On 11/17/2006 2:38 PM Nonnymus plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and
said:
> My guess would be that more crab is consumed in Las Vegas than any
> other city. It's everywhere at the buffets, and you can find King,
> Snow and Dungeness. King is a bit more difficult to find. It's
> typically served warm and split lengthwise because of the leg size.
> Snow and Dungeness is served with a cut in the leg and claw portion to
> facilitate opening at the table. I cannot recall having it served
> split lengthwise, except possibly at the chain restaurant, Red
> Lobster. The Snow at Green Valley Ranch was served both warm and
> chilled on their Sunday brunch the last time we were there, but that
> might have changed.
>
> The price of crab on a buffet is amazing here. The Station casino
> Fiesta Henderson has a $11.99 Sunday buffet that features either Snow
> or Dungeness. For the price of admission, you can eat as much as you
> want, along with peel and eat shrimp. It's one of the "locals" great
> bargains here in town.
>
> Our Albertson's grocery store, nearby, routinely has King crab legs on
> special for $9.99/#. Usually, they are smaller in size than you would
> usually prefer, but occasionally they can be huge. When I see the
> huge variety for under $10, I get 4-5 pounds and pick the meat out.
> It's then vacuum packed in 12 oz servings and used for stuffed
> mushrooms, crab roll sandwiches, crab salad and the big pieces, with
> Hollandaise, used as a treat when serving steak to company.
> Incidentally, $10 is also the usual going price for <10 count shrimp
> and sea scallops here as well.
>
> Another specialty item that seems to be gaining in favor here is the
> Lobster Roll. We've now had one at three different "middle grade"
> seafood places and only one used the fake lobster meat. The other two
> used real claw/leg meat and one even has a special soft bread to serve
> it in.
>
> My reason for going on about the seafood here in the desert is that
> while good or great food is generally cheap here, restaurant prices
> are nuts! When you cruise, you don't think a thing about the dinners
> and all they offer. However, if you had a dinner here in LV at one of
> our tablecloth/silver/crystal-type of restaurants, you would easily
> part with $75pp minimum for a similar meal and service. . . if you
> were lucky. Just down the street from us is Green Valley Ranch
> casino. As I recall from looking at the menu outside their steak
> house, a cheap steak there is >$40, and everything is priced
> separately, so that a veggie is another $8, for instance, appetizer is
> $15 or so. . . you get the point.
>
> To me, one of the biggest bargains about cruising is the dining, and
> that doesn't seem to be emphasized enough, IMHO. Typically, a cruise
> ship's cabin is about the size of a walk in closet, the beds are
> horrible by home standards, the carpet/bedding is usually far poorer
> than found in even a modest hotel, the furniture is what you'd find in
> a Holiday Inn and the Caribbean/Mexican ports of call become quite
> repetitive and homogeneous. Let's face it, virtually none of us would
> stay at a motel that offered room sizes and furnishings like those
> found on most cruise ships. However, the food found on virtually any
> ship's lido deck or served in their dining room is easily the
> equivalent of a good Las Vegas casino's best offerings and the
> tableside service is what you "might" get at a very fine Las Vegas
> restaurant.
>
> I have commented to guests here at our home that Las Vegas is like an
> inverted cruise. Here, you get a very comfortable hotel room for not
> that much money, cheap or free drinks, and the "excursions" are free,
> but you pay through the nose for a fine dinner or entertainment. On a
> cruise ship, the cabins are terrible, booze is costly, but the food
> and entertainment are included and excellent.
>
Let's not forget all those ubiquitous Chinese All-U-Can-Eat Buffets that
serve Snow Crab Legs. They sometimes are as good as anything you'd get
in a more upscale place and sometimes not. The average for buffets
around New Jersey is 9.98 with some as high as 11.98 that feature
lobster chunks in a chili sauce.
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Brian M. Kochera
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