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Long TR; MC, Aria, food, shows, a bit of everything

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by JB in MN, May 12, 2013.

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  1. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis

    My Trip Report

    My first TR, long!!! But I guess we all need something to keep us occupied waiting for Natedogg to resurface, right?! I’ll also try to use as many cute emoticons :eek: and give shout-outs to posts, questions and threads (stupid or otherwise:poke:), that I’ve read on the board since I’ve joined… :thumbsup:

    Pre-Trip & Booking
    Plan was to attend a work-related conference on my own, then the Mrs and friends B&M were coming in for a few more days. It would be an early birthday and early Mother’s Day getaway for the Mrs, and our first trip away from home without our seven month old – bless my in-laws for watching him while we were away. :)

    I was solo at MC then moved over to Aria when the others arrive. I received an email offer from MC where the first two nights were free and the third night $35. I've played there before (apparently enough to merit free offers) but not stayed there. For Aria, I logged into Mlife and booked an Aria Sky Suite (in a shout-out to the Mlife website issues thread, this took several attempts over three to four weeks, but it finally worked). We have stayed in Aria’s corner suites before and loved it, and a room like a Sky Suite is normally way, way beyond anything I would pay for, but my wife has had a fantastic year and I felt that she deserved to be spoiled. :blowkiss: The room includes limo pickup and I figured we’d have some pre-dinner cocktails in the room with our friends.

    Booked a rental car for my first day. Avis has a rental desk at MC so I spent 20 minutes on their site and by changing my car pick-up times I was able to get a car from Macarran, pickup 1pm Sunday returned to MC on Monday morning for $18, add in taxes and it was $30 total. I thought this was a great way to go, way cheaper than cabs and easier than a bus, and I planned to hit the Pinball Museum and get some groceries etc. for the week.

    Emailed é by José Andrés on March 1st and nailed a late reservation for two on Wed the 1st.

    My Vegas budget is funded via misc. cash accumulations throughout the year: my annual Costco Executive & AmEx rebate, misc junk sold on Craigslist, etc. Basically any cash I get I stash in the envelope and call it my gambling money. I let it grow over the year and in the months leading up to the trip I troll/lurk on this board and fantasize about a Natedogg-style win. :goofy: With that in mind, let’s get this show on the road!

    The Trip
    Sunday 4/28
    Departed MSP early Sunday 4/28. Horrible, long winter here and really ready to get away. Picked up Starbucks and the super stinky/delicious pate sandwich (The Metro) from Surdyk’s in the airport. Ran into a client at the gate who was on the same flight and attending a (different) conference. Crappy MD-90 Delta plane, wtf since the merger w NWA all I seem to get are the old, cramped planes?! Gobbled down my sandwich and felt like a pig offending the guy sitting next to me, sorry sir. :peace: Uneventful flight and the highlight was an awesome, beautiful, clear view of the Hoover Dam/Tillman Bridge on the way in. :usa:

    Upon arrival at LAS bounded to the Avis counter – one person in line in front of me, zero issues getting the car.

    I love old-school mechanical pinball and the Pinball Museum is a big deal to me. Growing up I loved to watch people play but I was always too cheap to spend my money to play myself; now, at the Pinball Museum, I can afford to drop $10 and spend a few hours with the machines I loved as a kid. My only issue is their use if LED bulbs in the older machines; it updates them, but in a way that distracts from their authenticity. But I digress…

    After that I found a Target and picked up misc sundries; and after that I hit the Whole Foods at the south of the strip in Town Square and stocked up on booze, fruit, snacks, juice etc.

    Finding the MC self-park was no issue. Check in line was pretty long, then I noticed the VIP check-in office. Popped in and zero line. I said to the gentleman, “I'm not sure if I'm a VIP, but can I check in here?” He said since there wasn't anyone else in line he'd check me in … upon which, “Oh, Mr. B, you are a VIP and have a high-floor non-smoking room with us”. OK, works for me … now, I really didn’t think I’d get a suite and wasn’t about to see if $20 would do anything so I was happy enough to settle for a high-floor room. This would be the first of many pssy moves on my part over the week.:eek:

    Room was on 29th floor and overlooked the MC pool and Aria. There was no fridge in the room, which I requested on my reservation, for “medical purposes”. Went back to the car to get my “medicine” and a quick stop into the VIP checkin to point out the missing fridge resulted in it being delivered 5 minutes later.

    I would call the room on par with the room I had at MB on trip last year. Complaints: holes/plugs in the wall in a couple of areas where apparently a TV or something was at one time; no wifi on the property; no high def TV channels/crappy TV system overall. I tried to get my laptop/iPad plugged into the TV’s speakers but wasn’t able to bypass whatever lockout was on it to select an aux input. There was wired internet in the room but I didn’t find that out till a call to support led me to the hidden cable modem tucked way behind the TV stand. But overall the room was clean and served its purpose.

    Not really sure what happened the rest of the night, I was on the final legs of a cold/sick, so I popped a bunch of Advil, drank some wine and passed out. Talk about disappointed, you and me both, brother!!! I’ve been reading VMB every Sunday night for the past 2-3 months, dreaming of the Sunday night I’d be there, on my own, no less!!! … Having drinks with the Beautiful People at Cosmo … being hit on by hookers … playing roulette for my first time, betting 17 and winning … and here I was, in my average room, falling asleep to the f’ing Celebrity Apprentice! I chalked it up to the cold and the two hour time difference. :faint:

    Monday 4/29
    Woke early, I’m not a breakfast person so juice and coffee are good enough for me. I was ready to return the car on Sunday night but had it booked through Monday and thought I’d keep it just in case there was any other errand I wanted to run … this came to pass and I turned it in. Ended up I parked on the correct level but a few rows off from the Avis return, no big deal to move it. I can’t recommend this strategy of returning the car to the hotel highly enough, this is the second time I’ve done it and it worked out really, really well.

    WHEN I play (note that, lol), I play table games exclusively: craps, baccarat, BJ and this trip I was determined to play roulette. I am not judging but I just don’t get slots; give me three Bell Fruit Gums and I get that, but these slots are too much for me. Pai Gow, poker, switch, Let It Ride, etc – I know nothing about them so I don’t play. :confused:

    So I started my morning routine of strolling from MC to Aria and back again checking table limits … this is 9am or so … picked up a medium dark roast at the Starbucks in the MC mall, they don’t do Sbuck rewards cards and it cost about a buck more than the same thing back home.

    Never saw limits lowered at Aria, $10 empty craps tables, $10 roulette, $10 BJ, $25 bac. MC has (and had, the entire week I was there) $10, 6 deck, surrender, 3-2 BJ. Yet that table would be empty while the CS, no surrender, 6-5 table would be filled. $25 bac, $10 craps.

