Who Does Deep-Fried Decadence Better? The Strip or Downtown?
Allow us to introduce our newest VegasChatter contributor, Richard Lane. Originally from across the pond, Richard is now living in Las Vegas. In fact, he's not just living in Las Vegas, he's living on it. With a residence on the famed Las Vegas Strip. His first post? Investigating Sin City's deep-fried ooey goodness -- Oreo v. Oreo, Twinkie v. Twinkie, Strip v. Downtown. The good news is that he survived. The bad news is that we know how to bribe him now!
The Strip versus Downtown. Daiquiris sipped out of a replica Eiffel Tower vs. beer drunk out of a replica football. TI's sirens versus Golden Gate’s cha cha-heeled enchantments. Now, behold a rivalry that has flown directly under the radar. Deep-fried snack treats.
In one corner sits the original: Fremont Street's Mermaids and their .99 cent fried Twinkies and Oreos. In the other, a fresh-faced newcomer: the very cheekily named Fremont Street Sampler from the Palazzo’s I Love Burgers. In one single course, you’ll discover the essence of a Las Vegas visit. A fusion of over-indulgence and the abandon of common sense. Plus your chance to match wits against chemicals and calories.
Mermaids on Fremont probably isn’t the first port of call for many visitors. Even the owners don’t think so. There’s no main website and a rather motley Facebook page. A casino that’s half the size of your average sports book and mirrored to fool you into imagining the extra square footage. Outside a Flamenco-esque temptress hands out Mardi Gras beads and a ticket for a half-hourly cash prize drawing. But you’ve already been lured into the back of the joint by the promise of one dollar decadence.
The premise is simplicity itself. Take one Twinkie and three Oreos. Soak, dip, and drop in batter and fry. How many do they sell a day? A thousand, they joked. We bet that’s close.
First bite goes to the Oreo. And it is heaven. Familiar and new, meshed into one bite. The Oreo has been obliterated into something sublime.The Twinkie is far less so. The original form is so lost, it could be any old cake. Its special Twinkie-ness diminished and thwarted.
A few bites of fun. And then the trouble starts. Three Oreos and a Twinkie are a problem from the get-go. Laden with batter, this is a gastronomic crime scene. Journalistic integrity combined with intestinal fortitude meant we cleaned our paper plate. A dreadful mistake. In this instance of Man vs. Food; food won. Food destroyed. Pick a Twinkie or an Oreo. Pick them with a friend. Do not do this alone, we implore you.
On to the contender: VegasChatter’s own Mr. Pappagiorgio has waxed poetic about the charms of I Love Burgers. The place is bright, airy and filled with attractive staff. The Plymouth Pride turkey burger is a surprising highlight.
Their “borrowed” version of Mermaids snackery is $7.00. It comes on a real plate with real cutlery. Hoity-toity. It’s also gussied up with a berry and citrus sauce. The menu says, “Just Like Downtown.” Our gallery will let you compare for yourself.
By now, we know the drill. First bite to the Oreo. And you can actually tell it is still an Oreo. Disappointingly so. It could use more of a hint of strangeness. In this round, Mermaids wins.
But in the Twinkie contest, I Love Burgers dominates. The batter cradles the cake. The warmth and evil goodness of the Twinkie prevails. This is now a great dessert.
It is also too much badness for one person. Once again, people -- do not eat this all on your own. Share generously. There is no prize for finishing. And, no Mardi Gras beads this time.
Yes, you can buy these at every State Fair. But for city folk and foreign tourists, this is the type of trip into the unknown that Las Vegas loves to kick up. Downtown? Risk a dollar, buy a treat and stop after a few bites. Worth it. But if you are on the Strip with company and want to succumb to sugar madness, I Love Burgers offers a new and better way to go.
Mermaids’ snack bar on Fremont Street is open every day from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. and till 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
I Love Burgers is located at The Shoppes in The Palazzo. Open from 11am to 11pm daily and until 12am on Friday and Saturday. The Fremont Street Sampler is prominent on the menu, but our server failed to mention it when suggesting desserts. She also paused in concerned horror as we placed our order.
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