August 2024- Vegas 37-41
I get this question all the time. A few weeks ago, Nico, one of the amazing students I have the privilege of working with said, “Sal, so what exactly do you do in Vegas?” This was quickly followed by Sanjay (another student) who said, “Yes, Papa, what exactly do you do in Vegas?” For some reason this year’s orientation team (jokingly) started referring to me as “Papa.” I guess that’s better than Gramps.
I happen to be sitting in a big comfy chair at the time, so I leaned back like the old man that I am and said, “settle in children, it’s story time.”
Preface
I should note that this will be the first summer since 2020 and only the second in over 15 years that we won’t be traveling to Vegas. We visited this past February (Superbowl) and in April during Anne’s spring vacation. This summer, we had the amazing opportunity to go to Ireland for a week initiated by an extra ticket for my wife to see Taylor Swift in Dublin. With O’Shea’s being the only Irish themed property in Vegas, I felt that our first trip to Europe should be to a place poorly represented on the Vegas Strip. Who needs Venice when you have the Venetian or Italy when you have the Bellagio or Paris when….you get the point. Perhaps another post on our Ireland adventure is in the future. In short, the scenery was breathtaking, the coffee sucked, the toilets were tiny, there were lots of cows, the people were incredibly nice, my wife LOVED the concert, and the drinks were marvelous.
Part 1: The Prep and Check-In
So, as Sanjay and Nico waited with great anticipation hoping for tales of huge wins and celebrity dinners, I sat back and said, “get ready for a very boring ride because my Vegas life isn’t all that exciting.”
I’ll spare the incredibly dull weeks that precede Vegas when I read reviews of shows, scour calendars for special events, and meticulously research menus to find new places to feast. Instead, I’ll jump right to the moment our plane lands at Harry Reid International Airport. Along the way, I’ll include some of my favorite experiences of the past few years being that it has been some time since I’ve posted.
We prefer a late morning flight (from the east coast) that gets us into Vegas in the early evening. One of the best parts of every trip is the walk towards baggage claim, grabbing our suitcases, standing in the cab line and enjoying the drive to the resort. As we roll our suitcases to the check-in desk and see those dragging their baggage towards the exit I always feel a slight sense of sadness knowing that in just a few short days another Vegas trip will be coming to a close.
We have really landed on Vdara as our resort of choice. Located on Aria’s campus with full access to the larger property’s amenities, Vdara offers a lowkey vibe in a smoke-free environment without the chaos of a casino and volume of tourists. Each room is a spacious suite equipped with a mini fridge, kitchen, and living room. Recently, they’ve improved their walkway to Bellagio and built a new walkway to The Cosmopolitan. So, within a five-minute indoor walk you have access to three of the best casinos on the strip.
Staying at Vdara is the antithesis of Superbowl weekend at The Excalibur. Quick story of our check-in at Excalibur.
I
I am a rabid member of Bills Mafia. I dreamed of seeing my team play their first Superbowl in over 30 years in my favorite city. By the time the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the divisional round, it was too late to cancel the room. Excalibur is a hard pass. Like, don’t stay there. Ever. I knew this going in but I just couldn’t justify over $1K a night for my preferred resorts. On most weekends, I could probably stay at Excalibur for an average of $7 a night but on Superbowl weekend, over $300 a night. Excalibur is over thirty years old and has become rundown, dated and downright cruddy. We took a late flight and arrived at Excalibur at around 11pm. Now, I should have listened to my wife when she said, “do not check into our room online.” She reminded me several times that I should have listened to her. This is a routine occurrence. We were assigned a room on the fifth floor of the Royal Tower. There was nothing Royal about this room. By the time we made it to our room, Anne was already in the middle of an asthma attack from what had to be mold from the hallways. The room smelled like cigarette smoke not as if someone had been smoking in the room recently but as if it was ingrained in the paint on the walls and the fabric of the carpet. We could hear the clanging of people kicking around beer bottles from the street below. I seriously don’t know what the hell was happening but it sounded like some drunk bros were playing soccer with bud bottles. Anne went over to the AC wall unit—yes, a wall unit—and pulled out the filter which was obsidian. Just caked with mold and dirt. At this point, she was in a full-fledged asthma attack. I knew what this meant; Kar-Anne was about to speak with a manager. By the time we made it through the line and made it Jasmine, I honestly thought we would be on a plane back to Connecticut within minutes with a full refund and three free nights in an Aria Sky Suite for April. I have to give the manager credit. I don’t remember her name but she was calm and offered us a Stay Well Room and $150 in resort credit. Granted, Anne couldn’t really yell through her wheezing. The Stay Well Room in the Resort Tower was acceptable. If I had listened to my wife, we would have most likely avoided the asthma attack that impacted her breathing for months that followed and been placed in the Stay Well room from the start. But hey, we got $150 in resort credit. Morale of the story, listen to my wife and don’t ever stay in Excalibur.
II
Our first nights in Vegas are uneventful. We check-in, unpack, and go to one of our favorite restaurants. One of my favorite restaurants to start with is Jaleo in The Cosmopolitan which is one of Jose’ Andres’ many places on the strip. I love walking through the Cosmopolitan on the first night, having a few drinks and tapas (Gambas al Ajillo is the best) or seafood paella. If we are feeling up to it we take the longer walk outside and catching a glimpse of the Bellagio fountains on our way to CVS or Walgreens from some drinks and snacks for the next day. Anne usually heads up to the room a little before me and I’ll hit some slots to get the gaming started. We try to have an earlier first night so we can get the next day started early!
Part 2: The Morning Routine
The first morning in Vegas begins as early as 6:30am. The top priority is coffee. Anne is not human before she has coffee. Her coffee consumption is legendary. On a normal day, she may drink anywhere between 10-15 Keurig coffees. I’ll head down to Gwendoline the barista (yes, I remember their names) at the Vdara Starbucks and order two Venti Americanos for Anne, one for me and I’ll grab a breakfast sandwich. You read that correctly. Two for Anne. Pools generally open between 8am and 9am depending on the resort and time of year. Until the pools open, we take a nice slow morning. I’ll check email, watch some TV, and peruse the in-room magazines. I know that while on vacation you should disconnect from reality and especially work but one of the things I like about the time difference is that I can check in with the office early in the morning and when the temperatures heat up and I’m floating in the pool, everyone in the office has gone home for the day. I know I’m weird.
Part 3: Pool Time
Anne and I LOVE the pool. We’ve become a bit bougie and reserve chairs. We don’t want to battle folks to grab prime seating so we spend a little bit on a day bed, chairs at Aria’s Sky Pool (exclusive to Sky Suite guests but chairs can be reserved by anyone) and on special occasions, a cabana. I usually head down to the pool before Anne and once I’m settled in, I’ll order a Bloody Mary. It should be noted that drinks are NOT cheap at the pool. At all. To defray costs, I’ll load a Yeti with ice and bring in a few waters and sodas. Most pools don’t care. They’ll check your bag but are looking for alcohol or glass bottles. At just about every pool in Vegas, I’ve become an expert at which chairs to grab for maximum sun—for Anne. I’ll make sure that our location has an umbrella adjacent to cover my side as I prefer the shade. Anne will join me at the pool about an hour later with a third Americano and read peacefully poolside for hours. We’ll stay at the pool until early afternoon, order a light lunch, maybe a few mojitos or coladas and just relax. Magical.
I
Cabana life is NOT cheap. Reserving a cabana for the day ranges from $250 to well over $1000 depending on the resort, time of year, and day of the week. If the price is right or you are with a group, it is a great way to spend the day in a private area, sometimes with your own plunge pool, TV, fridge, couches, and comfy chairs. We’ve only done this a handful of times. In 2023, Anne and I visited Stadium Swim on one of our pool days. Stadium Swim is downtown at Circa. The pool complex has three decks with a screen 40 feet tall and 143 feet wide that broadcasts live sports. We rented a cabana for the day. The way the cabanas work at Stadium Swim is that you have to spend a minimum and on a weekday in August we had to spend $500. Don’t judge us. We lived it up! We ordered tons of water, drinks food and soft drinks. By the end of the day we hadn’t come close so our server brought Anne a fancy hat, sunscreen and more water just so we made our minimum. I can’t wait to go back and would love to visit during football season.
Part 4: Post Pool and Early Evenings
As has become tradition, we change out of our sunglasses to regular glasses after exiting the pool and Anne gets another Americano. I might have one too. Sometimes, Anne will treat herself to a massage at the spa and I’ll play some golf. Honestly, it depends on the weather. If we get cloudy days or we feel like doing something different, we may cut a pool day short and treat ourselves to a different experience.
Most of the time, we head back to the room and get ready for the night. After I shower, I’ll head to the casino to play some slots or chill in the sportsbook while Anne gets ready. One of my favorite moments of every Vegas day is the “Anne reveal.” I’ll get a text from her that says, “location” or “on my way” and I’ll wait for her in a designated location. As I watch the droves of people walk by I’ll catch myself saying, “who is that hot lady?” and without fail its Anne in a new dress I haven’t seen before. As we get our evening started, we may visit one of our favorite spots like the Bellagio Botanical Gardens or have a pre-dinner drink at the Lobby Bar at Aria or Chandelier Bar in Cosmo. Every trip, we try to see at least one show, go to a Golden Knights Game or check out something new!
Chapter 5: Show Nights
On one of our very early trips to Vegas, we went to the 10pm show of Cirque Du Solei Ka at MGM Grand. It was one of the most expensive naps I’ve ever taken. The show is good. That wasn’t the issue. We were just exhausted after a full pool day, a big dinner and too many drinks. The seats were very comfortable, the theater is very dark, and the music was very soothing. All of those variables resulted two very expensive naps. The pieces of the show I remember were great but after that night, we decided that we would only go to early shows when possible and have late dinners.
Over the past four years we’ve been on a streak of amazing shows including Katy Perry, John Mulaney, Sting, Magician’s Study, Cirque Du Soleil Mad Apple (very underrated), Lady Gaga (an absolute dream come true), and U2 at the Sphere.
I
I want to feature one show and I should probably write about U2 at The Sphere but I feel compelled to share our experience at Lady Gaga. We saw her on Easter in 2022 at Park MGM. While I really want to see her pop show we went to her jazz show. We’ve been to the Dolby Digital Theatre at Park MGM a few times and it is a fantastic venue. We didn’t have great seats but as the cliché’ goes, “there isn’t a bad seat in the house.” One of the things I absolutely love about residencies in Vegas is that they normally start on time, no opening act, and they are ninety minutes to two hours. I mean, the shows are meant to draw you to Vegas but the goal is to get you back into the casino. Lady Gaga didn’t start on time. She started an hour late but Lady Gaga is worth the wait. The show is flawless. Her voice is transcendent. The show was about two hours long but it didn’t feel nearly long enough. The majority of the set were covers of classics like La Vie en Rose, Luck be a Lady and Fly Me to the Moon. She played a few modified versions of her own songs including Born this Way which I will remember for the rest of my life. She shares stories and provides insights into how she carefully selected each song for her show and the inspiration and meaning behind it. Of all the residencies I’ve been to in Vegas, nobody is better than Gaga. Nobody.
Chapter 6: Dinner
Anne and I are bougie. Years ago, we went to buffets, The Cheesecake Factory and themed restaurants. Those days are behind us for the most part. Sure, every once in a while we’ll dine with the young folks stumbling into chain restaurants with yard long slushie drinks from Fat Tuesday hanging from their necks on lanyards. But that’s not how Anne and I Vegas. We prefer fine dining like Carbone in Aria, Sinatra at Wynn, Jaleo at Cosmopolitan and what has become one of our favorites, Bavette’s Steakhouse at Park MGM. A few years ago, Anne recommended we try Bavette’s and we met Brian who is the BEST server in Vegas. We really connected with him and he gave us his cell phone number and told his to let him know anytime we make a reservation or if we every have any issues with finding one. The food is fantastic and the restaurant is supremely underrated. Bavette’s is a Chicago style steakhouse. The bread service (which is no longer complimentary) is the best sourdough bread I’ve ever had. I always order an Old Fashioned made with Rye which is what turned me into a fan of the classic cocktail and I’ve only had a few that come close to being as good. The only shrimp cocktail that is better is at any Bobby Flay restaurant, the black miso cod, Brussel sprouts, French fries, lyonnaise salad, crab cakes, filet mignon, coffee, carrot cake, ice cream sundae, and every single thing we’ve ever ordered has been stellar. But the entire experience is made by Brian. Every time we sit down he greets us with champagne and a huge smile. Brian is full of life, has been at Bavette’s since its opened, and is a true Vegas veteran. I wouldn’t say Brian is old but he’s seasoned and has the slightest southern accent. He always asks us about our trip, lives and shares really interesting anecdotes about Vegas with us. In the same trip we saw Lady Gaga on Easter, we went to Bavette’s the next day. I’ll never forget our conversation which started with Brian asking us about Easter.
“We saw Lady Gaga last night,” I said.
“Isn’t she lovely,” Brian responded with an air of familiarity.
I paused, and with skepticism said, “wait, have you met her?”
“Many times,” Brian shared as he poured water. “She’s a tiny little thing.”
In awe, I asked him to tell us some more. He shared that she comes in all the time, is extremely generous and knows everybody’s names. He said, “sometimes, she comes in and she’ll sit with her friends and family right in the middle of the restaurant,” and pointed to the large table in the center of the room. He continued, “people will stare and it isn’t uncommon for her to go table to table, offer to take pictures and talk to folks. She is truly so nice.” He said that on some nights, she’ll sit in the private room in the back as well but she’s always kind and generous to the staff. I couldn’t help myself and said, “can I ask a question?”
“Certainly,” Brian said.
“What do people call her? Does anyone call her Stephanie?” I asked assuming he wouldn’t have a clue.
“Funny story,” he said. “First, everyone calls her Lady or Gaga. Some of her closest relatives may call her by her birth name.” It was as if even Brian hesitated saying her name out loud as if she might be listening. “One day, she came in and one of the bartenders knows her drink order so he get her drink ready. I would venture to say that he is one of her favorites at Bavette’s. Well, she was on the phone and was clearly engrossed in conversation. Well, he brought the drink over and called over to her quietly to try to get her attention. After a few attempts, he jokingly said, ‘hey, Steph!’ and she gave him a look and a smile that said, ‘very funny but never again…’ She never said a word. The look said it all.”
This is just one conversation with Brian. Over the years he’s provides us not only with outstanding service but insights to new Vegas construction, upcoming shows, and fun stories and anecdotes about Vegas life. One of the great things about Vegas that I haven’t found elsewhere are the servers. We’ve had some duds. But more often than not, servers do more than just take your order and give you a bill. The spend time with you, provide recommendations, and truly make your dining into an experience. They are savvy enough to know whey you don’t want to be chatty and also when you are looking for conversation. This is true not only of restaurants but at bars, pools, casinos and hotels. I’ve had incredible interactions with Judith the server at Sky Pool at Aria, Anthony the manager at Beauty and Essex, Uber drivers, security officers, cashiers and so many others.
Anne and I truly enjoy or dinners in Vegas. We love to extend our time, enjoy multiple drinks, coffee, and desserts.
Chapter 7: After Dinner
On most Vegas nights, we have a later dinner. It is rare that we leave restaurants before 10:00pm and most nights it is later. After dinner, we’ll take a very casual walk back towards the hotel. We may stop to grab some drinks for the next day, check out a Bellagio fountain show, pop by a few shops, and sometimes we’ll relax at a bar and enjoy one more drink and maybe a lounge singer. As we’ve gotten older, our nights end a little earlier. We want to make sure we maximize our pool time the next day. By 11pm, Anne has had enough and is ready for bed. I’ll usually play slots for another hour or so, do some people watching, and enjoy a cocktail or two. Most nights, I’m donating to the great slot machines but every now and then, I’ll get lucky.
I
During a recent stay at the Bellagio, I had my biggest win. While Anne was getting ready before dinner, the Buffalo machine was kind to me. I was up $300. Look, I’m a low roller. $300 is a lot for me to win during a session. Later that night after dinner and too many drinks, I told Anne that I was going to try my luck. She always says, “win big Mo,” which is a line from the move Dirty Dancing. I stumbled around the casino looking for a machine that appealed to me. My favorite machine by far are Top Dollar machines. I saw one in the distance in front of what is now the Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars Cocktail Lounge. It had a different name at the time. I sat at the machine and in my compromised state put my $300 ticket into the machine. I had enough sense to see that it was a quarter machine. I hit max bet twice and saw my credits drop pretty significantly. What I didn’t realize is that I was playing $15 a spin. Recklessly, I said, “F it,” and kept spinning. A few wins and a few losses but I knew I was up at least another hundred dollars. Still, I fully expected to lose $300 in the matter of minutes. To this day, I have no idea what I hit but some combination of sevens and double diamonds appeared and the screen and the machine just did a lot of beeping and ringing. Because I win so infrequently and because of my inebriation, I felt like I had somehow cheated and cashout out quickly. I looked at the ticket…$1975!! I think the big hit was $1200. I had never won this much. I found a ticket machine quickly, grabbed the cash and stuffed the wad of cash in my pocket clenching it tightly as if someone was going to bop my over the head and steal it. Then, for reasons I still can’t explain, I went into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall to count it. Let me say once again, I was wavy. This behavior is also how I know that I should never take any mind-altering substances. Exhilarating but filled with fear, I loaded the hundos in my wallet, clenched the wallet in my pocket and walked feverishly to the elevators. Every time I get back to the room, Anne will wake from her slumber and whisper, “how did you do?” Most nights I’ll respond with, “Ok…” or “even…” or “not bad…” on this night I said, “I WON $1000!” to which she responded, “good job Mo.”
Final Chapter: Rinse, Repeat and Goodbyes
As I said to start this, we don’t live a crazy Vegas life. Yes, we’ve had some amazing moments. In addition to our routine, we’ve gone to several Golden Knight’s Playoff games including their first ever. We were in Vegas for the Superbowl. We’ve seen Vegas on Christmas Day, celebrated New Year’s Day, and have take a few trips off the strip to the Neon Museum, Pinball Hall of Fame, or to visit my brother Giovanni and his husband Matt in West Sumerlin. Some of my favorite memories over the last few years is having dinner with Gio and Matt, having drinks at a bar, and spending time with the person that is more than my best friend but my other brother.
Vegas days repeat with new twists. Coffee, pool, shows, dinners, drinks, slots, and we also fit in a new experience. Leaving is certainly the saddest part. As we drag our suitcases off the elevator and I see those that are just smiling as they have just arrived, I’m always jealous that they are getting to start their trips. Anne and I will grab a cab but before we leave, we always take a picture in front of the resort sign commemorating another Vegas trip.
“So, kids. That’s what Papa does in Vegas.”
Conquering Vegas begins with Salvegas24. 