So, I’ve never been much of a gambling fan (if I can’t eat it, wear it, or visit it, I don’t want to spend money on it), but, after my first fun (not work) trip last week, Vegas has grown considerably in my estimation for 3 reasons:

1. The FOOD – when you’re slumming it with Mario Batali, you know you’re in a dining mecca

2. The sparkles – not on the slot machines, but the shopping…. there’s all sorts of eye candy on display to oooh and ahhh at. And, if by chance, you can’t stand to walk through a mall without hitting Chanel or Gucci, no worries – there’s one in just about every hotel (I’m not kidding).

3. The FOOD – it’s good enough to get mentioned again. Some of the more memorable items were:

1. 1. The foie gras special at Carnevino – it was light to the point of fluffiness and served with a citrus gremolata. Exceptional.

   2. CK’s 1-year-aged beef – if you closed your eyes and took a bite, you may have thought that you were taking a bit of cheese. The entire composition of the beef had metamorphosed and been re-invented as an entirely different and foodstuff. Extraordinary

   3. Brunch at Bouchon – If you’re a brunch fan, and I’m pretty sure I qualify as the biggest, this brunch is beyond spectacular. Beignets, perfectly poached eggs, and chocolate croissants were my highlight, but there’s about 50 other amazing items to choose from and love.

   4. A 6-liter bottle of pink champagne at LAX. Baller.

What really impressed and kind of stunned me about Vegas was the consistency of the quality of the food and service.

PT and I ordered our favorite weekend mid-afternoon snack, and, it wasn’t until the waitress sauntered away in her micro-mini (they all wear micro-minis) that the decision to order oysters in the desert seemed questionable. Living next to the ocean makes you a little spoiled and unaware in those regards. However, when our tray came out, bedecked with mini tabasco sauce bottles and lovely mignonette, they could have easily passed for the same you would find on the sea-side – they even managed to have sea water inside of the shells, which indicates that they are extremely fresh, or the purveyors are master manipulators. Either way, I was exceedingly pleased.

I can’t wait to go back, and, amazingly, I won’t have to wait long – heading back to LV in 4 weeks for CTIA (for those of you that didn’t know, I spend my days working in the wireless world). If anyone out there happens to be in the same boat, let me know.