Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 68

Clambake veteran sets record straight on Maine events On The Side By Elin Jeffords 'I ho Arizona Republic Wc have lo do sonic backtracking here, it's been a while since we've riffled through the ol' mailbag. F-arlicr this summer 1 reviewed a catered clambake by Steamers Restaurant. I faulted it basically as a genre that doesn't translate from New Kngland to the desert. Esther Mayo of Sun City and Munds 1'ark: "1 felt compelled to write after reading your article on Steamers 'Maine As a misplaced New Hnglandcr married to an ex-New linglanctcr, I would like to correct a few misconceptions as I sec (lhcm. i "J'irst of all, one should not serve 'clam chowder boiling and bubbling.

Made with milk and cream, it should just be brought lo the boiling point. "Secondly, the black vein you mentioned is indeed the same type of 'vcin you find in a shrimp, and it Should be removed. It is NOT lobster roe, which is called coral and is coral Kin color. fact, your review is taped to the window. Companion and I have eaten at Tony's a number of times and were favorably impressed by the food on each occasion except for the last two.

Our last experience and it was our LAST meal with Tony' was gastronomically dreadful. "Companion is fond of squid. Seeing that was the special of the evening, she ordered calamari with linguine, I ordered cannelloni. My food was definitely undcrnuked. It was at best tepid.

The flavor of the meat filling and the (tomato) sauce was good, but the insipid white sauce contributed to the general disappointment caused by the underhcatmg. I assumed it was a matter of poor preparation because there weren't enough customers at 6:30 p.m. to cause a delay in serving. "The piece de revulsion, was the squid it was putrid. Having eaten squid on both coasts and in a number of other countries, she felt qualified to judge it bad but insisted on my trying it.

I had to spit my portion into a napkin before the gag reflex overpowered my cannelloni. Steak House, Phoenix: "I wish someone had called me for an answer, as I do not feel it was fair to print a letter with incorrect information. We do not charge for ice. The 50-ccnt difference (listed as martini rocks) is for the vermouth and olives. Wc use a sophisticated computer terminal, which can tell you if a drink is gin, vodka, collins, martini, bloody Mary, etc." If the computer is so sophisticated, it should list "vermouth and olives, 50 cents.

Charles A. Downing, Phoenix: "When I heard you were on vacation for a month, 1 couldn't help but wonder whether your absence from the scene might be a major contributing factor in the fall of a heretofore rather decent little eatery. One can almost hear the cry ring out in Valley restaurant kitchens: 'OK, Hcrbic, bring out that frozen Spaniel Soubise, Jeffords is out of town. "Over a year ago, you did a favorable review on Tony's Italian Kitchen (2624 W. Bethany Home).

In The next time she thinks something is bad, she can look elsewhere for a second opinion. "The final disappointment was when we told the waiter, who appeared much more friendly in the picture accompanying your review than in person, about the squid. He acted disgusted with us and attempted to ignore us until we left. "Some good things just don't seem lo last, and that seems particularly true of restaurants in this area." A disgruntled customer owes it to himself and a restaurant's management to convey such complaints promptly and politely. Most businessmen will do everything in their power to make things right.

If they don't, THEN write to your friendly rant critic and vow never to return. This next one answers a question I've gotten from a number of callers recently. Jean Hawthorne, Chicago-style, Bar Phoenix: "At the present time we are not open because of a fire July 5 that caused a lot of damage to the strip center. The repair work is expected to be completed (in late October). "We have not gone out of business and will reopen then." Betty M.

James, Phoenix: "I am' president of the Arizona Society of Astrologers. We meet once a month at Scottsdale Senior Center. After the guest lecturer speaks, we go to Ihc, Brown Derby and have no trouble, for they give us separate checks. "But on Saturday, after our workshop, wc go to the restaurant that has' the food of choice of the lecturer. Wc have run into more trouble! No one wants to give 20 to 30 people separate checks.

