Minibreak: VEGAS!

I LOVE Vegas. The lights, the glamour, the energy, the over-the-top tackiness, the gambling, the shopping, and the food, and the food, and the FOOD. The Vegas of old with its $1.99 prime rib served lukewarm in a dreary downtown bingo room is no more. In the span of a mile you can now find 16 world class Michelin starred restaurants. Vegas has enticed nearly every well-known chef to open a restaurant.
Recently Big N and I decided last minute that we'd crash our friends' H+M's trip to Vegas to visit friends who live there. We booked a room at our new favorite hotel, the Palazzo. The Palazzo, an all-suite hotel, is on a great spot on the strip, sandwiched between the Wynn and the Venetian. It boasts modern (read: not too tacky) design, and a decent offering of restaurants and shops. On our last trip to Vegas, the Palazzo upgraded us to a 1500 sq. foot suite just for frequenting their hotel on a dead weekend; no such luck on an upgrade this time but even the suite for the masses is spacious and decked out in brown marbles and red velvet furniture, with soft linens and 3 flat screens, plus samples of expensive face creams from the Canyon Ranch Spa (for my ladies out there).

For dinner on Friday I attempted to reserve a table at Vegas's only three Michelin starred restaurant, Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand, but not surprisingly, we couldn't impress the hostess at the best restaurant in town by regaling her with tales of our last minute weekend jetsetting. So we "settled" for one starred Daniel Boulud Brasserie in the Wynn, where I dined on a lovely duo of beef, filet and short ribs, and a crab salad starter. Unfortunately, I got a little happy on wine and neglected to take a single photo, but I do recommend the restaurant. It's upscale but not snobby. They also make a fabulous fig bread (most of mine however ended up on the floor in an unfortunate mishap with the butter).
On Saturday we joined our friends at Hank's, a steakhouse located about 20 minutes off the strip at the Green Valley Ranch Resort. If you dare to drive to Vegas and have a car with you, Hank's is a must-dine. The restaurant is a classy joint with crystal chandeliers and velvet booths, but jazzes it up by pumping live rock music into the dining room. Steaks are cooked to perfection, and the side dishes are phenomenal. My favorite accompaniments to the petit filet were the mac & cheese and creamed corn. Plus the cocktails are pretty fabulous as well. The wine list isn't the greatest but you won't have trouble finding a good cab to go with that steak. We settled on a cabernet sauvignon from the Howell Mountain area of Napa, though the name of the producer is escaping me.

Though I restrained myself on the shopping (even resisting picking up something at the fab Catherine Malandrino store in the Palazzo shoppes), I did manage to leave a winner thanks to my new favorite game: Three Card Poker. Taking advantage of my beginner's luck, I scored a three-card straight flush, which paid me 40 to 1 odds on the bonus. I love that town!