Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
know what's best that day (and if Bill's not there, ask for Tony) and he'll steer you
towards the
Saipin
(Northern) Thai specialties that really make this place unique.
As an example:
Nua Dad Deaw
($7.95), a dry fried beef, almost like a lime-infused
beef jerky, that's so addictive, I saved the leftovers to munch in my car all the next
day (and mourned when I was done). Or the
Nam Kao Tod
($7.95), a wonderfully
tart sausage, dry in texture, nutty, minty, and sided by crispy deep-fried rice. Or
the jackfruit curry with smoked fish ($8.95), or a crispy mussel omelet served with
a spicy red sauce that makes this dish so much more special than just eggs ($8.95).
I list all of these just to give you an idea of what your meal could be like, but really,
ignore what I'm writing here, and go with what Bill recommends, as he knows best.
Just be sure to tell him how much spice you can take and don't overestimate your
tolerance; the kitchen will sear your tongue off, if you ask for it hot. An unusually
fine wine list, with lots of great Rieslings, is another unusual touch (it was com-
piled with the help of the celebrity Strip chefs who dine here—sometimes before
they go to their own places—whenever they're in town). One more thing—don't
skip dessert! The fried bananas, coconut ice creams, and sweet sticky rice are the
perfect complement to all the fire and spice that will have preceded it.
$-$$
Of course, you don't have to go to a culinary powerhouse like Lotus of
Siam to have a fun meal. In this, the capital of kitsch and ultratacky decor, those
historic elements are reason enough to pick a restaurant, and when they are the
criterion, you go straight to
Carluccios
5
(1775 E. Tropicana Ave., at Spencer St.;
%
702/795-3236; Tues-Sun 4:30-10pm; AE, DISC, MC, V).
What's the story here?
Well, it was owned by a certain extremely famous Sin City-based performer. The
decor of the place may just clue you in to who that was. Let's see, the front of the
building is shaped to look like a huge sheet of music. And in the back room the
bar is painted to look like a piano, the ceilings and walls are mirrored, the chairs
are a groovy '60s see-through plastic, and the piano in the middle of the room is
covered with Swarovski crystals. Ooh, you're right—this was once Liberace's joint!
The current owners had the good sense to keep the “music room” looking just as
it did when the man with the rhinestone thumb was in charge, though unfortu-
nately they've remodeled the rest to look like 1,200 other Italian restaurants (so
request a table in the rear). Stories abound about bottles of wine flying through
the air here, and racks of liquor mysteriously falling over on Liberace's birthday—
a botched, other-worldly attempt to redecorate? The maestro couldn't have been
complaining about the food, which, while not gourmet, is pleasant, in an Italian-
by-way-of-Toledo manner. But the rolls arrive warm, the minestrone soup ($2.25)
contains a garden's worth of veggies, and the red sauce is robust—though I wish
it didn't arrive slathered over every conceivable entree and appetizer (pastas tend
to run $7.50-$8, with meat, fish, and chicken dishes from $12-$14). Tops on the
menu are the thick, Sicilian pizzas ($9 medium, $11 large), which have a raft of
choices for toppings. And try to plan your visit for a Wednesday night when Wes
Winters takes to the gilded piano to play dozens of Liberace's and his favorite
songs, with the schmoozy patter and emphatic fingering of the maestro.
$-$$
Food also seems a bit beside the point at the hipper-than-thou
Pink Taco
5
(in the Hard Rock Hotel, at 4455 Paradise Rd.;
%
800/HRD-ROCK or 702/693-
5544; www.hardrockhotel.com; Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm; AE,
