See Shop Eat Do: Las Vegas



The iconic Las Vegas strip


Last weekend I went to Las Vegas for the first time since I was a kid (remember when Vegas tried to market itself as family friendly and a great place for kids? I guess my parents believed them!).

Anyway, it was very fun, and very different from when I was 7...although I do still think that the pirate ship at Treasure Island is pretty cool!



Palazzo Hotel


We stayed at the beautiful and enormous Palazzo Hotel...seriously, hotels are so huge in Vegas!

 Mesa Grill

Saturday afternoon we wandered around and shopped, and had lunch at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Caesar's Palace. We also got one of those hilarious meter long alcoholic slushy drinks from Caesar's -no wonder people are always so drunk in Vegas!



Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan Hotel


We checked out the new Cosmopolitan Hotel, where I was in awe of the gorgeous Chandelier Bar. You literally feel like you are surrounded by crystals, it is very cool!

Marquee Dayclub

We spent a majority of Saturday afternoon drinking mojitos poolside at the Marquee Dayclub, also located in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It was a lot more crowded than this (obviously) but it was the only image I could find! It was a really good time and a beautiful rooftop area, and the crowd was fun but not too crazy. I'm not sure if I could handle an actual all out Vegas pool party. Baby steps....




Okada Restaurant


For dinner we went to Okada restaurant in The Wynn hotel; the food tasted super fresh and the restaurant faced onto it's own private waterfall and mini lake - only in Vegas right!?

XS Nightclub

After dinner we headed over to XS nightclub which had the longest line up I have ever seen for anything, ever - it was really fun once you were inside though! I liked how the club was split between indoor and outdoor, so you had the choice of a super clubby atmosphere inside or (a bit) more chill outside.

Heading out for the night, champagne in hand. Yay Vegas!

We did a lot of browsing and walking throughout various shopping areas, and the Shops at the Venetian were my favorite. I loved watching the tourists ride around on the gondolas - it looked like fun!

Wynn Buffet

Sunday morning we ate at enormous buffet at the Wynn hotel, which features literally everything you could ever imagine, and more.

It was a perfect weekend, and just what I expected Vegas to be - bright, crazy, busy and fun! I am so glad that I finally got to go but I think I have had my Vegas fill for a while!

LA's Top 5 Burgers According to Daily Candy

I was perusing Daily Candy the other day and across their list of the best burgers in Los Angeles. I'm not really a big burger person, but these sound really good, and if they have been vetted and tested (tough job!!) by Daily Candy, then I'm in.

Check out their picks below:

The Comme Ca Burger at Comme Ca

The Natural Burger at The Burger Kitchen

Le Burger Bouchon at Bouchon Bistro

SoCal Burger at Umami Burger

Pop Burger at the Hungry Cat


dailycandy.com

Cha Cha Chicken

Cha Cha Chicken is a brightly colored Carribean style beach shack/restaurant on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. They serve fresh, authentic Carribean cuisine, with everything prepared in house and their fish delivered daily - their Coconut Chicken was even featured on the Food Networks 'Best Thing I Ever Ate'. I haven't actually tried that dish but a friend of mine is always raving about it!

This is a really fun restaurant with a super casual atmosphere, and you are able to bring your own wine or beer which helps to keep it even more reasonable than it already is. It's good for groups - if someone gets there early to save a table - as Cha Cha Chicken is often super busy and they don't take reservations, so waiting in line for food and a table can be a bit of a pain.

Overall it's a really cool vibe with fresh food and a fun atmosphere, and definitely worth at least checking out.

chachachicken.com

Grom Gelato

Grom is an amazing gelato shop which recently opened in Malibu. They first set up shop in Italy (which explains why their gelato is the best thing ever) and recently expanded to the US.

Grom uses only the freshest, high quality ingredients in their gelato, and you can tell - I have eaten quite a bit of gelato in my life, and this was by far the best. Their prices are a little steep, but it's definitely worth it!

Check them out next time you're in Malibu...or head there just for the gelato!

grom.it/ita/

Taverna Tony

Last Sunday we spent a leisurely afternoon in Malibu, and popped into Taverna Tony Greek restaurant for lunch. I had been wanting to go for quite some time, and it seemed as good a time as any!

I am really - probably a little too much - into hummus and dips, and Taverna Tony's hummus dip and Melintzanosalata (eggplant dip) did not disappoint. I also enjoyed their Athenian style Calamari, which I don't usually like!

Overall our experience at Taverna Tony was a good one, and I can understand why it is such a celeb favorite.

tavernatony.com 

Next time I want to go back at night to see the belly dancers!