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BEST OF LAS VEGAS 2006
This years results are in at Las Vegas Review Journal for THE BEST OF LAS VEGAS 2006...and
we've compiled a list for you.
| Best Place to Go If You're Younger Than 21 -- Reader's Pick |
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Circus Circus
2880 Las Vegas Blvd.
South
Las Vegas , NV
The circus comes to town every single day at this kid-friendly casino, which
couldn't delight the youngsters any more if it was spun from cotton candy. Featuring the world's biggest permanent indoor
circus, America's largest indoor theme park and tons of arcade games at the Carnival Midway, you will have to surgically remove
the smiles from your children's precious little faces. And while the kids are off having the time of their lives, the grown-ups
can do the same at Circus Circus? sizable casino. Everybody wins! Now if only we could say the same thing about the craps
table. GameWorks plays a mean game of "Pacman" in second.
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The Alley
Las Vegas , NV
Just because you can't buy beer doesn't mean that you should be denied concert tickets as well. And yet there are few
venues in town that cater to teens as much as to Budweiser aficionados. But, until early this year, The Alley was the rare
all-ages club. The homey venue brought in plenty of national names, mainly from the punk and emo circuit -- Anberlin, Halifax
and The Start, to name a few -- but it also served as a home base for scads of young, up and coming locals such as Fletch,
Camden and Ashbury. It was the place to go for fresh music and even fresher faces. |
| Best Place to Go On a Budget -- Reader's Pick |
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Fremont Street
Fremont Street between
First and Fourth streets
Las Vegas , NV
"Free" is one of our readers' favorite words. Especially
when it comes to eye-popping entertainment. And on Fremont Street, there's plenty to do without spending a dime. Of course,
there's the Fremont Street Experience Light and Sound Show, which features 12.5 million synchronized LED modules and a 550,000-watt
sound system that's enough to make Pink Floyd envious. But there also are many free concerts, frequent hot rod shows and NASCAR
events. Plus, it's the most festive place in town to celebrate party-hard holidays such as St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de
Mayo, when the streets get flooded with revelers. And with all the money you save at these free events, you can buy more drinks,
of course. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area comes in at rock-solid second.
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Sirens of TI
Treasure Island, 3300
Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas , NV
What's humankind's greatest innovation? The Copernican model
of the heliocentric universe? Nah. The advent of those little plastic rings that hold a six-pack together? Maybe. The commingling
of swashbucklers and buxom chicks in hot pants, all swinging around on ropes and stuff? Quite possibly. The Sirens of TI is
a boyhood daydream come to life; i.e., lots of gorgeous ladies gettin' all wet and wild. Think "Mutiny on the Bounty" with
much better legs. With four free shows nightly in the Sirens Cove outside Treasure Island, the show is easy on the eyes and
the wallet. |
| Best Arcade --
Reader's Pick |
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Gameworks
Showcase Mall, 3785 Las Vegas
Blvd. South
Las Vegas , NV
We know, we know, it's a sad realization to come to terms with: You
will never play drums in Twister Sister. Nor are you ever likely to become a spaceship pilot and blast giant, bomb-dropping
bumblebees out of the sky. But at GameWorks, you can do both -- and a whole lot more. There are newfangled attractions such
as an electronic drum kit, where you can bash along to your favorite bands, along with old-school favorites such as the mighty,
mighty "Galaga." The place boasts motion-simulators and a rock-climbing wall, not to mention a sports bar, so you can get
your drink and your game on. Circus Circus plays a mean game of "Pole Position" in second place.
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Coney Island Arcade at New York-New York
3790
Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas , NV
We need our space when blasting zombies in the head. Seriously,
you can't rack up the high score on "Resident Evil" if you're all crowded and stuff. You gotta work it, and for that, you
need elbow room. Which is why we dig the arcade at New York-New York so much. So many casino arcades feel like an afterthought:
a place for dad to drop off the kids while he goes and blows the mortgage on the roulette wheel. But the New York-New York
arcade is big, bright and open, with a boardwalk theme that makes it feel like its own attraction, rather than a token dumping
ground for youngsters. This is good news for serious gamers, and bad news for video game villains. |
| Best Magician --
Reader's Pick |
| Best Strip Hotel --
Reader's Pick |
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Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las
Vegas , NV
Imagine the voice of the guy who narrates almost every movie trailer saying, "Steve Wynn.
