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City Cast Las Vegas

Definitely some eating and driving this week!

Let’s hope the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has a better time in the valley this week than when it visited in February — and its 

catalytic converter was reportedly stolen

. In case you or your children are fans of oversized sausage-shaped vehicles, it will be at Smith stores in Henderson and Las Vegas 

Next Tuesday’s opening of Zippy’s, the lauded Hawaiian food chain — this is its first location outside the islands — is 

, complete with parking overflow and the need for patience. If you plan to attend the opening, near Rainbow and the 215, well, 

For the nonfoodie who’s casually interested in the whopping 36 bars and restaurants announced for the forthcoming Fontainebleau, here’s 

👉 While you’re thinking about food, 

 to the Oct. 14 Vegas Unstripped food festival, downtown’s big-deal foodstravaganza. Straight-up fun fact: The 30 or so participating chefs are required to 

 — nothing from their menu. Deadline to enter: Monday afternoon.

Another contestant enters the valley’s pizza thunderdome — 

, Signora Pizza. FYI, our podcast has (🎧) 

Living in Las Vegas pretty much entails leapfrogging from one climate-controlled cube of constructed space to another — home to car to office to bar to restaurant to mall to this or that concert venue or family attraction. That sounds bleak and lame, but I’m down with it. The great stupid genius of this city is in its stubborn, hubristic terraforming, and I say let’s celebrate it. Honestly, I’m waiting for the day we just clap a giant dinner bell over everything from Summerlin to Sunrise Manor and make the whole place an immersive, walkable, urban-themed terrarium experience that in a delightful Borgesian twist is, ta-da, indistinguishable from a real city.

Until then, one of my hobbies is enjoying our many richly fake spaces à la carte (shouts to the Bellagio Conservatory, Springs Preserve, Fashion Show Mall), and one of my favorites is

. Opened way back in 1994, it’s a massive cliff waterfall guarded by animatronic bears, wolves, owls, and mountain lions, all set up in a misty, jungly atrium ringed by shops and restaurants. But it’s during the daily light-and-water show that Mystic Falls truly comes alive. The funny thing about artifice is how it 

) — and in that very insistence bursts its own seams and becomes kind of silly. During its daily show, Mystic Falls does just that, burgeoning into a kind of volcanic spasm of fervid, apocalyptic camp as the music booms and laser lights slash across the dancing spouts of water, and the robot menagerie erratically sways and poplocks to the echoing beat. This is the great, nightmarish indoors, and it is quintessentially Vegas.

So, yeah, Mystic Falls is philosophically chewy, but I should also say that on a practical level, it’s also a fun hang. There’s a cozy atrium bar that’s a fine perch for catching a buzz while catching the show, and don’t sleep on the underrated Angry Butcher Steakhouse if you want dinner with ringside seats. Mystic Falls’

 runs through Dec. 23, but don’t fret if you miss it. Its “standard” show is a fanciful riot of New Age synth fugues, dancing kokopellis, and echoey eagle screeches — and is as real fake-Vegas as it gets.

Where better to celebrate this city's "stubborn, hubristic terraforming"?

Mystic Falls Is the Real Essence of Fake Las Vegas.

The Real Essence of Fake Vegas: Mystic Falls

The Appreciation Index

As of next week, the Fremont Street Experience will have been open for 28 years. So here’s a shout-out to the time before that, receding deeper into memory every day, when anyone — including, it seems, a carload of 

 on a pre-hibernation toot — could drive down Glitter Gulch for an immersion in classic Las Vegas.

That began to change in the early 1990s, as the Strip, energized by the Mirage and the onset of the megaresort era, began siphoning off downtown’s clientele. Before, “80% of the people who came to Las Vegas made at least one trip to see Fremont Street,” 

. “By 1989, 1990-91, those numbers had flipped so that less than 20% were coming downtown.”

The area was said to need a super-size entry in the “experience economy” to avoid being decimated. And because modern Las Vegas’ best practices dictate that you can solve any problem by throwing spectacle at it, a 

 became the solution (a frankly better one than Steve Wynn’s proposal to replace downtown streets with canals). 

