LAS VEGAS
Travels With A New York Sensibility
If you’ve been to Las Vegas and covered the requisite activities like walking the Strip, ogling the Bellagio fountains and trying your hand at slots, it’s time to take another look, this time in New York style. Here are some of the ways you can stay on a Big Apple track.
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STAY
As a city person, you’ll want the shiniest and brightest resort in Las Vegas. Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened in December to well-deserved fanfare. With 36 dining options, multiple pool areas, art-adorned spaces, and stunning rooms and suites, it rivals the best properties in NYC. Accommodations are all about taste and finish with serene color schemes of tan, white and blue; marble bathrooms; Strip or mountain views; and lights and drapes controlled with a swipe of a finger. The Lapis spa and fitness center refines the of-the-moment wellness trend with multi-modality massages, expansive water features, and specialized trainers and classes.
The resort’s location at the less-developed north end of the Strip is a plus for New Yorkers accustomed to skirting crowds like those in Times Square. There’s no need to worry about being removed from the “touristy” action—Fontainebleau’s fleet of Escalades and Rolls-Royces can take you wherever you want to go.
EAT
New Yorkers boast about scoring reservations at Michelin-starred restaurants, and Fontainebleau Las Vegas doesn’t disappoint. Chyna Club from restaurateur Alan Yau of Hakkasan fame features Chinese favorites like Peking Duck and Scallop Shumai. Also from Yau, Washing Potato is a dramatic, open-kitchen stage for such dishes as Scallop Shumai, Fried Mochi with Sweet Lotus Seed Paste, and Venison Puffs. Don’s Prime is a sophisticated steakhouse with Wagyu A5, oysters, and caviar taking center stage.
New Yorkers boast about scoring reservations at Michelin-starred restaurants, and Fontainebleau Las Vegas doesn’t disappoint. Chyna Club from restaurateur Alan Yau of Hakkasan fame features Chinese favorites like Peking Duck and Scallop Shumai. Also from Yau, Washing Potato is a dramatic, open-kitchen stage for such dishes as Scallop Shumai, Fried Mochi with Sweet Lotus Seed Paste, and Venison Puffs. Don’s Prime is a sophisticated steakhouse with Wagyu A5, oysters, and caviar taking center stage.
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Newly opened Peter Luger Steak House offers superlative old-school dining. Expect Luger’s acclaimed “steak for two,” tomato and onions salad, and sizzling bacon along with an extraordinary wine list with fine vintages like Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon served by the glass as well. The friendly restaurant manages to make you feel like you’re still in the 1887 Williamsburg dining room despite its much larger size. Located at Caesar’s Palace
Of the same caliber, Joe’s is familiar to New Yorkers who have traveled to Miami Beach for a winter escape. Here, the menu’s stars are the stone crab claws, offered in sizes ranging from small to jumbo and served with Joe’s proprietary mustard sauce, and lump crab cakes perfected with no breadcrumbs in sight. Located in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace
Wynn Las Vegas has debuted a limited-run celebrity-chef residency, Safta 1964 by Chef Alon Shaya led is by award-winning Chef Shaya and restaurateur Emily Shaya. Located within Jardin it serves Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. His Salatim Platter has all the Mediterranean hits you love like Tabbouleh and Labneth. Located at Wynn.
If your dining preference skews towards edgy Brooklyn, a visit to Las Vegas’s developing Arts District is warranted. One of Las Vegas’s hottest dining experiences, Esther’s Kitchen, sits in an area recalling Bushwick with its dynamic street art. Named for Chef James Trees’ great-aunt, Esther’s Kitchen focuses on breads, pastas, pizzas and seasonal Italian specialties made from the highest quality ingredients. Reservations are a must–you’ll feel right at home trying to secure a table here. Info: estherslv.com
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PLAY
Like New York, Las Vegas has no shortage of options to entertain you night and day
You’ll return home with bragging rights after a visit to Sphere. Its presence on the skyline is unmistakable, like the spire of the Empire State Building. Exterior visuals change throughout the day, and inside a multitude of projections and speakers create an immersive, sound-surround experience unlike any other. If a concert isn’t scheduled during your visit, buy a ticket for the daily “Postcard from Earth” experience which journeys around the world with storytelling and imagery that soar over, around and under you.
For an elevated take on arena concerts and sports, Allegiant Stadium is the GOAT. Purchase a ticket that includes Club entry, and you’ll have your own dedicated area for cocktails and merch, with restrooms just for you.
Cirque du Soleil’s most recent production, Mad Apple, takes New York City nightlife as its inspiration and turns it on its creative head. Much more than aerial dynamite and circus acts, the very-adult show incorporates stylized acrobatics, off-color comedy, performance art, song and dance.
For more information on Las Vegas, go to visitlasvegas.com