Five Hundy by Midnight 154: Welcome to Palazzo

/ Tim

Las Vegas podcast #154 includes:

  • Build it Bigger opener
  • Our first visit to Palazzo
  • Call us at (702) 866-9494


Five Hundy By Midnight 2/24/08 (26:15 min, 24.2 MB)

21 thoughts on “Five Hundy by Midnight 154: Welcome to Palazzo”

  1. Good show. We took pretty much the same path through the Palazzo just a couple weeks before. Had dinner at Table 10 on their 2nd “soft opening” night, and Emeril himself WAS there. Right behind the counter barking orders and turning out plates. It was a delicious meal (Cajun rib-eye, roast leg of lamb, filet mignon, asparagus, French fries).

  2. Photos will be coming soon (hopefully later this evening). Casinos have eased up on their anti-photo policies over the years. As long as you aren’t lingering in one place snapping tons of photos, they typically won’t say anything. However, your mileage may vary.

    On location recording is done on an iRiver 895 with a Radio Shack lapel mic.

  3. This show was a great change of pace. I love the normal podcast, but think everytime you two go to Vegas you should bring back a podcast show like this.
    What equipment did you record on? (Sounded fine, just curious)
    And how did you take photos in the casino? I thought that was against their policy – but that could be an urban legend…
    Thanks.

  4. This is T$ (of trading spaces fame)-You guys mentioned seeing Carnevino- I just ate there when i was in vegas last week- It was awesome in many ways, in others it was totally absurd.

    When we got to the place they offered us a table with an amazing view, we of course gladly accepted that. We then got walked all the way back to the very back room with a giant bull sculpture but with no windows whatsoever. Someone should explain the actual meaning of the word VIEW to the italian hostess.

    The wine service was knowledgeable, dramatic, and fun. There was a funnyy moment during the presentation when the wine guy came to the table his cart began to roll away, had I not grabbed it it would have just crashed into the back of another customer and spilled shit everywhere.

    The food was pretty incredible. but considering i paid $145 bucks for a steak… They do table side carving and its all a big production. Our carver guy flipped a small piece of meat onto the floor which earned us some cordials or shots or whatever you want to call em at the end of the meal.

    One thing they dont tell you.. there IS NO BATHROOM yet. If you want to go to the bathroom at any point during your meal which is long because of the courses and presentation you have to literally walk back out into the casino and way away from the restaurant, it’s not close. That is retarded. When a meal for 4 easily clears 500 bucks- i should be able to take a piss if i want.

    Then when we did indeed want to leave our waiter had disappeared, and we waited for him for a solid 15 minutes to come back. Otherwise the staff was very attentive and I have a feeling waiter problems are a rarity at this place.

    The chow was out of this world and the presentation of the food and wine was fun but it definitely comes at a cost.

  8. I like to assign all things certain values.

    At what point does the cost of a room per night at Palazzo become a value.

    For all the trashing it has been taken surely at some point for the money it is worthwhile to stay at.

    Would you consider it value at $200 a night?

    $175?

    $150?

    $125?

    At some point Palazzo at $199 a night surely is a better relative value than say Mirage and their dated rooms at $150 a night, no?

  9. One thing that I thought was odd about Palazzo:

    It’s supposed to be the sister hotel to Venetian, correct? Like Encore will be to Wynn?

    If so, why is the outside color of the building so different from Venetian??!! It doesn’t look like the sister hotel at all at “drive up”. It looks like Encore is going to look like Wynn. That, to me, makes more sense.

    Chris from Dallas

  10. Thanks for the tour; I’ll be there in 11 interminable days, and I’ll report back from there.

    I have a friend who works at the Bauman Rare Books (http://www.baumanrarebooks.com/; pronounced to rhyme with roamin’ or something like that) outpost in Philadelphia and have toured the premises. It will be interesting to see how something very upscale, peculiar, and slightly intellectual works there. I believe they were approached by Palazzo, obviously to give the place some class; I think they are interested in establishing a Western outpost (several competitors in LA have gone out of business) and possibly tapping new markets, like the Asian market. I can’t see, however, how many people, flush from a run at the craps table, are going to run on over and pick up a first edition of Last of the Mohicans for $32k, but what do I know? I will be visiting though to see what they brought out west and to perhaps fondle a folio or two.

