I had lunch at Gilley’s, a restaurant in Treasure Island in Las Vegas and decided to try yet another Bloody Mary.
Spice: It had a little kick to it and a chipotle flavor.
Mix: Homemade mix
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: One olive, one lime
Price: $9
While good, this bloody was average at best!
I was very close to giving up my Bloody Mary search in Vegas and switch over to the frozen drinks that abound on every corner…to be continued.
I arrived in Vegas with a list of things to do/sights to see and on that list was to have a Bloody Mary at Hash House A-Go-Go.
Yes, I had done my homework (or so I thought), researching the Best Bloody Marys in Las Vegas. Hash House and their BLT Bloody was on several lists, so I went there first. Located near Harrah’s, I found the establishment in a relatively new building called The Quad.
Thus, I was expecting something like this:
And instead, this is what arrived:
The bartender, to his credit, could tell I was disappointed when my drink arrived. I expressed that I was expecting something different. “Oh yes, our specialty Bloodies are only available on the weekends,” he said. This was a Wednesday and I wasn’t going to have the chance to come back on the weekend.
None of the reviews I read mentioned this. The bartender knew that I was solely there for the bloody and felt bad about the mix-up, so he didn”t end up charging me for the drink, which was nice.
Here are the “stats” for this plain-jane Bloody at Hash House:
Spice: It had a little kick to it.
Mix: Homemade mix.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Lemon, 2 olives, mini pickle
Price: Unsure—no charge for the mix-up.
So far, I was 0-2 in my search for the perfect Sin City Bloody.
…To be continued.
This past week, I was in Las Vegas and decided to sample some of what Sin City has to offer.
My first Bloody was at the House of Blues, which is located in Mandalay Bay.
Spice: It had a little kick to it.
Mix: Homemade mix.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: One olive, one lime.
Price: $5 (Happy Hour Special)
I learned pretty quickly that for all the excess that Vegas is famous for, when it comes to Bloodies, the Glitter Gulch is pretty pedestrian.
This one was decent, but disappointing, so I continued on my search… to be continued.
Last week, I played golf at Morningstar in Waukesha, Wisconsin. While there, I had the chance to sample their Bloody Mary.
Spice: It had a little kick to it.
Mix: Unsure, but they used bacon-infused vodka
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Pickle, Two Olives
Price: Unknown
Although the photo does not do it justice because it was made in a to-go cup, this Bloody was pretty decent, but nothing special.
Last Saturday, I attended the East Town Association’s Heat it Up Event, a Bloody Mary & Chili tasting at Cathedral Square Park in downtown Milwaukee. I had first attended this event last year and this year did not disappoint.
Location:
Heat It Up takes place in a fenced in area in Cathedral Square Park. Each establishment has a table under a tent and participants line up in front of each one to claim their samples. You don’t get to experience the actual atmosphere of the restaurant (and they don’t get the benefit of you potentially buying additional food/beverage), but it’s much easier on the participant. You maximize your tasting time and you’re surrounded solely by people who share your passion.
Price/Samples:
Heat It Up went up in price to $25 this year, but for that price, you UNLIMITED get samples of 19 different Bloodies and 13 chilis.
Heat it Up offers the awesome combination of Bloody Marys AND chili.The samples are ample-sized and, even though only one place offered a beer chaser, excellent. In my opinion, they are a fair representation of each establishment’s actual Bloody….BECAUSE THEY ALLOW ACCOUTREMENTS (unlike the Tomato Romp).
Voting/Winners:
Each participant is allowed to vote for one chili and one bloody mary. Thus, the announced winners were as follows:
1st Place Chili – Nines at the River Club
2nd Place Chili – Burke’s Irish Castle
3rd Place Chili- Maxies Southern Comfort
1st Place Bloody Mary – Miller Time Pub*
2nd Place Bloody Mary – Camp Bar
3rd Place Bloody Mary -Buckley’s Restaurant & Bar
*Also got my vote!
I didn’t make it to each place, so I’ll give you a few highlights of the Bloodies that stood out in my mind:
1) The No.1 Bloody, from Miller Time pub (pictured top left row, above), was my favorite as well. A beefstick, shrimp and jalapeno popper among other items make this a meal in itself.
2) Burke’s Irish Castle (pictured middle right), was made with tomatillos and Irish Whiskey. Definitely different and not half bad!
3) McBob’s (bottom left) also used Irish Whiskey. This popular late night Reuben joint also includes a mini reuben in its Bloody.
4) Millioke (not pictured) used a “pizza flavored” Bloody Mary mix. They had a piece of cheese, pepperoni and an olive as fixin’s, plus a sprinkle or Parmesan. Different for sure— and very good.
5) Blue Jacket (not pictured) used gin and bitters. I’m not a fan of gin, so I definitely didn’t gravitate toward this one, though I gave it the old college try.
This event is an incredible deal and was sold out again this year. I highly encourage you to check it out next year—and to stop in to each of these establishments to do you own tastings in the meantime!
