The Vegas Formula

Back in April, Charles celebrated his 30th birthday in Las Vegas.  Above you can see that they are preparing to lose their kidneys.  This is the second time I've gone to Las Vegas for a birthday and we've come up with a no fail formula.

1. Drive in on Saturday morning
2. Eat at Wicked Spoon and get wasted from their bottomless mimosas/bloody Mary's (be loud and obnoxious)
3. Drink more alcohol from the stash that we smuggled into the Palazzo
4. Hit the pool drunk
5. Take a nap
6. Eat a late dinner at a burger joint
7. Get ready to go out
8. Have a mediocre time at a gay bar
9. Wander the streets and stay up until 4AM
10. Separate Sunday morning and regret the drive

However we added a few more steps:

2.3 - Judge the Wicked Spoon for mislabeling the Asian food and be a diva about it. BTW they still haven't fixed this even though they responded to my tweet.

Got Charles the same Birthday dessert platter as Ernesto in 2011!

2.6 - Take an epic walk from the Cosmo to the Palazzo and dance to the music playing from the Bellagio water show

 4.5 - Play pool games, but actually just sit on each other and raise your hands randomly.  I had a waterproof case for my iPhone and took some fun pool shots.

5.5 - Try to take a nap while others folic in weird poses.  I actually took the liberty of walking around in my underwear after receiving one compliment about how much weight I lost.  I guess I only need one trigger to feel gratuitously sexy.  No. not posting those pictures. 

Just wanter the halls as if you own the place.

by Martin

Mislabeled - Culinary Faux Pas

#fail

OH HELL NO.
You would think that Las Vegas chefs know the difference between Banh Mi and Pork Buns.  But even the Chow Mein... cutely served in an Asian American take-out box was mislabeled as Udon.  This must be a joke.  This must be an amateur mistake by a staff member throwing out signs without consulting anyone.  Regardless.  Come on people.

Banh Mi is NOT a newly discovered dish.  Banh Mi is consumed by college kids because of how good it is, how cheap it is and how popular it is because of famous food trucks and chains like Lee's Sandwiches.  Banh Mi is known by all Vietnamese cuisine lovers scattered around the world due to the Vietnamese diaspora. How can you make this mistake Wicked Spoon?!?

Why is this so offensive?  Because... Banh Mi is amazing and those who never had Banh Mi before will be very confused and be misinformed... and it shows a culinary ignorance that should not happen in a world renowned Las Vegas buffet at The Cosmopolitan.

Is this an "interpretation" of Banh Mi?  No.  The vessel is a steamed bun...  you cannot lay two pieces of pizza together and label it a sandwich... maybe you can call it a Pizzwich or I dont know... a Calzone.  You cannot mix around Asian ingredients and hope no one notices.

Did I sit around in silence?  Of course not... I stood up... found a waiter and asked him where the bathroom was so that I can tweet the hotel.  And this is what happened:

My work here is done... and if you don't know what a Banh Mi is... here it is below:

by unlimited_awd

Doesn't that make you angry?  Or at least hungry?!  Hungry for justice.  That's what it makes me.

Drunk During the Day

It was my first time going to Las Vegas as an adult for Ern's birthday.  Every time I go to Vegas, it's been with family or a friend's family so I'd always be on my best behavior.  Never have I experienced Vegas as it was meant to be - a playground for Adults.

Ern's bday was celebrated at the Wicked Spoon buffet where we stuffed ourselves and enjoyed bottomless champagne for 3 hours immediately when we arrived from our roadtrip.

We explored out hotel and took model pictures... of course.

We spent the entire day lounging at the pool, buzzing from the buffet.  Sam, somehow gashed his face in the pool when he tried to do a flip or something.  Blood everywhere.  We were a flock of sassafras gaysians frolicking around.  At one point we positioned ourselves in the pool to represent a map of Asia based on our ethnicity.  We had all of East and South East Asia covered!

As we sunbathed, I realized once again what it means to be on vacation: enjoying the time spent.

Back in our hotel room, we created a bar with the alcohol that we brought.  Vegas hotels should really provide ice chests to prevent damage to their sinks and tubs.  There was a lot of Patron and Sweet Tea vodka was the alcohol of the weekend.

We took a nap until 11PM.  Showered and headed out to Crave which was very eh.   I had to drop about 30 dollars round trip in a taxi because I forgot my ID which was a huge buzz kill.  All I wanted to do was relive that pool.

This was a highlight for 2011.  I loved it so much.  The traffic back to LA was a reality check.