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Beyond the Experience: Your Fremont Street Day Checklist
The Fremont Street Experience draws millions of visitors a year, with its LED canopy and classic Las Vegas casinos. But beyond this attraction’s Las Vegas Boulevard border lies a whole other area worthy of exploration. It’s around 11 a.m., the sun is shining, and crowds haven’t flooded the streets yet. Another beautiful Las Vegas day awaits you. Park on Fremont Across the boulevard from The Fremont Street Experience, on the corner, is Park on Fremont, a bar/restaurant. The charming brick-and-wood exterior calls to you, but which seating area will you choose? The front patio offers people-watching opportunities, the back patio is a secluded hideaway with eclectic touches, and the interior…
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Brunch at Griddlecakes: Your Best Beginning
Its Labor Day weekend, as I write this, and what better time to let you know about my favorite Las Vegas brunch spot than on a holiday weekend. Brunch business has been growing steadily for what seems like a lifetime. This means entries into the market happen on a regular basis. New restaurants that push culinary boundaries and blur the lines of brunch are as popular in Vegas as artisanal locally sourced organic avocado toast is in California. But this post is not about any of those places. This post is about Griddlecakes, part diner, part modern eatery, all delicious. Griddlecakes has two locations on opposing sides of the valley.…
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Must-Visit Vegas: Velveteen Rabbit Bar
If you want a gin and tonic or some other basic cocktail, Velveteen Rabbit is not for you. They’ll serve you anything you like, but that’s not what this place is about. The Velveteen Rabbit is not a bar, it’s a temple of magic elixirs, brewed seasonally with creativity and panache. Witch’s Jewelry Box Stepping into Velveteen Rabbit is like falling into a witch’s jewelry box. Dim lighting, patterned wallpaper, tufted ornate couches all in saturated tones of garnet, onyx, malachite and amber. The atmosphere inside this temple is lived-in vintage. Behind the chocolate-colored bar...read the rest at Best of Vegas This post was written for Best of Vegas. Photo…
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New in Town: the Goodwich
When the Goodwich opened downtown—away from Fremont—food options were slim. The idea of having an upscale sandwich shop in that part of town wasn’t exciting, it was downright revolutionary. During slow days at the store, Rich would journey to that temple of bread and spreads, returning with mouthwatering spoils. Since we closed down our store over a year ago, I’m sad to report we have not ventured back to the Goodwich. So you can understand the whiplash-level of elation we experienced when we drove past the new location in the SouthWest, so conveniently close to Summerlin. We arrived at 7:30 on Friday, beating the dinner rush. A friendly server greeted…
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New in Town: The Stove
Inside this fully grown woman, is a little girl who still loves fancy tea parties complete with finger sandwiches and delicate sweets. There are a handful of places in Las Vegas where I can treat my inner child to the tea party of her dreams. This post is about the newest one of those places—The Stove. The Henderson restaurant opened a month ago and already is a happening hotspot (does anyone still say happening or hotspot? I guess there’s a seventy-year-old woman inside me right next to the little girl) for brunch. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations for parties under six people, so expect to wait a while to be…
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Afternoon at Loftti Cafe
My bestie lives in the South West and I have driven past Loftti Café many times, always making a mental note to visit one day. I’m a sucker for cool looking logos and the art deco Loftti logo looks particularly fun lit up in bright round bulbs at night. Visually speaking it’s the complete package, appealing, stylistically correct, and eye-catching. This past week the stars finally aligned and I was able to see more than just Loftti’s signage. The interior is a hipster wet dream filled with Edison bulbs, twinkle lights, industrial fixtures, crisscross cobblestone flooring, and quirky knick-knacks. Large floor to ceiling windows occupy half the space, creating two…
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Best Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Vegas Restaurants
Most restaurants have the obligatory one or two vegetarian dishes. If I never eat or see another bland grilled veggie sandwich or try to make a meal out of sides again I'll be a happy woman indeed. Being a vegetarian shouldn’t be a boring affair. Or a costly one. There are a variety of delightful dining options for vegetarians that will put a smile on your face instead of a strain on your wallet. I culled this list from locally owned restaurants (no outside franchises) where you can leave satisfied on $12 and under. 1. Archi's I know I'm going to catch flak for this, but I don't care. Archi's…
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New in Town: Moshe Shawarma
My husband and I were made for each other. We have a love that runs so deep it threatens the earth’s core. But even we are not immune to the siren call of the age-old relationship slayer—“where do you want to eat?” The mysteries of that question may never be solved, but last week, Rich was able to quickly diffuse an otherwise incendiary situation by suggesting we try somewhere new: Moshe Shawarma. Mediterranean fare is delicious year-round, but the airy flavors and focus on vegetable sides is particularly alluring in the summer. So I was definitely on board to give this new place a try. Although the name suggested an…
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New in Town: Tomo Noodles and Dumplings
Currently, the weather in Las Vegas is hitting the low 100s, so naturally, I thought it was time to try a new ramen place. Last month, Village Square welcomed its newest addition: Tomo Noodles and Dumplings. My husband, Rich and I decided on a lunch visit. Eat More Ramen I’m one of those people who eat with their eyes as well as their stomach. For me, atmosphere contributes to the flavor. That’s why I was excited when we walked into Tomo. The high-ceilinged, sparsely decorated, airy space is highlighted by dramatic and dynamic murals. Spanning the whole length of the restaurant is a vast wall festooned with three separate but…
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Find the Best of Vegas with #TheVegasILove
Las Vegas is like an amazing rhubarb pie: the top crust is flaky and buttery, the filling is a combination of sweet, tart, and surprising. Most people who visit Las Vegas (and even some who live here), taste only the crust and, while the crust is delicious, it’s only one part of a much larger, much more satisfying whole. #TheVegasILove is about tasting the whole pie, not just the surface. #TheVegasILove is for the adventurous tourist looking for authenticity. It’s for the local looking for a deeper connection to a city that can, at times, feel isolating. But if I’m being honest, #TheVegasILove for me is a catalog of all…