    Haven’t been to or played at NYNY so I strolled over there, I can’t remember if there was $5 BJ but there was $5 craps. Bac at $10 but as read here it’s my understanding you can’t sit out hands. It was around 11am and the free craps lesson was about to begin so I thought what the heck and stayed for it. The pitboss was a very New York type, cocky with an accent and fit a stereotype. I know enough about craps to play the way I do but learned a few things, but for someone brand new to the game I thought he covered way too much too quickly – and he really seemed to push betting on the field. Anyway, I stuck around after the lesson to play at the $5 table, mainly because a couple with a British accent from Dubai stuck around from the lesson and she was very attractive, though she seemed to not learn anything from the lesson, which made her less attractive, but I digress again… Anyway, I was next to a Scot – there seemed to be a LOT of foreigners around for my entire trip – and we played for a while and I think I ended up even, give or take.

    I mentioned earlier that when I was growing up I like to watch pinball but was too cheap to spend my own money on the game. Alas, now that translates to my gambling. Simply put, I am a pssy! I will freely come out and say it and admit it. “I like to watch.” As they say. I have a giant wad of cash that I have built up over the past many months, close to five figures, there is a portion of it in my pocket, the rest locked in the safe in my room, and all I can do is muster the balls to maybe MAYBE! bet at a $5 craps table. This is something I am working on with my therapist.

    So I leave NYNY and head to MC/Aria to watch others gamble. I rationalize it by telling myself I’m charting the table and I’ll buy in when the trend goes my way, except … I never buy in.

    With this in mind I went to the pool. It was packed, I am certain that people just left towels on chairs for the day because the ratio of claimed chairs to people in the pool was way outta wack. In any case I found a solo chaise and proceeded to get a nice sunburn while catching up on my pile of New Yorkers.

    The pool at MC did nothing for me. The view is of the MC parking ramp and the ass end of Aria’s mechanicals. Granted those mechanicals are screened by a sexily designed screen but the whole thing feels wedged into its space. Maybe it wasn’t that way when the place opened but that’s how it felt to me in 2013.

    I heard the waitresses trolling about, but none ever asked me for drinks/food – I was OK with that because I didn’t want/need anything at the time … though the nachos I saw sure looked and smelled wonderful. Shout-out to previous posts – I brought an empty water bottle and filled it with (free) ice water provided onsite.

    Back in the room a few hours later I tended to a few work things that came up and made a reservation for L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. After cleaning up I walked over to MGM. A friend from home had some MGM chips he recently found in a jacket and asked me to cash them in… I was there an hour before my rez and found my balls and bought in at a craps table for $300. About an hour later I cashed out down exactly one dollar. :cheers:

    Dinner at L’Atelier was wonderful. I sat at the bar, solo – I have no qualms doing so – and the waiter was very accommodating. If I have any complaint it is old age, between the dim light and small print I requested a pair of readers, which were readily supplied. Three late 20/early 30s dudes on my left were wrapping up their meal and raving to each other about how it was the best meal they’d ever had and worth the price. On my right was a couple that, I’m fairly certain, she was working. He was a 40s looking, she was 20s. They had ordered the seasonal tasting menu and were about half way through when I sat down. The only conversation I heard between them – and I could hear everything, this is not a large space – was him speaking at her about the food. She was not that interested and made polite grunts in response. When that wasn’t happening they were looking at their respective cell phones. Upon reflection, maybe she wasn’t working, they were just married. :evillaugh

    In any case I ordered the seasonal tasting menu, with wine pairing. If you are still reading this and interested in the menu I will try to post a pic of it. The only choice was the main course, quail or steak. Knowing I would have steak later in the week I opted for the quail (stuffed with foie gras), this is not Sophie’s Choice-territory, people.

    The server, as I said, was great and offered a newspaper or magazine to me but I declined. I enjoyed watching the open kitchen and people around me. He explained each course and wine and I couldn’t have been happier. OK, I was feeling guilty for indulging in this meal without the Mrs, but that’s between you and me. :eek:

    Things were going swimmingly, but apparently my disappointment in the sea bass was on my face; the server asked how it was and when I said it was “OK” he swooped it away and said “let’s get something you’ll like.” The Minnesota Nice in me insisted, no no, it’s fine, but he insisted on bringing the tuna in its stead (and the relevant wine pairing, natch). Honestly I wasn’t that impressed with the tuna and thought the wine didn’t work with it at all, but kept my mouth shut.

    The final main, the quail, was out of this world fantastic, and my joy must have been evident. The server asked if I was getting enough food and I was blunt – I said no, and that the quail was so good I could eat three more plates of it. He said he would bring me more food, which resulted in the steak – and the relevant wine pairing. Again, another home run. :faint:

    By this time I had a couple on my left that consisted of a 50s woman hosting a 20s couple (not dating), and they were there on some kind of business. The host had been to the restaurant many times before and it was the couple’s first time … I could tell the couple wanted to go crazy but were deferring to the host, who was not in the mood. We've all been there and bit our tongues, n'est ce-pas? Needless to say I made no effort at conversation. Later in the night after they were a few drinks in and I heard the younger guy say they "just needed to monetize 10% of the audience that follows Justin Beiber’s tweets." Right – I want zero part of that conversation, drunk or sober.

    Meantime, working/married couple on my right was replaced by 30s couple, who inquired as to how I liked the tasting menu, because “ really seemed to know what [I’m] doing.” I said I wasn’t sure if I knew what I was doing or not, but that I liked good food and drink. We had a nice conversation, they were in town from Calgary on vacation and we talked shop and food, Vegas, restaurants, etc. He ordered a giant platter of the jamón Ibérico – the leg of which I had been drooling over all night, as it’s sitting RFT in the open kitchen. We bonded enough that I snagged a hunk of pig as a pre-dessert and it was great. Not sure I’d want a giant platter of it, but I digress.

    I’m not much of a dessert guy, but they did the trick. Overall my tab, with wine and tip, was around $350.

    Strolled through the casino at MC but was too full and drunk to gamble, so up to bed.

    Tues 4/30
    Up early again, checked in with work and read up on my roulette strategy. God forbid I actually play, but if I do, I’ll have a plan.

    Part of the Aria Sky Suite is a ‘complimentary’ limo from the airport. Awesome, but unless that Mlife website is magically connected to my wife's Delta site/itinerary, I don’t know how the hell they know how or when to send the car. Oh, that’s right, they’re supposed to call to get those details except they never did. With that in mind I walked over to Aria to get the details nailed down for the Mrs’s arrival. Along the way I checked out the menus at Sage, Circo, Javier’s, American Fish, Serrano, etc.

