Binions Opens New Poker Room, Some Others Close Up

South American Sushi?

Brazilian, Japanese, and Peruvian cuisines. Not exactly what you think of together, huh? Sushi Samba, in the Palazzo, Las Vegas, aims to meld these three cuisines into one restaurant. I admit, I went there for the Sushi.

My husband wanted Shibuya. I wanted something new for the sake of something new. Since we were staying at the Palazzo, we decided to try Sushisamba.
Though I am a bit of a food connoisseur, I do not claim to be familiar with South American fare. Because of this, both my husband and I decided to get the modified Omakase, tasting menu for only $100 per person. This was not supposed to be available unless the whole table got it, and my Mother-In-Law was not hungry enough. (She ordered a lamb chop and grilled asparagus that she raved about.) Though our waitress was very helpful and worked with the chef to make us a modified version. We also made sure to let it known we wanted Toro (fatty Tuna, yum) and Kobe beef whenever possible. What a great experience! Our meal included such things as Kamomoto Oysters from Washington State with some kind of soy sauce, slivered Kobe beef with mushroom sauce, and a selection of Sashimis, one with an awesome citrus sauce. We had Lobster, Scallops, a traditional Brazilian Seafood Stew, and an assortment of great desserts, including mochi ice cream, my favorite. Even the drinks were different. I had a Figo, a fig martini drink. If you like Sake, there are many to choose from here. They even have a Sake Sommelier, along with a wine Sommelier. If you have too many drinks, like I did, you’ll even find that the bathroom stalls are interesting. Each stall is a tall cylindrical pod and you can see parts of the restaurant from the sinks through slits in the walls.

Canadians buying in Las Vegas

New Las Vegas Entertainment Site ShowsLasVegas.com Prepares for Launch

The sheer volume of entertainment options available to locals and visitors to the Las Vegas area is staggering, but ShowsLasVegas.com is trying to make it easier for folks to sift through the plethora of entertainment information.

When ShowsLasVegas.com launches this week, visitors to the Web site will have the ability to view hundreds of the most popular shows, night spots, and tours offered in Las Vegas in one place. ShowsLasVegas.com visitors will be able to read reviews, compare prices, view available dates and other pertinent show information, and purchase tickets.

Most of us know about the blockbuster Las Vegas shows, but anyone who's spent time in the city knows those activities hardly scratch the surface of Las Vegas entertainment offerings. How many first-time visitors to Las Vegas, however, know that the Colorado River, Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon are a half-day's drive or less from Las Vegas and tours to these wonders leave from strip hotels every day of the week?

The developers of ShowsLasVegas.com are working to make the site the go-to source for tickets and comprehensive information about the multitude of entertainment and events Las Vegas has to offer. As Las Vegas entertainment options continue to grow and change, the site will be regularly updated with new shows, tours, reviews, and information.

OJ Trial: Verdict GUILTY

OJ's luck has finally run out. Yesterday the jury came back with a verdict of guilty on 12 felony counts. OJ is in custody awaiting sentencing on December 5th of this year. Simpson is facing life in prison for kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges stemming from the incident at Palace Station back in September of 2007.

The Las Vegas trial was televised but lacked the media circus of the Nicole Simpson murder trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles. I'm sure we can expect an appeal.

Renters protect yourselves

There was a time not that long ago, if you were a renter the biggest worry you had aside from paying your rent on time was to make sure you also had renter's insurance. Sadly, those times are over. Now you have to worry about if the place you have rented actually is for rent and not some kind of rental scam. Not to mention given the current state of the Las Vegas housing market, the home you are renting might be going into foreclosure.

However, there is something you can do about that. The Clark County Assessor's office has public records accessible online. You can look up your current address to see if it is in foreclosure here. Copy the parcel number and then go to the recorder's page do an advanced search. Enter the parcel number and click detail data. You are looking for a BREACH or NOTICE OF DEFAULT in the document type field. If the property is going into foreclosure, it will usually be within 120 days of the date posted. If it lists Notice of Sale or Notice of Trustee Sale, than foreclosure is imminent, usually within the next 30 to 60 days. If the property has already been foreclosed on, there will be a TRUSTEE DEED recorded, which means the bank has taken ownership of the property.

If you have determined that the property you are paying rent on is in foreclosure, I would recommend consulting an attorney before doing anything else. Don't confront your landlord without seeking legal advice and verifying the status of the property.

The $20 Trick Works Alright

I have advised that you try the $20 trick for room upgrades at check in. However, I have never had one turn out quite the way things did last month at the Palazzo.
We asked if there were any upgrades at check-in, using our $20 bill as an eye catcher. We were told that “yes, actually, there is a $1600 a night suite that is available, for a mere $100.” This was a hospitality suite and it had a huge patio overlooking the golf course or pool. We’d be insane not to take it, right? So we did.
When we get to our room, we found it arranged in such a way that we could not even access the Murphy bed without moving a massive table and eight chairs. Then, the bed had no linens. There was no mini bar, as promised. And the room just looked as if it were still under construction. (Keep in mind that the Palazzo had been open for eight months and claims to be a 5 Diamond hotel.) Oh, and let’s not forget the patio. It was large, but that’s where the compliments end. It had no view other than a 15-foot high stucco wall. We called the front desk and were moved to a different hospitality suite. The second suite was just as bad as the first. There were no bed linens, the furniture was not arranged for habitation, and the patio was just as uninspiring. There was still no mini-bar, and there was even a broken chair. Frustrated, we called registration again. We asked to simply have a regular room, and get a refund on our “upgrade”.

Granted, we realize what the pupose of the hospitality suite is; parties, and meetings. All the same the decor and condition of the rooms were overseen by a blind, insomniac wrestler.

All of this had taken about an hour and a half.
Once we arrived at the regular room, which was a suite, we were greeted by hooks on the wall rather than Art. The room was definitely an improvement, but still felt and was unfinished. We had probably five locations in the room, where there were beautiful metal hooks on the wall, where presumably the Buonarotti and Caravaggio replicas were supposed to be. Once the previous check-in saga was over, however, the lack of Art seemed bearable. We told the housekeeping crew, but nothing ever got delivered.

At checkout we spoke with a manager who was extremely apologetic and encouraged us to contact a manager immediately when anything like this happens. He gave a decent chunk of food and beverage credit and allowed us to stay in the room till 6PM since we had a late flight out.

Overall, the Palazzo seems a nice enough place. I’d like to believe my crazy experience is a fluke. Though, I will not be putting them on my high-end recommended list. That honor belongs solely to the Wynn, with the Bellagio, Venetian, and Mandalay Bay close behind.