So during our California holiday getaway, we did a “pause” and headed for Vegas. And you know what they say about Vegas… what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless your super conservative like me and then nothing really happens. But this is what happened in Vegas.
I have been blessed enough to go to Vegas twice before and had the absolute pleasure to dine at Hell’s Kitchen both times. AMAZING to say the least. I still salivate at the thought of those pan seared scallops on pea puree, or Gordon’s famous sticky toffee pudding that I dream about bathing in. But I wanted a new experience this time, and the foodie that I am, I will not pretend that I had not been on-line the month before our vacation scoping out the next celebrity restaurant I wanted to dine at while in Sin City. But I couldn’t decide and I never really came up with a plan mostly because I was having a difficult time justifying the price. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending money on great food. I guess this time, I just couldn’t decide where I wanted to go. So like the rest of the most of this trip, no plan was made.
We ventured out for a late afternoon walk one day down the Strip, no destination in mind. Really just exercise and us people watching like we like to do most. If you have been to Vegas, you know its now virtually impossible to cross the street anymore except for on the overpasses that have the escalators on each side. So we ended up on the wrong side of the street around 7pm where there were no real restaurants in sight and I could hear the hunger growing through my hubby’s voice. We walked a bit further and we found ourselves at the Cromwell. Home of Giada’s. He looked at me and said, lets go. I looked at him and said “we don’t have a reservation” and “you realize what we are going to drop on a dinner in there”. He looked at me and replied: “you said you wanted to go here, so let’s go”. So I nodded, smiled and thought to myself “God, I love this man” as we headed up the escalator to Giada’s. And we walked in, without a reservation, and got a table.
OMG. Where do I start. While we did not have a window table, we still had a lovely table that still boasted a view of Caesars’s Palace across the street. We contemplated the menu after ordering drinks….. Will opted for a beer, while I splurged on the Cosmo Bianco…. Ketel One Citroen, white vermouth and white cranberry juice, with a single, lone amarena cherry soaking in the bottom. I thought I had died and gone to heaven on the first sip of this elegant cocktail. The liquor soaked cherry itself sitting so lonely on the bottom of the martini glass as worth every penny I paid for that drink.
We each ordered an appie to share: a romaine salad with croutons, capers and a citrus vinaigrette, and bacon wrapped dates with spicy Italian sausage & gorgonzola crema. Our socks were knocked off in the first bites. So much so, that I had to order another one of those Cosmo Bianco’s.
Our mains arrived and once again, we were not disappointed with our choices. I went classic Giada Italian with her signature lemon spaghetti with shrimp (although here we would call them prawns based on their size) and Will went with the breaded chicken picante, which was served with a beautiful sauce to pour over his perfectly breaded chicken. Truly, truly an amazing meal worth every penny. I remember saying to Will on the way out, you know what, I will not feel guilty about the costs of the meal, because we work hard, we deserve it, and it was truly another Vegas food experience I will remember forever.
And as we descended that escalator from our amazing Giada De Laurentiis’ dining experience, we decided to walk the floor of the Cromwell. We stopped and threw $50 in a slot that called my my name and drew me over like a magnet (and $50 because it was the smallest bill we had), took turns pushing the buttons and spinning the reel, and you know what…. that husband of mine was rewarded for his kindness of taking me to another celebrity chef restaurant. He hit it lucky enough to pay for that dinner twice over!
So what happens in Vegas? Good times, great food and memories to last a lifetime. If I can give one piece of advice…life is short, food is life, and you must at least once in your lifetime reward yourself to something special like a dining experience at Hell’s Kitchen or Giada’s in Vegas. We are all worth it!