    One of the goals of this trip was an experiment to get a Cosmo Identity card to see what (if any) offers I can get from them. I’ll admit, I like MGM properties and am more than happy keeping my stay and play there, but like I said, it’s an experiment.

    So I sauntered over to Cosmo to sign up for the card. Here’s a tip – you need your ID, which I left in my safe, d’oh! I walked around the casino – people! $5 craps. At the Cosmo. Yes, it was Tuesday around 10am, but: $5 craps. I don’t want to read another post btching about the lack of cheap craps on the strip, it’s there, and I was pretty surprised to see it at Cosmo. If I saw $5 BJ I don’t remember but a dealer told me all tables at Cosmo are 3-2.

    Headed back to the room at MC to get my ID, then back through Crystals to Cosmo. It’s not the most intuitive/straightforward walk, true. It can be confusing the first few times. Probably moreso if you’re drunk or stupid. But after walking MC—Aria—Cosmo—Bellagio a few times or five, it ain’t that difficult, people. Don’t get me started on those who whine about the walk from Vdara to Aria and/or Bellagio. It is NOT a big deal. But I digress. :peace:

    In Crystals I stopped into the TAG Heuer shop. Why the hell not, when in Vegas, etc. Hell, I’ve looked at the watches, the ads, etc for years but I couldn’t tell you what they felt like or what they cost. So let me tell you – the watch I liked, the Carrera Calibre 1887 43mm, rose gold, metal band (it’s one of the models on the ads in Macarran), is about $6500. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.

    On to Cosmo, now that I have that $6500 win goal fresh in my mind. :rolleyes2:Signed up for the Identity card, no problem now that I have my DL. The staff were super chatty, friendly, nice. Got the card and I’m ready for this $100 in play/credit that I’ve been reading about forever. I don’t know what I’m going to do with this play, since I don’t play or understand slots. But there’s no mention of any of this when I get the card. Instead they’re talking about this touchscreen game I get to play where you touch a big screen TV to unlock some bullshit to get more bullshit and I’m not drunk but wish I was. Anyway I do the bullshit and I get $25. They’re all excited at the counter because most people only get $5. “OK, so now what?” “Play slots.” “I don’t play slots, is there video roulette?” “No but there’s video BJ.” OK, let’s go.

    Took me a while to find the video BJ, it’s a multigame machine … I’m so confused and old … what the hell do I do here, plug in my card then … find an attendant, she patiently gets me through the correct screens to activate the free play. So it’s activated, but it wants money from me, wtf? (if you’re still reading this and rolling your eyes at me, I understand and am a total n00b, I know) OK, I put one dollar in the machine and start the play. It’s going at $.25 a hand. Having never played a video machine before I am looking and feeling self-conscious about this… but it’s going well. I get the hang of it (there are two buttons, you f’in idiot) yet I still manage to split and then stand twice on each hand when I meant to hit. Lesson learned. Move up to $1 bet, let’s get this show in the road.

    One reason, or maybe the main reason I don’t like these video slots/games it that they seem like they’re rigged. At least the potential is there – easily. Sure, you got the Nevada Gaming Commission overseeing this, etc, etc. I get it. Next thing you’ll tell me is that F1 isn’t rigged too, but that’s a discussion for another board.

    I’m not saying this game I was playing is rigged, but I couldn’t lose. I’m going through the free play and watching my cash out amount increase (I’m still not sure how this all works) and I’m simply not losing. Next thing I know my free play is gone and my cash out amount is $35. OK, since I’m NOT drunk, my strategy at this point dictates that I keep playing since I’m winning, but if I lose three in a row – discipline – walk. Guess what happens? Well, since the machine ISN’T RIGGED WINK WINK… :wink

    I lose the next three in a row. :blink:

    Done – cashed out. I turned my $1 into $32.

    Proceeded over to a $10 craps table, played for quite a while and my $300 buy in cashed out up $156.:banana:Good dealers, talked shop with a guy next to me from NJ. Rewarded myself with a $6 slice from Secret Pizza. It was good, but not great (sorry to all who rave about the place), but worth the $6 and I would agree that it’s a helluva value on the strip.

    Back to the MC – pool time for a bit, magazines, nap, etc.

    Head over to Aria before cleaning up for the night and bought in at craps. Bought in at $300, cashed out down $40. Over to roulette. My first ever buy in at a roulette table. Bought in for $200 and cashed out at $420.:banana:

    I know many will disagree or disparage the following, but this is/was my play.
    My pssy craps strategy for this trip (at this point): bypass comeout roll. Buy 6 and 8 for $30 each; after one win down to $44 inside; next win same bet; next win increase 6 & 8 one unit; next win increase 5 & 9. If lose w $30 on 6 & 8, regress to $18 exclusively to get back up. Walk after three losses.

    Roulette: chart outside bets for three in a row trends (color/high-low/odd-even). Bet one unit more than the minimum; after one win, regress to the min; after another win, up on the bet but always hold at least one unit
    Roulette #2:
    3 unit on double street of 1 and 4
    3 unit on double street of 10 and 13
    3 unit on double street of 28 and 31
    2 unit on quad bet of 17,18,20,21

    After one win, same bet; after second win, increase each by one unit. Walk after 3 losses in a row.

    Anyway, after the nice win at roulette (!!!) I was feeling pretty good. Walked back to the room and cleaned up for the night.

    I realize it was Tuesday night and fairly early (7-8), but I was hoping to enjoy a cocktail and people watch at the sexy Bond bar at Cosmo. Well, I was disappointed, there was absolutely no action going on. Did a walk through and turned right around. :Þ

    Encouraged by my earlier roulette winnings I bought in to a table at Cosmo. Nice, young, new German dealer (he said it was his fifth day on the job), and he was more interested in chatting with me about Formula One than the game. Hey that’s great and all, but it was my second time playing, plus I’m a miser/pssy, can you please just shut up and roll that little ball? Preferably to the correct numbers???! Two cocktails later – negroni, up, should have specified an orange twist; attractive waitress – I cashed out at three losses in a row, down $179.

    Sauntered back to Aria, dinner time approaching. I was debating Sage after reading several positive reviews; Javier’s appealed to me (the Mrs can’t eat shellfish, and I feel obligated to eat that when she’s not around, their crab and shrimp nachos fit the bill to a T); American Fish appealed too, since it’s new and I read positive things too. I ended up choosing American Fish.

