The Country Club Steakhouse at Wynn Review

The Country Club Steakhouse – Excellent service, great appetizer, salad was blah, good wine selection, steak was over cooked, the environment was a bit noisy, and the televisions were distracting. Without the TV’s this would have been much more enjoyable experience. Had the New York strip.

I really expected more out of this place. It was the first restaurant I went to on this trip and I spent a ton of money and got a mediocre meal. I have had better steaks at places half the price. I guess part of the “charm” of this place it is at the Wynn, which if you ask me is a pretty pretentious, excessive and overpriced Casino. Maybe I am cheap, thrifty or have a better head on my shoulders… but I would not recommend wasting the money here.

Envy Steak House Review

Envy Steakhouse @ Renaissance – very nice setting, good wine selection, good salad, excellent sides, excellent steak, seemed understaffed compared to the other steakhouses I went to. Steak was cooked perfectly. 16 oz bone in fillet, which was a new treat for me. Not sure if I have ever had a bone in filet before. It allowed the steak to retain more juice and flavor, plus it was more of a reasonable size than a porterhouse.
The fries here were insanely good. I think they were fries with truffle oil on them, something like that. They were perfectly cooked, seasoned perfectly as well, and a nice crispness to them.

When I mention that it seemed under staffed, we had one waitor for a table of 12 or so. He did do a fine job handling the whole thing, but some of the nice places I have been to seem to work in teams and more or less attack a table with attentiveness. They waiter did a great job, don’t get me wrong, but for 12 people I would think maybe 2 or 3 should tag team it.

I think like any steakhouse in Vegas the prices are a bit inflated. I was quite happy with this meal, and did not have to find my way through a casino to get here. I would defiantly recommend this restaurant or hotel to anyone who is going to Las Vegas for a conference at the convention center and has no interest in gambling.

Del Frisco's Las Vegas Review

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse – amazing service, perfect cocktails from the bar, excellent wine list, nice atmosphere, excellent seafood (shrimp starter and crab cake), 8oz fillet. 18oz was the smallest lobster, which we all thought was ridiculous.

We had a table of maybe 9 or 10 guys head out to this place. The staff was super friendly and we had a team handle the table. They were a bit less “professional” than your normal upscale restaurant, but provided some good fun and entertainment with us. We got into some jokes and one of the guys pulled the “do you have any ketchup” routine for the excellent steaks that were served.

The cocktails at Del Frisco’s were PERFECT. The guy next to me ordered a Vodka Gimlet and they made it with fresh squeezed lime juice. It was the perfect strength. I wish I would have ordered that instead of my Makers and Ginger.

There was a huge group of hungry guys and we tried a variety of appetizers. We got a few shrimp starters which contained 3 types of shrimp. This was great. And then a few orders of crab cakes. These crab cakes were huge and had large chunks of crab in them. I would say the best crab cakes I have ever eaten.

When it came to the steak I went with fillet because I was not hungry enough to handle a porterhouse. The steak was delicious. One of the better steaks I have ever eaten.

As we were leaving we got to see the “James Bond Wine Rack” which is some crazy table that opens up into a wine cellar and then closes.

I would totally recommend Del Frisco’s to anyone needing to take a group out, or to anyone who loves a great meal and can afford this upscale restaurant.

Hugo's Cellar Review

Hugo’s Cellar – shitty casino, dark and dirty. Awesome wine selection, excellent salad cart, good bread, huge portions, great pieces of meat, lacks creamed spinach. Excellent service.

I did not know what to expect when I went to Hugos Cellar, but was not expecting much when I had to go to the old strip and through one of these dark and seedy casinos. Once you go down to the basement you are greeted by friendly staff.

The service here was great. The atmosphere was more “old school” and seedy, but still enjoyable. The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious.

The wine selection was great and there was an on staff sommelier. We had a “wine expert” at the table, and he and the sommelier discussed various things that were over my head. We ended up getting 2 or 3 excellent bottles of wine and champagne to start.

After you order the waiter comes around with this salad cart which is like a portable salad bar and makes a great salad for you right at the table. One of the people at the table was allergic to shellfish and he made sure, that nothing he touched ever touched a shrimp.

By this point of my trip I was “steaked out” and had to switch up. I switched to a prime rib. (c: The prime rib was terrific. It pretty much could have been cut with a fork, and was served with a delicious sauce and horseradish.

The highlight of this meal was when we got the bill. We all covered the organizer of this event, and had way more than enough wine. The bill was less than half of what I spent the other nights, and the food was terrific.

I would defiantly recommend Hugo’s Cellar to anyone who loves a great steak, and is will to venture out to the old strip. The bonus on this is that you can save a bunch of money, have a great meal and terrific wine, excellent service, all at a fraction of the price of one the places on the strip. You just need to be willing to compromise on the location and the atmosphere a bit.

