I am Lars Vargas

Category: Food & Drink

I love ot eat, drink and be Mary. Err, merry. Vegas is more than buffets, and drinking is more than beer. Here are some of my experiences with all of the above.

  • Got a little time to kill

    I had a dinner planned with a friend tonight, but he had to cancel at the last minute. Normally, I’d go home, but I have another meeting planned at 7:00pm, and if I go home I probably won’t make it to my next meeting. My couch tends to draw me over and suck me in when I go home. When that happens, I get lazy and probably fall asleep. That means I miss the meeting, and I don’t want to do that. (more…)

  • Oh. My. Goodness. This. Is. Good. Ice. Cream.

    I’m sitting here (free WiFi for the win!) at the world’s best ice cream and frozen treats place. Atomic #7 offers an amzing variety of frozen goodies, and they’re all made fresh in front of you. Nothing is frozen until it’s ordered. Once ordered, the ingredients are all mixed in liqud form and then quick frozen with liquid nitrogen. Hydrogen being the 7th atomic elemnt, lends it’s coldness to freeze your ice cream in addition to being integral to the name.

    Nitrogen frozen ice cream is amazing stuff. The process creates a smooth and lush texture with any of the seven “milk” bases Atomic #7 offers. Even almond milk, which doesn’t make terribly smooth and creamy traditional ice cream comes out creamy and smooth. Regular cream is tranformed into something that Ben & Jerry can only aspire to make. (more…)

  • 7:07 – Left for dinner

    7:07 – Left for dinner

    9:03 – Got home from dinner at the Silverton Casino buffet.

    9:05 – Grabbed a few bottles and a chrome-plated mixing pitcher from the pantry

    9:06 – Filled pitcher about 2/3 with ice, poured dry vermouth over ice. Swished around for about a minute.

    9:07 – Drained chilled vermouth into glass to start chilling said glass. Threw in some ice for good measure.

    9:08 – Put 3 shots of Bombay Sapphire into the pitcher and took about 1/2 a shot of the vermouth from the glass and put that in the pitcher. Stirred (NOT shaken) for about 30 seconds.

    9:09 – Emptied the glass of any vermouth and ice. Plopped 4 olives into the glass. Strained Bombay Sapphire and vermouth mixture into glass.

    9:10 to 9:23 – Enjoyed one helluva martini.

    How was your evening?

  • Breakfast of Champions

    I went to lunch with a friend and Las Vegas blogger Hurricane Mikey yesterday. He actually writes in his blog, as opposed to me. I just pay hosting fees and occasionally pop in with something interesting to say or (more probably) something to complain about.

    Anyway, I heartily encourage you to visit his blog and read around a bit. It’s very interesting reading, and I’m happy to wait right here while you’re out reading his stuff.

    One thing about Mikey, he likes his pizza, and one of his life’s journeys is to find the perfect pie. It’s kind of a religious quest, and it’s fun to be a pilgrim. But this entry isn’t really about Mikey so much as my small part in that journey to coal-fired nirvana. (more…)

  • Tonopah Restaurant – Good Eats in the Middle of The Desert

    Banc Club Restaurant
    Tonopah, NV
    (directions below)

    This review was thoughtfully provided by my good friend Louis. We used to work together, and he is a regular reader of this site. Thanks for the review, Louis, and if anyone else is interested in writing for the site, please get in touch.

    It’s not often that one finds a restaurant that makes you take a second look. But I found one.

    It’s at the Banc Club and it’s in Tonopah. Where in the heck is Tonopah? Tonopah is the approximate half-way point between Reno and Las Vegas. On 95N @ Craig Rd. it’s 200 miles to Tonopah or about 3.5 hours drive. (more…)

  • Confessions of a Newly-Minted Starbucks Decaf Regular

    Coffee is one of those things that has always perplexed me. I remember trying it as a kid, the bitterness was unpleasant and it burned my tongue. Why would anyone drink that stuff when there is soda in the world? I’d rather have a Coke. At least that’s how I grew up.

    I pretty much avoided coffee in my youth. I avoided coffee in my 20’s and most of my 30’s as well. I did learn to appreciate the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, but never quite got around to enjoying the flavor. Even as an ingredient, that coffee flavor would jump right out at me and take over whatever I contained it. Tiramisu was right out. Anything mocha was politely refused entry to my plate.

    So no fan of coffee, I would nonetheless have an occasional chance to stop in a place like Starbucks. If I want a hot beverage, which is rare, I go with tea. If I am at a Starbucks and want a hot beverage, which is even rarer, I also have tea. I like tea. Pretty much any flavor is fine. Regular, herbal, etc., although I try to avoid caffeine, so it’s usually decaf or herbal tea.

    Yet the siren call of coffee keeps me curious. I stare at the Starbucks menu and wonder what riches may lie beneath the carefully encoded words.

    Frankly, the menu at Starbucks perplexes both me and my wife. We go in and watch the customers who know what they want bark off 20-word orders: “Venti double cappuccino with an extra shot, room for cream, and …” my eyes are glazing over. (more…)

  • Memphis Championship Barbecue: The Name Says It All

    Memphis Championship Barbecue
    2250 E. Warm Springs Road
    Las Vegas, NV 89119
    (702) 260-6909

    Since moving from Orlando, we haven’t ventured out into barbecue land. Orlando has lots of barbecue places (some not worth going into, some are excellent, most are OK). We weren’t sure what to expect in Vegas, which doesn’t have as many barbecue places. After narrowing down the choices, we decided to try Memphis Championship Barbecue. There are four locations. We chose the one near us at Warm Springs and Eastern.

    I love barbecue. For some folks, barbecue is a religion, and their own denomination is the only True Way for barbecue. I am not one of those people. I like barbecue no matter Texas style, Memphis style, Southern style, or some other style. Good barbecue is good barbecue. Memphis Championship Barbecue is really good barbecue. (more…)

  • Drinking Scotch Can Save Your Marriage

    I was recently reminded of a party I attended last year. Some friends had invited Mrs. Vargas and I to their home, along with several of their other friends and neighbors. It was a typical holiday party with plenty of good stuff to eat and drink. The partygoers were all decked out in festive attire and a good mood prevailed throughout.

    Mrs. Vargas and I are not the kind of couple who has to cling to each other at a party. We’re free to mingle and talk independently. One of the other partygoers, whom I had never met before, had taken somewhat of an interest in me. She was a neighbor of the hosts and didn’t seem flirtatious when I first met her.

    As the evening went on, Ms. Neighbor Flirter had chosen a seat at the bar. And every time I went to freshen up my scotch, she was there, ready to chat, flirt, and carry on about the topic du jour. (more…)