FoodTrek: From Vegas to Seattle - To There and Back Again

It had been too long since I'd had a proper adventure, and what other place is fit for adventuring than Sin City itself, Las Vegas? The last time I was there, I made it a point to Skip the Strip (Aug 2013 post), and I continue this very satisfying pattern of avoiding the bright lights, big city, celeb-chef-land of trendy restaurants and frankly everything imported, but nothing truly local. I've spent many years enjoying that part of the city, and it will always draw crowds and endless fascination. And pools that catch on fire. Yes, I was in town during the Cosmopolitan Cabana Party From Hell, but only heard about it via Facebook and personal texts asking if I could see the smoke. I had no idea what the hell anyone was talking about. What could possibly be more exciting than a mother-effin' pool on mother-effin' FIRE? This latest jaunt to Vegas, Downtown-Local Style and lovin' it!

"Deconstructed" carrot cake at Therapy - the dessert I wish to marry - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Skip the Strip, It's Downtown Vegas, Baby

Glitz and glamour, a fortune at the press of a button, the playground for legendary stars like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and the spiritual home of Elvis Presley -- without even speaking the city's name, we know this to be Las Vegas. You would think Nevada would just cease to exist, because its famously infamous city is a place where you don't have to name the region or the state, you simply mention what happens here, stays here. All-night mega-club parties hosted by the latest (pseudo) celebrity. Beers in bong-sized glasses and cocktails with alarming neon hues. Every headline show is Cirque du Something-or-Other. High end luxury shops seeming to have more locations than Starbucks. It's a place that seems literally made of diamonds, which leads one to think, if we're surrounded by such profane wealth, is it even special anymore? I decided to track down my own diamonds in the rough, and stayed away from the Strip for the most part -- my fortune was made in old-school Downtown Las Vegas.

Keeping in real in Las Vegas, Downtown Style - Photo by Wasabi Prime