Off-the-rails comedy, transcendent paella in Chinatown, and a truly massive antique mall—there are many pleasures to pursue in Vegas. So turn this “mixtape” all the way up to 10, including the tracks about a “mermaid swim,” an astounding $5.99 food deal, and a visit to an acclaimed Arts District gallery with exceptional pieces.
Track #1: Luenell @Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club
“I am here to help,” offered stand-up comedian/actress Luenell from the stage of Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club on The LINQ Promenade. With her big, gutsy voice and brash free-association riffage, the only Black female comic in Vegas with a Strip residency lifts her admirers up by hysterically pushing back against the indignities, and ridiculousness, of life (her 2018 album is titled “I Only Drink At Work”). Luenell’s bold and empowering woman-on-top sexual point of view also lights up her show.
For much of her set, the glamorously dressed “Original Bad Girl of Comedy” was seated in a throne with her custom bedazzled microphone. She’s royalty after all, and it’s a place this comedy veteran (30 years and counting) has earned.
The Queen of Discontent aimed her darts at the January 6 rioters for throwing a “hissy fit” and the idea of rich folks spending their play money by going undersea (only to sadly die) in a submersible to view the Titanic wreckage site. She also poked fun at “vaginal dryness,” and then outrageously fantasized about bedding her friend’s son. Elsewhere, she said that “I was immediately impressed” by French pole vaulter/viral sensation Anthony Ammirati whose “package” awkwardly clipped the crossbar and cost him an Olympic medal. Anything is up for discussion in Luenell’s world.
This free-speech American hero performs every Sunday and Monday evening at 10:00pm. Her current special “Chappelle’s Home Team – Luenell: Town Business” is also now streaming on Netflix.
Track #2: TRES Cazuelas @Chinatown
TRES Cazuelas is the place for transcendent paella and tapas. (Image: Vegas 411)
What does the world need now? Not only more kindness and compassion, but, hey, more paella, too—especially the flavorful kind that emerges from the kitchen at Latin restaurant TRES Cazuelas.
Chef Kaira Chinchilla—in place here since last November after a one-year-plus stint as Exec Sous Chef at Edos Tapas & Wine—creates a wonderland of taste sensations with the eatery’s “Paella Mixta.” This classic Valencia, Spain-originated dish is gorgeously presented in a cast-iron skillet teeming with chicken, pork belly, braised, beef, shrimp, clams, mussels, and tangy lemon slices on a bed of saffron rice.
Don’t sleep (as I did until recently) on dining at this wallet-friendly, cozy, and charming Chinatown gem. It’s located right next door to the long-running Sand Dollar Lounge on Polaris Ave and has been open since 2019. Here, Chinchilla has been building on traditional dishes from Spain, Portugal, and South America with truly creative touches.
The patatas bravas is one of the eatery’s many irresistible dishes. (Image: Vegas 411)
We led up to the paella with an outstanding Manchego cheese and green apple salad, enhanced with candied pecan, and two magical tapas: the patatas bravas—with pee wee potatoes, poblano aioli, and parsley—and another divine creation with roasted peppers, eggplant, red wine grapes, and Manchego cheese. Be sure to request Chinchilla’s seasoned house bread with your dinner because the taste is unforgettable.
Track #3: Antique Mall of America @S Las Vegas Blvd
This is the Allegiant Stadium of Vegas antique malls. (Image: Vegas 411)
My mind races every time I enter an antique mall. Who owned that solid-wood Shaker armoire? Are there ghosts lingering in the rafters?
My brain recently went into complete overdrive while visiting (for the first time) the Antique Mall of America on S Las Vegas Blvd near the Southpoint and Silverton hotels. It’s a two-level space—with a staggering 43,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles—that you can’t miss thanks to the massive mural on the outside illustrating The Strip.
At the end of my multi-hour experience wandering around these miles of aisles, I was so overwhelmed, exhausted, and exhilarated that my eyes practically fell out of their sockets.
Who cares if this stylish couch is uncomfortable? It’s a show-stopper. (Image: Vegas 411)
Look over there—it’s a mounted poster of a 1999 Paul Revere & the Raiders poolside concert in Vegas. Head down the next aisle and view kitschy paintings that light up, Buddha statues, frivolous ‘50s cocktail glasses, and furniture that’s lovingly painted with images of cats. Wait—what’s in that direction? Glorious antique bird cages, dazzling candelabras, vintage cameras, New York Dolls T-shirts, and a green silk high back couch that looks defiantly, and fabulously, uncomfortable.
The sheer randomness of it all is a big turn-on. Here’s everything I want but don’t have room for. Who cares though? The Antique Mall of America, like the sprawling Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet, is an inviting and satisfying Vegas rabbit hole to go down.
Track #4: Silverton Aquarium @ Silverton Casino Hotel
Leave the world behind at the Silverton Aquarium. (Image: Vegas 411)
Since many of us are seeking refuge from society’s current chaos, perhaps it’s time to simply head underwater and find peace among the mermaids of the world.
These thoughts ran through my mind as I watched a mermaid glide through Silverton Casino Hotel’s free aquarium. As she glided elegantly among “thousands of tropical fish” in “more than 117,000 gallons of water,” I was utterly envious of her obliviousness to everything but the giant stingrays swimming around her.
Mermaid art is a “thing,” in case you didn’t know. (Image: Vegas 411)
The “Mermaid Swims” take place Thursday-Saturday (12pm-8pm) and Sunday (10:30am-6:30pm). If you want to take a mermaid home, buy a colorful painting of one at the Mermaid Cove art gallery. And you can also chase another kind of bliss with drinks at the adjacent Mermaid Restaurant and Lounge.
Track #5: Around Town Medley
You’re looking at one of the best deals in Vegas right now. (Image: Vegas 411)
Feeling the pinch of rising prices? Fortunately, the good folks at Station Casinos have us covered with their 24/7 $5.99 Cheeseburger Special. I’m giving this deal a major thumbs-up having enjoyed it at Lucky Penny at Red Rock Resort, one of the Station restaurants (along with Brass Fork and Game On) where it’s offered. Simply show your player’s card, available for free at the hotel’s rewards desk, to receive the discount.
Station Casinos is getting ahead of the predicted recession by offering these food specials. (Image: Vegas 411)
The special is a “quarter pound patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, burger sauce,” served with an ample portion of French fries and a side of pickles. It all tasted mighty fine, and you can add a second patty for $2.99. Without the discount, a two-patty burger with fries costs $14.99 (listed on the menu as “The Penny Burger”). How can anyone, unless you don’t eat meat, sleep on a price-busting restaurant deal like this in the year 2025?
Marilyn Monroe always has us in her sights. (Image: Vegas 411)
There are new buzzworthy places in the Arts District, like Audio Bar, which bills itself as an “Exciting EDM & Music Festival Inspired Party Bar” where “there’s “never a cover.” There’s also the Republic Goods (mostly) clothing consignment store, which invites folks to rent a booth there for a week to sell “your once-unused treasures.”
But let’s not forget to salute the art galleries that represent the true soul of the Arts District. Recently, I visited Conrad Gallery West on Colorado Street, specializing in visionary ‘fine art, pop culture, and abstract art.’ A dazzling tribute featuring a gum-chewing Marilyn Monroe blowing a giant bubble struck me as a glamorous and empowering kiss-off to anything standing in her—and our—way. Artists illuminate our souls and minds, so it’s essential that we support them and the galleries who sell their work.
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