My Anonymous Blog

Axel Hotel, Barcelona - Heterofriendly at its Very Best

Presenting itself as a trendy gay hotel and located smack in the middle of Eixample, Axel Hotel has a thoughtfully inclusive catch marketing phrase - HETEROFRIENDLY - that has nabbed it even more business than the typically cash heavy queer demographic already throws at it.  Many single women travelers have grown fond of staying here, partly because they won't have to worry about being hit on by other travelers and hotel staff, and partly because they know that gay guys really know how to have a good time.  There are two rooftop parties around the pool and bar area weekly, as well as live entertainment and drag shows scheduled most other nights on the stage located in the ground floor restaurant.

Axel Hotel is so gay that even our in-room safe was naked.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

We always stay here and haven't tried anywhere else in Barcelona, but we love the neighborhood surrounding the hotel, it's an easy walk to most other areas and, let's face it, the staff of gorgeous Spanish men lining the place doesn't hurt...so why even try anywhere else?  And yes, this is the location of my infamous clothes-free post-hot tub tumble across the gym floor.  Moving right along ...

The one drawback to staying here, or any gay hotel really, is that service can be a bit, um, sloooooooooooooow.  It's fine, they're in Spain where things are a little more laid back to begin with, they're beautiful, I get it.  But it can be a bit wearing when you're trying to sit down to breakfast and the lone waiter has trotted off to take a smoke break, hook up with a hotel guest in the back, or who knows.  If there was one area that needed some tweaking, having the staff be a little more on the mark in the service area couldn't hurt. 

And speaking of breakfast - it's a simple, help yourself assortment of fruits, cereal canisters that are so tiny I had to wipe out the hotel's entire stash just to fill one bowl, breads, eggs and flaccid slices of bacon that Europe still has no idea how to crisp properly.  At 15 euros, that makes it worth skipping and heading to La Boqueria along Las Ramblas for breakfast instead.

My final two complaints?  The internet can only connect one computer per room, which is frustrating when you've traveled with your partner and two laptops.  It would be simple for them to allow two devices per room to be connected and they should change that.  My other complaint is about the lighting in the elevator - BLUE!  It's entirely aggravating not only because it's a dark shade of blue that could almost act as a black light that would, in this hotel in particular, reveal all sorts of weird and potentially embarrassing stains, but also because it's a slooooooooooooow elevator, and because it's also cramped and not nearly as cute as the service, I can't forgive it.  It's high time to change the bulbs.

** There's one last half-complaint: The gym that is on the top floor of the building kind of sucks (the lone clunky elliptical machine nearly killed me with its jolting motions and surely needs serviced, if not replaced altogether), but the upside is that they give access, for ten euros, to a beautiful gym just a block down the street called Holmes Place.  Don't miss it - it's a fun spot filled with excellent equipment, people watching galore, a huge swimming pool, classes ... the works, really. **

But like I said, who stays here for the food or service?  I give Axel Hotel an A- for its smartly appointed rooms, friendly staff and central location and would recommend it to anyone gay or ... er ... HETEROFRIENDLY.

AXEL HOTEL BARCELONA
Aribau, 33
08011 Barcelona - Spain

Phone: (+34) 93 323 93 93

The Nate Update: Images from the Lapa Rios Reserve

The next-to-last video from Costa Rica 2008 (really, I promise!), this one highlighting a few views from the trails within the reserve at Lapa Rios:

Lapa Rios Ecolodge - Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula near Corcovado National Park

There are few places in the world to really escape from it all anymore, particularly in tropical regions where resorts line beach fronts and are often crowded with obnoxious travelers that come devoid of all manners and are often lugging children that are equally as self-unaware and continually annoy guests around them with chronic squealing and rambunctiousness. But we've found one, and maybe I shouldn't even divulge its location out of fear that it will ruin the entire area. But ... here it is: LAPA RIOS!

