Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is actually part of a growing chain of “haute dog” stands, founded on Venice Beach
in Los Angeles, which can now be found in stadiums, department stores, and con-
vention centers across the U.S. Learning the trade from his dad, Max the Butcher,
Maroni took the family recipe and hippied it up (hey, he was selling 'em on Venice
beach) by keeping the chunks of meat large—no “mystery meat” here—and pair-
ing them with such unusual ingredients as cilantro, tangerine, figs, corn, and
apples. Diners can now try 6 sausages on an average day, which will range from the
traditional (hot dogs for $3; Italian sausage, polish sausage, bratwurst, and the like
for $4.90) to audacious combinations such as tequila chicken; orange-garlic-
cumin, apple-maple-pork; and Venetian chicken with sun dried tomatoes and
basil. One is more than enough for a meal, as it comes bedded on a soft, fresh
onion roll, and can be topped with onions and peppers on request.
Fulton's Fish would seem more at home in Kent, U.K., than in “New York,”
but never mind. Serving up fried fish and chips (those are french fries, for the
uninitiated), it does a good job of keeping it all pretty light, fresh tasting, and
non-greasy. It's not up to the standards of nearby Maroni's, but still a good option
for vegetarian noshers (at least those of the fish-eating variety).
$-$$$
For visitors seeking a cheap date place, though one that's not too obvi-
ously cheap—if you take him or her to Denny's, you'll likely be leaving alone—
I'd recommend
Max's Café
5
(in the Miracle Mile Shops, in Planet Hollywood
Resort & Casino;
%
702/696-9080; www.palmgrille.com; daily 9am-11pm; AE,
DISC, MC, V)
in the Miracle Mile Mall. A classy-looking joint, all dark woods,
white tablecloths and chic oversized hanging lampshades, it features bargain base-
ment pricing for darn good eats. At lunch, entrees start at just $4 and you'll have
five nice ones to choose from at that price. You can get away with a $7 entrée at
dinner (again a choice of five) with the fancy main dishes topping out at just $16.
Oversized salads are the specialty here (note to the men: Women will love having
that option), and they're super-fresh and may be better dressed than your date.
Along with the salads are appetizers, pasta dishes (all $8 at dinner), grilled items
and skippable pizza (an overly sweet sauce makes it the only real disappointment
on the menu). Other considerations for romance: “well drinks”; beer and house
wines are three for the price of one; and if you run out of things to talk about,
you can always turn your attention to the hourly rain “show” that takes place right
outside the café, in full view of the patio tables.
$-$$
Bare bones but not too pricey, the
Island Buffet
(in the Tropicana Hotel;
%
888/826-TROP; www.tropicanalv.com; Mon-Fri 7:30am-1:30pm and 4-10pm,
Sat-Sun 7:30am-2:30pm and 4-10pm; breakfast
$
11, champagne brunch
$
16,
lunch
$
12, dinner
$
16; AE, DISC, MC, V)
has the distinction of having the smallest
buffet on the Strip (when I first went in, I assumed that the actual tables must be
in another room; no such luck). The salad fixings are iceberg, carrots, and a cou-
pla tomatoes, and the desserts taste like sawdust. So why am I even recommend-
ing it? Because there's an abundance of peel and eat shrimp, a decent carvery, and
they do very fine cooked-in-front-of-you pasta (you not only get to choose the
noodle, but you can add different spices and garlic to your sauce that the chef
then expertly incorporates). So if you're in the mood for one of those specialties,
this isn't a bad choice. Just don't compare it to the buffet at Downtown's Main
