Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas has traditionally been a thought of as a drinking Mecca. The Strip obviously has its share of retro-1950s bars, swanky nightclubs, tiki lounges, and skydeck havens, but if you are looking for a good cocktail without all the glitz, head north to the old Vegas downtown. All you will need is to travel to the single block of Fremont St between North Las Vegas Boulevard and South 6th Street. Here you have seven highly-rated bars at your disposal: the fireplace-laden Griffin, the piano bar Don’t Tell Mama, the twin industrial-vibed Vanguard and Therapy, the classy speakeasies Commonwealth and Laundry Room, and the eclectic Tim Burton-esque Park on Fremont. Now, we had the family in tow, and for some odd reason, everything goes in Vegas EXCEPT children in bars (because exposing them to bars is WAY worse than exposing them to the mostly naked showgirls on the walking outside on the strip, right?). Anyway, it was morning, and most places are closed for bunch drinking, except for Park on Fremont, which was our destination anyway because of their misty patio that welcomes both late summer drinks and children.

Park on Fremont has a long, narrow bar inside, similar to the other bars north of Fremont on the block, however the interior is much different. The bar is wallpapered floor to ceiling with detailed Victorian damask and adorned with paintings of people and animals in macabre states, some cut in half, some on fire, some sporting rifles in their antlers. The bathroom sinks have inverted-pentagram signs on their backsplashes warning that the staff needs to say Bloody Mary three times in the mirror before returning to work. Did I say they also serve cocktails? So, yes, this is my heaven.

For brunch, we collectively ordered a couple of Monte Cristos, some chilaquiles, and a scrambled egg sandwich. Cindy had a Stumptown Sparkling Cold Brew, a combination of coffee and soda water with the caffeine of Stumptown’s regular Cold Brew, which was perfect for the hot Vegas morning. I washed down my Monte Cristo with a Unicorn, a vodka-lemonade-ginger concoction you can make at home with the few remnants of mint in your garden. When our waitress came back to see if we needed more Unicorns, she recommended a great California beach (Butterfly) for us to hang out at later in the week. So, don’t be intimidated by Park on Fremont’s creepy decor- you can check out any time you like, but you just might NOT want to leave!

The Unicorn

2 ounces Ketel One Citroen vodka

½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

Ginger beer

Mint

Lightly muddle 2-3 mint leaves in a splash of Citroen in the bottom of a 12 ounce Mason jar. Add ice. Pour in the vodka and lemon juice. Stir vigorously for several seconds. Fill with chilled ginger beer. Gently stir with a couple of revolutions. Garnish with a speared lemon wedge and mint spring.