And the view from the skyboxes is that it worked. “We turned it around with the Fremont Street Experience,” casino owner Bill Boyd told author Geoff Schumacher for his book “

But “turned it around” has a different meaning to those Vegas longtimers who still mourn the raffish, human-scaled, uncapped Glitter Gulch, and for whom the modern Fremont just doesn’t bear comparison.

The garish attraction saved downtown, if not Fremont Street.

Remembering Downtown Las Vegas Before the Experience

Before the Experience, There Was Just Fremont Street

Las Vegas History

Winter is coming — Dec. 21 is its first day. While that typically doesn’t mean snow days in the valley, it still gets damn cold — especially if you’re a bougainvillea. There are some easy steps you can take to help your flora hang on until spring. Here are a few tips we glommed from the 

 Prune or transplant a damaged plant until well after the coldest part of the season; otherwise you'll risk doing even more damage — or killing it altogether.

 If you have real grass, set your sprinklers on a midmorning schedule; our winter has lots of afternoon winds that hamper watering accuracy; and it gives the water time to soak in before night’s colder temps.

 When you water, do your best not to get water on leaves and petals.

 Fertilize your fruit trees late in the winter.

 drain outdoor hoses, don’t leave faucets and spigots dripping, indoors or out, says the Water District. Our winters aren’t generally extreme enough to make that necessary.

 Pile a few inches of mulch around the bases of your plants to provide extra cold-weather insulation.

 Overwater your succulents, which tend to be dormant in the winter anyway. Water plus freezing weather often equals rot, say botanical experts.

 Plan ahead. The Water District: “February is usually mild enough to allow you to plant petunias, pansies, snapdragons and other cool-season annuals …”

Simple steps to protect gardens and grass.

Winter-Proof Your Yard

Las Vegas Life Hacks

 my labradoodle wearing fake antlers, the desert bighorn sheep is as close as Las Vegas is gonna get to reindeer. Here are a few facts about Nevada’s state mammal, 

 these herbivores to survive in arid deserts: Their light coloring reflects 40% of the sun’s rays; their complex stomachs maximize the nutrition in tough desert plants.

 a bighorn can go for months getting their necessary electrolytes from their diet instead of by drinking water. During summer, they can go for up to three days in 100 degrees between drinks.

 that desert bighorn can lose up to 30% of their fluid weight and still function; for many species 10% is enough to trigger dehydration.

 As with many males, boy sheep try to impress girl sheep through head-butting contests. They’ve been observed to last more than 24 hours, with as many as five clashes per hour. Swipe right on your fave, ewes!

 have horns that curl fully — so much so that they sometimes break them off against rocks to improve their field of vision. Ewes have a half-curl.

 Least concern. In 2022, Nevada issued nearly 300 desert bighorn sheep ram tags.

 is climate change — not only because it’ll dry up water sources, but because it will impact the nutritional value of the grasses, shrubs, cacti, and acacia they survive on.

They're as close to reindeer as Southern Nevada's gonna get.

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn Sheep Around Las Vegas

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn

Urban Almanac

Once the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas now gets plenty of rest — it seems fewer bars and restaurants are open all night. As the witching hour shuts down, is Las Vegas losing something essential? We asked City Cast Las Vegas contributor and man about town Brent Holmes.

As someone who grew up in Las Vegas and later lived weird hours as an artist, what’s special about our city’s notorious accessibility and convenience around the clock?

“I can't imagine my schedule being (tied to), ‘Well, everything closes at 10,’ and no longer being able to have access to whatever odd, nefarious itch I have in the middle of the night. I need some Cap’n Crunch, it's 3 in the morning — I'm gonna go get me some Cap’n Crunch.”

It seems like a lot of places, like grocery stores, now have locks on their doors that they use! Can we even call ourselves 24/7 anymore?

