Bill's Gambling Hall Player's Club?

Quote: blount2000

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Harrah's purchased Barbary Coast (and renamed it) when the opportunity arose,

In this photo, you can see Bally's to the left, the top of Belagio, the top of Caesars, Flamigo to the right, and the monorail behind the strip mall. In the space between this casino's roof and the monorail, in front of Caesars, you can see a slice of Bill's.

The stores in the picture looked kind of familiar to me, and I finally realized that there is an Italian restaurant located just to the right out of view that I've eaten at a couple of times (2004 & 2007). It's called Battista's Hole in the Wall. I remember the food tasting pretty good when I was there.

Battista's somehow became a staple for Vegas trips among my buddies. I think it stemmed from the fact that, for the Vegas strip, it's a reasonable value, and we all started going there when we had no money. For less than $40 (less than $30 for some entrees, I believe) including tax and tip, you get soup/salad (great salad, imo), garlic bread, entree with pasta and creamed spinach, all you can drink house wine (tastes slightly better than vinegar...slightly), and a dessert "cappuccino" that tastes really sugary like the old 7-11 cappuccinos.

I've had a couple meals there that didn't impress me (Chicken Rio and Steak Pizzaiola come to mind, though my brother really liked this one when he went), so I generally stick with the Chicken Parmesan -- it's a giant 10 oz. piece and always tastes great. Everyone I have recommended to visit has enjoyed it and those who heeded my advice on the chick parm were pleased. My dad also said the eggplant parmesan was great. One other tip: ask for the spaghetti instead of the penne pasta, which is their default. The penne often seems under/overcooked and/or like it has been sitting out for a few minutes. I don't want to highjack this post, so if anyone has questions about the restaurant, they have a website or I'd be happy to answer them. And no, I am in no way affiliated with their restaurant.

Battista's is a great place, and Gordie, the accordion player, (saw him last Sept, so I hope he's around this Sept.) still will take requests. If you don't have anything in mind, you might get that old Italian restaurant standard "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".

A comment on another thread: the VP in Bill's is much worse than any Caesars property, so don't bother.