  12. I think the Palazzo is a very nice place. It does not have extreme decor that pulls me in from the streets. The old DI was that way also

  13. “I remember your first visit to the last new luxury hotel casino. It sounded just like this “visit” but, as it turned out, you faked your whole tour of the Wynn. ”

    Waaa? I don’t recall that. Perhaps that was before my time. Does anyone remember what show number that was?

  14. Hey Tim and Michele,

    Just listened to the podcast and i have to admit that i am saddened that you two did not like the Palazzo. For the most part your opinions and my own regarding vegas are very similar so i probably will be not happy with the Palazzo. Im going to Vegas next week so i will call and let ya know what i think! Oh and the sound quality was fine!!!

  15. I will probably be shot down but really was not that impressed with the Palazzo. Wynn has nothing to worry about.

    That old bird the Flamingo helped turn the gambling around.

    The show we were most impressed with this trip (so far) is ‘Ice’ ( half price tickets can be bought from various ticket booths ). Went there thinking it would be kinda Cirque Lite but actualy was a whole lot more. Sure it did not have the impressive production sets but it really seemed to have the balance right between the acrobatics and comedy sketches. Not as much weirdeness going on as well. Loved the soundtrack of chill ( sorry! )out tunes. Would buy the CD if there was one. As we were at the Riveria to watch the show decided to try the Buffet there as we have not eaten there yet. Suffice to say I ended up just eating two baked potatoes with butter! Still at least a free beer was thrown in ( not literally ).

    ‘Dressen or not a Dressen’ went well. Yes we overthought the concept, getting points of 1-10 depending on the Dresseness of the spot. For example 1 point for seeing someone play Gems Wild Tiles, 6 points for seeing someone with their nose pushed against a restaurant window gazing at a bacon feast or 9 points for seeing a couple at a slot machine recording a vocal narative on how the gambling is going.

  16. As a long time listener, I remember your first visit to the last new luxury hotel casino. It sounded just like this “visit” but, as it turned out, you faked your whole tour of the Wynn.

    I always enjoy the sound scene tours (when real) and this one sounded very good.

    But to think you pulled innocent Michele into your little ruse this time. I figured it out when Michele did not go directly to Barney’s.

    Oh, no. You are not fooling ME again.

    Fool me once, shame on you.
    Fool me twice….

  17. Ok OK, maybe the George Martin reference was a little over the top, but I couldn’t think of a better metaphor for high production values! (sorry to all Beatles fans, of which I’m one!)

    Pete

  18. That was an ending that was extremely similar to the Sopranos.What happened once you got to the Grand Canal Shoppes? Where you given the eye by those creepy living statues? Did the street performers go to the bathroom and return and make you feel all weirded out inside? Did Michelle buy shoes? Did Tim get dumped in the Canal? Or did you just get an overprice Ice Cream? The suspense is killing me…..

  19. Tim and Michele,

    Just listened to Podcast #154, and thought that the sound quality needed no apologies. I’ve listened to them all (other LV podcasts), and I think your portable setup for “audio tours” is more than up-to-par.

    A “George Martin” tip of the hat to your excellent production skills, not to mention the great “on-air” presence and charisma exhibited by both of you.

    Will continue to be a fan, and keep up the audio tours!

    Pete
    Indy

  21. I was reading up on hotel ratings, in particular the AAA five diamond award. This is the hotel award that the fictitious hotel owner in Ocean’s 13 ( Willy Bank ) was striving for with his new “The Bank” hotel.

    A lot of people have commented on the fake foliage in the Palazzo public areas.

    This is what AAA says gets a rating of 5 Diamonds when it comes to hotel public areas :

    Outstanding elegance and appeal with unique style displaying fine antiques, paintings and artistic elements; an outstanding variety of live plants and fresh floral arrangements throughout.

    AAA Web Site :

    http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=9&SubCategoryID=22&ContentID=62

    John

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