We didn’t gamble at the MGM Grand and I must say, Gambling—-while present—-wasn’t loud or obnoxious. The hotel seemed crowded to me and the restaurants were always full when we walked by. I think this is great news, considering we were there on a Monday and Tuesday!

I had drinks before the Cirque de Soleil Show KA with the handsomest man in the place! Whiskey Sour for him and a (non-Russian-Standard) vodka tonic for me. We had the drink in Rouge and YES, the woman next to us had her nasty feet up on the chair the whole time. It WAS gross.

Dinner after KA was across the hall at Wolfgang Puck. Again, we made a reservation and were seated immediately. Pizza for me and spaghetti for Dan. And Diet Coke. THANK GOODNESS the MGMGrand is a  Coke Hotel! My pizza was out of this world delicious. Tomatoes were perfect.

We ate twice at the Studio Cafe, once for a late lunch of scrambled eggs and the next day for breakfast. No reservation needed either time and service was quick and pleasant. These Pancakes Were To Die For. And the FRUIT! Best Breakfast EVer. (sorry dad…it beats your oatmeal!)

All in All, our MGMGrand experience was pleasant and easy and I’d stay there again.
I loved our simple room with it’s modern glass doors and king sized bed. The sheets were amazing! The room was JUST like the photo on the website, except we didn’t get a robe.
There aren’t many TV channels and movies were 11.99. There was a DVD player in our room, but it didn’t work. I had brought a stack of DVD’s in the airplane, so I actually HAD some to watch. The shower was excellent and large. It did leak a bit on the floor.
We had no upgrades, no deals, nor were any offered. I think those days are long gone.

Next up…..the trip in the plane!

Our trip to Lost Wages had two goals….
Attend KA and eat at one of the MGM Grand’s restaurants.
I chose CRAFTSTEAK.

I love that the menu and winelist is online. I was shocked to see a HUNDRED page winelist, including scotch, whiskey and vodkas. (my favorite Russian Standard was absent from the list!) I pre-selected a Sangiovese wine to order.

But first, the restaurant.
I
LOVED
IT.

It was just too dim for me to take any good photos of the place. But—oh—the concrete floor and iron fixtures and hanging bulb chandeliers and warm toned banquets and wood tables with smart leather chairs. OH, it was so beautiful.

First out was the rolls. Warm, soft-like-a-pillow rolls. Served with a Slab-O-Butter. Topped with a salty cheesy something topping.

We ordered from the menu instead of choosing a chef’s meal.
Salads arrived quickly….and I wanted to try several. The waiter raised his eyebrow when we ordered three, but they were worth it.
Beet Salad, Lobster Bisque and a Caesar Salad.

Main course choices were Steak (for Dan) and Scallops for me. We also each chose a side…grilled corn and garlic potatoes.
The grilled corn had a taste we’ve never had….slightly popcorney! Very good. Potatoes were firm yet perfectly cooked.
I forgot to take a picture of his steak…but it was large, grilled to perfection, LARGE and he ate the whole thing.
The scallops were also large and buttery soft. Fork tender soft and sweet.

I emailed the site to make dinner reservations. It was easy to do and reservations ARE necessary. I also noted that we were celebrating a birthday and when dessert came out, it was accompanied by a candle and greeting in chocolate. So Sweet!
We had rhubarb crisp with Orange Sherbert. I decided to go with the baker’s suggestion of that combo, and it WAS good!
We also ordered a peach sorbet which was out of this world creamy peachy good.
Coffee—-perfect and hot—was served in a coffee press with COLD cream and sugar pieces.

This was a OnceAYear splurge meal for us. I wanted it to be special…because Dan is so special to me.
We had the booth in the back in the corner in the dark.
After a long day of flying, we really enjoyed the ambiance and service and food at CraftSteak.

I took Dan on a Belated Birthday trip to Lost Wages.
NO WAGES were wagered, but we ate our way through the MGMGrand and knocked another one off our Bucket List…seeing KA.
More to come. We’re glad to be home.

Mark Twain once said: (and I agree)

"Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the
things you didn't do, than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."

I'm taking Dan on an adventure today!

.

Well, HE'S flying the airplane.
But I made all the plans!

A Picnik SlideShow I made featuring the Navy SEAL-to-be and his roommate, the Navy PILOT-to-be.