I am a very big fan of Sports Nation and when I get bored this time of year I remake Christmas Songs and Stories.
Ladies and Gentlemen I give to you...Twas The Day Before Christmas (in the style of The Night Before Christmas)
Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the set
the staffers were prepping for a show no one would soon forget
the webwall was glowing all filled with tweets
while Beadle was backstage giving LeRoy Jenkins some treats
The Producers were chatting in Colin's ear
while they scoured the low-lights looking for 3 jeers
With Beadle in a dress and Colin a red Jacket
we knew today's show would certainly be a racket.
When SVP's show ended we knew it was near,
the best Sports Nation of the entire year
So I tunrned my TV to ESPN2
to wait and see what Colin and Michelle would do
The cameras went live in Studio B
and my heart and head were both filled with glee
And what to my eyes would suddenly appear
but a bunch of highlights that made me cheer
With Colin and Beadle both doing their gig
I knew that this show would really be big
What segments are those that I see with my eye
it's game time and web stories as we hear Beadle Cry
"What Stinks, Who Lies, and who's getting cheers"
"Things I Like, Have Some, and who's getting jeers"
From the depths of my heart to the warm webwall
Now watch these clips, watch these clips, watch them all.
Wait who is that on making Beadle iratey?
It's the one, the only the world famous Tom Brady.
And all he had to say was this one exclamation
Merry Christmas to everyone...all across Sports Nation
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Cosmopolitian Grand Opening
Last night I attended what might be the last major casino opening in Las Vegas for quite a while.
The Cosmopolitan is unlike any other casino on the strip, they are going for high end, and they hit that right on the head. I will go into more detail as this blog progresses, but let's just say the place is AMAZING.
I'm going to walk you through the whole night, some events have pics, some don't but all in all it was a night to remember. It will include my thoughts some are nice, some are not, but hey everything can't be perfect can it?
The night started off by meeting my buddy David Shapiro at Bally's (most of the photos were taken by Dave since the phone on my camera crapped out). He booked a room which would serve as grand central station for the evening. After settling in we decided to hit the strip. Armed with Fruit Punch Four Lokos we wandered around for a while, and soaked up the strip atmosphere.
I have lived in Las Vegas for almost 2 years now,and I work full time at a casino on the Strip. I should hate it, but I can honestly say there are few places in the world quite like the strip. I can not get enough of it, the lights, the sounds, the people, it's a rush.
After finishing our drinks we hit up the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood. I managed to get my hands on a comp for the buffet and with Daves Baby Baller (platinum) card, we got to skip the line and hit the VIP section of the buffet.
The Spice Market Buffet had quite the selection, but the stand out dishes had to be the prime rib (perfect medium rare), the desserts, the cheese plate, and the #1 dish IMO the Tandoori Chicken. I think I ate my weight in chicken and prime rib.
A plate full of yummy meats....and an insider tip, if you go to a buffet that doesn't offer chocolate milk (spice market didn't), go to the dessert bar and fill a bowl with the chocolate sauce for the ice cream, so you can make your own choco!!!
Another added bonus of the Spice Market Buffet
Cotton Candy (it has been years since I've had cotton candy)
After hitting the buffet we met up with Karsten
and headed to the Cosmo.
Dave and I had both won tickets to the Brandon Flowers Concert, and according to the letter with our tickets we were allowed "priority access" to the casino. After talking to a security guard he told us to head to the Valet Entrance and we would get in from there.
We grabbed a round of drinks at The Vesper Bar, I had a Negroni which was pretty good (maybe a touch too many bitters), Dave had The Vesper (a peppery manhattan), and Karsten's drink escapes me but it was pretty decent. The Vesper Bar is located right off the hotel lobby and focuses strongly on hand crafted cocktails. They did have a beer and wine list, but since it was a festive occasion I figured I'd let the mixologists take control.
We sat at the bar for a few minutes as the countdown to the opening slowly ticked down to Zero.
When the casino officially opened we hit up the players club and got our Identity Cards, there were a few technical RANFU's with the printers and such, but the staff was friendly and did their best to get us taken care of as quickly as possible.
After getting our cards we went and checked out the casino. All the table games were $25 min, the Pai Gow tables were $50, and most of the craps tables were either $25 or $50. After ruling out table games (sorry green chip play is a little out of my comfort level), we hit up a few slot machines.
I am not usually a slot player, but it was the only real option for the night. We hit up Fireball, Dave hit a small profit and cashed out with Voucher #5.
After the slots we checked out Chandelier.
Chandelier is without a doubt one of the focal points of the casino, it is a 3 story bar that looks like a large Chandelier, it was a little hard to navigate your way around it because there were way too many people, but I was impressed with the look of the lounge. The couches and chairs were comfy, there were several bars, and bathrooms (which didn't have any soap for some reason). The place can get a little cramped when crowded, but it was really really nice (as was pretty much everywhere in the place).
After Chandelier we headed over to Bond, the Bond lounge is the first thing you see if you walk into the casino from the Bellagio side. The lounge has a great ground level view of the strip, some interesting tables and chairs, and a big bar. One complaint about bond...ok 2. The drink menu had their specialty drinks listed at $11. Yet when they made them and rang them up they magically became $13, I don't know if the menu or the register was wrong, but they decided it was the menus wrong and the drinks would be 13. I opted for a $5 beer (not a bad price for the strip), while Karsten got a Berry Long Island Iced Tea (after he ordered was when we discovered the pricing discrepancy). Dave tried to order a drink from the waitress which leads us to complaint #2 after 5 mins the waitress was nowhere to be seen, after 10 mins still nothing, we finally left after 15 mins and Dave was still sans drink. I know there is some confusion on opening night but that seemed a but much.
I really like the look and feel of bond, they have some really cool fiber optic light setups that make for an interesting show that seems to feed off the beats of the songs the DJs were playing. If you don't step into Bond you could miss one of the best parts of the lounge, between the bar and the strip are 5 pods about 20 feet up in the air, they didn't seem all that interesting, until a troop of Go Go dancers came out, got hoisted into the air, and ended up in the pods to dance. I have never really understood the Go Go Dance trend at lounges, but I have to say this was a pretty interesting twist.
After leaving Bond we decided it was time to head up to the Boulevard Pool for the concert. This lead to another amazing voyage, lets just say there were 9 different ways to get to the pool, however they were only allowing people to enter through one point of entry. This lead to one hell of a cluster fuck as everyone would tell you to go to a different place, and none of those places were correct. We finally ended up asking an employee (I think her name was Megan...it escapes me) who was nice enough to walk us through the place for about 15 mins going to a few different places before we finally found out where it was.
We got carded on our way into the concert (first time of the night), and after waiting in a short line we were at the pool.
The Boulevard Pool at the Cosmo is going to be the pool of the summer this summer. It is 14 stories over the strip and offers some amazing views. Right as you walk in (well at least from the entry we came in) you see a small pool surrounded by Pool Tables, Ping Pong Tables, Foosball Tables, TV's and a bar (all the tables were on fake grass which was surprisingly soft). Karsten and I tried to play Ping Pong, but the wind was a little too strong.
We then hit up a bar, I was expecting a price gouging for drinks at the show, however beers were $5 and mixed drinks were $7 (again not to shabby for strip prices). After grabbing our drinks we did a recon lap. the place has 3 pools however the main one was drained and had a stage set up on one end. The cool thing about the drained pool was that they had a floor that covered the deep end making for a large area for the crowd to gather to watch the show. I don't know how many shows they plan on doing up there, but the set up was impressive.
We then proceeded to do a recon lap of the area, I counted at least 5 bars, 2 sets of restrooms, 3 pools, a ton of lounge areas, and a bunch of "vip cabanas" (that we couldn't get to.
We found a comfy spot to put our feet up and waited for the show to begin.
I have a very strong feeling I will be spending some quality time on that lounge this summer.
Amazing View from the Boulevard Pool
Dave and I light up some Rocky Patel Decade Robustos while we waited on the show to start.
Brandon Flowers was the headliner that night on the pool deck, and I'm going to be completely honest and say that I could really have cared less. I was there to check the place out more than to enjoy the show. He played about an hour long set, and the only song I recognized was his finale. The sound was really good, and they were showing the concert on the Comso's Marquee out front so it made for a nice little Jumbotron for those of us who stayed towards the back (there really wasn't a bad spot in the whole venue for the show).
