Las Vegas Christmas 2009

Las Vegas Trip Dec 26-29, 2009

Overall

- Great trip, lots of fun, good company (Wendy, Victoria, Wendy's mom, Mark & Alice, Mikey - Kaiya stayed with Grandma in Laguna Woods)

- 3 nights was a really good amount of time: perfect amount of gambling time and enough time to get in 4 really good meals

- Really good food (first trip where we planned for good food): brunches at Bouchon and Payard Patisserie, dinners at Cafe Bellagio, Daniel Boulud Brasserie and Picasso

What To Know For Next Time

- Don't need to gamble past 3am, just go to sleep! (quality poker time is more important than quantity)

- Stay at Venetian: great poker room, good food, good slots for Wendy

- Play poker at the Venetian even if we don't stay there

- Take the time to plan ahead for good food - it's worth it

- Only plan for 2 meals per day: brunch/lunch and dinner

- Restaurants for next time: L'Atelier de Joel Rubochon (MGM) or Bar Charlie (Palazzo) or Sage (Aria) for a nice dinner, light lunch or dinner at Julian Serrano with review on Chowhound (Aria) or Bubble Bar at Guy Savoy (Caesars) or Enoteca San Marco (Venetian), breakfast at Payard Bistro (Caesar's)

Lodging

- Bally's: Anthony & Wendy, Victoria & Wendy's mom (free rooms) - rooms are fine and clean, not super nice but not old and dirty, convenient to good gambling (poker room for Anthony, affordable table games for Wendy), good location on the Strip (Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd)

- Aria: Mark & Alice - rooms are new and nice, interesting looking restaurants (Julian Serrano, Sage), location is okay, dark decor and hip scene probably not ideal for us, but wouldn't mind checking it out once

- Vdara: Mikey - suite was nice but don't need to stay there, no casino, slightly farther from strip

Gambling

- Bally's poker room: same as always - casual and comfortable, nice and familiar dealers, don't like how the room is open and it's very smokey, but fine playing and especially convenient when we stay at Bally's or Paris

- Venetian poker room: my favorite poker room in Vegas - very comfortable, big room with a ton of tables where the wait is never that long, dealers are great, good location in the casino (just off the entrance) and they deal 1-2 pot limit Omaha

- Aria poker room: just fine and don't mind playing there - a bit crowded and packed in, and nothing special but busy and they deal Omaha as well

Food

Food in Vegas as usually been an afterthought since Wendy and I typically go with Wendy's family and we either eat where the family can get comped meals or at the Las Vegas Chinatown. This time around, Wendy and I decided to explore the food in Vegas more. I did a couple hours of research on chowhound and Yelp to find a few spots to eat.

Sat dinner: Cafe Bellagio

Not planned but easy meal for the day we got in. Same as always - good food, good service, short wait for dinner, nothing special, but nice, relaxing and comforting. Burger and fries were good but not great. I wish there was more on the menu that really appealed to me - I think I often get the burger and fries because there isn't anything else that pops out.

Sunday brunch: Bouchon at Venetian

Pleasantly surprised by Bouchon delivering on the rave reviews on chowhound - Bouchon brunch was one of the only places/meals to consistently draw high marks. Although we were seated a banquet room because we had a large party, the atmosphere seemed nice in the dining room - very close to the to Bouchon in Yountville. Pain epi was a nice touch to start. Although the menu was not super extensive, it had plenty of variety to give people a lot of options: Breakfast Americaine (eggs, bacon, sausage and toast), roasted chicken and waffles (with vanilla butter), croque madame, tuna tartine (tuna salad sandwich with fries) along with an assortment of pastries. Everything was very well prepared and tasty. I definitely want to go back next time we're in Vegas.

Sunday dinner: Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn

We continued our holiday nice dinner tradition with Mark & Alice by going here. Glad I went for the experience since the Daniel restaurants draw such rave reviews. It was nice to go to a restaurant with fancy food with a little less formal feel. A lot of the food was very good - I enjoyed my scallops, Alice loved the braised short ribs, Mark and Mikey were stuffed by the rib-eye for two. And some of the food fell a little short - foie gras didn't pack as much punch as I would have liked, potato puree was just okay. The location of the restaurant with a view of the Wynn water show was nice - except the shows are kind of weird and not that interesting. Overall: glad we went, but don't need to go back.

Monday brunch: Payard Patisserie at Caesar's

Had breakfast at the cafe-like patisserie (order at the counter, sit at tables near the fountain), not at the bistro (full-service restaurant). All the french pastries and baked good looked really nice, but the food was just okay. Sweet and savory crepes were a nice option but not out of this world (same as La Creperie in Paris). Small quiches were a disappointment. Croissants were fine but nothing special (Lenotre is better). Tiramisu and chocolate mouse desserts were good but nothing special. Despite the lack of greatness, it's a good option for a decent snack and has a nice relaxing atmosphere that is a break from the casino. Next time, I definitely want to try the Payard Bistro next door that is supposed to serve a good breakfast.

