Bad Drinks All Around/Where To Get a Good One - Tiki Drinks and Food

W weirduncletiki Member Grape Town, California Joined: Mar 26, 2002 Posts: 756	W weirduncletiki Posted posted on Mon, Mar 8, 2004 3:46 PM Okeedokee! I was back at Bellagio in Las Vegas the other night and Noodles was full so I recommended we head over to the Allegro Bar in the casino. This has got to be the best all around cocktail bar I've been to in Vegas. I've been there about four or five times in the past four years and am still amazed by the quality and hospitality found there. As we approached the bar, still about 30 feet away behind a row of video poker machines, Ray the bartender caught sight of us and began waving us over extending his hand for a hearty shake and said, "So you're back in from California? Good to see you again." He remembered my name, my business, even the fact that we had had a drink there after Rickles pulled me up on stage at The Stardust and insulted me for 20 minutes a couple years back. Okay, so Ray's a nice guy but how are his drinks? Well, I told him we were in the mood for tropicals and he said, "I can make a mai tai." So I let him go ahead without any interference on my part. He squeezed fresh lime, poured in curacao, Appleton's and another fine rum, Trader Vic's orgeat and rock candy syrups and shook it all with ice, dropped in the spent lime shell, added a straw and handed it to me. Wow! The man knows his stuff! I was impressed, but not surprised since this is the same guy who, several years ago, after a buddy ordered a negroni, excused himself for a minute or two to go find an orange so he could get a sliver of peel to twist over a lit match and let the flamed essence mist over the top of the cocktail. Okay, you get it, he knows how to make a drink! By the way, don't look for the Allegro bar now. There was a remodel to the lounge behind it and somehow it lost its name. Just look for the nameless bar facing the casino in front of Caramel's nightclub inside Bellagio. Be sure to ask for Ray. Happy tippling! -Weird Uncle Tiki

Okeedokee! I was back at Bellagio in Las Vegas the other night and Noodles was full so I recommended we head over to the Allegro Bar in the casino. This has got to be the best all around cocktail bar I've been to in Vegas. I've been there about four or five times in the past four years and am still amazed by the quality and hospitality found there. As we approached the bar, still about 30 feet away behind a row of video poker machines, Ray the bartender caught sight of us and began waving us over extending his hand for a hearty shake and said, "So you're back in from California? Good to see you again." He remembered my name, my business, even the fact that we had had a drink there after Rickles pulled me up on stage at The Stardust and insulted me for 20 minutes a couple years back. Okay, so Ray's a nice guy but how are his drinks? Well, I told him we were in the mood for tropicals and he said, "I can make a mai tai." So I let him go ahead without any interference on my part. He squeezed fresh lime, poured in curacao, Appleton's and another fine rum, Trader Vic's orgeat and rock candy syrups and shook it all with ice, dropped in the spent lime shell, added a straw and handed it to me. Wow! The man knows his stuff! I was impressed, but not surprised since this is the same guy who, several years ago, after a buddy ordered a negroni, excused himself for a minute or two to go find an orange so he could get a sliver of peel to twist over a lit match and let the flamed essence mist over the top of the cocktail. Okay, you get it, he knows how to make a drink! By the way, don't look for the Allegro bar now. There was a remodel to the lounge behind it and somehow it lost its name. Just look for the nameless bar facing the casino in front of Caramel's nightclub inside Bellagio. Be sure to ask for Ray. Happy tippling!

-Weird Uncle Tiki

Post #79898 by weirduncletiki on Mon, Mar 8, 2004 3:46 PM