30 hours in Vegas - Wynn hotel, Alex dining, Prince show

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Steve - price for the tasting menu? That sounds outstanding!

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[StevieG]

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Steve - price for the tasting menu? That sounds outstanding!


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The tasting menu was $195, with the wine pairings $325.

I will be the first to admit that is a lot. We like to go to a restaurant locally that does 3 course prix fixe with wine pairings. Even if we throw in an additional cheese course, we aren't spending $150 there.

But I would say that we got value for the money. I tried lots I have not had, and had clearly superior preparation of food I have experience with. It passed all my restaurant tests with flying colors.

Then I started to research the wines this past week.

I had the list (since we took the menu with us) so I started looking for them online. The Pierre Peters can be had for around $40 a bottle, maybe less, the dessert wine is around $25-30 a bottle.

But the others...

The Turley White Coat is around $50 if you can find it

I found a 1990 des Baumard Quarts de Chaume for $100

The French pinot noir (2002 Les Champeaux) can be had for $95

It was easy to get a price on the Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino because my local wine merchant carries it. He is asking $125 (Parker, who I do not pay any attention to, apparently gave it a 98). But, hey, at least with that one I would not have to pay shipping and have it sent to someone in a state other than Maryland, where wine can't be shipped to an individual.

I don't know what a restaurant would ask for those bottles of wine, but I think getting those 6 glasses of wine for $130 was a positively excellent value.

[StevieG]

Long Story Really Long

This part is all about the Prince show. But I think if you didn't care you probably stopped coming back to this thread by now.

Revive

We left Alex not only sated, happy, and a little drunk (N very drunk, she had not had anywhere near that much wine since being pregnant), we were also tired. This was around 10:00 and Prince was not going to take the stage until midnight, so N asked for a nap. I agreed. 30 minutes would be perfect to recharge, let the espresso kick in, and then make our way to the Rio.

As you would expect, the Wynn room staff had done turn down service. The shades were closed, the bed was turned down, and there were chocolates waiting for us. And the TV was back on its mellow screen saver and soothing music. We opened the shades to see the lights of the strip, I set two alarms, and we drifted into sweet sleep.

When the alarm went off, we stretched out, made slight adjustment to our clothes to go from fine dining to club sheik, and left.

Simple cab ride to the Rio, now plastered with signage on the side of the hotel touting Prince at 3121.

<font color="purple">Prince at 3121</font>

Getting in was not easy, but not as difficult as it could have been. I had splurged on VIP seating, but even for that, there was a line. It was shorter than the line for general admission though, and someone was working the line, getting people their tickets in advance of reaching the velvet rope.

Inside, 3121 looked like a large nightclub, which is exactly what it was (Club Rio) before the Prince deal. A large round dance floor in front of the stage, ringed by two elevated sets of tables for the VIP seating. Around the circular wall were a series of video screens.

I tried to tip our escort for better seats, but there was nothing doing. They were assigned, and as much as he liked looking at that folded up bill, he said there was nothing he could do. That was fine, it was good where we were anyway. We were on the lower ring, and if the stage was 12 o'clock, we were about 8 o'clock, with our backs to the wall and the table in front of us - shielded from traffic with a good view, less than 100 feet away.

Before the show, the DJ played a lot of Prince's greatest hits, some 70s funk, some James Brown, and even some concert footage of Prince. It set a mood, and the crowd was digging it, a lot of people dancing already.

The crowd, by the way, was a lot like us - children of the 80s who grew up with Prince and saw this as a way to indulge. There were some younger couples, and a sprinkling of couples in the 50s, too, but for the most part, Gen X central.

The VIP seating came with bottle service, but we had trouble getting a waitress. Finally she came by, and I ordered a bottle of champagne. When she returned, it was not the Veuve Cliquot I thought we were getting, but Tattinger. I said so, and she said "you get two bottles with this label." Well, there was no way I needed two bottles (N was likely not to drink any) but I shrugged it off since I had such trouble getting her in the first place. Still, I gave her a decent tip in case I needed anything else. She poured us each a glass, we toasted and sipped some champagne, bopping along to concert footage of "Musicology."

Just a few minutes later, the music stopped. The crowd noise rose, so did the curtain, and Prince took the stage.

Simple stage. On the left was a black spiral staircase leading to a balcony for the horn section. On the rest of the stage...nothing really. Clearly, the focus was going to be on Prince and the music, not lighting, video screens, props, pyrotechnics.

