A Mediterranean Palace in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas where restaurants are abundant, it's a difficult choice to make when wanting to dine out, today was no different. We decided to give The Kabob Palace a try, it was recommended to me awhile ago, but things happen and I just never got around to it.

When we entered the restaurant, I wasn't overwhelmed nor excited, in-fact I was a bit skeptical, after-all I've been to some the greatest Mediterranean Restaurants in town - how could this be any different? The restaurant decor was nothing outrageous or exotic, which was disappointing, it was more like a modern kitchen, a counter decorated in southwestern tile separated the grill from the main seating area, which offered just a few tables with more seating outside. We were greeted by a beautiful young Mediterranean girl who showed us to our table and took our drink orders. We then sat to look at the menu.

Getting through the menu at The Kabob Palace was an experience in itself. Everything sounded incredible, we could've ordered the fair, but we were only two people and we thought that might not be a great idea, so we settled and started with Grape Leaves, a Mediterranean Eggroll called the Cigar, and for main courses the Vegetable Kabobs and Boulgarian Kabobs.

We were first served the Grape Leaves and Cigar. The grape leaves, were authentic and a definite must addition to your order, full of flavor and perhaps the best I've had outside of a true Mediterranean Kitchen. The cigar was amazing as well - and the dipping sauce which had a hint of indian spices, was an excellent pairing for them. We were then served the traditional Grilled Pita Bread, this came alongside a cilantro and lime yogurt dip which again - was truly amazing.

The Vegetable Kabob came perfectly grilled, the Boulgarian Kabob overcooked, both had excellent flavor however and a welcome end to our lunch.

Overall, I give this restaurant a 4 star rating, and a return visit is definitely in the works.

The Kabob Palace
Las Vegas Restaurant
Mediterranean Cuisine

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What is a Casino Host

A Casino Host is your personal Concierge to Las Vegas, they are specific to the Casino they work with, not all Casinos in Las Vegas offer the host program. If you are a notable guest, (you gamble at higher stakes than the average person) a Casino Hosts duty is to make sure that you are welcomed back to Las Vegas and their Casino with certain complimentary benefits which may include hotel rooms or upgrades, airfare, show tickets and meals at notable restaurants.

Table Game: This is defined as any casino game on a table that has at least one human dealer.

Table Ratings: Your average bet multiplied by the hours you spent playing at a table game.

Casino Credit: A form of loan issued by a Casino. This is based on your credit rating as well as bank account validations and other factors. Casino Credit can be purchased, dollar for dollar at the main cage at most casinos in Las Vegas. I highly recommend a purchased credit at amounts more than $5000, it's safe and your remaining funds are returnable before you depart.

High Rollers: Players whose table rating is way above the average player. High Rollers usually gamble in the thousands.

The higher your table rating, the more accommodating a Casino Host will be. A Casino Host's duty is to accommodate you for your current or next visit. When you leave Las Vegas, you might have received an invitation from a Casino, offering you complimentary stay at their hotel. These invitations are sent to specific guests who has met the table rating cap on the offer. These invitations are usually sent via the Host of the Casino.

If you have been assigned a Host - he or she approached you at the Casino to personally introduce themselves - this usually means, you have reached above average table ratings and a host is assigned to ensure the rest of your stay is comfortable.

All high rollers are assigned a host, in most cases, the rooms are complimentary as well as meals and any form of entertainment that is within the hosts capability.

A host is also responsible for assisting with transfers of large sums of money owed to the casino, or pre-paid credit prior to the visit.

Every casino in Las Vegas, offers a different host program. It's highly recommended that you contact your Casino Host prior to your visit to Las Vegas, and have him/her assist with any options that might be offered to you in advance.

Book hotels for the NBA All Star Weekend

I'm getting emails and calls from people looking for rooms the weekend of the NBA All Star game. There are still some premium hotel rooms available at the MGM Grand, The Aladdin and the Orleans, but you need to book them fast, rooms are limited.

check out this link for Hotel Rooms in Las Vegas NBA All Star Weekend

NBA All Stars Weekend puts strain on Las Vegas Hotel Rates

The 2007 NBA All Star weekend is set to play the court at the Thomas & Mack center in Las Vegas. This marks the first NBA All Star game to be played in a city that does not host it's own NBA team. Throughout Las Vegas, hotels are selling and room rates are rising. The All Star Weekend begins officially on Friday, February 16th with events leading up to the "All Star Game" on Sunday, February 18th. The event dates combined with President's Day and Chinese New Years is expected to sell out the city's hotels.

You can still book rooms at premium hotels through the guys at http://www.nbaallstarsweekend.com/ . I called the hotels direct and premium hotels such as the Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, the Aladdin and the Orleans are seeing sold out dates on Saturday and Sunday, I found these guys and was able to book rooms for the entire weekend including Thursday. The website only features Friday through Sunday dates, but give them a call at 1-800-NBA-WEEK, they have limited room availability for Thursday as well.

Click here to read up on the complete Press Release for the NBA All Star Weekend

Las Vegas offers up Golf this season

Las Vegas is best known as the "City of Entertainment", but the famed Sin City has so much more to offer. Over the past few years, Vegas has grown to be one of the leading golf destinations in the world. Golf courses designed by renowned architects such as Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye and the legend himself Jack Nicklaus grace the desert sands that surround the bright city lights.

The golf season in Las Vegas begins in early fall, when the hot summer weather has passed, the season stays steady through the winter with a break for the holidays then back in full force mid-January through mid-June. Tee-times are usually a difficult find during major sporting events, such as the NFL Superbowl, Nascar, and March Madness. "..it's unfortunate sometimes, when we have to let our customers know that we're sold out during these times of the year, the only way to get guaranteed tee times to the top championship courses in Vegas during this season is by booking months in advance " says Alex Isaac, VP of Marketing for GolfAdventures.com.

The golf courses in Las Vegas are some of the top courses in the world. Bear's Best Golf Course, a Jack Nicklaus design, offers 18 holes hand selected from Nicklaus golf course designs world-wide by Nicklaus himself. “It’s a golf course that’s made up from many different regions. You have Colorado represented here, you have New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California, the country of Mexico, and also Anaconda, Montana. It’s got eighteen signature holes that Jack Nicklaus designed from five different states and another country, so it definitely has a unique nature.” says Greg Blackwell, head pro at Bear’s Best Golf Course.

The Rio Secco golf course, continiously ranked as Las Vegas's #1 golf course, is nestled within the pristigious community of Seven Hills in Henderson, Nevada. The course design delicately runs through the canyons taking advantage of of it's beautiful desert surroundings. Imaculate conditions are expected at the Rio Secco, from the lush fairways to the stunning greens, one can never be disappointed with the Rio Secco's conditions a challenging but forgiving golf course.

Las Vegas is also home to PGA owned "Tournament Players Club" TPC Canyons and TPC Summerlin. The TPC Canyons, open to the public holds up to the PGA standards in course conditions as well as customer service. According to Joe Maassinova, Marketing Director for TPC Canyons, “The main strength is that we allow regular guests to live the PGA Tour experience on our course.” That's a lot to promise your customers, but I have yet to be let down by those words. The best thing about the TPC canyons is that there's always that chance to run into some of the worlds greatest golfers. This is Las Vegas afer all!

Las Vegas has so much to offer golfers world-wide. With it's gain in the industry as a leading gof destination, it won't be long before more top architects lay their hands on this southwest desert sand.