Las Vegas, NV

My very good friend, Kenneth Poole ( KP ) and I combined a working trip to Las Vegas with a few rounds of golf.

The weather was wonderful, our golf was....well less just say we had a good time.

We also visited one of our favorite places to eat. Hooters.

We figured, this is Las Vegas, the town of beautiful women, showmanship, glamor, top rated shows and if any Hooters would be a showcase Las Vegas was it.



What a joke!

It was in the Hooters hotel/casino all the way back in the corner.

You know those white tops the ladies wear, how bright they are, how nice all the ladies look and how the ladies flow with confidence? Wrong!

This was not the case at the Las Vegas Hooters. The white tops were dingy, I mean it looked like they needed to be washed in bleach more than once. The ladies looked like they needed to get their hair washed and the "make over" class had been missed.

It was nothing like we've seen in all other Hooters.

The majority of the crowd, yes we know we were a part of it, looked like they had just got out of detention. Where were the yuppies, bikers, college students, and families? Had we walked into a "twilight zone" and not know it?

The food was okay but not like we're use to.

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest....we give Las Vegas Hooters a 3,5.

Okay, enough about the lack of Hooters grandeur.

We played two "links" courses. That was a first for me and while I only have these two under my belt, they're not my favorite gold course. I like seeing a fairway, grass, green if in season, some idea of where the green is other than....over that way somewhere.

The first one was the Callaway Golf Center at 6730 Las Vegas Boulevard South.



Their web site shows this beautiful tree lined, grassy fairways and sand traps. We didn't see it....no beautiful trees or grassy fairways. It's an interesting 9 hole links course. The club house is great with a golf shop, friendly restaurant and bar.

The carts are gasoline powered and the course is well laid out. It's well laid out, a championship par 3 course, nine hole with holes from 110 to 185 yards.

We rented clubs, for $20 I think, cart for $10, round of golf $19 and off we went.

I had a brain freeze that day and forgot to take my camera. How in the world does a professional photographer forget to take his camera with him?

The staff was great, very helpful and we'd go back in a heart beat.

Next we had two days at the Revere Golf Club, 2600 Hampton Road, Henderson, Nevada.

It's a 36 hole course that will challenge you, delight you, and bring out all your golf emotions. It's a blend of fairways, desert, lots of sand traps, rocks, rolling hills, rolling greens and staffed by some of the nicest people you'll meet.

Club rental was $65 and that covered both days. Don't remember the cost for a round or the cart, but they were much higher Calaway.

The view of Las Vegas and surrounding area was awesome and worth the trip itself.







KP doing his best.



This is another course we'd go back to just given the chance.

Golf is a new experience for me. It's a long time passion for KP and together we kid, encourage, torment, and have fun.

John Madden

McBride's Steak House

If I'm in Wichita Falls, Texas, have any time, this is my place to eat. The steaks are truly mouth watering, tender and a meal you'll remember.

The menu is small, service is great, price is right, parking can be a problem, it's a quiet, family and friends type of restaurant.

I take anyone who is with me there and they are always thankful. They always want to go back!

The photo above is a pencil drawing near the cashier....check it out. It shows how the early Native Americans referred to the area, the water and their enjoyment of it.

PS...they have mints at the cashier that don't cost anything and for some reason they always taste better than anywhere else I get them.

John Madden

I rate it as high as I can!

Gabriel's north of Santa Fe, New Mexico

* Atmosphere

* Good food: food of the Southwest and Old Mexico

* Great service

* Tableside guacamole : made right in front of you.

* Ease of access: exit 176, Hwy 84/285

LINK

* Five miles north of the Santa Fe Opera

Every time we're in the area, we go here to eat. The food is great and we love watching them make the guacamole at our table. Unlike so many restaurants, they give you enough for four people to eat and not have to worry about everyone having enough.

The chips, which is an important part of a mea are fresh, crispy and never ending.

The atmosphere is casual to as formal as you want. We're seen people in tux, cowboy, hippie, slacks to t-shirts and shorts.

The service is very good and right at your elbow when you want a refill.

There is an art studio next to the restaurant, but we've never been there early enough to go in. It's on our list of things to do.

If you want an pleasant evening, good food, good service and an enjoyable atmosphere this is your place.

Gabriel's is a four motorcycle hands down.

John Madden

Landmark Grill at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, NM

This is a must.

We were told there was an hour and a half wait. It was only fifteen minutes.

The wait is after you're seated, a waiter/waitress appears, you see a menu, order food, watch other people (we love watching people) and then get food.

That's the 90 minute wait!

The food is well worth the wait.

Our waitress, Stacy, was also well worth the wait. She was friendly, outgoing, funny, and has a personality that lights up a room.

She's a student at New Mexico Highlands University, in Las Vegas। She's also a member of MARIACHI VAQUEROS de la SIERRA that performs at many functions.

The evening was well worth the drive from Pendaries (check blog for eating experience at the Lodge)!

Per a quote from their website:

"Unparalleled in service and delicious food, the Plaza’s own Landmark Grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week in an elegant yet casual Victorian dining room. The Grill specializes in charcoal-broiled steaks and chops, New Mexican, and the occasional alligator on the menu!"

To eat here is for the eating experience, food quality, good service as well as atmosphere. It's not fast food by any means. It's quality with a touch of lace boarded by Old West History.

We were not interested in the alligator. The steaks were mouth watering as was everything else.

The price is a little on the high side, but all things considered, it's not bad. Even for a couple of tight wads like KP and I.

It's an evening out, not just a meal and a four motorcycle rating.

John Madden