QueenHerm’s Profile
Recent Comments
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
The last few times we went to Vegas we ended up going to BLT Burger in the Mirage several times - fun atmosphere, reasonably priced, gourmet enough to satisfy the foodies and burgery enough to satisfy everyone else. The Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay is also delicious.
Another place that pops out in my mind is Canaletto at the Venetian, we went one evening with my parents. I thought it was surprisingly tasty Italian food and a great view of the shows that go on in St. Mark's Square there.
For some reason we always seem to end up at the ESPN Zone in New York New York - yeah, it's a chain, and nothing overly gourmet, but would be a fun place to take kids.
The best splurge we have had in Vegas was Bouchon at the Venetian. Their menu is online - there are lots of options under $30, and the service was wonderful.
wedding grub
I had a small wedding of about 75 people in central MA- rather than try to keep track of every relative's crazy food preferences we opted for a buffet with salmon and roast beef, salad, sides that I'm sure I agonized over but have since forgotten. I ordered special pasta dishes for the vegetarians. Funny enough, I chose the place because they promised they'd have an appetizer setup for the bridal party so we too could partake, but pictures took too long so hubby and I missed out. I did get to eat dinner, however, and it was quite delicious.
Wedding food blurs together for me... I've found it interesting though that some of the weddings that kept it simple ended up being far more delicious than the overly elaborate ones I've been to. A lot less food wasted too.
I do distinctly remember the best wedding cake being a chocolate chocolate chip cake at a friend's wedding in Kentucky, though. Yum.
Parve Choc. Cupcakes w/o margarine?
I make Rachael Ray's Black Bottomed cupcakes all the time - the recipe is on her website. The "black bottom" part is parve by default, as it just uses vegetable oil, and I bet you could sub vegan cream cheese/chocolate chips for the filling.
See more comments by QueenHerm »
Recent Posts
See more posts by QueenHerm »
Recent Favorites
QueenHerm hasn't favorited a post yet.
Recent Polls
QueenHerm hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
QueenHerm hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
For entertainment - there is a discount ticket booth by the Fashion Show Mall (much like TKTS in NYC). If you're there on a weekday I bet there are deals to be had. I personally have been more entertained by all the free stuff to see inside the hotels than any shows we've gone to, though.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
The last few times we went to Vegas we ended up going to BLT Burger in the Mirage several times - fun atmosphere, reasonably priced, gourmet enough to satisfy the foodies and burgery enough to satisfy everyone else. The Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay is also delicious.
Another place that pops out in my mind is Canaletto at the Venetian, we went one evening with my parents. I thought it was surprisingly tasty Italian food and a great view of the shows that go on in St. Mark's Square there.
For some reason we always seem to end up at the ESPN Zone in New York New York - yeah, it's a chain, and nothing overly gourmet, but would be a fun place to take kids.
The best splurge we have had in Vegas was Bouchon at the Venetian. Their menu is online - there are lots of options under $30, and the service was wonderful.
wedding grub
I had a small wedding of about 75 people in central MA- rather than try to keep track of every relative's crazy food preferences we opted for a buffet with salmon and roast beef, salad, sides that I'm sure I agonized over but have since forgotten. I ordered special pasta dishes for the vegetarians. Funny enough, I chose the place because they promised they'd have an appetizer setup for the bridal party so we too could partake, but pictures took too long so hubby and I missed out. I did get to eat dinner, however, and it was quite delicious.
Wedding food blurs together for me... I've found it interesting though that some of the weddings that kept it simple ended up being far more delicious than the overly elaborate ones I've been to. A lot less food wasted too.
I do distinctly remember the best wedding cake being a chocolate chocolate chip cake at a friend's wedding in Kentucky, though. Yum.
Parve Choc. Cupcakes w/o margarine?
I make Rachael Ray's Black Bottomed cupcakes all the time - the recipe is on her website. The "black bottom" part is parve by default, as it just uses vegetable oil, and I bet you could sub vegan cream cheese/chocolate chips for the filling.
