October 7, 2018

RV Trip 2018 - Part 2: Misc. Dining

Aside from big meals, we enjoyed a lot of one-off food experiences while in Vegas - here's a compilation of some of them!



Pro Gun Club
progunclub.com
12801 US 95, South Boulder City, NV

Tacos & Quesadillas

The actual first thing we did after getting off the plane was head out to the amazing Pro Gun Club, where we spent the day shooting from an impressive selection of firearms. When we were done, we enjoyed these delicious tacos and quesadillas that were being prepared on the flattop grill outside. 


SkyBar
waldorfastorialasvegas.com/dining/skybar
Waldorf Astoria, 3752 Las Vegas Blvd South, 23rd Floor, Las Vegas, NV

The Meadows
Azuñia Black Extra Añejo, Guajillo-Infused Mezcal, Caramelized Pineapple, Spiced Demerara, Chocolate Bitters

For our first night in town we stayed at the extremely luxurious Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Mandarin Oriental). After our extraordinary dinner at Kabuto Edomae Sushi, we headed back to the hotel and enjoyed this fantastic cocktail in the Waldorf's glamorous SkyBar, where we had a view of the whole Las Vegas strip. 


Holstein's Shakes and Buns
holsteinsburgers.com/las-vegas
The Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV



 Complimentary Spiced Popcorn

Beer
Mikkeler Breakfast Oatmeal Stout
Bruery Pumpkin Ale

VGK Burger
Beer Jam, Crispy Onions, Camembert, Creamy Horseradish

Nom Nom Burger
Cheddar, Potato Chips, 1000 Island Dressing

Donutella Shake
Patrón XO Café, Hazelnut Croquant, Pirouette Cookie, Chocolate Coffee Beans, Nutella-Glazed Doughnut

These shots actually represent two trips to Holstein's - we loved it so much the first time that we went back for a second visit at the end of the trip! Their burgers and ridiculous milkshakes were a delightful indulgence. 


District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew.
districtdonuts.com
The Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV


Chocolate Banana Peanut Doughnut

Believe it or not, after our second trip to Holstein's, we spared room for dessert at the nearby District. This doughnut seemed great on paper, but in practice it was pretty flavorless and kinda stale. 


Yavapai Lodge Tavern 
visitgrandcanyon.com/yavapai-lodge
11 Yavapai Lodge Rd, Grand Canyon, AZ




After our first day of hiking the Grand Canyon's South Rim, we enjoyed this fine porter and stout, along with an ok dessert, from the bar at the tavern. Though the temperature was cold, the crackling fire and nearby heat lamps kept us warm. 


El Tovar Dining Room
grandcanyonlodges.com/dine/el-tovar-dining-room-and-lounge
1 El Tovar Rd, Grand Canyon, AZ




On our final night at Grand Canyon, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal, knowing that we wouldn't have another like it for a while. The food at the El Tovar hotel was actually quite decent.



Of course our first stop was at the bar, where we enjoyed cocktails and a beer flight.


The dining room was quaint, but a little beat...

Corn Chowder

Tamal

Pork Chop

Steak

Dessert Table

Chocolate Cake

Pumpkin Tart


Holbrook KOA RV Park
koa.com/campgrounds/holbrook
102 Hermosa Dr, Holbrook, AZ


On our first night at Petrified Forest, we ordered burgers from this fun snack shack at the RV park where we were staying. The guy's tiny daughter was (adorably) helping take orders. 


The View Hotel
monumentvalleyview.com
Indian Rt 42, Monument Valley, AZ



Later in the trip, at Monument Valley, we ate in the restaurant at The View hotel, which is the only hotel located within the borders of the Navajo tribal reservation. The food itself is not great, but you get what you pay for and, as the name implies, you can't be The View. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the valley from our seats.


Salad Bar

Navajo Tacos

These "tacos" are a variant of the traditional Navajo fry bread, served Tex-Mex style with chili, cheese, and other toppings. There's some debate as to whether the Navajo actually created this fry bread themselves (other Native Americans more generally call it "Indian Fry Bread").

I recalled the joy I experienced eating these as a kid. As an adult they didn't quite live up to the memories - the fry bread itself was fantastic, though the chili topping had no seasoning, so it was mostly flavorless. Later in the trip we ate fry bread with just honey, which was way more delicious. 


Red Chile Posole

Stew Sampler
Red Chile Posole, Green Chile Stew, Mutton Stew

I regretted my decision to order the stew sampler and not just get the posole like Leah. The green chili and mutton stews honestly tasted like they came out of a can - bland and mushy. The posole, on the other hand, was spectacular. 


The Gifford Homestead
nps.gov/care/learn/historyculture/giffordhomestead
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, Teasdale, UT



This historic homestead lies in the heart of Fruita valley at Capitol Reef, a desert oasis settled by Mormon pioneers. The settlers transformed the valley into a series of fruit tree orchards, where they harvested cherries, peaches, apples, and more. Today, the homestead sells baked goods, jams, pickles, ice cream, and crafts. 

Pepper Salsa
Pickled Eggs
Pickled Green Beans

We devoured the salsa and green beans. The pickled eggs weren't so great though - very rubbery...

Peach Pie
Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie

These homemade pies were so delicious, we went back the next morning and got two more before heading out for our next leg of the trip.  


Zion Brew Pub
zionbrewery.com/the-brew-pub-1
95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767



We were amazed at the prevalence of local brewing in UT, despite the state's restrictive alcohol laws. As we came into Zion, we enjoyed a pretty good lunch at the Zion Brew Pub, just steps outside the park entrance. 


Beer Flight
Ascender Hefeweizen
Burnt Mountain Brown

We chatted with our waitress, learning some of the alcohol restrictions. For instance: no more than one drink per person at a time; food must be ordered with alcohol; no alcohol may be prepared in sight of patrons. This last law was recently lifted as of our visit, though the restrictive walls that most establishments had erected between their bars and their customers remained standing, as few could afford to knock them down, even though they legally could.

Stout Stew

IPA-Sriracha Wings

Zion Brew Burger
Stout-Jalapeño Bacon Jam, Swiss, Roasted Garlic Aioli


Eggslut
eggslut.com
The Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV


Toward the end of our trip, when we were back Las Vegas, we decided to brave the line and order breakfast from Eggslut. The wait was worth it, as these seemingly simple egg sandwiches were some of the best food we had on the whole trip!

Slut
Coddled Egg, Potato Purée, Gray Salt, Chive

Fairfax: Scrambled Eggs, Chive, Cheddar, Caramelized Onion, Sriracha Mayo
Egg Salad: Hard Cooked Eggs, Chive, Honey Mustard Aioli, Dressed Arugula


The Halal Guys
thehalalguys.com
3750 South Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV


As a final fun note - we didn't eat there, but we were surprised and delighted to see an outpost of The Halal Guys, the famous NYC street meat institution, while touring Caesar's Palace! 



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