Brandon on the Video Marquee
The Crowd and the Stage
If you want to hear the one song I actually know feel free to check out YOUTUBE. For the whole song (not my video)
After the show we hit the casino for a little while before calling it a night. All in all I was extremely pleased with the Cosmo, in a strip filled with similar casinos the Cosmo really stands out I will be going back there are 14 restaurants I have to try, some kick ass rooms I need to stay in, and I'm sure some amazing experiences yet to be had.
Oh and one minor complaint before I sign off...How can you offer Budweiser but no Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light, but neither of the originals? The cosmo's beer and liquor selection was a bit of a bummer, but the mixologists more than made up for it.
Sorry this was a lengthy post, but it was one hell of a night, and I was glad to be there.
The Cosmopolitan is unlike any other casino on the strip, they are going for high end, and they hit that right on the head. I will go into more detail as this blog progresses, but let's just say the place is AMAZING.
I'm going to walk you through the whole night, some events have pics, some don't but all in all it was a night to remember. It will include my thoughts some are nice, some are not, but hey everything can't be perfect can it?
The night started off by meeting my buddy David Shapiro at Bally's (most of the photos were taken by Dave since the phone on my camera crapped out). He booked a room which would serve as grand central station for the evening. After settling in we decided to hit the strip. Armed with Fruit Punch Four Lokos we wandered around for a while, and soaked up the strip atmosphere.
I have lived in Las Vegas for almost 2 years now,and I work full time at a casino on the Strip. I should hate it, but I can honestly say there are few places in the world quite like the strip. I can not get enough of it, the lights, the sounds, the people, it's a rush.
After finishing our drinks we hit up the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood. I managed to get my hands on a comp for the buffet and with Daves Baby Baller (platinum) card, we got to skip the line and hit the VIP section of the buffet.
The Spice Market Buffet had quite the selection, but the stand out dishes had to be the prime rib (perfect medium rare), the desserts, the cheese plate, and the #1 dish IMO the Tandoori Chicken. I think I ate my weight in chicken and prime rib.
A plate full of yummy meats....and an insider tip, if you go to a buffet that doesn't offer chocolate milk (spice market didn't), go to the dessert bar and fill a bowl with the chocolate sauce for the ice cream, so you can make your own choco!!!
Another added bonus of the Spice Market Buffet
Cotton Candy (it has been years since I've had cotton candy)
After hitting the buffet we met up with Karsten
and headed to the Cosmo.
Dave and I had both won tickets to the Brandon Flowers Concert, and according to the letter with our tickets we were allowed "priority access" to the casino. After talking to a security guard he told us to head to the Valet Entrance and we would get in from there.
We grabbed a round of drinks at The Vesper Bar, I had a Negroni which was pretty good (maybe a touch too many bitters), Dave had The Vesper (a peppery manhattan), and Karsten's drink escapes me but it was pretty decent. The Vesper Bar is located right off the hotel lobby and focuses strongly on hand crafted cocktails. They did have a beer and wine list, but since it was a festive occasion I figured I'd let the mixologists take control.
We sat at the bar for a few minutes as the countdown to the opening slowly ticked down to Zero.
When the casino officially opened we hit up the players club and got our Identity Cards, there were a few technical RANFU's with the printers and such, but the staff was friendly and did their best to get us taken care of as quickly as possible.
After getting our cards we went and checked out the casino. All the table games were $25 min, the Pai Gow tables were $50, and most of the craps tables were either $25 or $50. After ruling out table games (sorry green chip play is a little out of my comfort level), we hit up a few slot machines.
I am not usually a slot player, but it was the only real option for the night. We hit up Fireball, Dave hit a small profit and cashed out with Voucher #5.
After the slots we checked out Chandelier.
Chandelier is without a doubt one of the focal points of the casino, it is a 3 story bar that looks like a large Chandelier, it was a little hard to navigate your way around it because there were way too many people, but I was impressed with the look of the lounge. The couches and chairs were comfy, there were several bars, and bathrooms (which didn't have any soap for some reason). The place can get a little cramped when crowded, but it was really really nice (as was pretty much everywhere in the place).
After Chandelier we headed over to Bond, the Bond lounge is the first thing you see if you walk into the casino from the Bellagio side. The lounge has a great ground level view of the strip, some interesting tables and chairs, and a big bar. One complaint about bond...ok 2. The drink menu had their specialty drinks listed at $11. Yet when they made them and rang them up they magically became $13, I don't know if the menu or the register was wrong, but they decided it was the menus wrong and the drinks would be 13. I opted for a $5 beer (not a bad price for the strip), while Karsten got a Berry Long Island Iced Tea (after he ordered was when we discovered the pricing discrepancy). Dave tried to order a drink from the waitress which leads us to complaint #2 after 5 mins the waitress was nowhere to be seen, after 10 mins still nothing, we finally left after 15 mins and Dave was still sans drink. I know there is some confusion on opening night but that seemed a but much.
I really like the look and feel of bond, they have some really cool fiber optic light setups that make for an interesting show that seems to feed off the beats of the songs the DJs were playing. If you don't step into Bond you could miss one of the best parts of the lounge, between the bar and the strip are 5 pods about 20 feet up in the air, they didn't seem all that interesting, until a troop of Go Go dancers came out, got hoisted into the air, and ended up in the pods to dance. I have never really understood the Go Go Dance trend at lounges, but I have to say this was a pretty interesting twist.
After leaving Bond we decided it was time to head up to the Boulevard Pool for the concert. This lead to another amazing voyage, lets just say there were 9 different ways to get to the pool, however they were only allowing people to enter through one point of entry. This lead to one hell of a cluster fuck as everyone would tell you to go to a different place, and none of those places were correct. We finally ended up asking an employee (I think her name was Megan...it escapes me) who was nice enough to walk us through the place for about 15 mins going to a few different places before we finally found out where it was.
We got carded on our way into the concert (first time of the night), and after waiting in a short line we were at the pool.
The Boulevard Pool at the Cosmo is going to be the pool of the summer this summer. It is 14 stories over the strip and offers some amazing views. Right as you walk in (well at least from the entry we came in) you see a small pool surrounded by Pool Tables, Ping Pong Tables, Foosball Tables, TV's and a bar (all the tables were on fake grass which was surprisingly soft). Karsten and I tried to play Ping Pong, but the wind was a little too strong.
We then hit up a bar, I was expecting a price gouging for drinks at the show, however beers were $5 and mixed drinks were $7 (again not to shabby for strip prices). After grabbing our drinks we did a recon lap. the place has 3 pools however the main one was drained and had a stage set up on one end. The cool thing about the drained pool was that they had a floor that covered the deep end making for a large area for the crowd to gather to watch the show. I don't know how many shows they plan on doing up there, but the set up was impressive.
We then proceeded to do a recon lap of the area, I counted at least 5 bars, 2 sets of restrooms, 3 pools, a ton of lounge areas, and a bunch of "vip cabanas" (that we couldn't get to.
We found a comfy spot to put our feet up and waited for the show to begin.
I have a very strong feeling I will be spending some quality time on that lounge this summer.
Amazing View from the Boulevard Pool
Dave and I light up some Rocky Patel Decade Robustos while we waited on the show to start.
Brandon Flowers was the headliner that night on the pool deck, and I'm going to be completely honest and say that I could really have cared less. I was there to check the place out more than to enjoy the show. He played about an hour long set, and the only song I recognized was his finale. The sound was really good, and they were showing the concert on the Comso's Marquee out front so it made for a nice little Jumbotron for those of us who stayed towards the back (there really wasn't a bad spot in the whole venue for the show).
Brandon on the Video Marquee
The Crowd and the Stage
If you want to hear the one song I actually know feel free to check out YOUTUBE. For the whole song (not my video)
After the show we hit the casino for a little while before calling it a night. All in all I was extremely pleased with the Cosmo, in a strip filled with similar casinos the Cosmo really stands out I will be going back there are 14 restaurants I have to try, some kick ass rooms I need to stay in, and I'm sure some amazing experiences yet to be had.
Oh and one minor complaint before I sign off...How can you offer Budweiser but no Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light, but neither of the originals? The cosmo's beer and liquor selection was a bit of a bummer, but the mixologists more than made up for it.
Sorry this was a lengthy post, but it was one hell of a night, and I was glad to be there.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Damn Proud
Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the ReChartering of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa. I was a founder of the chapter and it tears at my heart that I can't make it back to celebrate with the guys.
