Vegas, baby, Vegas

I hate this city. It's a city that has no right to exist, given that they have no water source of their own. They certainly should not have golf courses that require being watered daily. Then you have all the people dressed up, lots of makeup (am I in Dallas?) and everything is so bloody expensive. Clearly, I'm on the strip. I'm in Vegas to spend time with my parents and sister, 5 nights is far too many to be in Vegas, but the company and time spent together was great.

However, the whole trip was a constant reminder of how different I am from my family. The first night ate in Caeser's Palace at a restaurant called Nero's. It was alright, though I never need to return there. They have Chilean Sea Bass on the menu. When I asked, with an edge of horror in my voice, if it was really Chilaen Sea Bass (which is excedeingly endangered) the waiter assured me that yes it was and their restaurant was one of the few lucky enough to be still serving it. My sister, I think just to irritate me even more, ordered it not caring the least bit about her effect on the world around her. She doesn't even turn off the water when she brushes her teeth. All my comments are met with scorn towards my "hippy" life style. I just don't understand. Sigh. I'm really so different from my family. However, my parents saw my latest full back tattoo and they didn't completely freak out, so maybe they're slowly mellowing.

Sarita and I both got massages today which are being payed for by either her or my dad's comp points. That's right, my dad and my sister gamble enough that our hotel rooms, massages and meals are all free. Scary. I have no desire to gamble, ever. If I'm going to lay down $50 or $100 on a table, you can better believe there will be dirty plates sitting there as well. How did I become so completely different? you may ask. Yes, I ask that as well.

At Caesar's, with any spa treatment over $95 one is also allowed free use of the fitness center that day as well. Funny, I thought staying at the hotel would be enough to get you into the gym. But, nothing is free in Vegas, in fact everything is incredibly expensive. Even in our fancy pants room, with down comforters and feather pillows, one had to pay for internet access.

Vegas Tips
(If you can afford it) Stay in a suite at the Venetian
(Tip - look for midweek deals, when you can find rooms at "reasonable" prices)

Floors 18 and higher in the Palace Tower at Caesar's also offers a wonderful oasis from the loud, smokiness of the rest of the city. Beds have down comforters and feather pillows. The bathroom has Aveda products and a jacuzzi tub big enough for two.

For great eats Cafe Chloe on Buffalo near Flamingo - yes it's off the strip, yes, it's worth it. Incredible Italian - ask for a side of sauteed artichoke hearts in garlic. It's not on the menu, but they'll usually do it. My only disappointment is that they don't have any dessert wines. But they do have reasonably priced bottled of the Neibaum-Coppala Diamond Label Zin, one of my favorite reds.

The breakfast buffet at the Mirage is only $12 and the food is fabulous, espeically their lox.

Bradley Ogden is a new place in Caesar's. A Bay Area chef. I only had appetizers, but the flavors were creative and presentation was innovative. Go with a full wallet.

There's a Bouchon in the Venetian. One of Thomas Keller's (French Laundry) places, this one nearly identical to the Bouchon in Napa. The food at both places is heavenly. Each bite makes one moan. Great wine by the glass selection and they also have Belgian lambics (a fruity beer). Our meal was a continual misfire from the kitchen with appetizers taking far longer than they should have and arriving seperately, 3 first then mine after the others were 3/4 done. Dinner was the same with my sister waiting. And astoundingly, my mother's pork was awful. A little hockey puck. They took it away and gave us free dessert. The special banana financier that my father choose was shocking in it's strong banana flavor. I went with the cheese plate, taking a cow, sheep and goat. The cow was a very creamy mild blue, the goat a creamy, sharp delight and the sheep was firmer, very mild cheese. The cow and sheep were a tad boring, I thought, but then again, I'm a stinkier the better girl when it comes to cheese.