 
Our bungalow, Cabin #3. There are no walls, only screens, separating guests from the jungle, and that means the wonderful sounds of howler monkeys, macaws, toucans and all sorts of chirping bugs and frogs find their way into your cabin. Wonderful!

Located out on the remote Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios, a 5-star ecolodge, sits in the buffer zone between the Golfo Dulce and Corcovado National Park and uses its 1000 acre preserve (80 percent of which is virgin lowland rain forest) to not only protect said buffer zone, but also to educate the public on the importance of keeping forests like theirs left standing. They do this by simply showcasing their property via 16 bungalows sprawled across a ledge overlooking the ocean, with the rain forest spreading out to the sides and behind the rooms. The Rooms are connected by walkways, and while some of the rooms are a bit far from the main dining lodge, the feeling of being out in the jungle in your own private place pervades and the sounds of the ocean and forest critters come to life all around.

 
The main dining lodge at Lapa Rios. The spiral stairway leads to an observation deck, where you can view the jungle and, if you're lucky, get close-up views of toucans and scarlet macaws hanging out high in the treetops.

Food is all included at Lapa Rios, as are most nonalcoholic drinks that don't come in glass bottles (juice, water). The breakfast and lunch menus remain the same each day, offering a wide variety of choices. My favorite breakfast / lunch option is the traditional Casado, consisting of black beans and rice, fried plantains, salad and a choice of meat (chicken, beef or pork). The pancakes with granola and banana cooked into them are also quite good and are served with a trio of guava coconut, blackberry and maple syrups. For lunch, try the Tico Tostada, a taco salad of sorts that sits in a large crispy tortilla "bowl" filled with lettuce, grilled chicken, tomato, cheddar cheese, guacamole and black olives. I ate this nearly everyday for lunch, and so should you. Since food is flown in daily, guests order their dinner selections at breakfast, which seems a bit odd at first, but you quickly get into the whole process. The dinner menu changes everyday and rotates through seven different menus throughout the week. Overall, the offerings are decent to well above average, and in some cases (try the brownie!) DELICIOUS. Keep in mind that: 1. You're in Costa Rica, which isn't known for its cuisine, and 2. You're in the middle of nowhere in Costa Rica, and anything outside of rice and beans and boiled chicken should be praised. Given those two facts, the food at Lapa Rios is spectacular, varied and beautifully presented. Honestly, it's the best food we have had anywhere in Costa Rica, and last time we were in Costa Rica we spent three weeks visiting nearly every corner of the country. The one area that they can work on are the desserts, which are a bit ambitious given the locale and available ingredients, humidity, etc. and should focus more heavily on the wonderful assortment of fresh tropical fruits they have unlimited amounts of. But again, the brownie is pretty damn good!

  It's a beautiful pool to take a dip in, but I highly advise not spending your whole vacation there, or even a single day.

So, what does one do at Lapa Rios? Well, there is a pool if you're of the mindset that vacation is merely for lounging about poolside sipping piña coladas. And technically, you could do that. Some guests do and I'm sure they have a lovely time, but my take on Lapa Rios is to treat the resort as a museum of natural tropical things to be studied, admired and sought out from the deck of your bungalow, sometimes inside your bungalow, along the roads and beaches and especially in the forests via the self-guided and professional guided trails. It's about seeing a side of nature that few get to see, that's quickly disappearing as beaches and forests are hacked to bits. It's about respecting what's in front of you and sharing what you've seen with everyone you know. So, if you're going to make it all the way out to Lapa Rios with intentions of crashing at the pool and calling it a vacation, for the love of all things rare and beautiful, don't! There's so, so, so much to see. The pool is nice, though, and well worth a dip here and there ... everyday!

 
White face monkeys are relatively easy to spot in and around Lapa Rios. I found this guy and about 30 of his rambunctious friends leaping through trees along Matapalo Road, which runs along the beach and provides a fun walk while staying at the hotel.