I know many people think fraternities are nothing more than Toga Parties and Drinking. And while that is part of the life, there is much more that goes on. I have lifelong friends that I have made from the fraternity. I have got to experience many things in life that I wouldn't have been exposed to if it wasn't for the house. I would not be the man I am today if it wasn't for Phi Sigma Kappa and the brothers of Beta Epsilon.
I could write for hours about the community service events, fundraisers, conventions, road trips, and other debauchery that I experienced in college, but it's getting late, and telling the stories will only make me that much more depressed that I am not back in Pittsburg KS this weekend.
I will end this post by wishing my brothers a great weekend, keep doing what you're doing, and always be DAMN PROUD!!!
I know many people think fraternities are nothing more than Toga Parties and Drinking. And while that is part of the life, there is much more that goes on. I have lifelong friends that I have made from the fraternity. I have got to experience many things in life that I wouldn't have been exposed to if it wasn't for the house. I would not be the man I am today if it wasn't for Phi Sigma Kappa and the brothers of Beta Epsilon.
I could write for hours about the community service events, fundraisers, conventions, road trips, and other debauchery that I experienced in college, but it's getting late, and telling the stories will only make me that much more depressed that I am not back in Pittsburg KS this weekend.
I will end this post by wishing my brothers a great weekend, keep doing what you're doing, and always be DAMN PROUD!!!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Remix
For some random reason the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song has been stuck in my head, so why not rewrite it???
Be warned this is probably not the first Remix, songs get stuck in my head and for some unknown reason I rewrite them to fit into my life.
This is the short version, because let's be honest do any of us remember the full song ever being used as the theme...no
For those of you unfamiliar with the fresh prince, well here's a LINK to the song
Now this is a story all about how
My life has got to this point right now
And I liked to take a minute just sit right there
And tell you how I became the man with this Blog right here
In central Minnesota born and raised
On the couch is where I spent most of my days
Chillin out, veggin, acting like a fool,
And playing some Nintendo drinking Mountain Dew
After a couple of decisions that were really no good
I decided I needed to move to a new neighborhood
I got in one in my car and stepped on the gas
And said "It's time for a change, I'm moving to Las Vegas"
I drove across the mid west and as Vegas came near
My heart began to race, and I was eased of all fear
If anything I can say this this drive was blast
But I thought naw forget I'm moving to Las Vegas
I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to my roomie "Hey man, I'm here at last"
I looked at my city I was finally there
To start a new life as a blogger in Vegas.
Be warned this is probably not the first Remix, songs get stuck in my head and for some unknown reason I rewrite them to fit into my life.
This is the short version, because let's be honest do any of us remember the full song ever being used as the theme...no
For those of you unfamiliar with the fresh prince, well here's a LINK to the song
Now this is a story all about how
My life has got to this point right now
And I liked to take a minute just sit right there
And tell you how I became the man with this Blog right here
In central Minnesota born and raised
On the couch is where I spent most of my days
Chillin out, veggin, acting like a fool,
And playing some Nintendo drinking Mountain Dew
After a couple of decisions that were really no good
I decided I needed to move to a new neighborhood
I got in one in my car and stepped on the gas
And said "It's time for a change, I'm moving to Las Vegas"
I drove across the mid west and as Vegas came near
My heart began to race, and I was eased of all fear
If anything I can say this this drive was blast
But I thought naw forget I'm moving to Las Vegas
I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to my roomie "Hey man, I'm here at last"
I looked at my city I was finally there
To start a new life as a blogger in Vegas.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
WPBT Warm-up
I an by no means a Poker Blogger, I am by no means a Poker Pro, however I do know my share of Poker Bloggers and Pros. This weekend is the World Poker Blogger Tour or WPBT for short, and while my work schedule, bankroll, and skills keep me from playing in any of the events, I will be checking a few things.
Last May I met a few of the bloggers at the "Hooker Bar" during the WSOP, and one thing that amazes me is how small the Poker Blogger world is. I have read many of these blogs for years without really knowing who any of them were, and then once I meet them, I realize that I have ran into them somewhere before.
The Saturday Tourney is the flagship of the weekend, and there are some sick overlays from both Poker Stars and Full Tilt, plus knock out bounties, and other various bonuses. I hope that next year I will be able to play and hopefully win the coveted
GOLDEN HAMMER.
I am trying my best to shoehorn as much of the debauchery that I can into my schedule. As the blog tales I have read about last years WPBT seem almost too good to be true. If you're headed to town I look forward to possibly meeting you and I apologize for anything I may say or do to offend you in advance.
Last May I met a few of the bloggers at the "Hooker Bar" during the WSOP, and one thing that amazes me is how small the Poker Blogger world is. I have read many of these blogs for years without really knowing who any of them were, and then once I meet them, I realize that I have ran into them somewhere before.
The Saturday Tourney is the flagship of the weekend, and there are some sick overlays from both Poker Stars and Full Tilt, plus knock out bounties, and other various bonuses. I hope that next year I will be able to play and hopefully win the coveted
GOLDEN HAMMER.
I am trying my best to shoehorn as much of the debauchery that I can into my schedule. As the blog tales I have read about last years WPBT seem almost too good to be true. If you're headed to town I look forward to possibly meeting you and I apologize for anything I may say or do to offend you in advance.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Cowboys and DB's
From the mind that brought you The Political Ad drinking, I am bringing to you a new game. This game is limited to those in Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo this weekend.
Ladies and Gentlemen I give to you
Cowboys and Douchebags
The game is quite simple, you and a friend take up seats at a bar with a good place to people watch (Margaritaville, outdoor bar at Flamingo, etc). You and said friend then take sides, one of you is Cowboys and one of you is Douchebags. Everytime you spot one person in your group you have to drink the assigned # of drinks.
Cowboy Drinks-
Cowboy Hat- 1 Drink
Giant Belt Buckle- 2 Drinks
Bolo Tie- 3 Drinks
Three Drink Cowboy Example
Douchebag Drinks
Ed Hardy Clothing- 1 Drink
Jersey Shore Blow Out or Faux Hawk- 2 Drinks
Giant Sunglasses- 3 Drinks
Three Drink Douchebag Example
Be warned this players of this game may become intoxicated fairly quickly.
Minton's Misadventures are not responsible for any damage to the livers of participants.
Ladies and Gentlemen I give to you
Cowboys and Douchebags
The game is quite simple, you and a friend take up seats at a bar with a good place to people watch (Margaritaville, outdoor bar at Flamingo, etc). You and said friend then take sides, one of you is Cowboys and one of you is Douchebags. Everytime you spot one person in your group you have to drink the assigned # of drinks.
Cowboy Drinks-
Cowboy Hat- 1 Drink
Giant Belt Buckle- 2 Drinks
Bolo Tie- 3 Drinks
Three Drink Cowboy Example
Douchebag Drinks
Ed Hardy Clothing- 1 Drink
Jersey Shore Blow Out or Faux Hawk- 2 Drinks
Giant Sunglasses- 3 Drinks
Three Drink Douchebag Example
Be warned this players of this game may become intoxicated fairly quickly.
Minton's Misadventures are not responsible for any damage to the livers of participants.
Hello...my name is Minton...and I'm a Chocoholic
Last night I attended a Yelp Event at Max Brenner's. For those of you who don't know about Max Brenner, he's pretty much a modern day Willy Wonka, the guy knows chocolate, and his place in the Forum Shops is part gift shop, part bar, part restaurant, and all amazing.
The following is an abridged version of my review of the event on Yelp...it was a great event.
I was one of the first few to climb the staircase, and when I got upstairs I was greeted by some of the friendliest servers in the city, I grabbed a Pomegranate drink and snagged a table.
Within minutes there were other servers going around with trays of food.
First up was the Slider
It was pretty big for a slider, the burger was a perfect medium, it was topped with some amazing BBQ sauce, and an onion ring, it was like a mini western bbq cheeseburger.
Next up was the Pulled pork slider, I grabbed one of these and quickly did a little dissection to see what was inside, pulled pork, slaw, and a deep fried pickle, Jackpot...I think I ended up having at least 5 of these, I am a BBQ snob, and I was amazed at how good these were...who would have thought a Chocolate place would have the best BBQ pork in the city
I tried one of the Paninis it was pretty good, but I think the Pulled Pork Slider ruined the rest of the food for me.
