A Tale of Two
Wine Bars
The Freakin' Frog, 4700 Maryland Parkway,
597-9702
Milo's Best Cellars, 538 Nevada Way, Boulder City,
702-293-9540
Las Vegas is not big on wine bars, so it is amazing that two have now sprung up
around town, all quite different in atmosphere, price and clientele--one for
hard core drinkers, and one for regular folk (with or without a few bucks to
blow).
 The Freakin' Frog is one of the biggest surprises in Las
Vegas. It's a wine and beer bar, and the beer is probably the most amazing part
of the offerings. There are well over 100 beers on the menu, practically all of
them exotic. How about Chimay, Arrogant Bastard, and Lindeman's Framboise
Lambic on tap? Prices range from the 99 cent Coors Light (has to be on the menu
for a joke), through many selections for regular beer prices (by which I mean
$6 or $7), a few $20 bottles, and the kicker, the Sam Adams 25% alcohol for
$200. The owners play movies on the wall of the ilk of Animal House and The
Blues Brothers, There's a happy hour in the afternoon where almost everything
is half price (not counting the Chimay and Framboise, unfortunately). One
Sunday a month there's a brewmaster's dinner where you will sample several
beers and have a pretty good dinner with food specially paired to the
selections. A very interesting bar if you like exotics. The seating is not the
most comfortable, though, mostly hard backless stools that make you want to
prop yourself up on the wall after a while.
 Milo's Best Cellars is the
biggest thing that has happened to Boulder City since Bob Broadbent emancipated
the town from the feds. People even come from over the Pass to spend a few
hours at this cozy, well-stocked and friendly new place. Unlike the rest of
downtown, which rolls up its sidewalks at night, you'll see people having a
good old time any evening at Milo's sidewalk tables. The wine and beer list has
new items all the time, with a good range of wines from $3.50 per glass on up.
The $3.50 house wines are even good. There is also an extensive selection of
the more exotic bottled beers - the ones you usually don't see on a menu, stuff
like La Fin Du Monde, Great White, Ace Pear Cider and Lindeman's, between $3.50
and $7. The food is very upscale bar food, including sandwiches, salads, cheese
platters and always a special or two. The wine store features a rack of
"100 bottles of wine on the wall for $10 or less," and there is very
little junk on that rack. There is a good selection of higher priced wines too,
and a selection of liquors. Wanna spend some cash? The reserve list goes up to
$180 a bottle. (Don't ask me what it is, the Arrogant Bastard is more my speed.
But you can ask Cameron, their master sommelier.) The indoor area is probably a
one-of-a-kind item in southern Nevada - a non-smoking bar! The smokers can
indulge themselves at the outside tables, though, where there are misters when
it's hot and heaters when it's cool. There's live entertainment on weekend
evenings, Ladies' Night on Wed. and P.I.G. Night (Professional Intelligent
Gentlemen) on Fri. Call to reserve a spot for wine tastings on Tuesday nights .
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