday and come home on a Sunday evening to make it back to work by Monday...with no time lost.  In reality, though, I have found that going on a weekend is crazy busy.  For those that like the crammed feeling of sardines in a can, thats fine and the perfect time for you to go.  On the other hand, I like being able to get a seat at a table or play a specific slot game.  Going during the week can make this possible.  The other benefit to going during the week are prices.  Some places, like clubs, restaurants and even spas offer reduced prices during the week. 
Personally, my ideal timeframe for our Vegas trips are leaving on a Monday or Tuesday (so we arrive around 10 am...and I will talk about that in another post!) and getting home on Thursday afternoon.  I love the slowness of arriving on midmorning Monday...being able to check in, relax for a bit, go down to the main floor and peruse the tables and games, and grab a leasurely bite to eat...all without feeling like I am packed in a shopping mall the week before Christmas.  Yes, its slower.  Yes...Its SLOWER!  I feel like I have Vegas to myself!  I can walk around...I can play any game... there are people there, and its still busy, but we don't have to wait for a table if we decide to eat before a show.  We aren't waiting an hour for a taxi (and that did happen to us before on a weekend).  The airport isn't as crowded.  The pool isn't so busy.  The downside?  Well, its not crazy stupid during the week like you see in the movies (The Hangover).  Most shows are dark (closed) on one weekday, usually its Monday or Tuesday.  It may be easier to get into a dance club (if you want to go).  The drink ladies don't come around as often during weekdays (but I have a solution to that in a later post).  Other than that, I prefer and always want to go during the week.  I feel you still do get that "action packed" feeling of being in Vegas at night, with the benefits of taking your time during the day. 

If you are a glutton for punishment, though...by all means, fly in on a Friday!

Welcome!

Las Vegas is a place I never really cared to go to...until I went.  My first trip to Vegas was with my boyfriend five years ago.  We have since gone at least once a year, but this year I made three trips within a 12 month period.  Please join me for some wonderful tips and tricks to make your trip worthwhile, moneysaving, and enjoyable.  Now, we have our trips down pat.  We have places we must go to eat, we always pick new restaurants to try, and we try to experience something new each trip.  One thing I have learned:  It is impossible [and not fun] to cram tons of stuff in a small amount of time.  And, yes, it is possible to spend too much time in Vegas at once.