Eating the Road: Zeke Quezada Says It’s Not Easy to Find Good Late Night Food in Vegas

Here I am, cradling a Cucumber Gimlet in my right hand while raising a Cotton Candy Kiss to my lips with my left.  The room is lit up by the bright, flashbang effects of the free show across the Las Vegas strip in the front yard of the Treasure Island’s Casino. The large windows at First Food and Bar, across the street at the Palazzo Las Vegas, frame the scene while giving me the best seat on the strip to experience the pirate battle.

My wife sets down her drink, a gargling of sugar that’s supposed to be a martini.  We move on to the Nacional Mojito, which transports us to South Florida through a dance of  muddled mint leaves and rum.

When in Las Vegas, you should always have a few drinks,  sample what the bartender is experimenting with, and embrace the lifestyle of the carefree visitor out for fun. First Food and Bar is precisely the place to do such a thing. (Even if they hadn’t comped our drinks and bar bites, I’d still say the same thing.)

Philly Cheesesteak dumplings, truffle mac and cheese, ribeye steaks, fries, sliders–I know you’ll find this surprising, but First Food and Bar is one of a very few places you can order this kind of food deep into the night. Not that many kitchens on the Strip stay open late.

So here’s my tip: Keep First Food and Bar in mind when you’re out late. Yes, you can go to the hotel coffee shop and have a French dip, but if you are looking for solid drinks and a quality meal at reasonable prices, First Food and Bar at the Palazzo is worth a stop.

First Food and Bar, Palazzo Las Vegas, (702) 607-3478, www.firstandbar.com

Zeke Quezada is the Las Vegas Editor for EscapeHatchDallas and Guide to Las Vegas for About.com, and, since he’s a media star, he rarely pays for anything in Vegas. If it’s on the Las Vegas strip, Zeke has swam, slept, eaten, drank or lounged there.