Recommendation for restaurant in Boston's north end
We love Lo Conte's on Salem St. I am obsessed with their gnocchi spezzatino.
And I third Modern Pastry for cannolis. Mmmm.
What did you get from your CSA last week?
I'm in North Carolina and summer is already underway down here! I got zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, fennel, and green and yellow string beans in my box. And some bratwurst. Yum!
Different Supermarkets
I've been to the Earth Fare in Raleigh. It's closer to a Whole Foods or a Fresh Market than to a Trader Joe's, as it carries national brand organic stuff and it's on the pricier side.
I do have fond memories of being given free cookies at Publix on family trips to Florida when I was a kid, which gets them some brownie points (or is that cookie points?) in my book.
Red-Stemmed Swiss Chard
I use it in pasta - I brown some Italian turkey sausage, add lots of garlic and crushed red pepper, and then add the swiss chard until it wilts. Makes a fantastic topping for penne or spirals, topped with some parmesan cheese.
Oral Surgery - What the heck do I eat?
Am I the only strange person that ate a lot of gefilte fish after getting my wisdom teeth out? Hmm.
Uncommon food allergies that nobody believes?
I too am allergic to stone fruits - I used to have a reaction to some apples as well but that's gone away as I've gotten older. This hasn't stopped me from eating peaches or plums, as the itching usually isn't that bad, but I was seriously sad when I found out Rainier Cherries made my throat close up as they are sooo delicious...
Are CSAs Cost Effective for Your Family?
I am in North Carolina - I did an excellent CSA last summer that was about $150 for a "couple" sized share for 12 weeks (they did a 12 week spring/summer session and a 12 week summer/fall session). They did vegetables, meat, and eggs, and they also allow you to pick what comes in the box via email each week, taking out some of the surprise factor.
I ended up renewing for this year but I did think long and hard about it - there are a few weeks where you never want to see another zucchini again. But it is fantastic on weeks when I am pressed for time to be guaranteed a box of delicious fresh food, and it also is a fun way to learn how to cook new things that I might not have tried otherwise.
I WON A KITCHEN AID. Now, what do I do with it?
I make so many more cookies now that I don't have to cream butter and sugar together by hand. (Sure, starting to defrost the butter earlier might have also improved that process, but a KitchenAid is so much more fun.)
They are also useful for standing next to while they are mixing and exclaiming loudly to anyone within earshot how you can't believe how fast your batter/dough just got mixed.
Greek Yogurt - Recommendations?
Stonyfield Farms has an Oikos organic greek yogurt brand that's quite tasty, and cheaper than Fage at my supermarkets.
Cook the Book: 'A Platter of Figs'
Acorn squash - roasted with some maple syrup, stuffed with sausage and mushrooms...
Weird parental food preparation
My favorite weird but delicious parental preparation was home made french toast for dinner, topped with a few spoonfuls of sugar. (Granulated, not powdered.) The accompaniment was usually tuna sandwiches.
Oddly, I ate frozen toaster french toast for breakfast with syrup, but dinner french toast was always from scratch and always had sugar on top. I still make french toast this way whenever I'm feeling under the weather, it's fantastic with cinnamon sugar. Although I no longer follow it up with a tuna sandwich. :-)
Grossest thing found in restaurant food
I ordered a brownie fudge sundae once at a restaurant and the brownie still had the piece of paper it must have come wrapped with on the bottom of it. Worse still, the server seemed suspicious of the whole thing, like I had brought my own paper, carefully cut it to brownie size and slipped it underneath the sundae.
Win Fuchsia Dunlop's 'Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper'
Chicken lo mein, and really anything that gets spicy and szechuan. And any Chinese food eaten with my family on Christmas eve is a winner.
Eating with braces
When I first got my braces on I ate a lot of gefilte fish. (The combination of the two may have explained my lack of dates in junior high.)
My husband finished with his last year - he was a big fan of the mac & cheese and just about any kind of pasta.
