Saturday, November 07, 2015

Ellis Island Steak Special

The days of really cheap food in Las Vegas are long gone. Look back at some old photos of Vegas and you're likely to see a sign or two for a $2.99 steak and eggs breakfast or a $4.99 prime rib dinner. Inflation has taken its toll and those deals really don't exist anymore.

One holdout over the years though has been the famous Ellis Island Steak Special. Starting at $7.99 (with players card and some slot play) you get a sirloin with choice of soup or salad, potato, and green beans.

The deal previously came with a beer from the property's brewery included, but that has apparently been discontinued.

Beer is really cheap at Ellis Island, so adding one will only cost you an extra buck or two, but it's still sad to see the steak special slightly diminished. I almost wish they had just raised the price instead of taking away the beer.

Friday, November 06, 2015

Stevens Buys Remaining Golden Gate Stake

America's favorite casino owner Derek Stevens has been in the news again the past couple of days.

Greg and Derek Stevens have purchased the remaining 35% of Golden Gate that they didn't own, now making them 100% owners of the property.

This move should pave the way for a combined players club loyalty program between Stevens' three Fremont Street casinos - The D, Golden Gate, and Las Vegas Club (which will be renamed after a renovation).

Derek Stevens was also featured in a news piece about the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The outdoor space is helping to attract more visitors downtown. Stevens talked about some of the events he is looking forward to hosting, including plenty of boxing matches.

Thursday, November 05, 2015

Gourmet Hot Dogs in Las Vegas

The odd topic of whether a hot dog should be considered a sandwich has engulfed the internet. While I don't really care if a hot dog is a sandwich, it got me thinking.

Where can you get a good hot dog in Las Vegas? Gourmet hamburgers have been all the rage for a while now, but what about dogs?

American Coney Island - Located at The D on Fremont Street this brand has been a Detroit staple for almost 100 years. They are famous for hot dogs with secret recipe Coney Island Chili Sauce.

Pink's - In the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood this is a Las Vegas outpost of the world famous hot dog stand in Los Angeles. Along with Classic Dogs you can also opt for one of their Special Dogs with all kinds of fun toppings.

Haute Doggery - At The Linq promenade this shop is affiliated with the same people who run Pink's. It looks like Haute Doggery is less chili focused and more inspired by classic mustard and relish.

Shake Shack - Located at New York New York Shake Shack is more known for burgers, but they actually started as a New York hot dog cart. Their flat top dogs come in four different styles, including a chicken version.

Little Richie's - At Treasure Island. Perhaps less gourmet than the others listed here, Little Richie's specializes in Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and Polish sausages. It looks like a good spot to grab some drunk food if you're in the neighborhood of Treasure Island.

Wednesday, November 04, 2015

Las Vegas Club Sports Memorabilia Gallery at Plaza

A collection of sports memorabilia that was on display at the now closed Las Vegas Club are being sold off at a popup gallery at Plaza.

Ten percent of all sales will go to UNLV Libraries Special Collections, which aims to preserve the history of Las Vegas.

Jerseys from Michael Jordan, Marcus Allen, Ken Stabler, Jerome Bettis, Thurman Thomas, and Warren Moon can be seen at the gallery.

Plaza tweeted this picture of the display:

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Caesars Loses Rock Ohio Management

Caesars Entertainment will no longer manage three Ohio properties starting in 2016.

Rock Gaming announced in a press release that Horseshoe Cleveland, Horseshoe Cincinnati and ThistleDown will all be self managed by Rock next year, cutting ties with Caesars.

As part of the transition the properties will be renamed, and they will no longer be part of Total Rewards. A new loyalty program will replace it but that wont help people looking to build up comps for a trip to Las Vegas.

Many people have wondered if Horseshoe Baltimore will also transition, as Rock has an ownership stake in that property as well.

I think it's a long-shot since Caesars Growth Partners is the largest owner of Horseshoe Baltimore. It's unlikely that Rock, a smaller owner would be able to push them out unless Caesars wanted to sell.

Monday, November 02, 2015

Guy Fieri El Burro Borracho at Rio

The restaurant personality everyone loves to hate, Guy Fieri is opening his Mexican joint El Burro Borracho at Rio.

According to the press release, "El Burro Borracho, or the Drunken Donkey in its literal translation, will bring a vibrant, fun atmosphere with the Guy Fieri touch. Guests will enjoy authentically prepared Mexican dishes with upscale touches and the signature, flavorful flair you would expect from Fieri. Crispy Mahi Mahi Juan Tacos, Flaming Queso Fundido, Acapulco Gold Salad, Drunken Fish Tacos, Lava Rock Shrimp, signature tortas, enchiladas, burritos and an array of house made, signature salsas are just a few of the items available on the menu."

I personally don't have a problem with Guy, but he really does bring it upon himself with those wacky menu items. A little self awareness would go a long way, but then again he's done quite well with his antics - manufactured or not, so whatever works right?

This will be Guy Fieri's second Las Vegas restaurant. The other one is Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar at The Linq. His roots in Las Vegas stem from being a graduate of UNLV.

When I first heard about this news I suspected El Burro Borracho would replace the closing Rio Village Seafood Buffet - but the press release says that Guy's restaurant will actually be located near the Rio pool.

Sunday, November 01, 2015

October 2015 Las Vegas Stock Recap

With the calendar now showing November 2015, let's take a look back and see how Las Vegas stocks did in the month of October.

October turned out to be an amazing month for Las Vegas stock returns with every stock I track finishing green, and 5 out of the 6 finishing up by more than 20%.

Caesars Entertainment has been on a wild bankruptcy fueled roller coaster ride. After soaring an incredible 83.3% in August they came crashing back down to earth in September falling 38.32% only to turn it around again in October jumping up 36.67%.

Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands both were up big in October after declining significantly in September. While Steve Wynn was angry at the Macau government during Wynn's earnings call, Sheldon Aldelson was nothing but respectful.

MGM Resorts International had a 25% gain in October highlighted by the news that they are creating a REIT called MGM Growth Properties.

Boyd Gaming rode the downtown Las Vegas success wave with their stock increasing almost 22% in October.

Penn National was "only" up 6.4% in October. I'm guessing their limited exposure to Las Vegas compared to the other stocks kept them form having the same explosive October results.

CompanySymbolStartEndChange
CaesarsCZR5.898.05+36.67%
WynnWYNN53.1269.95+31.68%
SandsLVS37.9549.51+30.46%
MGMMGM18.4523.19+25.69%
BoydBYD16.3019.99+21.96%
PennPENN16.7817.86+6.44%