I did not recognize the first song, but I was focused on Prince anyway. He has presence. There were twin dancers exposing as much leg as possible in a dress, and a female vocalist in a flowing white outfit with a fedora, and the only thing you noticed was Prince, slinking his way through smoke to the front of the stage.

Prince was in some kind of rock 'n roll mood that night, or maybe he just wanted to show his range, because he quickly rattled off Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Good" and then The Beatles' "Come Together" (!?) all with long solo work on his guitar, thrashing out notes.

Next up, a Prince song arranged to also sound like 60s counterculture pop music, followed by a rocking "Anotherloverholenyohead" that finished with a transition to the bass line from "Rock Lobster" which Prince used to unleash a furious whaling on his guitar, during which he walked into our section of the crowd. Seriously, he is a bad mother [censored]. When he ended the solo, guitar lifted to his chest, wah wah pedal stretching out the last notes, he simply tossed the guitar into the audience and walked away.

Aside - you can see Prince do "Johnny B Good" and that same arrangement of "Anotherloverholenyohead" in this video of Prince's appearance at a Superbowl press conference this week. There is also this video with poorer video and sound, but no runner at the bottom of the screen, and also the third song he did at that press conference, "Get On the Boat". Love the horns on that song.

After that we got more of a R&amp;B feel. They did "Musicology", with the horns brought down from the balcony and playing front and center. Prince is not afraid to share the limelight, and he let those guys have the spotlight for a long rendition of that song. The female vocalist also did a song, and Prince got in some of his own with "Black Sweat" off the 3121 album.

Then a lot of hits. "Cream", "U Got the Look", "Let's Go Crazy", mixed in there was "Lolita" off 3121, and finally "Purple Rain" with another screaming guitar solo to end the show. He did some quieting the band at key moments of hits to let the crowd hear itself singing along.

Around this time the waitress came by, and said she was bringing the next bottle of champaign. Meanwhile, we are all standing clapping, looking for an encore. She returns, finds that we still have some in the first bottle (as predicted, N had one glass, I had around 3) and says "Oh, you still have some. OK, I won't open this, just take it with you." W00t w00t!

Prince did come back for an encore, bringing Mavis Staples on stage to sing her hit "I'll Take you There" (at first I thought it was Tina Turner, but believe it or not it was a different 70 year old Motown artist with shocked out blond hair). Then Chaka Kahn's "I Feel For You" with a ton of people from the crowd dancing on stage.

Just a great show. We were up and dancing for a good part of the 90 minutes he played. He has a feel for the dramatic (the multiple exits, the way he works he crowd) and is a hell of a guitar player. And his band is tight.

If you like Prince I highly recommend the show. If you like good music, but aren't sold on Prince, he'll work hard to win you over. Just don't expect to get a cab too easily coming out of there.

Last aside, an L.A. City Beat music writer reviewed the same show I saw in case you want another opinion. We had largely the same conclusions, though.

[StevieG]

Long Story Really Long

<font color="blue">Nightcap</font>

We got back to the Wynn at around 2:30 or 3:00 AM. I really wasn't paying attention.

We got up to your floor, walked down the curving hall to our room, and from the entrance I thought something looked different from when we left. As I got into the room, I looked over at the bed where we napped before the show. It was made up again, and turned down.

They Wynn staff had done a second turn down service for us.

What looked odd when I walked in was that the shades were drawn again.

N had stepped into the bathroom. I walked over and told her.

"How did they know we left again?" she asked.

"I don't know. Door use?" I offered. "Maybe they expect everyone in Vegas to go out again and come back after 2 AM."

She laughed. I wanted to get some ice for to keep the champagne cold, so I walked back to the table in the room.

I grabbed the ice bucket.

There was already ice in it.

For a few seconds I just stared at it, not comprehending what I saw.

But there was definitely ice there, and it was dry, meaning if it was part of turn down service, they redid it for the second round. Unbelievable service.

I guess they also expect that you're bringing back champagne with you when you return after 2AM.

Time to open that view on the Strip again.

Now we dolly back,
now we fade to black....

[groton]

*note to self Stay at the Wynn when u go to Vegas*

[Army Eye]

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Later I saw on the channel guide, there was keno (which I had seen in other LV hotels) but also Poker. I tuned in, and found the wait list for the poker room. Brilliant. Just look at your room TV, find your game, then call down and have them lock up a seat.

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Beautiful. This so needs to be standard at every casino.