I don't understand since if 30, people came in singly you still have 30 checks. I wouldn't even mind if they' gave a check for every four and let them hassle it out. Where can wc go for different types of food that will give us separate checks?" Any answers for lktty from the restaurant community? "Third, you spoke only of eating the tail what, no claws? The claws are more tender and preferred by some. However, some of your guests may have had the misfortune to have their lobster overcooked. Fifteen minutes of steaming is sufficient.

"Although it may be the practice to serve mussels along with clams in some areas, we have never done it. "One final point, lobsters do shed their shells each year, and this may not be the best time of year to eat those that arc in the process of doing that." In a Sunday column written about the same time, I published a letter from a gent who took exception to Ruth's Chris Steak House charging 50 cents for idc when a customer orders a martini on the rocks, lie included a copy of the computerized bill, which stated exactly that. Paul Fleming, owner, Ruth's Chris OO OO O) OIK Dunes wants larger piece of entertainment pie rl I HOTEL OIILY For the past few years, while The other member of the Kenny Morrill, who does such AIRHOTEL Westward Ho-Rear $69 Imperial Palace $94 Golden Nugget $104 Flamingo Hilton $114 Bally's $124 Prices valid lor departures with returns thru Sept. 27. Packages Include: 'Round trip air 2 Nights Hotel -Taxes FunBook $29.95 $34.95 $49.95 $59.95 $59.95 $64.95 $64.95 Taxes FunBook Fitzgeralds Westward Ho-Rear Imperial Palace Golden Nugget Tropicana Flamingo Hilton Bally's Packages Include: -2 Nights Hotel ADDITIONAL HOTELS AVAILABLE group to leave is "Dig" Lewis, the outstanding bass player whose arms, legs and head all had a mind of their own when it came to keeping time with the music.

He, reportedly, was replaced by electronic sequencing. It's really a shame, since the town needs more groups with the many exciting elements C'Est La Vie presented. Bands this good and this unique have been so few and far between the past 15 years or so. Oh well, as their name suggests, e'est la vie (that's life)! an outstanding job of paying tribute to Roy Orbison in the Imperial Palace's Legends In Concert, headlined a concert tribute to the late rock and roll star in the latter's hometown of Wink, Texas, last week. Wink Mayor Maxie Watts was quoted as saying that the similarities in voice and looks were, "uncanny, even Siegfried Roy's premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sept.

22, will be followed by a black tie reception for celebs and dignitaries. A AV-1 1 WIN LV VCUAD can I WVWtisViWM Open 7 days Se haWa Espaftol Visa, Mastercard only. All prices are per person, double occupancy. Packages are limited and subject to availability. Extra nights are available at an additional charge.

Weekends, holidays and convention periods subject to surcharges. Cancellation fee will apply. Prices subject to change without notice. By Don Usherton 1JU03 leave earlier this week. Now she is performing with the group that works directly across from C'Est La Vie at the Fremont.

When her outstanding vocalizing, upfront personality and striking good looks left, so went a lot of the drawing power of 1988's top new lounge group. ABOUT THE WRITER: Top lot Vegas entertainment journalist Don Usherson's thow reviews, induttry personality profiles and commentaries appear every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in the Lot Vegas Review Journal, Nevada's largest-selling daily newspaper) weekly at midnight, Friday, and 2i30 a.m. Sunday, on his talkvariety show "Don Usherson's Entertainment Page," which airs over KTNV-13, the bed ABC affiliate), and every Monday from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Nevada's most powerful radio station KDWN 720 AM to seven western states.

