Saturday July 26th, 2008

The morning came as fast as it always does when one is on vacation. However this morning was different than most. Instead of one of us saying "oh my god, I'm so hung over" or "I can't believe I lost that much money last night" or the infamous "who are you people, what hotel is this, and why am I naked?" I said "Hey, guess how much money I won last night?" The boss said she felt like a poser for losing the money I gave her. That's when she went straight to bed. But after counting and recounting the folded cash on the night stand she felt better.

Plans for today included the girls getting together one last time to get down to the Bellagio pool while Cory and I do our own thing - whatever that ends up being.

They make their way over to the Bellagio but our timing wasn't ideal. We wanted to grab a quick bite to eat but the cafe had a huge line. Instead the boss and I decide to try Sensi since there's no wait. I think this is probably because it's down the hallway leading to the Spa tower.

We're seated with ease and within a minute or so we have bread on our table and our drink orders have been taken. I elect to pick an iced tea and one of their cocktails called "The Perfect Storm." Ang chooses the Apple Strudel martini.

Our waiter was "fabulous" if you know what I mean. He reminded me of a gay Pee-wee Herman and looked a little like him too, minus the ugly gray suit and annoying fake laugh. The drinks make their way out and our entrees soon follow. I went with the handmade ravioli and the boss decided on the tempura lobster and mango salad. Both were delicious and filling. I even used the bread to soak up all the remaining alfredo sauce I had in my bowl.

I'm not sure what the total bill came to, but it was another pricey meal for a lunch. I'd still go back.

We make our way out and I eventually find Cory in the casino waiting for my lard ass. We contemplate where to play cards. Either at Bellagio or Planet Hollywood across the street. Since I'm not in the mood for a $2/$5 game we head outside. Plus the Bellagio room is swamped at the moment. Once we walk into PH, a dealer asks us if we're interested in playing $1/$2. Seems a new table is forming, so we each buy in for $200.

Once the cards are in the air I get A K off about 2 hands into the deal. I raise it up to about $15 and get two callers. That's one more than I was hoping for, but the flop brings out promise showing king high. I bet $25 and again I get two callers. Hrmm....okay. The turn is a blank and I really don't want anyone seeing anything else for free at the moment, so I move all in. Each of my opponents bought in for $100 so I have them both covered. "That much is the bet" says the dealer. They both fold. I'll take a quick $80 profit, no problem.

I'm in the 8 seat and Cory is on my right in the 7. Approximately 30 minutes into the game I lean over and say "I can't say I'm really impressed with anyone." He agrees. The table was full of calling stations and weak players in my estimation. Seems like we were the only ones raising pre-flop. I'd take down a few small pots here and there but no major action came of anything. Slowly I moved upward.

The only hand I can really say was a memorable one is as follows (sorry Cory). I'm in the big blind and the 9 seat on my left (who was a nice enough guy) raises it $2 blindly. If I recall correctly that was the first $2 raise I've seen all day. A muscle head in the 3 seat calls. Cory's in the small blind and makes the call as well. The option is to me and I have a horrible 9-2 off suite. I raise it another two bucks just to be a prick. The action goes around the table again as everyone calls. The flop couldn't have missed me more. There's nothing but over cards out there and all four of us check it. The turn is nothing near helpful for me, and again the whole table checks it around. At this point I thought someone would at least try to bluff at it. The river comes out and it's absolute garbage for me. I want to say there was a king and a ten out there and plenty of other garbage. It's checked around and just for fun I bet out $5. Mr. Raise blind folds. The jug head tilts his head and thinks about the pot size and my bet. He's inquisitive but folds too. Cory looks at me and says "Well, I gotta keep you honest" as he's about to toss in a red. I say "no you really don't." He stops and says "I don't?" I again say "na, you don't want to do that." I guess my talk worked and he folded. For show I had to turn up the 9-2 off revealing a horrible bluff. Cory calls me a jackass and asks "what, you can't even let me get the scraps?" Sorry man, the only way for me to win that pot was to get you to fold.

We've been at the table a few hours when Cory's fateful hand came out. He made a decent pre-flop raise with a single caller in the one seat. The flop is K-K-rag. Bet, call. The turn is another king. Cory makes a larger bet, and again the kid in the one seat only calls. The river is nothing significant and Cory moves in for over $100. Again the kid calls. Cory turned a boat with his pocket jacks only to run into that brick wall we call "quads" by a slyly played AK. I cringed at that one....

