Las Vegas

Happy Friday!

I just came back from a short vacation to Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a 3 night and 4 day trip. Like any other trip, I checked the forecast for the weekend to help me pack...the average highs were in the 100F!!! I was floored because I had gone around the same time of the year before and it was much cooler.

I just wanted to share with you some parts of my vacation...warning, there will be lots of food pictures!!

We left from MIA and since we got to the airport an hour early, we chilled in the Admirals Club. Ah...nothing like free coffee and comfy chairs. Our flight was completely full and late! It was storming about an hour before our flight arrived...which delayed the previous flight that was supposed to depart our gate. Also...the air conditioning decided to break when the doors were about to close. Luckily, the technician fixed it promptly. In the end, we got delayed an hour. However, our pilot was excellent in flight and caught us up by 30 minutes! It was one of the smoothest flights I have sat in--little to no pain in ears and gentle takeoff and landing.

I forgot to take a photo of my food on the flight, but we had a delicious chicken cutlet for dinner with mixed veggies, a side salad, and a dinner roll. My little cousin and I were the last ones to receive our dinner and there were limited servings of ice cream on the flight...so the flight attendant graciously saved us the last cup! (This was one of the BEST American Airline in-flight services I had ever received!)

We arrived in Vegas around 7PM and grabbed our rental car (from Avis) and headed for the hotel. After we washed up, we went down stairs to eat a light dinner before bed. We stayed at Encore. (It's one of the newest hotels on the strip.) We ate at Society Cafe inside the hotel. The food was delicious...but we were far too tired to enjoy it! I was so tired...the pretzel bread looked amusing. (It reminded me of my puppy......if you catch my drift.)

The following morning we got a good view of the strip from our room. We lived on the 53rd floor and had a beautiful view! I got to sleep on a roll-in bed, which they placed next to the window. Ah! I would not mind waking up to a high-rise view any day!!! We went to The Buffet over at the Wynn hotel for breakfast. It's not as large as I thought it would be, but it's very clean. The buffet line consisted of seafood, American, French, and even Asian dinner choices! I had congee with dried pork...and some morning desserts...and a double shot espresso. Yes, we cannot forget about the coffee... The food was excellent. A little pricey because it was Sunday morning and only Brunch was available.

Afterward, we headed out to shop. We went to the premium outlet in downtown just for Oliver Peoples, a sunglasses shop. I was not expecting to buy anything...but I walked out with two pairs. The second pair I bought right before we left for home.

We also went to the Forum Shops (Caesars), Canal Shoppes (Venetian/Palazzo), and Coca-Cola. All of those high-end shops are scary. So many eyes watching you 'cause you stick out like a tourist! At Coca-Cola, we did the around the world tray. We tasted 16 Cola products from around the world. Let's just say..........I'm lucky I didn't get a tummy ache afterwards. My little cousin LOVED it. Later that night we dined at Wazuzu in the Encore. I had Tom Yum. Oh it was good! Originally we planned to have dinner at The Buffet, but it was PACKED.

After dinner we went to see Le Reve. It's a water and acrobatic production inside the hotel. In one word, it was "haunting." The music, atmosphere, and expression of the performers really captivated us. It also gave me heart attacks...no way can you be completely sane when you drop down from the ceiling!!!

The following morning, we ate at The Buffet again! We could not get enough of dessert in the AM hours! There are some luxury shops along the way to the restaurant, like Chanel and Hermes. I could not help my window shop...

We made reservations weeks ahead to visit Fleur by Hubert Keller. I had first seen him on Top Chef and died when I found out he had a restaurant in Vegas. I knew I HAD to try it at least once!!! I was not exactly blown away, but I wasn't disappointed either. My favorites were the corn soup (top left), scallops (top right), and foie gras (bottom right). The octopus (bottom left) was too salty and the red sauce tasted exactly like canned pasta sauce...Ragu. How can you have a foie with a cherry reduction and sorbet topping on your menu along side something that tastes like store bought pasta sauce?!

Luckily the creme brulee silenced me at the end of dinner. I had forgotten how terrible the octopus was. It was light, fluffy, and creamy. The burned sugar on top was crispy perfection. Ah! How I would LOVE to have it again!

On our final morning, we had to eat at Society Cafe again because The Buffet was packed. I guess everyone is an early riser in Vegas! Although I was disappointed, I do not regret eating at Society again. Their food is expertly prepared. I had Canadian bacon and avocado hash and fresh fruit and thick cuts of toast. Oh! By this time, I was POSITIVE I would go home with a food baby. Haha!

At Las Vegas airport, we stopped at the Centurion Lounge. Okay, I thought Admirals Club was nice...this place is poche! Food and drinks were on the house. There were sofa beds too! One day...I'll have an AmEx that opens doors like that too! (Or I'll just dream about it...)

Where did you go for vacation this summer??

<3 Debbie