The Best Damn Bloody Mary Mix? Make It At Home!

Posted on January 18, 2016 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Happy New Year! All through the blogosphere, writers are sharing how to be a better you and ideas for New Year’s Resolutions. Quit Smoking. Clean Eating. Exercising. Learning something new. Being a better homemaker. Eating less. Drinking less…Yeah. Okay. That’s fine for THEM, but my readers expect something else, so…here is a little something to whet your appetite for the New Year. Drink more Bloody Marys! They have vegetables; that means they are healthy! The recipe for the best damn Bloody Mary mix you can make at home is at the end. There are some incredibly over the top versions out there with bacon, sliders and shrimp cocktail attached to the rim of the glass in addition to, or in place of, the traditional garnish of celery. I actually like pickled veggies with mine. Olives, asparagus, okra, string beans, caper berries and cornichons all have made appearances on my cocktail skewer. As Friend Danielle says, “It’s like a salad in a glass!” I’m healthy that way. Friend Lynn says she doesn’t need “the salad” and opts for just a cornichon or olives.

The Bloody Mary, the hangover cure of choice and brunch staple started out simple enough but has changed and morphed into so much more. The first time I saw a Bloody Mary bar I giggled with glee. They are quite common here in Vegas, but sadly the best one has disappeared with the closing of Kerry Simon’s joint at The Palms. If you have never been to a brunch Bloody Mary bar, here is the gist of it: the house pours your vodka on ice and you saunter up to a buffet of ingredients to make your Mary the way YOU like it. Think hot sauces, horseradish, lemons, limes, veggies and tomato, V8™ and Clamato™ juices. At Simon it was a “bottomless” add-on to your brunch, but most places it is priced per drink.

This is easy to do at home for a get together. Recently Friend Lillian and I hosted a baby shower for fellow blogger Apryl and had a Mary & Mimosa bar. In our house we love pint glasses for everyday use because they are sturdy and we “borrow” logoed ones from bars (See the photo above? It’s a Modelo glass). The bonus is that each one has a different logo, so the glass itself acts like a “wine charm” so you know which glass is yours if you set it down someplace.

For the holidays I have discovered that I like to gift folks with something made by me if they are local (shipping is not my forte and I often send digital gift cards to out of towners so I don’t have to deal with the Post Office or other shippers). This year my Posse received Bloody Mary Gift bags, complete with handmade gift tags, a bottle of vodka, cocktail napkins, homemade Bloody Mary mix and house pickled veggies. All were canned by me (except the vodka…duh!) including the Bloody Mary mix (recipe follows with instructions for canning).

Everything was made by me except the Vodka – DUH! (L – R – Pickled Padron Peppers, Mary Mix, Pickled Curried Cauliflower)

The original recipe was created by Chef Michael O’Donnell of T.W. Garner, the makers of Texas Pete™. He designed it to be used for Bloody Marias where you replace the vodka with Tequila. I have tweaked it a smidge to MY liking. FYI – it tastes great on its own too.

Tips:

When using the Mary mix, you can choose vodka, gin or tequila as your booze of choice and it will taste great no matter what.
The recipe doubles and triples easily and if you are canning it, you really want to double or triple it because the main recipe makes about 6 cups.
When choosing your salsa, go for medium, you can always add more hot sauce to your glass. Whatever salsa you choose will slightly change the flavor of the final product (DUH!). For my gifts this year, I used Texas Pete™ commercial salsa (no, you can’t buy it in stores, so yours will not taste EXACTLY like mine).
I love horseradish in mine, but I wasn’t sure how it would work out in the canning process so I add it at time of service.
For your vegetarian friends, they do make anchovy free Worcestershire sauce. Most “store brands” are vegan, just read the label. No need to pay a ton for vegan sauce.

The Best Damn Bloody Mary Mix

Basic ingredients for the Mary Mix

Serves 6 – about 6 C

Your favorite salsa 2 cups or a 16 oz jar

Vegetable juice cocktail (like V8™) 4 cups

Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp

Lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 lemons

Lime juice, freshly squeezed 2 limes

Celery salt 2 tsp

Texas Pete™ Garlic Hot Sauce 2 Tbsp

Put everything except the vegetable juice in the canister of a high powered blender. I use a Blendtec®. Process until smooth. If using the Blendtec® choose “Whole Juice” option. You can also do this with a hand blender.

