I recently underwent a transformative process of dreaming awake. Well, no, not really, but I spent back to back weeks in Las Vegas and Maui, and explored some of the more visceral culinary delights during both, mostly to save on cost (which doesn't work in either place), but also to reach into the lesser aspects of both popular vacation culture spots.
Las Vegas was a special sort of vacation, read: not a vacation at all. My sweetie runs an incredibly successful body jewelry business, which, still being a start up, is run by her and her alone, with help occassionally garnered from termpory hires: mostly me (I work for food) and apprentices. We were in Las Vegas for the 2009 APP--the Association of Professional Piercers Convention and Certification classses. The entire event is closed to the public, and provides a safe environment for anyone in the piercing industry to come to re-up on classes, or to vend. Glass Heart Studio (us) set a vending booth with Omega Red from Iowa, and rocked a show booth for four long days.
Yours truly played the gopher. I had the car, ran the errands, and found the food. While most of our sustanence came in the form of snacks and quick nibbles between work, I did get a chance to go off strip for two dining experiences: one landed me in Roberto's Mexican Cantina, a little hole in the wall mexican place with fairly plain food. It was fine for the price, $3.95 for a burrito. In Portland, this is standard, in Vegas, this is robbery. Seriously. In the land of $5.50 Coronas, charges for toilets, dings and whistles, and smoking in restaurants, a $4 burrito is like an oasis of pure spring water--which, in the dry, 104°F Las Vegas weather would also have been appreciated.
The creme de la creme of the Vegas trip was not as special as the previous year's special--which landed Annemarie and Me at both Bouchon (Thomas Keller's killer little French Bistro in Vegas) and also Woo, and tapas fusion Chinese restaurant--but needed so badly that the hole in wall Vietnamese Pho joint was perfect. Not only cheap, but easily the most extensive menu I have ever seen at a pho place; never mind the delicious fresh food served hot in a tinted-window, air-conditioned dining area. Avacado Shake anyone? With Tapioca pearls? Will the wonder never cease?
Now, for me, being picky, I was not impressed with the main dinner of our experience...at least, not culinarily impressed. However, given the experience, I will pass on the recommendation for an actual hole-in-the-wall. Actually the name of the place is Batista's Hole In The Wall (for real) and is a traditional Italian-American family eatery.
They easily seated the 12 of us that showed up (with reservations for 10). The menu was long and is available online (www.batistaslasvegas.com). It is wiuth wonder that I explain the perfection of the restuarant. The only thing ordered in the main course, all else, including wine, garlic bread, salad or soup, pasta and capaccino are included in the price. Entrees run between $21 and $36, but this is all inclusive. The food was mediocore, but the experience was sublime: interaction with the establishment was kep to a minimum, putting interaction tableside as the focal point. All 12 of us agreed that the restaurant is a awesome occurance, and as they proudly say at the Quickie Mart next door (amidst skyscraping casinos): "Our lease is up in 21 years...we are here to serve you!"
(to be continued)
Las Vegas was a special sort of vacation, read: not a vacation at all. My sweetie runs an incredibly successful body jewelry business, which, still being a start up, is run by her and her alone, with help occassionally garnered from termpory hires: mostly me (I work for food) and apprentices. We were in Las Vegas for the 2009 APP--the Association of Professional Piercers Convention and Certification classses. The entire event is closed to the public, and provides a safe environment for anyone in the piercing industry to come to re-up on classes, or to vend. Glass Heart Studio (us) set a vending booth with Omega Red from Iowa, and rocked a show booth for four long days.
Yours truly played the gopher. I had the car, ran the errands, and found the food. While most of our sustanence came in the form of snacks and quick nibbles between work, I did get a chance to go off strip for two dining experiences: one landed me in Roberto's Mexican Cantina, a little hole in the wall mexican place with fairly plain food. It was fine for the price, $3.95 for a burrito. In Portland, this is standard, in Vegas, this is robbery. Seriously. In the land of $5.50 Coronas, charges for toilets, dings and whistles, and smoking in restaurants, a $4 burrito is like an oasis of pure spring water--which, in the dry, 104°F Las Vegas weather would also have been appreciated.
The creme de la creme of the Vegas trip was not as special as the previous year's special--which landed Annemarie and Me at both Bouchon (Thomas Keller's killer little French Bistro in Vegas) and also Woo, and tapas fusion Chinese restaurant--but needed so badly that the hole in wall Vietnamese Pho joint was perfect. Not only cheap, but easily the most extensive menu I have ever seen at a pho place; never mind the delicious fresh food served hot in a tinted-window, air-conditioned dining area. Avacado Shake anyone? With Tapioca pearls? Will the wonder never cease?
Now, for me, being picky, I was not impressed with the main dinner of our experience...at least, not culinarily impressed. However, given the experience, I will pass on the recommendation for an actual hole-in-the-wall. Actually the name of the place is Batista's Hole In The Wall (for real) and is a traditional Italian-American family eatery.
They easily seated the 12 of us that showed up (with reservations for 10). The menu was long and is available online (www.batistaslasvegas.com). It is wiuth wonder that I explain the perfection of the restuarant. The only thing ordered in the main course, all else, including wine, garlic bread, salad or soup, pasta and capaccino are included in the price. Entrees run between $21 and $36, but this is all inclusive. The food was mediocore, but the experience was sublime: interaction with the establishment was kep to a minimum, putting interaction tableside as the focal point. All 12 of us agreed that the restaurant is a awesome occurance, and as they proudly say at the Quickie Mart next door (amidst skyscraping casinos): "Our lease is up in 21 years...we are here to serve you!"
(to be continued)
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