Good luck!
Zucchini, I want to like you!
What turned the husband to squashy ways was zucchini sliced and sauteed with bacon and garlic as a topping for penne pasta, with generous quantities of parmesan cheese.
He protested when I bought them this year but then enjoyed them when they were grilled with olive oil and S&P a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
I need to try those zucchini pancakes next though, those sound fantastic...
Is the grocery store a 'manners free' zone...
Kids on those !@#$ wheeled shoes. Oy.
Or the people that realize they forget something while checking out and have to go back tearing through the store for that gallon of milk. Oh wait, that's usually me.
Networking Dinner in Boston
If you're willing to travel a little bit over to Harvard Square, I'm a huge fan of Henrietta's Table in the Charles Hotel on Harvard Square - really delicious, fresh, local, straightforward food. We had a few large group dinners there for work that went quite smoothly - we had quite a wide range of eaters there, including a few vegetarians, and everyone left happy.
I also just went to the downstairs (casual) part of Upstairs on the Square in Harvard Square a few weeks ago and was quite impressed. A little more gourmet but a really nice range of different kinds of price ranges and food in a really neat space.
To be honest, I didn't live in Boston that long but I never found a seafood place there that I was crazy about, beyond the typical tourist places... I'd be curious to read what others post.
Networking Dinner in Boston
How about Sel De La Terre? It's a beautiful and convenient location by the Aquarium and I've had fantastic experiences there, and according to their website they do have private rooms.
If the restaurant is so nice, why such small portions?
Reminds me of the time my husband ordered a steak at an upscale restaurant where the menu description said it came with "baby carrots." The steak was a fine size, and quite delicious, but it came with ONE baby carrot. Cut in half.
How many stores do you shop at for your food?
It made me so happy to read this post, nice to know my shopping habits aren't as bizarre or obsessive as I previously thought. (Well, either that or there are as many bizarre obsessive people out there as me.)
My stores -
1. In season - weekly visits to local farmer's market for produce, eggs, a little of meat and to pick up CSA box
2. Harris Teeter - weekly visits for the rest of the food
3. Kroger around the corner - about every other week for all the stuff I didn't realize I was out of when I went to Harris Teeter
4. TJ's - monthly for vital staples like frozen pizza and Chocolate Joe Joes and mini-peanut butter cups and wine :-)
5. Whole Foods - monthly or so you just need a Whole Foods fix because you need to eat a half pound of cheese samples as you shop. And you're out of something random like quinoa that you can only seem to find at Whole Foods. But somehow half of the wine and cheese and bakery section makes it out of the store with you too. Darn you, Whole Foods.
6. Costco. The husband goes through a box of 90 Nature Valley Granola bars, and we must replenish.
Ah the ignorance of youth...strange food beliefs as a child...
I had a weird opposition to artificial fruit flavoring as a kid (still do) and refused to believe that any other M&M's except for the brown ones were chocolate. So I'd pick out all the brown ones and eat them.
I also had a few other weird texture things - refused to eat popcorn (too close to styrofoam), cotton candy (too close to insulation), gummy candy (too close to rubber). I've broken down and tried popcorn, but not any of the other stuff, which I guess isn't such a bad thing...
Although interestingly, I can recall freaking out at an Olive Garden as a small child because the ravioli there did not resemble Chef Boyardee's. I had never encountered ravioli in a sauce that wasn't bright orange before. Luckily I've gotten over that one!!!
Greek Yogurt - Recommendations?
I stumbled upon this thread and wanted you all to know that Costco now sells Fage!
Uncommon food allergies that nobody believes?
I am allergic to raw mushrooms, can't eat anything that has been cross contaminated with it. I ate some fresh veggies that had a few flecks of mushroom in it that I didn’t see and within 5 minutes it had triggered my asthma, my mouth swelled up and the lips, tongue and all the rest of the symptoms that go with it. I can eat them when they are cooked though and I now love canned mushroom, since I can’t eat the raw thing anymore. I can’t even handle raw ones (my husband hates mushrooms) so I can’t eat them freshly cooked unless I go out.