Combine vegetable juice with the mixture from the blender. Chill and serve or proceed with canning.

To Can: follow the basic “hot water bath” canning instructions HERE. Process for 30 minutes. NORMALLY you process tomatoes for 45 minutes, however since all of the products have been canned before AND there is high acid thanks to the citrus, you can safely process for a shorter time.

Chilled mix keeps about 5 days in the fridge and canned will last 6 months in a cool dark place. Shake or mix well before serving.

The Top 10 Things I Ate & Drank in 2015

Posted on December 30, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Sadly this was not a year of eating dangerously for me. I didn’t sample too many things that were revolutionary, and other than a few things that jumped right out at me, this was a tough year to come up with my list. I usually have to winnow out several to keep the list at 10. In order to make the list I have to say “WOW! That was fantastic!” when I retell the story or recall the event.

This gorgeous aged ribeye, carved tableside at Carnevino – Chef Nicole Brisson spoiled us rotten when we went in for dinner. You can see pics of the rest of the meal here (be sure to scroll through them; this is the link to the first one).

Rare rib eye at Carnevino

This is the beauty during service. Carved tableside.

THIS fantastic pasta and foie gras dish Chef Christian Dolias (part of the newly formed MiChefs Network – watch them grow!) made with me at my home. TECHNICALLY this was last December, but since it was after my “Best Of” list last year I am including it here. We used rendered fat from jamon de Serrano to cook the foie. It was sinfully rich and absolutely decadent!

Linguini and foie gras by Chef Christian Dolias

At Velveteen Rabbit you can order a Bronze Bell and it is wonderful. I liked it so much that I created a punchbowl version of it for Thanksgiving this year. Click the link for the punchbowl recipe. This photo is NOT from Velveteen Rabbit.

Bronze Bell a la Aunt LeAnne

The signature Lemon Spaghetti at Giada was one of my faves this past year. It may be time to go back there…just for this! It isn’t available for lunch, so make a reservation for dinner.

Giada’s signature dish – Lemon Spaghetti

At Vegas Uncork’d this year there were some unexpected bites, but this one was my fave. A foie filled white chocolate truffle from Chef Gerald Chin at Strip Steak. Don’t be mad if you didn’t get one, they were for “select guests” only. It was the best thing I ate the whole night! (PS – a little bird told me my favorite client may be returning to Uncork’d after a two year absence…shhh.)

White chocolate coated foie gras truffle

The crispy fried Pig Ears at Therapy may be a thing of the past until Chef Daniel Ontiveros lands someplace new. They are at once crispy and chewy and oh so delicious. Still, the entire menu there is fantastic; don’t overlook the mushroom tart with the poached egg. You’ll thank me later.

At Therapy – sadly no longer available. Waiting for Dan Ontiveros to land someplace new to have them again

At a Pop Up at The Blau Group’s Made LV, Chef Ben Vaughn created an oyster bread pudding that was out of this world! I am still waiting for him to find a location here in Vegas so I can have this again. I generally do not care for bread pudding (it’s a texture thing), but this was perfect!

A savory, fabulous mouthful as a passed hors d’oeuvre

I love saltimbocca, but I had never had one this good before! Be sure to go to Salute and have this. Also, get the Fettuccini a la Vodka for a dinner and a show. It’s worth it, I promise. Check out the rest of the pics from that meal here.

My fave dish of the night – Veal Saltimbocca

My love for potato chips is well documented, but these ones were over the top! House made chips topped with bleu cheese, bacon and green onions were so good that I ate them twice in one week while in Florida at the NBC Sports Grill & Brew at Universal Studios Orlando.

House made chips smothered in bleu cheese and bacon with green onions. These were THE flavor bomb of bar food for the year.

And finally -in Disneyland you can find a great little dining room called Carthay Circle in California Adventure. Make reservations well in advance so you can have these fried duck wings. Sriracha and lime coat these bad boys. You can always have a cocktail in the bar downstairs, but if you want these wings, you gotta have a reservation. They are not on the bar snacks menu. FYI – dear Friend Byron, who designed my logo and now works for Disney, is the one who recommended them to me.

