Restaurant review: Tropical Breeze Cafe' at Flamingo

Lots o' food

Situated midway between the Flamingo Buffet near the flamingo habitat and the sports book on the casino floor, the Tropical Breeze Café is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.

We chose this restaurant because we weren't in the mood for a buffet, and our original lunch choice of Harrah's Cafe' was closed for the switch over from lunch to "Italian Nights" dinner service, which we are very unhappy about (you can read my grumblings about that situation in my trip report posted on the blog in April 2012).

We waited for about 10 minutes to be seated at this restaurant.  It seems that the waiters and waitresses all share the seating duties, and the cashiers do not budge from their seats next to the lineup, even when they have nothing to do.  In fact, they acted as if we were invisible and talked to the other cashiers and various waitstaff while we waited as patiently as we could for someone to notice us.  I was surprised that my mom did not say we were leaving, because she has little patience for such things.

After reviewing the menu and discussing our options when we were finally seated, mom and I shared the Calamari Ringers and Spinach Dip for lunch because we were planning on having a larger dinner later in the evening.  We should’ve just ordered one or the other, because they were both huge appetizers in their own right and we didn’t finish either one of them.  It would've been nice for the waitress to inform us about the size of the appetizer dishes in advance.  

The food was standard cafe' fare and not notable for anything in particular.  There was nothing about either dish that stood out to us, but the food was decent and hit the spot.  The Calamari Ringers were served tempura style with assorted vegetables and two dipping sauces - peanut sauce and hoisin sauce - and it was good but not outstanding.  The Spinach Dip was served in a bread bowl and had a good, creamy flavor, but the chips that were intended for dipping broke off when you tried to dip them.  If I had to pick one of these dishes over the other, I'd pick the calamari because I happen to enjoy my seafood on vacation. 

The waitress disappeared when we wanted to get the bill, and we waited another 10 minutes for her to re-appear from the kitchen.  She actually seemed surprised that we wanted our bill so quickly.  It wasn't that quick at all; she had just been missing and we presumed she had been abducted by aliens.

The appetizers and two teas came to $26.98+tip, which I paid for with my tons of Total Rewards points since Flamingo is under the Caesars property listing and allows their card holders to pay that way.  It's definitely a benefit of being a TR member: being able to pay with points at most of the restaurants, and having the tax removed from the bill when you do so.

I'd give this restaurant a 5 out of 10.  I personally don't think I'll be visiting again, because the restaurant staff apparently doesn't want my business, and the food wasn't exceptional or memorable in any way.  There are far too many other restaurants in Las Vegas to try.

If you'd like to view the menu, follow the link here to open a PDF file in a separate window: Menu

Hash House a Go-Go at Imperial Palace: dinner/snack time!

I really enjoy eating at Hash House a Go-Go in Imperial Palace.  Yes, they have ridiculously large portions.  Yes, they are self-described as serving "twisted farm food".  But they are good.  Even my husband agrees; he had chicken and waffles there during a recent trip and still talks about it with a wistful look in his eyes, and he's much pickier than I am.

If you go looking for the restaurant, remember that they are NOT on the casino floor; rather, they are on the second floor, which you get to via escalator or elevator near the back of the casino, near the restrooms.  I say this specifically because there are other escalators and elevators that service other floors, and you will not be able to access Hash House from any of them.

We discovered that we could eat there without over-eating on this trip.  My first experience with the restaurant had us going for breakfast back in 2010, and the pancakes we had were HUGE.  This time my mom and I tried Hash House after enjoying the Human Nature show and got late night appetizers as dinner entrees, which were much more reasonably sized.  This might be the way to go...

Service was a little slow for them not being busy on a Sunday night, but the food was very good as it was before.  We both ordered iced tea to start while we tried to decide just what we would get from the extensive menu without stuffing ourselves to oblivion.  

Mom ended up choosing the Crispy Cornmeal Tiger Prawns while I chose the Blue Crab Cake with pasta salad.  These "appetizers" were the size of a regular restaurant's meal, and they were perfectly sized for our late night dinner experience.  Mom said the Tiger Prawns were delicious.  They were served with a drizzle of Chipotle mayonnaise and impaled on a huge chunk of watermelon, so it's like dinner AND dessert all wrapped into one.  The prawns were each about 5 inches across - really big and crispy.  

Tiger prawns and watermelon...yum!

 My crab cake and vegetable pasta were both perfectly cooked, had great flavor and plenty of spices, and it was a perfect size for me.  The crab cake was about 6 inches across and over an inch thick, but full of flavor, warm and satisfying.  The Chipotle mayonnaise was also served with my meal, and it was delicious.

