Eatin' and Drinkin' in Las Vegas! Feb 2010 version

I just have to say first that drinks and snacks in Las Vegas are expensive. It is really tough to eat well and cheap. Even "to-go" places like 'wichcraft are going to be pricey. Over the years, I've also heard again and again how amazing the culinary experience is in Vegas - but on a recent trip: meh, not so much. I may be biased though (and not just bitter and cynical) because I live in San Francisco. SF really is a foodie town and a haven for cocktails. 

Happy Hours seem to have finally taken off in Vegas, probably due to the economy. At the MGM Grand, Michael Mina's Seablue had a great happy hour - $1 oysters, $1 peel and eat shrimp, lobster corndogs and Stella on draft. Also at the MGM, Nob Hill (another Michael Mina restaurant) had a late night happy hour with cocktail and food specials. We ended up here two nights in a row and had a blast. I love the lounge in Nob Hill also - very comfy and off the beaten path.

Still within the MGM: I wasn't impressed with Pearl. Very pricey and portions were average. The service was average and overall, the food was just not interesting. Studio Wok is not far away and is cheaper for about the same quality of food. Finally, Wolfgang Puck's was outrageously expensive and without any true distinction to the food.

Dining outside the MGM: Michael Mina at the Bellagio was a favorite of ours a few years ago, but this time around it just did not seem to hit the mark. It is hard to put a finger on what exactly it was, but on the winter tasting menu it seemed like more of the dishes were a "miss" than a hit - and the ones we enjoyed were barely above average. One of my favorite restaurants in Vegas is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Consistently we've had good service, excellent food and are lucky enough to get the romantic window tables with views of the Bellagio fountains. This is the BEST way to see the fountains too - you miss out on the cheesy music to which they choreograph the fountains and just get to see the amazing display!

Drinkin': My favorite lounge is the Baccarat bar in Bellagio. Drink prices are average for Vegas (in other words, not cheap) but the piano and bass player there are just too much fun. When they pulled out a version of Coldplay's "Clocks" I was laughing - they were clearly enjoying themselves and having fun shaking it up. For the lounge you have a view of the casino and the people watching is just rich. We love to make up stories about the people we see around us - just so many different folks coming and going. Back inside the MGM, I am going to go for cheese factor and admit to liking Rouge. I love red and I like the fact that while you have a bit of a shield around you, you still have some good people watching. The drinks are average quality and (of course): over-priced.

The loser in the Drinkin' category for Vegas: West Wing Bar in the MGM. Wow. No smoking in this bar, but they do have TVs with sports on. This completely clashes with the "ultra-modern cool" vibe they are going for and to top it all off: this is the area people walk through to get to the elevators for their rooms in the West Wing.

Clearly, there is much more to Vegas - I hope to return to debunk the "Vegas is a foodie heaven" myth or find those secret gems somewhere.

Happy Travels!

Bellagio Gardens: Chinese New Year

The tiger seems a bit sad, but the gardens were gorgeous!

Las Vegas Creepy

I love Las Vegas, but this little "show" at Caesar's Palace was WEIRD.

All about airports: McCarran Las Vegas International

I'm not really sure who McCarran is, so I'm putting a picture of Elvis next to this airport - cause really, that is who it should be named after!

When is the last time you were in an airport with a sense of humor? "Never" is an OK answer because it really is that rare. The newly re-named (by me) Elvis airport here in Las Vegas has a sense of humor: as you go through TSA, they have videos playing of famous and semi-famous persons (and one robot) going through security and having challenges. Entertaining and funny. At a security gate - love it!

Add to it there is a good Borders bookstore before security, free Wi-Fi all over the airport, and slot machines every where you look, how can you NOT love this airport?

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy Travels!

I (mostly) heart Virgin America

Even though I'm an Elevate member and we jumped on the VX bandwagon as SOON as they opened up shop in SFO, we haven't been on a Virgin America flight in almost a year. We have always had good luck with VX and even when things go wrong, they have been quick to fix it. And pleasant while they do it - versus snarky and bitchy like *some* airlines.

Things have changed a bit, and while I still love VX, they are now a couple of things I can complain about. Luggage (first bag) is $20 unless you are in First Class. An upgrade to first from main cabin was $60 a ticket for a flight from SFO to Las Vegas. I don't remember the upgrades being this much in the past - if memory serves, it was more like $30. However, if you factor in the free luggage check, that brings the first class upgrade to really about $40. Still not thrilling, in my opinion. We gave it go on the way out and the check-in system failed me. I upgraded, picked seats next to each other, then when I checked in I found we had been separated. Given their stellar customer service in the past, I figured I'd just call and sort it out.

Whoa - big fail coming!! I was given pleasant tone of voice, but a no-can-do attitude. No moving of seats, sorry, nothing can be done. O-K. Please put me back in main cabin again. Again: big fail. I was informed I would have to pay the difference in what I originally paid for the ticket and the ticket price currently. WHAT?? Are you SERIOUS??

Needless to say, this really pissed me off. So I decided I would deal with it at the airport. We get there early and when we finally wandered over to the gate, the plane was already boarding. Our tickets said boarding time of 11:40am, but at 11:35am they were already onto group C for boarding. Uh.....

We get on the plane and ask the two ladies sitting in 2C and 2D if one of them would like a window seat so my husband and I could sit together. Attitude. Major attitude (this is clearly not a VX problem). C'mon ladies! It is First Class! You have ass-loads of room no matter where you sit. Do you really need to cop so much attitude? I even asked NICELY. The lady in 2D grudgingly agreed to move and I thanked her sincerely - but for real? Was it that much hardship? I get it in economy and main cabin - if you want an aisle, you need an aisle. Window seats are cramped and don't get me started on middle seats. But in First Class does it really matter that much?

And now, I'm sitting here enjoying my free champagne and Chex Mix, with a nice footrest, a pillow and blanket. Free headphones and Wi-Fi access for $5.95 on this flight. Our flight staff have been pretty darn funny this morning and when the lead goofed up the announcements he just owned up to it and had a sense of humor.

So, Virgin use to be an A+ in my book and right now I'd put them at a B+. Check-in was still easy, staff are pleasant and have a sense of humor. The planes totally rock and are clean and NEW. But they are growing up and having to cope with the economy and have made changes (like baggage fees - grrrr) and changes in fares and upgrades. However, in a world where most airlines score, at best, a D+ in my book, they still stand out above other airlines!

Happy Travels!