Send correspondence toi Don Usherson, P.O. Box 85357, Las Vegas, Nevada 89185. HOTEL ONLY 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS A DFITA 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS Gamblers Special i i WESTWARD HO 49 93 IMPERIAL PAL. 69.95 HOLIDAY INN CTR 59 9S TROPICANA 69.95 DUNES 6995 BALLY'S B9 95 RIVIERA 04.95 FLAMINGO 64 96 DESERT INN 109 95 FREMONT 29 95 MARINA 39 95 HACIENDA 3995 STARDU8T 49.95 LADY LUCK 49 96 LANDMARK 49.95 FOUR QUEENS 69 95 MAXIM 49 95 UNION PLAZA 69.95 MAXIM DUNES 10 BALLY lit IV HILTON 11t RIVIERA 110 TROPICANA 119 HOLIDAY INN CTR 119 FLAMINGO 126 DESERT WN 149 FREMONT LADY LUCK 6t STARDUST 69 MARINA UNION PLAZA FOUROUEENS IMPERIAL PALACE LANDMARK SAHARA $100 cast back AND $100 Match Play Chips $5 Bettors Slot Players FREE Call For Qualification 3 Days2 Nights Riviera Hotel Casino "many hotels were tearing out 'lounges, cutting back on shows "and shrinking the role of within the context of 'their overall fixation with the bottom line, the Riviera decided to go against the trend. In the the Riv made major strides towards becoming the entertainment center of Las Vegas with what were doing with existing 'showrooms and by adding several small showrooms.

Bally's, with two major showrooms, also made a charge towards that distinction until they eliminated the popular Cub Lounge and cut back on the amount and quality of bookings in the old Parisian Bar. Now comes a new challenger for the title of Entertainment Kingpin for the 90s the Dunes. Not only does the hotel have a 550-seat main showroom and an excellent little 150-seat casino lounge, but hotel bosses are preparing to re-open the 200-seat Oasis Lounge, the 200-seat Top of the Dunes and a new 700-seat room called the Oasis Nightclub. The latter is the "secret" showroom thaf.was never completed and remained sealed shut over the Oasis Casino when it was added onto the famous "Four Corners" area a few years ago. In addition, the hotel's buffet room has a fixed stage and backstage area that would immediately convert to a 500-seat showroom for special programs if desired.

With the "Comedy Store" being shopped around, it seems rather apparent that it is on its way out of the Dunes at the end of this year. Several exciting new productions have been submitted to and scrutinized by Dunes hotel boss Jack Speel-man and Co. Now that the "new" room has been uncovered, and several other discoveries have been made (including a functional kitchen at the Top of the Dunes for the possible servicing of dinner), innovative entertainment is promised throughout the hotel. Bernadette Peters and Peter Allen's recent show at the Desert Inn was all class. Their type of show is the kind of sophisticated entertainment that brings other celebrites out to their performances.

Both Bobby Goldsboro and Phyllis McGuire were in the audience the night we took in the show. Incidentally, their drummer was former TV Mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club, Cubby b'Brian. One of the best new lounge groups to come along in a long time and one with a very bright future here, C'Est La Vie, has lost two of its top attractions and appears to be coming apart at the seams due to tnternal strife. Tamara Thorkel-on, the Cheryl Tiegs look-alike, (ead singer, was on the verge of parting with the groups when she lcas apparently asked to I-hw I I f-ii iiMn'tH 'r'ni infill nriiTtrf i i Mirnnr itiir 1 I I (If! TfelMl ire ROOMS $r1 Bring this to us with your valid Arizona driver's license for $10 in BONUS TOKENS. fc.

good for play on most of our regular dollar slot machines. Redeem at the Promotions Booth near the hotel lobby. Name Address SINGLE DECK 21 State Sunday Thursday per person dbl. occ. Comfortable, Luxurious Rooms.

Great Food Bargains. Las Vegas Action Where The Player Is Treated Great. Stay at the Las Vegas hotel that still treats you special. For reservation! call 1-800-634-6966 I City 7- ZP' timfs onnQ DM Phone CRAPS INCOMPLETE PRIME RIB DINNER Not good In conjunction with any other BONUS TOKEN oiler. On coupon per person per visit.

Oder expires 121589. Four Queens HOTELCASINO DOWNTOWN LAS VEOA8 M00 COMPLETE KCSW BUCKAROO BREAKFAST HOTEL GAMBLING ALL LAS VEGAS Prices are subject to change without notice..