View from my bedroom
THEhotel
In November, I found a great deal at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay so I drove up for three nights just before Thanksgiving. I stayed at Mandalay Bay during my very first visit to Vegas - Petter was there for a conference so we had a free room - but I'd never stayed at THEhotel before.
My bedroom
For those of you not familiar with it, like many Vegas hotels nowadays, Mandalay Bay has a separate tower in the back with more upscale rooms. I opted for the upgraded 740 square foot (68 square meter) corner V-suite. The living room faced west overlooking the desert and my bedroom faced north with a nice view of the Luxor pyramid and the strip; each room had a 42-inch plasma TV, and the marble and granite-surfaced master bathroom had a small LCD TV; a guest bathroom; a wet bar... I've never spent so much time in my room on a Vegas trip! On day 3 I took a long, hot bath while I watched The Hunt for Red October for the umpteenth time.
The livingroom
The bathroom
THEtp at THEhotel
In addition to pampering myself with a luxurious room I had three goals for the trip: enjoy the Vegas sights and atmosphere, have fun gambling and eat some really good food.
Vegas Sightseeing
As on every visit - I visit Vegas at least once a year - I love walking up the strip just ingesting the preposterousness of it all. It's all fake, but it's fake on a grand scale, and I love it: the black Luxor pyramid next to the white Excalibur castle; the New York Skyline (pierced through by a rollercoaster) behind the Brooklyn Bridge; the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe across the street from the Fountains of Bellagio; the Colosseum outside Caesar's Palace and the erupting Volcano at the Mirage; the singing gondoliers on the Grand Canal of Venice and the Wynn Waterfall; the Thrill Rides on top of the 1,149 ft (350 m) high Stratosphere tower...
Flowers at Bellagio Conservatory
Out of all these places, the one I never fail to visit is the Bellagio. I have to say that I never tire of the Fountains of Bellagio, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think they are one of the truly great achievements of mankind. In terms of manmade wonders of the world, the only one I've seen that surpasses them in terms of beauty and magnificence would be the Taj Mahal in Agra.
More flower arrangements and a watermill in the background
I also always make sure I visit the indoor Bellagio Conservatory, which is located just behind the lobby with the incredible glass flower ceiling by Dale Chihuly (2,000 giant hand-blown flowers in different colors). The Conservatory is a single large room that is maintained by 140 horticulturists and showcases meticulously arranged flowers, trees, water features, bridges, etc, according to themes that change five times a year. During this visit the theme was Fall Fantasy.
An ent in the background
Gambling
As a gambling venture, the trip was enjoyable but not as good as they have been in the past. I did well during a six-hour sting at in the Bellagio poker room, but gave it all back (and some more) at the Mandalay blackjack tables. Lesson learned: stick to poker.
Metal trees with built-in waterfalls
Fleur de Lys
I had three noteworthy food experiences during my stay. Fleur de Lys is a renowned San Francisco restaurant with a Michelin star, and Hubert Keller, the chef, has opened a second location inside the Mandalay Bay, so I decided to try that out on my first night. I selected a four course menu with accompanying wine pairings:
- Black truffle onion soup - a white Burgundy from the Les Charmes vineyard
- Pesto scallop with a crab-filled squash blossom - a rosé from Bordeaux
- Fillet and foie gras, potato purée, baby spinach and shallots over a red wine reduction - a right-bank Bordeaux
- Grand Marnier soufflée, creme d'anglais, elderflower ice cream - a Moscato d'Asti
I'm a sucker for truffles and while the Burgundy was not special it was a good pairing for the soup, so we got off on a good start. Speaking of truffles, supposedly, the Italian composer Rossini once said: "I have wept three times in my life. Once when my first opera failed. Once again, the first time I heard Paganini play the violin. And once when a truffled turkey fell overboard at a boating picnic."
The pesto scallop was excellent while the squash blossom was merely ok, but again the wine pairing was very well done. The main course was simply heavenly: the fillet was so tender it was like cutting butter, the foie was well prepared, and the creamy potato purée was out-of-this world. Finally, the soufflée quite good, but even more impressive was the wine pairing. The Moscato d'Asti arrived a minute or two before the dessert, and as soon as I put my nose above the glass I was hit by the scent of elderflowers. So, when the elderflower ice cream arrived it was a match made in heaven.
Overall, I'll say the experience was good. The service was impeccable and much of the food was very impressive but a bit too uneven. So at this price level I'm not sure if I'll return again. I have to say that they did a great job with the wine pairings, though. The wines themselves were fairly pedestrian, but in combination with the food they truly shined. It really shows you how much proper pairings can enhance a meal.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had the option of substituting the regular fillet for A5 (top-rated) Kobe beef. I would have loved to try that. The only catch: it was $30/ounce with a minimum of four ounces.
Burger Bar
The next day I went to Chef Keller's Burger Bar in Mandalay Place (the shopping center that connects Mandalay Bay and the Luxor) for lunch. It's a casual bar with gourmet burgers and a great beer selection. I had a couple of Belgian beers (a gueuze and a Chimay) and a Kobe-burger (not A5!) with a slice of foie and garlic fries. Unfortunately, an overall disappointing experience. The burger itself was pretty good, but I can name at least five places in the Phoenix area that do a better job, and the foie was at-best average. Not a bad meal by any means, but when I have a $65 lunch it'd better impress me. If you go, stick with the beer and the fries.
Aureole
On the last night I went to Charlie Palmer's Aureole: famous for its Michelin star, its Wine Tower and accompanying Wine Angels. The restaurant has a superb wine list and most of the wines are stored in a glass-enclosed four-story wine tower behind the bar, with the "Wine Angel Stewards, who gracefully ascend the tower to retrieve bottles." At this point I didn't feel like a formal sit-down dinner so I went to the bar and just had some appetizers. I started with a paté platter and a glass of riesling, and followed it with some foie-sliders and a half-bottle of 2005 Clos des Papes. The sliders were good but the wine was absolutely singing! A fun evening with friendly people on both sides of the bar - I'll come back here again.
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