    As soon as I walked in my gut said to skip it and I should have listened to the gut. It wasn’t bad, per se, just meh. I think it was about 9pm, there was one person at the large bar and maybe a dozen tables were taken. The service was fine, two bartenders who were more than attentive, but the overall vibe was BOR-ING. I wished I had a magazine or newspaper, but not, because it was so dim I couldn't have read it. Anyway, I had three appetizers, the lob roll (an interesting twist), the crab cake (best crab cake I’ve ever had) and scallop w foie gras (meh). I asked them to pair wines for me and the sommelier did a great job. I think dinner was a bit over $100 and I took the dregs of my wine to go.

    Walking back I was pissed about dinner and losing earlier, so I went right to bed.

    More to come... é, Love/Bouchon, Absinthe/Carnevino...
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2013
  2. Corinne

    Corinne Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    811
    Location:
    Bucks, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Great start. Looking forward to the rest of it and review of Absinthe as it is one of the few shows I haven't yet seen and am considering in august.
     
  3. jfn111

    jfn111 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2009
    Messages:
    108
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    Good report, and yes it was a long winter here in MN:beer:
     
  4. Blonde_4_ever

    Blonde_4_ever LasVegas4ever.com

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2006
    Messages:
    2,442
    Location:
    Southern Ontario
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    50
    Enjoying the report.....
     
  5. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis
    A few things I realized I missed in the previous post that address threads I’ve seen:

    Tipping:
    Tipped anyone who handled my bags $1/bag
    Left $5/day at MC for the maid service, with a note saying Thank You. Mrs took care of this later in the trip, I’m not sure how much she tipped
    $2-3 per drink to a CW, whether it was water or booze

    Sports book:
    I don’t play sports book but at Aria I placed $50 on the Vikings to win the Superbowl. 22-1 odds I’m not holding my breath, but my friend’s dad made a similar bet on the Twins in 1987, so I had that in my mind! I didn’t get a drink ticket when I placed the bet (disappointing):cry:
     
  6. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    Messages:
    16,023
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    175
    Enjoying the report, but holy crap...dinner for one at L’Atelier-$350.
     
  7. egelston2

    egelston2 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2007
    Messages:
    194
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    5
    If you could share the picture of the seasonal menu, it would be appreciated.
     
  8. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis
    Wed 5/1

    Morning started off pss poor, a client called me to say he was moving his business elsewhere. I knew it was coming but the more I brooded on it it really pssed me off… :grrr:plus this is not the sort of news you want to hear on vacation, especially on the day when the Mrs and B&M are coming in and want to get things rolling.

    Anyway I did my best to shrug that off and headed down to the action. Over at Aria I wanted to see about checking into the suite. It was around 930 or so, and the room was available – something on the 32nd floor – can I get your CC? Oops, that’s back in my safe at MC… and I’m thinking, 32, really? Kinda hoped for higher... Anyway, without the ID I couldn't check in, so I confirmed the limo for the Mrs and said I’d be back in a while.

    Back at MC, bought in to roulette for $300. Gino was the dealer. Nice guy, but I don’t think you want to f with him. Played for a while, chatted w a nice 30s (40s?) lady from Houston… she shared my feelings re slots. Here’s another thing I just don’t get – the themed slots. I mean, I get it, but it just shocks me. “Sex in the City”? Charlotte 5x Bonus? Mr Big 3x? The f is going on here?! Did Candice Bushnell, in any dream, EVER consider that there would be a multi-player themed slot based on her book?! It’s just bizarre to me, but I digress.

    Ended up cashing out up $56, and it was about 1130 so I figured I should check out of my room.

    Packed up, checked out, huffed it over to Aria whereby I checked into the suite. That earlier room on 32 somehow turned into a room on 56! Sure that sounds fine… :thumbsup:

    The room was absolutely fantastic. Walking in it looks north to the mountains, the bath was over Vdara/Cosmo and bedroom Cosmo. The bathroom was HUGE! With a great soaking tub… Toto toilet that cleanses/stimulates in all the right places … everything was super clean and spot-on.

    While checking in I got a text from B that he and M were in the checkin line at Aria. He was originally booked at MC via Mlife but after reading some posts here (and checking into the MC) I tipped him to the betterbidding site and said if he could score an Aria/Cosmo/Vdara deal via hotwire – do it. If it was $30/night more than what he was booked at for MC it would be so worth it. He did so, but didn’t tell M so it was a surprise to her.:ssst:

    I met them at Aria check in; they got their room; I hoofed the rest of my bags to the suite and I unpacked. We all met and I showed off the suite to them and they were impressed. B was ready to get drinking so we went for lunch at The PUB.

    B&M shared a chicken club w bloody mary; I, a Ketel-tonic and passed on food. We sat outside and caught up on recent adventures. While we were eating, Mrs texted me that the limo met her and she was checked into the suite with no issues.:thumbsup:

    Based on my good fortune at Cosmo the day before I suggested they sign up for Identity and try the same bullshit bullshit. So we walked over there and they signed up, did the touchscreen bullshit and each won $5, which was promptly lost on a bullshit slot. I think B’s slot involved bears, but I’m not sure.

    B was ready for craps. Now, he is NOT an experienced player and has only ever played at casinos in Wisconsin. We find a $10 and I’m reluctant to play, I need to chart the table first! B lays into me, I’m a pssy, c’mon, etc, and I know he’s right. I throw caution to the wind. We each buy in for $100, me half-heartily. I forgot my Identify card back at the ranch, so this massive $100 buy in is going unrecorded on Cosmo’s books and screwing up my experiment, but alas.

    B is ready to go. One could argue he looks like a certain “you talkin’ to me?” actor and he shares the same first name, so it’s an easy opening in any environment. The dealers pick this up, and see the similar name on his Identity card and things go from there… B has an infectious personality that just works, especially when everyone is a bit lubricated. Meantime, he is doing all the uncouth things you don’t do at the craps table: betting late, putting hands in while dice are throwing, betting wrong, asking stupid questions, chips here and there, it’s a hot mess and I am totally embarrassed. But his good nature and the awesome dealers make it a moot point. Seriously, Courtney, the pitboss was so funny giving B sht, giving me sht, the other dealers (I forget their names) laughing at/with us, we were aware of our rookie mistakes, we did our best to clean up our act and just started having a blast. I bought in for the sole purpose to get B’s feet wet on Vegas craps and I was betting stupid – B would bet pass, I would bet the don’t just to f with him, etc. My usual strategy was out the window, but I didn't care.

