Go now: Las Vegas

10:12 AM, June 14, 2011 ι Andy Wang

Five reasons to hit Sin City this summer — and none of them are on the Strip:

 

1. Swim with card sharks

If the $10,000 main event, which starts on July 7 at the Rio, is too rich for you, try to win your way in with satellites that start at $75. Daily tournaments starting at $1,000 give you a chance to win a coveted World Series bracelet, or take a shot at one of the cash games.

 

2. Dance with the world’s top DJs

Ready to sweat? Tiesto, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Paul Oakenfold, the Crystal Method and Steve Aoki will be among those waiting for you at the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on June 24-26.

 

3. Hit a high score

The Fremont East area downtown, with cool indie bars including the Griffin and Downtown Cocktail Room, is where you’ll find the new Insert Coins Las Vegas. It’s a video arcade/nightclub — yes, gaming geeks meets bottle service — where you can try to score with local hotties while showing off both your old-school (Colecovision!) and new-school joystick skills.

 

4. Can you say kaiseki?

Raku, the Spring Mountain Road robatayaki that’s the best Japanese restaurant in town, keeps getting better and more ambitious. Now it has a kaiseki tasting menu, starting at $100 for 10 courses. Call at least three days in advance.

 

5. Wine down in Summerlin

Marche Bacchus, an already solid waterfront bistro and market in the charming Summerlin area, recently hired Alex Stratta (yes, the man whose two-Michelin-star restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas bizarrely closed this year) as a consultant. Joe Swan, who cooked at Alex, is now Marche Bacchus’ chef de cuisine. Expect some serious wine pairings.