Everyone makes the pilgrimage sooner or later. Take the 15 North beyond Barstow, Zzyzx and Primm, and you can just make out the tractor-beam pull from Luxor that is Las Vegas. To power through that bachelor party or milestone celebration, liquid nourishment can only take sinners so for.
Everyone has their dining secrets for the city, and here are three. You won't see keno screens and buffets in the following selections, though: just some reasonable dining options that don't involve Slots A Fun foot-long hot dogs for a buck or deep-fried Twinkies off Fremont Street. That's another post.
We gotta begin with brekkie.
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With three locations in Vegas, the twisted farm food from Hash House a go go is a winner. It's Cheesecake Factory portions meets Side Street Cafe home cookin' in an industrial space. For those of you who don't prefer brekkie, casino locations serve the entire menu all day.
I went for Hash House's Tippecanoe Scramble: smoked chicken, sundried tomato pesto, spinach and goat cheese, served with a choice of potato, fresh fruit, and a buttermilk biscuit. All your food groups on one platter, and it's pretty damn filling and worth the non-buffet price of $13.95. The punch of pesto takes the eggs to a better place. Throw in the creamy change-of-pace from cheddar, and this chicken might as well be brunch. They suggest adding a Bud for three bucks, but why bother when casinos pour for free?
If you're in town for a convention, or weary for a snack after driving in on Friday, one of the better weeknight happy hours is Prime Time at the bar inside Palm Restaurant. Not to be confused with the casino, Palm's Bar Bites menu is handsomely priced at $4.50. Steak, chicken parmigiana and BLT lobster sliders dominate. However, charcuterie and crab cakes offer alternatives.
Cool chicken salad and crispy duck rolls are just a taste of what Firefly* (their asterisk, not ours) has to offer. Their meatless dishes of sauteed veggies & French lentils or an unassuming tortilla a la espanola, topped with chile vinaigrette, can round out any meal. They're both under five bucks, too.
Find a Hash House a go go location at www.hashhouseagogo.com. Prime Time at the Palm, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas (702) 732-7256; www.thepalm.com/PrimeTime. Firefly* on Paradise, 3900 Paradise Rd., #A Las Vegas, (702) 369-3971; www.fireflylv.com.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.