Carthay Circle Fried Duck Wings

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Prevent the Common Cold (and Scurvy) – Eat Cranberry Bread

Posted on December 23, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Did you know that only three fruits are indigenous to North America? It’s true – blueberries, Concord grapes and the humble and oft maligned cranberry. All three were used as fabric dyes because of their intense pigments and the cranberry was used by Native Americans as a bartering tool among other things. Pirates (ARGH!) carried them on the seas to prevent scurvy. Being a member of the citrus family, ounce for ounce they pack more of a Vitamin C wallop than any other fruit. For years, many of us only ate them once a year in cranberry sauce, but Ocean Spray has done a great job of teaching us how to use them in other ways. We all know Craisins now and who hasn’t had a Cape Cod at the bar now and then? Besides the fact that they are good for you, they taste great when treated properly and fall and winter are the perfect time to enjoy them fresh.

Several years ago Friend Debbie gave me a loaf of Cranberry Bread that was so good I HAD to have the recipe. The recipe shared here is her recipe clarified with expanded directions for novice bakers.

A note about cranberries: To harvest cranberries, the “bogs” are flooded with water because they float. There is a small air pocket in the center that allows them to float. When prepping cranberries for cooking, swirl them in a bowl of water to wash them. The ones that float are fresh and delicious; toss out the ones that sink. Be careful when dumping them into the bowl too. They bounce!

A few tips about baking quick breads

When adding the dry ingredients, don’t overmix the dough or you will end up with a tasty, but tough brick instead of tender deliciousness
Like all recipes, get everything measured out first so the assembly and mixing is quick and easy
Because I like pecans and walnuts equally, they are mostly interchangeable for me. They have about the same weight ad mass, so measurement conversion isn’t necessary
My step mom Nettie always said quick breads were better the following day after having been wrapped in foil overnight (moister). Dad says they shouldn’t ever cool down completely.

Debbie Thomsen’s Cranberry Nut Bread

Makes 2 loaves, one to eat and one to gift

4 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp fine sea salt

3 large oranges

2 C sugar

¼ C Crisco®

2 large eggs

1 – 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 C walnuts coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 standard sized loaf pans (I use Pampered Chef™ Stoneware loaf pans and Baker’s Joy™ baking spray).

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients and set aside.

Zest the oranges until you have 2 Tbsp of finely grated zest (usually 1 orange will net 1 Tbsp of zest). Juice the oranges for 1-1/2 C fresh orange juice. It’s easier to zest first and juice second. Remember, the zest is the orange part of the peel only. If you hit the white, you are getting into the pith and that cooks up bitter.

With an electric mixer on medium high, cream Crisco®, orange zest and sugar. Scrape the bowl down as necessary. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed and slowly add the orange juice and mix until well combined.

Gently mix in the flour mixture. Then add the cranberries and nuts just until combined. DO not over mix. There may be a few lumps other than the berries and nuts and that’s ok. The batter will be very thick.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 50 – 60 minutes (depending on your pans) until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 15 minutes in the pans before turning out.

Perfect Pecan Pie

Posted on December 9, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

I love a pie. I especially love pecan pie (and for the record I say PEEcan, not puh-khan). Frankly too often pecan pie is really sugary and way too sweet. Soooo, I reworked an old recipe to reduce the sugary-ness and increase the flavor and each time I serve it, it’s a hit. With the baking season upon us and potlucks galore, enjoy this. The end result LOOKS way more complicated than it is. This is a recipe that doubles easily so you can make 2 at the same time. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or drizzle with cold heavy cream. Each slice (1/8 of a pie can be warmed in a microwave oven in about 15 seconds) prior to serving.

Pecan Pie

makes one 9” pie

3 Tbsp unsalted butter – DO NOT substitute margarine.

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ C sugar

3 eggs

¾ C dark Karo® corn syrup

¼ C molasses (either regular or robust – depending on your taste)

2/3 C chopped pecans

A heavy pinch of salt

Pecan halves to decorate the top

1 unbaked 9” pie crust

Preheat oven to 450. Roll out pie crust and have it ready to go.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat first 3 ingredients until light and fluffy. It will not look like the beginning of cookie dough; it will be more granular. Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time until well incorporated, scraping bowl as necessary. Reduce speed again and gradually add first the corn syrup and then the molasses, scraping bowl as necessary. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour into pie crust and bake for 10 minutes at 450. A crisp shell will develop on top while the middle stays syrupy. CAREFULLY remove from oven and reduce temp to 350. Decorate the top of your pie with the pecan halves. They will sink into the filling a bit as it continues to cook.

