Kaleb's Birthday Weekend in Vegas, Day 1 - April 20, 2012

To celebrate Kaleb's birthday, we decided to meet up in Las Vegas.  Over the course of the previous weeks, I revealed a few details here and there about what we would be doing, but I kept a few surprises up my sleeve.

Friday afternoon, Kaleb landed early on an uneventful flight into Las Vegas, but I barely made it in time for "A" boarding on my Southwest flight due to unusually bad traffic on Interstate 5 north. (fortunately I had left work earlier than planned to make up for the delay)  I later found out that the Yolo causeway on I-80 was shut down earlier that morning with traffic diverted to I-5, due to a carjacker who was shooting at police in pursuit, crashed his vehicle in the median, and fled into the surrounding area.  By the time I was on the road, I-80 had reopened, but there remained some lingering back-up on I-5.  I also learned my friend Sandy barely missed the shootout on the highway by a few minutes, thanks to leaving the house a bit later than planned!

We hopped onto the rental car shuttle bus, located across the street outside baggage claim.  I rented a car through my company's leisure program with Hertz, and with Hertz #1 Club Gold membership, we just walked straight to the car, no need to stop by the counter.  (BTW, Club Gold membership is free until June 30 if you sign up directly with Hertz, else if you miss this opportunity, just google "hertz free club gold" and you'll find other ways)  I had gotten an email from Hertz an hour before that contained information on what car I was getting and the stall number it was parked in, which was nice to know.  I had opted for this notification in my Hertz online profile.  The Nissan Sentra that was assigned to me was relatively new (2500 miles on it) and even had an iPod connector to hook up to the radio.  There was no paperwork inside the car or hanging on the rear-view mirror, just keys.  I drove up to the exit booth, where the agent only needed to see my ID, and we were on our way.

We headed to the Four Seasons Las Vegas, our home for the next two nights.  I booked the stay through DavidO, a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, in order to get the Preferred Partner perks for this property, which included:

• Daily breakfast credit of $72, not including taxes or gratuity
• Spa credit of $100 per stay
• A complimentary upgrade to next room category

Since the Four Seasons has to compete with other properties in Vegas such as Wynn and Bellagio, this is probably the least expensive way to experience a Four Seasons hotel, plus if you book through agents like DavidO, you get the Preferred Partner benefits as well.  (it also didn't hurt that I had gift cards from redeeming free Membership Rewards points that I received by signing up for the American Express Premier Gold Card)  Another benefit is that since the hotel is located on floors 35-39 of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, you also get access to their pools and beach area, including the wave pool and lazy river!  I like this hotel because you don't have to walk through a casino or smoke to get to the elevators.  It's like an oasis away from the Vegas scene.  There wasn't a line at the front desk, and we were checked in promptly.  There was a bowl full of red and green apples for guests to enjoy, plus we were offered bottled water.  The agent also asked if we needed directions to the elevator, as she remarked that we had not stayed at the hotel in almost 2 years...they actually retained a record of our visit when Mandalay Bay ran out of rooms during our $175 weekend trip to Vegas!  That time, we didn't get a chance to fully appreciate the property as we only had the room for one night (or rather, 8 hours).

On the way up the elevator to our room, amongst the crowd, there was a guy who bragged about the Presidental Suite that he had all to himself, including a baby grand piano, and he invited everyone to come see it.  Kaleb and I thought he was talking to his work buddies in the elevator, but as he got off on the 38th floor, no one else followed, and as the rest of us continued on to the 39th floor, everyone remarked that they all thought that the others knew him, but no one did!  If he had gotten off on our floor, I might have taken him up on his offer.

I booked the cheapest room category (standard) and we had been upgraded to a superior room, which wasn't much different except for the size of the windows.  Our view was of the back of the resort, so no Strip view, but you could see the pool area below.  The amenities were the same as our stay before, with L'Occitane toiletries, plush slippers and robes, as well as Keurig coffee and tea service.

we think the red lounge area is the "topless" pool but we didn't have binoculars

Same decor as last time, but I read that renovations are forthcoming

resort fee includes coffee/tea service, but we never used it

this is opposite of most hotels, where you put the card down to change the sheets

Next order of the day was to get dressed and head over to the MGM Grand for dinner at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.  This is a more casual eatery than its pricier, formal "big brother" next door, Joel Robuchon Restaurant, where the girls and I had experienced during Karen's 40th birthday celebration.  I made reservations through the MGM website.  An email was sent by the restaurant a few days before, which required responding to confirm my reservation.

The Yelp reviews for L'Atelier were generally good, but originally, I had wanted to go to the #1 rated Las Vegas Strip restaurant on Yelp, which was "e" by Jose Andres, located in the Cosmopolitan Hotel inside Jaleo restaurant.  It's not even advertised on the Cosmopolitan's restaurant list.  It is very hard to get a reservation, and if you got in, it would be a ginormous chunk of change out of your pocket, but as a major foodie, I was very intrigued and gave it a shot by following the directions as posted in a couple of Yelp reviews.  I think either I missed the timing of my email request or the 8 seats for both dining times were already taken by high rollers or private events, as I received a negative from the restaurant hostess, and was put on a waiting list, never getting a call back.  Another time perhaps! 

