Las Vegas, Nevada: Not only are we here to see Cory, we are here to try a few new restaurants and to visit the SONY store in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. The Forum Shops are designed to look like you are outdoors in Rome, where - if you have zillions of bucks in your purse - you can shop at Gucci, Pucci, Louis Vuitton or Valentino... or, if you left that purse at home, you can just window shop, have lunch and maybe pick up a bar of soap at Bath & Body Works.
We like to have lunch at Wolfgang Puck's Spago from time to time. Spago has a fun atmosphere and it is especially entertaining to get a table on the "patio" - a prime people-watching spot. The "cafe menu" has salads, soups and sandwiches at great prices (though the portions are still really just too large). Puck is famous for his Chinois Chicken Salad. He gives the recipe here, but the salad I was served today also had radicchio, cashews, arugula, bean sprouts and a wholebuncha other stuff, and it was served tossed together - like a chopped salad. I do not recall any snap peas at all.
I tried, Dear Reader, I tried. Even DT helped after he polished-off his Caesar salad... but we could not finish this massive mound of deliciousness.After lunch we walked and walked and walked and walked - because jogging around and around the RV park this morning wasn't enough exercise. There is always something to see and I tell you, I am shocked at the way some people dress. I wouldn't step out to get the newspaper on the front porch in what some people wear in Las Vegas. Apparently hotel rooms in Las Vegas no longer have mirrors.
We finally found the Sony Store. My ancient laptop is on its last legs... or megs... or whatever. I am hoping she makes it back to Oregon where I can get a replacement without having to pay sales tax. I am a Sony girl and just love Viao laptops. All the new laptops are Windows 8 though and I just don't know if this old gal is ready to make the leap so far into the future, when living in the past with Windows 7 is fine. I looked at the new laptops that turn into iPad-type things - except they are laptops and they seem pretty dang sweet. But then I looked at the close-out regular-laptop models with really competitive pricing. SONY closed their Portland, Oregon shop, meaning the model I choose will be ordered on-line. It was important to see a few models so I can make an informed decision - and possibly a purchase - later. What's a girl to do?
Eat chocolate, of course!
To talk and ponder my decision, we went for a coffee at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. As long as we were at a chocolate bar, we decided to split a teeny little chocolate cake. Max Brenner was founded in Israel by Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner - they just combined their names to make their company name.
The Deep Fudge Chocolate Cake was small, but it was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (bottom center) and shot glass with a vanilla milkshake (left)... AND... the miniature martini shaker was filled with hot fudge sauce. Too Too Much! We did make a good dent in the cake though.
Luckily there is plenty of walking required while touristing in Las Vegas... then back to the RV for a rest.It is nearly impossible to secure a seat at Rao's Italian Restaurant is New York. This famed 100-year-old East Harlem establishment has only ten tables - with only one seating a night - and the tables are usually reserved for regular customers. Now that the restaurant has been passed-down to nephews, the empire has expanded to a huge line of Italian sauces and the nephews have opened a mega-restaurant in Las Vegas where even mere RV bloggers can easily book a table. We met Cory at Rao's for dinner tonight at Caesar's Palace Hotel.
Look at our beautiful girl - Steve and Mary's baby!We ordered a few appetizers to share, then Cory had stuffed shells, DT had clams linguini and I had veal Milanese.
Yes, it was massive. Yes, it was perfectly and properly prepared. No, I could not even begin to finish the chop. The thing is that this meal was ridiculously priced. I can understand prices being high in Las Vegas, but please don't rob me. Rao's wanted $67 for a bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio, (most restaurants ask $45) so we ordered cheap-stuff by the glass instead. Seriously? Is everyone in Las Vegas on an expense account? Not us. The food was good, but not as outstanding as promised and our waiter didn't even pretend to like us. We won't go back.
Shadows Cocktail Lounge in Caesar's PalaceBut this expensive experience will not ruin us - Vegas is just Disneyland for Adults and we accept the fact. Tomorrow, we have two more restaurants to try... and four more miles to run.
Until my next update, I remain, your not-so-fine-fine-dining correspondent.
RV PARK: Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort. Full-service RV resort very close to the Las Vegas strip and right off I-15. Pool, hot tub, bath house, restaurant, wifi (fee), pet area, activities.