Seeing the area, including Corcovado National Park (which must be arranged with the front desk staff upon arrival to Lapa Rios if this is something you'd like to do), couldn't be easier due to the efficient means in which the staff at Lapa Rios juggles all of the details -- ground transportation, guides, flights, boats and even packed lunches are all figured out for you -- leaving you with nothing to do but enjoy the experience. The guides that Lapa Rios has on staff are superior, particularly Edwin, Ulises and their newest guide, Marcia, a biologist with a passion for insects, snakes, frogs and birds. She comes armed with various high-tech bird calls on her iPod, which she blasts through the forest on handheld speakers to attract rare and rarely seen species, such as many nocturnal owls, right to her group as they wind through trails of Lapa Rios' preserve.

 
Bright green baby iguanas like this one are commonplace all around Costa Rica, as are some fairly large specimens. The resident iguana of Lapa Rios, Lorenzo, regularly hangs out at the pool and occasionally even takes a dip.

So, the rundown on Lapa Rios:

Who is it for? Anyone who loves nature, hiking, exploring and learning about tropical ecosystems.

Is Lapa Rios right for kids? That's a tough question, and one that I'd have to answer, "It depends on the kid." If your child has a passion for wildlife and can tolerate long stretches of time with little to do but admire said wildlife (and flora), then by all means book your trip. It's a wonderful place to bring your kids provided you know what you're getting into, but keep in mind it's an intimate setting and that, if there's a kid or two in your party who would rather spend time yelling and running and doing cannonballs at the pool, the entire atmosphere of the hotel can turn sour. And you'll feel the heat from glaring guests -- believe me, I've glared at two or three parents with unruly offspring. I would suggest a minimum age of 10 for girls and 12 for boys (which equals about 10 years of maturity in girl years, sorry boys...), unless you really, truly feel your kid would get into it and appreciate it enough not to run around and scream like, well, a kid.

Is the hotel tough to get to? From most major metropolitan areas in the States, you can take a direct flight to San Jose. I would recommend staying a night at a hotel near the airport (the Marriott is super nice) in San Jose and then taking either a Nature Air or a Sansa flight out the next morning. Lapa Rios will figure out all of your local flights, and I recommend you let them take over that portion for you. To avoid rocky weather and cancelled planes, which tend to plague afternoon flights, try to take as early a flight as possible to the Osa Peninsula. Once there, it's a quick (yet bumpy) 45-minute ride in a truck or jeep to Lapa Rios. From Manhattan, the flight is about 4.5 hours to San Jose. The flight to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula takes about 1 hour, which includes a stop in Drake Bay beforehand.

Best time to go? Anytime of year is fine, really. The wet season does bring rain -- it's a RAIN forest, after all -- but even so, the rain comes in spurts of an hour or so at a time (usually late afternoon and evening), and there's nothing like witnessing the rush of rain that the wet season (June - October) brings. Lapa Rios tends to fill up months in advance just about anytime of year, so be sure to CHECK AVAILABILITY and book your trip as early as possible.

 
The carbunko, or "headlight" beetle, is one of many fascinating insects that might make it into your cabin at night. These beetles glow brightly from the two "headlights" located at the top of their heads and are completely harmless.

Lapa Rios gets an A+ from me for providing an exceptional platform from which to explore the delicate, rare and beautiful Osa Peninsula. Visit the Lapa Rios website for more information and to make a reservation: www.LapaRios.com

Here is a blow-by-blow rundown of my most recent trip to Lapa Rios:

DAY 1 ** DAY 2 ** DAY 3 ** DAY 4 ** DAY 5 ** DAY 6 ** DAY 7 ** DAY 8 ** DAY 9

VIDEO 1 (brief hello from the Lapa Rios preserve) ** VIDEO 2 (some shots of the flight to Lapa Rios and the hotel itself -- but I talk too much in this video!) ** VIDEO 3 (Hermit Crabs) ** VIDEO 4 (Carbunko Beetles) ** VIDEO 5 (Corcovado National Park) ** VIDEO 6 (Coati) ** VIDEO 7 (Lizards) ** VIDEO 8 (Monkeys) ** VIDEO 9 (view from within the Lapa Rios Reserve) **  VIDEO 10 (Casa Orquidea, sounds from Lapa Rios and the final Flight From Hell through a storm)