I then got my hands on one of the Maxican Chocolate Martini's, these were the hardest thing to get because the second the server got out the door with these they were gone, and I must say it was amazing, it tasted liked a glass of hot chocolate, only better, it had booze.
I never got a chance to have the Blue Moon, I'm not a huge fan of Blue Moon, and after the Maxican, I was having nothing else for the rest of the night.
Just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, what did I spy coming out of the kitchen, Fresh baked cookies and shots of milk, damn Max thought of everything! I passed on the first cookie (chocolate chip with walnuts) as I'm not a big fan of walnuts, however the chocolate chocolate chip cookies were divine, warm and gooey in the center and full of chocolate goodness, they were a bit rich however the shot of milk washed everything down, well the milk and the Maxican martinis.
Once again I have to give props to the staff, they went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of, there was always a tray of food and a tray of drinks within arms reach.
My only complaint about the event was that they didn't serve the Chocolate Pizza, after seeing it on the Food Networks "Best Thing I Ever Ate" I have been wanting to try it. I have a strong feeling I will be heading back to Mr. Brenner's place to have that some time in the near future.
The following is an abridged version of my review of the event on Yelp...it was a great event.
I was one of the first few to climb the staircase, and when I got upstairs I was greeted by some of the friendliest servers in the city, I grabbed a Pomegranate drink and snagged a table.
Within minutes there were other servers going around with trays of food.
First up was the Slider
It was pretty big for a slider, the burger was a perfect medium, it was topped with some amazing BBQ sauce, and an onion ring, it was like a mini western bbq cheeseburger.
Next up was the Pulled pork slider, I grabbed one of these and quickly did a little dissection to see what was inside, pulled pork, slaw, and a deep fried pickle, Jackpot...I think I ended up having at least 5 of these, I am a BBQ snob, and I was amazed at how good these were...who would have thought a Chocolate place would have the best BBQ pork in the city
I tried one of the Paninis it was pretty good, but I think the Pulled Pork Slider ruined the rest of the food for me.
I then got my hands on one of the Maxican Chocolate Martini's, these were the hardest thing to get because the second the server got out the door with these they were gone, and I must say it was amazing, it tasted liked a glass of hot chocolate, only better, it had booze.
I never got a chance to have the Blue Moon, I'm not a huge fan of Blue Moon, and after the Maxican, I was having nothing else for the rest of the night.
Just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, what did I spy coming out of the kitchen, Fresh baked cookies and shots of milk, damn Max thought of everything! I passed on the first cookie (chocolate chip with walnuts) as I'm not a big fan of walnuts, however the chocolate chocolate chip cookies were divine, warm and gooey in the center and full of chocolate goodness, they were a bit rich however the shot of milk washed everything down, well the milk and the Maxican martinis.
Once again I have to give props to the staff, they went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of, there was always a tray of food and a tray of drinks within arms reach.
My only complaint about the event was that they didn't serve the Chocolate Pizza, after seeing it on the Food Networks "Best Thing I Ever Ate" I have been wanting to try it. I have a strong feeling I will be heading back to Mr. Brenner's place to have that some time in the near future.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Chocoholic Monday
I am finally starting to settle into a normal schedule at work...well if you consider 6 days a week normal. So I have decided I am going to blog a bit more.
Thanks to everyone who commented on my last blog (either here or elsewhere), I know it's a little different than what I usually write, but it has been festering in my mind for a while now and it needed to escape.
I have today off, and am looking forward to my evening. I am attending a Yelp event at Max Brenner in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. I have always wanted to check this place out (it's a chocoholic's paradise). And well anytime I can check it out with the Yelperazzi and enjoy some free stuff it's always and added bonus.
I am making tonight a little staycation, I have a room on the strip that set me back a whopping $16.80...that's cheaper than cab fare home.
I know what you're thinking, "but Minton it's your day off and you're going back to the strip?" Yes I am. I know I spend 40+ hrs a week on the strip and as a local I should hate it, but I'm going to be honest after over a year and a half in vegas I still love the strip.
I will do my best to post a full review of the menu and drinks tonight, if you want to follow the debauchery you can always check my Twitter for 140 character updates...I apologize in advance for the spelling and grammatical errors that are bound to be posted.
Oh and for those of you who are wondering what a guy who works in a sports book does on his day off. I'm watching ESPN and doing laundry...exciting I know.
Thanks to everyone who commented on my last blog (either here or elsewhere), I know it's a little different than what I usually write, but it has been festering in my mind for a while now and it needed to escape.
I have today off, and am looking forward to my evening. I am attending a Yelp event at Max Brenner in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. I have always wanted to check this place out (it's a chocoholic's paradise). And well anytime I can check it out with the Yelperazzi and enjoy some free stuff it's always and added bonus.
I am making tonight a little staycation, I have a room on the strip that set me back a whopping $16.80...that's cheaper than cab fare home.
I know what you're thinking, "but Minton it's your day off and you're going back to the strip?" Yes I am. I know I spend 40+ hrs a week on the strip and as a local I should hate it, but I'm going to be honest after over a year and a half in vegas I still love the strip.
I will do my best to post a full review of the menu and drinks tonight, if you want to follow the debauchery you can always check my Twitter for 140 character updates...I apologize in advance for the spelling and grammatical errors that are bound to be posted.
Oh and for those of you who are wondering what a guy who works in a sports book does on his day off. I'm watching ESPN and doing laundry...exciting I know.
Sick of Being Single
Hello all, I know it has been ages since I've posted. I have been working a lot more hours, and trying to be more social so it's cut back on my computer time.
I am rapidly approaching the big 30. I have been reevaluating a lot of things in my life, and realized that it's time for a few changes. I am working on being financially responsible, I am trying my best to get into some sort of shape (other than round), and I am generally trying to make myself a better person.
Those of you who have known me for a length of time, know that for the majority of my life I've been single. I've never really been much of the relationship type. I seem to have the magical ability to meet a girl and instantly find myself in the "friend zone". Now don't get me wrong, I have many great friends who are female, however there is something missing. So I am launching the quest.
Ladies it's time to play, Who Wants To Date Minton.
The rules are pretty simple.
Contestants must be fluent in Sarcasm, be capable of putting up with my erratic schedule, have no aversions to gambling or alcohol, and must be in possession of both X chromosomes, living in Vegas is an added bonus!!!
I know this comes off as a little desperate, but hey it's been a long time since I've even been near anything that would be considered a relationship.
A few things about me
I'm 29
I work in a Race and Sports Book (I get paid to talk sports...it's rough)
I drink socially, gamble occasionally, and smoke a cigar every once and a while
I am capable of finding humor in pretty much any situation
I obtain a plethora of useless trivial knowledge
I have a college degree
I am fluent in sarcasm, and can order a beer in at least 3 languages
I have a large collection of Tshirts with random and/or funny sayings on them
I can on occasion be "That Guy"
I am a fairly loud person, however I am also surprisingly shy person
I consider myself a foodie, however I promise I will never use the word NOM
So I'm putting this out to you my readers, are you single, do you know someone who's single, do you think we'd be a suitable couple?
I am not above blind dates or hook-ups, since I seem to be unable to find a stable relationship on my own, I'm putting the ball in your court.
I am rapidly approaching the big 30. I have been reevaluating a lot of things in my life, and realized that it's time for a few changes. I am working on being financially responsible, I am trying my best to get into some sort of shape (other than round), and I am generally trying to make myself a better person.
Those of you who have known me for a length of time, know that for the majority of my life I've been single. I've never really been much of the relationship type. I seem to have the magical ability to meet a girl and instantly find myself in the "friend zone". Now don't get me wrong, I have many great friends who are female, however there is something missing. So I am launching the quest.
Ladies it's time to play, Who Wants To Date Minton.
The rules are pretty simple.
Contestants must be fluent in Sarcasm, be capable of putting up with my erratic schedule, have no aversions to gambling or alcohol, and must be in possession of both X chromosomes, living in Vegas is an added bonus!!!
I know this comes off as a little desperate, but hey it's been a long time since I've even been near anything that would be considered a relationship.
