Double Down And Just Down

Well, let's get the "Just Down" out of the way.  I don't think I need to say anything more than I am a Jets fan.

Now On To The Double Down


While the decor in Frankie's Tiki Room is, well, Tikish, the decor here is more lower east-side before it got gentrified. For those of you who have been there, think Mars Bar. Especially the bathrooms.

Number One


Number Two


Our lovely bartender, Lynnea, proudly displayed two of their most famous concoctions, both of which were featured on Samantha Browns show. Well, the first is just the main ingredient in their Bacon Martini. And yes, it is what it looks like, a couple of slices of bacon in a bottle of vodka to add flavor.

Bacon, Not Just For Breakfast


And, of course, the world-famous Ass Juice.

The Holiday Special, With Corn


And here we are, drinking under the signs advertising the Double Down's specials.

How Appealing


And Here Is The Whole Gang


The second guy from the left is Alby, our designated driver. He is wearing his customary U of M sweatshirt. I won't say Alby is superstitious, but whenever he comes to Las Vegas he wears a U of M sweatshirt and he wears the same sweatshirt every day he is here. Makes it easy to pack, that's for sure.

Revisiting Old Haunts

Having gotten a taste of a few off-the-beaten-path places when we were in Las Vegas last year, we decided to revisit a couple of them.  Our first stop was Frankie's Tiki Room, where I was hoping to get a new calendar.

Just Like In Hawaii


When we entered the place we ran into the same bartender we saw last year.

Allison, In The Same Shirt, Too


Actually, I don't know about the same shirt.  When I said I wanted the same thing the guy sitting on the curb outside was having she shreiked and said "I remember you guys from last year."  She still served us, though.

Most Of The Crew


From left to right there is Jon, AKA Smiley, Yours Truly, Jerry and Tom.  Our designated driver was off somewhere drinking his coffee and playing video  poker or something.

I had a Navy Grog and, I think, a Mai Tai.  Both were quite good, not that weak syrupy stuff you get in a lot of places.

They play clips from cheesy movies on the little TVs behind the bar and the bathroom is decorated with old zombie/horror movie posters.

I Like The Decor


And, of course, you have to have a large Tiki.  This one had a decidedly Las Vegas look to it.

I Only Have Snake-Eyes For You


One of the movies that they had playing in the background was  "Fiend Of Dope Island" and it is now sitting on the top of my Netflix queue.  As a bonus, the movie "Pagan Island" is included on the same DVD.  I will most certainly be drinking a Mai Tai or two while I settle in to watch them.

Movie Night


Although we could easily have settled in here for the duration, our sober driver, Alby, moved us along to our next stop, Double Down Saloon, home of the famous Ass Juice.  No, really, it is famous.  It has been featured on both Tony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and, more recently, on "Travels With Samantha Brown."

Tomorrow I shall post about Double Down, so be sure to check back.  They had a special holiday Ass Juice that included, among other things, whole kernals of corn.  You might not want to think about that combination for too long.

Oh, and Frankie's Tiki Room didn't make any calendars for 2011.  What a bummer.

Tiger Woods blew a four-stroke lead on Sunday to lose the Chevron World Challenge.  There was a time when this would have been a major story, maybe a full back-page.  In this morning's New York Daily News it was just a ho-hum quarter of a column tucked way in the back of the sports section.  How far the mighty have fallen.