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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 2015)
CLOSE TO HOME LAS VEGAS: As luck would have it, or, a rice-straw carrying boat Photo by Laurie Anderson It’s a mistake to not look up when walking through The Venetian in Las Vegas. Author David Campiche, right, ponders the ceiling. Story by DAVID CAMPICHE I had never traveled to Las Vegas. It simply wasn’t — I believed — “my kind of place.” Why go to the Paris Las Vegas, I reasoned, and enjoy a half-sized copy of the Eiffel Tow- er when, for not much more money (basically, a difference in air fare), a traveler could enjoy the real thing! The real thing in lovely Paris! There you have it. Our hotel concierge called us “virgins.” Indeed, many of my readers have traveled to this infamous city, and traveled there several times. But my wife, Laurie, and I are in Las Ve- gas. Yes, right now. Call this the luck of the GUDZ$QG KHUH LV P\ ¿UVW LPSUHVVLRQ SHU haps a common interpretation. Vegas is an adult Disneyland perched on stiletto heels. And secondly, Las Vegas represents a per- petual party pleasure playground with lots of superb food and world-class entertainment. And on a prominent billboard, an advertisement that states that a budding marksman can pay to shoot a fully automat- ic MP-5. And all this with free hotel pickup up, only $29. Now, that’s an alternative experience! In Sin City’s attempt to cater to all tastes, I hasten to think that, as a city, Las Vegas is bipolar. Speaking of guns, all the big ones are here. Vegas is the Mec- ca of Emeril Lagase (though he apparently lost his time- share), Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey, Bobby Flay (Bobby Flay Burger Las Vegas — both yummy and cheap), Thomas Keller (Bouchon), and last but not least, the 35-year mainstay Andre Rochat. Plus a riveting ar- ray of lesser-known culinary talent offered to you in every price range and imaginable distinction. We ate an exquisite meal at Sensi. It was a near-perfect palette of French, Italian and Asian fusion, each delicate plate a graceful, ÀRUDO DQG JDVWURQRPLF SUHVHQWDWLRQ ZLWK farm-to-table produce, fresh seafood and beautifully presented organic red meats. And simple things like a ripe Japanese tomato or fresh crisp pea vines, apples or a voluptuous red pomegranate, each enhancing a delicate salad of gathered greens from artisan gardens throughout the West. From the amuse bouche of tuna, cornmeal and miniature greens to the Panacotta dessert, the meal was a celebration of creativity. A brunch at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon was inspiring, and, compared to the tariff at his other famous restaurant, The French Laundry in Napa, a full-meal bargain. Be- fore we lucked into a kitchen tour, there was brunch. We feasted on lovely homemade braided bread with house-made cherry jam, a near-divine tomato soup, and then two en- trées, dinner salads really. Laurie’s was a sim- ple pile of greens with a warm herbed goat cheese and perfect French vinaigrette. I devoured D UDUH ÀDQN VWHDN RQ D EHG RI greens as fresh and verdant as a Northwest spring morning, sun- shine after rain. Hot homemade breads and two cappuccinos ¿QLVKHG WKH VWDQGLQJ RYDWLRQ presentation. We escaped with a few dessert pastries and a bag of cookies the sous-chef gener- ously supplied after the kitchen tour, which again, left us awe- struck. But there is so much more in this city. We devoured two salmon and buckwheat crepes at Jean Philippe Patisserie ($11 each). Later, we split some kind of chocolate mousse fes- tooned in chocolate ribbons and topped with a lime macaroon. There were more choices than days in the month. Need I say more! This treat was housed in the Bellagio, that famous Vegas is an adult Disneyland perched on stiletto heels. dence. On the last visit to the Bellagio, he lost. The hotel covers his tab, as it does for other preferred high rollers. This trip was make-up. “You gotta know when to draw and when to walk.” Didn’t Kenny Rogers say something about this? At the least, the experience was ed- XFDWLQJDQGSOHDVDQW$URXQGXVOLJKWVÀDVKHG machines clanked, and the cacophony of mon- ey exchanging hands rolled on like the roulette wheel. Ka ching! Ka ching! Like birds on a wire. :HGLGWKHDWHUWKH¿UVWQLJKWDWD&LUTXH Photo by Laurie Anderson du Soleil production called “The Beatles, A view of Las Vegas by air at night is a colorful sight, indeed. Love.” And the next day, “The Jersey Boys.” Both were world class. I loved the acrobat- institution dedicated to remarkable taste, ics of the Cirque performers. The color. The from the Dale Chihuly blown-glass ceiling of music, which shaped my generation and the PD\EHSLHFHVRIEORZQJODVVWRÀRUDO world. “The Jersey Boys” contributed great courtyards spangling with tens of thousands storytelling with superb musical talent. There RIFRORUIXOÀRZHUVHDFKGLVSOD\EDFNOLWZLWK must have been a hundred shows that night. In VRIW ÀRRGLQJ OLJKW +DQGVRPH SDVVDJHZD\V this city that never sleeps, it’s always a buyer’s with massive chandeliers were graced with market. every imaginable restaurant and designer bou- One may simply people-watch on the tique. We couldn’t buy much but enjoyed the Strip. The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard) rolls window displays. Everything seemed opulent, on for miles. What can one say about the sheer even the casino. decadence and salacious behavior of this Did I fail to mention gambling? Las Ve- urban peep show? The only street in Ameri- gas is fueled by gambling, over 6 billion big ca that might trump such excess is Bourbon ones a year. When asked, only 5 percent of the Street in New Orleans, but other than Mardi tourists claim to come to Sin City for the slots Gras, I doubt you will ever see more skin than and cards. But leaving Vegas, 87 percent have here. Of course it was nearly 100 degrees in been lured into this cauldron of temptation. early spring. I am not a gambler. My wife is not a gam- In the 17th century, a Japanese zen master bler. Two friends deposited $20 into my wallet DQGSRHWQDPHG5\RNDQVFULEHGLQ¿QHFDOOLJ and insisted we use the cash as ante. We broke raphy this haiku: even at the slots and later won about $100 at Pushing a pole blackjack. We were plied with a couple of free a rice-straw carrying boat drinks. I chose a Manhattan. toward the silver moon The second night we stumbled upon a pro- We did something like that in Las Ve- fessional gambler from Montana named Jef- gas. We drifted on the Boat of Life. The city fery Flatness. He was playing $5 slots. That’s OXUHGXVLQOLNHVDFUL¿FLDOVDUGLQHVLQWRWKH $5 a pull. He explained his commitment, waiting mouths of a hungry Chinook salm- which, by my economic standards, was huge. on. I believe we were motivated by fun and That trip he won $18,000 and change. He was perhaps by a sleight of hand tribute to hu- D GHFHQW FRUGLDO PDQ ZLWK ORDGV RI FRQ¿ man hedonism. Isn’t that Las Vegas? April 23, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 27