Once outside I check my phone after receiving a text from the boss. She's done with the pool. From the sidewalk we hear a lady say "hey, do you guys like free drinks?" Without even looking up I retort "I don't even like free drinks!" She continues with "well, I have passes for free dinner too!" To which again I say "I don't even like free dinner, either!" I have no idea what she was hawking and I didn't stick around to find out. Cory and I part ways and I wander back into our Bellagio room and we both get changed for dinner downstairs.

As we're in the room, Ang is telling me how she and Tiffany stopped by Sensi after the pool for another Apple Strudel martini. She began talking to the bartender about the Tennessee Highball offered on the Baccarat Bar menu. This struck the interest of some older gentlemen on the other end of the bar and Ang relays the story of how we always stop in there whenever we're on a trip for at least a drink. One of them is from Tennessee and says he'll have to stop in there to try one out based on her recommendation.

Since we're still killing time we decide to drop by the Baccarat Bar one last time. The boss gets her favorite while I elect to try the "Double Down." It has Bourbon in it Randy, I don't care if it's pink. Leave me alone.

Then who do we see but none other than the guys Ang was talking to prior. They were just collecting their bill. We were sitting right next to them and at first they didn't recognize her. (since she was made up) She asks how he likes the drink and they reply with an "Oh it's you!" They were cool enough and seemed like they were enjoying their vacation. After we paid our bill and stood up I heard them talking about Craftsteak. I suggested if they do head that way to consider the summer time tasting menu. They thanked me for the tip and we make our way to Michael Mina.

A host greets us, looks up our reservation and we're quickly seated. As we're considering our options our server introduces himself as Marcio (Marcy-O). We decide to have another cocktail while we scan over the menus.

The first thing we have is a sampling of a sort of tomato soup. The crouton inside of it was soft yet lightly crunchy. It was nice. In the end I go with the Cookbook tasting menu and Angela decides on the Seasonal menu. We add on the premium wine pairings and look forward to sampling each other's selections.

Marcio notes we're finishing up on our cocktails and puts in our order. In the few brief moments before our first course is served I take a few pictures.

Or wines arrive as do our first courses. Angela is served the Ostera Caviar Parfait. It's a potato shallot cake, crème fraiche, salmon and the premium caviar. I'm given the Tartare of Ahi Tuna. Ang's wine is a NV Venue Clicquot "Yellow Label" Champagne, and I'm served a 2005 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Kabinett. The caviar parfait was divine. It was much better than all the caviar offerings at Joel Robuchon's. The tuna tartare was also delicious. The aroma consisted of sesame seed oil, a hint of garlic, and roasted pine nuts. Marcio mixed the tuna with the quail egg which was resting on top.

The next course for me was going to be the famous Maine Lobster Pot Pie with a 2004 Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 'Virondot, Burgundy. Ang's next course consisted of the Dayboat Scallops with a pour of the same wine. The pot pie comes fully baked and covered, and for presentation Marcio gently cut the top open for me to display the lobstery goodness inside.

The next course for me was the Miso Glazed Black Cod with the Takasago Junmai Daigino Divine Droplets Sake from Japan. Ang's course was a Crispy Skinned Black Bass with a 2002 Bertagna Vougeot 'Clos de la Perriere' 1er Cru, Burgundy wine. I really liked the sake that complimented my cod. It came in a rather small bottle and Marcio did an excellent job explaining what makes this sake stand out and how difficult it is to create a bottle compared to a more commercial sake. It didn't have a sting at all, yet you could easily tell you were drinking a rice wine. It certainly was a premium selection and I think was my favorite of the evening. My cod was great, and the broth certainly complimented the dish. I think the mushrooms played a heavy part in the course, but not in a negative way.

It was about this course where we asked Marcio to pose for a picture for us, again for the purpose of this review. We mentioned that I write up reviews of our various Vegas experiences and I'd certainly like to have him included. He was bashful and a touch camera shy, but he reluctantly agreed to pose for us. He was the most knowledgeable, personable and professional server I've ever encountered in Las Vegas. We spoke about his Brazilian accent to his experiences working at Michael Mina over the years. He knew so much background concerning the food courses we were having down through the preparation and the history of each course and ingredient. He set the bar high, and I don't see anyone getting over that newly set standard any time soon. Thank you again, Marcio!

