Black Bart’s Vegas Wing-Ding (Rated: PG-13 for semi-explicit shower scenes)
Jun 27th, 2005, 02:56 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Black Bart’s Vegas Wing-Ding (Rated: PG-13 for semi-explicit shower scenes)
Okay. So I haven’t contributed much to this forum. And when I do it’s sometimes harsh criticism. Here’s your chance for revenge.
Last week I went to Las Vegas for the first time in my life. Read all I could first on Fodor’s and tried not to ask stupid questions (which of these 20 hotels should I stay at? Is Vegas hot in the summer? Which buffet serves the best, reheated seafood-type products?). It’s amazing how much of a trip you can plan simply by using the search engine on Fodor’s. What a concept.
Because I also wanted to immerse myself into the world of gaming, I read two BJ books, one Baccarat book, one Craps book--and even attended a Craps “workshop” at a local hotel. Now I was ready to do some serious (amateur) gambling!
After reading about the numerous hotel choices on Fodor’s, I decided to stay at the Imperial Palace. Just kidding, I actually decided upon The Mirage. Booked it on the Internet for $89, which included a free upgrade to…something. Can’t really remember what it said. Fortunately for me, the hotel knew what the upgrade was to, and ended up giving me a room higher up in the hotel. I guess that’s what “up”-grade must really mean: You get something that’s more “Up”. Anyway, the room was great and the view was, well, of a lot of sand. Oh wait, there was the pool about 140 stories below! Now where are my binoculars?
Took a shower (nice bath products), soaping up my firm thighs, rinsed, changed, reviewed my notes on BJ and decided to put all of my gaming research to the test. Fifteen minutes and $100 (down) later, I decided to give the casino a break from the pressure it must have been feeling. Being a bit peckish, I asked Mr. Carl “take no prisoners” BJ dealer where I could find some good Italian. “People or food,” he inquired. “Both”, I replied. He suggested Onda and, since I had remembered seeing some good things about it on Fodor’s, decided to give it a try.
Bagna Cauda was the special at Onda that night. For those of you who’ve never experienced this delight, Bagna Cauda is Italian fondue on crack. Basically it’s a bubbling mass of cream, anchovies and garlic into which one dunks assorted meats, breads and vegetables. It was made for two to share, but I managed just fine on my own. In a word, it was “an artery-blocking cauldron of pure dining heaven”. Okay so that was several words. Onda is a wonderful restaurant.
Since I had done so well on my first attempt at BJ, I decided to get a little revenge with Baccarat. I’ve always heard that Baccarat is a fairly easy game to play so I sat down to learn the ropes. $150 (down) later I went up to my room to grab a towel to throw in.
Continued...
Last week I went to Las Vegas for the first time in my life. Read all I could first on Fodor’s and tried not to ask stupid questions (which of these 20 hotels should I stay at? Is Vegas hot in the summer? Which buffet serves the best, reheated seafood-type products?). It’s amazing how much of a trip you can plan simply by using the search engine on Fodor’s. What a concept.
Because I also wanted to immerse myself into the world of gaming, I read two BJ books, one Baccarat book, one Craps book--and even attended a Craps “workshop” at a local hotel. Now I was ready to do some serious (amateur) gambling!
After reading about the numerous hotel choices on Fodor’s, I decided to stay at the Imperial Palace. Just kidding, I actually decided upon The Mirage. Booked it on the Internet for $89, which included a free upgrade to…something. Can’t really remember what it said. Fortunately for me, the hotel knew what the upgrade was to, and ended up giving me a room higher up in the hotel. I guess that’s what “up”-grade must really mean: You get something that’s more “Up”. Anyway, the room was great and the view was, well, of a lot of sand. Oh wait, there was the pool about 140 stories below! Now where are my binoculars?
