Vegas Favorites

Our trip to Vegas will be the sixth trip out there! In fact, as I went to gather pictures for our post, I realized our first two trips predate our digital camera. Here are a few of our favorite places/things to do in Vegas, along with lots and lots of pictures:

Restaurants

Mon Ami Gabi: A french steakhouse that will not disappoint you with the food or atmosphere. Located in Paris, it is directly across from the Bellagio fountains. If you go, request outdoor seating so you can see the Bellagio show!

October 2008...Tim and Emily at Mon Ami Gabi. The fountains are right across the street!

I want to go to there.

Alize: If you're looking for a special, upscale dinner, you might like Alize at the top of Palms. You'll feel super fancy, riding the private elevator up to the restaurant. One of the best meals we've ever had! Request a window seat, and you'll be able to see the whole strip!

October 2006...Top of the Palms, looking out at the Vegas lights. 

Strip Burger: If you want a good burger, this is the place to be. Located at the Fashion Show Mall, it also has a fun outdoor bar, perfect for people watching.

Canelleto: Good Italian food, and perfect atmosphere. Sit "outside" (which is really simulated outside near the canal. Gotta love Vegas.) and you'll see street performers.

October 2006...My Aunt Mary and Uncle John at Canelleto.

Firefly: If you're willing to travel off strip, try Firefly, a local favorite. Super yummy tapas and sangria and reasonably priced.

January 2011...With Ed and Mom at Firely. Delish!

Le Village Buffet: Vegas is known for it's "gourmet" buffets, and it's definitely something to try out at least once. The Paris buffet is my favorite so far. Featuring french food, you can go on the weekend for brunch and have unlimited champagne. Yum.

October 2008...Champagne brunch in "Paris."

All you can eat dessert? Okay!

Wynn Buffet: Another gourmet buffet and Erik's favorite. The Wynn buffet features food from around the world. The desserts were certainly very yummy.

December 2006...The aftermath of the Wynn buffet.

Ellis Island: Vegas is also known for it's "off menu" specials. (See a list here). We had to give it a try, at least once. We opted for Ellis Island (which happens to be right next door to The Platinum) and asked for the $7.99 Steak Special. For 8 bucks, you get a 10 oz steak, bread, potato, green beans, and a beer. It was surprisingly good! This place is definitely old school, and you'll have to wait for a table, but it was an experience worth having. If I remember right, I think their beers were only $1.

December 2006...Tim tries to fit his whole steak in his mouth at Ellis Island.

Snacks and Treats

Jean Philippe Patisserie: Absolutely delicious dessert. If you have a sweet tooth, you should definitely stop by. They're located in Bellagio, and recently opened a second location at the new casino, Aria.

Vosges Haut-Chocolate: Described as a "chocolate boutique," they specialize in unique and unexpected chocolate combinations. Hands down, the best is the bacon chocolate bar. You have to try it! You can find them in the forum shops at Caesar's Palace.

Mermaid's Casino: If you're really looking for some gluttony, head downtown to Freemont Street, and head to the back of Mermaid's Casino. Here you can get deep fried twinkies and oreos. I've tried them both and they are the deep-fried goodness you would expect.

October 2008...Don't judge me. You know you want to try it!

Grab a Drink

Rhumbar: You'll see people walking around Vegas with "yards of rum" (or footballs or other fun shapes). If you want one too, head to Rhumbar at the Mirage. Yummy flavors! Try Mango Madness.

January 2011...Walking around the mirage, with a lot of Rum.

Magaritaville: It's a little cheesy, but we had fun dancing with friends to '80s and '90s music. Don't buy the souvenir glass. It seems like a great idea (when you've already been drinking), but do you really want to lug it around? No.

January 2010...Dancing at Margaritaville with friends.

Bill's Gambling Hall: If you really want a cheap drink, you can get $1 Daiquiris at Bill's, located on the strip. Sure, they're dixie cup size, but they're strong and sugary!

Of course, if you want free drinks, do some gambling. Or sit at the penny slots. Just don't forget to tip the waitress.

October 2008...Video poker, free drinks, and stupid faces with Emily and Tim.

Shows

The Amazing Jonathan: This was actually pretty fun. It's a raunchy, comedy/magic show. One of the least expensive shows too; you can usually find coupons in the booklets you'll see in the taxi cabs.

Mystere: I wasn't sure I would really like a Cirque show, but in the end, I thought it was awesome! (Of course, the rum and cokes I drank before and during the show may have contributed to this). This was the first Cirque show in Vegas, and is now the most reasonably priced. For any show tickets, I would go to a Tix 4 Tonight booth (there are few locations on the strip) the day of the performance to get discounted tickets.

October 2008...Mystere! (Plus some rum and coke on my dress).

Hotels

If you're not staying at The Platinum, there are lots of other hotels to choose from. Always look for promo codes or package deals on their websites.

The West Wing at MGM: This tower at MGM is totally modern and has a nice, swanky lounge downstairs. When we stayed here, I think we got 2 free drinks, $50 dining credit, and free club passes for like $60 a night. Great room and great bargain!

October 2006...Our room at the West Wing. Small, but nice.

The Mirage: We stayed here on our most recent trip, and really liked the hotel room. The Mirage is in the center of the strip, so it's easy to walk to a lot of places from here. Modern, comfortable room. Look out for resort fees. This is true for most of the large casinos. Many of them have started charging resort fees as much as $20 a night. Something to consider when you're booking.

January 2011...Our room at the Mirage. Pretty spacious and a very comfy bed.

Hotels we did not like: Stratosphere or The Riviera. Both were rundown and not really in the best part of the strip. Along these lines, when you book a room at one of the casinos, if it's labeled something like "classic room" that's basically code for "not remodeled." I would avoid these.

Free Sights to See

You could spend a day or two just walking through all of the massive casinos. There are lots of free shows and sights. Here are some of our favorite sights to see: The Bellagio Conservatory, Fountains of Bellagio, Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, the Canal and Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venitian.

 January 2010...At the Bellagio conservatory. The decorations always reflect the season.

So there you have it! All of our Vegas recommendations. Have you been to Vegas? What are your recommendations? If this is your first trip? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing?

P.S.-- As an added bonus, here are this past week's batch of madlibs from the "Yes!" RSVPs. We've heard from about half of our invited guests. Keep 'em coming!