I have found that since I have given birth to my twins 3 years ago that my allergies and asthma have gotten exponentially worse. I can’t even be in the same room with cats, dogs, any animal with hair. My allergies to the great outdoors have had the same consequence. I also have developed an allergy to Celery, I have the same reactions as I have to mushrooms but I stopped eating it, so I haven’t found out if it gets worse with every exposure.
My main concern right now is that I have a reaction when I eat in combination tomatoes and bread. I can eat bread alone and tomatoes but when they are eaten in the same meal I get an overwhelming reaction to throw up. It can be as mild as a slight queasiness or I can start to throw up. I have looked and looked but I can’t find anything anywhere that mentions allergies when foods are combined. Since the birth of my twins the tomato and bread reaction has gotten worse as well. I have never cared for pizza because it always left me feeling sick afterwards which I just thought that it was the grease in it.
I feel like an idiot when I say anything about the t&b thing....I know it is not in my head but nobody has heard of it and people just think I am being picky. Since I was about 13 apples have made me feel the same way. Sometimes the reaction is worse than other so I will every once and a while eat a bit of an apple but never a whole one. The T&B reaction is worse than the apple one though because my mildest reaction to T&B is the worst I have had to apples.
Oral Surgery - What the heck do I eat?
i just got all four wisdom teeth taken out yesterday and i made a zucchini casserole without the cracker crust for supper last night. it was really good and surprisingly easy to eat without that gross mushy taste.. just make sure you bowl the squash/zucchini nice and soft don't over cook it in the oven. the more cheese, the better!
tonight for dinner i'm planning on making either hamburger pie (hamburger, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc.) with really finely ground hamburger or a bubble up pizza, which is a pizza made with soft thick bread and tons of cheese. if either one doesn't work i'll let you know, but so far i'm definately not stuck with soup and jello and the only thing that's been painful to eat was mint chocolate chip ice cream. you just gotta do a little research. : ]
get better soon everybody!
victoriaa.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Oh, I knew that! I passed it and desperately wanted to go, but it was out of our budget and my family would rather have burgers than French cuisine!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
He also has a Fleur De Lys at Mandalay Bay where Burger Bar is. It's located down in the main part of the casino....and trust me on this, it is outstanding. Pencil it in for your foodie visit.
Uncommon food allergies that nobody believes?
My aunt is allergic to corn! She can have things with High Fructose Corn Syrup and the like, but things like corn tortillas and such give her an allergic reaction.
I myself am not allergic to anything, but I am very sensitive to certain foods, like candy that is strongly grape or pineapple flavoured or oily tree nus (I love cashews, though). I can't eat doughnuts, certain cookies, or cake unless I'm craving it. All of these foods (plus some others I'm not thinking of) give me bad headaches that progress into strong migraines if I don't treat it with something strong near the beginning. It's even worse if it's hot, if something's on my forehead, or if I'm staring at a screen (I.e. TV, Gameboy, computer...)
My youngest sister is allergic to nectarines. It was way worse when she was younger, though. She would break out into hives all over her face.
My other younger sister has wierd time periods every few years where she's violently lactose intolerant. It usually leaves in a few months, though.
My grandmother (on my mom's side) is (was) lactose intolerant, and so is my father. I find it strange that I'm not.
My grandmother used to drink milk every day when she was younger (teens, I believe) but one day she just woke up and was lactose intolerant. She couldn't have ice cream, or even too much cheese. She was like that for 30-40 years. In the last year or so she hasn't been lactose intolerant at all. It just disappeared, oddly enough.
Another one of my aunts is allergic to tree nuts, but she can have small portions of walnuts.
Whew! That was a fun (long) post. I guess my entire family is weird. O_o
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Really? I thought that he worked out of his San Francisco Fleur de Lys, that's what they said on Top Chef: Masters! I'm surprised. Either way, I'll have to tune in, he's an excellent chef.
