Where to eat and drink
Chada Street: Find a diverse array of small plates (most dishes $6-$15) inspired by street food from Thailand, along with a charming wine bar atmosphere and an impressive list of 50 bottles under $50 (chadastreet.com).
Golden Tiki: You can't miss this gem — the giant wooden doors with tiki totems for handles stand out amid one of Chinatown's strip malls, and lead to a darkened tropical paradise complete with lanterns, thatched huts, water features and stars shooting across the ceiling (thegoldentiki.com).
PublicUs: The crafted coffee drinks — treated more like cocktails than typical lattes — run on the pricey end. But the one-of-a-kind specialty drinks at PublicUs are comparable in price with a simple black coffee purchased on the strip, while a superior cup at PublicUs is just $3 (publicuslv.com).
ReBar: At this Arts District watering hole, a portion of the cocktail prices ($6-$8) benefits local charities, and everything in the bar — from the vintage furniture to the antique knickknacks on the walls — is for sale. Yep, it's a thrift shop/pub mashup (rebarlv.com).
Sister's Oriental Market & Video: Tucked into an unassuming strip mall on the eastern end of Las Vegas' old Fremont Street, Sister's boasts cheap and authentic Laotian food (most dishes under $8) and an attached market selling Southeast Asian foods. (facebook.com/sisters-oriental-market-video).
Viva Las Arepas: Looking for a cheap breakfast not far from the strip? This Venezuelan shop is a must — the mouthwatering corn masa sandwiches range between $4.50 and $8 — add cheese (50 cents), a fried egg (99 cents) or avocado (99 cents) and a black coffee for $2 (vivalasarepas.com).
Velveteen Rabbit: From the outside, this cocktail bar, housed in a nondescript square building, appears closed, the windows boarded over. But inside, velvet furniture, twinkling chandeliers and delicate glassware set the stage for some of the city's best cocktails. There's a punch special for $6; other drinks range from $10-$12 (velveteenrabbitlv.com).
Yama Sushi: All-you-can-eat quality sushi for just $23.95?? It's true. Yama has two locations — in Chinatown and near the University of Nevada — and offers melt-in-your-mouth fresh fish with rare selections and precise cuts, along with many small dishes (yamasushi.net).
What to do
First Friday: Every first Friday of the month, several blocks of Las Vegas' Arts District are blocked off for a free festival jam-packed with live music, performances, food trucks, beer tents and a labyrinth of open artist studios (ffflv.org).
Vintage Row: The name is not official, but it should be because the six blocks on Main Street between W. Charleston Boulevard and W. Wyoming Avenue hold more than 15 retro, thrift and vintage stores peddling everything from fur wraps and glam glassware to funky salt and pepper shakers and fuzzy dice. Check out Sin City Pickers, Retro Vegas and Main Street Peddler's Antique Mall.
Amelia Rayno
