4.25.16- Uber (Caesars, Cosmo), Ping Pang Pong (Gold Coast Casino),
Jersey Boys, Triple 7 Brewery (Main Street Station).
Jersey Boys, Triple 7 Brewery (Main Street Station).
 Fountain by Caesars. We had a late start today, after 11am. Wait...again? This is starting to be a trend. I had wanted to go to Ping Pang Pong @ the Gold Coast Casino for Dim Sum. |
| I recalled there was a free shuttle from Caesars Palace, but have never taken it. Now would be a good time to go check it out since we didn't much planned today. We walked to Caesars but it turns out, the pick-up area is now at the Linq (near the High Roller Ferris Wheel). Oh well, we tried. So we took an Uber instead. We try to be respectful riders, so if there's a designated pick-up spot, we try to find it whenever possible. For Caesars, it turns out there's 4-5 different areas (we were told that the spots have gone through several changes ever since Uber started), so here's one right across from the Flamingo (next to Serendipity 3). |
| UBER (Caesars Palace--> Gold Coast) Our driver was really fast and super friendly (best driver of this trip). We actually had a favorite driver on our last trip, and tried to see if they were available; unfortunately, they were out-of-town this time. When we ended the ride, this was our bill: |
We're generally not superstitious, but could this be a warning of some sort?
| At Gold Coast (GC), we walked past the alluring slots, and into Ping Pang Pong (which is half exposed to the Casino). Since it's around lunch time, I was expecting a wait. It wasn't too long, about 5 minutes. Once we sat down, all of the various dim sum carts started making a beeline towards our table. The first thing I did, was to inquired about their (Macanese) Portuguese Egg Tart...it's too early in the day so they don't have any yet. |
Portuguese Egg Tart (from Macau). I really wanted to eat one!
| Bummer... that was one of the reasons I wanted to go there, since I saw it on their in-house menu last time when we came for dinner (see my TripAdvisor review + photo). Instead, I opted for their regular egg tart as consolation. I don't know if it helped, but I conversed with the servers in Mandarin or Cantonese whenever possible. I wanted to see if it makes any difference because I spoke English last time, and service was a bit slow and cold (which is typical of Chinese restaurants in the US in general). |
| Everything seemed really good until the end. After the bill was paid, and getting take out boxes for the items we couldn't finish, I noticed there was a hair in one of the egg tarts left. |
 I didn't even noticed the hair until the very end. I politely flagged down the server with the egg tart cart. I told her I'm sorry to bother her, but if it's possible to switch/ exchange the tart with her since there's a hair on it. She seemed utterly confused and declined my request. The manager overheard me and instructed her to bring me a new one in Cantonese. I waited... ...and waited ...and waited some more. It's over 15 mins now....still waiting. I thought they were going to make me a new one? When I saw that same server again, she avoided my eye contact. She never did come back, and would go to the table nearby instead. I think I waited long enough. I'm baffled why they couldn't just swapped the tart for me with the one they already had inside the case. Am I that demanding? I asked nicely with a please (or, as nice as you can ask for something in Chinese). Anyways, forget the Egg tart. The meal was good except for that snag (and later on, my friend told me there was a shell in the Shu Mai). I know this could have happened anywhere, I was just disappointed at the way they handled things at the end. I'll still recommend it since their food is authentic, and their prices are very good-- our 11 dishes came out to around $42 with tax (before tip; to be fair I left $7; originally it would have been more). Was it amazing food? No. but it was good overall. There were a few hits and misses. I didn't care for:
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| Ping Pang Pong (Inside the Gold Coast Casino) 4000 West Flamingo Road Las Vegas, NV 89103 Lunch: 10a-3p (Dim Sum) | Dinner: 5p-3a. Regular Menu Tea is $0.50 per person. Gold Coast Shuttle Information (9a-12:30a; every 30-45 mins). |
| During lunch, we saw a really long line forming on the casino floor. My friend went to check out what the commotion was while I waited for the egg tart. Turns out, GC always does free giveaways (for certain amounts of accumulated slot points). Today, they were giving away a free set of dinner setting (plates + cup). There were lots of ladies holding on to several boxes. An interesting sight to see for me at least. I left to meet my friend who was playing in the casino now. We played slots for a bit. No wins for me. I spot a Spin Poker Deluxe machine ($1-$1.25 on max bet; Jacks or Better). So I had to sit down. I got in some decent play before losing it all. I know it wasn't a 9/6 machine, maybe 8/6? |
[Photo Source:] Videopoker.com. You can play (practice for free on this site).