Thanks for the help again, Kathy!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Yeah, Vegas is still working on that "family" thing. But I knew Burger Bar wouldn't disappoint. If you watch Hubert Keller's cooking show on PBS on Saturday mornings you'll probably catch a glimpse of the table where you were sitting.
Now you're a Vegas expert!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of good foodie news to bring back! Here's a basic run-down of where we ate and what we did (major shows, not counting the walking around the strip and seeing all of the hotels/casinos). Here's a few thank you's first and then a list!
@kathyvegas - We went to the Ellis Island Brewery our second night and it was very inexpensive, but also very busy! It was just down the street from our resort which was wonderful, but we weren't too impressed by the food. It was good for the price, but we had some dry tasting meatballs and overdone steak. My prime rib was excellent though, thanks for the suggestion! Traffic was ridiculous, but we managed to get to both Trader Joe's on Decatur and Whole Foods on the strip, both were great. We ate at a Korean BBQ on Spring Mountain that was delicious as well and ate at The Burger Bar (which was our best meal in Vegas honestly). Red Rock Canyon was BREATHTAKING, but we made the mistake of not bringing food and were quite hungry when we got back to town...after a long detour from taking "the scenic route" back near the lake.
@floridayaya - My parents went to our time share presentation and we ended up getting free tickets to see the V Variety show at Planet Hollywood which ran for at least $50 otherwise, so it was a good deal. The show itself wasn't that impressive, but it was free, so that was nice!
@QueenHerm We were already planning on going to The Burger Bar, but it didn't disappoint! It was absolutely delicious.
Now that those thank you's are out of the way, here are the restaurants we went to:
- Ellis Island Brewery & Casino: Prime rib with mashed potatoes and green beans. DELICIOUS for me, but my family didn't all enjoy their meals. Decent service even though it was busy!
- Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay: Hands down best burger I've ever had. I had a turkey burger with caramelized onions, baby spinach, swiss cheese, and aioli on ciabatta. I couldn't decide between sweet potato fries and zucchini sticks, so the waitress immediately asked if I wanted half and half. Filling, well priced, and absolutely scrumptious.
- Random places in the food court at MGM Grand since we went to a TV screening and received a stack of coupons for food (buy one, get one free, etc.)
- Sonic Drive-In on West Flamingo: Standard fast food, but it was our first Sonic experience since there aren't many in New York. The day we went there, one opened in my home town, so that was surprising! Delicious drinks, I'll give them that.
- Woo Gai (not sure of the name actually) on Spring Mountain: Not much selection at this Korean BBQ buffet, but we got to cook at our table and had delicious bulgolgi! Decently priced.
- Plate Plate Plate buffet at Stratosphere: Some food was alright, but most of it was nothing better than a Ponderosa. Turkey was very dry. We wished that we hit more buffets, but we had a free coupon after seeing a show there since it was a package deal.
- Various places in the food court at the Fashion Show Mall: What could be expected from a mall food court. The lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick was delicious though!
Next time, we will definitely hit better places. No one in my family cared about anything other than eating a meal and having it be inexpensive, so I'm hoping to go with friends and fellow foodies next time so I can REALLY experience Vegas. To me, Vegas wasn't a great choice for a family vacation even though we did have fun.
Shows Seen/Activities:
- Penn & Teller: EXCELLENT! Hilarious and captivating.
- V Variety Show: Mediocre. Some was interesting, but the whole time the hosts poked fun at a guy being 'gay' even though he was with his wife and made jokes at him and even called him up on stage.
- American Superstars tribute show at Stratosphere: Mega fail show. Hands down terrible...I can't even put into words. The Stratosphere itself had a wonderful view and my brother went on that terrifying ride that makes you look like you're plummeting into the ground, but the show was bad. Not worth the money in the least!
- TV Screening in MGM Grand. For free, we were able to see the pilot of a new show (Accidentally on Purpose) and for completing a survey, received a envelope full of coupons! Great deal and a nice way to spend some time inside after it being so hot.
