ERDOS: What happened in Vegas
ERDOS: What happened in Vegas
By IRV ERDOS - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian | Posted: Sunday, September 12, 2010 12:00 am
Don't believe them when they say, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
I gained five pounds there, and they all came home with me.
The added weight came courtesy of the Harrah's Hotel chain promotion called "Buffet of Buffets."
For $39.99, you buy 24-hour access to as many buffets as you can handle at any of seven major hotels. The clock starts when you enter your first dining room.
It takes some planning, but if you play your cards right, you can chomp through a half-dozen buffets before time's up. We decided to be more conservative, so we only showed up at five: Breakfast buffet at the Paris Hotel, lunch at Flamingo, dinner at Planet Hollywood, dessert at Caesars Palace, and with 40 minutes still left on the clock, another breakfast buffet the next morning.
Clearly, such an undertaking requires many hours, and that was just one of the objections my wife declared, complaining we had no time left to attend the shows Las Vegas is famous for.
She wanted to see the exhibition called "Bodies" at the Luxor Hotel. It's a display of actual dissected and preserved bodies and organs. So much for good judgment. Apparently, she'd rather see a cadaver than a perfectly prepared prime rib. Go figure.
In fairness, she also wanted to see either "Le Reve" at the Wynn Hotel, or "O," the extravaganza at the Bellagio. OK, those are two great shows, but tickets are $100 and up, and in my mind, watching the Paris Hotel chef flipping crepes rivals the skills of the most accomplished Cirque du Soleil acrobat. It's a show unto itself, and even includes audience participation. As the chef displays his artistry, you get to dictate whether you want cherries, strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or all of the above, on your crepe. In contrast, you're not allowed to call out suggestions to the trapeze artists at "Le Reve" or "O," so once again, no comparison.
She also complained we didn't get to see the paintings of Renoir and Picasso on display at the Bellagio, even though we got to see some of the most dazzling creations ever produced by a pastry chef.
And since we spent most of the day at the buffets, my wife complained there was no time left to go through the casinos to play the slots or craps, or do gambling of any sort.
No gambling? I beg to differ. I certainly rolled the dice when I took a chance on an extra helping of barbecued ribs at Planet Hollywood, knowing full well it could mean I'd have no room for that hazelnut torte I'd been eyeing.
Irv Erdos of Escondido is a freelance columnist. Contact him at IrvErdos@aol.com.
ERDOS: What happened in Vegas
By IRV ERDOS - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian | Posted: Sunday, September 12, 2010 12:00 am
Don't believe them when they say, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
I gained five pounds there, and they all came home with me.
The added weight came courtesy of the Harrah's Hotel chain promotion called "Buffet of Buffets."
For $39.99, you buy 24-hour access to as many buffets as you can handle at any of seven major hotels. The clock starts when you enter your first dining room.
It takes some planning, but if you play your cards right, you can chomp through a half-dozen buffets before time's up. We decided to be more conservative, so we only showed up at five: Breakfast buffet at the Paris Hotel, lunch at Flamingo, dinner at Planet Hollywood, dessert at Caesars Palace, and with 40 minutes still left on the clock, another breakfast buffet the next morning.
Clearly, such an undertaking requires many hours, and that was just one of the objections my wife declared, complaining we had no time left to attend the shows Las Vegas is famous for.
She wanted to see the exhibition called "Bodies" at the Luxor Hotel. It's a display of actual dissected and preserved bodies and organs. So much for good judgment. Apparently, she'd rather see a cadaver than a perfectly prepared prime rib. Go figure.
In fairness, she also wanted to see either "Le Reve" at the Wynn Hotel, or "O," the extravaganza at the Bellagio. OK, those are two great shows, but tickets are $100 and up, and in my mind, watching the Paris Hotel chef flipping crepes rivals the skills of the most accomplished Cirque du Soleil acrobat. It's a show unto itself, and even includes audience participation. As the chef displays his artistry, you get to dictate whether you want cherries, strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or all of the above, on your crepe. In contrast, you're not allowed to call out suggestions to the trapeze artists at "Le Reve" or "O," so once again, no comparison.
She also complained we didn't get to see the paintings of Renoir and Picasso on display at the Bellagio, even though we got to see some of the most dazzling creations ever produced by a pastry chef.
And since we spent most of the day at the buffets, my wife complained there was no time left to go through the casinos to play the slots or craps, or do gambling of any sort.
No gambling? I beg to differ. I certainly rolled the dice when I took a chance on an extra helping of barbecued ribs at Planet Hollywood, knowing full well it could mean I'd have no room for that hazelnut torte I'd been eyeing.
Irv Erdos of Escondido is a freelance columnist. Contact him at IrvErdos@aol.com.
