Visiting Vegas and San Francisco - tips needed!
-
-
- Bill Gillon
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 142
- Thanks: 0
-
Hi all,
At the beginning of next month I'm spending five nights in Vegas and five in San Francisco, due to the small matter of being on honeymoon after my wedding on 30th June (somebody's been mad enough to have me, lol)
Now, I've never been to the States before (I live in Southern England). Basically, has anybody got any advice on the best places to go in Vegas or San Fran, places to eat etc? I know there's lots, especially in Vegas, and we're looking to go to the Grand Canyon for a day while there as well. Also, I know that tipping is heavily encouraged over there, so, and sorry if this question sounds dumb, how much do you give as a guide and how often is it 'expected'? Over here we only really leave a tip at the end of a meal, and also usually if you get a taxi ride.
-
-
-
- Daniel Hienzsch
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 195
- Thanks: 0
-
I've lived in both places... Love San Francisco... like Las Vegas...
Update: I just remembered the ludicrous 2x1 exchange rate now pound-vs.-dollar so I suppose the high-cost of some of this stuff might be relative.
Tip everyone: waiters, taxi drivers, etc. In a bar, generally $1 per drink served if paying cash. Cocktail waitresses in the casino's especially... they'll bring you better drinks. Excellent service = 20%... good service = 15%... lousy service = whatever you think.
Now... in terms of restaurants...
In San Francisco, you can't go wrong with any of the italian restaurants in North Beach... ask the concierge for specific recommendations. Expect it to be pricey though. The Empress of China in Chinatown is a nice really high-end romancy sort of place too. There's also the Hyatt down by the Embarcadero with a rotating restaurant... in fact the whole embarcadero area is pretty cool... it's a really neat outdoor mall / shopping area. If you are in Chinatown on a Sunday, try to find a tea house and get tea and dimsum. The grungier the look of the place, the better the flavor! My absolute favorite hands down restaurant in San Francisco though is a little greasy spoon diner above the cliff house called "Louis'". It's above the ruins of the Sutro Baths (which are an absolute treat to explore... make sure to go through the tunnel in the hillside and clamber around the rocks behind it if you're adventuresome) by Ocean Beach. If you are downtown, try to find "Trinity Street"... it's a tiny alley that feels like it's right out of the 19th century. They have a little Italian Restaurant there with the best thick crust sicilian pizza... ever. maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Trinity...z=19&iwloc=addr&om=1
In Las Vegas... all the restaurants in the casinos are: Expensive/Crowded/Expensive/Expensive. Even the buffet's in places like the Bellagio will set you back about $40 a head. I am far more familiar with the off-the-strip restaurants though.- The Egg-And-I is a great place for big greasy hangover breakfasts: on Sahara west of I-15.
- Komol's Thai Food has really good inexpensive Thai. www.komolrestaurant.com
- Paymon's Mediterranean is my hands-down fav! Try the flaming cheese! www.paymons.com/
In terms of sights...
San Francisco: artsy: Legion of Honor (see "The Thinker") and the SFMOMA. Walk around Chinatown (a must!). Golden Gate Park has all kinds of different little treats like Stow Lake (on the weekend they have remote control boat regattas on it) and the Tulip field. Make sure to head down to Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate for really spectacular views of the bottom of the bridge. Head over the bridge and make an immediate left to go up into the Marin Headlands for spectacular views of the Top of the bridge.
Vegas: Leave town and head west to go visit Red Rock Canyon. See the Dam... I guess.
Got some time to kill? Read about my trip to the Grand Canyon (and notice the lovely Bentomatic page styling ;D): www.motoescapism.com/moto-journals/arizo...rt-touring-2005.html - Last Edit: 17 years 10 months ago by Daniel Hienzsch.
- Carving Canyons, Taking Trips, Cracking the Ton: www.motoescapism.com
-
-
-
- Bill Gillon
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 142
- Thanks: 0
- Great stuff Daniel, thanks a lot for that write-up. Have definitely marked down the Egg-and-I for starters, the future Mrs She Who Must Be Obeyed has mentioned that she fancies going to a proper American-style diner, so this sounds as though it could be right up our street.
-
-
-
- Daniel Hienzsch
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 195
- Thanks: 0
-
Between the Egg and I in Vegas and Louis' in San Francisco you will achieve Diner bliss. If you want the whole "retro-50's-Style-Diner" then go to "Mel's Drive-In" on Geary.
Did I mention that Louis' has the best affordable view for a restaurant in San Francisco???
I also forgot to mention Ti Couz in the San Francisco Mission District! Fantastic french crepes.
I would highly recommend any Mexican restaurant you can find... like Chinese... the grungier the better! (Must... have... Carnitas!!!) - Carving Canyons, Taking Trips, Cracking the Ton: www.motoescapism.com
-
-
-
- Matthew
- Hero Rocketeer
- Posts: 299
- Thanks: 0
-
I just got back from a honeymoon in Vegas, and I live in the SF Bay Area, so I suppose that I might be able to offer a few tips!
