underwood no5: October 2006

Friday night: Bill bought me the Goblins of the Labyrinth book! Yay! Dinner @ Pomodora, shopping for an outfit to wear to dinner on Saturday. Came away with this gorgeous scarlet red, silky, crocheted, beaded sweater from Macy's. The lining only comes halfway down the sleeve, so there's this cool filigree effect over my wrists. Yeah! And perfect for every Yule party. (Also, bought new underthings, which are for raving about in another post. OMG Cacique. All I'm sayin'.)

Left town by 9:30, arrived in Vegas by 2am only to discover that our hotel reservation had been screwed up. Well fuck. One quick phone call to Travelocity and we're staying in the big Pyramid. Yay! (I think I may have hexed this into happening. Be careful what you wish for folks.) In bed by 3:30am.

Saturday: Oy, I'm too old to stay up that late. Slept in and then got up and moved rooms (a foible of the last minute booking). Walked through the fake castle to the fake metropolis. The permanent 9/11 memorial they have is really beautifully done. Poked around there for awhile before crossing to the Emerald City. OMG BABY LION CUBS! SO CUTE! I got to rub noses with baby lion clubs through the glass. They were fantastic! I ate ice cream and we found out where our theatre and restaurant were. Came back to the hotel and took a couple hours nap before dressing.

The Show: Amazing. Just plain stunning. They took a stage and made it rotate through three dimensions. In perfect silence! It was a beach, complete with sand. It was a cliff face. It sank from view of the audience. The whole set was a mouth watering steam punk piece of brilliance. Martial arts displays! Capoeira! Wheel of Death! The story line left a bit to be desired, but all in all, a fantastic Cirque show. (Yes, only Cirque would stick a shadow puppet act in the middle of a multi-million show. And make it WORK.) I was astounded at the audience, who didn't seem to realize they were witnessing live theater and not watching something on teevee. Damn it people, it's called applause, not "work".

The Dinner: My husband did his research. All you folks who watch and enjoy Top Chef know who Tom Colicchio is. Tom owns a little steakhouse in the Emerald City called Craft Steak. Dress is business casual. The physical space of the restaurant was elegant and understated. Delicious leather and copper, bare lightbulbs with glowing warm filaments, muted greys and browns and greens. A feast for the eyes. The wait staff was incomparable. More on the staff in a moment. The food was To. Die. For. I have been SPOILED.

First Course: Arugula salad, Hawaiian Prawns, Kobe Beef Tartare served in the classic style with a raw egg garnish. I think I could have had a bowl of the tartare and a spoon. It was like mouth sex. Wine: Conundrum White Table Wine. What's in it? We don't know! We just know it's good! Drink up! I will definitely be searching this one out again.

Second Course: Kobe Beef New York Strip, Kobe Beef Filet Mignon, Roasted Chantrelles, Asparagus & Yukon Gold Potato Puree. Steak like I have never had steak in my life. Wolf was opining over the chantrelles when we were looking over the menu and even though they weren't a part of the tasting menu, the waiter made sure they were included. Wine: Hall Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Glorious big cab taste. Perfect for the steak. And the waiter really liked me because he filled the glass up way past when I said "Plenty!" Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it!

Third Course: Dessert was two sorbets: Burgundy Pear & Nectarine; two ice creams: Butter Pecan & Caramel; Cinnamon Monkey Bread with white honey; and sometime during the second course, the wait staff heard me say, "It's my birthday, I'll eat as slow as I want!" and they brought me Liquid Chocolate Cake with a wee little candle and Happy Birthday written in chocolate on the rim of the plate. And by "they" I mean three waiters and two bus boys who had been serving us all evening. Sadly, I was informed that the Mariachis had been given the night off. If they had known I was coming, they would have certainly been there... Ah well, you can't win them all. Wine: Dante Rivetti's Moscato d'Asti. My eyes rolled back in my head. It's a muscat AND an asti. ALL IN ONE GLASS. I asked the gentleman to please write down the name of this wine for me.

Now, the wait staff: I was so very impressed with their front of house. They were a well-oiled machine, pleasant and serene. There were no problems. There was no pressure to eat and get gone. In fact, I think they appreciated the fact that we were actually savoring the meal. The tables on either side of us turned over once each while we were there. Some people just eat too damned fast. Anyway, I compliment the hostess on the front of house, and then later, said the same thing to our primary waiter. That the front of house staff was a joy to watch. Their attitude and their professionalism made the meal come together, and I appreciate that so much.

Well, apparently, no one seems to notice these things or if they do notice, they never say thank you. Because the waiters got together and rather than write down the name of the Moscato, they bought me a bottle of it to take home. I was gobsmacked. Seriously. Jaw on floor. It doesn't get any better than that.

I really wish I had put a straw in it and drank it on the way back to the hotel room, but I was too full at that point. Alas. We staggered back to the hotel room and collapsed, well fed and happy.

Sunday: Out of Vegas by noon. Moseyed our way back across the desert. Stopped in at Baker and then at Calico Ghost Town. Pics at my flickr account. MMMmmm, Fresh Alien Jerky. I love my wacky desert people. Didn't realize we'd forgotten the time change until sunset. Which meant we were really making good time. So we came home and crashed. It was a wonderful, romantic weekend and I am so lucky to have had the Wolf to spend it with. He's the real gift.

So yeah. Stuffed and tired and happy.