We got back from Vegas Sunday afternoon and it has pretty much taken me all week to recover! I’m usually in bed by 10 every night and the earliest we went to bed in Vegas was 1 am and the latest was 4:30 in the morning. And that is why after 3 days, I’m ready to go home. One of my favorite parts of traveling is the food, obviously, so today I’m sharing some of our favorite eats from our trip. We hit some of our favorites and tried some new places to add to the rotation.
Holsteins Buns and Shakes
Holsteins Buns and Shakes is one of our favorite stops on our trips to Vegas. Some of the girls and I were at The Cosmopolitan picking up our dresses from Rent the Runway and we were hungry so we decided to swing by for lunch. I ordered the only thing I have ever ordered there, the Nom Nom Burger. It’s loaded with cheddar cheese, potato chips and homemade 1000 island dressing. I’m pretty sure it was created just for me. The kobe beef is juicy, the chips are crunchy and it’s slathered in sauce. Perfect.
I didn’t get a boozy shake this time around but when Joel and I go together we always share the Coffee & Donuts shake. Coffee ice cream, cake donuts, malt, Kahlua and chocolate covered espresso beans are blended into boozy perfection. I’m a sucker for ice cream. Also, The Fat Boy is pretty much the shake of my dreams. How have I not tried that? It’s on the list for next year.
Secret Pizza
We had several people suggest that we give Secret Pizza a try so we knew it must be good. It’s tucked away at the end of a hallway in the Cosmopolitan and isn’t advertised so you have to know about it. The little shop offers assorted slices and pies to choose from along with beer and sodas.
I’m a sucker for cheese pizza so when I saw their white pizza with dollops of ricotta and loads of mozzarella I stopped looking. You can add toppings of your choice but I went with the classic version. The crust was thin and it had just the right amount of cheese. Joel opted for sausage which was good as well but the white pizza was hands down better.
Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar
On Friday, several of the wives and girlfriends (20 to be exact!) got together to grab brunch. Our original plan was Hash House A Go Go but the wait was an hour and a half so we had to figure out another place since we didn’t want to get to that hangry stage. We settled on Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar in The Linq for a little brunch Mexican style. We only had to wait 20 minutes and we had one of the best waitresses ever (shout out to Christina). You could tell she had a ton of experience with large groups and was just so fun! About half of the group was drinking, it is Vegas after all, so every time she walked by our table she would yell 1-2-3 and we had to yell “don’t stop drinking.”
It was a pretty great way to start our day. I ordered the breakfast burrito which was loaded with rice, pinto beans, chorizo, eggs and cheese with salsa on the side. It wasn’t outstanding but it did the trick and was still tasty. The chips and salsa though, OMG so good. You have to pay extra but it’s totally worth it in my chip addicted mind. I didn’t order a drink but the other ladies seemed to enjoy their choices.
Pink’s Hot Dogs
This is one of the few hot dogs I have each year. I’ve never been a big fan of hot dogs but I totally love this place. They have some creative and crazy hot dog combinations but I always opt for the classic chili cheese dog. They top it with the perfect hot dog chili, sliced American cheese, mustard and raw onion (I skip on the onion). And you must get the beer battered onion rings. It’s a huge serving so make sure you bring a friend to help you devour them. I don’t know how I didn’t snap a photo, failure.
Carlo’s Bakery
On Thursday morning I walked down to Fashion Show to do some shopping and on my way back I noticed a sign advertising Carlo’s Bakery. I didn’t know there was a Vegas location and I immediately made a bee line detour to find it. Located in the Venetian across from his restaurant Buddy V’s, Carlo’s Bakery is a tiny, charming shop filled to the brim with cupcakes, cream puffs, cheesecakes, cookies and more. It was seriously so hard to not get one of everything.
And I’m still slightly devastated I skipped out on one of these sprinkle cookies. Seriously, what was I thinking?
My aunt lives in New Jersey and recommended the caramel cupcake so I grabbed one of those for Joel as well as a coffee cream puff since he likes both of those flavors. I chose to go with a chocolate peanut butter cupcake (hello favorite combination ever) and a classic cream puff. The cupcake was incredibly moist and that peanut butter frosting!?! You guys know I’m not a huge sweets person and I usually like about half the amount of frosting most bakeries use but I could have eaten it with a spoon.
And how adorable is the packaging? Presentation is everything people.
Brunch at Paris Hotel
Yet another must stop restaurant for us on our Vegas adventures, Paris Brunch totally hits the spot and we plan our outings around making sure we have a chance to get there. When it comes to breakfast, I’m a fan of all things savory and Joel always reaches for sweet so it’s the perfect option for us. He loves the crepe station and I roll with the eggs, truffle mac-n-cheese and prime rib. This year we went with our wonderful friends Jordan and Molly who were the ones who recommended we try it on our first trip. They have an amazing selection of desserts and I always reach for a macaron. They make me feel fancy, oh and they are delicious. Another fail on the photos, womp womp.
Brand Lounge
For our last meal, we opted to go fancy (which is so not us) and try Brand Lounge in the Monte Carlo before we headed to see Blue Man Group. Joel ordered the filet and I opted for the dry aged New York strip. We also ordered the gouda mac-n-cheese (our waiter said it was the best in the city) and a loaded baked potato (since you can’t have steak without a potato in my book). The steak was seriously the best I have ever eaten. And I ate that whole damn thing.
The macaroni and cheese was tasty but not blow your mind good. The potato was stuffed with cheese, butter, bacon and sour cream with a crispy, salty skin so it was just perfect.
Joel ordered a cocktail which was a cherry and mint infused dream. It’s not on the online menu and I don’t remember what it was called but it was strong and delicious. It was the perfect way to end our trip.