Return to oven and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting. If you cut it while hot it will ooze all over the place. It needs to cool completely to allow the sugars to set up.

See how the top is puffed up? It will sink down and flatten out as it cools.

Holiday Entertaining? Kickoff with Boozy Punch

Posted on December 2, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Right now, all around the world, people are sharing recipes for the holidays. Making baked goods for friends and family. Bringing casseroles to potlucks. Creating homemade gifts for loved ones. There are so many opportunities to get together with friends during the month of December. If you are the host, there is always the question, “What the hell will I serve?” When it comes to food, you usually have a plan – I hope – but when it comes to drinks many people are left baffled. How much to buy and what to serve are always tricky. I typically have beer on tap because John brews at home and we have a kegerator (honestly), but I also have a self-serve bar and a premixed cocktail in a punch bowl to get the spirits flowing.

To help you out with some answers, here are a few guidelines, a recipe and a few tips from Aunt LeAnne:

1 or 2 alcoholic drinks per hour per adult guest is about right. I plan on more JUST IN CASE. Remember, not everyone will imbibe because someone has to be the driver.
Keep the drinks separate from the food or everyone will be congregating in the same area. You want people to mill about and chat with folks they don’t know.
Only put in view booze you are willing to part with. For example, DO NOT put the $100 bottle of scotch on display unless you are prepared to serve it or have someone bastardize it with soda or worse.
Find a fun bucket, tub or other large receptacle to hold ice, beer and sodas. In the summer use a small baby pool, in the winter, find a galvanized or tin tub and place it outside on the patio.
Keep soft drinks and alcoholic drinks separate, that way you can monitor minors who might be trying to drink booze on the sly. (Moment of Truth – I think the 21 drinking age is bull shit. If you can vote and serve in the military at age 18, you should be allowed to buy a beer.)
If someone is already loaded, offer them soda, water or coffee so they don’t embarrass themselves or you. I have had to politely cut folks off. Yes, really.
A premixed cocktail or punch bowl is always a good option. Guests don’t have to mix their own and it takes some stress off YOU because it can be made the night before or earlier in the day depending on the ingredients. Check here for some summery options.

Recently I attended an It’s On Me cocktail party at the Velveteen Rabbit and had a TERRIFIC cocktail called the Bronze Bell. After chatting with the bar tender and getting the ratios on their version, I created THIS punch bowl version for a crowd with some of the same ingredients. A punch bowl traditionally was nearly all booze; however, I find incorporating non-alcoholic elements is the way to go. Enjoy!

Bronze Bell-ish Boozy Punch

Here are the cocktail basics for the punch

Makes 1 gallon, serves 32 – 4 oz portions

4 C Bulleit Rye

2 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (DO NOT sub with that shit from the green jar)

2 C Aperol

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup more or less to taste (organic if you can find it)

Several shakes of Cherry Bitters to taste

2 C club soda or seltzer

2 C 7-up or Sprite

Combine all ingredients except the sodas, mix well and put in the fridge to chill. I chill overnight. At this point you can serve it as is and it will be a boozy cocktail. My sister in law prefers it this way.

To serve – My punch bowl will only hold ½ gallon at a time with an ice ring, so…measure 2 C of the boozy mixture into the bowl and top with 1 C each of the sodas.

An ice ring made with a ring mold of your choosing is a huge plus. I slice a lemon and put that in the water before freezing just to be pretty. An Ice ring keeps the punch cold without diluting it too much and saves you from having to have an ice bucket nearby.

Sometimes you are the host, sometimes you are the invited guest. If you are a regular reader, you have seen the blogs below, but always a good reminder. If you are a first time reader, welcome! Check out the links below.

