Las Vegas in the footsteps of locals
Most people visiting Las Vegas for the bright lights and casinos head to the Strip, but the locals don’t.
On weekends, they head for Red Rock Canyon. In about 30 minutes from downtown, we were in the middle of scenic desert with Spring Mountains in the background. Red Rock isn’t monumental like that other canyon, but hiking well-maintained trails (do stop at the information centre first) through its serene beauty is a respite from the city.
By 11:30 a.m., Honey Salt was packed with residents of Summerlin (an affluent Las Vegas community near Red Rock Canyon) scarfing down brunch specials like Cocoa Puff French toast and breakfast nachos. Depending upon how last night went, Green Goodness Juice or “all you can drink Bloody Mary’s” are popular.
After indulging, we nipped over to Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa for a signature hot stone massage that was so luscious I forgot what planet I was on, much less which city. After spending the afternoon wallowing in soaking tubs and steam rooms and then poolside nursing another margarita, we swanned over to the resort’s Masso Osteria restaurant and I had the best Caesar salad in my entire life. Our driver told us local billionaire and Bubba Gump tycoon Tilman Fertitta owns the casino and he has a local following mainly due to his “rags to riches” story.
Downtown Vegas, once dominated by Heart Attack Grill, where people who weigh over 350 pounds (160 kilograms to us Canadians) eat free and servers dress as nurses, is now attracting serious diners. That includes vegans, thanks in part to Diana Edelman, whose company “Vegans, Baby”, offers vegan food tours.
We sampled amazing cuisine from five restaurants (two all-vegan eateries) in three hours, so it’s a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothing. I had to pace myself: at Turmeric I could have eaten a bucket of Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower florets, the Indian vegan take on chicken wings). VegeNation, our last stop, is a community-based restaurant that’s also a hip art gallery. Again, I had to get the dessert to go. Viva Las Vegans!
If I had a few more days in Vegas, I would beg the chef at Forte European Tapas Bar to show me how to make his potato dumplings — truly heavenly pillows! With Nina Manchev, the charming owner, amazing chefs specializing in Eastern European fare and equally charming servers, no wonder this place is packed from 6 p.m. on, despite it being tucked into a shopping mall 20 minutes from downtown. It’s worth it for the Adjarski Khachapurri alone, a traditional Georgian dish of warm bread filled with cheese and eggs.
Downtown is where the story of Vegas began, back in 1905. At the corner of Freemont and Las Vegas Boulevard, the neon sign of Hacienda Horse and Rider (a.k.a. cowboy Vegas Vic) once lured those who wanted to take their chances with Lady Luck.
Las Vegas doesn’t exactly fit the pedestrian bill, unless you’re strolling Fremont Street, which in 1925 was the first street to be paved. We discovered with Las Vegas Pop Culture Tours that Freemont is a flash from the past but also a vision of the future — where locals are recreating downtown ‘hoods.
We met our guide, Richard Hooker, over coffee at PublicUS (the pastries are excellent). Passionate about his city, he pointed out lots of small motels getting makeovers and more than a thousand micro-apartments have been built as rentals for millennials. Here is Container Park—a cool shopping centre built out of shipping containers. It’s a great after-meal destination, offering wine and a playground with twirling slides for both kids and adults. After all, it’s still Vegas.
Fremont Street is flanked with interesting stores and cafes and fantastic murals. With its funky hipster vibe, this neighbourhood is bound to attract more visitors who aren’t into the glitzy glamour strip.
After perfect margaritas with a humungous and tasty dinner at Atomic Kitchen (no room for the toffee pudding, which I took back to my hotel for a fabulous midnight snack), we checked out next door’s “blast from the past” — Atomic Liquors where 50 years ago people sat on the roof to watch nuclear bomb blasts in the Nevada desert, and more recently Antony Bourdain filmed an episode of Parts Unknown.
If you only have time for one show, check out The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. (You can also combine a show with dinner and/ or drinks.) The venue itself is worth visiting, and you can’t get a bad seat anywhere in its three theatres.
After venturing a bit further afield than many Vegas visitors get, I have to say that I didn’t miss the glitzy Strip. In fact, the only time spent on the strip was sleeping at the newly renovated park MGM. In my books, that makes me a winner.
For more information, check out visitlasvegas.com