Took a shower (nice bath products), soaping up my firm thighs, rinsed, changed, reviewed my notes on BJ and decided to put all of my gaming research to the test. Fifteen minutes and $100 (down) later, I decided to give the casino a break from the pressure it must have been feeling. Being a bit peckish, I asked Mr. Carl “take no prisoners” BJ dealer where I could find some good Italian. “People or food,” he inquired. “Both”, I replied. He suggested Onda and, since I had remembered seeing some good things about it on Fodor’s, decided to give it a try.
Bagna Cauda was the special at Onda that night. For those of you who’ve never experienced this delight, Bagna Cauda is Italian fondue on crack. Basically it’s a bubbling mass of cream, anchovies and garlic into which one dunks assorted meats, breads and vegetables. It was made for two to share, but I managed just fine on my own. In a word, it was “an artery-blocking cauldron of pure dining heaven”. Okay so that was several words. Onda is a wonderful restaurant.
Since I had done so well on my first attempt at BJ, I decided to get a little revenge with Baccarat. I’ve always heard that Baccarat is a fairly easy game to play so I sat down to learn the ropes. $150 (down) later I went up to my room to grab a towel to throw in.
Continued...
Jun 27th, 2005, 02:59 PM
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Day 2:
Got up at some point, showered—with a louffa—and went out in search of breakfast. Remembering that the Mirage buffet was suggested by someone, I headed to The Peppermill, which was also suggested by someone else. Walked up there in (get this) hot weather. The Peppermill was awesome. Great retro look, lots of cool neon and a huge menu. Ordered the combination breakfast and was both delighted and horrified to receive 4 eggs, a rasher of bacon, 2 sausage patties, corned beef hash, potatos, fruit, toast, a short stack of pancakes, juice and coffee. Approximately four hours later I left The Peppermill and waddled back to the Mirage for a little pool action.
On the way up to my room, I noticed a lonely BJ dealer at an empty table and stopped to teach him the meaning of the word respect. Apparently, he was already familiar with that word but was happy to reciprocate by teaching me the meaning of the word humility. Another $50 (down).
Changed into my swimsuit (relieved it still fit after breakfast), grabbed my water-wings and headed down to the pool. Couldn’t find an unoccupied lounge chair but noticed an empty chair in the Dolphin Bar that had “misters” spraying over it. Sat down, ordered some fru-fru, rum drink and proceeded to watch the world go by. Aaahhhhhhh…
Chatted up my cocktail waitress and, after another rum drink, worked up the nerve to ask her out for that night. Surprisingly, she said yes but said she would have to meet me “off property” later. I asked her to be ready for dinner and a show and we agreed to meet at Bellagio after her shift.
I showed up at the Fontana Bar but because I was a little early, “Tara” hadn’t yet arrived. Thirty minutes went by, forty-five minutes went by and I knew I’d been had. Since I planned on checking out the Bellagio anyway, I took advantage of a bad situation and wandered around for awhile. Unfortunately, I discovered the Petrossian Bar. Realizing I could either blow a couple hundred bucks at a gaming table or on some champagne and caviar I opted for the latter and ordered a split of Bollinger (can you believe they had splits of Bollinger?) and an ounce of Beluga with buckwheat blinis.
Just as the waiter was bringing the champagne, who should stick her head into the bar but Tara. Seeing me, Tara came directly over to my table, apologized for being so late, and actually kissed me on the cheek! Life was good. Needless to say I upgraded the champagne to a full bottle of Bollinger, and Tara and I sat there for the next hour and a half enjoying each other’s company (not to mention the champagne and caviar).
Got up at some point, showered—with a louffa—and went out in search of breakfast. Remembering that the Mirage buffet was suggested by someone, I headed to The Peppermill, which was also suggested by someone else. Walked up there in (get this) hot weather. The Peppermill was awesome. Great retro look, lots of cool neon and a huge menu. Ordered the combination breakfast and was both delighted and horrified to receive 4 eggs, a rasher of bacon, 2 sausage patties, corned beef hash, potatos, fruit, toast, a short stack of pancakes, juice and coffee. Approximately four hours later I left The Peppermill and waddled back to the Mirage for a little pool action.
