Nikki Key - Louisville actress, host, web video, spokesperson

Throughout all my travels I have amassed a list of favorites:  restaurants, hotels, fun locations on the town, and activities.  However, there is one spot on my list that is a "must do" every time I am in Las Vegas and that is a stop for dinner at Battista's Hole in the Wall.  I make it to Vegas at least once a year and this Italian restaurant always makes the list!  What keeps me coming back for more year after year is the character of this unpretentious place and a tiny, perhaps 4' 10" older gentleman named Gordy!

Battista's entrees come with salad or soup, garlic bread, red and white wine for the table, and a cappuccino for dessert.  The menu's are posted on the wall and the restaurant offers about 20 different dishes.  I typically go for the chicken parmigiana, but always sample the entrees my friends order!  Battista's Hole in the Wall is located right off the Vegas strip behind Bally's.  If you're planning on dinner after 7pm I would call ahead for reservations.  While I enjoy the family tradition and old Vegas ambience of Battista's, the highlight for me is Gordy!  Gordy has been a mainstay at Battista's for many years.  He makes his rounds through the restaurant, accordian in hand, crooning favorite songs of the past.  As he visits your table he'll ask, "Where you guys from?"  to which we always reply, "We're from where your wife is from!"  A huge grin spreads across his face as he exclaims, "You know where my wife is from!?!" and he starts to serenade us with "My Old Kentucky Home."  It's these little things in life that I enjoy and it's not an official trip to Vegas without seeing Gordy and hearing him sing to us! 

Now if you're looking for a fine Italian dining experience, there are plenty of places on and off the Vegas strip.  While Battista's does not fit this category, it offers a good meal for a great value and the character and history of the restaurant is hard to beat in Vegas. Visit Battiasta's for the step back to the Rat Pack days of Vegas and to see Gordy.  I liken Battista's to my grandmother's meatloaf - warm, comforting, sprinkled with love, and familiar.  So the next time you're in Vegas, make sure you plan on dinner one evening at Battista's Hole in the Wall.  It's a fun dining experience that will keep you coming back for more visit after visit.