…stays in Vegas. Unless, of course, you write a food blog, in which case it will then be posted to the Internet for all the world – well, at least one small, wonderful part of it – to see!
My business partner Jill and my client adventures took us to Las Vegas for a three-day trip that just so happened to fall at the beginning of Halloween weekend! While we returned to Chicago too early to see a real Halloween in Vegas, there were plenty of costumes and craziness to be seen – day or night!
We arrived on Thursday morning and checked into our hotel: Mandalay Bay.
We got a great deal on flight and hotel fare via Southwest. I highly recommend checking them out! Mandalay Bay was absolutely gorgeous and had it been warmer, we would have easily taken advantage of the awesome view from our hotel window.
Really wishing it wouldn’t have been so chilly while we were there! 🙂
After settling in, we realized it was lunchtime and decided to visit a restaurant recommendation we had received via Twitter: Burger Bar!
The menu included a wide variety of burgers – everything from buffalo to turkey to veggie. The latter included lentils and pumpkin puree! It was tempting, but in the end the turkey burger won out.
It came on a whole wheat bun and was full of flavor – not at all dry. We also shared a trio of fries – regular, sweet potato and onion rings! Plus an Oktoberfest beer because…why not?
The rest of the afternoon was spent perusing The Strip. From day to night, we traveled from New York, New York to the Bellagio…
…and to Paris!
We didn’t make it to Italy, but we did find a boot.
I promise that we did not drink that whole thing – mainly because it was 100% sugar-laden and gave us a brain freeze every time we took a sip. But it was quintessential Vegas. 😉
Later that evening, we headed back toward our side of The Strip to check out another restaurant recommendation given to us on Twitter: Tacos and Tequila!
We thought it only fair to stay true to the name and started out with an order of margaritas.
So. Good. Almost as fresh tasting as the fabulous order of guacamole up next on our list of must-trys.
We rounded out the meal by sharing an order of chicken fajitas, which came sizzling over a bed of veggies with black beans and rice on the side.
Both restaurant recommendations were AMAZING! It was a phenomenal day of food.
The next morning, we headed to Raffles Cafe in our hotel for breakfast. I chose the egg white omelette with chicken, tomato and spinach. It was served with hash browns on the side. Yum!
Fresh orange juice and whole wheat toast were also part of the morning menu.
The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent doing work for our client. The day went by very quickly! Along the way, we spotted an opportunity for fro yo at Yogurt In & Crepes.
This place had everything I could have ever hoped for and the best part was, you could make your own! The flavor options were endless, but in the end I decided on cookies ‘n’ cream, pumpkin and peanut butter, with a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips on top.
Oh yes.
The rest of the night took us on many adventures. We visited Japonais for delicious – and relatively cheap – sushi and cocktail specials during happy hour. Unfortunately, the lighting was very dim and the pictures didn’t turn out. 🙁 But the bright hilarious side? You’ll never guess who we saw as we were finishing up…
A quick glance at his Twitter page (because we are social media nerds like that) confirmed that it was, indeed, The Situation, despite our shocked eyes.
Unfortunately (fortunately?), no photo. But it was by far the funniest moment of the evening.
We followed up our “celeb” spotting with a wonderful show: The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil! I’ve seen Cirque shows before – hello flashback post with crazy font colors – and knew it would be amazing, but the music really did take it to a whole new level. We truly enjoyed ourselves!
After the show, we walked The Strip one last time and saw every costume imaginable. A true Vegas experience, that’s for sure!
Our final destination for the evening was Mix Lounge on the 64th floor of THEhotel.
Let’s just say it was absolutely unlike anything this introvert has ever experienced – in a good way!
With a view like this, how can you go wrong?
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it truly was an unforgettable trip. Plus, it was fun to dress up and wear the highest and pinkest pair of high heels I will ever own.
Even if Fergie walks a lot better in them than I do.
Whew! What a weekend! Work, play and spook-tacular fun. Happy Halloween!!
Have you been to Vegas? If so, what did you like? If not, what would you like to see?
Abrazos,
Love love love! So much fun 🙂 I’m living vicariously until I can go out there again myself!
Oh we LOVE Vegas! We went there on our honeymoon. I love everything about it!
I went to Vegas for the first time this year and it was amazing!!! So glad you got to see Love. We wanted to but it was sold out. We saw Ka instead and it wasn’t as good.
Vegas is a blast! 🙂 Glad you had a great time.