On the way up to my room, I noticed a lonely BJ dealer at an empty table and stopped to teach him the meaning of the word respect. Apparently, he was already familiar with that word but was happy to reciprocate by teaching me the meaning of the word humility. Another $50 (down).
Changed into my swimsuit (relieved it still fit after breakfast), grabbed my water-wings and headed down to the pool. Couldn’t find an unoccupied lounge chair but noticed an empty chair in the Dolphin Bar that had “misters” spraying over it. Sat down, ordered some fru-fru, rum drink and proceeded to watch the world go by. Aaahhhhhhh…
Chatted up my cocktail waitress and, after another rum drink, worked up the nerve to ask her out for that night. Surprisingly, she said yes but said she would have to meet me “off property” later. I asked her to be ready for dinner and a show and we agreed to meet at Bellagio after her shift.
I showed up at the Fontana Bar but because I was a little early, “Tara” hadn’t yet arrived. Thirty minutes went by, forty-five minutes went by and I knew I’d been had. Since I planned on checking out the Bellagio anyway, I took advantage of a bad situation and wandered around for awhile. Unfortunately, I discovered the Petrossian Bar. Realizing I could either blow a couple hundred bucks at a gaming table or on some champagne and caviar I opted for the latter and ordered a split of Bollinger (can you believe they had splits of Bollinger?) and an ounce of Beluga with buckwheat blinis.
Just as the waiter was bringing the champagne, who should stick her head into the bar but Tara. Seeing me, Tara came directly over to my table, apologized for being so late, and actually kissed me on the cheek! Life was good. Needless to say I upgraded the champagne to a full bottle of Bollinger, and Tara and I sat there for the next hour and a half enjoying each other’s company (not to mention the champagne and caviar).
Jun 27th, 2005, 03:00 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After enjoying our champagne, I asked Tara what type of food she felt like, to which she replied, “anything”. Hearing that the Bellagio had some fine buffets, I opted for Picasso”s. Oh-my-God, Picasso’s. Heard it was pretty good; didn’t know it was that good. Foie Gras, oysters mignonette, lobster bisque, rare duck breast, rabbit loin w/ truffles, and, you guessed it, soufflé w/ sabayon. Our wine was a `95 Gevrey Chambertin…exquisite.
Since dinner turned into a three and a half hour affair, we opted not to go to a show that night but instead agreed to meet for lunch the next day—on her. We kissed briefly before parting company.
On my way back to The Mirage I decided to check out Caesar’s Palace. Wow! Another great casino. And with great looking Craps tables. Okay, it was time to play with the big boys. Watched the craps table for about an hour to refresh my memory from my readings and familiarize myself with the hardcore realities of the game. $200 (down) later I returned to my hotel room to look for a rope.
Day 3:
Got up, showered (soaped up my whole body—even my ears), and, realizing I had a lunch date, went in search of a light breakfast. Read that Paris had a great breakfast buffet so I opted for their little café instead. After some wonderful espresso and a croissant, went shopping for an authentic Panama hat. Found a killer one at Fashion Island shops for the price of my previous night’s crap(s) lesson. It’s really a great hat.
Met Tara at Emeril’s Fish House for lunch. We both enjoyed the crawfish etouffee and beignets, and decided to see Mystere that evening. Agreed to meet for drinks before the show. God do I like this woman.
Met for drinks at The Venetian (how do they build these places!? Oh yeah, I forgot, off of people like me!), then on to Mystere. Mystere was nothing short of remarkable. This was my first Cirque du Soleil show and it was literally a feast for the senses. Tara had never seen it either and we both left the theatre laughing and gushing over the spectacle. Dinner time.