“I don't think we really are. There's not the weird lounge act at 2 in the morning just killing it, right? They were really, like, 

 playing it. And that was the thing — there was this culture of entertainers getting off shift at 9 o'clock at night, and they would just pop from gig to gig, lounge to lounge, event to event, and hang out, play, drink, have a great time.”

Do you think we'll ever become a 24-hour city again?

“I hope so. I hope we're not headed the way of, you know, Albuquerque. I would like to see this city vibrant and strange at all hours. It's one of the most important things about our cultural identity — that this is a city that not just never 

. We've always got something new for you, and it has a superb effect on the locals. There are people living their entire lives at night here. And it's really beautiful that way.”

Is It Still Las Vegas If It Isn't 24/7?

Brent Holmes on What's Lost If Vegas Isn't a 24-Hour Town

3 Questions With

When people think of the glories of Summerlin, chances are whatever they have in mind falls within the boundaries of this neighborhood: the restaurants and entertainment of Red Rock Resort, the commercial sprawl of Downtown Summerlin, the Aviators’ ballpark and the Golden Knights’ practice rink.

“Gardens Park is a delight for dog walkers, parents with kids, and more,” says one reader, who notes, “There's even a regular group of ladies who get together and practice dance.” Reader Chrystal Watters (“This is my square of city! I love living there.”) favors Willows Park. She also touts the 215 West Beltway 

There’s more to do than shop, see a baseball game, or watch hockey practice — though those are all fine options. Downtown Summerlin frequently hosts concerts, fairs, and community events. Especially this time of year. Watters says: “The holidays are a great time — 

 in Downtown Summerlin, the ice-skating rink, 

 at the ballpark.” In addition to bowling and movies at Red Rock Resort, there’s 

A major draw of South Summerlin is that it’s near so much: “Hiking at Red Rock is a quick drive,” says Watters. “You could even bike there if you’re motivated.” There’s a shooting range just up Charleston if that’s your cup of tea. Firearms enthusiast? The 

 shooting range is just as close. For art, books, and events, the versatile 

What isn't there to do in Summerlin South?

Get to Know One of Las Vegas' Most Active Neighborhoods

Get to Know Summerlin South 

Neighborhood Guides

Time again for our occasional pop quiz about the natural wonders of this city and state. Answers after the questions. Good luck!

1. Which other state also claims the mountain bluebird as its state bird?

(a) Montana (b) Wyoming (c) Idaho (d) Florida

2. What does the prestigious Cornell bird lab suggest we do about the above?

(a) Continue sharing the bluebird (b) Adopt the sagebrush sparrow instead (c) Adopt the calliope hummingbird instead (d) Challenge the other state to a bird-off

3. Near Caliente is a fossil deposit with what are believed to be the oldest specimens — 250 million years old — of what creature?

(a) Ichthyosaur (b) Wooly mammoth (c) Lounge lizards (d) Trilobites

4. Which of the following isn’t the actual name of a local cactus species?

(a) Stinging Pete prickly pear (b) Teddy bear cholla (c) Jumping cholla (d) Scarlet hedgehog cactus

5. Enough wild turkeys live in Nevada to warrant hunting seasons in the spring — including out near Moapa. Are they native to the state?

(a) Yes (b) No (c) We talking about the bird or the bourbon?

6. The only place in North America to find a Virgin Valley black fire opal is in a remote corner of Nevada. It’s so rare because …

(a) It required an unusual combination of ancient volcanic elements (b) It occurs in small, unpredictable veins (c) It only formed inside prehistoric wood

 be a good band name, however. 5. (b) They were 

Test Your Knowledge of Las Vegas + Nevada Nature

The caption on this 1968 gem is straightforward, but the dream contained within is expansive. It harkens back to a time when promoting Las Vegas to the world through unusual and sometimes provocative staged photos was its own artform. Yet compared to today's more bombastic promotions, they seem downright wholesome. These three archetypal Las Vegans from the 1960s (big white-hat chef, themed showgirls) aren’t particularly famous. Their Google traces are limited to facts like Orie being the star of the Thunderbird Hotel revue “

” (undoubtedly bolstered by the popular youth-oriented TV program of the day) and Carl’s 

 30 years later. Yet what a untypical/typical November day it must have been, posing with a likely uncooperative turkey (no word on its next act, though the photo implies much) to get that perfect, enduring Las Vegas shot.

