Last night in Las Vegas. We did fuck all today, opting to sleep in and hang at the hotel. Extra restful, which is just fine.

Yesterday was shopping at Fashion Show Mall and the shops at the Wynn, followed by multiple cocktails and snacks at the Parasol bar inside the Wynn hotel. The Wynn is uber-nice, and I'd love to stay there sometime. We got to spend quite a bit of time in the hotel this trip, but we weren't really guests. The clientele is a bit posh, but it really is quite a nice property. I wish we could have spent some time in the sun by the pool, since the Flamingo pools are a bit crowded and ghetto.

Last night was dinner at Bouchon in the Venetian. I spent the last three years chatting up this restaurant (albeit the one in Napa Valley), but it was worth the wait. Thomas Keller's perfectionism coupled with really fantastic French bistro food. I loved everything we had last night. Champagne. The petit plateau (oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, and lobster). Pate and begnets de brandade. Steak frites. Yum. I told everyone at the table that the fries were probably the best in the country. They were. Better than Les Halles.

Alas, no dessert. We were stuffed after all that food. We schlepped home and passed out, very happy.

Today was a bit less fancy: the buffet at the Flamingo, plus room service. Tomorrow we head home. It's been a very nice weekend, especially being part of Todd and Val's wedding (Mr. and Mrs. Michaels).

PS. While spell checking this post, my MacBook decided to take a swan dive and its hard drive ceased to be. All I could get it to do was go click-click-click. So I'm finishing this up on Jason's laptop while I install Mac OS on my new 160GB laptop drive. Joy. And I haven't backed up for weeks! Ugh.

Labels: dining, lasvegas, vacation

Last full day in London. I'm ready to be home for a bit, although I'm off to the Keys next week.

The clocks changed in the UK this weekend. We were meant to be out at XXL when it happened, which would have cut short our evening by an hour, I think. But two days of walking, churches, and trains took their toll. We settled for a Lebanese dinner at Maroush, then a few tragic drinks at the City of Quebec. Maroush was lovely. Falafel, fried haloumi cheese, chicken schwarma and fresh vegetables, with Lebanese beer. The staff hovers in a disconcerting manner, but the place is busy and the food good. We picked Maroush Gardens, which is one of four different Maroush restaurants within about 100 metres of each other. (Three of which have exactly the same menu and prices.) We were seated next to a young guy dining alone, who was curiously earnest with every request he made. "Would it be possible to....", "Could I ask you to....", "May I ask you....". Each question was accompanied by a strange bow of the head. He was obviously nervous.

Labels: dining, london, vacation