It is a surprise to no one that when the Leonetti Family has something to celebrate they head to Vegas to do it in style! This trip was absolutely no different. We headed to Vegas to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday and we celebrated the best way we know how, dressing up, lots of great food, lots of yummy cocktails and wishing for bonuses at the slot machines. We tried new restaurants, visited some of our favorite spots and ate a dessert that was set on fire tableside!
Vegas Leonetti Style is not for the faint of heart and definitely not easy on the wallet but it is always an adventure and something we all enjoy very much. Tamy and I broke away from the rest of the family for dinner at Chica at the Venetian. We picked this restaurant based on the flaming skull dessert pictured above but we sure weren't sorry with this choice. The food was delicious, we started with a basked of Arepas, and enjoyed ribs, cauliflower, truffle fries and one of the best chocolate desserts I've ever had - not just an experience but so delicious! We walked over to the Venetian from the Encore and stopped for a drink at the Dorsey and visited a couple of fun photo spots!
We were in town celebrating my mom and her birthday but Tamy made sure my birthday was celebrated too and that meant another meal at another new restaurant Amalfi by Bobby Flay. I have been dying to try this place since I heard it opened and it by far exceeded expectation.
I got to pick out the exact fish I ate for dinner, we chatted with the Fish Monger, we had the most delicious potatoes and polenta and the most exceptional Budino I've ever had, I'm pretty sure Tamy agreed because she ate a fair amount of it!
There was honestly no end to the delicious food we ate! The entire meal at Cipriani was beyond incredible, particularly their homemade gelato, fantastically creamy burrata and mushroom tagliatelle! I got to have escargot at Thomas Keller's Bouchon, the meatballs and polenta fries I dream about at Sinatra and my favorite cocktail the Cucumber Cooler at the Encore Lobby Bar!
We celebrated my mom's birthday at Delilah. It was so fun to get super dressed up and head to this modern day supper club. We have very few photos from this experience because the restaurant asks that there be no photos or posting from inside the restaurant. Now part of that is a bummer because this food was so delicious, and the dining room is gorgeous, there was amazing entertainment and just a beautiful place to celebrate. But as hard as it was at first not taking photos and posting during the meal meant really being in the moment, enjoying the singer, enjoying the food, talking to the family.
This was the first time Tamy and I had been back to Vegas since August 2019 and we weren't sure how things would be in the midst of this pandemic but we had a wonderful time and one of our best trips to Vegas. The Wynn and Encore keep everything beautiful and clean, masks were enforced, the service was as wonderful as always and it was just what we needed, a chance to be normal during a time when things just aren't always all that normal. They always say you can't go home again but every time I step foot in Las Vegas I definitely feel that I've made it back home. Do you have a place that you love to travel to? Have you been since the pandemic began?
Here are a few tips for finding adventure even in a place you've been to a million times:
Try new places! We have so many favorite restaurants in Vegas but there are so many more to try - don't be afraid to try them you might miss out on a new favorite if you don't.
Also stop for a photo! There were a ton of photo spots, photo walls, interesting things to take pictures in front of and no matter where we were going I made it a point to stop and take pictures.
Don't over plan! When you over plan a trip you leave little room to find something new. We made sure to take walks up the strip and stop for new experiences and I think part of the magic of this trip was stumbling onto something new and fun!
I hope you find adventure wherever you head to next! Share your experiences in the comments below or find me on Instagram!