May 23, 2013

There’s a New Tequila in Las Vegas, and Only Stations Has It

September 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

ALRIGHT TEQUILA LOVERS (you know who you are), listen up … a great new tequila has hit Las Vegas! I’m talking about my personal new fave, Tequila Don Pilar. And you’ll only find it at Station Casinos.

Now, this isn’t some frat-house, jug tequila. This is the good stuff. Estate-grown in the highlands of Jalisco (the Motherland of Tequila) and distilled in small lots. Don’t be lookin’ for this in warehouse and grocery stores because they don’t make anywhere near enough of it for that. Un-Uh, this is a serious premium elixir. Double distilled, and in the case of the Anejo, aged in new American oak barrels for 12 months.

That said, let’s get to the good stuff — what does it taste like? Well, the Blanco has creamy flavors of vanilla (even though it see no oak at all) and agave fruit (like baked pineapple & bananas), with a touch of sweetness and a nice hint of crushed black peppercorns. All BS aside, it’s the best blanco I’ve ever had. The Anejo takes it up more than a notch. The agave fruit (those pineapples and bananas) is full, rich and round, with nice accents of vanilla and butterscotch form the oak. The finish is quite long, with a spicy hit of cracked black pepper corns. I’d put it up against any Anejo out there, including my long-time fave, Chinaco.

Sorry if I made you thirsty, but I have good news for you. You can try these fantastic Don Pilar tequilas at your favorite Station Casino & Fiesta. Check the Mexican restaurants, naturally.

Now, how about letting me know about your favorites?

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

Station & Fiesta Casino Mexican Restaurants

Cabo at Boulder Station

Cabo at Palace Station

Cabo at Santa Fe Station

Cabo at Sunset Station

Amigo’s at Fiesta Henderson

Garduno’s at Fiesta Rancho

 

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Las Vegas: Tequila Town, USA

July 12, 2012 By 1 Comment

Las Vegas is known for a lot of things. To start, there’s always been gambling, but there’s also the great live entertainment, the nightclubs and more celebrity-chef restaurants than you can shake a breadstick at. But you may not know that Sin City is one helluva tequila town. That’s right my fellow tequila lovers, get out your maps and draw a big, red bulls eye on Vegas!

What’s that? You want proof? OK, there are 12 tequila bars on The Strip alone. And I’m not counting that place with the giant parrot on the front. I know because I’ve been to all of them — in one weekend. No, it wasn’t pretty, but that’s beside the point. I’m talking about a cool dozen establishments that either specialize in fine tequilas, or have a very nice selection of said agave-based intoxicants. Don’t want to go to The Strip, no problemo. I can point you to several spots that can more than satisfy your thirst.

Las Vegas Tequila Bars

Station Casinos' Mexican Restaurants have a wide range of margaritas and premium tequilas. Aliante Station's Cabo is shown here.

No matter where you go, you’re sure to find something you haven’t had. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? The search for your new favorite tequila. Which leads me to the question: What’s your favorite tequila? Right now, mine’s Don Pilar Anejo, but more on that later.

And then there’s this question: Blanco, Reposado or Anejo? Oh, and what do you like in a margarita?

Seriously, I want to know!

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

 

Filed Under: Dining, Entertainment, What's New Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tequila! And lots of it at TequilaQuest

October 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

ALRIGHT MY FELLOW Las Vegans, how many tequila bars are there on The Strip? Give up? There are 12. I know because my favorite partner in crime and I hit every single one over a Friday & Saturday night. Why? Lets just say, “Because they were there.”

Now, this wasn’t just some crazed binge. No, this was a TequilaQuest! A definitive study in the name of science, if you will. And there were rules. Such as, “Each Questor must have at least one shot, at each bar.” And, “No two tequilas may be repeated.” Also, “No Questor’s face may make contact with the floor, or ground, at any time.” Like I said, this was a serious undertaking. (It should be said that we weren’t driving.) Oh yeah, everything was tasted straight up, no salt, no lime. No exceptions.

I won’t bore you with the details because, frankly, they’re a little fuzzy. But we did discover some tequilas we really liked. The revelation of the quest was Classe Azul Reposado. Expensive stuff! But if there ever was a “dessert tequila” this is it. Second place would have to go to Siete Leguas Añejo (the Reposado was pretty good, too). Not as spicy as my fave, Chinaco Añejo, but full bodied, with great agave flavor. Other top finishers were Chaya Añejo (very feminine), Penca Azul Añejo (great bananas on the nose), and Corralejo Añejo.

Have you found a new favorite tequila? I’d love to hear about it. You know, in the interest of science.

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

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My Top 10 Wines for the Las Vegas Summer

June 23, 2011 By 1 Comment

IT MAY HAVE taken a while to rear its ugly head, but the Summer Heat is here. And when the Big Heat hits, I eat lighter, and I drink whiter. That said, here are my top ten wines for a Las Vegas Summer.

