Go: Where to Go, What to Do & Why

By James P. Reza

Last weekend, I spent an almost entirely miserable 36 hours in Southern California, where it rained buckets for nearly the entire time. The trip was not by choice and not about pleasure, adding to the drama. Hoping to make the most of the moment, we stayed at the W-Los Angeles in Westwood--which, I came to find out, and much to my dismay, is not nearly as close to the USC Medical Facility (18 miles) as it is to the UCLA Medical Facility (two blocks).

This would be my second stay at a W property, a collection of modern boutique hotels operated by Starwood. They are perhaps the most self-consciously hip lodgings beyond an Ian Schraeger joint, with a service standard that marks the chain as the Four Seasons of the hepcat set. Unfortunately, while Westwood's lobby bar, a defining characteristic of any W, was fabulous, the bartender had a anti-customer service attitude that wouldn't land her a job shoving food through a jail cell door.

Being born and raised in Las Vegas--the city that made service an industry--and part owner of a business in which guest service and satisfaction are top priorities, my travel companion and I were taken aback by this, and commented that such poor service wouldn't fly back home.

Or so we thought. In the few days since returning, I have suffered significantly subpar service at three restaurants, one a SoCal-based pizza chain new to our valley, another a longtime, locally owned midtown lunch cafe, and finally at the newish west side branch of my favorite falafel stop. I won't be outing them here--based on past experience, it's likely these were isolated instances--but I will say that customer service is suffering across the board in Las Vegas.

Lest we slide into the dreariness of service that plagues Great Britain, no consumer should be satisfied with being treated badly. At the very least, make note to the manager. One letter of complaint I wrote to the manager of a local resort's bar and restaurant ended with a welcome invite to return for a complimentary dinner and bar tab for our entire party of 10. That was an extreme case, of course, but we were treated rather extremely.

As this column is called Go, allow me to point you to a few venues where my personal service experience has thus far been pleasing: Simon Kitchen & Bar (offering a service level that does not seem to extend to the rest of the Hard Rock), Joe's Stone Crab at the Forum Shops, Tabu Ultralounge (ditto comments on Hard Rock for MGM), the west end's Jazzed Cafe & Vinoteca, N9NE at the Palms, the divey Double Down Saloon and the Verandah Cafe at the Four Seasons. There are many others, of course, and you are encouraged to spend your money where they treat you well regardless of the size of your tab.

Creeps and ghouls

The last time I held a Halloween bash, there were too many incidents: the friend-in-Pulp Fiction-blackface incident, the poet-dressed-as-Ouija-Board incident, the lube-in-the-candy-dish incident. ... This year, you'll be able to choose from dozens of "annual" nightclub parties (the girlfriend-busted-for-flashing incident), citywide haunted houses (the chainsaw-guy-tore-my-jeans incident) and creepy stage performances (the goth-band-sucked-all-known-ass incident).

Despite all those incidents, Halloween remains my favorite nightmare before Christmas. In the spirit of the season, I've done some bobbing and come up with these holiday apples: Old-school ghouls can groove to the legendary gothabilly and driving garage rock of The Cramps, joined at the House of Blues Thursday by the Gore Gore Girls and Deadbillys (Oct. 28; 632-7600). The 38th annual Beaux Arts Costume Ball drags out on the same night at Studio 54 (Oct. 28; 384-2899). A benefit for Nevada families living with AIDS, the well-attended ball includes performances by cast members from Strip stage shows.

The Nevada Ballet Theatre re-ups its annual crowd pleaser Dracula at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre (Oct. 29-31; 895-2787), this year featuring a newly choreographed production, while the crazy kids (are there any "virgins" left?) relive the mid-1980s at the old Fox Theatre with the Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Movie Bash, Saturday at Tropicana Cinemas (Oct. 30; 314-0330).

If you're looking for a haunted house adventure, nothing has equaled the atmospheric doom of the long-gone MGM Grand Adventures "Scream Park" transformation, but the Circus Circus Adventuredome at least comes close with "Fright Dome" (through Oct. 31; 794-3800). Darkened and full of fog and wandering cast members out to scare you witless, the dome features four haunted houses at varying pants-wetting levels, a human freak show (think a one-man Jim Rose Circus Sideshow), plus most of the rides (and the bars) are open.

Those looking to get on down and dance with their scary, bad selves will find too many nightclub theme-night choices, many of them repeats from previous years. Seek something different? Check out "Masque," featuring DJ Boy George at Club Rio (Oct. 31; 777-7727). Afterward, the Boy will really let his hair down while spinning for the afterparty at "Climax" in Krave (836-0830).

And finally, join indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie with the creepily named Pretty Girls Make Graves at the House of Blues on Tuesday (Nov. 2; 632-7600). What you do earlier that day will decide whether this show will be an election night celebration or sob session, so vote like there's no tomorrow.

Native Las Vegan James P. Reza can go from a topless bar to a theatrical performance in under an hour, and find a way to call it all "culture." E-mail the author at jpreza@cox.net.