Thanksgiving For Locals In Vegas

Years ago ( decades ago! ) my wife prepared a fabulous Thanksgiving diner, as they say "wit all da fixins" and we invited friends and neighbors to our house for a big meal. Such a traditional celebration seems like a dream and a lifetime ago.

Lately, living in Vegas as "Empty Nesters" the only logical and practical solution for Thanksgiving dinner is to eat out at one of the many offerings in the Las Vegas area.

Last year, to avoid the crowds, we had a sumptuous and completely satisfying Thanksgiving dinner at a local pub called The Village Inn, all for about $20 not including drinks. We had to cancel our earlier casino restaurant reservations, so we just walked into the local pub and reservations were not necessary. The year before we splurged and dined at the Costa Del Sol at the Sunset Station Casino, which was much more pricey but elegant and definitely worth it.

My most memorable Thanksgiving dinner for me was back in the late eighties at the Sands, a place my wife and I made into a Thanksgiving "tradition" for five consecutive years. For those who do not keep track, the one time home of the famous "Rat Pack" no longer exists ( It was at the location where the Venetian now stands). We just happened to be seated at a table right next to Redd Foxx and his wife. Redd almost made me choke on a turkey bone with the one liners he constantly threw our way (or mostly my wife's way) during the entire meal. I introduced my wife and mentioned to Redd Foxx that she is a nurse. He suddenly grabbed his chest and said "Thank God, I just might need her before this meal is over." Even in person, he acted like the character on his TV series "Sanford and Son".

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Click here for the Las Vegas Review Journal list of Las Vegas restaurants offering Turkey Day meals. Reservations are always recommended at the casinos and popular restaurants.

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Update: My wife just had the pleasure of meeting the head chef and owner of a highly rated, elegant and romantic Las Vegas small, privately owned restaurant. We have been invited to have Thanksgiving dinner there and after Thanksgiving I will definitely blog all about it. I admit that it does not look like much on the outside, but here is a "teaser" picture of our Thanksgiving dinner destination: