When In Vegas GIVEAWAY! Enter today #contest

Want to be fully prepared on your trip to Las Vegas? 
Welcome to my first giveaway.  Enter to win a grab bag of my favorite travel and full sized (under 3 oz) goodies I like to take on my trips.  I will also include a restaurant.com gift certificate for $25 to the PINK TACO restaurant at the Hard Rock Casino!
This prize is geared for women (lots of cosmetic and skin care samples perfect for small trips!), but anyone can enter.
Rules:
To enter, please leave a comment here on this blog post with your FAVORITE THING TO DO/SEE/EAT/VISIT IN VEGAS OR WHAT YOU CAN'T WAIT TO TRY ON YOUR FIRST TRIP TO VEGAS. 
Follow me on Twitter (@wheninvegas) or (@lisaleeworks)
Winner will be announced on February 1st, 2013 on Twitter and on this blog.

Winner will be drawn at random by me (in a very unscientific way).
That person will be notified and will receive one(1) grab bag of different items and travel goodies, including 1 restaurant.com gift certificate worth $25 at the Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Good Luck!  One entry per person.

Bill's is Closing! #vegas #iconicplaces

This morning, I awoke to something in my twitterfeed that made me sad.  Someone mentioned Bill's was closing. 
I went directly to Bills website to check it out for myself, sadly:

 

Bill's will close on Feb 4!  Oh no!  I might not make it back in time to enjoy:

•  The yummy steak and eggs breakfast at 3 am for $6.99
• The greasy Old Strip feel with the tons of lights adorning the exterior in complete 70s style
• The quick shortcut to the Flamingo by walking through Bills from Bally's in the 102 degree heat
• Playing the slots I love that left Bally's and Paris (lord of the rings, the price is right)

You might think I'm joking, but I'm not.  I absolutely love Bills!  They had Fat Elvis performing multiple times/week for years.  The ornate decorations adoring the exterior was a throwback to the old strip (in my mind).  We could always see Bills from our window in our room at Bally's.  Now, I think we will have a great view of ....construction...for a couple years.

 

**If you get a chance to go to Vegas before Feb 4, please visit this wonderful spot between Bally's and the Flamingo.  It is a small casino with lots of attitude.  Quiet enough if you are cooling down from a long night, close to everything, and the late night special was nothing short of required after gambling and partying until 3 am.  **

 

I'm sad.  You will be missed.  I loved you, Bill! 

 

 

 

 

Bacchanal Buffet - Caesars Palace #lasvegas @caesarspalace

Bacchanal Buffet, located in Caesars Palace, sits near Beijing Noodle No. 9 and Rao's.  We went in October, fresh from their grand opening. 
Bacchanal Buffet is not cheap, but its a different kind of buffet and worth trying.  Dinner during the week (for Total Rewards members) is about $45/person.  To me, this is a lot for a buffet, but this was our view:

Dessert Station at Bacchanal Buffet

That's right!  We were seated directly in front of the Dessert Station, where there were multiple people working to create beautiful, mini, delicate desserts.  They also shelled out amazing flavors of gelato, too, which was my EXACT view the entire time I was eating. 

It is a beautiful restaurant, filled with clean, neutral colors of azure skies, light green, and delicate glass.  It feels fancy, and you are treated like royalty.  They have different stations, filled with chefs serving you fresh cut/steamed/cooked entrees to order.  Each station also has small, individual 'tasting' portions of many exotic and exciting items.  These individual items are easy to grab and look so artfully prepared. 

Stations I can remember ranged from Italian (with pizza and pastas), Asian (with sushi rolls and dim sum), Grilled/Smoked Meats (awesome brisket found here!) and my favorite, the Seafood Station.  The seafood area is what you are watching as you wait in line to enter the buffet.  The night we dined there were no less than five people working this station, preparing paella, civiche, and serving masses upon masses of hot, steamed crab legs and shrimp.  And, of course, the dessert station, where I had the best creme brulee of my life!  I ate about 7 desserts, but they were all mini portions:

 

 

If you go:
Go early.  We went about an hour before closing on a Monday night.  There was no line, but we felt like some of the items might have been 'sitting' for awhile and didn't look very fresh.
Go hungry.  Don't drink  for a couple of hours before going to this buffet.  The food we had was amazing and well prepared.  I don't mind paying good money for good food, but most foods are sample sized and individually portioned to give you the opportunity to try many different items. Drinking beer or bloody marys before dinner will fill you up faster, and you won't be as hungry.
Go to the Seafood Station and the Smoked Meats Station first:  They seem to have the longest lines, but the lines move pretty quick.  Don't miss out on the crab, brisket, cased meats, shrimp and paella.
Go get dessert.  There are so many different desserts on this station, it is possible to get a few and not feel like you are pigging out!  I tried the Fig and Balsamic gelato because it was a flavor I never heard of, and I was so impressed with its freshness, I went back for more.
Go ahead and take your time!  There is no reason to rush this meal.  If you want to enjoy it and savor every new item, take your time and don't pile up your plates sky high.  You won't get very far and will leave dissatisfied.
For more information:

Caesars Palace Las Vegas