CraftSteak Steak House @ MGM Grand Las Vegas Review

I did not go to Craft Steak on this last trip, but I did a few years ago, and was blown away by the meal. CraftSteak is a bit gimmicy in that they serve “Kobe Beef”. Due to regulations, it is not 100% real Kobe beef, but is still damn good.

I treated a friend to dinner here and we decided to get the taster menu which was amazing.

The quality of food was superb, and the variety and portions were great. I think between us we got 2 or 3 small appetizers, 3 steaks, numerous sides, and a variety of homemade ice creams for desert. There was even some in between course palette cleansers that were served.

The service here was awesome. Our waiter was this older guy who had a crazy accent. He sounded like a vampire, and was just brilliant. He saw that we were 2 younger dudes and freshed up his pitch with some funny slang words which made the meal that much better.

He said the mashed potatoes were “ridiculous” and he was not mistaken. It was like an equal mix of cream and potato and was INTENSE. They were great. The steaks were terrific. The meat is extremely tender and flavorful. The steaks seemed to have been oozing “goodness” out of them. Juice galore. We got three steak cuts, a New York Strip, a Fillet, and one other served with the tasting menu. My only regret was not getting the Steak Tartar as the suggested first course. The waiter switched to a Foie Gras since we were pussies when it came to eating raw meat.

CraftSteak IS expensive, but it is a memorable meal and will let you get in some “Kobe Beef” which will be one of the most flavorful tender cuts of meat you have ever eaten. I would go here again, and take some friends here to pop their “Kobe” cherry.

Where is your favorite steakhouse in Vegas? While you are there, you may also want to go shoot some machine guns!

I have been busy, most of my time is spent working, and I have been fitting in working out.

I have been doing Russian Pullup training (pdf download), which has no increased my maximum reps for pullups… which is awesome. I did one of my circuits yesterday and whipped through the pullups much easier than before. Pushups were a week point. Squats were actually pretty strong. I have been doing dead lifts, and "thrusters" which both work the legs and ass, and obviously would help with squats.

So it looks like the next couple weeks I need to work on my pushups, keep doing pullups, and keep doing deadlifts, thrusters, squats and such.

At the end of the month I am going to Ireland for a wedding, and will not have a pullup bar, so for that week, maybe I will just hammer pecs and do chest/pushup routines. When did I become obsessed with working out/fitness?

At what point will I no longer be fat?

When I first got my pull up bar, I was lucky if I could do one or two SLOPPY pullups. I am now up to 8 clean and controlled ones.

I am still around the same capacity for pushups, but my ability to do dips has increased quite a bunch.

My legs are much stronger and trimmer then they were before and I can do full movement squats, with 60lbs w/out a problem, and then throw that into a thruster (shoulder press).

Crossfit, bartendazzzzzzz, and bodyweight culture have been very helpful! Not to mention my friend Dan who has hooked me up with some nutritional info and Ethan who got me started on the routines… Crossfit calls it Cindy.

Chop the ginger into finely chopped pieces. Throw into a pot with the water. Start it at a really low heat.

Let it sit, and sample it every few minutes.

After desired ginger strength strain the ginger.

Add honey/ sugar until desired sweetness

Serve over fresh cut lemon slices

Add bourben to taste.

Here is our dates:

• Oct 2nd – 22:45 (10:45pm) Manila
• Oct 8th – 18:40 (6:40pm) Hong Kong
• Oct 12th – 11:25 (11:25am) Beijing
• Oct 18th – 13:50 (1:50pm) Tokyo
• Oct 25th – back to the US.

If you would like to meet up, talk about nerd things (SEO / PPC), art, or life in general contact me, or if you have any suggestions on attractions that we have to see or cool bars to meet expats or english speaking locals at, please enter them in the comments below.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
Where the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs
The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay
Oh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains you never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin
And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in
There ain't no short handled shovels, no axes saws or picks
I'm a goin to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this coming fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains

This song is a great visualization of a utopia… it does not really apply to today however, so I am wondering what would be some items in your perfect world?

I would like the following:

no idiots, no crying babies, no loud kids, no crime, no taxes, no bassy cars, people planting trees, no wars, no meaningless jobs, no religion, no government and no pollution. I also really like the idea of a lake of stew and whiskey.

The first day I was pretty rough, I could barely stay on it for more than a few seconds, but then switched to a larger area to ride, and then began to do a bit better.

I still had to to bail off it a few times, and caught myself a few others, but it went better than I was expecting.

The second day I started skating after I came home from the gym and decided to try it again. This time it was great I was able to stay on it much longer, went up and down my alley. Did not fall at all, and had a great time.