LINK TO MORE PHOTOS (might only work if you have a Facebook account)

The Nate Video Update #4

This week I'm featuring several travel video rundowns from my recent trip to Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula...and here's the first one! Now settle down, I know other people's vacation videos / photos can be tedious to sit through. I'll try to make this as painless as possible, I promise.

Lapa Rios Day 2



We woke up this morning to the most unbelievably beautiful sunrise. The sun sets and rises so quickly here that it's almost as if someone throws a switch to change from night to day. After a brief period spent waking up, Matthew and I decided to take the self-guided trail that winds up and around through secondary forest to the main lodge where breakfast is served. I had French toast with three different syrups -- coconut, blackberry and maple. All three were surprisingly good!

At 8:15AM we departed for the walk along the Osa Trail, a hike that runs through the Lapa Rios reserve's primary rain forest. 80% of Lapa Rios' property consists of primary lowland rain forest and is brimming with pristine examples of flora and fauna, many of which is endemic to Costa Rica and in several cases can only be found here on the Osa Peninsula. Our guide today was Edwin, who we liked very much during our last trip to Lapa Rios and I was happy to see that he was still giving tours through the reserve. We saw many beautiful old trees on the trail, such as the giant garlic tree, and also some beautiful flowering plants like this striking passion flower.

Today's list of wildlife includes:

Scarlet Macaws (sitting in almond trees again [their favorite food] near our cabin)
Green Honeycreeper
Hummingbird (Long-tailed hermit)
Great Tinamou (locals used to eat this bird, but it's now endangered and protected)
Pelicans (I love how they dive clumsily into the water in search of fish)
Chestnut-Mandibled Toucans
Howler monkeys
Squirrel monkeys
Spider monkeys
Coatis
Agouti
iguana
snake (Matthew spotted the baby iguana at the pool and we both commented on how tame he seemed and unafraid of us being so close to him, and then moments later on the way back to our cabin we saw him being killed and eaten by a brown snake several times smaller than the iguana)
owl and morpho butterflies
pygmy squirrel
Bats

We're hoping to see sloths finally tomorrow -- Matthew's favorite! We also have yet to see the white face monkeys, but I'm sure they'll surface shortly.

Lapa Rios Day 1

I've been looking forward to this trip for months, and it's finally HERE!! Hooray!!!! There isn't anyplace on earth that I find more relaxing than the Osa Peninsula, located on the southwestern most corner of Costa Rica. This is the view from our bungalow at Lapa Rios, an ecolodge about 45 minutes away from Puerto Jimenez, a small town that serves as the main jump off point for Corcovado National Park, where we're headed on Wednesday and possibly again later in the week.

We spent our first night in Costa Rica at the Marriott Hotel near the airport, and I have to admit that I put my expectations fairly low, both because it's a major mid-level chain and because it's near the airport. But honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. I wouldn't plan a trip around staying there, but it was more than serviceable, had a lovely Spanish feel, beautiful gardens and a wonderful jacuzzi area situated under a circle of traveling palms. We had two great meals in the hotel and crashed early, waking up at 4:30am for the 6am flight to Puerto Jimenez and jeep ride to Lapa Rios. The flight went surprisingly smoothly. I always dread riding in small planes, but there was barely a bump today and the scenery was spectacular, especially the dramatic cloud formations we flew by along the way to Drake Bay before landing in Puerto Jimenez shortly thereafter.

