One of my WA state BFFs and I hit Vegas for the weekend. Our goal was to track down good food. This is the place for sure!
When I lived in WA, Heidi and I used to watch “Top Chef” together. Now, we just text each other about the show. We spent more time planning where we would eat than anything else!
DAY ONE
Sunrise flight in to Vegas resulted in some amazing views of the sun, the mountains, and the city….
The Vegas properties lavishly decorate their lobbies. This season’s theme was “Chinese New Year: the year of the Rooster”. We tried to take a selfie photo of us whenever we saw a rooster display….Bellagio’s display was amazing. The lower left and lower middle is a part of Bellagio’s display.
Cesar Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet! All you can eat madness. I lost count of how many stations they had. We did not even scratch the surface before we had to tap out.
Top left photo- one of the many lighting displays they have. This is a chandelier made up of drinking glasses.
Top right: the best lobster bisque I have ever experienced.
Middle left: The cold seafood station
Middle middle: I call this my ‘brown plate’- mushroom bisque, biscuits and gravy, sautéed mushrooms
Middle right: The dessert station. Just a sampling of what they offered.
Lower left: Asian station
Lower right: More unique lighting
We stayed at the Westin Las Vegas. While not on the strip, it was very close. We walked a ton, but managed to easily catch Taxi/Uber/Lyft when necessary. This is the day view from our room, and the early evening view…
Walking around Vegas…
Top left: one of the little side alleys that contained restaurants, bars, and retail shops.
Top right: Ceasar’s Palace shopping. This is all indoors, but made to look like it is an outdoor ancient roman/grecian city.
Lower left: another Chinese themed display in one of the shopping malls we walked.
Lower middle and right: Refreshments at the Mirage. We bought some 80’s glasses for fun.
The Wynn Las Vegas is magnificent. I want to return to Vegas just to stay at this property and do everything they have to offer. The decor is classy, but whimsical. We ate at a place that offered small plates. It was perfect because we were still working off our buffet. We ate at La Cave. As you enter, you feel like you are going down into a cave, but then the hostess took us out onto a beautiful patio that overlooked the property pool and gardens.
Top left- a display in the lobby. The parasols lower and raise slowly.
Top right- La Cave wine flight
Lower left – the view from our table
Middle – Caesar Salad
Lower right – Bacon wrapped figs with blue cheese dipping sauce
After our small plate sampling, we took Uber to “downtown Vegas/Fremont”area…
Top left and middle: views looking up at the ceiling of the Fremont Street Experience. This is an outdoor mall that is covered with videos overhead, and ziplines where people fly over you! Kiosk vendors and performance artists come at you from all directions. It’s fun, but a little overwhelming. I never felt unsafe, but with all the distraction, I can imagine this is a ripe place for pickpockets.
Top right: The Fremont East sign. Facing the sign, our back was to the Fremont Street Experience. We walked down this street and passed the sign. The street was quieter, and there were some neat old Vegas style restaurant and lounges. We went into Commonwealth, a speakeasy bar with a rooftop patio and live music. There is a private bar where you needed the password to get in. They even had restroom attendants! We hung out inside for a while, then moved up to the patio and listened to music. They had three artists painting up there as well! The two small photos in the middle are inside the bar.
A couple blocks continuing down the street…
Lower left and two small photos on bottom – Downtown Container Park – shopping and restaurants all contained within shipping containers! The mechanical praying mantis greets you at the entrance and moves and shoots fire out of it’s antennae, playing really loud music at random times. It startled me! The lower right is a piece of art at the entrance. A heart made of locks.
Uber back to the Strip and we stopped for some late night bites at Hexx in the Paris hotel… chocolate martini, candied bacon with maple glaze, and pomme frites (french fries)
DAY TWO
Breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris Hotel. It’s like we were at a cafe in the real Paris. I had a chicken, green apple, and brie crepe. My juice was strawberry puree, white grape juice, and fresh mint.
Walking the Strip…
Upper left- the Strip has a few crosswalks, but most are pedestrian walkways that go over the street. This is a smart and safe move for the city. Add all the interior passageways that connect the hotels, you can navigate the Strip quickly and safely.
We had a little snack at Jean Philippe in the Bellagio. The remaining three photos in this collage shows their chocolate fountain and someone making a crepe…
More exploring…
Inside the Cosmopolitan hotel is a really cool bar called The Chandelier. It is multiple floors, in the middle, in the open, surrounded by other bars and restaurants. It is separated by multiple strands of crystal like beads, resembling a chandelier. We just took photos and moved on.
Did not eat at Eggslut, but could not resist getting a photo…
…same with Gordon Ramsay’s BurGR. We did not eat here, and this photo does not do his sign justice. This is a huge, live fire display behind glass…
I don’t recall where the huge canoe art display was. Outside of Vdara hotel maybe?
Took a break and snacked on chips and guacamole at Cabo Wabo; watched the people pass by…
Dinner. Bucket list dinner. We managed to get reservations for Fleur by Huber Keller, located in the Mandalay Bay hotel. Heidi and I both decided that if we had to die after this meal, that would be OK. We ordered the four course tasting menu with wine pairing. (But, really, it was five courses when you add the dessert, and each course had 2-3 items….)
Upper left – not in Fleur, but near it. This is the famous wine tower in Charlie Palmer’s Aureole. “Wine angels” are hooked to harnesses and are raised and lowered to retrieve wines. I did not catch a photo, but there is plenty of video on YouTube if you want to see it in action.
The remaining photos capture our Fleur experience in its entirety…
Before going to Fleur, we stopped in Minus 5, a literal ice bar. Yes, you had to pay to get in. No, you cannot take photos (they make you lock up your purse, phone, etc.). Yes, they are happy to sell you the photo they take of you. It is a room with ice art on the wall, ice furniture, ice sculptures. The drinks are served in ice shaped like a glass. It’s worth it just for the unique experience, but it will cost you 🙂
After Fleur, we headed over to the Tropicana for a little slot machine and a late night comedy show at the Laugh Factory. It was a rough night for comedy. A really rough night. I don’t recall the names of the three comedians. Kudos to them for getting out there though. It’s got to be tough. No photos allowed of the talent.
DAY THREE
Sigh. Our final day…
Yet another amazing meal. Brunch at Border Grill, in the Mandalay Bay hotel. The owners, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger were both on “Top Chef Masters”. The brunch is comprised of a large menu of small plates. It’s unlimited. The menu was too large to earn everything, but we both enjoyed what we had, immensely. 
More exploring along the Strip. Found this fabulous coffee shop at the
Monte Carlo hotel. I loved the decor, ambience, coffee, staff, all of it. Sambalatte.
Shopping at the Venetian/Palazzo. Again, shopping that is all indoors yet made to look lie you are outside. This is made to look like you are in Venice, Italy. you can ride gondolas all over…
Took a break at a neat bar called The Dorsey. Then, a light dinner at Morels. We sat at the bar and had great conversation with the two bartenders. A late flight out and back to reality.
