Las Vegas Favorites
In just three years, I spent about sixteen weeks in Las Vegas. It became my home away from home. During that time, I managed to see and do an awful lot, and have formed a lot of opinions about what's good and what's not. It wouldn't be fair to call my choices the best, since I haven't experienced everything Las Vegas has to offer. Instead, I'll call them my favorites. Here they are.
Almost everything here is covered in greater detail by one or more of my trip reports.
Hotel
· Wynn Las Vegas. I've only been to a few hotels in Las Vegas, so this is hardly an authoritative opinion...but Wynn is the best! The standard rooms are huge, with 10 foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, and the beds are divine. Wynn's restaurants are, overall, the best of any hotel in Vegas. Its casino is bright and airy, and the dealers are fun.
Restaurants
· Joël Robuchon at The Mansion (MGM Grand). If money is truly no object, you owe it to yourself to go here. Some of the superlatives from reviewers: the best restaurant in Las Vegas; one of the best restaurants in the United States; one of the best French restaurants in the world, outside of France. Its 16 course tasting menu consists of dishes that are as beautifully presented as they are tasty. Oh yeah, about the money is no object thing: the sixteen course tasting menu runs $350, plus wine and tip.
· Bar Charlie (Part of Restaurant Charlie; Palazzo). Bar Charlie offers a wonderful 14 course Japanese inspired meal. The food is excellent the atmosphere serene, and the service informal but very attentive. Super expensive but a real treat.
· Guy Savoy (Caesars). Another French food god opens a restaurant in Las Vegas. I didn't enjoy this meal quite as much as at Joël Robuchon at The Mansion, but it was still great.
· Alex (Wynn Las Vegas). Alex and Picasso are frequently mentioned in the same breath. There's a reason for that. Chef Alex Stratta, formerly of Renoir, mans the kitchen, and does a great job.
· L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (MGM Grand). It's hard to believe this place could be so good right out of the gate. Since the day it opened, food and service have been superior. It isn't quite as good as Joël Robuchon at The Mansion - but it's only about one third the price. It's also the least formal among my favorites.
· Picasso (Bellagio). By Las Vegas standards, this is an old timer. It set a new standard when it first opened, and still is one of the best places in town. It combines excellent food, a beautiful view of Bellagio's fountains, great art, tons of fresh flowers, and quality service.
Honorable Mention
· Bartolotta (Wynn Las Vegas). Very fresh, very simply prepared Italian seafood. Not your father's Italian Restaurant.
· B&B Ristorante (Venetian). While Bartolotta excels in seafood, B&B offers offal: tongue, tripe, brain and sweetbreads.
· Michael Mina (Bellagio). Despite a major service lapse on one occasion, I still think Michael Mina serves excellent food.
· Daniel Boulud Brasserie (Wynn Las Vegas). As its name implies, the food tends toward the simple - but it's delicious.
· Okada (Wynn Las Vegas). Best sushi in Las Vegas; also offers an excellent, mostly non-sushi, tasting menu. If you order carefully, it's even possible to get away with change back from your hundred.
· Raku. A few places offer robatayaki, but Raku is the first place in town I know of that specializes in it. It's way off Strip, but is worth the effort to get there.
· CUT Steakhouse (Palazzo). You want a great steak? As long as price is no object, this is the place to go.
Shows
· Avenue Q (Wynn Las Vegas). This refers to the original version. Since I saw it, the intermission has been eliminated, and some small (so I've read) changes have been made - hopefully nothing drastic. This adult puppet show is fun. Sadly, not enough people agree with me. Avenue Q closed in 2006.
· KÀ (MGM Grand). The most technically ambitious of the Cirque shows, it is purported to have cost $165 million to get it up and running. Some of the effects are stunning.
· Spamalot (Wynn Las Vegas). I'm not a dyed in the wool Monty Python fan, but I am a big fan of this show. It's silly, its plot is weak...but so what? It's just a whole lot of fun. But then, what do I know? Spamalot closed in 2008.Honorable Mention
· O (Bellagio). A water based Cirque de Soleil show.
· Mystère (TI). The first Cirque de Soleil show in Las Vegas, it's still very good.
· Blue Man Group (Venetian). Very good and very original - a lot of fun.
Outdoor Activities
· Rock Scrambling. Not quite as exciting as rock climbing, but it still gets the adrenaline going, and gets you to places that most visitors to Las Vegas will never see...and, unlike rock climbing, you actually get a chance to appreciate the scenery. I'm hooked.
· Rock Climbing. Yeah, with ropes, harness, and all that stuff. One of the most intense experiences of my life. "Intense" - I hate that word, but it applies. Total concentration is required, as is total physical effort.
· Hiking. Hiking can be anything you want it to be. For me, it means day hikes. They provide beauty, quiet, relaxation, and a good workout. Go to Red Rock Canyon when it's cool, or Mt. Charleston when it's hot.
· Dune Buggy Riding. Start with an introductory tour, then graduate to the extreme with a ride among 500 foot tall sand dunes at Amargosa.
