I am proud to introduce a new periodic feature to the Vegas4Visitors called "The Locals' View."

Most of the time, I focus on stuff tourists want to do. After all, my site is called Vegas4Visitors, not Vegas4PeopleWhoLiveThere.

But there are things to be learned from knowing what the locals do that you folks who visit might not necessarily know about. You might enjoy them if you feel like getting away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip.

I couldn't think of a better place to start than PT's Pubs.

If you've driven around town at all and managed to not be distracted by the neon and endless Strip malls, you've surely seen the signs: PT's Pub, PT's Place and PT's Gold, a chain of small restaurant/bar/casinos around town. There are more than two dozen of them around the Las Vegas Valley, with more on the way.

All are part of the Golden Tavern Group, and the PT comes from the names of the originators.

Pubs, Places and Golds are differentiated by size and amenities. Pubs are usually modestly sized local establishments, Places are a little bigger, and the Golds are the largest and newest of the bunch.

Each of the Golds has its own decorative theme. For instance, one location on the far west side of town has lots of pictures of old Las Vegas, while the Gold on Sunset near the airport has vintage airplane-related memorabilia.

Each has a full menu of food items, from appetizers to pizza to sandwiches to steaks and beyond. The fare is mostly of the stick-to-your ribs variety, although they do have a few salads if you're pretending to be on a diet while on vacation.

Everything is very reasonably priced. It's easy to get out of there for under $10 per person for lunch, although if you go crazy with the appetizers and the beer you're going to go over that. Full dinners are more expensive, but I only saw one thing over $20 on the menu, so that's still a good deal compared to restaurants on the Strip.

Did I say beer? Right ... the Pub part is all about the signature Sierra Gold draft beer. If you're an aficionado, you have to try this stuff. Even if you don't want to branch out, they have full bars with all the bells and whistles.

One of the most convenient for visitors is the PT's Gold on Sunset Boulevard, near the airport. Sunset is the street running east and west on the southern edge of the airport. Go south on Las Vegas Blvd. and turn left just past the airport. Go east for about a mile and PT's will be on the right side. Saturdays and Sundays are usually quiet during the day, while weekday lunchtimes can be very busy. It's a great place to sit by the windows watching the planes take off and land while enjoying a Sierra Gold and appetizers.

You can view the full menu at GoldenTavernGroup.com. The Web site also will tell you where to find each of the PT's outlets.

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In Next Week's Column

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