A crab cake portion for a normal person...

It took awhile to get the waitress' attention for more tea and our bill, but she was pleasant enough.  Still, when a restaurant isn't crowded and you don't have many tables to wait on, you should be able to check on your customers quickly and efficiently.  If she needed to take a break she should have told us so, but it was not mentioned, and I can only assume she was chatting in the kitchen while we were waiting.

Mom paid, but this time I saw the bill was $27 before tip.  That's the size of an average dinner bill in Vegas, so I don't think it's unreasonable at all.

I give this experience an 8 out of 10.  The food and atmosphere were great, but the service was a little slow and lacking.  I'll be back again to try something new.

To check out their menu or restaurant hours, see their website here: Menu

Show review: Human Nature at Imperial Palace

A view from our seats - not bad!

During our March 2012 trip,  my mom and I FINALLY got the chance to see Human Nature at Imperial Palace.  I had wanted to see them for a couple of years, and I'd been disappointed during my July 2011 trip when they cancelled the show before I even got to Vegas.  Bummer.  At least I got a full refund.

General admission tickets were $44 each through Goldstar.com, and well worth the price.   The booths were all reserved for VIP guests, but we did upgrade to center seats in the second tier, as our original ones were in the lower tier and off to the left, away from the stage.  A $10 tip to the maitre' d was not necessary but appreciated.  As with most theater shows with tables, a waitress came around to take drink orders before the show began.  Wine was $6-$8 a glass.  No $150 bottles offered here, which is good, because $150 bottles of anything are stupid to buy.

The show was absolutely fantastic!  From beginning to end it was a great show with lots of energy, and there was lots of audience participation, too.   The four Australian guys give their backgrounds - from singing in their parents' back yard to performing in private meetings for Motown greats - while sharing the songs that helped them get their wonderful harmonies together and make them fan favorites today.

The four Aussies - brothers Michael and Andrew Tierney, along with school friends Toby Allen and Phil Burton - make up the talented and handsome group.  They are easy on the eyes AND the ears, and their show keeps you moving from the very first time they step foot on stage.

Originally signed by Smokey Robinson as the 4Trax, they changed their name and haven't looked back.  The group has performed on many TV specials and tours on occasion, but they currently take up residence in the Imperial Palace Theater on the 5th floor of the hotel and are the only Aussie band to date to headline in a showroom on the Las Vegas Strip.  From covering songs like "My Girl" and "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" to "I'll Be There", the foursome showcases their group harmonies as well as their individual singing talents.  They are truly a show to see in Las Vegas.

 After the show, the group exits the showroom and poses for photos and signs autographs for the audience.  We wanted to get souvenirs or autographs, but it was too crowded to wait around.  You can tell they are well loved, and I hope to see them perform again someday.

It doesn't look that crowded, but I was holding my camera above my head.

This is one of the best Vegas shows I've seen to date, and I give it a perfect 10.  A great lineup, no bad seats in the entire theater and lots of fun and energy make this show a must see.

Check out their Imperial Palace performance schedule and/or book tickets here:  Motown at IP!

Or check out their own website here: Human Nature

Another shopping find for your next Vegas trip!

Yes, I've been out shopping again.  Look what I found this time!

Bright lights, city, gonna set your soul on fire!

No, I didn't buy it, but I wanted to.  Sometimes it's hard to just say no.


This bag is about 20" wide (side to side) and 16" deep (top to bottom).  There are 2 small pockets inside for a cell phone or other useless/useful junk, but it's basically a big, open carry-on type bag with a zippered top.


Available at TJMaxx and Marshalls, it is designed to look like an old-fashioned postcard and sells for $16.99 in the U.S.  I just realized I should've taken a photo of the back, too, because it looks like the back of a postcard - including the area to write your message, write the addressee information, and the "place stamp here" message, too. 


Very cute, but I don't need another carry-on bag.  I keep downsizing all of my carry-on items, anyway, and I really only need space for my iPad and purse these days.  Still...I might have to see if it's still available next time I'm in the store!

Seafood at Wynn - a side you've never seen before

An interesting article was recently posted on the Las Vegas Sun's website regarding Wynn's in-house seafood set up and the marine biologist who makes my Wynn meal dreams come true.  I never would've imagined this sort of thing went on beneath the beautiful, shiny building.


Here's a link to the article:
Barnacles!


I absolutely LOVE seafood!  I tend to eat an over-abundance of it in Vegas, too.  My mouth is watering now...

Need some luggage for a Vegas trip? Here you go!