· Skydiving. A little dangerous, but not too bad if you choose a tandem jump with an instructor from a reputable firm. The idea of skydiving is scary, but the reality isn't that bad. Once you jump, the free fall portion is incredible - there's nothing like it.
Honorable Mention
· Kayaking below Hoover Dam. If you're in good shape, take the 11 mile guided kayak tour starting just below Hoover Dam. The government limits permits to 30 per day, so the area is uncrowded. The scenery is dramatic and beautiful.
· Walking the Strip. Worth doing during the day, and again at night.
Other
· Bikefest. Each year in September, 30,000 bikers descend on the city. Even for a non-biker, it's a lot of fun to watch the spectacle.
· Flyaway Indoor Skydiving. Also called body flight, this isn't really skydiving. There's a REALLY big fan that blows air straight up, at speeds of up to 120 mph. Wearing a properly billowy flight suit, jump over the fan and the force of the wind balances gravity. This takes a little practice, but it's a lot of fun.
· Bellagio Fountains. One of the more beloved spectacles on The Strip, Bellagio's Fountains draw hordes of people, but it's still worth it to see and hear the show.
· Pinball Hall of Fame. And you thought Las Vegas lacked culture. This place has about 200 pinball machines, some of them more than fifty years old - and you can play all of them. It's a lot of fun, and a lot cheaper than gambling.
Special Categories
Breakfast: Bouchon (Venetian). My hands down favorite place for breakfast. The food is simple - eggs, hash, waffles, pastries - but expertly done. The atmosphere is at once both formal and informal. There are white table cloths, high ceilings, and a large garden visible from most tables, giving the restaurant a formal feel. However, the formality is tempered by other things: the table cloths are covered by a square of white paper, people read newspapers, and some folks even wear shorts. I have difficulty explaining it, but everything just works. I always feel happy after eating here.
Fancy Dessert (excluding full service restaurants): Pastries at Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie (Bellagio). In a crowded category, Jean-Philippe edges its way to the top. It sells some non-dessert items, chocolates, and some good gelato, but pastries are its crowning glory.
Not So Fancy Dessert: Brownie at Wynn Las Vegas; found at their coffee shop, Zoozacrackers and sometimes elsewhere. I've eaten a number of brownies, but Wynn's version takes the cake. By a mile. It's rich, moist, chewy, and has lots of dark chocolate. At $5, it seems expensive, but its enormous size makes it suitable for two or even three people.
Cheap eats: Aloha Island Grill. Not everyone will like this place. It serves Hawaiian cuisine, typified by the mix plate: one or more kinds of high calorie meat or seafood, two scoops of rice, and one scoop of macaroni salad. And don't forget Spam musubi. There are many places in Las Vegas that serve this kind of food; Aloha Island Grill is the best I've found.
Afternoon show: Ronn Lucas. I was a little skeptical of a ventriloquism act, but this guy is a lot of fun. Ronn was a staple of the afternoon show circuit for many years, but has disappeared as of late. Here's hoping he returns.
Gone but not forgotten: Ho Dog. Served at the deli of the now defunct Westward Ho, the Megadog, fondly known as the Ho Dog to its fans, was a behemoth. Weighing in at 12 ounces, it was more than 6 times heavier than one of the regular hot dogs I have in my refrigerator. Its nearest competitors were mere 8 ounce weaklings. And all this for $1.49! For another 49 cents, you could get cheese, chili, or onions. October 2006 update: I've heard that a very similar 12 ounce behemoth has been introduced at Circus Circus!
Most annoying thing that I'd miss if it were gone: Porn slappers. Yeah, they're annoying, but admit it: they add just a hint of illicit excitement to The Strip. They're a kind of free street show. Wouldn't it be great if there were porn slappers at Disney World? And I really want one of their cool t-shirts.
Most annoying thing that I wouldn't miss if it were gone: Timeshare hawkers. Didn't Dante reserve the tenth circle of hell for them?
Old hotel I'd be sad to see demolished: Flamingo. I'll never admit it to him, but my brother was right when he recommended The Flamingo to me a couple of years ago. It's inexpensive by Strip standards, it's located smack dab in the center of The Strip, and it has a pool that's the envy of many of the fancier hotels. Sure, the rooms are worn around the edges. Sure, the casino has seen better days. Sure, the restaurants suck. But hey, you can always go to another casino or another restaurant. Hopefully The Evil Empire (aka Harrah's) won't change this place for the worse, or demolish it entirely. September 2006 update: Harrah's is not demolishing the Flamingo. In fact, they're completely renovating many of the rooms.
New hotel I wouldn't be sad to see demolished: Venetian. "What, are you nuts?" Well, maybe, but that's beside the point. I don't have anything in particular against The Venetian; it's just that I'm not fond of it. The casino seems cavernous and cold, the shops were fun to go through once but are now boring to me, and the rooms don't look especially inviting. It has a few good restaurants, and a good show or two, but if The Venetian were demolished, it wouldn't bother me much.
WTF: Sin City Rollergirls. Roller derby lives!