WSOP Dining Recommendations

Hello WSOP people:

Welcome to Las Vegas, as a local and a poker player (well occasional poker player), let me say hello, pull up a chair, and enjoy your stay.  One thing that comes with living is Las Vegas is that I get to play tour guide, unlike many I actually enjoy doing this. I love seeing the city through a guest’s eye, and introducing seasoned visitors to things that they've never done.

There are a bunch of things to do in Vegas other than gamble (gaps), this post (hopefully the first in a series) will discuss a few of your WSOP dining options. This list contains 10 places that I personally enjoy, all are within 10 minutes of the Rio, most can be visited during a 90 minute dinner break, a few would probably be better on an off night, or if you want to drown your bust out sorrows in a plate of food. Many of these places aren't that crowded, and will be free of poker players (for the most part), so they can also be good places for a sit down discussion of play without the worry of eavesdroppers.  

So without further rambling ladies and gentlemen (ok mostly gentlemen) I present to you 

  

 Mitzula's 10 WSOP Friendly Locations within 10 minutes of the Rio for the 2014 WSOP

1)      Naked City Pizza Shop (Desert Inn and Arville)  Hours:  11a-3a Daily

Naked City Pizza Shop is one of my go to places in Vegas, it’s minutes from the Rio (twain to arville) and is inside of one of the diveiest bars in the city (Moondoggies).  The menu includes pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads, and burgers. There is a full service bar, and the entire place is 21+ and smoker friendly.

 I have eaten at Naked City more times than I can count and have yet to have a bad meal there. Chef Chris and his crew know what they’re doing and the food they’re serving out of that tiny kitchen never fails to amaze me.

My recommended menu items include Wing Dip (imagine spinach artichoke dip but with buffalo wings), Poutine, Bacon and Eggs Pizza (trust me it’s AMAZING), and The Royal Sandwich.

Almost everything in Naked is Hand Made and is relatively cheap, with the average dinner setting you back under $20 + drinks. The service can sometimes be spotty and if the kitchen is backed up it can take a little while to get your food, but trust me it’s worth the wait.

2)      Fat Choy  Inside the Eureka Casino (E Sahara and Maryland Pkwy)

Hours:  Mon-Thurs 11a-9p Fri/Sat 11a-midnight Sunday 9a-10p (special brunch menu)

Fat Choy is a new kid in the culinary world, it’s a bit of a challenge to find inside the Eureka Casino (on East Sahara just before Maryland Parkway), but trust me once you visit you’ll be heading back in no time. Chef Sheridan has a kitchen pedigree that is unmatched by many chefs in Vegas, after working at several top level restaurants on the strip he packed up his knives and moved into a tiny stall inside of a hair salon, he served up nothing but Bao at the location, until he started getting busier than the Salon and he was booted. If Fat Choy was downtown it would be the talk of Las Vegas and would be impossible to get into, however since it’s in the Eureka it’s still considered a hidden gem.

I have personally ate my way through pretty much the entire menu and can say without a doubt that Grandma’s Pot Stickers are hands down the best I’ve ever had. The filling is great; the skins are delicate and crisped to perfection, I have to have an order every time I visit. My other go to item is the Short Rib Grilled Cheese on Sourdough Bread. Its one part grilled cheese and one part bbq sandwich, served with a side of onion jam, it’s my go to entrée. Other menu highlights include Bone Marrow, Bao (Pork Belly and Duck), Duck Rice, The Fat Choy Burger (with short rib and a fried egg).  

On Sundays Chef Sheridan and crew serve up an all day brunch menu that includes: Chicken and Waffles, Kalbi Steak and Eggs,  a Fat Benedict (eggs benny with pork belly replacing the ham), and nutella roti. If you find yourself wanting a Brunch fix I highly recommend checking them out!

They also have some great desserts , it’s a new place and there are sometimes some hiccups (they’re working them out as the crew gets more experience). There is usually one chef in the kitchen so orders may take a while to get our but, the quality of the food more than makes up for the few hiccups you may encounter.

3)      Big Wong (Spring Mtn and Decatur) Hours: 10a-11p Daily

Big Wong is a great little mom and pop Chinese joint in the same plaza as Monta Ramen, Raku Susho, and Trattoria Nakamura-Ya, however they’re not nearly as busy or expensive as their neighbors. The menu is pretty deep and offers up a bunch of great food for under $10 per item with the average item price being closer to $5 than $10, the only things over $10 are the Steak Special and the Dungeness Crab (which is prepared fresh to order). I am a big fan of their Salt and Pepper wings (possibly the best wings in Vegas), Beef Ramen, Bok Choy, Chicken and Chinese Sausage, and Dessert Roti (which for only $1 each may be the best dessert deal in the city).

On a street filled with many great Asian places Big Wong’s Quality, Portion Size, and Low Price make it stand out above the many options.