    Fun, funny dealers, hot cocktail waitresses, next thing I know B has his magic working all around and the drinks are coming non-stop, even though I keep telling him I don’t want anything. I’ve got two Ketel-tonics in me and three lined up under the rail … M shows up after losing at slots and she starts betting with us… next thing I know we’re announcing to all passers-by that Hey! we’re on the fun end of the table!!! and I’m giving my drinks away to anyone who would take them. I NEVER roll the dice (ref. pssy and add item to shrink talking points) but I roll … and I hit numbers left and right lol. It wasn’t a monster session but it had to be ten minutes! :cheers:

    Anyway we kept at it and our $100 buy in lasted three hours. B would argue four, so we settled on saying it went three and a half hours. At this point, I am LOVING the Cosmo!!! Many rip on the casino, it’s small, it’s narrow, the high limit room sux, the hosts sux, yadda yadda, I’ve been reading the threads for months. Well in my low-betting, no host, n00b/pssy experience I loved the place! I like the décor, once you get the lay of the space it doesn’t feel small/constricted, the music they pipe in is AWESOME, seriously, I never expected to hear the tracks I did, the cocktails, the dealers, all were great. Again, “I love this place”, as they say.

    I was starting to feel guilty for not seeing the Mrs and getting drunk with B instead, so we headed back to Aria and met Mrs by the pool. She had taken a long nap in the suite (which was a home-run in her book) and then hit the gym before the pool, so all was well in Mrs-land and I needn’t worry. We all headed up to the suite for some vino and snacks and to catch up on recent adventures.:beer:

    B&M skedaddled after a while, they had plans to head downtown for the night while the Mrs and I were at é.

    We cleaned up for our 8:30 rez at é and headed over to Cosmo. I mentioned the watch at TAG and Mrs said to just take my gambling fund and buy the watch, since she is fully aware that I am a g d pssy. I told her she had a point, but knowing myself I would buy the watch but then never wear it, because it’s so nice. Chalk up yet another talking point for the shrink.:eek:

    Regarding é, Mrs and I ate there in January 2012. That was the trip where she told me she was pregnant, so we were each off of our game in different ways. I had the wine pairing and it was wayyy too much booze (she forwent booze, obviously); I was pretty lit at the end of the dinner and ready to call it a night. With that in mind the plan was to split wine pairing this time.

    At Jaleo/é we started with a cocktail at the bar, catching up on the last few days. We were seated at the appropriate time, in appropriate dramatic fashion… I won’t go into the details of the dinner, but if someone wants a pic of the menu I’ll try to post. Short version: disappointing. Since we’d been there before we had a point of reference. Everything had the billing of and fit the definition of Spanish avant garde molecular gastronomy, but IMO it fell short. I don’t know how to explain it, but the first time we were there, every course was “holy sht!/this is amazing!/my head is exploding!” and this time it was “yeah, ok.” It felt half-assed, as if everyone clocked in and were there to make the donuts.

    But I think the other six guests were content. We were seated at seats 1-2. Once couple at the far opposite end looked to be out for prom (I’m being catty); an older couple; and a late 20s/early 30s couple that was seated next to us. They were from NJ and were scouting suites/locations for their fall wedding. Very nice couple, they said something similar to me re “you appear to know what you’re doing”, and I didn’t have the heart to tell them how disappointed I was in the meal. Tab was $710 and we left not full, and not drunk.:grrr:

    B had been texting me all night, they were having the full-on downtown experience, he did the zipline (twice), naked/semi-naked dealers here and there, loud drunkenness, it sounded like he was getting the highlights of everything I read about here. They shared a cab back to Aria with a fun Canadian couple and after B did a strip show for them in the cab (I didn’t get the full details) they paid the fare.:rolleyes2:

    Thursday 5/2
    Slow morning enjoying the suite. Mrs had some sort of spa treatment set for 10am.

    Met B&M for coffee at Starbucks in Aria – holy cow, why wasn’t this Sbucks here from day one? Packed! Line is at least 10 minutes long.

    Not sure what we did, I think I played some roulette? but we ended up at MC for the 11am craps lesson. I figure B might get something out of it and I was open for it too. Here it was a bit different that at NYNY, the dealer/teacher was really pushing the C/E bet, which struck me as very odd on a $5 table.

    After the lesson they opened up the table for $5 and B and I played; I quit after I was down $50. Interesting to note that at the lesson they said we could go to any $10 table during the day and mention that we had been at the lesson earlier in the morning and they would allow us in at a $5 min.

    M met up with us and we headed over to Cosmo for lunch Secret Pizza. Pizza didn’t disappoint, B&M liked it and I thought it was better than what I had had earlier in the week. We proceeded to the casino … M went to the slots and I bought in at roulette and doubled my $300 buy-in, which I then lost while we attempted to reproduce our craps experience from the day before. On a previous trip I had the realization that while I enjoy playing craps, I make money at baccarat. This time roulette seemed to be playing that role.

    Not sure what the deal was with the CWs on this day, but they would only bring us drinks if our glass was empty. B was doing his best to keep things coming but was having limited success. This was so not an issue the day before it left us befuddled.:confused2:

    We headed back to Aria and B&M bought in at a $10 CS BJ table while I, for some ridiculous reason, pssied out and simply advised them on strategy. M was a lost cause re betting strategy and flat bet $10 the entire session, while B worked a version of my min+1 unit, then regress, then up and pull strategy. There were two dealers, a 60s woman from Bulgaria (I think?) who was very fun, giving me sht, teasing B, talking smack and correct strategy with all the players; the other was a male, 50s/60s, who didn’t say more than boo to anyone the entire time he dealt. By the time #1 came back we asked her, “WTF w#2?” and she said he didn’t speak much English.

    Chatted with some of the other guys at the table who were staying at Cosmo, said they loved the property but had really bad experience with the BJ dealers – advising on wrong strategy and not friendly/cool in general. This was the far opposite of what we saw at the craps and roulette tables when we were there.:confused2:

    CWs at Aria were frequent and B kept up his routine of ordering K-t for me, I didn’t think they’d serve me since I wasn’t playing but three drinks proved me wrong… B ended the session up about $80 and M was even.

    We had plans for Love that night. B&M cleared out and I decided to try more roulette – big mistake, I ended up down $150.

    After we were all cleaned up (Mrs enjoyed I-have-no-idea-what at the spa that day), we all cabbed to Mirage for Love. I ponied up for our pre-show drinks ($70 for four themed drinks, sugary and out of a gun), but when in Rome…

    Let me take a brief second here to say how much I love my wife and how hot I think she is. :blowkiss:We work from home, in our basement office, so our typical day isn’t wearing power suits and being seen for lunch at the Four Seasons. So when we go to Vegas, we like to clean up a bit and wear our “Vegas clothes”. She looked absolutely fantastic and I loved walking next to her and watching all the dudes (and women) check her out as we walked by … then some would look at me with a reaction like “really? With YOU?!” lol:evillaugh

    B got the tickets for the show, I’m not sure about the details on how he got them but I think it involved Mlife and the fact he saw the show a few years before… they were $130 or so and were great seats, about 10 rows up in a middle section.