A few things about me
I'm 29
I work in a Race and Sports Book (I get paid to talk sports...it's rough)
I drink socially, gamble occasionally, and smoke a cigar every once and a while
I am capable of finding humor in pretty much any situation
I obtain a plethora of useless trivial knowledge
I have a college degree
I am fluent in sarcasm, and can order a beer in at least 3 languages
I have a large collection of Tshirts with random and/or funny sayings on them
I can on occasion be "That Guy"
I am a fairly loud person, however I am also surprisingly shy person
I consider myself a foodie, however I promise I will never use the word NOM
So I'm putting this out to you my readers, are you single, do you know someone who's single, do you think we'd be a suitable couple?
I am not above blind dates or hook-ups, since I seem to be unable to find a stable relationship on my own, I'm putting the ball in your court.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Holy Crap...I Can't Get This Song Out Of My Head
Warning...the following song is addictive, it will get stuck in your head, and you will sing it all day.
Additional warning...it's very very Not Safe For Work
You've been warned
Additional warning...it's very very Not Safe For Work
You've been warned
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Long Time Coming
Sorry I haven't updated my Blog in so long, it's been a combination of things.
My uncle died in a car crash a few weeks back and I had to drop everything and head back home to be with my family for a little bit. I am also working a few more hours at work, we are ramping up for the football season (out busy time). And, finally I'm a lazy bastard and just didn't want to update anything.
Since my last posts a few things have happened.
I have earned elite status on YELP; for those of you unfamiliar with yelp it's a review site where people can submit reviews of places they've been, it's kind of like a foodie facebook. Part of being an elite means you get to go to special gatherings every month. August's was at Ferraro's.
I had never been to Ferraro's but had always wanted to check it out, I'm always on the hunt for good Italian food. The event had passed appetizers and an open bar (you had me at free food yelp, the booze was just and added bonus). I really liked the vibe at Ferraro's and the food was amazing the Arancini (Fried Risotto Balls) with White Truffle Sauce was so delicious I'm pretty sure I ate about 10 of them.
Those damn things were AMAZING!!! I will without a doubt be going back to Ferraro's, I have heard good things about their Osso Busco.
A few other Highlights from my sabbatical.
-I saw Jubilee: I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. The sets are huge, the song and dance is a plentiful but not overbearing, the time killing acts were pretty fun, oh and there were a lot of boobies...a shocking amount of men in thongs as well, but lots of boobies, and trust me there is nothing that boobies won't make better
- I saw Bob Saget at The Orleans: The Opening Comedian was great, and Bob's set was pretty solid. I had seen his special before, and a lot of the material in his set was taken from that. I have to say am not a big fan of his songs with the guitar (many other comedians do it way better), and he is really really blue, but it was a good show.
- I am still on The Poker God's Shit List: I don't know what I have done to upset them, but I would really really like to get in their good graces...Please Forgive Me Card Gods!!!
- I have my picture on the Fuku Burger Truck: I have been a fan of Fuku since they opened. Vegas is starting to get quite a few gourmet food trucks: Slider Truck, Fuku Burger, Curbside Cafe, Hanshik Taco, and a few more are on their way. But Fuku is my favorite hands down. They are open from 8pm-4am (times that work best with my schedule). Their staff is friendly, their burgers are amazing, and I invented a "secret menu" item: The Fat Hakujin. It's a double Miso BBQ Burger with 2 patties, topped with bacon and a fried egg. Needless to say it's amazing!!!
It may look a little sloppy...but trust me...it's amazing!!!
-I checked out Minus 5 Ice Lounge: It had been on my Vegas Bucket List for some time, and while it is with out a doubt an overpriced tourist trap I have to say it was pretty fun. It was much smaller than I expected, but it was a pretty cool experience (pun intended). Everything in the place was made of Ice, the tables, the chairs, the bar, your glasses, everything but the guests, the staff, and the booze. They are planning on opening a second location in the Monte Carlo so you won't have to trek all the way down to Mandalay, I say check it out, it's not too shabby.
- I saw the Vegas Premier of The Expendables: It was at PH, Sly Stalone and a bunch of the cast came out before the showing. The movie is you typical summer action movie, predictable plot, average dialogue, and tons of violence, I don't think I would have gone out of my way to see this in theaters, but since the tickets were free I can't really complain.
Oh and I met Daniel Negreanu
Oh well that's enough for now....Until Next Time
My uncle died in a car crash a few weeks back and I had to drop everything and head back home to be with my family for a little bit. I am also working a few more hours at work, we are ramping up for the football season (out busy time). And, finally I'm a lazy bastard and just didn't want to update anything.
Since my last posts a few things have happened.
I have earned elite status on YELP; for those of you unfamiliar with yelp it's a review site where people can submit reviews of places they've been, it's kind of like a foodie facebook. Part of being an elite means you get to go to special gatherings every month. August's was at Ferraro's.
I had never been to Ferraro's but had always wanted to check it out, I'm always on the hunt for good Italian food. The event had passed appetizers and an open bar (you had me at free food yelp, the booze was just and added bonus). I really liked the vibe at Ferraro's and the food was amazing the Arancini (Fried Risotto Balls) with White Truffle Sauce was so delicious I'm pretty sure I ate about 10 of them.
Those damn things were AMAZING!!! I will without a doubt be going back to Ferraro's, I have heard good things about their Osso Busco.
A few other Highlights from my sabbatical.
-I saw Jubilee: I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. The sets are huge, the song and dance is a plentiful but not overbearing, the time killing acts were pretty fun, oh and there were a lot of boobies...a shocking amount of men in thongs as well, but lots of boobies, and trust me there is nothing that boobies won't make better
- I saw Bob Saget at The Orleans: The Opening Comedian was great, and Bob's set was pretty solid. I had seen his special before, and a lot of the material in his set was taken from that. I have to say am not a big fan of his songs with the guitar (many other comedians do it way better), and he is really really blue, but it was a good show.
- Orleans sub story- Tried their buffet for the first time, I have to say I was kind of impressed, the selection was pretty good, the food was passable, and the price was great. I can't say enough about the Kielbasa and Gelato, which were hands down the 2 best things on the buffet. I don't think I'll go out of my way to eat here, but if I'm at the Orleans for a show or something I'll gladly grub there again.
- I am still on The Poker God's Shit List: I don't know what I have done to upset them, but I would really really like to get in their good graces...Please Forgive Me Card Gods!!!
- I have my picture on the Fuku Burger Truck: I have been a fan of Fuku since they opened. Vegas is starting to get quite a few gourmet food trucks: Slider Truck, Fuku Burger, Curbside Cafe, Hanshik Taco, and a few more are on their way. But Fuku is my favorite hands down. They are open from 8pm-4am (times that work best with my schedule). Their staff is friendly, their burgers are amazing, and I invented a "secret menu" item: The Fat Hakujin. It's a double Miso BBQ Burger with 2 patties, topped with bacon and a fried egg. Needless to say it's amazing!!!
It may look a little sloppy...but trust me...it's amazing!!!
-I checked out Minus 5 Ice Lounge: It had been on my Vegas Bucket List for some time, and while it is with out a doubt an overpriced tourist trap I have to say it was pretty fun. It was much smaller than I expected, but it was a pretty cool experience (pun intended). Everything in the place was made of Ice, the tables, the chairs, the bar, your glasses, everything but the guests, the staff, and the booze. They are planning on opening a second location in the Monte Carlo so you won't have to trek all the way down to Mandalay, I say check it out, it's not too shabby.
- I saw the Vegas Premier of The Expendables: It was at PH, Sly Stalone and a bunch of the cast came out before the showing. The movie is you typical summer action movie, predictable plot, average dialogue, and tons of violence, I don't think I would have gone out of my way to see this in theaters, but since the tickets were free I can't really complain.
Oh and I met Daniel Negreanu
Oh well that's enough for now....Until Next Time
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The 4th of July
This year I had a great 4th of July Weekend, I had a friend in town and got to play tourist on the 4th since I had the night of the 4th and the 5th off, and said friend was nice enough to let me commandeer the extra bed in his room at the 5 star Imperial Palace Resort and Spa.
Here's a summary of the weekend.
It all started on July 1st when I won free tickets to see Vince Neil at the Palms Pool via the Palm's Twitter. I worked until showtime, but figured since the show was 2 hours long, I could get there fashionably late and still see a good chunk of it...well was I wrong. When I won the tickets I got a message on twitter that said, " Enjoy the show. Tix will be available at the box office".
