Zel-kun’s Words

Yeah, I know it’s very late and it’s been more than a week, but I’ve been very busy.

So, restaurants!  Besides the shows and the casinos, I guess that’s the third reason you’d go to Vegas, for the delicious and exotic food.  The first thing I learned about eating in Vegas: It’s Expensive.

There is no joke here, the absolute cheapest meal I could find was about $15 or so a head.  People have told me stories of cheaper places once I got back, but I couldn’t find any.  I didn’t really venture far off strip, though.  I was hassled by homeless and solicitors on the strip enough, I didn’t want to think how bad it was off strip.

But, for the most part, the food was decent….

Fushia:

Euro-Asian fusion restaurant.  It just SOUNDS expensive.  But, there’s a fusion restaurant near here for about $12 per person, so I figured it wouldn’t be too bad.

Fushia was in the Luxor, which as I noted in the hotel review, had some really nice architecture.  After I was done admiring, I was ready to eat.  I had a long trip behind me and my stomach was growling.  I sat down and opened the menu, and nearly had a heart attack.  Every last entree was $35 or more.  Even the soups were $15 or more.  Even the soda would set me back $5.  With an entire stay in Vegas still ahead of me, and my brain racing to calculate how much money I would need, I decided I could not justify spending $43 on an order of Mongolian Beef, a dish I could get anywhere else for about $8.  So I zeroed in on the cheapest thing I could find, an $8 cucumber roll and a glass of ice water.  It was six bites of very average tasting food.

I stole bites from Zai’s plate, which was also mediocre at best.  I was beginning to see why we were the only people in the place.  On top of that, the waiter was neglectful at best.  After fifteen minutes he took our order, half an hour for our food to come, and nearly half an hour after we were finished eating for the check to get there.

So… average food at exhorbitant prices with lousy service?

FAIL

Le Crepiere:

A little crepe stand on the ground floor of our hotel.  Not really a restaurant, but they DO serve their food at restaurant prices!  At $12 for an order of crepes and $4 for a regular coffee, it hurt my financial sensibilities.

I have a voice in my head, my father’s voice, to be precise, that analyzes the cost:quality ratio of everything I do.  I look in depth whether or not the thing I’m spending my money on is actually worth it.  I know I made fun of my father for this when I was young, but as an adult, I’m very grateful to have inherited his economic values.  Even if during this trip, they caused me a lot of mental anguish.

I ordered some crepes with fresh fruit, which wasn’t so much fresh fruit, but more like that canned pie filling you can buy.  The fruit was soft and sweetened, with twenty blueberries for every raspberry and strawberry.  It wasn’t bad, really, I just wish there weren’t so many damned blueberries.

So, the crepes were decent, and the coffee tasted not entirely unlike coffee, so Le Crepiere gets a passing grade: C

Maggiano’s:

Maggiano’s is pretty famous here in Chicago, known for some of the best Italian food around.  We had our after-wedding dinner there and I was not disappointed in the least.  With attentive service and all the food you could eat, combined with some Sinatra playing, and it made for a very memorable meal.  Even while I was suffocating in my wedding suit, I was able to fully enjoy myself.

Chicken, calamari, ravioli, roast beef, and sauteed vegatables, all cooked to perfection, with tiramisu and cheesecake for dessert.  The prices are a little high, but the price is easily justified with the quality and quantity of food.  Not to mention the compliments of my family for picking such delicious food.  A+.

Mon Ami Gabi:

French food, the fanciest food you can get.  We went here for lunch, and the prices were not too bad.  Still a little on the high side, but when compared with other Vegas fare, seem really quite sensible.  A generous bowl of french onion soup which was rich and not salty (a common occurance with that soup in many places), and a sandwich loaded with tender steak and a side of ‘frites’ only set me back $18.  The waiter was attentive and my water glass was never empty, despite it being quite busy.  We were sitting at the door to the patio, so a nice fresh breeze and plenty of sunlight made for a really nice atmosphere.  A.

SteakCraft:

With a name like SteakCraft, you know it has to be an upscale chain.  Sounds like a prestige profession in WoW.  “375 SteakCrafting Cook lookingforwork!  Can make [Filet of Great Sundering]!”