Terra Verde at Green Valley Ranch hosts "Wined Up Fridays," every week from 5–7pm.

1. Sauvignon Blanc — from Marlborough, New Zealand or Sancerre, in France

2. Champagne & Californian Sparkling Wine — makes even the hottest day nice

3. Riesling — from Germany, especially the zippy Kabinett style

4. Albarino — a dry Spanish white

5. Chardonnay — but never those super buttery, oaky things!

6. Gewurztraminer — spicy and zippy

7. Vouvray — lightly sweet & goes down so easy

8. Pinot Noir — THE red for grilled salmon & roasted chicken

9. Zinfandel — RED Zin, for BBQ ribs, chicken, burgers & pizza

10. Cabernet Sauvignon — when it’s gotta be a grilled steak

So those are what I’ll be sipping this Summer.

What will you be cracking open to beat the heat?

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

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Nevadans Love Beer. Well, Barley’s is Pouring for Brewfest!

April 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

REVIEW (posted May 16)

I DON’T MEAN to rub it in, but if you missed Barley’s Brewfest last last Saturday, the 7th, you should kick yourself a little – you missed one heck of a day. It started with great weather, sunny, warm and not too much wind. And the beers were pretty darned good. Oh yeah, there was food and live music, too, but so what? It’s all about the beer, right?

Yep, blue beer...gotta love Brewfest!

My coworker Rob conned his wife into driving us, so we were free to attempt a comprehensive tasting — if you know what I mean. And I think you do. Let’s just say things got a little hazy. But never fear, I remember the brews that really stood out for me.

My favorite was Barley’s IPA (not because I’m a company stooge). Unlike a lot of IPAs, it’s not stupidly hoppy. My buddies agreed it had a great fruity taste, without any added fruit. Fantastic on a sunny day. My next fave was Tenaya Creek Brewing’s Nut Brown Ale. It was rich and smooth with just the right touch of bitterness. As usual, Widmer’s Hefeweizen stood out — hey it was a hot day. And both Sin City’s & Barley’s stouts went down really well.

I’m going to finish the most unexpected beer — Kona Brewing’s Wild Blue Blueberry Lager. Yep, blue beer! Some of my buddies thought it was just too weird. I agree, it was weird. But at least they tried something new. And you should too. Get down to Barley’s and try one of their hand-crafted brews that you’ve never had before.

Good or bad, what “weird” beers have you tried?

Cheers, and see you there next year!

Jeff Perry
Sr Ad Writer
Station Casinos

PREVIEW (posted April 28)


CONGRATULATIONS, FELLOW NEVADANS! (Sorry if that seems too much, considering I was a Californian, a bit over two years ago.) Anyway, according to a big beer research group, we are the leading beer drinkers in the whole of the United States of America! Our 44 gallons, per person, per year, just beats out some state on the East Coast. I forget which one, but who cares? We’re No. 1, people! Numero Uno! Even California can’t touch us.

You want more good news? An exciting opportunity to consume some of your 44 gallons for 2011 is just a bit more than couple of weeks away. (After all, you wouldn’t want those snow-bound Easterners to pass us, would you?) I’m talking Barley’s Brewfest — at Barley’s, off Sunset Road in Henderson there, on Saturday, May 7!

Brewfest $5 menu. Brats!

Lots of great breweries will be there, including, but not limited to:

  • Sin City Brewery
  • Stone Brewing
  • Boulder Damn
  • Tenaya Creek Brewing
  • Triple 7 Brewpub
  • Widmer and more

Oh yeah, Barley’s will be pouring, too. But there’s more than just beer, as if that wasn’t enough. There’s gonna be BBQ & live music, too. I went last year, and it was great!

You don’t have to buy tickets in advance, you can just show up, from 3 to 9pm, and pay at the door. I’ll be there, and you should be, too. You probably can’t (and shouldn’t) get down all 44 gallons for the year. But you might just discover a few new favorite brews that will make doing your part for Nevada much more enjoyable.

Cheers!
Jeff

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Warming Up to Summer Wine Season

April 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

A COUPLE OF weekends ago I scored a couple of passes to the Trade Tasting at UNLVino. If you’re as into wine as I am, this is like Christmas coming early. Let me say right now there is no possible way any human being could taste all the wines being poured. My friend and I only hit a fraction of them, and we still HAD to take a cab home. (Sure I could have spit like a pro, but that just slipped my mind.)

What did we taste? Well, after a quick lap of the floor, we decided to start with the bubblies. And there were plenty of them, both French Champagne and CA sparkling wines. The standouts were Nicholas Fueliette (which we serve at Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch), Perrier Jouet (especially the “Flower Bottle”), and Lanson. Any of these would be great on our warm Vegas nights.

