Velveteen Rabbit Open For Business, As Awesome As Everyone Hoped...

I've already professed my excitement for The Velveteen Rabbit bar in Downtown Las Vegas, in a post in which I detailed the struggles of locally raised sisters Pam and Christina Dylag to get the place on its feet. I'm happy to report that, after many delays, the crushable sister duo have opened the doors to their dream business... and it's as awesome (and already successful) as everyone hoped it would be.

I've written about many, many watering holes in Downtown that will appeal to the artsy/ hipster crowd, but the Velveteen Rabbit has them all beat. This is the place you'll want to take that cute art school girl if you finally want to make out with her. You'll be hit by the whimsical design of the place the moment you enter, which includes details like plush mismatched furniture, purposely broken mirrors, funky and colorful murals, local art, cute little sculptures located all over the place, and a wall that was burned in a fire that took place in the space years ago and left up as a design element created by nature. Many of the seats are arranged in private nooks so that patrons can have more intimate conversations (or canoodle with cute art school girls) and the well chosen music is played at levels you won't have to shout over.

The whimsically named cocktails are adventurous and creative, and made with the freshest fruits and herbs as well as top-shelf liquors. The craft beer selection, listed on a chalk board, is excellent and constantly rotating. Like everything else in the place, even the beer taps have a fun element as the bar tenders pull down sculpted hands to pour your suds. I enjoyed a reasonably priced Ballast Point Sculpin that you can only get cheaper at the brewery in San Diego, but they also had a wide variety of options for people who don't like bitter IPAs as much as I do. The Dylag sisters can often be found behind the bar mixing the drinks themselves (and adding rabbit shapes into the foam), so take the opportunity to congratulate them on a job well done (and try your hand at getting their phone numbers, though good luck with that!).

I could say more about the place, but I've already written that long post about the vision, hopes, and dreams of getting the place opened, but like a fairy tale come to life (or the versions we're used to now because the original Hans Christen Anderson and Brothers Grimm fairy tales were actually quite dark and upsetting), The Velveteen Rabbit has found its happy ending.

Now all that's left to say is... just get in there and get drinkin'!