    Mrs and I really, really liked the show. We laughed, we cried. Seriously. The buildup and the opening is incredible. In fact, it was too much. I was in tears, I was overwhelmed and it was so over the top. In the end, this was the best and worst part of the show – since my expectations were set so high right out of the gate, anything lower than that disappointed.

    As the show went on, I realized I was expecting a Beatles concert except … I was at a Cirque show, which, right – is not the same thing. So while I enjoyed it, all I could think was “OMG, this is great, but – more Beatles, less Cirque.”

    I’m stupid, I know, but not so stupid to think that a cover band or U2 was going to rise out of the stage (which would have been, like, awesome!), so I accepted what was happening and rolled with it. It was still great, and I cried more – damn that Paul McCartney, he knows how to write pop songs, and the show reminded me of his genius.:nworthy:

    Yet at the same time – the music was (is?) so much more than the spectacle of the space. The acoustics, the music is HUGE, yet the visual, at times, was lacking and failed to match its mate. There were a number of acts where the music builds to a crescendo, leading to a breaking point/explosion that requires a matching visual and too often it wasn’t met. The opening was a perfect match of these two elements, but for many other numbers there would be one circling clown (I’m saying this generally) where there should have been four; the space was not fully utilized. There could have been a better use of light effects, the screens, etc, not just necessarily people in the space.

    I don’t remember which song, maybe it was “Lady Madonna”, but it came off as racist. I’ve seen the same stomping/Uncle Tom-esque character in other Cirque shows… but no! it’s masked in a French Canadian cover so it’s “OK” and not racist! I digress. I thought it was just me but Mrs agreed.

    In sum, the show was great, but I wish it had been awesome.:thumbsup:

    After the show we had dinner across the street at Bouchon. I love this place, Mrs and I make a point of going here every visit, and it has only disappointed once. We rolled in for our 845 rez at 915 (I saw my name on the screen in red, whoops), and we were seated at a … disappointing table. I asked for a different banquette and we were promptly moved.

    Dinner was fantastic. We started with some of their signature cocktails, The Bouchon was the clear winner. The butter that is served with the baguette is wonderfully soft and salty. Moved on to the special apps, a salmon tartare and mushroom salade … added a generous portion of oysters for the table. B had never had salmon before, which I could not believe, he loved it… I thought it was great too, but I was expecting a giant mound of raw salmon but this was, as the waiter pointed out after the fact, a small portion for one… I think I liked the mushrooms more than the others, the vinaigrette was perfectly balanced.

    Entrees for B&M were steak-frites and chicken, which B referred to as surf and turf, even after I pointed out chicken is turf, too. It had to be some of the best chicken I’ve ever had:drooling:, way better than the dehydrated chicken skin with a chicken-thyme foam bullshit we had at é the night before (I’m not making that up). Mrs and I shared steak-frites, which was perfect. Desserts were ordered, but since I’m not a dessert guy I didn’t pay attention and didn’t have any.

    The waiter was perfect, we were lit, we dished it out and he gave it right back to us which is exactly what we wanted. He recommended perfect wines for the night, great digestives with dessert, and we shut the place down. BTW, the “cheap” Armagnac is a “value” Armagnac, as the waiter corrected me. Get it right, jckass!:poke:

    A cab ride back to Aria, I think there was some play at a craps table but Mrs and I left for the night.:love: B would later text me that I left too soon and he was up over $200. D’oh!:rolleyes2:

    Friday 5/3
    After serving Mrs and myself some morning juice en suite, I realized there were still several bottles of vino in the fridge, including sparkling. We had less than 36 hours left in town, so if not now, when? I popped the bottle of sparking and the day begins…

    9am, met B&M at Starbucks, they had coffee, we had sparking, and I realized this was not right.:nono: I went back to the suite, got the remaining vino, some fruit, a few granola bars, and next thing you know we have a fruit/granola/champagne/coffee party started at 930am in Starbucks lol.

    This party moved over to the pool, whereby we easily found chairs. Let me take a quick sentence or two to say that IMO the pools at Aria are AWESOME! If there is ever a question about what pool is better, x or Aria, in my book, Aria. MC – lame. MB, big, yes, but so big it feels like an amusement park. Vdara, nice, but small. Aria has the three pools, laid out where they’re close but the décor makes each feel isolated. Just plain nice and relaxing. I guess if you want the dayclub/party pool it might not be the place for you. There is a dayclub/party pool at Aria, but not my scene, didn’t check it out.

    B felt obligated to buy our first round of drinks, since I got the first round at Love. Well, didn’t I come out the winner, three bloody marys and one pina colada later, he’s out $125. Ouch.:eek: Granted these were 32oz each, but still…

    And so we had a super relaxing, enjoyable time in and around the pool, chatting and watching the freaks, enjoying our expensive cocktails…:drunk:

    This lasted a while until M insisted we go see “Fat Elvis” at Harrah’s, something she had been insisting on since they arrived. Plus, I was planning to take us all to Absinthe for the night and I had yet to get tickets… on top of this, B and I were both feeling the urge to gamble more than we had been. So we left Mrs to do more of her spa-things, and the three of us headed out.

    We changed out of our suits and went across the street to the Hawaiian Marketplace and I got in line at Tix4 Tonight. B went to I don’t know where and got us drinks, allegedly I was drinking a Ketel-tonic but I had my doubts. After eating some gross-but-met-the-need stuffed pizza from I don’t know where, we walked north to Harrah’s.

    I had no problem getting the tickets ($70 each), but the catch was that after paying for them at the Tix4 booth I had to get the actual tickets at the Absinthe tent. I was keeping the show secret from B, since I didn’t want him to Google the show and watch some of it on the YouTube, lest the magic be spoiled. I kept telling him we were going to see Carrot Top. When he doubted me I told him it was really David Copperfield but the ladies were going to the Thunder Down Under. Did my best to throw him off…:evillaugh

    So now I had to figure out a way to pick up the tickets without him catching on to what I’m doing. The good news was that we were heading towards Harrah’s, across the street from Caesar’s, so we were already heading in the right direction.