Yesterday, instead of heading down to the East Side for the Tomato Romp like I have for the past few years, I decided to head to East Tosa for a new event instead—the Bloody Mary Throwdown.
The Bloody Mary Throwdown is a Bloody Mary competition designed to crown the best Bloody in East Tosa and was added as part of the “Chili’n on the Avenue” chili cookoff event, which typically takes place in July. However, this year, since East Tosa hosted the Gran Prix event, the Chili’n event was pushed back (and I actually think it works much better in September—who wants to eat chili in July?!) and they added some new elements, including the throwdown.
For $5, participants could purchase a 5oz Bloody Mary at each of four participating establishments and rate them on various characteristics. 
Here are my notes on each:
Of the four places, Sherbrooke was the only one where I had previously enjoyed a Bloody Mary. Known for their Canadian fare (we also enjoyed poutine while there), this Bloody Canuck was made using a basil garlic infused vodka and included a pickle, lemon, lime, olive and smoked mozzarella. I thought this was a solid bloody overall, but it was not my personal favorite on the day. My companions, however, liked this one the best.
(Note the bar is covered in pennies—good trivia question: It is made of $182 worth if you’re wondering!)
Also: We ended up back at Sherbrooke later in the day, where I tried another variety of Bloody—the bacon horseradish. It is named for the infused vodka and sadly, did not actually include bacon.
2) Bel Air Cantina (Bel Air Mary)
Bel Air Cantina is a new Mexican restaurant in East Tosa and a very popular joint thanks to their $2 tacos on Tuesdays & Thursdays. I’ve always enjoyed their margaritas, but never a Bloody Mary.
Theirs was made with tequila instead of vodka, technically making it a Bloody Maria. It was also made with “sangrita,” a special mixture of tomato juice, orange juice and other flavorings (not to be confused with sangria!).
For a garnish, there was chorizo, lemon, lime, an olive, jalapeno and cheese.
This was definitely a unique Bloody Mary, but I was not a fan of the tequila.
3) Il Mito (Chili Infusion)
Il Mito is an Italian restaurant in Tosa and as such, this Bloody had an Italian flair—it was made with a mixture of red pepper and cucumber infused vodkas and included a garnish of smoked mozzarella and a grilled brussels sprout. It was yummy, but not my favorite.
4) Cranky Al’s (Bloody Buddy)
Cranky Al’s, the donut shop by morning and pizza parlor by night establishment, was the most surprising to me—maybe because I wasn’t even aware they had a liquor license. Despite a bad start (the bartender accidentally forgot the tomato juice at first!), this ended up being my favorite. It came with a lemon, lime and slice of bacon and had a spicy/sweet flavor—much like a BBQ potato chip.
After casting our votes, we were entered into a drawing to win various prizes. Then, we headed over to the chili and salsa competition for some more fun with tomatoes.
All in all, it was a really fun day/event, but we didn’t get to see the results of the competition. In case you’re wondering, Sherbooke was crowned the Bloody victor.
I’m hoping they will keep the throwdown as part of the Chili’n event in the future—maybe Walter’s or Juniper 61 will join in—or maybe they will let civilians enter like they do for the chili aspect!
I’m also hoping they will consider making this a fall event anually. I thought this was the perfect time of year and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.
Kudos to the committee for pulling off such a fun event!
Cheers!
PS-My real favorite Bloody of the day didn’t come from the event—we kicked off the morning with some awesome Bloodies made by my friend Sarah:
Instead of heading to the Tomato Romp, I decided to check out a new addition to the Chilin’ on the Avenue in Tosa event-the “Bloody Mary Throw Down.” Stay tuned for a review!
This Saturday is the 7th annual Tomato Romp on Milwaukee’s east side.
Sample Bloody Marys and/or join in the Tomato Fight or, new this year, the Tomato Chomp, a chance to sample small plates at nearby restaurants.
Last year’s review can be found here.
You know where to find me- at the Bloody Mary competition! Look for an updated review to come!
While in North Carolina, I was checking out the Main Street in Highlands and was told they had just gotten a new pub called the Ugly Dog. We checked it out and it’s a very cute little place with a fun vibe. Of course, I had to try the Bloody!
Spice: Not very.
Mix: Unsure
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Lime and two olives
Price: Unknown
This Bloody was good, but nothing special. In a small town like this where you’re basically the only bar, you could really stand out/make a name for yourself by adding some fixin’s or something unique. Next time I’m in town, I’m expecting more from you, Ugly Dog!
While in Georgia, I was fortunate enough to dine at a relatively new restaurant called Due South in Peachtree City. Known for their unique spin on Southern cuisine, this Bloody did not disappoint.
Spice: It had a little kick to it.
Mix: Unsure, but they used bacon-infused vodka
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Celery, Shrimp, Olive, Okra, Lime
Price: $9.50
This Bloody was very good and I liked the Southern flare (especially the mason jar—nice touch!), but pretty pricey in my opinion. I’d definitely return to this establishment again and it’s something you should check out if you’re in the area.