A man trying to escape his past." Wynn's new joint, aptly called Wynn Las Vegas, didn't even come in second this year, while
his previous hallmark, Bellagio, racked up an eighth consecutive victory. Mandalay Bay is in fact a distant second.
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Paris Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Blvd.
South
Las Vegas , NV
Give us a scale model of the Eiffel Tower and fake cloud-painted ceiling,
and we melt like Gomez Addams when Morticia speaks French. When your relatives visit you can park in one of the Strip's more
easily navigable garages, have an unusual buffet at Le Village, view Bellagio's fountains from atop the mock Eiffel Tower,
then unwind in Le Cabaret, one of the few quality open lounges that still features show bands. |
| Best Nevada Getaway -- Reader's Pick |
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Lake Tahoe
For
the third year running, you pick Lake Tahoe as your favorite in-state retreat. And it's easy to understand why. A themed Strip
resort called Tahoe would be surrounded by a gorgeous lake featuring fishing, boating and water-skiing. Inside the casino,
visitors would find re-creations of the historic Ponderosa Ranch and Ehrman Mansion. And during the winter, the artificial
mountain enveloping the resort would be dotted by skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers. Mesquite finishes second.
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Ely
If you're
a railroad buff, you already know about Ely, where the Steptoe Valley creeps up the foothills of the Egan Range. From here,
the restored original cars of the 100-year-old Nevada Northern railway, known collectively as the Ghost Train, steam toward
Ruth and McGill from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The town also is within easy shouting distance of Great Basin National
Park. |
| Best Arizona Getaway -- Reader's Pick |
| Best California Getaway -- Reader's Pick |
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San Diego
Los
Angeles minus the traffic and attitude, San Diego once again rules this category. R-J readers are understandably drawn to
the border city's pristine beaches and tourist attractions (SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo). And when the sun goes down, a quaint
neighborhood called the Gaslamp Quarter rocks with Southern California's most fun drinking and dancing. Another longtime poll
favorite, Disneyland, garners less than half as many votes to place second.
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Laguna Beach
Halfway
between Los Angeles and San Diego, this seven-mile stretch of coastline beckons with a mix of top-notch resorts and restaurants,
and quaint B&B's and shops. Laguna Beach is a vibrant artist colony with 100 galleries and a museum. It also boasts the
West Coast's oldest theater company, the Laguna Playhouse, whose stage was graced in 1965 by an unknown Harrison Ford. And
the kids will dig it, too, since "Laguna Beach" is MTV's hippest reality show. |
| Best Coffee/Cappuccino -- Reader's Pick |
| Best Doughnuts --
Reader's Pick |
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Krispy Kreme
Mutiple Locations
Las
Vegas , NV
Krispy Kreme, Krispy Kreme, who doesn't like Krispy Kreme? Few of our readers, it seems,
who have chosen it in this category for just about as long as it has had a presence in the Las Vegas Valley. They like it,
we're sure, for the impossibly cloudlike Original Glazed Donuts, but probably for the endless variety of other flavors as
well. Winchell's finishes a distant second.
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Ronald's Doughnuts
4600 Spring Mountain
Road
Las Vegas , NV
The more righteous among us like the fact that Ronald's offers vegan doughnuts,
but the rest of us just like to revel in the old-fashioned goodness of a plain ol' glazed doughnut, or a fritter or cinnamon
roll or even a cherry-flavored doughnut, like we used to get when we were kids. Ronald's also offers the personal touch that
only a mom-and-pop operation can provide, and we especially like a heapin' helping of that with our fresh morning coffee. |
| Best Place for Breakfast -- Reader's Pick |
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Original Pancake House
Multiple locations
Las
Vegas , NV
Two words: apple pancake. That's why we figure the Original Pancake House has overtaken
IHOP -- once known as the International House of Pancakes -- in this category this year. Original Pancake Houseýs apple pancake
is covered with fresh, lightly cooked fruit in a buttery syrup redolent of cinnamon, and it's far from the only thing on the
menu with so much appeal. IHOP flops into a close second-place finish.