If you've never been to Vegas, then you are in for quite a mind blowing experience. The Strip is HUGE, and you will easily be able to spend 4-5 days just on The Strip without running out of things to do, just keep an eye on your wallet! (Vegas is designed to take your money)
For food, well, there is no shortage of world class food available. I found the World Buffet at the Rio to be awesome. Food from (almost) every corner of the planet, and all you can eat, of course. Expect to pay $25 per person, and 15-20% gratuity on top of that. You will get unlimited soda, iced tea, etc., but you will have to pay for alcohol there.
This site: www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm is very useful for finding the best "Deals", and my wife and I made good use of it.
If you want to drink alcohol on the cheap, pull up a seat at the cheap slots in any casino, and play conservatively. A cocktail waitress will show up and ask what you want to drink. As a note: If you ask for a drink that has a particular type of alcohol in it (vodka, for instance), they will make it with the cheap stuff unless you specify a brand, in which case they will honor that request. The drinks are free - as long as you are gambling - but you should tip your cocktail waitress. My advice is to have at least a buck per drink ready to go (they are very busy and will not wait for any amount of time for you to tip) the first time you order drinks, and try to tip at least every other round after that, if you want her to come back more often. If you win big at the slots (or blackjack, or whatever you are playing), it is customary to tip your cocktail waitress (at your sole discretion) and your dealer (if applicable). If you don't tip, nobody will ever complain, but Vegas is a town of perks, comps, and other such things, and they won't come your way as often if you are stingy.
As for major shows, my wife and I caught the Blue Man Group at the Venetian, and I can't recommend it highly enough. A truly amazing show, but be prepared to spend $100 bucks or more per ticket.
In addition to shows and restaurants, leave plenty of time to simply walk The Strip and stare (and take photos). Make sure to catch the water/music show in front of the Bellagio. Also, Vegas is a 24/7 kind of town - but it is HOT during the day, especially this time of year. Spend the days doing stuff indoors, and head out at night to take in the lights.
So, on to SF:
Honestly, this really depends on personal preference, but SF has wonderful food. My advice is to grab a Zagat guide, and grab food that sounds good that is convenient to your sightseeing schedule. Avoid major national chains - while there are many fine major chains, if you are going to be in SF, get food that you will only be able to get there.
As a general rule, Steak and Seafood at a nice place will set you back quite a bit (if you do wine or other drinks, $50 per person is pretty common, and you can easily spend way more, so double check the prices before being seated, especially if you don't want to be paying off the dinner for the next 5 years). Italian and Mexican food are going to be far more reasonable. If the restaurant has a good Zagat review, you will have a fine dining experience.
With regards to tipping - 15% for a sit down dining experience is standard, but only if service is acceptable. Adjust that up for great service, and down for poor service. At dinnertime, some people up that to 20%, but that is more for residents (if you will come to that place over and over again, you want to be known as a good tipper for obvious reasons). Beyond that, I would suggest looking for a tipping guide, but beyond your meals and cab rides, there are actually not that many places where you have to tip. If a bellhop helps you with your luggage, tipping them is a good idea. A buck per person will be accepted, five bucks per person will be greatly appreciated and 20 bucks a person might get you unwanted company for the night.
Beyond that, consult a tipping guide if you are in doubt. At many places (especially coffee shops) you will see tip jars - watch what the locals do, though, and you will see that not everyone tips. If you pay cash, drop the coinage change, or a buck plus the coinage change into the tip jar, and you will make the employees happy. If you pay with a credit card, don't even worry about it, unless the employees look like they are having a really bad day!
- www.gofftech.com Web Design
-
-
-
- Bill Gillon
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 142
- Thanks: 0
-
Wow, great comments and write-up Matthew, much appreciated.
Drinking's not as much of a problem for me as I'm teetotal (through necessity, not choice, bloomin' diabetes, lol), though I'll still need my water and low sugar stuff served, so I'd better make sure the waitresses are on my side. My fiancee is partial to a drink or two though so those are good guides, thanks for that.
We were looking to take in a show and I had my eye on either Penn and Teller or the Blue Man Group, so good to see that you recommend them, their show looks stunning from what I've seen on Youtube. I've always been a fan of Penn and Teller since they did a series some years back on Channel 4 over here.
Thanks again both for all your comments and tips, they're just the sort of thing I was looking for
-
-
-
- Daniel Hienzsch
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 195
- Thanks: 0
- You can't beat Pen and Teller or Blue Man Group... they are both fantastic. I am on a personal boycott of all things Circque du Soleil for having a very poor interview process when I was applying for their IT Director position in Vegas
- Carving Canyons, Taking Trips, Cracking the Ton: www.motoescapism.com
-
-
-
- GollumX
- Elite Rocketeer
- Posts: 2817
- Thanks: 0
-
Congratulations on getting hitched Mathew Good to see you're back.
And congratulations on your pending wedding Bill.
Best of luck to both of you
- Say no to Internet Explorer 6.
twitter.com/mark_up
-
-
-
- Bill Gillon
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 142
- Thanks: 0
-
GollumX wrote:
Congratulations on getting hitched Mathew Good to see you're back.
And congratulations on your pending wedding Bill.
Best of luck to both of you
Thanks Gollum, much appreciated. Only three and a half weeks to go, we think everything is on track (fingers crossed), lol. I'll post up some pics when we get back from the States, with the recommended places above.
-
Time to create page: 0.764 seconds