Las Vegas Nightlife

Mix Lounge

    When climbing 64 floors in a glass elevator, the view just seemed to get better and better the higher it rose. No matter what you’ve heard, this is the city that never sleeps and the Mix Lounge, has one of the most extravagant views in the land of neon lights. See the strip at every angle, in every room, while enjoying unbelievable cocktails and appetizers.  I watched from my seat as the view morphed from Vegas during the day to a magical cascade of lights after an unbelievable sunset. The appetizers delighted my palette, and our desserts were to die for. After cocktails, we ventured around the lounge to a black hallway, which led to restrooms like I have never seen before. The private stalls have floor to ceiling windows facing the famous pool area of Mandalay Bay and just to make sure you don’t miss a moment of that view, the thrones are in the center of the room facing those windows.  The experience of  Mix Lounge is extravagant, trendy, and fun. Whether going for a pre-dinner drink, to enjoy the view, or to dance the night away, when the sophisticated lounge turns into a record-spinning club, the Mix stands out like a bright shining star amongst the wide array of lounges and clubs in Vegas.   

Mix Lounge    702.632.7777

Forty Deuce

 Through the clinking and clanking of the slot machines and just past the screams of the craps tables a little club called Forty Deuce awaits to transport patrons back to the twenties for a delicious night of burlesque. This is by far one of my favorite clubs.   The dark room is filled with seating for those wanting to relax and view the shows that occur throughout the night. There’s a small stage stretched along the wall, with a pearl curtain above the stage. In what looks like a sunken orchestra pit is a full bar that doubles as a place to hold drinks in between dances, and for performers to interact with the audience.  The dancers took my breath away; their acrobatic moves are performed in a sexy and sensual style. They are true professionals and show a skill level like no other. Forty Deuce is located in Mandalay Bay and is a must see when coming to Las Vegas. It’s fun, sophisticated and committed to breathing new life into this old style of entertainment.  It feels like entering a new world without ever leaving your hotel.

Forty Deuce       www.fortydeuce.com    702.632.9442

Aureole

With a wine tower stretching 42 feet from floor to ceiling, there is no better reason to visit Aureole besides pairing amazing food with all that wine. “Wine Angels” soar up and down to fetch one of the 10,000 bottles of wine stored in the tower and a sommelier brings it to your table. The wine list here is so extensive, they use a hand held touch-screen computer to browse the list by name, type, and region. So if the “Wine Angels” don’t give you enough of that futuristic vibe, the wine list surely will.     We were seated, at a table, past the wine tower and just beyond a wall of water at with a fountain view of swans swimming past us. The dishes were works of art and the staff friendly and knowledgeable. There’s a choice of a prix fix, or tasting menu, and with a chef like Charlie Palmer to create the cuisine, you really won’t go wrong with either. Every course was delicious and delectable. Dessert is one of my favorite courses and I was not disappointed here, it was mouth watering. Anyone interested in wine should come to Aureole, even if it’s just to peek at the wine list, and anyone who loves good food should definitely partake.  

Aureole   www.charliepalmer.com  702.632.7401

R Bar Café

 If seafood is preferred, the R Bar Café is the place to go. This restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere, with a fun edge. Their claim to fame is seafood and raw bar market menu, and the crab cakes are delectable. One of the platters of oysters and shellfish at the next table was towering. The wine list is ample enough to find the perfect pairing whether for lobster, steak or chicken. No matter what the meal, make sure and try the asparagus. As far as dessert goes, the passion fruit soufflé was something to write home about.    

702.632.9300

Burger Bar

 If burgers are your paradise, the Burger Bar is the place for you. Every type of burger you can imagine, and even those you can’t, are at this restaurant. The place is filled with selections to build the burger of your dreams.    The variety of meat choices to make the burger is astounding, everything from a traditional high quality beef burger to lobster, kobe beef, and foie grais. There are  vegetarian selections; chicken, turkey, and fish. Top it all off with black truffles when feeling extravagant. Various types of fries are available and then it’s off to dessert.  Even sweet burgers are on the menu, including chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, and even a creamy cheesecake burger. The Burger Bar is located in Mandalay Place and is the perfect way to enjoy a classic American meal with a high roller twist. 

702.632.9364

La Strada, Palo Alto

It was about a year ago that I visited one of the most magical places I had ever seen. Italy has gorgeous settings and history at every doorstep. My favorite part of Italy, like most, was the food. La Strada doesn’t have the statues or gondola rides, but it does have that magical feeling and amazing food that is hard to find anywhere else.  In the heart of Palo Alto, Chef Donato Scotti and the rest of the staff make you feel welcome in their plush but friendly restaurant. Stemming from Italy himself, many of the dishes are family recipes passed through generations. Everything has a unique and robust taste for even the most sophisticated palette. Anyone who has visited Italy knows that no meal is complete without wine and La Strada has a great wine list. Several of the wines may be bought by the glass. The menu has a very good range, from tasty yet affordable to extraordinary. The servers are very knowledgable, so assistance can be had if one is not too familiar with pairings. For a truly Italian experience, dining at La Strada is the place to go. It had the most delicious Italian food I’ve tasted since being in the actual country itself.

