Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Desserts in the Desert
Sure you can order dessert with your meal, or grab a Krispy Kreme as you
saunter down the Strip, but there are also some only-in-Vegas options that
may require a side trip, but are definitely worth sinking your sweet tooth
into.
My first piece of sugary advice: No matter how hot it gets, don't go for
an ice cream cone. I'm not suggesting masochism, just frozen custard.
Smoother, denser, and creamier in texture than ice cream (because of the
use of eggs in the mixture and the low amount of air whipped in), the
cones at
Luv-It Frozen Custard
555
(505 E. Oakey Blvd., just off the
Strip, 1 block from the Stratosphere; www.luvitfrozencustard.com;
Tues-Thurs 1-10pm, Fri-Sat 1-11pm; no credit cards;
$
)
beat the pants off
Cold Stone, Baskin Robbins, even Häagen-Dazs. Family-owned since 1973
(Greg Teidemann, the friendly fellow taking your order, is the grandson of
the founder), the custard at this little stand is made fresh every few hours,
with chocolate and vanilla always on the menu, and a rotating cast of
intensely flavored specialties—two per day—as your other option. (If it's
offered, try the coolingly tart lemon or the salty butter pecan.) And when
you're in the mood for something a bit more extravagant than just a cone
($2.25 single scoop, $3.35 double), you can tart up your choice with a
slew of sundae toppings, from gooey caramel, marshmallow, butterscotch,
and hot fudge sauces; to bits of fresh fruit (including hot apple, pine-
apple, or half bananas); crumbled cookies; and high quality nuts (sundaes
$3.95-$4.75). And you don't have to feel all that guilty. I'm not sure if I
believe it, but Teidemann claims that his custard has significantly less fat
or sugar than standard ice cream.
Luv It's frozen-stuff foe,
Leatherby's
5
(577 E. Sahara Ave., at Sixth
St.;
%
702/792-3542; Sun-Thurs 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm;
no credit cards;
$
),
has almost as many fans as the custard shack, and one
great advantage over its rival—it provides a place for its customers to sit.
An old-fashioned pink and white ice-cream parlor (with a forgettable diner
menu, but top desserts), it makes its ice cream fresh most every day—they
promise that what hits your spoon will never be more than 72 hours old,
but it's usually newer than that), and serves it up in huge portions ($3 sin-
gle scoop, $4.50 double). Share a banana split, a sundae, or anything else
that comes with their lava-thick, supremely chocolaty hot fudge sauce.
If fine pastries and aristocratic chocolates are your indulgence of
choice, drop by
The Chocolate Swan
55
(in the Mandalay Bay
on the menu along with the grams of fiber); the heftiest meal here is a mere 470
calories, and most fall into the 300 range. Cooked with preservative-free and
additive-free food that's organic more often than not, the choices range from
Asian fare to Mediterranean dishes to such all-American classics as chocolate