A chef, showgirls, and a gobbler — a throwback Thanksgiving.

A Very Vegas Turkey

Will the Wienermobile Escape Vegas Unscathed This Time?

Will the Wienermobile Escape Las Vegas Unscathed This Time?

The latest on the hottest places to eat, drink, socialize, and talk about in Las Vegas.

Food & Drink

Chef DJ Flores is doing something exciting at 

. Like many of the chefs off-Strip opening up new concepts, Flores is a graduate of high-end casino restaurants, and marries his fine-dining expertise with a deep dive into his Mexican culinary heritage. “

” refers to a traditional agricultural system — at its base, it’s a plot of land that every home once had, which grew maize, beans, and squash in a regenerative cycle that nourished both the soil and the families that tended it. More philosophically, it represents the wisdom of ancient farmers who worked with the land instead of against it.

Flores is taking a similar approach to corn: He sources heritage varietals and employs nixtamalization, an ancient technique that extracts more nutrients and flavor from the kernels. His tortillas are fragrant and pliable. On the day I went, they were serving tortillas made with 

 corn, a deep gold colored grain with notes of butternut squash. We feasted on dense blue corn pinole pancakes, and chilaquiles redolent with heaps of fresh cilantro. My favorites, though, were the huevos rancheros, two perfectly jiggly eggs doused in a warm, tomato-y broth that I unrepentantly slurped up after finishing the eggs; and the black bean tetelas — tender pockets of corn wrapped around black beans like a Christmas present. Flores is part of a growing movement of chefs who are looking to the past and the future, holding both in perfect balance, with gems like Milpa as the result.

The modern and ancient mix at chef DJ Flores' restaurant.

An Off-Strip Gem Mixing Old and New Mexican Cooking in Las Vegas.

It's Back to the Future at Milpa

You could make your own pie dough, roast your own pumpkin or par cook your own apples; you could roll out crusts and latticework and crimp and pray that your crust doesn’t have the dreaded soggy bottom. But why? Thanks to all the culinary talent in town, you can order your Thanksgiving pies from pastry specialists with pick-up locations all over the valley. (And if you’re wondering why some are so much pricier than a Costco pie, 

Boom Bang, helmed by “Top Chef” alum Elia Aboumrad-Page, has Thanksgiving dessert offerings that are sure to start a conversation: The pumpkin pie ($35) eschews the traditional butter crust for a Graham cracker base, and comes topped cardamom whipped cream and toasted pumpkin seeds. Preorder at least 48 hours in advance by emailing Elia@boombang.restaurant. [Henderson]

Taking the concept of “pie” to its full logical extent, Crust n Roux sells sweet pies, savory pot pies, and pizza pies. Order a gorgeous latticework apple pie ($32), or opt for a six-pack of mini pies ($18). And, hey, if your turkey doesn’t come out right, you can order pizza, too. Order 48 hours in advance — but they’re open until 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, so call if you’re in a pinch. [Town Square]

If you’re feeling extra spendy, you can preorder an “extra silky” pumpkin pie, a bourbon pecan pie, or a salted caramel apple pie for $66 each. Dominique Ansel is, of course, creator of the famous cronut, so you might as well get a few of those ($18 for two) as well. Pick-up on Tuesday-Thursday. [Strip]

Dubbed the “punk rock bakeshop where everything is FAT,” Fattys is selling four kinds of pie this fall: classic pumpkin, double-crust apple, maple pecan, and cherry crumb. Each pie is $25, but order in bulk for a good deal (four for $50). Delivery-only on Nov. 22, deadline to order is Saturday. [Delivery]