www.lastradapaloalto.com

Cinequest, San Jose

Tired of the same actors with the same plot following all the Hollywood rules? Film festivals are the perfect way to see one of the most collaborative and creative art forms. There is such freedom in make a fantasy world come to life and we often don’t get to see these little worlds, until the festival season comes along. Cinequest is a film festival in San Jose that celebrates this art form and creates innovative ways to meld in the technology from Silicon Valley straight to the festival. Cinequest is growing, and rapidly becoming one of the more well-known film festivals in the United States. I was able to view movies that had not yet made the release date to the big screen and innovative and quirky films screaming to be seen or discovered. Film is the main part of the festivals, but it’s also a good excuse for nightly parties where one can mingle with the filmmakers and honor independent artists in the industry like one of last year’s honorees, William H. Macy. Cinequest also has panels and workshops, in between screenings, for those interested in making some movie magic of their own.  The great thing about Cinequest, you don’t have to wait for the annual film festival to see great movies. The organization has year round events and is now distributing some of the popular films seen at their previous festivals on their webiste.  

www.cinequest.org

Seven Deadly Zins, Lodi

For those of us who think wine tastes so good it must be a sin to drink, there's the "Seven Deadly Zins". This "zinful" blend combines seven Old Vine Zinfindels to create a lustful taste. The very vibrant, sweetly balanced wine would make any winemaker proud, and anyone without glass in hand, envious.  The slight hint of berry and chocolate would make a perfect pairing with almost anything thrown on a grill and for the gluttenous out there you can get greedy and have more with dessert. Don't let sloth take hold, go to www.lodivineyards.com to explore deeper into this adventurous wine. It may be a “zin”, but it's one of the better ones I've come across.

Bay to Breakers, San Francisco

San Francisco has many unique adventures in which to partake, but this is one of the craziest and fun festivals around. People fly in from all over the world to participate in Bay to Breakers, and after my second year, I've noticed there are three types of participants; Those who are there purely for the race, a select group there for the race and also to dress up and have fun at the same time, and then, the category of people, like myself, the ones in some type of crazy costume sipping something extra in their coffee after waking up at the crack of dawn.  The fun lovers, in the last group barely cross the start line as the first runner crosses the finish. Every group works hard to get up the Hayes Street Hill (especially the large floats on wheels) and everyone has an immense amount of fun. For those who actually make it to the finish line before it shuts down, even the naked guys, are rewarded with a different concert every year and access to a grand festival with food and liquid refreshment.  Some are running while others stroll casually, drinks in hand and a variety of creative costumes and floats, of which at least half are probably too inappropriate to mention in this column. No, it's not Halloween in the Castro, it's Bay to Breakers and all the world should attend. 

www.baytobreakers.com

B.R. Cohn Winery, Sonoma County

Walking into the gorgeous surroundings, right inside the door awaits a great variety of wine and olive oils, but unlike most wineries with serene elevator music in the background, this place was rocking and rolling. When the founder is also the manager of the Doobie Brothers, there is bound to be killer music in store for wine lovers. All rock and roll, all the time is what’s heard in this wine tasting room making a fun and relaxed environment while sipping on some of Glen Ellen’s finest. Their 2004 Carneros Chardonnay was fruitier than most and was fantastic. One of my favorites was the 2003 Syrcab, an amazing blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Their olive oil is just as delicious as their wines. There are many things that make this winery so special, but one of the most exciting is how much they work with charities. Moose, the dog of the house, even has his own wine that benefits charities for pets. The main event at B.R. Cohn, though, is it’s annual charity event which happens every October. It’s coming up on the 20th annual event and yes, the Doobie Brothers are there to entertain in person along with many other musicians. It has become so popular they’ve made it a two day event where bands play amongst the grapevines. They say singing to plants helps, perhaps that’s why their wine is so good because it has a touch of Doobie in every grape.

www.brcohn.com

Supper Club, San Francisco

Fall through the rabbit hole when walking through the black entrance, stroll into the red bar and lounge area until reaching wonderland which is a completely white room where patrons dine in bed. The Supper Club in San Francisco is unlike any venue I’ve ever been to. The menu and entertainment rotate every few weeks or so, and if being served dinner in bed is too strange, one can enjoy  after meal hours in the lush lounge area where drinking in bed is not frowned upon, it’s encouraged.
The white walls in the main dining area are a blank canvas awaiting the colorful performances. The beds are against the walls and covered in white linen,  tables are shaped like a large breakfast tray and amidst it all is a DJ spinning an array of music throughout the experience. Diners are seated in an enormous and comforatable bed with people they’ve only just met before the meal is served, everyone soon cozies up to the notion of a meal in bed. The entertainment between dishes is  like a wimsical dream with vibrant lighting, mood setting music, and all sorts of acrobatics. In between the exotic foods and selection of cocktails masseuses rotate around offering their services, and what better place to get a massage than in bed. Once the meal is over, dancing ensues and it all adds up to a night like no other.

www.supperclub.nl

The Fig Cafe, Glen Ellen

Growing up, I hid my brussel sprouts so I wouldn’t have to eat them and suffered through the meal in order to be able to eat dessert. At The Fig Cafe & Winebar in Glen Ellen, dessert is presented first, the brussel sprouts are to die for, and there is no suffering through the meal. Just outside of the scenic city of Sonoma, the Fig Cafe knows how to please their customers.   Background music is far from that of an elevator and the decor is warm and comforatable. An open kitchen shows off preparation of the divine food. The menu includes everything from those amazing brussel sprouts to the fish dujour, pot roast, or macaroni and cheese with flair. They live up to their name with a wine list that has variety. Diners can enjoy a glass or bottle and even have a wine flight which features several partial glasses of a variety of wines. Diner who just bought a case of wine up the road can bring a bottle to dinner with no corkage fee, which is rare to find in wine country. They haven’t ignored other beverages with a good selection of beers, teas, and sodas, and after all of those drinks barbie and ken greet you at the restroom doors.       The Fig Cafe & Winebar has the perfect blend of class and fun with something for everyone. So break the rules of youth, and venture  out to a place with amazing food, great wine, blissful music, brussel sprouts and never forget the dessert. 

www.thegirlandthefig.com