The episode wherein I am alternately dismayed and pleased in Wendover, NV

You can probably tell, that in my own special (probably short bus "special") way, I try to "carpe" as much of the "diem" as I can, no matter where I am. So, when I found myself in Wendover (one of the holiest holes I have been to), I was concerned. I wasn't in the mood for mass produced "home cookin'" as I often find in crummy casinos. The restaurant advertised as the cat's meow in Wendover was conveniently closed while I was in town. So, I walked over the skywalk from the Montego Bay to the Wendover Golden Nugget to see what I could find.

What I found, looked like a casino that was totally closed down. The lights were off and there was not a soul to be found. I went down the stairs and found that the gaming area at least had a few patrons, but it was quiet -- too quiet.

I went to the Steakhouse at the Wendover Golden Nugget and saw Alligator, Ostrich, and other wild game items on the menu and saw some "diem" that needed "carpe"ing. Oddly enough, the "noone is here" ambience continued into the steakhouse. I was the only one there when I arrived and I was the only one there when I left (and no, noone came in between either).

Suffice it to say, I was a bit nervous. I ordered an appetizer, after confirming the restaurant was open, and asked what was better, the alligator or the ostrich. I was told the alligator was a bit tough, so I ordered the ostrich. The waitress returned with a warm basket, covered in a napkin, that was the traditional pre-salad bread. I lifted the napkin carefully, as though I was about to ID a corpse, and discovered this burnt, overwarmed roll. Things were not looking good.

I mentioned the appetizer, right?  I ordered the carpaccio.  I don't know that I have ever had it before, so I can't compare this with any I have had.  However, the presentation was horrible.  "What have I done?" was my first thought upon being presented with this raw mound of meat and mustard sauce.  It turns out, the dome of meat is actually hollow.  It is a bunch of spinach leaves underneath with just one layer of thin sliced filet.  It actually tasted okay.

I have a pic of the salad, because it was a pleasant surprise.  Everything tasted fresh, and the fact that the cherry tomatoes were cut in half, made me eat them (since I didn't have to fear any tomato explosions) and they were quite delicious.  

So, how about that Ostrich.  I was a bit concerned when the asked how I wanted it prepared (rare, medium, etc.).  I ordered it medium, hoping the rules for cooking ostrich were different from those governing chicken.  In fact, it looked and tasted much like red meat.  The texture was a bit smoother than beef, was quite tender and had decent flavor.  At least, the meat itself did.  The sauce was a weird over-garlic-ed sauce that was both too strong in the garlic department and too weak everywhere else.  Overall, not a bad experience for my first ostrich dish.  I also have to say, the broccoli was very nice (obviously freshly and deliberately prepared) and the steak fries showed a commendable amount of restraint in the manner of their cooking and the quantity served.

Overall, it was a good restaurant.  While it is hard to separate the restaurant from its depressing surroundings (I'm sorry Wendover, I just don't like you), the food wasn't bad, and it was hard to hold it against them in light of their efforts.