4)      Desnudo Tacos  (Desert Inn and Arville Next Door To Naked City Pizza) Hours: 11a-8p Sun 11a-10p Mon-Sat

Desnudo is quickly becoming my go to Mexican restaurant. It's a great little spot inside the bones of a former transmission shop. It is a owned/ran by Chef Chris Palmeri (owner of Naked City) and Christian Dolias. Now I know what you're saying, come on you're recommending a Mexican Joint owned by 2 white guys??? Yes...Yes I am, I have eaten here a handful of times and it's never disappointed me.

The menu is pretty solid. I highly recommend the Torta De Puerco, the Chivo (goat), The California Burrito, and the Loaded Guac. The Torta is amazing, braised pork, confit pork belly, and house pickled veggies on an amazing Torta Roll, I order this pretty much every time I visit. The Loaded Guac comes packed with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Pumpkin Seeds and is great. They also offer up wines, sangria, and locally brewed beers. You can also order from the Naked City menu next door if you want to eat pizza and avoid the dive bar next door.

5)      Fuku Burger Truck (weekly schedule on their SITE) Hours: Usually 8p-2a

The food truck boom was in full swing last year during the WSOP, this year most of the trucks have scaled back their hours. One of the few that are still out on the street pretty much every night is Fuku Burger. They have been serving burgers up for over 2 years now and they do it right. Their menu is pretty small, but their food packs a big punch.  They offer up a few burgers, a chicken sandwich, Moco Loco, Hot Dogs, and a daily special. But the best things at Fuku weren't on the menu when the truck started. You have to try the Fat Hakujin (a double pattied asian inspired bacon cheese burger with a fried egg on top) or the lil’ Chris (same thing but with one patty) and their Jazz Fries (Gravy fries with Crack Sauce).  They’re out most nights, their schedule is easy to find on their website, so hunt them down, order up a burger and some jazz fries, pull up a Home Depot Bucket, and enjoy one of the best meals in the city.

Fukuburger is also currently running the Faux Truck at FAME in the Linq, they're serving up the same menu as the truck, so if you're checking out Linq duck in for a burger and some Jazz Fries!

6)      Bar Forte (Rainbow and Flamingo) Hours: Sun/Mon 5p-10:30p Tues-Sat Noon-10:30

Forte is one of a handful of Tapas bars in Las Vegas, however unlike Firefly, forte’s dishes don’t come with a side of Salmonella!  Forte offers up tapas and a full menu that has a Easter European twist. My personal favorites include the Jamon Serrano, Chorizo Con Vino, Garlic Forte Fries, Hungarian Goulash, and the Bulgarian Mixed Grill. Many of the sausages are made in house, and the bar serves up some great drinks. It’s a little bit of a hike from the Rio, but trust me it’s worth checking out.

7)      Da Lat (Flamingo and Cameron) Hours 9:30a-4a Daily

In a city full of Pho joints there are many great choices. I’m picking Da Lat for a few reasons. It’s rediciously close to the Rio (just past arville on flamingo), relatively cheap most bowls are between $7 & $9, and is usually never too crowded. They may not best the best Pho Joint in the city, but if you’re looking for a bowl of noodles and don’t have a lot of time to invest you could do much worse.

8)      Baby Stacks Café (Flamingo and Buffalo) Hours M-F 7a-2p Sat/Sun 7a-3p

Baby Stacks is the only Breakfast place on the list. I know most poker people don’t do breakfast but if you find yourself up after an all night session you need to do yourself a favor and grab breakfast at Baby Stacks.  They offer up an decent selection of traditional breakfast foods (benedicts, omelets, skillets, and eggs) as well as a bunch of sandwiches for lunch, however the things that sets Baby Stacks apart is their Pancake Menu. They have 15+ types of pancakes ranging from the traditional buttermilk and chocolate chip to specialties such as red velvet, bacon,  rocky road, lemon ricotta, and cinnabun just to name a few.

9)      Sushi House Goyemon (Decatur and Hacienda) Hours: 11:30a-3a Daily (last call at 2:30am)

Goyemon is without a doubt my favorite sushi places anywhere in the US. They have an amazing selection of rolls, plus many items that you will not find on a traditional sushi menu (including Pork Belly, Grilled Calimari, Nigiri, and Ramen). Goyemon is owned by the same family that operates Monta Ramen, every night after 10pm they add a Ramen to the menu, the ramen is great and is even better if you toss a few pieces of pork belly in with it (then again what isn’t).  They are open until 3am, and have a last call for rolls at 2:30 am. One nice thing about Goyemon is you can get half your order in full or half rolls, by ordering halves you can try a lot more sushi options without getting stuffed.

10)   SN Trukstop at Tommy Rockers (Dean Martin and Flamingo) Saturdays 9p-3a

This isn't a restaurant; however it is a great place to check out. They bring in anywhere between 3-5 food trucks to Tommy Rockers and they set up shop in the parking lot. The trucks rotate weekly, and Tommy Rockers has a full bar for all your drinking needs. There is often a band playing inside the bar, and you are welcomed to bring food from the trucks into the bar. Once a month they do a Back of House Brawl where some local  chefs throw down in a Chopped style battle featuring a basket of secret ingredients, they’re given 30 minutes to prep a dish on one of the food trucks, and the winner gets the PBR trophy. It’s a fun thing to check out, and a great place to meet some of the industry peeps who feed you outside of the restaurant. It's also minutes from the rio and the bar is open 24/7.