However when I got there at 9:10 and the Box Office was closed. I checked with the door at the show and the Bouncer said it wasn't his fault and without a ticket we couldn't get in, we should check with the Hotel. I checked with the players club and concierge and got no where, apparently the Box Office and the Pearl theater are ran by a separate company and once they leave it's tough shit. Who closes a box office when there is a concert going on?
Finally after the concierge calls 15 people they get someone who tells us to go recheck with the bouncer and it's up to his discretion, thankfully he takes pity on us and lets us through, this was my first time at the Palms Pool and I have to say it's a pretty nice set-up, we get in and make a bee line for the bar. I'm just about to order when the person next to me gets their beers $8 each for the 16oz aluminum can's of Miller Lite...I think not, so we head over to the stage and catch the last 5 songs of the set, which was pretty much a selection of Motley Crue songs, not too shabby, but if I had paid for the tickets and gotten that treatment I would not have been as easy going.
The 2nd and 3rd were pretty uneventful as I had to work, but I did discover a sad fact, beers at Ellis Island (my favorite local microbrewery/casino/24hr cafe) had increased in price. As of 7/1 20oz drafts of their micro-brewed beer are now a whopping $1.75 not the $1.50 that they were, not much of a jump, but still notable. (If you go to Ellis Island have the heffy with a splash of stout on top of it...you can thank me later)
The 4th was the start of my "weekend"; and I did my best to take advantage of it. After I got off work I met up with previously mentioned friend, and did my best to drink the strip dry.
For those of you not in the know Bills has 48oz pitchers of either Miller Lite or Coors Light, they run $6 each, but you can get 2 for $10, 96oz of beer for $10 is pretty damn hard to beat on the strip, so I ended up drinking 4 before the night was done, you get some pretty odd looks when you are carrying stack of 3 empty pitchers with a 4th one that you are drinking out of on top!!!
We went to Bill's to watch the fireworks that were being shot from Caesar's Palace. The parking lot of Bill's offered a great unobstructed view of the launch pad, I don't think I have ever been that close to the launching point of a major fireworks show in my life. The show was around 30 mins long, and was overall pretty good, I've seen better (4th of july in Washington, DC and Boston come to mind), but still a solid offering. The only bummer was that about 2/3rds of the way through the show security from bills came up and informed us that 4th floor of the garage was closed from construction and that we couldn't be there (bear in mind there were no signs from any pedestrian entry, and there were no visible signs of any construction being done), but we made it down to the ground level and out front in time for the Finale, so I don't think we missed much.
After the fireworks..I drank up and down the strip, enjoyed a cigar, and soaked up the atmosphere. At one point in the evening I ended up in the $2/4 limit 10 game mixed game at the IP where I was quickly reminded how much the Card Gods hate me...I won't get into the details as they're a little fuzzy but it involves a 2 flopped straights and 1 turned flush running into a runner runner higher straights, and an oceaned boat.
After sleeping the 4th off, we decided to do lunch at Hash House A Go Go, I have eaten at hash house several times at both the West Sahara location as well as their Imperial Palace location, the food is amazing at both, the service at IP location can be a little lacking but the food more than makes up for it!!!
I have made it my mission to have something new each time I eat there, this time I had the 1lb Bacon, Cheddar, and Mashed Potato stuffed hamburger with a side of Mac N Cheese. The burger was amazing, I ate about 80% of the patties, filling, and bottom, but but the Mac N Cheese was pretty average (the first not amazing thing on their menu). I still have my major complaint about the IP location, if you order just water they serve it to you in a tiny ass glass, you get about 6oz at the most, and have to beg for refills, all the other drinks come in much bigger glasses, but you don't get one for the water even if you ask.
On Monday night the Slider Truck had a special night at a secret location, what made it so special was that in addition to their amazing slider menu, they were offering the elusive French Dippers, for those of you not in the know, the slider truck is great, but every once and a while they offer some special items that aren't on the normal menu, the French Dippers are one that I have always wanted to try and I have to say it didn't disappoint!!! I still think the Porkie is my favorite slider truck offering but the French Dippers are probably a close second. The slider truck may be hard for a tourist to find as they are never on the strip, but if you have a car you need to find them, trust me it's worth the wait.
Well I'm pretty sure I've rambled on long enough...Until Next Time
Here's a summary of the weekend.
It all started on July 1st when I won free tickets to see Vince Neil at the Palms Pool via the Palm's Twitter. I worked until showtime, but figured since the show was 2 hours long, I could get there fashionably late and still see a good chunk of it...well was I wrong. When I won the tickets I got a message on twitter that said, " Enjoy the show. Tix will be available at the box office".
However when I got there at 9:10 and the Box Office was closed. I checked with the door at the show and the Bouncer said it wasn't his fault and without a ticket we couldn't get in, we should check with the Hotel. I checked with the players club and concierge and got no where, apparently the Box Office and the Pearl theater are ran by a separate company and once they leave it's tough shit. Who closes a box office when there is a concert going on?
Finally after the concierge calls 15 people they get someone who tells us to go recheck with the bouncer and it's up to his discretion, thankfully he takes pity on us and lets us through, this was my first time at the Palms Pool and I have to say it's a pretty nice set-up, we get in and make a bee line for the bar. I'm just about to order when the person next to me gets their beers $8 each for the 16oz aluminum can's of Miller Lite...I think not, so we head over to the stage and catch the last 5 songs of the set, which was pretty much a selection of Motley Crue songs, not too shabby, but if I had paid for the tickets and gotten that treatment I would not have been as easy going.
The 2nd and 3rd were pretty uneventful as I had to work, but I did discover a sad fact, beers at Ellis Island (my favorite local microbrewery/casino/24hr cafe) had increased in price. As of 7/1 20oz drafts of their micro-brewed beer are now a whopping $1.75 not the $1.50 that they were, not much of a jump, but still notable. (If you go to Ellis Island have the heffy with a splash of stout on top of it...you can thank me later)
The 4th was the start of my "weekend"; and I did my best to take advantage of it. After I got off work I met up with previously mentioned friend, and did my best to drink the strip dry.
For those of you not in the know Bills has 48oz pitchers of either Miller Lite or Coors Light, they run $6 each, but you can get 2 for $10, 96oz of beer for $10 is pretty damn hard to beat on the strip, so I ended up drinking 4 before the night was done, you get some pretty odd looks when you are carrying stack of 3 empty pitchers with a 4th one that you are drinking out of on top!!!
We went to Bill's to watch the fireworks that were being shot from Caesar's Palace. The parking lot of Bill's offered a great unobstructed view of the launch pad, I don't think I have ever been that close to the launching point of a major fireworks show in my life. The show was around 30 mins long, and was overall pretty good, I've seen better (4th of july in Washington, DC and Boston come to mind), but still a solid offering. The only bummer was that about 2/3rds of the way through the show security from bills came up and informed us that 4th floor of the garage was closed from construction and that we couldn't be there (bear in mind there were no signs from any pedestrian entry, and there were no visible signs of any construction being done), but we made it down to the ground level and out front in time for the Finale, so I don't think we missed much.
After the fireworks..I drank up and down the strip, enjoyed a cigar, and soaked up the atmosphere. At one point in the evening I ended up in the $2/4 limit 10 game mixed game at the IP where I was quickly reminded how much the Card Gods hate me...I won't get into the details as they're a little fuzzy but it involves a 2 flopped straights and 1 turned flush running into a runner runner higher straights, and an oceaned boat.
After sleeping the 4th off, we decided to do lunch at Hash House A Go Go, I have eaten at hash house several times at both the West Sahara location as well as their Imperial Palace location, the food is amazing at both, the service at IP location can be a little lacking but the food more than makes up for it!!!
I have made it my mission to have something new each time I eat there, this time I had the 1lb Bacon, Cheddar, and Mashed Potato stuffed hamburger with a side of Mac N Cheese. The burger was amazing, I ate about 80% of the patties, filling, and bottom, but but the Mac N Cheese was pretty average (the first not amazing thing on their menu). I still have my major complaint about the IP location, if you order just water they serve it to you in a tiny ass glass, you get about 6oz at the most, and have to beg for refills, all the other drinks come in much bigger glasses, but you don't get one for the water even if you ask.