It's so serene here on Osa that I find myself in a constant state of reflection as to why I'm living in a major city if this part of the world makes me so happy. Between the gorgeous views of the water, lush flora and surprising numbers of fauna, my mind is constantly looking for new things to comment on, pick up and watch through my binoculars. Today alone we saw the following list of wildlife:

Chestnut Mandibled Toucans (three of them)
Caracaras -- Yellow headed & Crested
Pelicans
Scarlet Macaws
Spider Monkeys (about 20 with several babies in tow; endangered species)
Coati
agouti
hummingbird -- I'm not sure what kind -- it darted by so quickly
hermit crabs
crabs of different shapes and sizes and colors
Iguana
Lizards -- many different kinds
Butterflies -- several different kinds including giant blue morphos fluttering through secondary rain forest
Cane toad (at night on the way back to the cabin - spotted by Matthew)
Bats (many species, off of the main deck during evening drinks)

At Marriott: blue-gray tanager and blue-crowned motmot

Not too far from Lapa Rios is the Matapalo Road, which I love walking down to check out the homes of foreigners (mostly Americans) who built secondary homes in this area, but primarily I like walking down this pothole-filled road because it's an excellent place to spot birds (macaws in particular) and monkeys. There are also some impressive old virgin rain forest trees still left standing, like this one.

Four Seasons - Las Vegas

Our final night in Vegas was spent at the Four Seasons, which is located on the top four floors of Mandalay Bay and hovers above the strip, providing a breathtaking view of Sin City from vertigo-inducing floor-to-ceiling windows. Matthew wanted this view for a long exposure sex photo he planned with two couples, and after a quick search for models he produced a pretty cool image that might or might not show up in his upcoming show.

This was the view from our bedroom while lying in bed!! It was incredible, and since it was our last night we stayed up late working on Matthew's shoot and ordered room service. We had fried chicken, Cobb salad and mac and cheese, and everything was fabulous! I had never had such delicious room service food, honestly, outside of maybe Mosaic Hotel's Cobb salad in Beverly Hills. It was truly excellent. I give the room service at Four Seasons an A.

The hotel itself was nice, with a serviceable gym, attentive staff and sophisticated look throughout. But the real reason to stay here is, until some monstrous resort pops up in front of Mandalay, the stupendous view. I just couldn't take my eyes off of the sparkling, flashing lights, billboards and crazy architecture from our little perch in the Vegas sky and was so, so sad to leave the next morning after breakfast in our room.

We had a wonderful trip, though, and will return again in a few years to see what new has popped up on the ever changing Vegas skyline. Our trip was planned quite some time ago, without taking into account that Chinese New Year fell during our stay there -- one of the busiest times of year in Vegas -- and yet we didn't really have a problem getting good rates and rooms despite the city being bogged down by Chinese tourists, many of them with kids in tow! I was surprised at the number of stroller toting tourists spending time at the casinos; the second hand smoke alone makes my throat all scratchy and if I had a kid the casinos would be the last place I'd let them hang out. I won't even get started on the porn slappers lining the strip day and night. Vegas wants to promote itself as a family destination, but it totally isn't. Most memorable visual: Watching a nearly naked male midget dancing on a bar in a bright green thong while pouring shots of whiskey down the throats of screaming, drunken college kids at O'Sheas Casino.

Bouchon, Venezia & Palazzo - Las Vegas

One of my favorite hotels in Las Vegas is Venezia, the second addition added onto The Venetian that opened in 2004.

The detail put into the marble floors, the gas lamps lining the hallways, the spectacular check-in area and the secluded courtyard filled with water spewing fountains and jacuzzis are just a few of the touches that keep me coming back.