I should have been happy with this run, but decided to go out a bit later when it cooled down. I was still riding well and was going pretty fast. Then I lost it went up, and came down hard on my hand, hip, and elbow, not sure how it happened but it did.

The first words out of my mouth were 0wn3d and I was laughing.

Anyhow I totally got a bruise on my hip, my elbow is scraped up and my wrist hurts like 4 days later. The best part of this is I am totally happy about the experience and the fall. I am not sure what it is exactly, but I am happy that I am learning this, and feel like I am learning this the proper way which is through lots of falls and pain. It sure beats sitting behind the computer, and I plan on continueing to ride whenever I can, until I get enough skill to ride it to the post office and the bars.

I do not really care too much about tricks, but I am interested in just increasing my skill level to the point where I can ride anywhere w/out falling. I am hoping I can make it to that point with out breaking a bone, but we will see how that goes

What do you think… is 29 too old to start skateboarding?

I was not sure if this was public knowledge yet or not, and it now appears to be.

Congrats Mister and Misses Aaron and Giovanna Wall? Or is it Aaron and Giovanna Villanueva?

Like all new parents or newlyweds, you are now entitled to a free spammy link to your choice of site here on werty.net.

You know how to claim it.

First off I think I travel quite a bit, so I would have to get a sitter or walker for my dog. My mom told me this weekend that either her or my sister would take care of it while I was gone. So there goes that point to prevent me from getting one.

Second, dogs are expensive, they can cost a lot of money to take care of and can be financially draining if you have a low income. Business has been going very well for me so I should have no problem handling the costs of owning a dog. Strike two for me, in favor of getting a dog. I am pretty sure that if I ever get a dog I will spoil the crap out of it, but I would not go overboard with crazy ass dog accessories. I would totally get it sushi dog toys, martini dog toys, fancy dog dishes, and probably fancy dog food.

Third, I have a fucked up schedule. I go to sleep late some nights and early others. Some days I do not see the sunlight because I sleep through it. How would a dog handle a "master" that cannot handle a simple schedule? I actually think a dog may help me get on a schedule. Uh oh.

Forth. I am as lazy as they come. Dogs need exercise to be happy and want to go for walks or to play. A dog may force me to get exercise, god forbid.

Fifth. There are so many choices for getting a dog that I have no idea what kind I would want. I want something medium to large size, but not something that would beat the shit out of me. I want a dog that is smart (would solve dog puzzles), has few health issues, not overly active, and that does not need attention all of the damn time. I know very little about dogs, but I want to find one that is not a lemon. As far as I know, there is no return policy on these little shits, and once you get one you are in it for the long haul.

Lastly, fear of the GAY DOG! Seriously what if I came home one day and my precious pet was "queering it up" like these following dogs:

Ready for the Gym

The Cross Dresser

Elegant Gothic Lolita

Thanks to Designer Doggy – Dog Boutique for the images.

What do you think? Should I get a dog? If so is werty going to be the little mutts name?

I got to meet various professionals in the industry and did my best cause a bit of trouble. Here is a movie of SeoBook punching "ReviewMe Roy". Good thing Aaron punches like a pussy.

Highlights of the trip were the Yahoo! Party at the Hephner/Playboy Suite at the Palms Hotel. It was crazy. What a nice hotel room/apartment it would be. The view was amazing, as was the furniture and decoration of the place…not to mention a pool that hangs off the side of the fucking building!

I got a pretty bad ass movie that I filmed on the headboard of the rotating bed. I really wonder how many people have done the deed on the bed and what sort of decoration a black light would bring to that suite. Hahahaha. So gross.

I have some pictures posted on Flickr, but there were many pictures that I would be yelled at if I posted… involving various industry professionals swimming in the pool. After this party I wound up on the roof at the Ghost Bar and found myself at a certain bar after that…

Anyhow in the morning I was in rough shape, and had to present at 10:15 AM. I felt worthless, did not feel like anyone understood what I was speaking about, and think I had a pretty flat delivery. All in all, I huff dong when it comes to public speaking.

This is the first time I went to Vegas and did not loose my ass gambling. I ended up losing $75 on blackjack, making $23 on craps, and then one pull of the one arm bandit at the airport and I won $50. I lost $2.00. Luckily for the Las Vegas economy I found a favorite 'titty bar' that accepts AMEX, so I lost my ass that way. Ha

Here are some links to the 2006 Las Vegas Pubcon pictures on Flickr.com.

You have any PubCon photos, movies or stories worth sharing with me?

I thought it was kind of weird. What do you think?

It also made me try and think of some new sort of playlist for the gym… we will see what comes out of it.