It's that time again and if you've followed my blog at all, you know it's my favorite time of the year!
RODEO.
Not only does NFR usually coincide with my birthday, it's also the best time of year for my favorite country concerts! NFR isn't just bullriding and roping- it's one of the few times of the year that the country community is loud and proud in Las Vegas.
Every year, I get to see some of my favorite artists perform, get to shop the western sales, and really enjoy the festive vibe of a country Christmas. The concert tickets are usually really reasonable too so it's almost like the rodeo is saying happy birthday to me!
This year, I wanted to get things started right- with a real pre-rodeo celebration at my favorite local haunt. And what's a rodeo party without some whiskey?
We started the night at Double Helix Wine & Whiskey Bar at Town Square Shopping Center. It's an amazing place to start or finish any night out with some really great food options (and some of the best meat and cheese platters ever) and a huge selection of wines and whiskeys. We got to enjoy a real wine tasting with Michael, their resident manager and sommelier. He is so incredibly knowledgeable about all of the alcohol that he stocks and he made it so fun and educational.
We started with the arancini andolive poppers (both are so delicious and those olives are hand stuffed by the chef, can you imagine???). We also had a pre-tasting drink which was the Pessimist.
After our first little taster, we loaded up on some amazing charcuterie (the soft goat cheese is my favorite, I could eat it all day long) before embarking on our wine tour (which consisted of what we called a "wine tree").
Our first wine was a Pratsch Rosé, I know the whole "rosé all day" thing is super played out but seriously, if I was a wine drinker, I could drink this all day. It was light and happy and not too sweet.
Next was a Recuerdo Torrontés. I can't really drink white wine (I have a bit of an allergy) but the tropical fragrance and flavors (hints of different island vibes) were delicious.
The third wine was a crazy orange wine, a Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Gris. Michael explained that the orange color came from the growers leaving the skins on so the flavor of the wine was like a red and the color was the weirdest shade of orange!
Our last wine was a VGS red and it was delicious. I would love to pair this with a really awesome steak at some point!
It's so rare for a place that specializes in beverages to have good food but Double Helix has excellent food. We sampled the shortie tacos which were outstanding (I've had similar short rib tacos and they don't even come close), the seared yellowfin tuna and a really delicious seasonal flatbread with pear. So many amazing flavors! I love knowing that while the restaurant has someone who is truly passionate about the whines and whiskeys, their chef is incredible at creating amazing food items to pair with all those drinks!
We finished our meal with the most delicious chocolate pecan turnover. It was the perfect way to cap off an amazing meal in the chillier weather!
After dinner, we headed over to Stoney's, my favorite bar in town. Stoney's is always a great time and I've been coming here for over seven years (they used to have a different location). There are always great concerts at reasonable prices, fun contests and giveaways, and so many specials.
Since it was a Thursday, it was Ladies Night and all ladies got $1 drinks. In Las Vegas, that's uneard of pretty much all around! The laidback vibe has always been a favorite for me and I've spent many special occasions here (birthdays, going aways, Wednesdays, etc).
Stoney's has line dancing lessons all the time and they start at 7pm. It's such a great way to learn the steps in a comfortable environment before the dancefloor gets crowded!
We got a fabulous table by the DJ booth so we were able to enjoy all of the festivities from a great location. Our server, Carissa, was amazing and kept our drinks flowing all night long!
I've spent many NFR nights at Stoney's seeing the great concerts on the small stage, riding the mechanical bull (after a few drinks), and just having a great time without the hassle of dressing up and feeling out of place. It's my number one spot in town for a fun night out!
A huge thank you to Double Helix Wine & Whiskey and to Stoney's Rockin Country for the amazing pre-rodeo celebration! As usual, all opinions are my own.
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