Get details on Rock n’ Roll Wine Reggae Pool Party at Green Valley Ranch on April 30

And that set our plan of attack for the rest of the night — white wines that would be great for summer. After all, the heat will be here before we know it, right? (Apologies to the Red Wine Only crowd, but that’s what we did.) Like assault troops, we hit the floor, seeking and swilling any interesting white we saw. French, German, New Zealand, Californian (but no big, buttery chardonnays), Australian, even South African.

The standouts? Well, it’s kinda foggy, but the dry German rieslings stole the show, especially those from Robert Weil’s and Phillips Eckstein. They were crisp, vibrant and made my mouth water. There were also great sauvignon blancs from New Zealand that had the same characteristics, but different flavors. And all of them would be perfect summer’s wines. Great with grilled shrimp, shrimp or chicken. Salads with goat cheese and smoked salmon. Oysters on the half, crab, even spicy Thai or Chinese takeout.

Next time you’re in one of our restaurants, try one. We usually have a good NZ sav blanc or riesling by the glass.

Hey, you could discover a new favorite just in time for summer.

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

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Great Wines (by the glass!) in Las Vegas Are at Sonoma Cellar

September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A WHILE AGO, I admitted to being really into wine (OK, make that really, really into wine). I even wrote up some tips for Las Vegas wine drinkers to try with your favorite juicy steak. (Did you try any of them?) Well, I’ve got another wine tip for you: Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse at Sunset Station. I ate there with friends last Friday night, and discovered the great wine list put together by Manager and Sommelier Kalei Nash. Especially the “Sonoma Feature Glasses” page. The guy’s got some seriously good wines by the glass here.

Let’s start with the whites. I had the 2007 Jordan Vineyards, Russian River Valley Chardonnay (great with my grilled halibut). Jordan’s been a heavy hitter in the California wine world for years, and you just don’t see their chardonnay by the glass. The other white on the page is the ever-popular Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay. It’s a classic, big buttery California chard that people just love.

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Great, huh? Well, the reds are even more impressive! The first is 2006 Jordan Vineyards, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Always good, and always only on lists by the bottle. Next is the 2006 Nickle & Nickle John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Most restaurants don’t even have Nickle & Nickle on their lists. But here’s the really amazing choice, 1999 Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Nobody sells an 11-year-old Mondavi Reserve by the glass! This wine is over $100 retail, if you can find it. I had to have a glass, and it was perfect. Last but not least is the 2005 Conn Creek Anthology, Napa Valley. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet blend that (again) you never see by the glass. Any of these reds would absolutely rock with a nice steak.

If you’re a wine lover in Las Vegas, you owe it to yourself to get down to Sonoma Cellar Las Vegas Steakhouse and have a glass or two. If you’re curious about wine, but haven’t been fully bitten by the bug, this is a great chance to try something you almost never see by the glass. Tell Kalei Jeff sent you.

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

Filed Under: Dining, Sunset Station Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Las Vegas Bars: ‘Sipping’ Tequila in a Margarita? Darn right!

March 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Red Rock's Cabo is one of several Station Casinos restaurants and bars where you can get a great "shaken" margarita. Say Hi to Rick at the bar.

NOT TOO LONG ago, a buddy of mine had a tequila tasting at his birthday party. Ok, I know some of you are making the sign of the cross with your fingers, while backing away from your computer. But fear not, there are some really fine sipping tequilas out there. I’m talking Añejos, meaning tequilas that have been aged in fine oak barrels for 1 to 3 years. Some of the bottles at the tasting were Condé Azul, Gran Centenario, Don Eduardo, Don Julio 1942, and my personal fave Chinaco. And the other night, I wandered over to Cabo, in Red Rock, to see what tequilas they poured. Happily, I found all of those mentioned above — and then some! So I hopped onto a bar stool and ordered, “Don Eduardo Añejo margarita on the rocks. No salt.”  

“What?” you say. “He wasted a ‘sipping’ tequila in a margarita?” Darn right I did! And I wouldn’t call it a waste. In fact, using an añejo tequila in a margarita can take it from merely refreshment to being one of the finest mixed drinks you’ve ever tasted. And let me tell you, the margarita that Rick (the bartender at Cabo, Red Rock) placed before me was one fine sip. I asked Rick about the “mix” he used, and he told me it was made fresh, every day, with hand-squeezed lime juice. Rick also informed me that the harder you shake a margarita (never, never stir), the better the flavor. Well, Rick must have shook mine within an inch of its life because it was near perfection. Now, a word to the wise: a well-made añejo margarita goes down real easy. Maybe a little too easy, if you know what I mean. (And I think you do.) Meaning you could find it a bit more difficult to get up from your seat (read nearly impossible). But upgrading to an añejo can change everything you thought you knew about tequila and margaritas. 