How to be a good guest during the festivities

Thoughts on RSVPing

Opening Soon at the Cosmopolitan – Clique Lounge

Posted on November 23, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Press Release:

The highly anticipated Grand Opening of Clique Lounge, the latest venue from Clique Hospitality Group, will take place in mid-December. Already projected to be another triumph by restaurant and hospitality impressario Andy Masi, Clique Lounge will introduce to the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino the only lounge to serve food as well as a bar cart offering table side, premium cocktail service from expert mixologists who will talk to guests about featured fresh pressed juices, smoked garnishes, and other spectacular preparations. The cocktail menu is a diverse one with high-end spirits and experience-driven presentations. The menu by Chef Brian Massie presents small plates that are approachable and yet an inventive, explosion of multi-ethnic flavors.

Clique’s Signature Cocktail features Spring 44 Gin, Aloe Vera, Watermelon and Lime – shaken to perfection and garnished with ribbons of cucumber delicately resting on an art deco collins glass. Pictured above.

Chicken Skewers are served with Harissa Yogurt, spiced and refreshing; Lettuce Cups offering raw, dressed vegetables to add at your leisure; and Fattoush: seasoned and toasted pita bread to enjoy with the rest.

War on Thanksgiving – Updated

Posted on November 19, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

I know everyone keeps bitching about a “War on Christmas”, but I can assure you there is not. Even before the Halloween decorations were down, the Christmas stuff started going up. How in the hell is that a war against a holiday? To promote it so vividly and early constitutes an act of war? It has been getting earlier and earlier; in fact I saw the first candies on the shelf when back-to-school stuff was on display. I applaud and honor Nordstrom’s who stated in a press release that their holiday deco wouldn’t be on display until Black Friday. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I love Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule, Festivus, Human Light Day and Saturnalia. I will celebrate anything if you teach me how. The real holiday with a war on is Thanksgiving (here after Tgiving for brevity and because I suck at typing).

Have you ever noticed that the Halloween (Hween) commercials magically morph into Christmas (Xmas) commercials seemingly overnight? Immediately following Hween there are about 2 minutes of specifically Tgiving commercials before we start seeing the Xmas and holiday commercials. It’s almost like folks forget about Tgiving; like it’s an afterthought or “that holiday between Hween and Xmas”. Now true, Tgiving is based on religious separatists being given safe harbor from a completely different culture (Puritans and Native Americans respectively) after a treacherous journey (aka refugees) and taught how to live in their new land. And maybe some folks conveniently forget that, but I don’t. It is a celebration of acceptance, friendship, and abundance. It’s my favorite holiday of the year and there is a war going on people!

I never thought I would be one of those people who would say, “When I was younger…” but I do. When I was younger everything was closed on Tgiving except gas stations, hotels and the grocery store that closed at 2 pm so EVERYONE was able to spend the holiday with their loved ones. Then more than hotel restaurants started being open to accommodate travelers. And now retailers are open. As a former retail employee I can assure you if I had to work on Tgiving I would be livid and in tears at the same time. Why is it that our lowest paid population doesn’t deserve to spend a day off with their loved ones before things get REALLY crazy?

So here, I beg you, DO NOT SHOP ON THANKSGIVING! If the people don’t shop, the retailers won’t be open and EVERYONE gets to spend a day with their loved ones. Stay home, eat seconds and watch f-ball if you must, but don’t go shopping! Don’t skip dessert to spend money. If you HAVE to shop, do it online or Black Friday or Cyber Monday when the sales will be different, but just as good. I can promise you I will be out early on Black Friday with Thursday’s make up on! Do you REALLY NEED those towels that are on sale? Is the small amount of savings worth it to you to have someone work when they SHOULD be home spending it with loved ones? Trust me, retailers will get your money, but you might not get back the time you miss with loved ones. Being a military family, we have spent Tgiving with bio-family 4 times in 28 years. If I could have Tgiving with my Grandmother one more time and sit at the “kids table”, I would skip a LOT.

And if you REALLY want to make a difference in someone’s day, invite a dorm resident from your local military installation to YOUR Tgiving celebration (search “adopt an airman/soldier/sailor and the name of your closest military installation to find out how). They are away from home and the chow hall isn’t as welcoming as YOUR table. FYI – our Island of Lost Toys Tgiving started in JUST that way! And to make a BIGGER impact, donate what you would have spent shopping on Tgiving to your local food bank and help provide meals to people in need in YOUR neighborhood.