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Omelet House
Multiple locations
Las
Vegas , NV
When we think of breakfast we think of eggs, which means omelets, which means the Omelet
House. Even the baby omelets are huge -- three eggs, folks -- and the regular-sized versions are even larger, with six. But
the best part is the way the Omelet House overstuffs those omelets with lots and lots of fresh filling ingredients in so many
variations, we never tire of making a choice. And with a pile of fried potatoes and a chunk of pumpkin bread on the side,
we're set. |
BEST BAGELS
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Einstein Bros. Bagels
Multiple Locations
Las
Vegas , NV
Einstein has nice, chewy, stretchy, fight-back bagels, and it has them in many flavors
-- some of them seasonal -- which means they have appeal for the bagel beginner or the most hardened adherent. Add one of
numerous flavors of schmears (that's cream cheese to you and me), a puppy bagel for the mutt and a zip through the line thanks
to quick service, and readers are on their way. The Bagel Cafe finishes a distant second.
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Harrie's Bagelmania
855 E. Twain Ave.
Las
Vegas , NV
We sometimes get a little attitude when we stop at Harrie's, but that just makes us feel
like we're in New York, epicenter of American bageldom. Harrie's also happens to have the best chopped liver around, so if
we stop and get one of those nice tough numbers -- that's a good thing, when you're talking about bagels -- and a side of
chopped liver, we're set until way past lunch. |
| Best Family Restaurant -- Reader's Pick |
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Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
Multiple
locations
Las Vegas , NV
Ya gotta hand it to Applebee's: The neighborhoods they call home include
even a few in Greece. But we digress. Las Vegans repeatedly choose Applebee's in this category for the neighborhood convenience,
for the three-course combos that mean families actually can afford to eat there, and for a kid-friendly menu with such favorites
as chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese. And they can enjoy the adventures of Geoffrey the giraffe. Mimi's
Cafe is second.
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Red Robin
multiple locations
Las
Vegas , NV
As for us, we gotta hand it to Red Robin, with its menu that relies heavily on burgers
-- what's not to like about burgers? -- for any member of the family, plus enough to keep the nonburger fans happy, such as
pastas and salads and soups and nonburger sandwiches. And when the Red Robin comes bob-bob-bobbin' along, our kids behave
so much better. |
| Best Hamburgers --
Reader's Pick |
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In-N-Out
Multiple Locations
Las
Vegas , NV
The Double Double may be double trouble as far as dietitians are concerned, but that
doesn't stop readers from picking In-N-Out year after year for its fresh-ground meats, freshly risen buns and french fries
that are cut from the potato while they watch. In-N-Out makes an old-fashioned burger with new-fashioned speediness, and the
crossed palms provide just the right touch of wry. Fatburger, another long-standing chain with old-fashioned burgers, finishes
a strong second.
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Kilroy's
4340 S. Grand Canyon Drive
and 1021 South Buffalo Drive
Las Vegas , NV
Did somebody say old-fashioned burger? Somebody did
indeed, and that's what we like about Kilroy's -- those nice, thick, juicy burgers, hand-pattied and hand-assembled. Yeah,
they're so juicy that they tend to get a little sloppy and run down our arms, but we can always clean up later.
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| Best Hot Dogs --
Reader's Pick |
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Costco
Multiple locations
Las Vegas
, NV
Costco's hot dogs are cheap, Costco's hot dogs are juicy, and with the range of condiments
generally available, readers can dress them up -- or not -- to their liking. They're just the ticket after shopping until
you drop -- even if it's only a few hours -- but one caveat is that you have to be a Costco member to be able to partake.
Wienerschnitzel finishes behind the top dog.
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Chicago Hot Dogs
1078 N. Rancho Road
Las
Vegas , NV
When we think of a Chicago-style hot dog, we think of one on a poppy-seed bun and topped
with peppers and tomatoes and pickles and all that stuff that makes a Chicago dog great, and that's exactly what we find at
Chicago Hot Dogs, appropriately enough. The wait can be rough and we hate to be shaken down for tips at a takeout place, but
somehow itýs all worth it, even if only occasionally. |
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