KyleB wrote:
what's the lay of the land around Taormina like food and sites ? i know it's not far from the monger spots but looking to do something new this visit.
You're just a block north of Zona II and the new Little Havana, and right across the street from Dunn Inn, which has decent food. It's maybe a minute or two farther from the HDR than the SL. I don't get downtown too often, but I did get a chance to drop by Taormina a couple of weeks ago. Very impressed with what they've done on the ground floor. Not too many people -- maybe 4 or 5 girls hanging out at the bar and maybe 7 customers in the casino. All personnel were very friendly. I even took about $500 from their blackjack table, which I'm sure I'll give back on my next visit. It looked like the restaurant was open but I didn't try it. At any rate, there are plenty of nearby options for food -- all within walking distance or a 1K taxi ride.
The only thing I don't like about Taormina is that it's at just about the lowest point of the Gulch, which means practically everywhere is an uphill walk. Of course, that means that coming "home" is always a downhill walk. I'd probably take a taxi to everywhere (except Zona and HLH, because they're so close), and walk back unless it's late at night.