    The booze was starting to kick in, and it was only 1pm, and I was wondering where the day would lead. We made our way up the strip, stayed on the street and didn’t go in to Paris or PH. We did pass through The Quad – it had the feel (and smell?) of fresh carpet and sheetrock. Not horrible by any means, and I hadn’t ever been through the IP so I can’t compare, but it had the feel and smell of a newly build/finished basement game room.:peace:

    By the time we made it to Harrah’s “Fat Elvis”, whose correct title is “Big Elvis,” was in full swing. I had my doubts, I just wanted to get the Absinthe tickets and go back to Cosmo/Aria and gamble, but B said I had to stick with him. Despite the smoke in the lounge, Elvis was very fun. He sounds like the real deal, apparently he is one of the top 10 Elvis impersonators in the country (a very competitive field, no doubt), and he did a fantastic job. Everyone was enjoying it, B started dancing with every female he could find, while M and I just watched him and rolled our eyes (the story of our trip, really) … everyone enjoyed it, pics with Elvis (Pete is his real name) afterward ensued.:eek:

    We then left the lounge and bought in at the $5 craps table right at the main entrance. Sassy, fun dealer named Heather kept us on our toes. B worked his Hollywood looks to the usual effect… Drunk, sunburned 20-something dude next to me, had just won $200 at BJ at the Mirage and now was at the craps table not having a clue as to what he was doing … I did my best to keep him on task but it was pointless. Ketel-tonics at Harrah’s will cost you, so B downgraded me to Absolut-tonic. We stuck around a while, I was rolling and not doing anything magical until I noticed a bunch of guys at the opposite end of the table had stacks of blacks on the Don’t … I made their number, which pissed me off, so we left and I was down around twenty bucks.:grrr:

    We found our way across the street to Caesar’s, and I found the “place where the ticket people said I had to go” (wink, wink) to get the tickets … not sure if B was on to the fact that, yes, this was the show we were going to, but he wound his way over to the bar/drink stand to keep things moving. I snagged the tickets w/o problem and, knowing I still had a long day ahead, changed to Ketel-Red Bull.

    As we made our way towards Aria BJ at the Bellagio caught our fancy. M stepped away to play some slots while B and I found a $10 6 desk CS table. There wasn’t a sign mentioning surrender was available, but I said something about it and the dealer said that yes, it was an option. So file that one away, dear readers, that it might be there if you ask. Cocktails flowed quickly and without issue. :beer:We went back and forth, up and down, I quit after hitting my three losses in a row limit, B had one of those magical hands where you split, split, double, etc - basically he had four hands out and about $80 on the table. He won three of the four and came away up for the session.:D

    I noted we were at a CS table but the dealer pointed out that there was a 6 deck hand shuffle table back by the baccarat area. We walked by on our way out and confirmed it was there. I’ll confirm what others have said that Bellagio is a great place for BJ, there seemed to be more tables at better limits than at Aria.

    On our way out we noticed a large group around a roulette wheel. We stopped to gander and some Russian dude was playing about $30k/spin … we watched him win about $20k on one spin and then lose it all on the next.

    Over at Aria B and I bought in at craps. Mrs came down from the room, she was cleaned up and ready to go for the night, saw the condition we were in and was not impressed lol.:rolleyes2: The whole scene, B and me fairly lit, getting our (lame-ass, small limit) gambling jones working – it was a scene she wanted zero part of, so she promptly exited, stage left. I stayed for a while and honestly don’t remember if I was up or down… then went to get cleaned up for the show.

    Mrs was looking fantastic, spa treatment/facial or otherwise… :kiss:man she was smokin’… :love: anyway, she and I had tapas at Julian Serrano. I absolutely love this place. Not sure I would want to sit at a table and have a long dinner there, each time we’ve been it has been for a drink or two and several tapas plates at the bar and for that I think it is perfect. I don’t remember what all we had, but I think it was calamari, tuna cones, scallop w romesco, anchovy fillets. I know had water and started to pace myself, and I stuffed myself with whatever food was there. Mrs was just getting started and enjoyed her martini. B&M rolled in and we cabbed it to “Carrot Top” – I clued the bartender into my ruse and he played along, telling B how awesome it is when he starts pulling shit out of the trunk, oh it’s hilarious. :wink2:

    A super-quick ride down the back street to Caesar’s and we wound our way to the tent for Absinthe. This is the third time Mrs and I have been to Absinthe. If you haven’t seen the show and think you’ll like it – quit debating, just GO. It is so over the top offensive and hilarious, I knew B would love it and I wanted to go to see it again, but also to watch his reaction to it.:cheers:

    People have said it here before and I will confirm, there really isn’t a bad seat to be had since the venue is so small. I don’t think it’s worth paying extra for the VIP seat, and if you really want to sit in the front row, that is a risk you have to be willing to take…:eek:

    The show and B’s reaction met all of my expectations. Some of the acts were different from the previous times we went; motorboating has been replaced to great effect. Overall though Mrs and I thought it seemed shorter than previously, though we couldn’t remember which acts were missing. Don’t know if it was the booze or not but I was more wowed by the acrobatic feats than I had been previously … and, I cried:cry:, though this time it was because I was laughing so hard.

    After the show we made it across the street to V/P for our dinner reservations at Carnevino. This is my shout-out to Jilly/Philly and my input to every steakhouse thread I read. Mrs and I dined here last year and really, really enjoyed it, though she was pregnant and we weren’t in our usual form, so a Riserva steak didn’t make the “cut” (ha ha, ouch):poke:. So this time I was ready to rumble.

    I’ll just come out and say it – we were pretty lit at this point. We were seated in the wine cellar area between the main dining room and the back room. I thought it was a great table, quiet but you could see enough of the action between each of the other areas – we were in the main room last time and it was a bit loud at times.

    Cocktails started dinner, I love Campari/negroni as an appertif. I asked if there was a Riserva steak available for four, and the waitress said a seven month, three inch, bone-in strip was available. I said to hold it for us.

    I excused myself to the restroom and entered a room that could only be called an unmitigated disaster. I will grant you that there were several large tables in the back room, filled with what had to be bachelor parties or similar – think sausage fest – and the bathroom looked like it was in a frat house. It didn’t smell, and I’m not saying there was excrement everywhere, there wasn’t, – just that there was glassware, paper towels, toilet paper etc strewn about. It was one huge mess that, IMO, if a staff member patrolled every so often throughout the night, should never happen.:nono:

    (Good lord, using these emoticons is hard work lol)

    After walking out I stopped at a waitstation and asked for a manager or maître’d. There were two waiters, and to their credit, their radar immediately picked up that something was wrong, and one of them focused directly on me and said, “yes sir, is there a problem?”

    I said “You seem to be running a classy joint here, but that men’s room is a fucking disaster and needs to be addressed asap.” “Thank you sir, I’ll take care of it right away.” I can’t say for sure that the issues were completely addressed, since I didn’t return, but B went a while later and said nothing seemed to be out of place.