These retailers won’t be open on Tgiving – show them some love on Black Friday and be sure to support your LOCAL businesses by shopping with them on Small Business Saturday.

They Used to be SO Good…

Posted on November 6, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

We all have favorite places to go, but what happens when that place changes in some way making it less of a favorite? Is it truly the business, or is it your expectations? Truth be told it is probably a combination of both. I experienced this a lot in San Antonio, Texas. We lived there for a year, moved here to Vegas and then moved back for 4 years. In our first stay in SATX, I loved everything about it – the food, the culture, the scenery and the just about everything else. When we moved back after having lived in Vegas, my expectations of what is good had changed a great deal and other than the great friends I made while living there, I couldn’t wait to leave.

Having lived in Vegas on and off since 1998, I have seen a LOT of changes in retail, restaurants and services. Not all of them for the good. Not all of them for the worse either. Here’s a short list of some of my observations of places that used to be SO good. The saddest part of this list is that most of these are locally owned businesses (yes, the chain is a locally owned franchise) not big corporations.

The Downtown Grand – If you read my blog regularly you have already seen this, if you don’t – click here.

Streets of New York Pizza (Farm & Norman Rockwell location) – Yes, I know this is a chain, but in the Far NW of the valley there aren’t that many options for decent pizza and these guys deliver. The problem is that when they first opened they were fast, friendly and the pizza wasn’t horrible. The last time we ordered we were quoted a 45 minute wait that turned into well over an hour (we live 1.2 miles from this location), they were curt on the phone and the driver was rude. And to top it off the pizza sucked. I now make my pizza at home or we drive crosstown to Naked City or pick up at the Cosmopolitan when we are on the Strip.

Shuck’s – When we first moved to this area in 2008, we were delighted with this little indie fish place. Everything was fresh, tasty and they used REAL seafood, nothing imitation. I happen to have an allergy to SOMETHING in surimi – aka imitation crab – that makes me break out in hives (Moment of Truth – I think when it is on the menu they should have to spell it with a K so that I KNOW what I am ordering). Well, Shuck’s has a Louis Salad that USED to feature shrimp and crab, now it is Krab. While the service is still friendly, the food quality has gone down significantly, but it still a decent place to drink BMC* and watch a Chicago sports team game.

The Wicked Spoon Buffet at the Cosmopolitan– I know, I know. It’s a buffet. But, it USED TO BE A GREAT BUFFET. Now it’s just a buffet. When Jack was little we’d go to buffets A LOT because he could try everything and if he didn’t like it, it wasn’t a big deal for him to get something else. I am convinced that his trips to buffets at 5 – 8 years of age are responsible for him being such a voracious eater willing to try just about anything. The Wicked Spoon drew me in with house made marshmallows, individual Staub serving cocottes and really interesting menu items. Once they had me hooked, they changed all of that and now are just another pedestrian buffet on the Strip. Of course, this is still the only one I will go to…

New York Chinese at Wynn and Lake Mead Blvd. Yes, I know this place was seriously written up by the health dept., but that didn’t stop me. Their food WAS the closest thing to New York style Chinese food I have had in years. One of my pet peeves about wonton soup is when the wontons are put in and left to sit there and get slimy and fall apart. This place USED to put them in right before you picked up your order, so they were toothsome and a little chewy. The fried wontons are filled with meat, not Krab Rangoon and the egg rolls are a perfectly excellent balance of veggies with bits of meat. Everything was delish. I am not sure what happened, but now they either have a new cook or new owners, and the food isn’t the same. The soups and main dishes are bland and the wontons are slimy. The fried wontons and egg rolls continue to be good, but considering it is nearly 25 minutes from my house and we have to pick the order up, there is a place that delivers that is better; not the same menu options, but better quality.