On Monday night the Slider Truck had a special night at a secret location, what made it so special was that in addition to their amazing slider menu, they were offering the elusive French Dippers, for those of you not in the know, the slider truck is great, but every once and a while they offer some special items that aren't on the normal menu, the French Dippers are one that I have always wanted to try and I have to say it didn't disappoint!!! I still think the Porkie is my favorite slider truck offering but the French Dippers are probably a close second. The slider truck may be hard for a tourist to find as they are never on the strip, but if you have a car you need to find them, trust me it's worth the wait.
Well I'm pretty sure I've rambled on long enough...Until Next Time
Friday, July 2, 2010
Some sort of Record
I was in and out of the Vegas DMV in 90 minutes today, I'm pretty damn sure that is a record...for those of you not in vegas, it's nothing short of a miracle to get out of the DMV in under 2 hours, and my personal record is 4.5hrs, so today's 90 mins is something that took me by surprise.
Should have a good holiday weekend, I have a few friends in town, plans for the weekend include Vince Neil Concert, Beer, Blue Man Group, Beer, Fireworks, Beer, Poker, Beer, Hash House A Go GO, Beer, Possible 2+2 Meet-Up, Beer and did I mention beer??? Expect a blog update with all the details sometime next week.
Until Next Time
Should have a good holiday weekend, I have a few friends in town, plans for the weekend include Vince Neil Concert, Beer, Blue Man Group, Beer, Fireworks, Beer, Poker, Beer, Hash House A Go GO, Beer, Possible 2+2 Meet-Up, Beer and did I mention beer??? Expect a blog update with all the details sometime next week.
Until Next Time
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sweet 2 Tweetup/ The Summer of BWOP
This is going to be 2 completely different posts in one...why...because I'm too lazy to make 2 different posts!!!
Sweet2Tweet
On Thursday night I attended a Tweet-up at The West Wing Bar at the MGM Grand, I had never been to the WWB before, but I must say the place was pretty nice, it has a great lounge vibe, and the bartender whipped up an wicked Snozberry Martini, and I won some prizes so I can't complain.
I met quite a few Vegas tweeps including but not limited to TheLVTweetUP, LibationBlog, AmandaHimes, and ProjectDinnerTable. Everyone was friendly, the drinks were flowing, and I tweeted my brains out (for every tweet you got a raffle Ticket).
I ended up winning 2 Autographed Copies of Michael Mina's Cookbook, and a Starbucks Card
Not bad for doing nothing but drinking and tweeting (I know it's a rough life!!!)
I have to say Kudos to TasteMGMGrand, for setting up the event, as long as I can fit it into my schedule, I hope to attend several more tweet-ups around town.
The Summer Of BWOP
Last Night after work, I headed down to the V to sweat CK: The Black Widow Of Poker, who had made it to the final table of a Deep Stack Event.
I got there just after the final table had started, she was a fairly short stack, but picked several good places to get in and get some extra chippies.
There were some crazy hands at the table, and the guy who had a commanding chip lead, played the most odd strategy I have ever seen in a live tourney, he had only 3 moves in his arsenal...he would either Fold, Min-Raise, or Shove, bear in mind he at one point had over 60% of the chips in play and should have had the tourney on lock, but his horrid play lead to him pissing a large % of that stack back to that table. When it got to 3 handed they were almost all even.
CK eventually busted out 4th (congrats again CK), and after a celebratory drink we all went our separate ways. It was nice to see someone I know make a deep run in a tourney, hopefully this is just the tip of the Iceburg for her, and I can bring the #rungood to a few more final tables!!!
Well that's about it...Until Next Time
Sweet2Tweet
On Thursday night I attended a Tweet-up at The West Wing Bar at the MGM Grand, I had never been to the WWB before, but I must say the place was pretty nice, it has a great lounge vibe, and the bartender whipped up an wicked Snozberry Martini, and I won some prizes so I can't complain.
I met quite a few Vegas tweeps including but not limited to TheLVTweetUP, LibationBlog, AmandaHimes, and ProjectDinnerTable. Everyone was friendly, the drinks were flowing, and I tweeted my brains out (for every tweet you got a raffle Ticket).
I ended up winning 2 Autographed Copies of Michael Mina's Cookbook, and a Starbucks Card
Not bad for doing nothing but drinking and tweeting (I know it's a rough life!!!)
I have to say Kudos to TasteMGMGrand, for setting up the event, as long as I can fit it into my schedule, I hope to attend several more tweet-ups around town.
The Summer Of BWOP
Last Night after work, I headed down to the V to sweat CK: The Black Widow Of Poker, who had made it to the final table of a Deep Stack Event.
I got there just after the final table had started, she was a fairly short stack, but picked several good places to get in and get some extra chippies.
There were some crazy hands at the table, and the guy who had a commanding chip lead, played the most odd strategy I have ever seen in a live tourney, he had only 3 moves in his arsenal...he would either Fold, Min-Raise, or Shove, bear in mind he at one point had over 60% of the chips in play and should have had the tourney on lock, but his horrid play lead to him pissing a large % of that stack back to that table. When it got to 3 handed they were almost all even.
CK eventually busted out 4th (congrats again CK), and after a celebratory drink we all went our separate ways. It was nice to see someone I know make a deep run in a tourney, hopefully this is just the tip of the Iceburg for her, and I can bring the #rungood to a few more final tables!!!
Well that's about it...Until Next Time
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I Lost My Slidginity
Today for Lunch I hit up a newcomer to the Vegas Food Scene...the one and only Slider Truck.
I know the Gourmet "Roach Coach" is a thing that has been sweeping LA for a while, but Slider Truck was the first of it's kind in Vegas. When I lived in Phoenix I would occasionally grub at one of the "roach coaches" that would stop in the parking lot of the industrial complex I worked in, the food was good, but it was nothing special, I can tell you Slider Truck is nothing like your average roach coach, it's top notch grub.
For those of you not familiar with the roach coach concept it's basically a truck with a kitchen in it, they drive around to several places and serve up food from the truck, it's usually tacos, burgers, and the such, but there has been a trend towards gourmet roach coaches that include not only sliders (in vegas), but also grilled cheese, philly cheese steaks, and medical marijuana lollipops (all 3 in LA). This was my first Gourmet Roach Coach experience but it won't be my last.
I already Yelped a review of the place so I'm just going to repost it here.
After hearing everyone rave about slider truck, I decided to give it a try. I had this afternoon off and they were setting up lunch a few blocks from my house, so today was the day.
Most places that are really hyped up never seem to wow me, I don't know if I go in expecting too much or if I'm just don't seem to like what others do, but I will tell you this Slider Truck lived up to the Hype.
I met a friend there for lunch, when I pulled up there were about 5 people infront of us in line, but it moved pretty quickly, I ordered 2 Barbies and a Pulled Porkie, along with a gatorade. I thought about the sweet potato fries but passed (will get them next time).
The wait for the line and the wait for the food weren't bad, my only real complaint was the location, there was a half wall to sit on, but no tables or anything, and well being 100+ degrees a place to sit would have been nice, but you can't really blame them for that.
The Barbie were great...I got them with out the Jalapenos, as I'm not a pepper fan, but the rest was amazing, the buns were soft and toasted to perfection, the beef was great, you can tell they were hand pattied not premade, and the BBQ sauce is amazing!!!
As if the Barbie wasn't good enough...the Pulled Porkie was AMAZING...the pork was moist, and had a good smoky flavor, the buns the same as the barbie, and the sauce was amazing as well, next time I'll probably just get Porkies unless they have something new to try as it was my hands down favorite.
I really like when a place lives up to the hype and without a doubt this won't be the last time I visit the Slider Truck.
Today I lost my Slidginity and it was amazing!!!
On a side note I am currently watching Bert the Conqueror on the Travel Channel, I have been a fan on Bert's comedy for a while, and I must say this show is pretty good, tomorrow night he does SkyJump at the Strat...which is on my Vegas Bucket List!!!
Until Next Time
I know the Gourmet "Roach Coach" is a thing that has been sweeping LA for a while, but Slider Truck was the first of it's kind in Vegas. When I lived in Phoenix I would occasionally grub at one of the "roach coaches" that would stop in the parking lot of the industrial complex I worked in, the food was good, but it was nothing special, I can tell you Slider Truck is nothing like your average roach coach, it's top notch grub.