I loveeeeeeeee your dress. And the pink shoes are an awesome touch 😉 What a great weekend of site seeing and yummy eats. Self serve yogurt rocks. We’re getting a place in my town that is supposed to open soon- I can’t wait !! And you saw the situation? How hilarious is that.
What a fun weekend! Glad you had a good time – all the food looks amazing! 🙂
Is it just me or does that bed of chicken for the fajitas look like a live fish? The end of the chicken looks like a fish head! Hehe #tgim!
last time we were in vegas we had plans to go to the burger bar bc it looked fun. but then it was the night before a marathon and the place had a 2 hr wait. bummer.
I’ve never been to Vegas- the only times that the opportunity to go has come up I was either a) too young (it was my sister’s bachelorette and I was only 17) or b) I was invited by a group that I know to be big gamblers and I’m not so much into the gambling scene! Your trip looks like a great time though- I bet the show was great! 🙂
I LOVE Vegas and I wish that I could take business trips there! Wasn’t the LOVE show amazing? I want to see it again and again, I always recommend it. And holy deliciousness, your food is making me want to book a flight…for real.
Jason and I LOVE Vegas… we go at least once a year? We went last month for my birthday – and all we did this time was eat at the Most Awesome restaurants, visit the spa, and walk around and shop. Perfect birthday! 😀
I LOVE those pink shoes!
All i have to say is that I am SO jealous..so unbelievably beyond extraordinarly jealous of your Vegas trip! I’ve been telling all of my friends that I want to go and we’re planning a trip for around March but now I want to go more than ever! I loveee Revolution!
Jenn, I am going to Vegas in December and love love love hearing your restaurant recaps. The burger bar and tacos and tequila look right up our alley. As does the yogurt place! At the end of your trip, could you put together a list of favorite places in the city? Including restaurants, shows, and such? I hate to impose, but I want to make the most out of the few days we have there!
I’m so jealous that you saw The Beatles LOVE! I have the album, of course, which is amazing, but I haven’t seen the show. Nor have I even been to Vegas. Perhaps I should fix that! 🙂
Fierce shoes Jenn! I heard that Beatles show is amazing! I am pretty freakin’ jeal that you say the Sitch! I would probably ask to lick his abs for the cam! Too much?
Rob and I are headed to Vegas this weekend – I hope to find that burger bar! Sounds amazing!
You look hawt!
Vegas is such a fun city! I went twice with my parents in high school, and I loved all the live shows–Siegfried and Roy were awesome! I’d like to go back now that I’m 21:)
I’ve never been to Vegas, but I’ve always wanted to. I’d hit up the restaurants, enjoy a Cirque show, get in some shopping, and who knows what else. I think the reason I’ve never gone is because I have no one to go with.
I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas!! My mom and I are planning
on going for my 21st. Looks like you had an amazing time. And that
food looks to-die-for!!
Fabulous! I’ve never been to Vegas, but now I have a few ideas of where we need to go if we ever visit.
And those shoes + dress!!! Love.
OMG you saw The Situation? I would have a hard time not laughing in his face.
Vegas has amazing food. My ex’s parents lived out there and when we visited them, we just ate and ate. It’s all so over the top, but you can’t deny it’s good fun, right? 🙂
Well, since we got married there, it’s my all time favorite place now 🙂 haha We actually had our “rehearsal’ dinner at Burger Bar & they were so accommodating for our group! Not to mention their fabulous food!
Glad you got to enjoy yourself!!!
[…] to hear many of you love or would love to go to Vegas! It certainly is one of those places that, like it or hate it, you should probably visit at least […]
Ohhh Vegas. So NOT one of my favorite places to go, and yet, for business, I have to go there a LOT more often than not!! I was just there for BlogWorld Expo and stayed next door at the Luxor, which used to be my favorite hotel EVER. I’m back there in a week or so staying at Paris and then on 12/5 with Sears for the Rock N Run!! OMG!!
😉 Vegas does have perhaps something for everyone, and I’m like you- not into the crazy night life….but it is a fun getaway once in a while.
[…] That month is a big, fantastic blur. Rather appropriately, at the tail end there was a trip to Vegas. […]
[…] like a self-serving gift. But we went to see Kooza more than two years ago and loved it. After seeing the Beatles Love in Las Vegas with Jill, I checked the website and was very happy to hear they would be coming back […]
[…] is the age when I traveled more than I ever have before, something Jill and I both thought we had given up when we decided to quit our […]