Just looking at the place, I knew I was not getting out for less than $60 a head.  But we were about to see Cirque de Soleil, it was Zai’s night out, and I decided to treat her to at least one extravagant meal while out in Vegas.

The first thing I noticed was the SteakCraft’s willingness to cater to us.  We had to catch the show in an hour and a half, so I asked the host if I ate here, if I’d be able to make the show.  He said that we would be able to and sat us immediately.  Shortly after that, the waitress took our orders and brought us our drinks.  When all was said and done, we were in and out in less than an hour.

The second was that I got to sit in a couch.  I love being comfortable while I eat, to this scored big bonus points.

The food was perfectly prepared.  I had some type of garlic soup and Scottish Salmon, which were both very different from what I was used to, and very good.  Zai had quail and steak, which she is STILL raving about.  It’s good when the food can justify the price, that way when the check comes, my rear end doesn’t feel as sore as it would otherwise.

It ended up being about $60 a head, just as I predicted, with an additional $20 for a tip.  About the same price as a trip to the melting pot, with comparable food.  I would have liked a more complete meal (salad, dessert) for the price, but no major complaints.  B.

Taqueria Canonita:

Mexican food, sure can’t find that where I live…

Although comparing the food at my local Las Esperanza’s and this place would be extremely unfair.  The food in my neighborhood is as authentic as you can get (being a Mexican neighborhood), where as Taqueria Canonita is far from it.

This is nothing against TC, in fact, it has many benefits.  Whereas the idea of a vegetarian torta would be laughable at an authentic place, they have a thick slice of chihuaua cheese and a generous amount of avacado and other fresh vegetables to make it taste rich and meaty, without using any actual meat.  And eating a healthy dish without it TASTING like health food is always good.  The salsa and guacamole were just spicy enough, and the chips and torillas were fresh and warm. 

We had a pitcher of sangria, which was excellent, enough to make me pour a second glass, which I rarely do with any drink.   We topped it off with an order of corn creme brulee, which while not only being supurb, outdid any other creme brulee I’ve ever had.  At $15-17 a head, it was delicious and affordable.  A.

We didn’t eat out much other than that.  Zai had her wallet stolen, and that had the remainder of our Vegas funds inside.  So we spent the final day avoiding meals and having dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  The Cheesecake factory isn’t really worth mentioning because it’s so commonplace around here.  The food was okay, and the prices weren’t too bad, but it doesn’t have a particular dish that leaps out at me for being especially good. 

Las Vegas, decent food, very high prices.

Zel-kun out.

The whole reason for going to Vegas, the wedding.  I didn’t really think about being married until about two days before the fact.  Afterwards, it started to hit me.  It still feels a little odd to say “my wife” or to think that I’m actually someone’s husband.  But, here I am in any case, and am definitely happier for it.  I’ve come a long way since working at Wal-Mart and living in my father’s basement.  And as I look towards the future, I still have a ways to go.

Anyhow, on to the wedding review!

The License:

We drove through Las Vegas following vague directions to the place where we were to get our marriage license.  After twenty minutes of driving through the seediest areas of downtown Las Vegas for nearly an hour, I pulled out my phone with the GPS, the FREE GPS provided by my job.  Yeah, I sometimes space out a little.

The GPS led us to a closed road, but following the map on the phone, we were able to go around it and finally found the place.  It was nearly pitch black and nearly midnight, only minutes before the place closed.  Some guy leaning against a building across the street looked at us funny, then turned away.  I could understand why Zai’s mother locked the van the second we got out.

We got in and bought our license, as we were the only people there.  As we were about to leave, three couples sauntered in the door.  I guess midnight is a popular time for marriage…

Lost in seedy areas, but ultimately we found our destination: C

Preparation:

Much of the preparation was done before we left for Vegas.  I went out and bought a tailored suit, because I wanted to actually have a properly fitting suit for once.  Being my height and my weight, it can be difficult to find things that fit me well.  Zai of course bought her wedding dress twenty-three years ago, and has been keeping it in the closet ever since.  She tried it on about a week before we were to leave, and found it didn’t quite fit.  So, she needed a new wedding dress exactly like the old one.  There’s about eight thousand nuances to this that I’m sure she’ll be happy to relate on her MySpace page (sure to contain many photos of me in a suit looking doofy), but I’ll just say she became quite stressed and irritable.  Try as I might, I could not avoid her wrath.  I fear the wounds will never heal…

The day of the wedding was no different.  She was running all over Vegas getting her hair done (in some gorgeous curls, might I add), and I spent most of the morning watching TV in our hotel room.  Eventually, I decided to get ready, trying to use the razor Zai’s sister bought to replace the razor I had lost during the trip.  Twenty minutes in, the stubble on my face was still there and the razor was rendered inoperable by the hair stuck in it (unlike my own Mach 3, it did not have a backless cartridge, so rinsing the blades out was nearly impossible).  Another search of my luggage, and I found that my razor had indeed survived.  Finally, I could shave.