We decided on Chinese food and Tara told me about an Asian buffet downtown; we opted for Moongate next door at The Mirage. Since Tara is an employee she had to get special permission to dine there, which seemed to present no problem. Discovering she had never, ever tried Peking duck, I ordered it for both of us. We sat there under a cherry blossom tree, munching on it’s delectable skin, in what was approaching simple bliss. Loved the Moongate.
Tara and I spent the rest of the evening together until the wee hours of the morning. When we finally parted company, she agreed to come visit me in Illinois sometime soon. Whether or not it really happens I’m happy right now.
Day 4:
Got up and packed for the trip home. Feeling extremely lucky, I stopped at a BJ table for one final go. $100 (down) later I gave up and went to the airport. I have never had so much fun losing so much money in my entire life.
Oh, and by the way, there was a final shower scene, but it was rated “NC-17”.
BB
Since dinner turned into a three and a half hour affair, we opted not to go to a show that night but instead agreed to meet for lunch the next day—on her. We kissed briefly before parting company.
On my way back to The Mirage I decided to check out Caesar’s Palace. Wow! Another great casino. And with great looking Craps tables. Okay, it was time to play with the big boys. Watched the craps table for about an hour to refresh my memory from my readings and familiarize myself with the hardcore realities of the game. $200 (down) later I returned to my hotel room to look for a rope.
Day 3:
Got up, showered (soaped up my whole body—even my ears), and, realizing I had a lunch date, went in search of a light breakfast. Read that Paris had a great breakfast buffet so I opted for their little café instead. After some wonderful espresso and a croissant, went shopping for an authentic Panama hat. Found a killer one at Fashion Island shops for the price of my previous night’s crap(s) lesson. It’s really a great hat.
Met Tara at Emeril’s Fish House for lunch. We both enjoyed the crawfish etouffee and beignets, and decided to see Mystere that evening. Agreed to meet for drinks before the show. God do I like this woman.
Met for drinks at The Venetian (how do they build these places!? Oh yeah, I forgot, off of people like me!), then on to Mystere. Mystere was nothing short of remarkable. This was my first Cirque du Soleil show and it was literally a feast for the senses. Tara had never seen it either and we both left the theatre laughing and gushing over the spectacle. Dinner time.
We decided on Chinese food and Tara told me about an Asian buffet downtown; we opted for Moongate next door at The Mirage. Since Tara is an employee she had to get special permission to dine there, which seemed to present no problem. Discovering she had never, ever tried Peking duck, I ordered it for both of us. We sat there under a cherry blossom tree, munching on it’s delectable skin, in what was approaching simple bliss. Loved the Moongate.
Tara and I spent the rest of the evening together until the wee hours of the morning. When we finally parted company, she agreed to come visit me in Illinois sometime soon. Whether or not it really happens I’m happy right now.
Day 4:
Got up and packed for the trip home. Feeling extremely lucky, I stopped at a BJ table for one final go. $100 (down) later I gave up and went to the airport. I have never had so much fun losing so much money in my entire life.
Oh, and by the way, there was a final shower scene, but it was rated “NC-17”.
BB
Jun 27th, 2005, 04:49 PM
#12
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,713
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>Bagna Cauda is Italian fondue on crack . . . In a word, it was “an artery-blocking cauldron of pure dining heaven”<
LOL! A man after my own heart - clogged arteries and all.
Excellent trip report - sounds like you had a blast.
LOL! A man after my own heart - clogged arteries and all.
Excellent trip report - sounds like you had a blast.
Jun 27th, 2005, 07:35 PM
#17
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Now why have I never met Mr Black Bart and why does his voice sound familiar?
No, no, it isn't Damon Runyon...But it starts with a D...
Thank you for the story, and yes, seetheworld, I understand now too
No, no, it isn't Damon Runyon...But it starts with a D...
Thank you for the story, and yes, seetheworld, I understand now too
Jun 28th, 2005, 04:38 AM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,728
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here it is, iceeu2. Now, for the REST of the story!
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...nses=9&start=0
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...nses=9&start=0