| I've only recently started playing Spin Poker since the combination of Poker + slot makes it more exciting, yet you can still have some control over which cards to keep. But it's not exactly inexpensive to play if you max bet and play on the fancier Strip Casinos. [On a side note, Treasure Island (TI) has one inexpensive Spin Poker machine too; but I don't 100% remember the denomination.] 2 random facts -- I found the GC bathrooms really clean but neither of us could get any phone reception while inside the building. I wonder if the hotel uses a radio jammer of some sort (then again, I thought that was banned)? We were going to check out their free shuttle back to the strip, but there were no seats left and the next shuttle won't be here for another 30-45 mins. Gold Coast Casino- Free Shuttle- Information. |
Shuttle schedule and stops.
| Uber to the rescue! Our ride was a big SUV. The ride was fine and we got dropped off at Cosmo. Though I couldn't help but noticed there were some trash by the driver seat. The back seat floors could have benefit from a vacuum too. At Cosmo, I believe we played a bit of slots. But nothing to show for it. |
It just occurred to me that I've never taken a picture of the Cosmo East tower in it's entirety.
To sidetrack a bit, I like Cosmo's Uber/ Lyft pick-up area. Easy to find like Bellagio's.
When you exit the West End Tower (by check-in), it's in the upper right hand corner.
| Back at the hotel (PH), we rested a bit. Then it was off to Paris to see if there's tickets for tonight's showing of Jersey Boys. We didn't pre-purchase it because we weren't sure what the schedule was going to be like. We could have used Tix4tonight (and save a bit of cash for slots), but decided to buy it straight through the box office and earn a tiny bit of points for Total Rewards. The only drawback (other than paying full price) is that you have to bring the box office receipt to the player's club counter to add it on. It takes about 4-7 days for the points to show up. Of course, it didn't help that the club line was excruciating slow today. |
We got the cheap tickets, because we both have absolutely no idea what the show is about (other than that its supposed to be really good). But it turns out the threatre wasn't that big anyways, so that was fine.
| Since I'm already in line at the player's club, I decided to ask them to reprint my player's card. I showed them my old card, they confiscated it and gave me a new one ( I felt so silly). I should have just showed my ID. Oh well, won't make that mistake again next time for sure. Since we haven't been playing much slots at CET, we decided to play at Paris while we waited for Jersey Boys to start. I played a 5-reel Super Times Pay (2x-5x) with 20 lines. I slipped in a (random) investment of $12. In the end, it lasted me over 1/2 hour (I was playing minimum- 40 cents with max lines, and I kept hitting small bonuses every so often). In the end, I walked away $30 up, and about $100 coin-in (which is very little bit in the world of Total Rewards). Not bad for just killing time though. I know I played other random slots, but my losing streak was really pilling on. As we walked by the Champagne slots (high-limit), I had an AHA moment. Some of the slots inside are actually LESS than the regular slots on the Wynn or Palazzo/ Venetian regular floors. WHAATT? Since my luck was quite horrid, I told my friend about it. I persuaded them to play $1 & $5 machines ($2 or $10 on max bet). In goes $100. It must be because I was hovering nearby (bad luck), the machine ate the bill really quick. Time to walk to the Jersey Boy's theatre. The staff was really nice, but one thing that really stood out was how disorganized the lobby area was (after you show your ticket to get into the waiting area). There's also only one main exit/entrance (excluding VIP elevators), and bathrooms are outside in the Casino. The concession part merged with outside of the theatre. You couldn't see who was standing in line for snacks and who was just standing around. Perhaps they should rethink it? The theatre doors aren't actually opened till just a few minutes prior to starting of the show. So you can't hunt for you seat, then go back to the concession stand to get snacks or drinks as the show would have already started. If you want snacks, buy it early right after going into the waiting area. The show itself was really awesome (the only complaint was the chairs were really small as it bothered my friend). I didn't know anything about Frankie Valli prior to this (other than hearing their songs on the oldies station), but I liked this many times more than the MJ ONE Cirque De Soleil (you may disagree but that's ok). I really liked the progression of the story along with the set, costumes, props, and music. The show went smoothly except for one incident. There was a couple that bought cheap tickets (like us), but decided to get smart and occupy the pricier box seats (VIP)-- one aisle next to us instead. From what I could surmise, the VIP guests gets to enter the theatre via the private elevator in the back (we got to ride it down when the show ended) and gets champagne and a gift of some sort. There was a lady attendant that tried to tell the couple to move to their designated spot. They refused. During intermission, a different attendant (guy) finally made them move. They sat behind us. The husband kept swinging their feet by my friend's head and speaking in foreign language throughout (which I'm not familiar with), but sounds like they were complaining non-stop during the 2nd half of the show for something that's clearly their fault. |
After the show ended (~9:45p) we texted another friend (who was staying at the California Casino Downtown). They didn't eat yet (landed a few hours ago; in fact, we just found out yesterday that they will be in Vegas for a last minute conference). We tell them "we will come to you."
Downtown again?
It seems like we go to DT more and more each trip.
So we pulled up the Uber App. Our driver comes....wait, that can't be right can it?
We can't see the license plate since there's only one, and it's at the back of the car.
We ordered an Uber X (cheapest one).
