Holy Heideggerian Hangar One Batman!

According to this article in today’s NYTimes, there are eight, count ’em (8!), schools of philosophical cocktail thought presently in vogue in America. Some adherents to certain schools, like the minimalist Violet Hour in Chicago, use eight, count ’em (8!) different types of ice in their concoctions.

And ELV thought there were only two kinds of drinks: a good one or a bad one.

But then we got to thinking…not thinking in a navel-gazing, Kierkegaardian kocktail sense, but more like a John Stuart Mill empiricist; and realized that the pragmatism of drink mixing, and structuralism involved in deconstructing the elements of a potent potable, simply gives them a humanistic bent that we think Fromm (not to mention Perls) would’ve approved of.

If, like Martin Heidegger, either of those two had taken a different cocktail fork in the road, they might’ve become phenomenologist ontological mixologists. Or something like that.

ELV’s favorite cocktail bars in LV (in no particular order*):

Downtown Cocktail Room

Sensi (in the Bellagio)

Bourbon Bar (at Twin Creeks in the Silverton)

Nora’s (the original on W. Flamingo)

Restaurant Charlie (The Palazzo)

Picasso (in the Bellagio)

Fleur de Lys (Mandalay Bay)

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* We’re always open for suggestions** and recommendations….but don’t send us anywhere with bouncers, a velvet rope (Bar Noir), or attitude (most nightclubs).

** Speaking of suggestions***…how ’bouts we head out tonight for a Blue Blazer?  Or maybe just join us for Vodka-Time.

*** And we just heard about Frankie’s Tiki Room at 1712 W. Charleston, and will probably check it out tonight (or perhaps in a few minutes — since it’s open 24/7).

Charlie Trotter Instructs, Food Critics Listen, ELV Eats

When Charlie Trotter is in town and offers to hand-make a few creations at Bar Charlie, it doesn’t take much coaxing to get ELV there. As good as his tidbits were….we thought sticking around for The Full Monty was in order — especially since sommelier Des and bartender Jeremy were insistent, adamant, and wouldn’t-take-no-for-an-answer that we stay and taste some of their food and booze matches — not to mention Vannessa Garcia’s always-tempting desserts, a 1988 St. Emilion, and various insundry other wonderful things to eat and drink.

In other words, it was just another day at the office for ELV…..

SAMOSA FACTORY…

….is better than ever under new chef and owner Rick Aco (rhymes with taco). Two recent meals have convinced us that this place hasn’t lost a step since Aco took over in May. He’s kept many of the former recipes of Rita Sirivastava, but has tweaked a few for the better, and is now even bottling his own chutney’s for in-house or take-home savoring. Aco is about as Indian as ELV’s staff, but this Tao alum (he worked at both the New York and Vegas Tao outposts — but we won’t hold that against him) clearly has a flare and passion for the food of the sub-continent. And if you’re a vegetarian, there’s no tastier place in town to eschew meat whilst chewing your roughage.

SAMOSA FACTORY

4604 W. Sahara Ave. Suite 6

Las Vegas, NV 89102

702.258.9196

www.samosafactory.com