Back in September, I took my third trip to Las Vegas and I’m finally recapping it now, forgive the lateness. The first time I went was when I was 21 and it was beyond depressing, the second time I went I did way more things that I wanted to do (and wrote about that time over here) and this time was even better.
Also, Baby Dog went to the west coast! If that doesn’t seem insane to you, well, it should. She’s a tiny little dog who was abandoned and now she’s strutting through casinos - a success story for the ages. Nathan was doing shows at the Rio for the week, so we made a trip out of it. Tip: a week in Vegas feels like a month, the ideal time to stay is 3-4 days max. Highlights below!
I went to The Sahara to have dinner at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. I got the patatas bravas, the spanish meatballs and the cotton candy fois gras. Everything was delicious and perfect. I. love that man’s food. Later that night I headed to The Palms to get a drink at Ghost Bar on the 55th floor. And yeah, the view is nice but it wasn’t anything too special.
The next day we went to see David Copperfield (who was wonderful) and then I went to see Nathan’s show at the Cellar, which was great. And then we played some KISS mini-golf inside the Rio, which you definitely should do if you’re anywhere near the Rio.
I also got to eat at Martha Stewart’s new restaurant The Bedford, which was good but definitely overhyped. Of course my expectations were high because 1) I love her and 2) she’s never opened a restaurant before. The servers are extremely well trained (which is wonderful, I love this detail) they have even been taught to say “cheers” in Polish. The attention to detail on the decor of the individual tables as well as the entire space is perfection, even the temperature was just right. However, there had to be cons. All burgers should have round buns, what reason is there to mess with that simple fact? The smashed potato (which is smashed table-side) is an incredibly stupid idea and almost seems like a joke on the white people who would actually enjoy it. Small side orders of sauces should absolutely never cost $9, that’s ludicrous. The fries were wildly overcooked in overused oil (how does one mess up french fries?) and the prices, sure, they were outrageous but that fact tracks since it’s in Las Vegas. The homemade mustard was really tasty (maybe because you never come across homemade?) and her béarnaise sauce was perfect. The oysters Rockefeller were good, if only a little bit chilly. All in all, it was an experience. One that I’ll happily never have to have again. (The Times has a great piece on it, if you care about all things Martha.)
The real highlight of the trip was going to The Neon Museum, which features signs from old casinos and other famous Las Vegas businesses displayed outdoors. I took the nighttime tour and I promise you - this is the tour to take. Almost all of the signs were lit up in all their glory and it was incredible to see. I talked about it in way more length on this Instagram highlight reel.
Some things I would maybe want to do on my next visit:
Eat at Capriotti’s and get The Bobbie again (it’s a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich that will melt your brain, it’s so good)
Find the art-o-mat (takes $5 bills) at The Cosmopolitan
Brunch at Eggslut
Eat at Giada’s at The Cromwell
Find Wayne Newton’s star on the walk of fame outside The Paris
Get the steak frites at Mon Ami Gabi (or white chocolate bread pudding)
Go to the Shelby Heritage Centre to see old cars (free)
Visit The Golden Nugget again and The Plaza (this is the inspiration behind Biff’s Tanner’s Pleasure Paradise in Back To The Future II)
Visit Red Rock Canyon (this is a MUST)
Visit a pawn shop
Also the view from the plane ride back home was breath-taking. I was glued to the window.
And a tiny small sidenote? I love that there are still thriving TCBY stands in airports across America. Goddamn, it really is the best frozen yogurt out there.
Such a great trip!