Haiku

Sadly I am sick
Frustrated and home in bed
I practice Haiku

Chicken Soup for soul
Chicken Soup for cold and flu
Chicken Fried I crave

But seriously...

Overcast sunrise
Last of the night revealing
Sleep has not yet won

Gordon Biersch

Gordon Biersch is great for lunch. Full of lunchers from the offices on Howard Hughes Parkway, the best way to do a Vegas lunch here is to order a tasting flight of the microbrews and take your time. Even though the temperature was close to 70 I was sad to learn that the porch is not open. Sun and tables... so close, yet so far away. No matter though, the place clears out by 2 o'clock. There is free wireless internet and a lot to accomplish when time is not a factor and a restaurant brews it's own beer in batches that exceed 100 gallons at a time. My friends had already ordered wings and tall glasses of Marzen by the time I arrived. As soon as our server realized that we were not in a rush, things got friendlier. I took advantage of a tasting flight of the tap beers before corn chowder and a half (extra mayo on the side) turkey sandwich fortified me for the rest of the afternoon. My companions made short work of their burgers and we shared fries, red potatos and cole slaw. All excellent. From 1 p.m. till 4:20 we caught up on news and gossip. I used my companion's wireless and got some work done. I bought a new domain name from GoDaddy.com and we sent a few pictures back to friends in the frozen Midwest and taunted them with the Las Vegas weather forecast. We had a good time and a great lunch.

Now, all I need to know is, who has the key to the patio, and what's it gonna take to get it open before Spring?

BjK

La Reve

La Reve at the Wynn. Water, Dream sequence, more water, feats of strength and agility, high dives, higher dives and some REALLY high dives surrounded by humor, live birds, dancing, balancing and water everywhere. Average lyrics to good songs and very cool mood music to accompany the watery theatrics and acrobatics. In short... Amazing! Monday night's 9:30 performance was attended by a calvacade of Las Vegas' entertainment community. This was the scene to see and be seen at. BjK.

Old school

If you want old school Vegas atmosphere, service and steak, I would recommend the Steakhouse at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Start with a martini. In my opinion it was the best martini possible. Mixed and served by a gentleman who may have shaken a few for the real Rat Pack back in the day, it was bone dry and one teaspoon dirty. This kind of martini takes the bite out of vodka and can fool a guy into thinking that if one is this good, two will be better. I savored one. Meals include bread, house salad, choice of potato or rice and a vegetable. On to the salad... I upgraded to the wedge, a $5 upcharge and worth the cash. Whoever concocted the wedge of iceberg lettuce and decided to cover it with fresh diced tomatoes, candied walnuts, a bit of red onion and blue cheese vinagrette is welcome to adopt me or propose marriage (whichever would be gender appropriate). It was that good. A glass of cabernet gets a few minutes to catch it's breath before the steak is brought to the table. Ample time to finish my salad and admire the wood panels covering the walls. Dark wood and leather accent the smell and taste of fine food and good drinks. Garlic mashed potato, green beans almondine and a medium rare ribeye, too much to finish. All excellent. No better way to dine on a Sunday, or any night in Las Vegas. BjK

Borders Books

Borders Books at the corner of Sahara and Decatur Avenues in Las Vegas is selling some very cool hardcover books and letting them go cheap. Yesterday I picked up a copy of the great speeches of the 20th Century for under $9. Churchill, Reagan, Cuomo et al. Also got a coffeetable size Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music with a special biographic section of Composers for under $15. Bjk.

Giorgios, Mandalay Place

Las Vegas: If it's arancini you want, you need to check out the deal at Giorgio's in Mandalay Place. They have a happy hour there from 3 -6 pm and you can get a nice appetizer portion of the fried rice balls for $5. Wine, beer and drinks are also at happy hour prices, $5 and under. Delicious and nutritious. Ask for sides of alfredo, marinara, and pepperoncini mayonaise. Tell Melanie the bartender that Bjk. sent you. Then reassure her that the housing market will be bouncing back soon. Bjk.

Las Vegas fireworks were not presented to be seen by the community. Disappointing for anyone that was not on the strip or in one of the rooftop clubs or penthouse suites. I watched from Desert Breeze Park, which is normally an ideal viewing area, but didn't really see much. Apparently the Monte Carlo fire of 2008 was cause for changing the launches from the roof tops to the ground.
Happy New Year!!! Bjk.