I put on my suit and grabbed my tie.  I realized at this point that I had no idea of how to tie a tie.  I grabbed Zai’s laptop and hopped on a free wi-fi network, I then bounced across several websites, most of which had vague directions at best.  Finally, half an hour of staring in the mirror later, my tie was tied.

Go me.

Oddly enough, Zai’s cousin’s boyfriend also did not know how to tie a tie, and I ended up tying his tie for him.  (Have I said tying and tie enough yet?  Can I stop now?)

But, even with Zai’s stress and my ignorance, we managed to get ready: C

The Ride:

We rode to the wedding in style, in a big black limousine.  It was the first time I had ever been in a limo, and it was pretty nice.  I didn’t really have time to enjoy it, as five minutes after we left, I realized I had forgotten something.

Something mildly important…

THE RINGS.

Needless to say, we had the chauffeur do a U-turn across the congested Las Vegas Boulevard and ran back to the Paris.  I ran through the lobby barely dodging crowds of seemingly lost patrons, hopping onto the elevator.  I hit 26, and nothing happened.  The guy next to me hit 25, and we began ascending.  I continued to hit 26, and that number would not light up.  Finally we got to 25 and the elevator opened.  Try as I might, I couldn’t get the elevator to go up one more floor.  I didn’t have time to think about it, as the doors closed and I began heading down again.

Once at the bottom, I ran for another elevator and finally got to 26.  I ran to our room, snatched the rings, and ran back.  In true movie fashion, I nearly ran into an old woman, a blind guy, and a giant luggage rack (I am not making this up, it’s like they were drawn to me).  As I raced towards the exit, for some reason the fast-paced instrumentals of Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ were stuck in my head.  I opened the door and saw the limo.  But despite my extreme hurry (were were nearly fifteen minutes late to our own wedding), I held the door open, because an old man was wheeling his wife towards the door.  I guess even in times of duress, there’s no excuse for bad manners…

Finally, though, we were off: A (for sheer memorable value)

The Ceremony:

I arrived and only Zai’s parents were in front.  I asked them if they were the only ones there, and they said ‘yes.’

Well crap.

I called my father, who told me he couldn’t find the place.

Double crap.

And then in true dad-fashion, told me he was in the chapel.

He’s a REAL funny guy.

When we got in, Zai was pulled aside for a photo shoot, and I met with the minister.  I was then asked who my Best Man would be.  My first thought was my brother, so I peeked my head into the main chapel, and didn’t see him.  While pacing through the halls, I peeked in again and again, and still didn’t see him.  I thought he was coming about, but figured something must have come up.  He’s been working very sporadically, and figured maybe he got called away at the last moment.

Finally, Pete walked in.  I hadn’t seen Pete in years, it was really good to see him.  I thought he wasn’t coming either since my last ten calls to him while I was pacing the halls went unanswered.  He responded, “Oh, is that what that sound was?”

Truly, the people I know are a laugh riot.

After one more look inside, seeing my parents but no sign of my brother, I decide to make Pete my Best Man.  I kinda put him on the spot, and for that I apologize to him.  He was a very good second choice, however.  He is easily the best friend I know, and my respect for him is nearly unrivaled.

I walk into the main chapel to begin the ceremony, Zai at my side, and after I pass the door, I see my brother’s head.

Well crap.

I let him know later on that he was my first choice… I hope he didn’t feel too slighted.  I’m sorry Josh.

The ceremony itself was a blur, I was very nervous through the whole thing.  All I remember is that we lit a unity candle, and that Zai looked even more beautiful than usual, something I had previously thought was impossible.

