DINING: A guide to good beer

  You might think the “Good Beer Guide: West Coast USA” would reveal a few secrets about beer in Las Vegas. But — at least as far as residents or frequent visitors are concerned — you'd be wrong.
  Which is not to say the guidebook-type publication, which covers Alaska and Hawaii in addition to Las Vegas, isn't an enjoyable tour of Our Fair City's breweries, brewpubs, beer bars, casino bars, English/Irish bars and restaurants. It's just that there are no surprises here. The “beer and food” section, for example, lists Burger Bar, Cafe Heidelberg, the Hofbrauhaus and Rosemary's Restaurant. (The latter may be a bit of a surprise for the uninitiated, but they've done beer pairings and beer dinners for a while now.) And for some reason they omit J.C. Wooloughan's (at the J.W. Marriott), which is an Irish bar if ever I've seen one.
  The authors are Brits, which means if you're an American reader there are some things that will be lost in translation (like the “beer and sarnie” reference). Aside from that, it's an enjoyable read, if not an educational one.