Tuesday, the 12th of October was designated ‘fancy food day’ for Flynn and Ollie. They spent most of the morning on the laptops, then made their way to restaurant row at the Venitian to try out Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill for brunch. The critters were glad they had made a reservation, as this is apparently a popular place. There were lots of humans standing around outside awaiting their turn for good food and bottomless mimosas. Watching the six men at a table next to them go through pitcher after pitcher was somewhat amusing, but after the debauchery on Sunday night, there was no way F&O were going to do that.
They ordered food. It was delicious. Shout out to their beignets which were very light and not too sweet. Mushroom benedict and shrimp & grits were the other choices for breaking fast, and neither disappointed. As an added note, if you are an iced tea drinkers, the tea there was fabulous. Clearly fresh brewed (had to get extra ice, as the original glass melted it all), with a slightly fruity accent. Not that we mind Lipton, but this was heads above.
Somewhat full, and having a dinner resevation a mere 5 hours away, they took a long walk through the Grand Canal shops. They had the goal of buying some unique masks, but alas, absolutely no one was selling them. It is odd that stores are missing out on advertising their brands this way. Who doesn’t want a mask with “Club Tattoo” on it? If they had one for purchase, Flynn would buy one in a heartbeat. The walk was good, but not enough to make a dent in brunch, so after the Venitian they strolled over to the Wynn which is of course Flynn’s way of saying they were going to the poker room at the Encore. The good news is that the walk, by the time they got there, was satisfactory. (By the way, the Venitian has some sort of tournament series running, not enough dealers, and therefore no cash games. Ollie checked.)
There was a short wait for a new 1/3 table to start up. F&O settled in at opposite ends of the table. This was a very good game. The players were friendly, fairly predictable, and a nice mix of regulars, those waiting for a seat at a bigger game, recreational players, and so forth. There was one WP (Wannabe Pro), but he was not obnoxious. FWIW, those are Flynn’s favorite players to target. Over the next 3 hours, Flynn’s stack increased as he got a nice run of cards, played the player and position, and took down some pots. The WP coughed up $ three times when Flynn bet, he called, and Flynn showed the best hand. Really, dude… thanks for the donation and quit acting suprised or confused. The session ended with Flynn (with JJ) felting Ollie (top pair on flop). Sorry Ollie! For those unaware, it can get ugly between the two, but so far no physical violence or threats to burn places down.
Off to dinner at the Golden Steer. F&O had been told for years this was the best place in town (for a classic Vegas steak dinner), and it lived up to it’s reputation. They had the Dean Martin booth (reserved a month in advance). Ollie had the Perfect Manhatten, which he confirmed. They had the best filet mignon ever served (perfectly done to medium rare, which is hard to do for that cut), no sauces needed. If you need a sauce for a steak, there is a problem. Here is the overall review: F&O will be back. The prices are high, the ambiance is perfect old-school Vegas, the music is old-school Vegas, it is not too loud, and not fake stuffy-presumptuous. There WERE some flaws in the service, and not all of the food was perfect (oversalted seafood stuffed mushrooms), and it is in a bad part of town. All of that was part of the charm, and if they can cook a steak that well, then it’s a no-brainer.
Dinner was done, the critters discussed options for the night. Lists were long for poker, and clubbing was never an option. So, back to the digs for R&R, which was certainly the right choice. Sleep is at a premium around here.
Rats, forgot to mention Avi at the Wynn, who apparently plays big, but stuck around at our table because we were nice and the table was relaxing. This writer really enjoyed playing with you, and hope our paths cross again.
Fin
Flynn
It was indeed a great day!
–Ollie
I haven’t been to Golden Steer yet. For many years, I would splurge on a superior buffet until I decided to splurge on steak houses instead. Still, I don’t do it most trips since I go to Las Vegas by myself.
Sounds like Flynn and Ollie are getting around to a number of good poker rooms. Let’s hope they have some run good for the next week!