Afterwards, I had a ring on my finger, and I was a married man: A

The photo shoot:

We had a very demanding photographer who insisted I twist my neck in odd positions and hold very unnatural poses for long periods of time.  I had to hold several kisses with Zai for several moments.  Not that kissing Zai is a bad thing, but after the fourth “Now kiss!  Now hold it for an hour!” is was feeling a little awkward.  Truly, the awkward moment came as I left the main chapel and my mother gave me a hug and a kiss.  He asked us to do it again, and then shouted ‘hold it!”

I’m sorry, but holding a prolonged kiss with my mother?  Not that kind of family, Mr. Photographer.

Afterwards, we were then offered these pictures (most of them horrible) for the low price of five hundred dollars.  Zai and I did not want most of them, but our families insisted, to the point of putting their money together to buy them.  My father tried to get the price to come down, but was stymied by everyone’s willingness to jump at the price.  To all who pitched in, thank you.  I’m sure in ten years, I’ll be glad that I have those pictures, and didn’t simply walk away from the memories.

All in all, it was one long awkward moment: D

The reception:

We ate dinner at Maggiano’s, which was exceedingly fun.  The food was delicious, and Pete went around snapping both candid and posed pictures, both feeling very natural.  He’s a far better photographer than he gives himself credit for.  He also has a CD of the wedding pictures he says he can edit and make them look amazing.  I fully believe he can do just that.  As the exchange between him and my father went:

Pete: I can make it look like a zebra and a chimpanzee got married.

Dad: Could you make it look like they didn’t?

Not a whole lot to say about the reception.  Funny about when things go well, there just isn’t much of a story: A

And there you have it, my wedding in a nutshell.  Both the good and the bad came together for a very memorable experience.  I wouldn’t change a damn thing… well, maybe I would have walked further inside the chapel so I could have seen my brother and made him the Best Man…

Zel-kun out.

So, when you think of Vegas, Casinos are the first thing to come to mind.  And why not?  It is the city of gambling after all.  When I watched television, and I saw shots from Las Vegas, it always showed the same thing: Neon lights on the outside, and bright flashing lights on the inside.  The colorful carpeting was a mainstay, and nothing really jumped out at me.  In that way, I would say that television truly mis-represents Las Vegas.

To begin, neon lights are almost absent in most places, replaced by giant monitors and big glowing displays.  It’s bright, colorful, and a full-on attack to the senses.  When I rode down the street at night, it was a fight between wanting to see everything and look at nothing all at the same time.

The true surprise came when I actually entered these casinos…

The Paris:

We stayed at the Paris, and arrived there at twilight.  We arrived at the perfect time, as the final rays of the sun bathed the neo-classic structure.  If you were to ignore the bustle outside, it was easy to think you were entering a fine manor in the French countryside.  Inside the first thing of note is the ceiling, some three stories high and painted like a sky in twilight.  The wrought iron street lamps helped enhance the illusion of being outside.  I had to do a double and triple take when I first entered.  It was quite impressive.

Not so impressive were the gigantic banks of slot machines in the middle of the floor.  But it is a casino, it’s to be expected.  I was too busy looking at the walls, floors, and ceiling, all made to give me the illusion of walking down a French street.  The front desk was in a side area made to look like a ballroom in Versailles, which it pulled off well, with grand crystal chandeliers and paintings of pre-revolution royals and nobles, with the exception of a neon ad for blackjack on the rear wall.  Pity they had to mar a perfectly good room with that.

The rooms we had there were simple and elegant, but something of more standard hotel fare, rather than keeping to the old French illusion.  The hotel was set up very simply, and it was easy to find our rooms.  The hotel was clean and I was never bothered by the staff.  All in all, the Paris gets an A.

Bally’s:

At first glance, I thought it was related to the health club.  But, it’s simply another casino.  It’s architecture was such a sad disappointment after coming from the Paris.  It was plain and unremarkable.  The best thing about Bally’s is that it connects to the Paris and leads to a nice walkway above the street for easy access to the Bellagio.  Bally’s is a C.

The Bellagio:

The theme is a mishmash of European styles.  I’ve seen French Ceilings, Italian tiles and carpets, and English overhangs.  Despite that (or perhaps because of it?) it ends up looking very elegant, like the summer palace of some forgotten member of royalty.  The fountains were amazing, and I could have spent a long time simply looking at the carpets and windows.  Add to that a nice conservatory and art gallery, and it ends up being a fun place to go to.  It’s also the most expensive hotel in Vegas, from what I hear.  B.