We decided to head to dinner on foot, taking the express tram from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur and walking through New York New York, crossing the pedestrian bridge to the MGM Grand.  This took about 20 minutes. Upon arrival for our 6pm reservation, we were seated promptly at the choicest section at the edge of the bar so we only had one neighbor next to us (that seat remained empty until close to the end of our meal).  The bar surrounded the open kitchen where you could watch food being prepared by many chefs and assistants.  There were multiple wait staff who served us the 9-course meal that we ordered, and each of them provided great service including explaining each of the dishes as they came.  We really liked the food, and lots of "mmm"s came out of our mouths.  At the end of the meal, Kaleb was presented with a birthday dessert consisting of five slices of tarts and pies with "Happy Birthday" written with an elegant hand!  Even though we were served 9 courses plus an extra dessert, we weren't so distressingly full like the way we were at Distrito a few weekends ago, which was a good thing.  What a great way to start the birthday weekend!

open kitchen

not a self portrait!

dangerously delicious fresh bread and softened butter

our 9-course meal

very yummy amuse-bouche and I liked the texture of the foam on my tongue

this vegetable dish was all right, the textures were fun

these little oysters were super rich and super delectable; I liked the lemon presentation

langoustines the size of small lobsters

anything with quail egg on top wins my vote

this seabass was delicate, with a wonderful sauce

the other entree choice was veal, but who can resist foie-gras stuffed quail and heavenly mashed potatoes?

this panna cotta was so good, and I really enjoyed the sensation of the sugar piece melting on my tongue

the chocolate cake squares paired with berry made a wonderful dessert

a latte for me (with raspberry truffle)

cappuccino for Kaleb

they surprised us with a special dessert for Kaleb, each item so good

Dinner took about 2.5 hours from start to finish.  We headed back to our hotel the same way we came.  Our room was turned down for the evening, with the television showing a nature slideshow channel with soothing music.  The housekeeper read the note that I had written before we left for dinner, to provide us with large-sized slippers (as the room was stocked with medium-sized, way too small for Kaleb).  She also noticed that we had a few books stacked on the desk and left a bookmark to use, which was a nice touch.

The bed was very comfortable (more so than the bed in Hualalai), with nice clean and crisp sheets and plush down comforter and pillows.  The shower had good water pressure. 

I was looking forward to Saturday, as I had a few surprises planned for Kaleb!

Weekends of March 24 and 31, 2012: Visiting SoCal and Scottsdale AZ

Sorry for the long hiatus (6 weeks is a wide gap for this blog!), but as we didn't go on a trip for President's Day weekend (Kaleb came to visit me and we didn't do anything spectacular), there was nothing to report on until my weekend outings at the end of March.

My nephew Brandon's belated 1st birthday party was held on Saturday, March 24, and I wasn't planning to attend, as airfare prices were sky high when I got the invitation for the party less than 21 days in advance. Fortunately some time later, Southwest Airlines sent an email advertising a fare sale, which prompted me to check prices again. I was able to secure a sale fare on a Saturday early morning flight out to Ontario CA, despite the fine print stating that eligible flights were only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, go figure. I also luckily made it within the 10-day advance purchase requirement. The return fares were not mistakenly marked down, so I found something reasonable on JetBlue, which departed out of Long Beach Airport. The two airports were similar in distance from my brother Allen's house, so it all worked out. The moral of the story is to check to see if your desired flight is on sale, even though the advertising says otherwise, because you never know if a programming "glitch" happens and your flights get marked down as well. Also the chance that you may be able to save money by purchasing one-way tickets in and out of different airports, if it isn't too inconvenient.

Southwest and JetBlue are both located in Terminal B at SMF, so it was a no-brainer to park on Level 5 in the garage.  It was very early morning, so I had no problems finding a space right near the Terminal B bridge entrance.  Even though I had A-List benefits, I didn't need to take the priority lane at security since there weren't many passengers in line.  I was also able to bypass the "nude-o-scope".  Flying into Ontario was uneventful, though the area was shrouded in fog.  The contrast of the beautiful blue clear sky with the fog swirling around mountain peaks, looking like islands in a restless sea, was very cool. Unfortunately I could not take a picture of it as we were already under the 10000 ft level.