For those of you not familiar with the roach coach concept it's basically a truck with a kitchen in it, they drive around to several places and serve up food from the truck, it's usually tacos, burgers, and the such, but there has been a trend towards gourmet roach coaches that include not only sliders (in vegas), but also grilled cheese, philly cheese steaks, and medical marijuana lollipops (all 3 in LA). This was my first Gourmet Roach Coach experience but it won't be my last.
I already Yelped a review of the place so I'm just going to repost it here.
After hearing everyone rave about slider truck, I decided to give it a try. I had this afternoon off and they were setting up lunch a few blocks from my house, so today was the day.
Most places that are really hyped up never seem to wow me, I don't know if I go in expecting too much or if I'm just don't seem to like what others do, but I will tell you this Slider Truck lived up to the Hype.
I met a friend there for lunch, when I pulled up there were about 5 people infront of us in line, but it moved pretty quickly, I ordered 2 Barbies and a Pulled Porkie, along with a gatorade. I thought about the sweet potato fries but passed (will get them next time).
The wait for the line and the wait for the food weren't bad, my only real complaint was the location, there was a half wall to sit on, but no tables or anything, and well being 100+ degrees a place to sit would have been nice, but you can't really blame them for that.
The Barbie were great...I got them with out the Jalapenos, as I'm not a pepper fan, but the rest was amazing, the buns were soft and toasted to perfection, the beef was great, you can tell they were hand pattied not premade, and the BBQ sauce is amazing!!!
As if the Barbie wasn't good enough...the Pulled Porkie was AMAZING...the pork was moist, and had a good smoky flavor, the buns the same as the barbie, and the sauce was amazing as well, next time I'll probably just get Porkies unless they have something new to try as it was my hands down favorite.
I really like when a place lives up to the hype and without a doubt this won't be the last time I visit the Slider Truck.
Today I lost my Slidginity and it was amazing!!!
On a side note I am currently watching Bert the Conqueror on the Travel Channel, I have been a fan on Bert's comedy for a while, and I must say this show is pretty good, tomorrow night he does SkyJump at the Strat...which is on my Vegas Bucket List!!!
Until Next Time
Monday, June 21, 2010
ESZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZN
I am not a huge soccer fan, yet I try me best to watch the World Cup. I know this is the "world's largest sporting event" and billions are wagered, but honestly watching soccer can be as fun as watching a poker tourney final table live, or as enjoyable was watching paint dry!!! Nothing gets me excited like a Nil-Nil draw...and don't get me started on those damn Vuvuzelas, it sounds like there is either a swarm of bees are attacking the stadium or there is one hell of a traffic jam outside.
I will watch a match or 2, and I'm not really upset that it's on ESPN, because they leave ESPN2 alone so I can watch NFL Live, Sports Nation, Mike and Mike in the Morning, and the like, but wait a minute, what's that on the Deuce right now...Wimbleton, you have to be fucking kidding me, wow ESPN you managed to find something Americans care less about than Soccer, and you are showing them both at the same time, I can't imagine the ratings spike you're currently expecting.
So now I find myself desperately surfing the channels, looking for Knitting Today, The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, hell I'd take reruns of the US Open from yesterday over this crap.
Hey ESPN if I needed to take a nap you'd be my first choice, I know you're the "world wide leader in sports" but you may want to focus a little less on the world and a little more on those of us who actually watch your channel, hey the World Championship of Crocheting starts next week, when can I expect coverage???
Until Next Time
I will watch a match or 2, and I'm not really upset that it's on ESPN, because they leave ESPN2 alone so I can watch NFL Live, Sports Nation, Mike and Mike in the Morning, and the like, but wait a minute, what's that on the Deuce right now...Wimbleton, you have to be fucking kidding me, wow ESPN you managed to find something Americans care less about than Soccer, and you are showing them both at the same time, I can't imagine the ratings spike you're currently expecting.
So now I find myself desperately surfing the channels, looking for Knitting Today, The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, hell I'd take reruns of the US Open from yesterday over this crap.
Hey ESPN if I needed to take a nap you'd be my first choice, I know you're the "world wide leader in sports" but you may want to focus a little less on the world and a little more on those of us who actually watch your channel, hey the World Championship of Crocheting starts next week, when can I expect coverage???
Until Next Time
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Allow my self, to introduce...myself
Hello all...my name is Minton and this is my Blog.
I was born in the booming metropolis of Litchfield, MN...don't worry if I didn't grow up there I wouldn't know where it was either. I went to college at Pittsburg State University, a small DII school in south eastern Kansas. After college I worked a few various sales jobs that took me across the US, I lived in Phoenix AZ, Long Beach CA, Little Rock AR, and Houston TX. A little over a year ago I decided to pack up shop and move out to Vegas.
I grew with a family that played cards all the time, my Grandmother was the Queen of Cards, around her kitchen table (and various other places throughout her house) we played everything from 5 card draw to cribbage, and many many more. I have always loved cards since. I am predominately a NL Texas Hold'em player, but cut my live play teeth on 1-5 Stud 8 at Gila River Casino in Phoenix. I am a big fan of mixed games and have played pretty much any game that Nevada gaming will allow casinos to spread.
In college I started doing my best to drink every beer ever made, and have made it my mission to drink any and all brews I can get my hands on. I am not a big Hop Head, but have found that I usually enjoy a good heffy or a solid micro brew. I'm sure there will be some brew reviews to come as I do my best to drink this town dry.
I am a foodie, well not a crazy foodie, but I do enjoy food. There isn't a food I won't try at least once. I am a huge hand of BBQ, American, and well pretty much anything you put on a plate in front of me. There will probably be a restaurant review or two here, however I will tell you this...if I ever use NOM NOM, or any of that other pretentious foodie speak feel free to track me down and kick me in the nuts!!!
A few years I started getting into cigars, I am a big fan of light to medium bodied churchills, and am on a big Rocky Patel Sungrown kick, but will try pretty much any cigar at least once.
I started off with a Pseudo Thread Blog over on All Vegas Poker, and I'm sure a few of you know me from over there, I think that thread has pretty much ran it's path so I decided to jump in to a real blog...who know where this will take me.
I'm sure there is a lot more I could write, but I don't really know where to go without more rambling, so I'm gonna cut it off here...Until Next Time
I was born in the booming metropolis of Litchfield, MN...don't worry if I didn't grow up there I wouldn't know where it was either. I went to college at Pittsburg State University, a small DII school in south eastern Kansas. After college I worked a few various sales jobs that took me across the US, I lived in Phoenix AZ, Long Beach CA, Little Rock AR, and Houston TX. A little over a year ago I decided to pack up shop and move out to Vegas.
I grew with a family that played cards all the time, my Grandmother was the Queen of Cards, around her kitchen table (and various other places throughout her house) we played everything from 5 card draw to cribbage, and many many more. I have always loved cards since. I am predominately a NL Texas Hold'em player, but cut my live play teeth on 1-5 Stud 8 at Gila River Casino in Phoenix. I am a big fan of mixed games and have played pretty much any game that Nevada gaming will allow casinos to spread.
In college I started doing my best to drink every beer ever made, and have made it my mission to drink any and all brews I can get my hands on. I am not a big Hop Head, but have found that I usually enjoy a good heffy or a solid micro brew. I'm sure there will be some brew reviews to come as I do my best to drink this town dry.
I am a foodie, well not a crazy foodie, but I do enjoy food. There isn't a food I won't try at least once. I am a huge hand of BBQ, American, and well pretty much anything you put on a plate in front of me. There will probably be a restaurant review or two here, however I will tell you this...if I ever use NOM NOM, or any of that other pretentious foodie speak feel free to track me down and kick me in the nuts!!!
A few years I started getting into cigars, I am a big fan of light to medium bodied churchills, and am on a big Rocky Patel Sungrown kick, but will try pretty much any cigar at least once.
I started off with a Pseudo Thread Blog over on All Vegas Poker, and I'm sure a few of you know me from over there, I think that thread has pretty much ran it's path so I decided to jump in to a real blog...who know where this will take me.
I'm sure there is a lot more I could write, but I don't really know where to go without more rambling, so I'm gonna cut it off here...Until Next Time
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Testing Testing 1..2..4
Okay so this is my first attempt at blogging, I have been keeping a pseudo blog on another site for a while and I figured, fuck it...I might as well make it a real blog.
I have no clue what will be posted on here, mainly ramblings, and musings about my life in Vegas.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride
I have no clue what will be posted on here, mainly ramblings, and musings about my life in Vegas.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride
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