So last week I had every intention of finishing up holiday decorating, which would have involved getting out the ladder and stringing lights across the carport. It is one week before Christmas, it is still not done and I think at this point it will not be getting done. I have the lights around the front door, so at least my house isn't totally grinchy.
Part of what kept me from getting that done was a mid-week trip to Las Vegas! I love Vegas and there is so much to do there that does not involve drinking and gambling. Although this trip I did do some drinking. And if you can call throwing quarters into a pinball machine gambling, well, I guess I did some of that, too.
I've been going to Vegas around the holidays for years (well, except for the last couple of years!). Prices are generally lower right before Christmas and it's just a nice break. I usually go with my son. I think we started going to Vegas when he was around 14/15 and he's 35 now. Lately our trips have morphed into quick overnights, with the main goal being to play old school arcade and pinball games and to drink tiki drinks. This trip was no exception.
We started off by heading to the Pinball Hall of Fame and getting our game on. I like old school pinball tables, the old electromechanical ones that have flipping numbers and clanging bells. My favorite one is Cleopatra but it was not working that day. I did play a lot of other tables, among them Aladdin's Castle and Medieval Madness. I also found a trove of old school arcade games along a side wall - Tutankham, Burger Time, Tapper, Frogger and Ms. Pac-Man. I did especially well on Burger Time and Tapper.
Vegas has two legit tiki bars, Frankie's and Golden Tiki. They both have very different vibes and a lot of people seem to prefer one over the other. I like them both. Frankie's is old school, dark and so very smoky. The drinks are always good though! Golden Tiki is brighter, more colorful, kind of an Instagram trap. It's an experience! We've been to both places and decided we were going to hit Frankie's but try out some new places as well.
I googled "tiki drinks vegas" and found a couple of likely candidates. Now, just having a tiki drink on the menu doesn't make it a tiki bar. But the places I wanted to check out seemed to have the vibe going as well. First one was Starboard Tack. It didn't really have a tiki vibe but it wasn't bad. There was a fireplace going which was nice because it was chilly. If I lived in the area, I might frequent the place. I had a Chimp in Orbit (Kasama Rum, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Curacao, Creme de Cacao, Lemon and Grenadine). It was pretty good but I liked my son's drink better, the Bebado Swizzle (Novo Fogo Graciosa, Lime, Giffard Banane de Bresil, Acai, Coconut, Mango, Mint).
Next stop was the Red Dwarf. This was kind of like a combo punk/tiki bar. It had way more tiki vibe - lots puffer fish lights and other tiki decor. The bar itself and the stage area were more punky. The bottom of the bar was lined with vinyl records, the bartop was laminated with album covers and the stage area was covered with concert pages. I had a Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Gin, Orgeat, Lemon, Pineapple, bitters) which is one of my favorite tiki drinks. My son had a Mexican Diablo (Mezcal, Lime, Creme de Cassis, Ginger Beer). I can't stand mezcal but every time he gets a mezcal drink he wants me to taste it. I think he's hoping that one of these days I'll have an epiphany and suddenly like mezcal. I won't. It's like drinking a campfire. Blargh. This place is also known for their Detroit pizza. We had eaten before going out so we weren't hungry enough for pizza but he ordered garlic bread, which I shared. It was awesome. There was so much garlic that my mouth was burning. The white sauce they have is pretty legit, too.
Last stop of the evening was Frankie's. Usually we have a hard time finding someplace to sit because it's a tiny, busy place. But it's not quite as busy midweek right before Christmas so we were able to find a spot right away. I had a Malekula (coconut rum, Tuaca, melon liqueur and pineapple juice) while I'm pretty sure my son had a Surf Dragon (strawberry and violet, gold rum, 151 proof rum) in a souvenir tiki mug.
That was it for our night of hitting tiki bars. The next morning, before heading out of town, we stopped off at the Omelet House. This place is amazing. First of all, it's in a building that's set up kind of like a little indoor mall. There is room upon room then hallways, then more rooms - it's crazy! And it is super decorated all over with kitschy items. Go ahead and google it and look at all the pictures. It is something else. As far as food, I am not a waffle person but the first time I went to this place I chose waffles for some reason and they were MAGICAL. I don't know what it is about them but it's like there was an angelic heavenly choir singing in my mouth. They also make these super legit home fries - thinly sliced potatoes, fried til crispy. Also magical. Unless you try to take them home for later and then they turn into soggy sadness. My son had the #39 - Chicken Fried Steak Omelet. Yes, you read that right. Chicken Fried Steak - in an omelet. So decadant.
So thus concluded the annual Vegas pilgrimage.