- Red Rock Canyon: Worth the drive and absolutely breathtaking!
- Fashion Show Mall: Great way to spend some time inside and shop NOT on the strip!
We did a lot more, but honestly I am tired of typing. Thanks for the tips, everyone!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
For listing of weekly advertisements on special offers, would like to recommend this site -
http://www.bizymoms.com/weeklyads/index.php
Great site with loads of information on products and services offered and discounts offered
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
It's all good.....you'll see...have a great time & report back when you come home. I want to hear about where you decided to eat.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Thanks to everyone that has posted since last time I commented! When I made this post, I didn't expect the overwhelming response...it is definitely appreciated.
Over the course of the week, we will try to visit as many of the suggestions given here as possible! The only one I'm going to say no to is @lollie's suggestion for David Copperfield since we have seen him before and it was overpriced in Upstate NY, so I can't imagine how it would be in Vegas!
Again, thank you everyone and if anyone else has suggestions, feel free to drop them by. I will ask, @kathyvegas - other than the prime rib, do you have any recommendations food wise at the Brewery?
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
I definitely recommend Wolfgang Puck in MGM Grand...decently priced, but really good quality food.
Also, David Copperfield was an interesting show, but I do think it is overpriced so don't go unless you want to splurge.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
@ Alyse...one more cool place to eat very close to where I believe you'll be staying (walking distance even)...Ellis Island Brewery & Casino. You can not beat the prices for dinner there for the entire family. Prime rib with all the fixin's for all 4 of you would be under $50. And dinner there includes their own microbrew beers and rootbeer that they make on site. They have a large menu and it's all very reasonable, there's something for everyone there, including BBQ. We love it there and take out-of-town guests there a few times a year.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
I'm not familier with where you'll be staying, but if your resort has a concierge, ask them for delivery places that they like in that neck of the woods. There are literally hundreds of interesting smaller restaurants all over Las Vegas. There just might be a few in walking distance to your resort. You might find a gem that you'll be recommending to all of us when you get back. And you might even be very close to some interesting grocery shopping if you'll be cooking in. If the grocery store that your shuttle goes to is an Albertsons, Vons or Smiths it'll have everthing you'll need to prepare a great meal or two. As far as the strip buffets they are all the same...and you really must experience one while you're here. The best buffet is a free one. Or a half price one. Check for coupons at the players' club counters at each resort.
You may not need a rental car for your entire stay with your shuttle service (even your shuttle driver will be happy to point you to some great dining deals, ask him for some suggestions). Taxi service is very good here, so are the buses, they run 24 hours. Other than Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon, a side trip to Chinatown might be interesting for some cheap shopping and very reasonable dining. Sam Woo Barbecue is very good there as well as a large number of other smaller restaurants & noodle shops all clustered together in a larger, very Chinese, very cool shopping plaza. It's just a few blocks from the strip on Spring Mountain at Arville.
My best advice is keep Googling--you still have plenty of time to Google the different resorts (don't miss Mandalay Bay, the Venetian, the Bellagio the top of the Stratosphere as well as an entire afternoon and evening at Fremont Street). Also Google the restaurants' individual web sites-they have the coupons and deals on their own web sites. Also, print out some user friendly maps for reference.
There are sites like http://www.easyvegasdeals.com/ that might have dining deals you can take advantage of.
I honestly think you'll find you won't need to plan out evey day...once you get here you'll quickly get into the flow of things and see that it's an extremely user friendly place to explore. Info will be available everywhere you look.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
floridayaya -
From what I know we haven't heard about any timeshare presentation. What company do you go through? I'll have to check in with my parents to see if we have received any info...surprisingly, I'm one of the 'kids' doing all of the research since I'm the foodie of the family. I heard about a delicious crepe restaurant in Paris, so I'm thinking I will try to drag everyone there and I have also been told we HAVE to go to Fremont street, so that is on the itinerary as well. We're from Upstate New York, so I'm sure this new sort of hot (without humidity) will take some adjusting too! Thanks again for all of the suggestions.
orchidgirl -
Thank you for the suggestions! I'll check them all out, do some more googling, and hopefully find some great places. I'm not sure if we'll rent a car after all, but if we do maybe some dim sum will be in order!