Knocking off the dust - a 2012 recap

Hello Folks-

It's been a long time since I posted on here, things have changed in my life and I may get to them. But for now I'm just going to try to get back into blogging. I am working on a new project that will have me writing a lot more and I'm a little rusty so I figured I'd write out a few blogs until I feel like I'm ready for the project. (Project is still in early development, so no info yet but let's just say it has a ton of potential)

I thought since it's the start of 2013 and I didn't post anything about 2012 I'd do a top 10 things I did in 2012 post, cover my last year and let everyone know what's been going on in my world. So without more rambling, here's my top 10 things of 2012.

1) I lost 50lbs: During a corporate weight loss challenge I dropped 50 lbs which helped my team secure 3rd place over all. (yes I have put 20 of them back on, but still 30 lbs isn't too shabby). Most of the weight was lost by diet, I went from eating pretty much anything put in front of me to a very strict diet. Yogurt for breakfast, Turkey Breast and Cucumbers for lunch, and Chicken Breasts and Cukes for dinner, rinse and repeat for 90 days. I am doing the challenge this year with the goal of being under 200 lbs for the first time since probably 9th grade.

2) Dinner at E by Jose Andres: What better way to celebrate a Weight Loss Challenge than by eating 25 courses of food? This is no ordinary meal, to start you have to set up reservations 90 days out (i think it's 120 days now). The place seats 8 people so it's pretty hard to get a seat. The meal is probably one of the best ones I've ever had. Insanely lavish ingredients, cooked using some of the craziest techniques, and served with a meticulous attention to detail. Yes the meal did cost a large chunk of change, but it was worth every penny. Photos of the meal can be seen HERE

3) Volunteered: I am a volunteer docent at the Neon Museum and Boneyard, it is a pretty kick ass place downtown filled with a lot of Vegas history. Starting next week I will be giving tours (which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time). I have been looking for somewhere to give back to this community I love so much and the Neon Museum is a great place to do it. Some photos from the museum can be seen HERE

4) Copperfield Museum: I got to tour the Copperfield Warehouse and museum. I'm not allowed to talk much about it since he likes to keep everything a mystery, but honestly it was a once in a lifetime experience that I totally dumb lucked my way into (like most things in my life). I have always been a huge fan of magic and getting to see pieces and props from not only Copperfield's Shows, but also from many of the greats was an experience I'll never forget.

Photo of me with David Copperfield

5) San Francisco: I took a summer trip to San Fran, after the Twins game during my annual trek back to Minnesota was rained out I had to keep my 15 year string of seeing the twins play at least once a season intact. I found out they were in Oakland, and headed that way. I got to eat Top Chef Masters Champion Chris Constantino's place, eat sourdough, tour the Golden Gate Bridge, and actually watched the twins win. If your team ever plays the A's I highly recommend the trek, while the O.co Park isn't that nice, the fact you can get 4th row behind the visiting team dug out seats for $45 walk up on the day of the game makes it an amazing deal. Photos from my trip to the Bay Area can be seen HERE

6) LA: I also took a trip to Los Angles for my birthday. The plan was to hit up the Price Is Right and Conan O'Brien, sadly the line for TPIR was cut off three people before me. However the rest of the trip was great. I got to see BOB preform in the back lot at Jimmy Kimmel's show, ate at several amazing places including a plethora of food trucks, saw Conan tape a show, ate more yummy food, went to the pier, saw the Hollywood Blvd, and did I mention good food? Photos from LA can be found HERE

7) Running Rebels: I bought a mini ticket plan for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels this season. I have always loved college basketball and honestly there isn't really much more for a "local" sports team here. The Wranglers are fun, but Hockey in the desert is a bit of a stretch. The UNLV Rebels have been getting a lot of national attention this season (including a top 25 rating) so I was pretty gung ho to check them out. Granted even though they did lose the first game I attended this season, it's been fun attending the games.

8) Cigars: I got back into cigar smoking. I have smoked cigars for years, usually just on special occasions, however recently my roommate and I have been getting into cigars a little more. We have been converting our porch into a cigar lounge (Creeper's Cigar Porch), and I've been doing my best to keep my humidor stocked with decent sticks. It's one of my few vices I have left, and it's one I'm actually enjoying.


9) Positive Money NFL Season: I didn't make heaps and heaps of money, but I actually had a winning season this year betting the NFL, this may not seem like much to many of you, but making money always makes a NFL season more memorable (plus I usually suck out loud at sports betting).

10) Sobriety: December 30th 2012 marked 18 months sober for me. It's been a bit of a struggle, but I can honestly say I'm a much better person because of it.