    Our waitress was stellar. She answered all of our questions, gave back any sass we dished out, and said she remembered Mrs and me from last year. I guffawed, there’s no way she could remember, and Mrs agreed with me. When she came back, we said as much. She said, “oh no, I remember you two were here and she was pregnant, and you asked some questions about one of the cheeses.” Wow. Impressive.:nworthy:

    And so on to dinner … a green salad with a duck egg … a nice bottle of a Sonoma zin I wasn’t familiar with (this is my favorite wine) … B insisted on a cab with the steak, so he and the sommelier settled on something … two pasta sides … and the steak. OMG the steak. People, this Riserva is the sht, the dopest red meat sht I’ve ever had.:licklips: After everyone was done, I practically gnawed the bone, I did everything short of picking it up and chewing it (I was in a classy joint, after all). It had the most interesting twang, umami, funky-in-a-good-way flavor. I don’t know how else to describe it.:licklips:

    Haven’t been to Cut, haven’t been to Craftsteak, or any of the others I see popping up on various threads, but I will stand steadfast behind Jilly and others who say Carnevino and the Riserva is the best steak in Vegas. So that’s my two cents in the steakhouse debate.:beer:

    Dessert followed, along with digestifs… again, I didn’t partake of dessert. B and the Mrs (and I guess all of us at the table) were connecting over some serious talk about family, relationships, children… I think B fell in love with my wife, to be honest lol:kiss:… it was a fantastic dinner.

    If anything, I was too drunk to fully appreciate everything. I know that steak was the best red meat I’ve ever had in my mouth [insert joke/shrink talking point here], but I honestly don’t remember the pastas, and I would have liked more time to really explore the menu and other sides. Next visit, I’ll be sure to have paced myself.:eek:

    The steak alone was $237. I don’t remember what the complete tab was, and frankly I don’t want to go look lol. Yes, it’s a lot of money but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

    And so we rolled out into the V/P… drunk … I don’t really remember much but there are blurry pictures of me with a cigarette and another of B, pants down, humping a sign outside of the casino. Good times!:drunk::drunk::drunk:

    Needless to say we were in no condition to gamble.:eek:

    Saturday 5/4
    Also needless to say was that we woke up hung over. Sad day, last day in town and I really didn’t want to leave our delicious suite.

    We met M at Starbucks and went to the pool. B was in a bad way, still in bed. I think we intended to swim to clear the cobwebs but it never happened.

    Around 1030 we said our goodbyes to M, they were on a later flight that day, and we went back to the room, packed up and I checked out. My massive gambling at MGM properties resulted in a whopping $32 taken off my tab. Well, that’s better than nothing.:peace:

    The limo took us to Macarran without incident, one bag was overweight so a little last-minute reshuffling and we were on our way. :wave:

    As fun as it was to be away it was good to be home again, though I had a “missing Vegas” hangover for several days (in fact I might still have it). B texted me during the day and he played BJ at Bellagio for 6+ hours and managed to enjoy the hair of the dog. He was up $600 at one point but ended the trip down $200.

    Never found the balls to play baccarat this trip, though I charted several tables. B wanted to play but since he never had he was waiting to follow my lead.

    I lost track of my wins/losses once B showed up, and my gambling kitty intermingled with my non-gambling cash, but overall for the trip I think I was down a little – maybe $200 tops. So, it’s a loss, but not a big one, and I had a great time. Can’t wait to see if I get some Cosmo offers, and I can’t wait to do it all again next year, or sooner!:peace::peace::kiss::thumbsup:
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2013
  9. weluvvegas

    weluvvegas Casino Countess

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2003
    Messages:
    3,024
    Location:
    Northern CA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    24
    Awesome report....$237 steak? Really? You know what eventually happens to everything you eat right? It doesn't stay with you forever..... LOL

    Anyway, it was refreshing to hear of your emotional response to Love...I felt the same way when we saw it. Choked up at the beginning and end....just incredible. Happy to say we are seeing it for the 2nd time thanks to MyVegas :)

    So they put a Starbucks inside Aria? When did that happen? Last 2 trips, I enjoyed the coffee at the Jean Philippe patisserie (prob spelled wrong) place where they sell all that fabulous chocolate.

    Sounds like MLife is tightening up for everyone, $32 isn't much. Hope you were able to gain some TCs and ECs while you were there! Thanks for the report!
     
  10. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2008
    Messages:
    17,827
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    Enjoyed your TR and hearing about your dining experiences. The suite at Aria sounds really nice. I have yet to step into Aria....guess it's time to end my boycott, lol. I am a Cosmo fan as well, love the place and just don't know where some of the negative reviews and comments I've read come from as my experiences have always been wonderful. Two more weeks 'til I'm sitting on my terrace at Cosmo!:eek:
     
  11. oldcrabtom

    oldcrabtom High-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    512
    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    Very entertaining report, thanks for posting...........:drunk:
     
  12. VegasGarden

    VegasGarden Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2010
    Messages:
    354
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    89
    magnificent report. Literate with a tinge of humor. 5 stars.
     
  13. tomb3006

    tomb3006 Tourist

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2013
    Messages:
    20
    Location:
    Ghent, Belgium
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    4
    awesome report, thanks for posting !
     
  14. lvmb

    lvmb Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2010
    Messages:
    170
    Location:
    UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
    Thanks for a great report. Glad you had a good time.


    Absinthe and Carrot Top have both been on my "next time" list for the last 4 trips and your report has added another reason to go see them.
     
  15. lucky13

    lucky13 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2012
    Messages:
    261
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    6
    great report , i like how you write .,, or maybe it is the booze in me
    either way i loved the report
     
  16. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis
    Here's the tasting menu, sorry it took so long for me to post.

    Hand-written note is the list of wines.
     

    Attached Files:

  17. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis
    Thank you to everyone for the kind words.:wave:

    It took me a few days to find the time to get some photos transferred to the computer but here are some pics of the Aria Suite.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. JB in MN

    JB in MN Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2011
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    minneapolis
    The pattern picture is the wallpaper that was in the guest/second bathroom. I thought it was really cool, I am (unsuccessfully) trying to find out what the pattern is called, it would look fabulous in our guest bath too.

    Other pic is of "Big Elvis" (if that wasn't obvious!)
     

    Attached Files:

  19. bluerider

    bluerider Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2011
    Messages:
    215
    Location:
    The Great Lakes
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    23
    Great report! Sounds like you all had a fun trip.

    The pattern looks like it is a bunch of words printed over one and other. At least that's what I'm seeing...
     
  20. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    31,307
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Good report!

    FYI, the $100 loss reimbursement is still active at the Cosmo. But if you return to Vegas while the promo is still active (and it has been since it's been open), you can still attempt it if you have never redeemed it. We asked this because my g/f failed to lose her $100 before we could leave town, and probably the most knowledgeable employee at the player's club told us that she could attempt again on another date if the promo is still running. She ended up $20 instead over 6 hours of gambling...lol I on the other hand blew my $100 in about 8 minutes before grinding back $89 of it from the freeplay. :grrr:
     
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