Skip the Strip Part 3: A Restaurant Diner's Paradise

This is my 3rd blog in a series of blogs about off strip life in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I had this written and when I went to go take pictures at one of the restaurants I was going to feature: Kilroy's, I found out that the smoking ban in Las Vegas was going to close the restaurant portion of Kilroy's. This changed the whole blog as the lifeblood of the city's restaurants are little neighborhood gaming bar/grill/restaurant combos that offer old Vegas type of eating specials and a great place to hang out 24/7 to watch sports or meet friends after a swing or grave shift. I do feel that the institution of these small establishments will change over the next year as they will have to decide whether to get rid of food or get rid of the smokers.

With that being said here are some stats:

• In 2005 there were 4344 eating and drinking places in Nevada
• 2006 projected restaurant sales were expected to be around: $3.7 BILLION
• There were approximately 185,000 restaurant and food service workers in 2006
• Restaurant and food service employment represents a whopping 14.3% of Nevada's employment!

With 4,344 restaurants in the state of Nevada (most lying in Clark County Las Vegas Valley) it is impossible to profile even close to all of them. What I am going to do is give my best of the best and if anyone has any to add: they are more than welcome!

Hofbrauhaus: Ok this one is rather close to the strip but where else can you go get close to your Eastern European roots without waiting for a Polish wedding to roll around? Right here! Live Polka music (uh huh, that is me doing the chicken dance in the background), massive quantities of their own beers, Bavarian food, and the evening is not complete without the host (usually Lynn) playing the national anthem on that "ricola" horn and hosting the guys and gals beer drinking contests.

Got a birthday? Well expect to get onstage and play with the band!

You also never know what celebrities to expect that will just drop by and October (Oktoberfest) activities are off the hook!

El Jefe's: Executive chef Tacho Kneeland brings some of the finest Mexican resort foods to two Las Vegas Locations! The atmosphere is casual but the aesthetics are very close to fine dining. The food is amazing and our favorite bartender Jen works at the Eastern/St Rose location. The restaurant is non smoking and they offer: a full bar, lounch and patio dining. My favorites are the lobster enchiladas, chile relleno and the avocado crusted mahi-mahi is TO DIE FOR!

Carmine's Little Italy: 2940 S Durango. The best casual Italian food I have found in this city. Cheesy but true, everything they offer is good. They have a full bar with gaming and big screen TV's plastered all over near the ceiling so not only is it a great place to eat, it is a great place to watch the big game too!

The Carmel Room: This is located inside the off-strip casino The Rampart. One of the finest off-strip properties I have seen. It was built to cater to the upper crust in Las Vegas but found itself in BK court due to the fact that the market could not bear that type of clientele. The JW Marriott group bought it and Cannery Resorts runs the casino. The Carmel Room is one of the finest fine dining establishments in Las Vegas. I always start with the Lobster Bisque made table side and finish with the Creme Brulee. Everything is great here for the middle also so I never limit my options :) The service is fabulous!

The Village Pub: These are owned by Ellis Island Casino & Brewery and are located all around the valley. These are some great local hangouts! Since one opened close to our house recently (and is now closed for remodeling which I suspect is because of the smoking ban) and we hung out there for MNF. Great eats and great brews! There is a secret steak special that is not on the menu: $4.95 for steak, veggie, potato and choice of soup or salad. Being from the midwest I am quite peculiar about my steaks and let me tell you: it ain't too shabby!

IMHO:

The Best Sushi: Nagoya (SW Corner Tropicana/Fort Apache) Great atmosphere, service and sushi!

The Best Chinese: China Ginger (SW Corner Tropicana/Fort Apache) Great lunch specials that are cheaper than fast food and will make you want to grab a cot for a quick siesta because you will leave STUFFED!

If you are new to the city you may want to visit the Annual Bite of Las Vegas (usually in October) sponsored by Mix 94.1 to get a sampling of local restaurants and a great festival featuring some great musical artists.

Another great guide is "The Best of Las Vegas" sponsored by the Las Vegas Review Journal and voted on by locals!