[StevieG]

Long Story Really Long

<font color="brown">Morning Poker</font>

I can't sleep for long in Vegas, and sure enough I was awake around 6:30 AM. Slipped out, threw on some clothes, and headed down to the poker room.

Only a handful of games were going, and I grabbed a seat at 4/8. Loose play, trash talking, and you could smell the booze coming off the players. Great table if I would have gotten there an hour before. But again, I wasn't getting any help, saw a lot of drawing hands catch against me, and the like. Example - folded to the cutoff who raises in a clear steal situation, I pop back with AQs in SB. BB folds and CO calls. I catch my ace, but he makes his gutshot straight draw on the turn with T7 to take the pot.

By 8:00 the composition of the table changed completely to more sober, more local, and more tighter. Beats continue, and finally shortly after 10:00, I lose with QQ to JJ when he spikes a J on the river.

At least I got some coffee.

Down close to two racks, I headed back to the room.


Bubbles

Time to open that champagne from last night. Also ate the chocolate left during turn down service, and a couple of the macaroons from the Alex gift bag.

Showered, shaved, chilled. Drew N a bubble bath by pouring the shower gel into the tub and blasting the tub with hot water.

Sat down at the desk (did I mention that the room had its own FAX machine?), and used the Wynn stationery to write a letter to myself.

Packed up.

<font color="brown">Noon Poker</font>

N had a salon appointment for noon, I went to the poker room. We had plans to meet for lunch at 1:00.

A new 4/8 table was running, and I took a seat there.

Things turned around a little. I straddled and won a pot with 87s that made two pair.

Immediately after, AA in the BB. UTG limped. It was raised in MP, called twice, I 3 bet. UTG calls, MP reraises, two more go along, I capped, and we are capped 5 ways to the flop, which is all rags. I bet out, UTG calls, MP raises, the two cold-callers finally faded away, and I 3 bet. UTG called the two more, and MP called, saying "OK, now I believe you."

Turn K. I didn't like it, but I bet out. When the two opponents just called, I liked the K a lot more.

Well, until the river K hit. I checked, UTG woke up and bet his remaining 7 chips all in, MP and I called. UTG shows K5s, UTG had pocket Queens.

In the next hour, he dumped back some of those to me, and almost all to the rest of the table.

N called from the Salon at about a quarter past one, and I left the table, up a couple BB for the hour.

Despite all that, when I checked out with the brush, and cashed out at the cashier, I had a smile on my face.

Far too good of a weekend for a little variance to spoil it.

[pig4bill]

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Later I saw on the channel guide, there was keno (which I had seen in other LV hotels) but also Poker. I tuned in, and found the wait list for the poker room. Brilliant. Just look at your room TV, find your game, then call down and have them lock up a seat.

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Beautiful. This so needs to be standard at every casino.

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TI also has this now.

Wynn never filled my ice bucket. I had to schlep down the hall for it. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[StevieG]

Long Story Really Long

Checking Out

There wasn't time to eat lunch, and with last night's abundance, there was no need to. So Corsa Cucina will have to wait until the next trip.

We went back to the room, grabbed our bags, the champagne, and headed down to checkout.

Next to the Wynn checkout is a small patio looking over the lake and the fountain. We went outside, I tipped the absent bartender a couple bucks and helped myself to two cups on the bar.

The weather had been cold when we arrived, but in early afternoon on Sunday, the sun was high and bright, and there was no need for jackets out on that patio. We watched the fountain, and finished the champagne.

Last Minute Shopping

A last indulgence, we went to Chocolat in the Wynn shops. The place smells of that magic bean. The chocolates look great, but the little cakes are small works of art. We bought four small cakes, half for Grandma.

As an indication of how quickly you can get used to spending money, I walked into Christian Dior Homme to look at a pair of black sneakers that I thought were cool. The price was $435, and I found myself thinking, "hey, that's not bad."

But, as with the Manolo Blahniks the day before, no new shoes for us.

Departure

Upgraded to first class again. It made the transition from food at Alex to food on an airplane marginally better.

Landed after 11:00 PM, breezed through empty roads to get home.

When we got into the house, the baby was asleep, just as we left her the day before.

[*TT*]

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As an indication of how quickly you can get used to spending money, I walked into Christian Dior Homme to look at a pair of black sneakers that I thought were cool. The price was $435, and I found myself thinking, "hey, that's not bad."

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Its not when you consider the sneakers last on your feet longer than the diner. Its a tough call....

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