This time we stayed in Palazzo, and I know I raved about it in my first posting, but now that Palazzo has had time to sink in a bit, I can safely say that, until there is a major renovation, I wouldn't stay there again and will instead stick with Venezia on my next trip to Vegas. Palazzo was a little bit on the sterile side, lacking the themed details of Venetian and Venezia, but also lacking any of the charm that they have as well, replacing beautifully designed interiors with monotonous walkways that displayed little character and reminded me of a high end mall in Connecticut or Westchester. There just wasn't anything special about it, and I know they are trying to keep up with Wynn, but the difference there is that Wynn has a defined look, even though it isn't themed, that is clearly Wynn, whereas Palazzo plays it entirely safe -- there are no flashy mosaics on the floors, fancy draperies, moody lighting ... it's just sort of ... there. And then there's the muzak that blares throughout the elevators and hallways of Palazzo -- what were they thinking?! It's beyond dreadful and only highlights the fact that Venetian's newest creation has no personality! The real kicker is that the rooms at Palazzo are actually nice, but formatted almost exactly the same as Venezia's. One perk about the whole resort is having access (for a price!) to The Canyon Ranch Spa, one of the nicest gyms and spas I've ever been to. The equipment is so advanced it almost works out for you, and the spa provides a wonderfully intimate spot to relax in the sauna, steam room and hot tub sans clothing with lots of other guys. Why is the line between spa and bathhouse so remarkably fine, and which one came first? The line is so blurred that Mandalay Bay threw in the towel, so to speak, and named their spa Bathhouse!

But back to Venezia. As I said, we didn't stay here this time around, but we had to return for breakfast at Bouchon one morning. Simply put, Thomas Keller's restaurant inside Venezia serves up the best breakfast in Las Vegas. Waffles, French toast, crunchy fries, thick cut bacon -- all of the standards are represented here in stellar forms, but the real star of Bouchon are its pastries, and I challenge anyone to find a better croissant in the United States. Be sure to stop by the Bouchon Bakery near The Venetian casino floor, where you can sample even more of their pastries, such as the perfect pain au chocolat.

Bouchon gets an A- for their outstanding breakfast and an A for their consistently perfect pastries.

Bouchon
Located inside Venezia
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Hours: open daily for breakfast 7AM - 11AM; midday oyster bar 3PM - 1-:30PM; dinner 5PM - 10:30PM; brunch Sat & Sun 8AM - 2PM
Phone: 702-414-6200 (reservations aren't accepted for breakfast, but are recommended for dinner)

Bouchon Bakery
Located inside The Venetian off the casino floor and next to the theatre
Hours: Open everyday 6AM - 9PM
Phone: 702-414-6203

Bellagio - Las Vegas

I just love Bellagio. The hotel is pretty, the casino is easily navigable compared to the labyrinthine counterparts in most other strip resorts, the food is excellent and -- my favorite -- the fountains are one of the most beautiful and FREE shows in Vegas. The fountain view room at the Bellagio isn't free, of course, but it's well worth the cost for a night or two of sitting in the room up against the window waiting for the next song to bring the fountains to life.

The fountains are stunningly beautiful, depending on the song and choreography, and I'm surprised that someone somewhere hasn't attempted to replicate them on at least a partial scale. Then again, we've watched the amount of maintenance that goes into making sure the 1200 individually moving nozzles are in perfect working order, with divers and crew in boats constantly floating around and fiddling with things day and night between shows to make sure everything is just right. Our favorite songs that the fountains dance to are One from A Chorus Line and All That Jazz from Chicago.

I have a slight fountain addiction and just can't get enough of them, spending hours watching them from the room and quite a bit of time at the street level waiting for and watching shows when I'm not staying at the hotel. There aren't words to express how cool they are in motion -- it's a little bit like watching a giant screen saver in the way they move with such precision and fluidity, and if you've seen them in person maybe you'll know what I mean. I just can't take my eyes off of them! And that cannon sound the high jets make when they propel water up into the air as high as the hotel is takes my breath away. I could go on and on. I'd love to build a miniature Bathtub Bellagio one day that would bring my bathroom to life with lights, music and shooting water every fifteen minutes, but Matthew has already put his foot down on that one. And that's a shame -- I'd be the talk of all of our friends, I'm sure!