Big Dogs Brewing/The Draft House – In 1998 Big Dogs had several locations, including one on Nellis by the base, one on Sahara and one on the Strip not the lone location on Rancho. The food was good bar food, nothing fancy. The service was friendly and accurate and the beers were coming along. Flash forward to today and the sole location and I have no clue as to what happened with their food. We used to go there every Sunday with friends and have lunch (before the F-ball game started) and then one day it all went to hell in a handbasket. In the past 6 years I have not once ordered my food and had it come out correctly. I am not joking. Everything from cold fries, burnt buns and bread on sandWISHES, over cooked eggs and burgers to the entire wrong plate brought to the table. They had a frequent guest rewards card that we earned tons of freebies on, but when it came time to cashing them in there was always a problem. And don’t even get me started on their servers! There is one blowsy middle aged blonde and I can’t figure out how she still has a job. Each time she has waited on us she has fucked up everything from our beer order to the check presentation. It has gotten to the point that I won’t eat there unless I am attending one of their beer festivals which are actually A LOT of fun. And while the food has suffered, the beer is better. Let’s see what happens with their new brew master since Dave Otto is moving to PT’s Brewhouse.

So what happened? Did my expectations change or did the merchants? I expect menus to change and they should for a number of reasons. Making seasonal changes makes sense and a fresh menu keeps the regulars intrigued. Fan Faves usually stay on the menu and sometimes the changes don’t work. That is to be expected. But what happens when there is a breakdown in service or quality of food? I am always left wondering if it is ME or it is them. In some cases I KNOW it’s not me, but in others I have to question if I misremembered how good something was or if my expectations of what is good have changed that much.

Change is good and the only constant in the universe, but when it comes to food all changes should be for the better.

*BMC = Bud, Miller, Coors. You know, Crap on Tap.

Downtown Grand – Not So Grand

Posted on October 23, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Ever since the renovation and reopening of the Downtown Grand, I have been a huge proponent of the property. I have booked blocks of rooms for parties, pub crawls and events in the downtown area. Nice rooms, decent house staff, conveniently located, gorgeous pool…and all of that has changed. I have had my final stay at that property.

Upon their reopening, the food and the beverage program needed some work, but they were on the right track. Their center bar NEVER was a draw for me because all they had was crap on tap, but the Mob Bar and the Art Bar both had a decent cocktail menu with friendly staff. Bring in Chef Todd Harington and the food game was brought to a new level. Harrington has exacting standards for his kitchens and it showed in the revved up menus and the wonderful Chinese restaurant on property. His departure saw a complete “dumbing down” of the food and beverage program. The Chinese resto is gone. The cocktail menus have been stripped. Little known fact is that Pizza Rock, Triple George, Commissary and Hogs & Heifers are all owned by The Grand, but to the best of my knowledge, only Pizza Rock solely creates their own menu. The other properties have input and oversight from the Execs at The Grand.

Let’s be candid, if you want luxury, Downtown Vegas is not for you; you should stay on The Strip. If you want clean rooms, nice staff and a good value, in close proximity to our hottest, hippest, growing scene, this is where you want to stay when you come to Vegas. You can find excellent food at value pricing compared to the Strip and you can stay in landmark hotels like the Golden Nugget, Golden Gate (all newly renovated FYI) and Four Queens.

One of the things I have always loved about Vegas is that it is the only major metropolitan area in the country where you do not have to pay for parking at your hotel. In Chicago, NYC, San Francisco, New Orleans, LA etc. you pay per day to park your car starting at $25 a day, sometimes without in and out privileges (meaning there is an additional fee to USE your car during your stay). I even paid to park at a damn Hampton Inn in Ontario, California (not even LA, mind you…). Well, either that is changing or the Downtown Grand thinks it has been transported to another city. They charged me $11 to park my car and I was a hotel guest. To add insult to injury, when we claimed the car the price listed for parking was $7!

Here’s the thing – I think paying to park is the biggest fucking racket on the planet. I was floored when I moved here and found that I need only tip the valet and I could use valet parking. And I LOVE that. I understand wanting to charge for event parking (I don’t LIKE it, but I understand it). I even understand charging tourists who are USED TO PAYING for parking, but when you charge the locals for something they can get free at other and better hotels, be prepared for the back lash. FYI – the Four Queens also charges you to valet if you are NOT a hotel guest, and I even get that thought process.

So let’s take a look:

Stripped cocktail program
Stripped menu options and closure of the best resto on property
Broken A/C in the room (another story entirely)
Rude front desk staff when addressing the parking charge AND the A/C
Having to pay for parking

I guess I will stay elsewhere when I am downtown. The Downtown Grand is NOT the only game in town and while they were the best for a little while, they aren’t even the best game in downtown any more. I’ve yet to stay in The D, The Four Queens or the Golden Gate and the Las Vegas Club is undergoing renovations to the entire property, so we’ll wait to see what they bring to the game.

