Sin City was the locale of my latest trip. As Las Vegas is located in the desert, I would not suggest that late summer is the ideal time to visit, but as the timing of the trip coincided with my professional calendar, so there was not another option.
I start this post regarding the weather as I wanted to test a very familiar theory that many people comment to me since I hang my hat in Southern Florida. It is the theory that heat is much more bearable if it is dry rather than wet. So, it was on my third trip to Vegas that I tested this theory. At roughly 102 degrees each day of my stay, I did come to a clear conclusion- IT DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS DRY OR WET HEAT WHEN IT IS 102 DEGREES. IT IT JUST PLAIN HOT. So, the wet vs. dry theory has been shot.
To piggyback on the fact of the heat, let me stay with the hot and spicy theme and comment on some of Vegas’ culinary delights as well as its racy entertainment.
Despite the fact that everyone says what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, one must not keep a dirty little secret about this locale, the culinary scene is picking up. Below find two of my favorite culinary spots: Mesa Grill and Olives with a recommendation for a sexy show and a video of the Las Vegas Strip Ms Traveling Pants’ style.
Two spots for foodies:
Yet another notch in Bobby Flay’s array of restaurants and accolades, Mesa Grill is an upscale, Tex-Mex influenced restaurant located in Caesar’s Palace.
Arriving on business to Las Vegas rather late for a Eastern Time Zoner, I decided to indulge in what I have seen documented on the Iron Chef as well as numerous of Bobby Flay’s own shows on the Food Network. With a reservation at 10:30PM (which my body understood as 1:30AM), I stuck out my tired body to see what Southwestern inspired dishes could bring me back to life prior to a long three day stretch of networking functions and eating on the go, where picked over cheese trays and chaffing dish style appetizers are the norm and hard to stomach. (Those of you familiar with trade show and networking functions can relate.)
I gave my jet-lagged self a treat of a duck quesadilla for an appetizer with a chile relleno (Manchego cheese stuffed) for my entree both complemented by a glass of wonderful red wine from France, but coincidentally made by a Las Vegas native (I didn’t know there were Las Vegas natives??). I would give the meal two thumbs up or a sobresaliente.
On another night on the Strip, I was feeling like a taste of my once hometown, Beantown. Low and behold, the iconic chef, Todd English, has spread his wings and expanded from Boston to numerous cities including Las Vegas. Located in the Bellagio hotel, Olives is a Mediterranean themed restaurant. As this wasn’t my first time to dine with Olive’s or one of English’s concepts, I knew my poison would be a glass of red wine, this time Layer Cake, and a dinner of a fig and prosciutto pizza. For those of you that have not tasted a flatbread pizza with figs and prosciutto, it is an epic blend of salty and sweet. Definitely the experience was worth the repeat. And, I will be back yet again. In fact, I treated myself upon return to Florida to Da Campo, yet another Todd English establishment located in Fort Lauderdale. I am a raving fan!
More than just food:
Although the body was well feed in Vegas, a trip is never complete without entertaining the mind. Las Vegas is known for having wonderful entertainment from the early days with the Rat Pack, Sonny and Cher, and now Celine Dion and umpteen versions of Cirque du Soleil. As I am one that enjoys a combination of humor, music, and dance, I thought that stepping out on a limb with a sexy, cabaret show would be quite fitting. I purchased tickets to Zumanity, which is advertised as an adult themed Cirque du Soleil show. It was definitely racy, but the humor certainly outweighed the sexiness. I was in awe of the physical stamina and beauty of all of the dancers. The sheer flexibility of the crew combined with the super human strength and courage was outstanding.
Post-show entertainment:
In utter amazment, I left the show to experience the part of Vegas that is my absolute favorite, walking the Strip at night to live the glitz and gam as well as practice my favorite hobby, people watching. Zumanity was at New York New York which allowed me a good walk down the Strip past Caesar’s Palace, along Paris, in front of Bellagio for the fountain show, & further down past the Wynn and Encore.
For those of you that have not yet experienced Sin City, Las Vegas certainly is an adult entertainment theme park. There is 24-7 gambling, eating, drinking, shows, and shopping. To be quite honest, it is not one of my favorite destinations, but certainly I cannot hide the fact that anyone can have a great time in Vegas. I certainly have and successfully now three times.
I would only caution those that do not like smoke or heat, that Vegas will be challenging. I would suggest drinking plenty of water, bring your most comfortable walking shoes, and invest in chapstick as the desert is not kind to your lips. Also, regarding gambling, everyone suggests staying away from the slots, but gambling isn’t my Vegas vice of choice as you can see from this post.
To see more,check out my video, Only in Vegas with Ms Traveling Pants to experience first hand the Strip, Bellagio fountain, and the decor of my two foodies hot spots. If I forgot some of your Vegas favorites, please send me comments as I am sure that I will be in the Sin City yet again.
Good review! You’re right; once you hit 100+ degrees, hot is just HOT. But I was still more comfortable in 96 degree heat in Vegas than I was 96 degree heat in Orlando. Probably because I was outside for longer stretches in Orlando. I just had my first meal at Olives during my recent trip–my 2nd Todd English restaurant–it was a marvelous meal. I’m a fan, too.
I’ve been to Vegas 8 times and have more favorites than can be mentioned here. Check out my blog sometime, I have some Vegas pages there with recommendations. It’s my favorite vacation destination, but I can see where it wouldn’t be for everyone.
I’m glad you seem to be feeling better, btw!
Dry heat is always more bearable thats the basis of saunas.
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Las Vegas is so popular still, my cousin just came back and they didnt even go gambling and had a great time. Las Vegas has become a universal place not only for casinos.
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