The party was held in a neighborhood park very close to Allen's house and the weather cooperated, with the fog burning off by noon, the official party start time. There were lots of guests, including my parents and my other brother Edmund.  Tons of food to go around. Children of all ages enjoyed the playground structure, playing ball on the grassy field, as well as the screened tent that Allen set up for the kids to relax in. The fun part was watching Brandon eat his 1st birthday cupcake.

mmm frosting

Big sis Alison seemed to enjoy it more :)

The rest of the weekend went smoothly, having dinner at Red Lobster Saturday night, and pho for Sunday lunch.  It was pouring cats and dogs on Sunday afternoon, at one point causing traffic to go 15 mph on Hwy 91 since no one could see where they were going, with the road becoming a river.  I was very glad that the rain had already passed through Long Beach, as the airport was under renovation, and the walkway between the main terminal and the rent-a-trailer gates were not covered, plus you had to walk onto the tarmac to old-fashioned stairs on wheels to board the plane.

JetBlue is cool in the fact that they have free DirecTV at each seat (bring your own headphones or purchase a pair for $2), multiple selections of brand name snacks (Terra Blues are their "official" snack), and they give you the whole can (if you order a drink that comes in a can).  The leg room is comparable to Southwest. (much better than United Airlines regular economy)  I was able to watch 1.5 hours of Food Network while munching on blue potato chips.

The following weekend, I flew to Phoenix to visit Kaleb, but we planned a couple of fun outings on Saturday.  First was the last San Francisco Giants spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium, versus the Cincinnati Reds.  We got lawn tickets (general admission), so we arrived an hour before the game to grab some real estate under the trees as the temperature was in the low 90's.  While looking for parking, we noticed some lots charging $5-$10, but if you drive a block into "Old Town Scottsdale", you can park for free at places like the "Parking Corral", a few blocks' walk to the stadium.  You can also park for free at the public library garage next door to the stadium.

scored a shady spot

yet another self-portrait

Giants in black, on a hot day

Kaleb's friends Leo and Magda (and their young daughter), Frank and Tanya (and their two young sons), plus Frank's friend Ian also came to watch the game.  I probably shouldn't say "watch" as most of game time was spent drinking overpriced cans of Bud Light and Coors Light and shooting the breeze, maybe observing a few pitches here and there.  The Giants didn't do so great that day...scoring only 2 runs to the Reds' 10.  I was afraid the Giants were going to get shut out, then 2 runs came from a homer with a man on base late in the game.  The usual suspects weren't all on the field that day...the only players I recognized on the roster were Buster Posey and Nate Schierholtz.

After the game, we had reservations to eat at Iron Chef Jose Garces' restaurant Distrito.  I made the reservations via OpenTable.  It was located in the Saguaro Hotel in Old Town Scottsdale.  Distrito was decorated in funky multi-colors, all the way from the entrance to inside the restaurant.

To save time deciding what to eat, we went with a tasting menu.  There were two price points, $45 and $55 per person, the difference being the selection of ingredients, ie. chicken tacos versus fish tacos, etc.  We decided to do the $55, along with two glasses of delicious red wine sangria.  Our server explained that the tasting menu consisted of three courses selected by the chef.  I had read on Yelp that there was a ton of food on the tasting menu, so I was a bit disappointed to hear there were "only" three courses, but I was ready to be surprised.  My disappointment disappeared quickly.

colorful skulls greeting you at the entrance

funky kitschy decor

spiced peanuts and water were brought to the table

The first course started with several appetizers:

tortilla chips with chunky guacamole topped with crab meat and cotija cheese, mmm!

Angelica's Fresa salad, very fresh

yellowfin tuna ceviche, so delicious!

Then we were served what I thought were the entrees, so we ate every last bite:

queso fundido with a basket of bite sized flour tortillas

mahi mahi tacos

But more entrees arrived!  Looking at the food made me feel full, but it smelled so good:

costillas - pork spare ribs that were fall-off-the-bone good

carne en adobo - beef brisket that was so tender, you didn't need a knife

smoked chicken that was super juicy, along with slaw and bean sides

We finished the spare ribs, ate half of everything else and had it all wrapped up to take home.  Dessert was to come next, and we were soooooo full!

freshly fried churros with chocolate and cream dipping sauces

panna cotta, even had huckleberries in it

Those churros were the best I have ever eaten in my whole life.  I can't go back to theme park churros or Costco-style.

Our tasting experience was now over. Kaleb and I felt so full, we wanted to throw up. (in a good way!)  The food was perfectly seasoned out of this world and cooked well, the portion sizes ample.  I would definitely recommend Distrito as a place to try if you are out in the Old Town Scottsdale area.  I'd return to this place to have the guacamole, all the ceviches, the spare ribs and brisket, and don't forget the churros, yum.  A nice way to end a Saturday night.

Sunday was uneventful as we relaxed and watched a bunch of "Game of Thrones" episodes.  (Kaleb has read through almost all the books and I just read enough of the first book to watch the show)  Then it was time for me to go home, boo hoo.

As mentioned in the last blog entry, our next trip is to Las Vegas April 20th weekend for Kaleb's birthday, with lots of fun activities and good eats planned.  Stay tuned for that update!  (unless I can get myself to finish a Kauai Time Machine entry that's been sitting in my draft folder for weeks...)