Posted by doctor_al on 10-03-2005

Posted a some of this elsewhere, but thought I'd put a version here as well...

Just got back from a weekend at the Golden Nugget with my wife. I understand now why folks consider the Nugget the class of downtown - it isn't so much the marble in the bathroom, as much as the service level, pretty good I thought. The pool wouldn't be as much of a draw, only gets sun later in the morning, and I still dislike the gaming there.

Saw the new Wynn LV, and all I can say is that Wynn re-built the Bellagio. Same row of shops, same patio by the water, same casino, essentially. Which is fine, just not as "revolutionary" as it was made out to be. Was more impressed with the Sunset Station table games area, although the rest of Sunset was pretty much a cookie-cutter Station Casino. They do have good dealers there, I'll give them that.

Gambling was better for my wife than for me. She hit here and there on VP or Wheel of Fortune, nothing really huge but enough to stay ahead. I had a bad run at the El Cortez, other than that I went up a little at blackjack and poker and dropped a little in a few slots. Oh yeah, and there was that free bloody mary at the Nugget's VP bar that cost me $20 -- we've all been there... closest I got to a royal was AKQJ9 hearts, dropped the 9 and got a heart 5. Arg.

Wasn't a gourmet-eating trip, as it turned out. Relied on the Bay City Diner for breakfast, I like the staff there, some of which have been there for a long time. Also had a late-night snack at Cal's Market Street Cafe, another downtown reliable for me. Cafe Lago at Caesars was a good place for lunch, very nice looking room, good service. Best meal probably was at the Oyster Bar out at Sunset Station, a seafood pan roast that was really quite good.

I'm not a "shows" guy, but I did catch a little of Lon Bronson at the Nugget, always a good time. Also saw a couple of guys from his band in their own band at Bellagio's Fontana Bar, which was good, although I was expecting "light jazz" at Fontana, and the band clashed with the fountain music, so you really are better off watching from the sidewalk along LV Blvd. And Mandalay's Island lounge was a good time, as usual.