Founded in 1959, Freed’s is a Vegas institution, with six locations around town, and its classic pumpkin pie ($24) is a sure hit. Pick-up on Tuesday and Wednesday. [Various locations]

Michael Gillet, a two-starred Michelin French pastry chef, opened his own storefront in the Southwest in 2019. This Thanksgiving, in addition to pumpkin ($25), apple ($25), and pecan ($32), you can also order a lemon meringue ($28). Preorders close Sunday. [Rainbow & Sunset]

Media personality Jeremy Washington is known for his sweet potato pies ($14), which are typically lighter and less dense than pumpkin. But if pie crust isn’t your thing, you can opt for sweet potato cheesecake ($25) or sweet potato cookies ($6). Preorders close 

, pick-up at Gritz Cafe Tuesday. [Historic Westside]

Who says your Thanksgiving pie has to be pumpkin? Paina Cafe sells ube custard pies ($19) and chocolate haupia pies ($25) for a tropical, Pacific Islands twist on fall. Preorders are open until they run out. Pick up Monday-Wednesday, as well as Thanksgiving Day. To order, click on “Browse our stores”. [Two locations: Chinatown, Enterprise]

Pastry chef Andrea McLean, a CSN grad and Bouchon alum, started Pop n Pies in the depths of the pandemic. You can order one of her four autumnal pies ($30) via email or Instagram DM, for pick up Tuesday or Wednesday. [McLeod and Sunset]

You could bake your own Thanksgiving pie — buy why?

🥧 Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies in Las Vegas

🥧 Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies

Someone order a sampler tray of local food news?

Depending on where you draw the boundaries, the Gateway District (

) adjoins the Arts District — indeed, it includes real estate many associate with the latter. So some of the bars, taverns, and grog shops featured in this 

 would surely be staples of an Arts District bar crawl. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t crawl. [Eater Vegas]

 a real-life bar themed after a fictional bar in the 

 of 1993 — “A Bronx Tale” — will 

 this month. The bar is Chez Bippy, to be found in the new Italian restaurant Luchini in the MGM Grand. Look for “red velvet drapes, arched bronze mirrors, plush gold banquettes, a ruffled chandelier with disco ball, and glowing fringed pendants above the bar.” Chazz Palminteri not included. [Review-Journal]

 for his take on the big, $$$$ new joint at Caesars Palace, Peter Luger Steak House. You’ll have to negotiate the dissonance between his voluptuous descriptions of the food and his wallet-busting account of the bill. [Being John Curtas]

Plus us, a Gatteway bar crawl and a damn good (and pricey!) steak.

A Bar from a Movie Is Coming to the Las Vegas Strip

A Bar from a Movie Is Coming to the Strip

Coffee in downtown Las Vegas is at an apex. Hard to just endorse one out of more than a dozen intriguing offerings — so here’s my “circuit” when time and obligations allow.

My coffee-forward days typically begin at 

 in the Arts District. Straight to the user-friendly app to preorder an oat milk cappuccino featuring in-house roasted espresso. Drink in hand, I’ll sit at the long community table where my friend-klatch is already sipping on excellent house drips. Soon, I'll depart to nearby 

 coffee, a top roaster in the country. Another cappuccino, please, paired with a "Waffle Sandi" — sausage, egg, and cheese between two waffles, with maple syrup. As in Vesta, conversation opportunities are common (local movers and shakers often congregate) so I might hastily exit a few blocks south to 

 — especially when I need to focus. Dig It! has fun, flavorful lattes (I’m boring with vanilla bean), clever pastries, and an ethos that warms the heart, along with free wifi and a well-lit interior.

If not there, I let my car decide the next stop! Maybe 

 for a 4-ounce cortado and book browsing; or 

 for an elegant macchiato in a blue ceramic cup. Both have outdoor seating. In the afternoon, it’s 

, with robust lunch options and a complex yet accessibly delicious coffee program, including the incomparable 

I highly recommend all these spots. Obviously not 

 in a single day. But if you’re wondering if I'm sometimes at this exact level of do-it-all-in-a-day java obsession — that’s a secret between me, my higher power, my primary-care provider … and a handful of hopefully tight-lipped baristas serving downtown well.