Monday dinner: Picasso at Bellagio

Celebrated Wendy's mom's birthday at Picasso. Food and service were very good, just like the first time that Wendy and I went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. There were plenty of highlights to the meal - tasty red pepper soup with quail croquette amuse bouche, creme of butternut squash soup, seared foie gras steak, veal chop with porcini mushrooms. And there were some misses - seared turbot entree on the menu degustation. It's a really nice meal in Vegas on par with some of the nice dinners we've had in the SF Bay Area - but with all the other fancy Michelin star restaurants in Vegas, I don't think I need to go back here for a while.

Tuesday breakfast: Lenotre at Paris

Similar offering as Payard Patisserie but atmosphere is not as nice and selection of desserts is not as good. Croissants are really good though.

California Coast Cruisin' - Highway 101

I have made the drive from the Bay Area to LA too many times to count over the last 15+ years (ever since my parents moved to Orange County, and accelerated when I married Wendy, whose parents also live in LA). Many years ago, I started taking 101 instead of the 5 - and it has made all the difference in how much I enjoy (or dislike less) the trip down to LA. People may say it takes longer (which it does by a little bit), but the trade-offs are so worth it - no traffic on holiday weekends, lots of good food, and lovely scenery from the rolling hillsides of farms and vineyards to the coastal towns and ocean views.

Here is a summary of some of my favorite places to stop from north to south:

- Paso Robles: Laid back town with a burgeoning food scene complemented by the wineries popping up in the area. My guess is that there are some good eats near the town square and that there is good Mexican food to be had in the area. We have only been to a couple spots so far: Panolivo is a nice place for lunch, 4 Hermanos had good tacos, Powell's Sweet Shoppe is a good place to get the sweet tooth fix, and Vivant is a nice place to pick up some cheese. It would love to explore it more.

- San Luis Obispo: Just because it boasts a really nice Splash Cafe location, we almost always stop in San Luis Obispo on the way to and from LA. The clam chowder is that good (plus it's essentially half way between Mountain View and Woodland Hills). But there are plenty of other reasons to stop in SLO, including a vibrant downtown that has a bunch of good places to eat and some shopping (i.e. small independent stores like Tails, a pet boutique, and Bambini, a children's clothing store, as well as chain stores like Barnes & Noble and Banana Republic).

- Pismo Beach: Before we discovered the SLO outpost of Splash Cafe, our regular 101 pit stop was the original Splash Cafe location right near the pier in Pismo Beach. Grabbing a couple bowls of chowder with toasted sourdough loafs and taking it down to the beach/pier was a great way to break up the drive.

- Santa Ynez Valley: We haven't had a chance to explore the eats here, but Chumash Casino is worth a pit stop if you have the time - it's only 8 miles from 101!

- State beaches along 101 between Gaviota and Santa Barbara: This is my favorite part of the drive - the hour long stretch where you can just stare at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Stop and picnic (or just relax) along any of the state beaches along the way (Gaviota, Refugio, etc.) to break up the trip.

- Santa Barbara: Since Santa Barbara is so close to LA, we don't usually make a pit-stop there. But it has a lot of good restaurants and interesting things to do - and would be a perfect stopping point if we had to drive all the way down to Orange County. For just a pit stop, La Super Rica Taqueria is good for tacos. For a longer a visit, stroll along State St for the eats and shopping. On a weekend in Santa Barbara, we enjoyed these: Arigato Sushi, Pascucci, Ca Dario (best osso bucco I've ever had).

- Carpinteria: We've only stopped in Carpinteria once, but Linden Ave. is a nice little downtown strip with some interesting looking restaurants.

Family Trip to LA & San Diego October 2009

Highlights from family trip to LA & San Diego Oct 2009

Overall
- Good food at new (to me) restaurants: Cici's Cafe, Memphis Soul Cafe

Day 1

Drive down 101 to LA - super delicious clam chowder at Splash Cafe in SLO

Day 2

- Brunch w/ family at Cici's Cafe in Tarzana (as reviewed on Yelp): yummy pancakes, ridiculously big selection of pancakes and other food, but long wait on a Sat morning

- Bobby & Gina's wedding!!!

