So, our latest trip to Vegas was quite the affair. We had a heady, ambitious trip planned, the hallmark of which was three different hotels in four nights. This proved to be not the ideal situation, but we also only spent about $350 total on hotel rooms, which, especially during the beginning of a humongous convention, was pretty darn good.
Let’s divide this into categories, because I don’t much feel like doing a true chronological narrative.
Hotels
Our first two nights were at Flamingo, where we had stayed before. I checked in using my Diamond access, and I also tried the $20 trick. The $20 got us a room facing the Strip on the floor below the top floor, which turned out to be fairly large for that reason.
However, this was not a newly renovated room or floor, so the furnishings were a bit tired. That being said, it was a good room, with a great view, and definitely met our needs. The Flamingo itself remains the same: not very interesting, few if any restaurants worth trying, poor video poker, but a location that really can’t be beat. Rick has stayed there three times now, and lamented that it means it’s his home casino — he could do worse.
Our third night was at Wynn, on a deal Rick got through email — $129 with $100 of slot credit. As I believe I wrote to Donna, I want to live there. I just love the aesthetic — deep colors, over-the-top cornices and flourishes, good art — and the room is also just very large. We were able to swing another Strip view, though this one slightly less interesting, but it still made for a nice place to sit and eat a little breakfast the morning of our departure.
We gave them a little play, so I hope he continues to get offers, because I would love to make this our home casino.
Our fourth night was at Fitzgerald’s downtown. I got us a $80 room off Vegas.com, which was something of a steal, since that night was the first real night of the huge construction convention in town, and rooms on the Strip were going for upwards of $500. Yeah, no. We had heard decent things about the Fitz, and we wanted to stay either downtown or off-strip, so this seemed like a good option. It didn’t really disappoint. The room was worn, but still pretty decent.
The notoriously slow elevators lived up to their billing, but we got on one because we were on one of the top floors (it was still annoying though, as after it was full after the 20th floor it kept stopping at almost any floor and we had to say no to the sad people waiting through their third or fourth elevator. However, perfectly able-bodied people on the third and fourth floors got no sympathy from me). I don’t know, with all the options available, if we would stay there again, but it sufficed.
Overall, three hotels in four nights was too much. The checking in and checking out didn’t really annoy us; it was more the literal living out of a suitcase and not having a home that got tiresome. I think we’d do two in four nights, but three in that span is just too much. Good stays though.
Food and Drink
We had initially made a reservation at Okada at Wynn for our “special” meal, but John and Angel suggested Carnevino at Palazzo for our first night, and we thought that sounded wonderful. The room is interestingly shaped, as it has a narrow bar (at which we sat and I had a barkeep-concocted drink after I requested something with Campari, and he used something else that was Campari-like with various other things — it was wonderful:
) that then opens into a large open dining room. It was a nice setting, and we were seated next to a window that looked out onto Wynn across the street. The bread came with some wonderful butter and something that was described as a pork-based lard sort of spread.
I think you can tell which was which by how much we (OK, I) used. That was followed by appetizers, which included my little Gorgonzola Dolce “Sformata,” that accompanied a pear and endive salad, Rick’s Beef Carpaccio, and John and Angel’s “Affetati Misti,” a selection of meats, peppers, and, of course, lard.
All were wonderful (though Angel and John didn’t feel so hot afterwards; perhaps the lardo didn’t agree with them as it did me). Strangely, I was the only one who actually got meat: I chose the petit filet mignon, accompanied by a gorgonzola marscapone sauce (duh), while Rick had the gnocchi bolognese (and I can’t remember what John and Angel had — I think there was a special involved).
Again, everything was wonderful. The meal was of course outrageously expensive (I think around $100/person), but I think it was worth it. It didn’t rank on my top 5 of all time like Bradley Ogden at Caesars does, but it was very good. The service started oddly (some child attempted to tell us the specials, and then was summarily dispatched in favor of someone with a clue), but hit its stride; it also featured the first of two gay waiters who were perhaps overly comfortable with fellow family members (there was much sass that I enjoyed but almost crossed the line). Overall, thumbs up on Carnevino, and it gives me some motivation to give Batali another chance after a less-than-wonderful experience at Babbo in NYC.
The next morning, Rick and I went to the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood for Sunday Champagne Brunch. We’d heard good things about this buffet for a while, and we were not disappointed: great selection, roundly wonderful quality, some damn fine bacon (applewood smoked, natch), and a lovely stuffed pork loin. Also, it was a good deal: just over $50 for the two of us, which included unlimited champagne.
Having stuffed ourselves at brunch, we decided to go light for dinner and met John and Angel for drinks at the bar at Guy Savoy. Someday I will eat here for dinner, as well as at Joel Robuchon. This is when I win the Powerball. For our four glasses of wine and a cheese plate, the bill went to $200 — John’s glass of champagne hit the $45 mark. A bit ridiculous, but nice.
The next morning we met John and Angel at the Paris breakfast buffet, where we fast-forwarded using my Diamond status and had a fine but unspectacular breakfast. This used to be a destination, but now it’s just convenient, which is too bad. For dinner, we ate at Red 8 at Wynn, a casual (for them) Chinese place, where I just had a plate of tempura and Rick some steamed vegetables, while John and Angel had fried rice. It was good tempura, and a nice setting; nothing to really be dramatically gaga over, but quality food at not horrible prices.
Speaking of horrible prices, the next morning, I hopped down to the cafe at Wynn to grab bagels, a fruit cup, two waters, and a coffee . . . for $30. OK then. Note to self: bulk up before going to Wynn. Downtown that night, we had a slightly surprisingly good meal at Roberta’s at the once-sketchy and now charming El Cortez. We had a coupon, so dinner was a good deal for salad and meat (again a filet mignon for me, while Rick had sea bass).
Oh, drink: we of course had our spiked lemonades from the kiosk outside Caesars, one of the best things on the Strip.
They’re slightly expensive (running $8.50 for 24oz.), but they are chockful of alcohol and plenty yummy. They are guaranteed to give you a buzz. We also enjoyed many cocktails at the Diamond Lounges (if you don’t know, one of the perks of my status with Harrah’s is to be able to visit these places with bars and some snacks in the Harrah’s properties — gratis. This perk ends this month though, so sadness overwhelms), including an invented drink at Harrah’s called a Purple Alaskan Thunderfucker (it involved some Jack Daniels, but I can’t remember anything else) and a oatmeal cookie “martini” at Caesars (not a drink I need to have again, but it was fun). While gambling, it was a lot of gin and tonics for me this trip, while Rick stuck to rum and diet coke. It was all good, and I refrained from the enormous frozen drinks downtown this trip — saving me from Slurpee headaches and drunken embarrassment.
OK, that’s enough for now. What’s left? Well, here’s something to tease you: “Leon, April, and Loretta.” Oh, the mind boggles.