From here my next course was the American Kobe Rib eye with a 2005 D'Arenberg Shiraz also called "The Dead Arm." Ang was in for a Boneless Rack of Lamb with the same complimenting wine.

What can I really say about these courses? My Rib Eye came with some Foie Gras on top. I never considered liver tasting this good, especially in combination with something as prestigious as a Kobe Rib Eye. It worked. It all worked perfectly. Ang's rack of lamb also melted in your mouth. Her's was tasty, but I certainly think mine as the better out of the two.

Here's where we get into the best part. The signature desserts. Marcio promptly brings out the last wine of the night which was a Fonseca 20 Year Tawny Port. It was certainly a sweeter wine, which is what we were anticipating for dessert. It had a nice amber color to it.

You're given four mini desserts at once. The root beer float was crisp, sweet and refreshing. The warm cookies next to it felt like "cookies mom used to make." The cake just oozed out a nice hot chocolate river. The coconut panna cotta was rich and creamy. I think the root beer float was actually my favorite of them all.

Marcio brings over the final damage tally (also known as the "check"). And with it also comes yet one more dessert. There were six bite size ice cream sticks covered in chocolate. The white chocolate was covering a smooth orange citrus ice cream. The dark chocolate encased a strong coffee ice cream. We thought we couldn't eat another bite, yet managed to inhale all six of them down.

Thank you again, Marcio and team. We both agree that this was likely our best all around dinner of our vacation. I suppose we really did save the best for last.

We leave the restaurant and spend a few minutes in our hotel freshening up and contacting Cory and Tiffany to see where they are. They decide to meet us at NY NY. I guess they want to try an Irish Car Bomb at the Nine Fine Irish Men. Ang and I wander to the cab stand and get a ride to the side entrance. We find them easily enough and we make our way to the bar. It wasn't difficult to find an opening at the bar and the three of them order a round. I decide to sit this one out since I'm still digesting the rich and savory dinner from a little bit before. Cory gets a head start on chugging his drink, but my wife still manages to kick his ass. That's all we're gonna say about that topic.

We really didn't have an agenda at this point so it was decided to head out to Paris to check out the view from the top of the tower. We walk the entire way while Cory and I collect porn pamphlets along the way. They'd hand them to me, I'd hand them to my wife. I eventually put them in my back pocket and Cory and I started comparing notes. "No, I already have that one...you give me your 'Alexis' duplicate." etc.

After an inconvenient walk to Paris we finally make it inside. The women run off to the rest room while Cory and I each buy a $12 ticket for each adult to go up to the top deck. The line was longer than I was in the mood for at the moment. Once it's our turn to cross a velvet rope I see the unavoidable camera man. The ones that take your picture and then offer to sell it to you for ten times what it's worth at the conclusion of your tour. I was slightly cranky and told the guy "You can take my picture if I get to take your picture too." I figured that's just fair. I wasn't even going to charge him for it. He can come to this site and get it for free.

It takes about 20 minutes in line before we're in the elevator heading up. Once at the top I felt slightly claustrophobic. There were already people up there so it was becoming a touch uncomfortable for me. Of course all the good spots were already taken as people were waiting for the next fountain show. I snap a few pics while playing with the low light settings on my camera. Some pictures turn out better than others.

From here I'm ready to get down. The crowd is more bothersome and I've seen the view. Maybe I'm just cranky or my previous drinks are wearing off. The boss and I wait for the elevator and head down. This was the conclusion of our night with Tiffany and Cory and we part ways.

One quick stroll into the Bellagio I decide to take some pics of the Conservatory since I've neglected it all this trip. It wasn't as crowded as during the peak hours so I have a little bit more room to walk around and not worry about getting in someone's picture, or more importantly having them interfere with mine.

Once we retire to the room I re-chill the champagne we had received on our flight out. The decision was made to break into Joel Robuchon's banana chocolate cake as a late night snack. Angela only wants a single glass of bubbly, so I start drinking it straight from the bottle. Why not? It's my last night in town, and all I have to look forward to at this point is packing and leaving.... Sucks. We place an order for room service to be delivered at 7:30 am the next morning and crash.