It looked like a new BMW (3 series; maybe a GT but not sure). It still had the brand new car smell, but it was our ride.
SWEET!
I was really curious (and wanted to ask the driver why he was doing Uber). But I didn't want to come off as the nosy neighbor next door, so I held my tongue. Though I couldn't help but wonder what their story was.
To pick up girls?
I recalled watching a documentary about a guy in Beijing giving Uber rides in his Maserati for that reason.
| We got dropped off at the California this time (on the side of the street; sounds a bit shady huh?). Our friends (G+J) had some things to take care of, so I immediately went back to the Celestial Celebration that I got a bonus on last time. NOPE. Must be a one-time deal. When we finally met with G+J, we noticed they brought along their newborn daughter-- which we haven't even met yet. :) So where can we all go that's somewhat family-friendly? This is an entirely new territory for me. My first thought was, Hash House A Go Go (HHAGGO). None of us has been there yet, and it's close by (at the Plaza hotel). So the 4 of us (with baby in tow) wandered off. On the way, we asked G+J regarding their flight details. They came on an all-inclusive package by Vacations Hawaii (which is what majority of people from Hawaii do). It includes airfare, accommodation, meal vouchers, transportation to/from airport, and luggage delivery to/from the plane to the room. Side story- Most people that go to Vegas from Hawaii generally stay in Downtown. To people we know, we are considered the "suckers that stay on the Strip." |
| Once we arrived at HHAGGO, it looked deserted. Where's everybody, and was that the server leaving just now? Turns out, the restaurant just closed. Looking at the sign, they manually changed the closing time with a piece of paper (Yelp listed them opened till 11p; we arrived at 10p). Shucks. So, our friends suggested we go to the 777 Pub at Main Street Station. We've been in here a few times before and I always like to admire the casino's Art Deco details, but have never eaten here yet. |
If you look closely, you can see the "Sushi" neon sign on bottom left corner.
| The restaurant is quite spacious and airy. There's vats of beer (behind glass). I'm a bit confused though because it's decorated like a Pub, but there's a Sushi counter in one corner. |
Drink specials + Express Menu. I'm quite amused that they list J. Lohr/ KJ/ Beringer as Premium Wines. I guess compared to their House brand it is. Though if you were looking to get a full bottle of wine, the prices are reasonable.
My NY Steak:
 NY steak strip loin- $16.99. The mushrooms and onions were really good, but the steak itself was bland and really overdone (I got it in medium-rare but it turned out to be well-done). But I guess it's my own fault for not eating it fast enough since it was served on a sizzling plate. |
Prime Rib- $13.99, Portobello Mushroom Sandwich- $7.99, French Onion Soup- $4.99, Prime Rib Sandwich- $8.99.
Everything was just average.
Our friend J (who waited 9 months to have Prime Rib due to pregnancy, was disappointed at the flavor).
Our friend J (who waited 9 months to have Prime Rib due to pregnancy, was disappointed at the flavor).
| [PROS]
| [CONS]
[NOTE]
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If anything, go for their microbrews:
The Brewmaster Special- $5.99 (for 5 samples of their microbrews; each one is 5 oz.)
| Their beer sampler is a STEAL!  The "Black Chip" in 16 oz. (shown next to the one from the sampler). It's a dark malt with chocolate and coffee notes. Pretty good. No...my helper Otter is not included. ;) What's even better is, the 16 oz. beer comes with a 10" pizza...all for $5 bucks (Late Happy Hour special; 11a-2a)!!!  10" Pepperoni Pizza + 16oz. Microbrew of your choice for their late Happy Hour. Taste-wise it was nothing special, but for $5 who can complain? |
| Triple 7 Restaurant & Microbrewery Mainstreet Station Casino (Casino Floor) 200 N. Main Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 Hours: 11:00a - 7a Walk-in only; no reservations. Lunch + Dinner Menu | Late Night Menu Happy Hour Menu -- (Mon-Fri: 3-6p) | Late Happy Hour-- (Mon-Fri: 11a-2a)
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Overall, the visit was a bit disappointing. Although our server was very friendly and kind, service was really slow
(it took about 15+ mins to get our drink orders, and another 30+ mins to get the bill after we were done eating).
I would only recommend it as a place to grab a snack and (cheap) drinks.
| After dinner, we walked G + J back to the California (via the overhead walkway that connects with Main Street Station). We stop to look at the wall of the "Golden Arm Club" -- 2 walls filled with plaques showing members that can throw the Craps dice for over 1 hour+. There were a bunch of security cameras on top. You would think the plaques were made of gold or something. But it was pretty neat, as we didn't noticed it before. It was getting late now, so we bid G + J good night and we once again took Uber back to Planet Hollywood. At the hotel, we decided to play a bit. I lost at just about every single game I played. I pretty much gave up and watched my friend play Keno (which lasted a while). They did ok, and was up slightly at the end. Time for bed! |
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