travels to the desert, part 5

our last stop before heading back to orange county was vegas. we're not really vegas people and don't really do the typical vegas things, so we spent the two days lounging and walking around. here are some highlights!

1. Wolfgang Puck Truffled Potato Chips With Maytag Blue Cheese

(http://www.rvgoddess.com/blog/2010/october/Photos/102310-11.jpg)

after a bad experience with a c-cake factory salad that tasted like secondhand smoke, i've been avoiding blue cheese ever since. but yelp said that this appetizer was the thing to order at wolf's, so we got it and it was totally scrumptious. google searches have found some potential recipes, so i'm going to try it out some time. as the pw says, here are the (potential) cast of characters for the creamy sauce:

1/2 cup Truffle Aioli

3 T buttermilk (plus more, if needed)

3 T heavy cream

1-2 oz blue cheese ( maytag, rouqefort, or gorgonzola)

you'd think it'd be overwhelming, but it works and it's like nachos turned up, my fave!

2. Earl of Sandwich

(http://www.therobotchef.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Earl02_thumb.jpg)

if you search on yelp for restaurants on the strip, earl of sandwich pops up as number three after joel robuchon and picasso, $$$$ places. this place is amazing. we are cheap people and these $5.99 sandwiches are really delicious. our favorite is the original, (pictured above), which is roast beef on cheddar with mustard. i think what really pushes these sandwiches over the top is their bread, which is slightly undercooked before they stick the whole sandwich in the oven, so that it gets to a perfect toastiness. quizno's, take note! the fillings are also quite nice. apparently it is a chain, supposedly run by the descendants of the original earl of sandwich. if i could, i would open a franchise asap. ASAP.

3. MGM Grand Lazy River

i love water slides like nobody's business. roller coasters freak me out (i hate the dropping feel) but i think the voosh! of a water slide is perfect. our hotel didn't have a water slide, but it had a very lovely lazy river and though i made it a personal goal that day to go around the entire river 100 times, i was still quite content to make four laps and call it a day.

(http://hamakilona.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/mgm_grand_lazy_river.jpg)

4. mandarin oriental lounge

do you see me? this is the outside waiting area.

and here's the view from where we sat


this lounge is so calm and elegant, there was even live jazz when we were there. it's stunningly not crowded and really quiet, and the view can't be beat!

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