I know, I know. I was adamant about the fact that Mario and I don't go to Vegas for the gambling. But I lied. We made all sorts of gambles today - here are some of the highlights:
We gambled on a decision regarding breakfast. After NOT giving in and buying the 18-dollar Peppermint mocha at Starbucks, we headed to the nearest Walgreens pharmacy and picked up a jug of cold brew and a carton of chocolate milk. Oh, and some yogurt and granola, too, so we could keep our money for better spending later on.
We took a long walk down the Las Vegas Strip, dipping into each of the big Casinos in turn, wandering their halls, admiring the Christmas decor. Somewhere near New York, New York, we got Shake Shack for lunch, and I gambled on adding a vanilla milkshake to our usually order of burgers and fries. Surprisingly, this was the only time this year that we got to indulge in our favorite burgers across the border, so we took our lunch to go, and gambled on the air feeling warmer in the sun, and so sat at a table outside the restaurant in the park.
A quiet moment of rest back at the hotel, and then we were out again, gambling on the fact that we would not get ourselves lost walking through the Venetian's Grand Canal maze of shops on our way to dinner. Imagine if we showed up late to our reservation, and with the lame excuse that we got LOST in the jumble of hotel corridors?! I chose Buddy V's Ristorante for supper, as they had advertised a wonderful set meal for Christmas dinner, but then gambled on ordering à la carte items for my own meal, not because I didn't want the Christmas menu, but because there were so many other delicious dishes to chose from, I wanted to try them all!
My gamble paid off, however, as we discovered the luscious creaminess of a smoked ricotta with spicy honey, and the tanginess of a pan-seared branzino topped with tomato and arugula. Not to say the braised short rib was not phenomenal, with its creamy truffle and parmesan mashed potatoes, and gravy that paired perfectly with the wine, but the ricotta stole the show.
 | | Outside the Venetian |
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 | | Christmas displays |
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We decided that taking a gamble on riding the monorail all the way to the opposite end of the Strip was worth not walking 40 minutes to get the MGM Grand. I bought tickets to see Kà, a Cirque du Soleil show, and also gambled that seats in the front row, but on the far right of the theatre, would not have obstructed views. They didn't - I think we were practically staring the performers in the eyes during some parts of the show, and at other times, we found ourselves engulfed in smoke, or feeling the heat of off-stage pyrotechnics. The show was more heavily roots in storytelling and music than in the acrobatic performances, but I applaud a Cirque show that strives to tell a proper story while not making it feel like a 3-ring circus. It was a fantastic experience, and made for the perfect Christmas gift to ourselves.
A few more peeks at the day's adventures:
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