Caesar’s Palace:

Greco-roman decor, and very nicely done at that.  The place is littered with columns and statues both inside and out.  It has a lot of space outside with statues and fountains that take quite awhile to walk around, and then an indoor street that stretches on much like that of the Paris (though it doesn’t pull it off quite as well).  The central fountain with Poseidon was breathtaking, especially since the ceiling was much higher there, doing a better job at creating the illusion that you’re outside.  On the casino floor itself it’s smoky and confusing, without to much of the greco-roman style, so the casino itself really ruins Caesar’s as a whole.  B-.

Planet Hollywood:

Regurgitated faux-glamor at it’s best.  The silver, dark purple, and gold don’t play well here at all.  When I walked in, several casino employees tried to sell me things and entice me with free gifts.  We were almost tricked into attending a timeshare presentation when they offered us a free meal and tickets to some magician.  Further into the hotel, you can see the areas that have not yet been remodeled, and the style of the old Aladdin casino still exists.  It had a streets of Marakesh theme to it, reminding me of Indiana Jones movies.  It was actually really cool.  It was sad to see it slowly taken over by the white and silver paint they were slopping all over the halls.  F.

MGM Grand:

Everything Planet Hollywood isn’t.  With a Metro-Goldwyn Lion theme, and classic black and gold, it pulls off the feel of old Hollywood quite well.  It was easy to navigate, with a lot of good restaurants around.  Not quite as impressive as Paris or the Bellagio, but it was very nice in it’s own right.  B.
The Venetian:

Ah, the Italian-themed casino.  After my own heart.  Everything was right out of Italy’s renaissance.  From the Michaelangelo paintings on the ceiling, to the streets of Venice complete with gondola (post-renaissance, I know, sue me).  There was a night club called ‘Tao’ there, which boasted a line of a thousand people or more.  This made some areas quite difficult to go to.  The hotel as a whole was pretty crowded, but it seemed to be prom night for the locals, so maybe that’s to be expected.  B+.
The Luxor:

Not too fond of Egyptian things, but this was enough to impress me.  The beam of light shooting from the top gave it a nice sci-fi slant that I really enjoyed.  I had always thought the pyramid was built like a normal building, but with slanted walls.  I was shocked when I entered and saw a giant chamber extending all the way up.  The rooms are actually along the slanted walls, and an inclinator (an elevator that travels at a 45-degree angle) takes people to their rooms.  From sheer style alone, and amazing architecture, Luxor gets an A.

And there you have it.  I know I didn’t post the Excalibur, because I didn’t really go there.  I did pass through it briefly, but not really enough to give it a fair review.  I did see some fantasy-themed shops, but nothing particularly impressive.  The inside looked like a typical hotel with a dragon thrown in here and there.  But as I stated, I only saw a little bit, maybe there’s some amazing scenery somewhere in there as well.

Maybe next time.

Zel-kun out.

I am back from Las Vegas, back from the city of glitz and glamor, of sin and vice.  It was a far cry from my home here in Chicago, both in distance and in style.  I’m going to withhold my review of Las Vegas until the end of Vegas Week.  During which I will fill this little blog with posts about the trip, as there is far too much content for one simple post.

In non-Vegas related news, I’ve been playing catch-up at work.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it took a little while to go through my email this morning.  The strange thing about having responsibilities is that without you, they go unfulfilled.  It’s good I wasn’t gone any longer.

I’ve been put in charge of training a new guy starting today.  Showing him around reminded me of my first day on the job.  Just like me he didn’t have a place to sit, so he spent most of the day over my shoulder in my small cube.  On the plus side, this finally prompted them to clean out a cube in the next aisle over, which I then began moving myself into.  It’s twice the size and I finally get to break out the brand new 8-port KVM and 16-port switch I’ve been sitting on for awhile.  I would say it’ll be nice not to be so cramped, but I know I’ll find a way to simply cram more equipment in it.

A co-worker and I took the new guy out to lunch, to the same restaurant I went to on my first day.  And just like my first day, I treated, as a little ‘welcome to the team’ gesture.

Sometimes… things go full circle…

Vegas week to follow.

Zel-kun out.