Let's talk about where to eat once you're actually in town after the day's ride into Sin City. The bike's in the hotel lot, cooling down on the kickstand, you've checked into your hotel in downtown, and you're so hungry your boots are starting to smell tasty. Rather than throwing hot sauce on your foot leather, here are some of my favorite joints in Downtown Las Vegas to kill your hunger and save your boots.
Some of the best pizza in Sin City is right near the Bikefest action in downtown. Eleven-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani poured all of his pizzeria Kung Fu into Pizza Rock's menu. Pizza Rock packs more than great artisanal gourmet pie, though. Tony's business partners, George Karpaty and Trevor Hewitt, brought a nightlife vibe to the place. The bar selection is an adventure in itself. What surprised me the first time I came here was the Acoustic Brunch. All of the brunch dishes have Italian cooking interwoven into their DNA, from the Pizza Rock Poached Eggs (crispy pancetta and hollandaise on toasted focaccia) to the Double Sausage and Egg Pizza (mozzarella, Wisconsin cheddar, sliced Italian and Calabrese sausage, scrambled eggs, green onion, and spicy Calabrese peppers). I like to hit the Mob Museum after brunch.
This is where some of the competition barbecue guys used to eat during the World Food Championships when it was held in Las Vegas. Big Ern's is a short stroll (or long drunken stumble) down Fremont Street and tucked inside a shipping container mall with a giant preying mantis outside. Yep, it's in a shopping center made out of freight shipping containers. There's not much room inside the place (it is, after all, inside a shipping container) but the barbecue has just enough smoke to enhance the flavor of the meat instead of overpowering it. The brisket sandwich is my favorite.
Not only is it the best name in doughnut shop history, O-Face beats Krispy Kreme like it owes them money when it comes to freshness. Everything in each doughnut is made fresh daily, including the fillings. Although the place carries great traditional rings of yummy, riding is an adventure; so is eating. O-Face's specialty doughnuts are exactly that. Maple Bacon, PB&J, and Mexican Chocolate with Horchata Pudding are some of the more ambitious ones.