Hollywire Girls Party Like A Rockstar Weekend: Part 2
Lavo is to The Palazzo as Tao is to the Venetian. For some time now, Tao has been where the young hot Hollywood stars go to party. For a while, it seemed like Paris Hilton's second home. Now, Lavo has come onto the Las Vegas club scene with as much star power as its sister club.
We walked in and everything from the floor, ceiling and tableware evoked a sense of dramatic grandeur. We were even treated to a little show before dinner: there's nothing like two practically naked women bathing each other in a giant stone tub while you're drinking cocktails at the bar. I wasn't kidding when I said this place is all about drama.
Lavo features upscale modern Mediterranean cuisine. We started off with the trio of hummus, tzatziki, and babbaganoush. It comes with a bowl full of the most delicious deep fried pita bread known to man. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. No, I'm not.
Next up, the lobster pizzette--crispy thin crust pizza dough topped with mozzarella and lightly buttered lobster. It might sound odd to have lobster on top of pizza, but the flavor combination went so well together--it was surprisingly perfect! I used to say you could put bacon on top of anything, maybe now I'll say lobster!
Hollywire's rating of the lobster pizzette: Pinnacle of Culinary Zen (okay, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but man that pizette was freakin' immaculate!)
By the time our main courses arrived, we were already in foodie heaven. The wagyu beef steak & Chiliean sea bass with ginger put us over the top. Not to mention, we were seated suspiciously close to the notorious stone bathtub so our view during dinner was quite interesting too. I can't prove it, but I'm sure someone probably slipped the hostess a twenty...
Anyway, after dinner, it was time to rub elbows with celebrities at the already raging party going on at the club above us. It just so happens that both Katy Perry and Jessica Hart decided to spend Valentine's day with a few hundred of their closest friends at Lavo.
Katy had performed a gig earlier that night at Hard Rock's Wasted Space but apparently decided to ditch Benji Madden (former Paris Hilton boytoy) to party at Lavo. Cocktails, dancing and and general partying ensued til the wee hours of the morning. Thank God for cabs and only needing to be conscious enough to know which hotel you're at.
Sunday was relax and recover time. No better place to do that than reservations at not one, but two spas.
First up: Canyon Ranch Spa located inside the Venetian. It's sort of a little adventure trying to find the entrance to the spa (hint: you need to take an elevator in a obscure hallway inside the Canal Shoppes). However, once you're inside, get ready to be transported to a land of total relaxation.
When you think spa, you probably think of jacuzzis and saunas, but Canyon Ranch also has "The Igloo Room"--a room kept at a chilly temperature with 3 aroma choices you can mist inside. Yeah, doesn't sound so relaxing, but the cold water, subtle scents, accompanied with brief light show combine to create a truly special sensory experience. (Warning: don't go inside unless you need to cool off or need a little pick me up.)
Also, don't miss the heated lounge chairs surrounding the jacuzzi area. Bring a book, lie back in your comfy robe and lounge the day away. These chairs are the perfect temperature.
Alas, we had to leave the spa. A girl's gotta eat! So, we stopped off at Enoteca San Marco (Mario Batali's casual dining restaurant). The restaurant offers an array of appetizers, meats, cheeses, & wines. The restaurant is located in the center of St. Mark's Square--the perfect spot to just sip wine and people watch for hours.
[caption id="attachment_22717" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sausage and Peppers Pizza"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_22716" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Tomato Buccatini"]
[/caption]After a leisurely lunch, it was time to hit up the next spa on our agenda: Spa at Mirage. (I know... my life is SO hard--it's hard work spa'ing the day away....ahhh...).
The Spa at Mirage repeats the sleek modern design of the rest of the hotel. Lots of cool Asian decor to it's dark, moody ambiance. You really feel transported to a world of relaxation even before you get to the dressing room.
The Spa gives personalized attention to each guest: like I had a refreshing cranberry-pineapple mocktail waiting for me on a small silver tray as I came out of the dressing room--delish! They also provided cucumber slices and icy cold towels to enjoy as cold counterpoints to the multiple warm jacuzzis, eucalyptus steam room & sauna.
Don't miss out on their aromatherapy massage--rosemary...mmmm...rose water spray misted over me...ahhhhh. I was so relaxed at the end it took me a minute to "come to" before I realized it was time to go.
No Vegas trip is complete without a four star dining experience. Next, we headed off to Prime at the Bellagio. The restaurant is well known for their perfectly prepared steaks. Even the Top Chef judges would say the fois gras and beef carpaccio were excellent. We got a little Top Chefy and started nitpicking at the quality of our side dishes and realized just how jaded we had become near the end of our Vegas extravaganza.
While not entirely satisfied with the sides, the medium rare filets served with a variety of sauces were INSANE. So tender, so perfect, so, yep, you guessed it: DEVINE.
Someone told us that they both chargrill the meat and bake it in an oven to get that perfect tenderness. Whatever they do, it works. Amazingly. Oh, & the ginger miso sauce is to die for!
Stuffed from dinner, it was time to schlep back to the room to get some rest and prepare for the trip back to L.A. But, not without stopping off at Revolution one more time to have a drink & play with the interactive light talbes again (see Part 1 if you don't know what I'm talking about).
It was a specular weekend! We received rock star treatment wherever we went, but that's what makes Vegas so awesome. It offers all the glitz, glamour, luxury and star power of LA, but in a town where everyone can get a taste of the celebrity life.
Read Part 1 of our adventures.