Another thing I love about Bellagio is the Conservatory, which is completely renovated and changed five times a year ... incredible!! Right now it's in full-on Chinese New Year mode, in honor of all of the Chinese that drop billions here every year.

The conservatory takes on a completely different look at night and is dramatically lit. I especially love the giant Chinese man standing on a pile of gold coins that he's about to gamble away in the casino.

We had a wonderful stay at Bellagio, spending an entire evening watching the fountains in our room while eating the best BLT sandwiches from Snacks (located just off the casino) and a selection of pastries from Jean-Phillipe (near the Conservatory). The gym and spa are wonderful, filled with top notch gym equipment and a fantastic sauna and whirlpool area. I have to say, regarding the sauna, that it's always fun seeing a bunch of straight guys hanging out completely nude together. Great people watching. ;-) The Bellagio Buffet is perfectly serviceable, and we did this one morning, but it's not at the same level of excellence as the buffet at Wynn. There's not even any comparison and the price isn't much different, so if you have time for only one buffet in Vegas head there instead.

Buffet at Bellagio gets a B and Snacks gets an A- for their excellent BLT.

Bellagio Buffet
Hours: Breakfast Mon - Fri 7AM - 11AM; Lunch Mon - Fri 11AM - 4PM; Dinner 4PM - 10PM; Gourmet dinner Fri & Sat 4PM - 10PM; Champagne brunch Sat & Sun 7AM - 4PM

Snacks (just off the casino floor)
Hours: 9AM - 11PM; Thu 9AM - Midnight; Fri - Sun 9AM - 1AM

*******

Today we had brunch with Nick and Rachel at our favorite burger joint, Stand. I had the toasted marshmallow milkshake, a chicken sandwich and onion rings. So, so damn good! And now I'm officially on a diet, tilting the scales at over 8 pounds heavier than I was before we left for Vegas!

After brunch we went and saw Michael Clayton finally. It was good. I wanted it to be a little more tense and thrilling than it ended up being, but the performances were wonderful, particularly Tilda Swinton who deserves the Oscar this year for Best Supporting Actress. Michael Clayton gets a B+.

Jean Phillipe - Bellagio - Las Vegas

Just past the Bellagio Conservatory and on the right, there is the most incredible Willy Wonka-esque white and dark chocolate fountain that, starting from a high ceiling, spills in glistening streams over several glass levels and draws people into the incredible Jean-Phillipe Patisserie. I'm sort of addicted to this place and can't really tell you what to get in particular, but only that I haven't had anything here that wasn't delicious. The sandwiches are quite tasty, and be sure to get them heated up and to grab a seat along the hallway outside of Jean-Phillipe and to the right along the walls while they're being heated. There are also pretty decent croissants, muffins, cookies and a decadent selection of miniature pastries that include raspberry tarts, chocolate cakes and strawberry cheesecakes. Each one is so beautifully crafted that I almost hate to stick a fork in and start eating them ... almost. This is one of our favorite lunch stops when we stay at Bellagio, and one thing we love to do is to choose several pastries (like the ones above!), head up to the room (don't forget forks or you'll be eating with your fingers; we've done this before...) and sit in front of the window watching the fountains and sipping wine. It makes for a perfect night in Vegas.

Jean-Philippe Patisserie
Located inside Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

Hours: Sun - Thu 7AM - 11PM; Fri - Sat 7AM - 12AM
Phone: 702-693-7111

****

We're back in New York and hosted a brunch for ten this afternoon. Everything turned out great, although I learned a lesson about making buttermilk pancakes for ten: Never make buttermilk pancakes for ten! I should have started earlier and held them hot in the oven at 200F, but I tried to whip out a bunch as everyone was sitting down and I ended up switching to waffles, but the batter wasn't made for waffles and they were a bit tough. Oh well ... everything else was good. Matthew made a wonderful egg casserole with spinach, parmesan and gruyere and I made cranberry coffee cake from the recipe I recently acquired in Savannah. One of the guests even brought Ella a bone; she was so happy!