Tequila & Margarita Specials at Station Casinos

If you have a favorite añejo tequila, let me know below what it is. After all, margarita season will be on us before we know it.

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

Filed Under: Aliante Station, Boulder Station, Dining, Hotels & Casinos, Palace Station, Red Rock Resort, Sunset Station, Texas Station Tagged With: , , ,

Revolver Review: Las Vegas Nightclub Gets Four-Spur Rating

February 11, 2010 By 1 Comment
AS AN ADVERTISING Copywriter, my job is often strange and wonderful. Take the other night for example. I literally spent a good part of it gazing at a sparkling armadillo, as it spun in the sky. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, but I can assure you I wasn’t having a Hunter S. Thompson Las Vegas moment. Truth be told, I hadn’t had anything stronger than a complimentary margarita (rocks, no salt, of course). No, the dazzling armadillo is actually a huge mirror ball that’s part of the décor of Santa Fe Station’s new Revolver Saloon & Dance Hall. (Those of you familiar with Texas Station’s South Padre will recognize it.) And that particular Tuesday night was a Team Member Play Day, which is sort of a Stations family party to try the place out before you folks get to.

View more pictures from Revolver’s grand-opening
weekend at the Facebook page for Nightlife Stations

Now, I gotta tell you, whether you’re an admirer of sparkling armadillos or not, you’ve gotta see Revolver. Our Nightlife crew really did a kick-butt job on it. They gave it a great mix of country and cool. It has one of those mechanical bulls, a big dance floor, and a couple of well-stocked bars. I’m not a big country kind of guy, but I could hang out at Revolver. The music mix has a bit of everything, but nothing that feels totally out of place (at least not while I was there). But the best part of the joint is the staff. I don’t know where they found them all, but the team is full of gorgeous, friendly women that seemed to be having as much fun that night as the rest of us. Some of them even got out on the dance floor.

After all, you can make the coolest space around, but unless your team makes people want to be there, all you’ve got is an empty space. I’m betting the folks in Northwest Vegas are gonna keep Revolver nice and full.

Cheers,
Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

Let me know below what you think about Revolver.

The weekly schedule at Revolver is running as follows:

  • Wednesdays: Wasted Wednesdays (ladies drink free until midnight)
  • Thursdays: Industry Night (bull-riding competitions)
  • Fridays: American BadAss Party ($1 shots of Jack, $1 Budweisers)
  • Saturdays: Dukes Night (ladies dressed Daisy-style drink free until midnight)
Filed Under: Entertainment, Hotels & Casinos, Misc, Santa Fe Station Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Las Vegas Restaurants: ‘You can find great fish in the desert’

January 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Entrées, like the Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna, are 2 for the price of 1 at Aliante Station's MRKT on Sundays from 5pm - 6 pm.

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m a “Foodie.” While I’m at it, I’m a “Wine Geek,” too. It just sort of happens to you when you live in the Bay Area as long as I did.

When I moved to Las Vegas, from San Francisco, I knew I’d be able to find plenty of great food. After all, several of the Bay Area’s best chefs have restaurants in town — if you don’t mind going to The Strip. But what surprised me was how good the seafood is. You expect great seafood in San Francisco. The place is surrounded by water, and joints like Aqua, Farallon and Water Bar certainly don’t disappoint. But out here, in the middle of the desert? Who knew?

So my first trip to Red Rock’s Hachi blew me away. That fish wasn’t just alright, it was as good as any I’d had in LA or San Francisco. And creative, too (after all, Executive Chef Linda Rodriguez did come from Nobu). I’m not ashamed to say I pigged out.

The next time I ran into amazing seafood was at Aliante Station’s MRKT Sea & Land steakhouse. My dinner date and I started our meal off with a Seafood Jackpot for two. Have you seen one of these things? It’s a huge bowl full of ice that they pile high with king crab legs and claws, oysters, blue crab meat, shrimp and a split lobster tail. All as fresh as can be. Heck, it makes a great meal if you order a side of vegetables (or not). And to make things even better, they had a nice champagne by the glass (Perrier Jouet, at the time). Fresh shellfish with champagne is as perfect a match as a juicy steak and a big cabernet. (Told you I was a Wine Geek.)

Anyway, I’ve since found more fantastic seafood both on and off The Strip, as well as other Station Casinos restaurants. And I can say I’m a believer. You can find great fish in the desert.

I’d love to hear where your favorite seafood spots are.

And let me know what you like to order, too.

There’s nothing I like more than finding a cool new restaurant!

Cheers,

Jeff Perry
Sr. Ad Writer, Station Casinos

Become a Fan of the Facebook for Hachi

Filed Under: Aliante Station, Dining, Hotels & Casinos, Red Rock Resort Tagged With: , , , ,