The feature Image is from USA Today online.

Life is Beautiful Indeed! #LIB2015

Posted on October 1, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

I wasn’t supposed to be there. Really I wasn’t. I wanted to go, but I was supposed to be in Phoenix. Then a dear friend – let’s call him “G” – texts me to say he has a pass for me. Hubby goes to Phoenix without me. It is a GA pass, and I am totally cool with that. Along the way, new friend “L” gives me a “Holy Shit” wristband that allows me access to literally everywhere except backstage. How’s that for serendipity?

On the left my GA band and on the right the “Holy Shit” JACKPOT band. Yes, I hit the Jackpot!

This third year of the event is the first time my schedule has allowed me to attend. I was so energized and overwhelmed by the experience that it took me until today to finish writing this.

Here is what I learned about Life is Beautiful:

You need to plan and stick to the plan. I didn’t get to see any of the speakers I wanted to see because I didn’t stick to my plan. I’d run into people I knew and end up talking to them instead of dragging them with me to the Learning Center and by the time I got to the venue, the room was full.
The organizers drastically underestimated the appeal of Bill Nye. I talked to a few people who said the room was so packed they couldn’t get in, that he really warranted a stage. Of course I wasn’t there.
September is too hot for this event – it really needs to be in October.
Drink more water
You will never get to see and do everything you want, even if you are there all 3 days. There are often conflicting scheduled performers.
Do the research on the bands so you’re better informed and can choose which venue to visit if there is a conflict.
After speaking with a wheelchair bound attendee, I learned that LIB had excellent access for the handicapped. He said he had been to more than 20 festivals of this type THIS YEAR and LIB was in the top 3 for accessibility.
Walking into the crowd at a Snoop concert is like walking into the crowd at a George Clinton show – be prepared for a contact high.
I could have make a FORTUNE if I had a booth selling ICE!

Here is what surprised me about Life is Beautiful

The Killers! Brandon Flowers was supposed to perform without The Killers. SURPRISE!
I was more interested in the art installations than I expected to be. The Art Motel was a brilliant use of reclaimed space with fabulous interactive art.
The bottom left reminded me of Cannoli. Many of the installations were interactive and not meant for pics, but for sound! On the bottom right, the “Google it” balloon only showed up with your flash.
I didn’t see one fight
I didn’t see anyone who was severely over-served (aka – drunk as a skunk)
The vibe was MUCH more mellow than I expected. People were acting like they were Canadian apologizing for bumping into you <smirk, giggle, snort>
A flowy skirt is a good choice. Pants are bullshit.
Duran Duran was fantastic! They looked good and sounded great!
Helpful and polite staff, including ALL team members!
Free drinks at Commonwealth from It’s On Me
Free Drinks from anyone is a good thing. Made even cooler when they are from It’s On Me!

What I loved best about LIB was…

Free water stations…even if it was piss warm
No Selfie Sticks allowed!
The variety of food trucks
Clockwise From Top Left:
Cousins Maine Lobster Roll
Truck U BBQ – pulled pork torta
Buldogi’s Angry Dog
Strip Chezze’s Hot Streak SandWISH
Oming’s Kitchen Lumpia
The map was excellent! Compact with a complete schedule of events included and easy to read.
The APP!!! Create your own schedule, follow along with what is hot, and search by artist, time slot or venue to find exactly what you want.
My “Holy Shit” wristband allowed me into the artists’ lounge so I could hang out with my fellow culinary friends, enjoy Brian Howard’s roasted pork and an open bar.
My fave bar, Atomic Liquors, was in the footprint of the festival grounds this year so I could go in, cool off, drink great beer and use a REAL commode.

Biggest disappointment? Not getting to see the Banksy art installation truck open. There was no schedule as to when the back of the truck would be open, you just had to luck into seeing it. I guess that is par for the course with Banksy!

I wonder what was inside?

Schedule permitting, I am attending next year with a better plan to NOT miss anything I am truly interested in seeing. I also learned that the “Holy Shit” band could not be purchased. It was a gift from the sponsors. SOOOO….I am putting it out there NOW for 2016 that I was truly grateful and would love that opportunity again!

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