Day 3

- Family birthday party for Kaiya: dim sum at Ocean Star

- Dinner w/ Victoria at Hide on Sawtelle in Santa Monica (as reviewed on Yelp): really good sushi and worth going back to despite limited menu and long wait

Day 4-6

- Lunch w/ Sean & Meg at Memphis Soul Cafe & Bar in Costa Mesa (as reviewed on Yelp) - really interesting menu with good mix of Southern-inspired of sandwiches, salads, soups and entrees; good starter cornbread, 1/2 pulled-pork sandwich and cup of gumbo combo; interesting indoor dim-light bar interior and cozy back patio
- San Diego!!! (see San Diego blog post)

Day 7

- dineLA Restaurant Week: lunch at Crustacean (as reviewed on Yelp)

Day 8

- LA Zoo at Griffiths Park train ride

Day 9

- Breakfast at Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas: good breakfast, 7-grain pancakes good, huge portions, fun pond outside with turtles and ducks for Kaiya to play with

Things For Next Trip to LA
- Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach w/ Minah & baby Casey
- Santa Monica Pier Aquarium: only open 2-5pm during the week (as reviewed on Yelp)

- Getty Center in West LA
- Griffiths Park train ride

- Pumpkin patch at Underwood Family Farms

San Diego October 2009

[Actual Itinerary]
Thanks Sarah, Caleb, Victoria, Mike and others who helped me plan this trip!

Set Up
- 2-day, 2-night family trip (Mon-Wed) to San Diego: Wendy, Anthony, Kaiya, Anthony's mom

- Already in LA for a wedding and family stuff, quick drive down to SD for a couple days

- First time really visiting San Diego for the whole family

- Original trip adjusted due to family being under the weather

Lodging

- Sofia Hotel - independent boutique hotel in downtown SD

- Convenient location: walking distance to Gaslamp/East Village, close to public transit, short walk to ferry to Coronado, short drives to Balboa Park, Hillcrest/North Park, and 15-20 min drives to Pacific Beach, La Jolla

- Well appointed, modern rooms in charming, old building (modern enough for Wendy, independent enough for Anthony)

- Regular rooms looked a little small; we booked the suite with "living room" (including pull-out sofa bed) since there were 4 of us

- Very friendly staff, everyone from front desk to valet

- Nice eco-friendly touches

- Dog-friendly if we ever want to bring Cooper

- Found 20% discount on Yelp

Day 1:
Arrive in SD mid-afternoon, check into Sofia Hotel, Kaiya nap

Dinner: Sushi Ota in Pacific Beach w/ Mike Chin (universally recognized by friends and websites as best sushi in SD) - random location near PB, but nice clean ambiance and good food (great sushi and good selection, just okay karaage, chicken teriyaki), reminds me of Fukisushi in Palo Alto; wouldn't mine going back because it's good but would probably rather try new restaurants on future trips to SD

Day 2:
Brunch: Hash House A Go Go in Hillcrest (recommended by Sarah, won lots of awards for best brunch in SD) - has interesting edgy character, HUGE portions, long wait (even on a Tues morning), varied menu for hearty brunch, hash plates are interesting and tasty, but don't need to go back

Early afternoon: San Diego Zoo - stayed mostly on Easy St (Orangutan and Monkey trails, flamingos), plus Panda exhibit (very cute)

Late afternoon: stroll in Gaslamp & East Village, tea & dessert at Cafe Chloe, pick up snacks at Venissimo Cheese and Zanzibar Cafe - I really like this neighborhood, lots of interesting looking cafes, bars and restaurants

Dinner: date w/ Wendy at George's in La Jolla (recommended by Ron, 4.5 stars on Yelp) - decent food, liked their emphasis on seasonal and some local food, really good service, nice fancy ambiance, supposed to have a nice daytime view (we were there at night), fine with going once but don't need to go back because the food was good but not great; would only go back to eat outside during the day to enjoy the ambiance and view

Late night: Barona's (1/2 hr drive from downtown), decent poker room, but not that many penny slots for Wendy

Day 3:
Brunch: Cafe Chloe in East Village - trolleyed there from hotel, good food (yummy pomme frites and their applewood smoked bacon) with interesting menu (although small selection), very nice ambiance for a date or 1:1 with friends, not so great for kids; worth going back to if Kaiya is in a good mood

Saving for next time...

Food:

1. What I definitely want to eat on my next trip

- Carne asada fries! (Caleb highly recommends Colima's in North Park)

- Logan Heights: Mariscos German (home-style Mexican, recommended by Caleb)

2. Other places that seemed interesting to eat at

- La Jolla: WhisknLadle

- North Park: Gulf Coast Grill (Southern / fried chicken, recommended by Sarah)

- Little Italy: dessert at Extraordinary Desserts

- East Village: Neighborhood, Coffee & Art

3. Other food options that we didn't get to this time around

- Downtown/Gaslamp: Oceanaire (highly recommended by Jennie & John)

- Pacific Beach (don't need to go to eat, only if looking for place on Garnet in PB): Latin Chef or The Fishery

Activities

1. What I would like to do next time

- San Diego Zoo: 40 min bus tour, Children's Zoo, Elephant Odyssey, Outback (Koala bears, kangaroos)

- Stroll around North Park (carne asada fries at Colima's, dessert at Heaven Sent Desserts and/or coffee at Claire de Lune)

- Ferry to Coronado, farmer's market (Tuesdays), walk around

- Walk around Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach

2. Other activities we didn't get to this time around
- Walk around Seaport Village in/near downtown

- Harrah's (1 hr drive)