Getting ready for a trip to Las Vegas, but need some new luggage?  Well, look what I found!

Ooooooh!

I must say that I checked this stuff out thoroughly inside and out, and I'm personally not 100% sold on it, as much as I love Vegas stuff in general. The luggage piece pictured above is the carry-on version; it's the smallest of the available trio, but to me it doesn't seem to have enough interior room to store my typical 3-day-trip-to-Vegas stuff when I tried to envision my usual packing.  Granted, it DOES have a zippered extension so that you can increase the width, but...doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of being "carry-on"?  I might not be able to put it in the overhead bin if I expanded it, and I wouldn't want to scratch that pretty surface.  On the pro side, all three sizes of this luggage have multi-directional wheels so you can push, pull or basically WILL your luggage to not tip over while you make your way through a busy airport.  Hmmmm - I might have to reconsider my first opinion...


The small carry-on bag is $59.99, the next larger size is $79.99 (approximately 25" tall), and the largest size (comparable to a regular-sized, hard-sided suitcase) is $109.99.  


All three are currently available at TJMaxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, but I don't know how long they'll be in stock.

Show review: Matt Goss at Caesars Palace

Not a bad seat for the view...

When I suggested to my mom that we go and see Matt Goss at Caesars Palace during our March trip, she didn't even hesitate.  Knowing he was the "British answer to Frank Sinatra", she definitely wanted to hear - and see - him for herself.  Plus the fact that he's a handsome 30-something (yes, he is, Claire!) with blue eyes didn't hurt, either.  I had tried to find tickets to other shows we hadn't seen yet, and, at the time of my purchase, he was our best option for a "new to us" Vegas show.

Cleopatra's Barge at Caesars Palace is a nightclub on most nights, but on Saturday and Sunday nights it becomes the "Gossy Room", hosting Matt Goss and his band at 9:30 p.m.  The curtains around the barge are closed, creating a "private club" for his weekend performances.  Trust me when I say that anyone walking through the Appian Way during the shows will get the full effect.

We showed up at just before 9 p.m. to find a line outside the curtained area, but it wasn't too long.  The doorman checked our tickets, which I purchased through Goldstar.com for a discounted price of $40 each and printed at home, and stamped us with "MG" so we wouldn't have to show our tickets again if we had to step out to use the restroom, etc.

Gossy stamps

Seating was General Admission, but the entire seating area is a bit small and holds about 150 people total.  The seats we chose to the right of the stage, two tables from the barge itself, were fine and we could see the barge area completely, but it's a small room when the curtains surrounding the barge are closed and it seemed really cramped at times.  Most of the barge/stage is taken up by Matt, seven musicians, two backup singers and four dancers, and none of them had room to really move around during the show.  In addition, four pillars in the Cleopatra's Barge area blocked the view of the performers for us when there was dancing at the end near the bar area.

He plays, too.

We were both a little disappointed with the show overall.  While I recognized most of the songs he sang (lots of cover material, like “Hotel California”), mom was expecting him to do more of Frank Sinatra’s songs or his own.  Matt came on about 15 minutes late and performed for about 45-50 minutes total.  Apparently they continue a bit of a party with him and his band afterwards and everyone's invited to stay, but it had been so loud that mom just wanted to get out of there, and I didn’t blame her.  Not to mention the fact that three drunken women were dancing in the aisle right behind mom.  They weren't standing IN the aisle, which would've been fine - they were right up against mom's back, dancing, laughing, bumping her and yelling, "WOO, MATT!"  Rude, rude, rude.

They sell drinks during the show, which have the usual, inflated prices like $10-$12 for a glass of wine or a mixed drink.  They also offered bottle service starting at $150 for basic vodka or rum, and I can't imagine paying that for a show like this, even though I saw the people at the table in front of us purchase TWO bottles with mixers.  Granted, there were eight of them, but that's still a lot of cash for a small show venue, in my opinion.  The cocktail waitresses came around and took orders with plenty of time to spare before the show started, and they continued to take orders throughout the show.  They were never in the way or intrusive, either.

In general it was an okay show, and Matt has a beautiful voice, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price for the tickets ($80 each on the Caesars website).  If I knew then what I know now, I would've chosen seats in front of the bar area, away from the pillars, so that we could have seen the entire show without a problem and not felt the urge to peer around the pillars - or give dirty looks to drunken, dancing fans.  Plus no one would have been able to dance behind us.

I give the show a 6 out of 10.  While it was entertaining, it left a bit to be desired, and I won't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone unless they're a HUGE Matt Goss fan.