Vegas, Baby!

Welcome to Fabulous Gluten-friendly Las Vegas Nevada, Bellagio Conservatory, Fremont Street Downtown, Sugar Factory

Ahhhhh, Las Vegas. The city where no one sleeps, the lights are always lit, the oxygen is pumped into you in every casino, and a feast of $ 8.95 prime rib buffets await those who dare to indulge. For the gluten-free traveler, Vegas is surprisingly more friendly than I anticipated. This is great news!

Gluten-free Pei Wei Spicy Chicken and Edamame – McCarran Int’l Airport Terminal 1 (C19)

Flying into McCarran International Airport, my first gluten-free lunch spot was at Pei Wei Asian Diner. Although I packed my usual snacks on the plane for the short one-hour flight from Burbank, Ca., I welcomed some warm food that caught my first smile. (My second smile was at my cool pilot who was ordering there as well, and my third was to my mom as she walked down the terminal, just coming off her flight from the mid-west to join me for the weekend.) Pei Wei has five locations in Las Vegas, two of which are in their airport Terminals 1 and 3. Their menu is smaller and only offered three gluten-free items, but they were fabulous. I ordered gfree Edamame and their gfree Pei Wei spicy chicken dish. Yum!

Fremont Street downtown, Radio City Pizza, and the famous Fremont light show

Meeting up with some relatives at Fremont Street, we caught the light show after grabbing some pizza at Radio City Pizza (508 Fremont Street). I read about it online, and we all shared in the pepperoni/onion gluten-free pizzafest… it received thumbs up from the three non-gfree’ers as well, success!

Off to The M Resort Spa Casino for the night – located ten minutes south of the airport and Mandalay Bay. They are a ‘newer’ resort, very clean, very well ventilated, and VERY accommodating. Two weeks prior to arriving I email’d the resort to ask about their gluten-free dining – I was thrilled to receive a prompt reply from their Executive Chef Michael Demers. He made himself extremely available to answer any questions about my dining requirements, and provided access to each of his Chefs for the M Resort Spa Casino restaurants. Fantastic! I now had options to consider before my travels, limiting any last-minute bad decisions desperate hunger sometimes brings on. I’m guessing you know this feeling too.

M Resort Spa Casino – Hotel Room, Anthony’s Creme Brulee (yum!), Casino, Hash House A Go Go Scrambles

Too late to order a full dinner at Anthony’s, I ordered a late night Vanilla Creme Brulee to end the day, and met Chef Matthew Borowski before closing the restaurant. The friendliness and attention of the resort staff and their Chefs was superb. And the dessert that night was delic!

Twisted Farm Food… Hash House A Go Go is not run by M Resort’s Chefs, but they are just as accommodating with their gluten-free customers. Looking at the portion sizes of the humongous pancakes (they fill a dinner plate) and gravy-covered items as I walked to my seat, I was curious to hear many of their selections were, in fact, gluten-free (including gravy). Opa! Our waitress, Cherish, was so helpful in ordering, she provided a printout of the available items to me…. any of the 7 Hash House Hashes or 8 Scrambles (without the toast or biscuit, substitute grilled chicken in the meatloaf) are gluten-free, and a must try! As touted on their website, it is a “one-of-a-kind eating experience, as seen on Extra, The Martha Stewart Show, The Rachel Ray Show and Travel Channel.” I ordered the ham, spinach & cheddar farm scrambles served with griddled mash – next time I will go for a gravy covered hash plate – yum! Consider sharing a plate with your friend as the serving sizes are impressive!

I would happily have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner at the M Resort, however Vegas was calling me and my transportation was limited… so much to see and do in so little time. I did speak with Michael Demers who again was very approachable and gluten-free considerate, to thank him for all this great information. I’m sharing it with you here for your perusal when you visit. The lists are not complete, they provided information on items I specifically asked about. Let your server know you are ordering gluten-free and ask how they can accommodate your dining experience. Check out their websites, the photos of the food and the ambiance are amazing http://www.themresort.com/dining/dining.html.

Marinelli’s Restaurant (gluten-free items)

• Caesar Salad and Baby Mixed Greens Salad (without croutons)
• Spaghetti Bolognese sauce, and gluten free penne pasta is available
• Pacific Salmon and Chilean Seabass (without the basil crust)
• Pork Tenderloin and Beef Filet (without the prosciutto crust)
• Grilled asparagus

Burgers and Brews (gluten-free items)

• Cobb Salad (ask about the ranch dressing)
• Imperial Burger (without the braised shortribs)
• All the burgers are gluten-free sans a few items (ask your server)
• Gluten-free hamburger buns are available
• Parmesan fries are fried in oil shared with gluten products, however with notice they can assure fresh fryer oil

Anthony’s (gluten-free items)

• Ask your server to prepare any dish you desire gluten free (example: instead of a peppercorn sauce with contains a small portion of flour they will prepare a wine reduction, butter sauce or a beautiful citrus vinaigrette).
• Vanilla Creme Brulee

Mon Ami Gabi – Outside/Inside Patio Dining, Gluten-Free Bread with Cream Butter & Gabi Olives, and Salmon & Leek Quinoa with Citron Butter

After a morning of walking and window shopping, we enjoyed a very casually paced lunch on the covered patio at Mon Ami Gabi (A Classic French Bistro) at Paris Hotel. This is one of my ‘usual’ Vegas dining spots as they greet you with your own plate of warm, toasted gluten-free bread, with sweet cream butter and an amuse of Gabi’s olives with roasted garlic, orange and herbs (of course after you advise them you are ordering gluten-free. Everyone else receives a nice, large French baguette to nosh on.) They bring you a gluten-free menu filled with tantalizing options (also available online to download)… so much to try! Appetizers, entrees and desserts are all available.

One of my favorites is the Salmon & