One Night On Fremont and The World Is Your Spoiled Oyster

UPDATE: Uncle Joe's Pizza has since closed.

"No wire hangers, ever!"

Why are the evil ones so fabulously attired?

Spam Musubi from Aloha Specialties.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Checked into the Gold Spike on Ogden St., one block north of Fremont. The room is clean but IKEA spartan, with a beautiful view of the City Hall Parking Garage. Stunning!

I get my gear in order, pass on hooking up with friends that night, and take a stroll over to the Fremont East district, a three block section just east of the Fremont Street Experience that was revitalized from seedy row to trendy seedy row.

A hooker's smile just brightens my night. That or the three martinis. She wore a baby blue jumper suit with hoodie and zippered front for easy access. Alluring eyes, a bright smile and flawless, coffee-colored gams that just kept on going.

No amount of window dressing and chic bars can keep the pot dealers from dealing their trade; the indigent and the young, semi-homeless, emo cross-dressers from congregating; and the batshit crazy from screaming their tirades along this stretch of Fremont, nor under the gaudy confines of the Experience.

At the El Cortez I settle down for video poker at the bar. With the economy still in the toilet (from where I stand), the comps for game play have been cut back considerably.

Gone are the days of six double-Jamesons with twenty dollars worth of quarter play. Now I can only eke out a martini with one tenspot. I did manage to get a Heineken but only with advice to increase the sum of my bet on each play.

But it wasn’t the lure of comped well liquor that enticed me, but a specialty martini 2-for-1 happy hour special. I started off with a tasty Lemon Drop that swam with the flavor of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon, but it was The Bullet that would garner a return visit. Tanqueray Ten, Sambuca Romana and lemon juice. The anise flavor of the Sambuca pops against the lemon.

I had way better luck on quarter Bonus Poker with two dollars than my initial investment of ten, but all good things must come to an end. I lost my last quarter, downed the last drink, and ventured out for more experiences.

Alas, Sunday nights on Fremont East appears to be the downtime for all the non-casino bars so I settled for pizza at Uncle Joe’s, a downtown staple for simple slices, lasagna and everything else Italian in-between.

I jumped on the two slices of cheese for four bucks special. Crispy yet pliant. Enjoyed best, standing outside in the company of street people enjoying their beverage of choice. Your preference may differ.

Mmm. Chili with crackers at Binion's Cafe really hits the spot. But the exclusively all-black staff working the shop took me aback. Just felt way too much like the Ole' South from the first-half of the last century.

At Aloha Specialties inside the California. Holy loco moco! Waited in line for over twenty minutes just to place a double-order of Spam musubi to go, then nearly another ten to get it. From what I saw of the dishes being served, the place is the bomb for Hawaiian cuisine. I’ll have to come back when there isn’t a half-hour wait. The musubi was alright, but it's not as satisfying as the musubi at Alohana Hawaiian Grill in Clive, Iowa [see blog post].

Photos from the Picasa Web Album: Holiday trip 2010