 Because I’m feeling extra caffeinated today, here’s a link to our 

How to work your way through downtown's best java joints.

The Downtown Las Vegas Coffee Shop Circuit

The Downtown Coffee Circuit

Novelist Tod Goldberg tells us why this classic Vegas eatery shows up in his crime fiction:

, and every time I go to Vegas I eat there.

I always get the same breakfast: ham and eggs, diced and scrambled together. I either get the corned beef or the chicken salad for lunch. Every. Single. Time. Anyway, the thing about using the Bagel Café in my crime novels is that it 

 be a place where this stuff happens, because it's a free zone. You see every part of society in the Bagel Café. Go there on a Saturday afternoon. It's mobbed, and there are gangsters, there are Jews, there are Latinos, there are Japanese tourists. But it's orderly, and it's controlled because everyone wants the same thing. They want the same goddamn standard of excellent food. And they're not gonna cause a problem there. There are only a few places in the world that are safe zones. There's the Bagel Café. There's In-N-Out — the gangsters eat there, they don't want it to close. They're not gonna tag it up. They're not gonna rob it. They want that In-N-Out burger. And Target, 'cause everyone needs Target.”

,” the conclusion of his Vegas-set “Gangsterland” trilogy, is now out. He’ll also appear at the 

All the characters come to the Bagel Café.

Crime Writer Tod Goldberg on a Las Vegas 'Free Zone'

Crime Writer Tod Goldberg on The Bagel Café

Got a full plate of food news this week …

, right? Winner of that ballyhooed Dapper Co. competition for a built-out location in the Huntridge Shopping Center? If that seems like 10,000 news cycles ago, well, the opening’s finally getting closer — and 

 Candidates to work as line cooks and sous chef should apply online ahead of time; selected applicants will be emailed with details about where to take the culinary skills exam on these days.

 Applicants for all other positions can visit a hiring fair at the diner. Prior online application is encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted from 1-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 6-7 p.m. Monday; bring resume, ID, and current health district card.

Food historian Sarah Lohman teams up with Arts District restaurant Main Street Provisions next Thursday for a presentation called “

: Tasting Las Vegas Food History.” It’s part of the Neon Museum’s “Duck Duck Shed” program honoring local culture. Here, 

 by food journalist Johnathan L. Wright. [Review-Journal]

Pour a little out for the latest additions to 2023’s list of 

These readers have suggested a few additions to this newsletter’s roundup of great coffee joints beyond downtown. Adding each to my sip list.

 in Henderson has the best coffee in town. They have it shipped in directly from Hawaii. I actually drive from Summerlin to Henderson to treat myself.”

 on West Charleston has some of the best coffee in town. The beans are roasted on-site and you can chat with the roaster while he brews your coffee to order.”

We've got a full plate of food news this week …

Food & Drink

Will the Wienermobile Escape Las Vegas Unscathed This Time?

* * * *

🌭 Hot (Dog) Wheels

🌺 Food, Parking, and Aloha!

🍽️ A Peek at Fontainebleau

Food & Drink

It's Back to the Future at Milpa

🥧 Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies

A Bar from a Movie Is Coming to the Strip

The Downtown Coffee Circuit

Crime Writer Tod Goldberg on The Bagel Café

Winning Diner Staffs Up, the Taste of Old Vegas, and More

Las Vegas' Fall Food Festivals and More

Las Vegas Is a Great Taco City + Edible Gold Leaf ... Why?

The latest in Las Vegas

The Real Essence of Fake Vegas: Mystic Falls

Before the Experience, There Was Just Fremont Street

Winter-Proof Your Yard

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn

Brent Holmes on What's Lost If Vegas Isn't a 24-Hour Town

Get to Know Summerlin South

Test Your Knowledge of Las Vegas + Nevada Nature

A Very Vegas Turkey