QueenHerm -
Thanks for the tip! Did you have any shows you did enjoy or ones that we should avoid? None of us are big show goers, but we might see one just because it's Vegas.
Also, for anyone who might be able to answer...is it 21 and older on the floor? I don't want to be carded constantly since I'm not quite of age, so our family might split up when necessary.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
kathyvegas - Wow, thank you SO much for all of the help. A few quick questions...do you recommend us renting a car or relying on taxis since our resort offers a shuttle to the strip and a grocery store (not sure which though). I know Vegas traffic can be a bit unsettling for tourists, so I don't want to run into a lot of issues driving and wasting our vacation time. I'd love to hit TJ's or Whole Foods, but it's not worth it if we're driving in bad traffic for an hour or something like that.
I will do a lot of googling to see what I can find out about the various restaurants and their deals, etc. I want to go to Fleur de Lys, but my family probably wouldn't be up for high end French cuisine, especially at the cost that an entree runs there. Hubert is one of my favorite chefs, so it's a bummer; we'll just hit Burger Bar instead!
Do you have any personal favorite order-in places (delivery) or restaurants in general? I know you're a native, so any food or entertainment recommendations would be excellent. Everything you wrote was fantastic, but we're just trying to plan out some sort of schedule. We may visit the Hoover Dam, but do you have any other ideas aside from the Canyon for trips also? Thanks again!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Budget?! You just take your lil' "bugdet" and bet it all on black to win! $HIGHROLLA$
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
I really liked Strip Burger. It's called that b/c it's right on the Strip...not because of anything else ;)
If you love dim sum, and since you'll have a car, definitely check out this place: great food and super cheap!
You know what's free and fun? Go visit Wynn hotel: GORGEOUS.
And just walk around.
Have fun.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
When we went a few years ago, we were also on a tight budget. My husband and I decided to attend the dreaded time share presentation - we received either discounted or free passes to a variety of shows for attending. I think it was worth the 90 minutes of our vacation for the savings - but we are good at saying "no" so there was not the worry of purchase!
One of my most favorite memories was breakfast in Paris - it was so beautiful and well done, I actually thought I was in Paris for a bit - our kids were about the same age as yours when we went, but two boys so they stayed back at our place while my husband and I went, our hotel had a Tasty Kreme and they were just as happy with that.
Fremont Street is something both of your kids will enjoy - it's an incredible experience for free! http://www.vegasexperience.com/
There's a lot of free stuff to do, just google before you go and get ready to be super hot - we live in Florida and everyone told us it would be a different "hot" not as bad as here, but hot is hot~!!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
As a native Las Vegan here's a few tips.....just don't make eye contact with those creepy guys with the escort service cards and they'll leave you alone. They're being watched & regulated and can't force their literature on you. Don't chat to them or hold your hand out if you're a guy (and no need to be polite and say "no thanks"). Yeah, it's annoying but this is Las Vegas, it goes with the turf.
Now as far as bargain dining on the strip, many of the casinos offer buy one get one free dining coupons if you register for the player's club cards that they all offer. It'll only take you 5 minutes to sign up, it's free and you'll only get an occasional email or post card from them when you get home. Most casinos now also have a choice of dining for family budgets like TGI Fridays and the like... Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay is a great choice, we love it there when we have a gang in from out of town. Also, Google the high end eateries' web pages..many have awesome deals for early dining or buy one get one free deals (Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys is one of them--and I highly recommend it)
Another option is delivery....some Asian & Italian eateries, many with pretty good food will deliver to your hotel. Just pull out the yellow pages from the phone book in your room...you'll see some menus and listings that'll say if they deliver to the resorts. If the restaurant's address is Spring Mountain Road (our Chinatown) chances are it'll be good Asian food.
