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Published: July 10th 2011
Before anyone else says it, I am well aware that Las Vegas isn’t in California and therefore I’m playing a little fast and loose with the term ‘California Roadtrip’. But we had planned this jaunt into Nevada for a very good reason. Our second wedding anniversary was on the 29th April and, as we got married in Las Vegas, it would have been rude not to pop back. Plus we LOVE Vegas; for the amazing food, affordable luxury but also for the feeling that, at any moment, you can win a life-altering amount of money. It’s like the 10 minutes before the National Lottery draw on a Saturday but unceasing. Well for as long as you are in Vegas.
Our main vice while in Sin City should come as no surprise to you by now; food. At my last count there are 15 Michelin star restaurants along the Boulevard but even the non-Michelin star restaurants are pretty damn good. There is any cuisine, for any budget, at any time. We ate at our favourite American-Italian, Maggiano’s, as soon as we arrived. Revelling in the giant portions of calamari and fried breaded mozzarella followed by one of the best lasagnes we’ve
ever tasted on our travels. Layers of béchamel, sauce, pasta sheets, crumbled ricotta, sausage bits and, best of all, meatballs. 2000 calories of heart-attack heaven.
Thursday involved popping across to the Aria hotel for a calorific croissant from Jean Phillipe Patisserie and then a meander around the now completed CityCenter area. We skirted the high-end shops and headed for the newest hotel, the Cosmopolitan, to do a compare and contrast. Vegas has really moved away from the full-on themed hotel e.g. Excalibur, New York New York and Paris and there appears to be a real focus on glamour and luxury. In the Cosmopolitan’s case the focus is on ‘bling’. They have a 3-storey bar set within a chandelier of millions upon millions of crystals. This is definitely the place to be seen – so we vacated our seats for some much more hip and stylish people!
Our evening was back at the Aria to sample some Spanish fare at Julian Serrano. The tapas-style restaurant is a little open and soulless but the staff knowledge was impeccable and the quality of the ingredients uncompromising. I thoroughly recommend the cheese and charcuterie sharing platters – but these are not ones
The Wedding Chapel Avenue!
Not the actual name but I've never seen as many chapels in my life!you will want to share!
The 29th April was our wedding anniversary and also the Royal Wedding. We had hoped to escape it but America was as crazy about it as the UK so we ended up having our croissants and coffee in bed watching Will and Kate say THE 2 little words.
It put us in the mood to go back to where we got married so we headed to the Wynn and to the Country Club overlooking the greenest, and quietest, golf course I’ve ever seen. (At $500 a round it is no surprise. But Si swears it was worth it. Very much like my last handbag apparently.) Anyway, I love this place as it transports you completely away from Las Vegas and the lunch-time menu offers traditional American comfort food but with a little class – think hot dogs and linen napkins. The absurdity just makes me smile. But that’s Vegas for me.
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