Travel Reference
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($13), happy packets of crunchy vegetables and chicken in a hoisinlike sauce with
chunks of chicken for just 365 calories. Beyond the genuine scrumptiousness of
the food, the real miracle here is that they've created low-cal foods that somehow
fill you up, without your having to over-order or overspend. And in a city where
quality usually comes at too high a price, they've kept their prices reasonable for
this supremely pleasant, streamlined, light-filled cafe. Now, if they would only
keep the place open for dinner . . . well, I'd have no excuse for the 5 pounds of
Vegas I always seem to bring home around my beltline each time I come to town!
$$-$$$
But most of your meals won't be healthy in Vegas . . . and would you
want it any other way? So when the craving for a heart attack between two slices
of rye bread hits . . . er, I mean a genuine Ruben sandwich or some other NY deli
specialty, you head to the Mirage, which has its own small restaurant mirage in its
recreation of the Big Apple's
Carnegie Deli
5
(in the Mirage;
%
702/791-7111;
www.mirage.com; daily 7am-2am; AE, DISC, MC, V).
The original, just a hop, skip,
and a jump from Carnegie Hall, has been considered one of NY's two top delis—
the other is Katz'—since it opened in 1937. The black-and-white tiled floors are
the same here; as are the pressed tin ceilings; and the meats, which are cured,
baked, and smoked in New York and then flown in every other day. But where
the walls (with all the cheesy, signed photos of B-List celebrities) should be is,
well, air and a disconcerting view of the sports book. Ignore it, and tuck into the
4-inch thick stacks of corned beef, roast beef, pastrami, salami, tongue, and the
like, to which they give cute names, such as “The Mouth That Roared” and
“Brisketball,” ranging in price from $7.95 to $19 (there's a sharing charge of $3,
but it's probably worth springing for, as no one I know can finish one of these
meat Cadillacs). If you're not that fervent a carnivore, the cheese blintzes are a cel-
ebrated alternative, stuffed with cheese, strawberries, blueberries, or cherries
($12); and the humble tuna salad is so well spiced here, it gets its own bizarro
nickname—the “AM FM Tuna” ($12). With a good 100 or so options on the
menu, from giant salads to giant knishes, burgers to gefilte fish, stuffed cabbage
to matzo ball soup, there should be something on the menu to sate even the most
finicky of eaters. And what about dessert? If you can eat 3 pounds or so of meat,
and still be up for something sweet, you may as well put yourself under the table
with the cheesecake, which is massive (of course), but oh so perfect—creamy,
lightly sweet, and with a distinct taste of vanilla.
$$-$$$
Country music fans have made
Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill
(in Harrah's;
%
702/693-6111; www.harrahs.com; Sun-Thurs 11:30am-2am,
Fri-Sat 11:30am-3am; AE, DISC, MC, V)
one of the most hopping eateries in town.
Named for his number one hit “I Love This Bar,” there
is
much to love about the
place, including live country music every night from 9pm to 2am, with jammin'
up and coming bands picked by Keith himself; one of the prettiest waitstaffs in
town, outfitted in mini skirts and midriff-baring tops; and for Keith fans, a non-
stop loop of music videos, and walls slathered with photos of the six-pack cowboy
himself, along with dozens of pieces of memorabilia. Unfortunately, there's a lot
to hate, too. Those hot servers? Well, let me put it this way: They haven't been
hired for their waitressing skills—service is indifferent, sometimes rude, and
glacially slow. The food is decently priced (for Vegas), though quality varies wildly
