It’s always a crazy time when a big show or event is in town. Getting restaurant reservations – or being able to walk in, for that matter – can be impossible. So for those who have asked, here (in alphabetical order) are our favorite places to eat and drink away from the Strip, and why…
An upper floor window at Palazzo affords a glimpse of what few get to see otherwise: the luxury villas at the front of Wynn Las Vegas. Three of them sit above the casino floor; three face toward the pool complex (click on the photo to enlarge it for a better view). They each have private…
I’ve long had a fascination with light fixtures, and Las Vegas – my newly adopted hometown – offers an exciting array of them. From functionally utilitarian to over-the-top, from vintage finds to multi-story custom-designed installations, I find them irresistible. I’m documenting my discoveries on a Pinterest board: Follow Arlene Wszalek’s board Las Vegas Lighting on Pinterest….
The High Roller, which opened on March 26, is an engineering marvel. At 550 feet, it’s the tallest observation wheel in the world – even taller than the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer. It’s already an indelible part of the Las Vegas skyline and well worth a visit. Here are 10 things to know…
There’s more – much more – to Las Vegas than The Strip. Inventive cuisine, art, recreation, and nature abound. As the crow flies we’re eight miles from Bellagio, and this is our view. Don’t get me wrong – we love The Strip for all its amazing food and wine, architecture, theater, music, recreation, and of…
One of the many grace notes of Tony Hsieh’s ambitious Downtown Project is the integration of visual art into the Las Vegas community. Last year, the Project struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Burning Man to display art from the Burning Man festival once it concludes. Separately, Hsieh bought sculptor Kirk Jellum’s 40×30 foot, fire-spewing “The…
Such a beautiful room. FIX is open to the casino floor, yet it beckons patrons inside. Designed by Graft of Berlin, it features an undulating ceiling made of Costa Rican Padouk wood. FIX is a Light Group restaurant. It’s on the North Valet side of the floor, near the shopping arcade.
Yesterday I was approached via email by a fellow Smith College alumna who found me through our alumnae directory. She’s a career consultant and asked me to spend a brief amount of time on the phone advising a client of hers. Edited to add: the client is not a Smith alum. I’m grateful for the…
When signing onto the in-room wifi at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, as we did when we stayed there in June, we were automatically redirected to the hotel’s website. We found that quite fortuitous, as one of the website’s promotions was for the Happy Hour at Aureole Wine Lounge. We had dinner reservations elsewhere in the…
Sign by the cash register at The Juice Fountain in Hollywood.
Carrying over an energetic discussion from my Facebook page. Pat writes: ” This may dismay some folks (I’m used to it though), but while pregnancy is a health issue, what makes birth control one? Because a pill must be prescribed? Well, it doesn’t have to be. A doctor was never part of our practice of birth control….
One of our favorite restaurants in the world is Julian Serrano’s Picasso, located in Las Vegas’ Bellagio hotel. Over the last few years we’ve become friendly with its sommelier, Robert Smith MS, who makes sure that the wines accompanying our meal are its equal in beauty and quality. Another reason we love this restaurant is the availability,…
I’ve heard this song a few times now on the Sirius XM “On Broadway” channel, and I love it. It’s from the 1975 musical Shenandoah (which was based on the 1965 film of the same name). It’s a duet between two young boys of different backgrounds. Music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell. Why…
Lots of people have said what they like about Facebook’s announcements at yesterday’s f8 conference. I’m all for innovation, and I agree that many users (including myself) whine about changes, get used to them, and then whine when the next set of changes comes down. But I do have some observations and questions about these…
Anyone who idolizes you is going to hate you when he discovers that you are fallible. He never forgives. He has deceived himself, and he blames you for it.
The unattributed quotation to the right, engraved in the lobby of the Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, has often caught my eye. After my most recent visit, my curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up the quotation’s provenance. It’s by Elbert Hubbard, described by Wikipeidia as “an American writer, publisher, artist,…
Last night I was priviliged to be among the guests invited to a spectacular wine tasting dinner. The meal, prepared by Chef Craig Strong (Executive Chef, Studio, Montage Laguna Beach), was paired with three decades of each of the four Super-Tuscan wines: Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Solaia, and Tignanello. The dinner was donated by philanthropists Hal and Sharon Lampert as…
Evidently I was into media from a far earlier age than I remembered! This is from May ’63, when I was 18 months old. Thanks to Toby Lowenfels for giving me the idea to add a grab of the TV Guide cover for those who are curious. It’s Amanda Shore, Lee J. Cobb and James…
My husband and I recently stayed twice at the Hotel Le Germain Toronto. I chose the hotel because of its affiliation with Tablet Hotels. I’m a member of the fee-based Tablet Plus program, which provides upgrades and amenities at certain of their properties. Le Germain is a 122-room boutique hotel; while part of a (small)…
In under a month and still in beta, Google+ has attracted 18 million users, or 2.4% of Facebook’s base (per Business Insider). That’s a fairly impressive figure. Time is a finite resource. The time people are now spending on G+ (or turntable.fm, or Namesake, or any other hot new service) is, almost certainly, time taken…
One day, when I had been away from you, I knew what I had been too scared to think. My days are filled no longer with just you, And willingly I will return a wink. It took some time, but distance dulled the thoughts Which scribbled me through high school every day. My stomach now…
If you’ve been on Twitter for any length of time, you’re probably following a fair number of accounts (for those who have the opposite issue, I’ll post soon about how to find good accounts to follow). If you follow many more than a few hundred your stream can become unruly, if not entirely unmanageable. You…