Trader Joes & Whole Foods aren't exactly close to the strip...just print out a Mapquest search from your resort address to the Trader Joes on Decatur (the closest one) before you get here so you'll have a chance of navigating. Our traffic can be trying...just take your time and you'll be OK.
Finally...it's honking hot here right now until the beginning of September. You won't be able to walk too far in this heat which will cut down on your exposure to those escort service guys but if you do decide to wander around carry and DRINK as much water as you can. This is the time of year we scrape tourists off the sidewalk from dehydration. Consider taking a cab if you plan on going from a resort on one side of the strip to another one say 2 resorts away on the other side of the strip...it'll be the best $10 you ever spent!
Las Vegas has so much to offer outside of the casinos. Red Rock Canyon is a 20 minute ride from the strip, straight up Charleston Blvd. and is breathtaking--a highly recommended half day trip. Pick up a bag of Fatburgers or Del Taco on the way and eat it at one of the roadside picnic tables on the scenic loop.
Enjoy your visit here!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
QueenHerm - Thanks for all of the advice! The Burger Bar sounded amazing since I adore Hubert Keller but can't afford Fleur de Lys. Did you prefer BLT Burger or The Burger Bar? I am going to check out prices and see if it is worth it because my family is always quick to say 'it's just a burger, why would we pay extra?' They aren't exactly foodies.
All of those suggestions sound great and I will note them for the trip. I've seen ESPN Zone in NYC and I always thought it was a store, not a restaurant even though I pass it frequently...oops! My brother and my dad are into sports, so I'm sure they'd enjoy the atmosphere. Thanks again and if any other places come to mind, let me know! If you have any entertainment suggestions, please toss them my way too.
wedding grub
I'm in the midst of planning my own wedding and the food is the most important aspect for my fiance and I. In the end it's what everyone remembers (or at least I do). It's not the dress or the speeches - it's whether you enjoyed the meal and the cake. For me, sit-down is the way to go. Hor d'oeuvres and cocktails are for after the ceremony and before the reception to keep your guests happy before they can get to the big meal.
wedding grub
I agree with all the people above who pointed out that it's not only what you serve that's important, it's when you serve it. One couple I know got married in the late afternoon, so the reception was scheduled to start right around dinnertime (6 pm). We waited and waited for appetizers. They were finally brought out, but they ran out pretty quickly. We then waited for a few hours to be told to be seated (it was a sit-down dinner, but the appetizers were passed, to allow the guests to mingle). We sat down, excited for the dinner we thought was coming, but no: There were about 6 speeches, a slideshow, on and on. By the time I ate, I didn't even care anymore...I was too busy concentrating on not passing out!
wedding grub
Food is important. Alcohol is even more important. I actually didn't have a regular reception for my wedding. I rented an entire restaurant and had a three course meal there. No speeches, no cake cutting, no dancing or DJ. It was what I guess you could call updated American cuisine, pretty typical small mid-level Manhattan place. And, since it was more like they were serving regular diners, it didn't feel like forced, catered food. We had organic chicken, nice field green salads with goat cheese, etc. Since I had eaten there previously, I knew the food was good and pleasing to most taste levels. The best part was that one of the dessert options was vanilla and butterscotch ice cream sandwiches. Yum! Plus, we had drinking before and after the ceremony, and then rented out a bar after the dinner for more drinking. That's pretty much what most people remember to be honest.
The worst weddings are the really generic wedding factory type halls with generic food, generic music, disgusting cake. Be creative, people! Make something stand out!
Recent Posts
Recent Favorites
QueenHerm hasn't favorited a post yet.
Polls
QueenHerm hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
QueenHerm hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
For entertainment - there is a discount ticket booth by the Fashion Show Mall (much like TKTS in NYC). If you're there on a weekday I bet there are deals to be had. I personally have been more entertained by all the free stuff to see inside the hotels than any shows we've gone to, though.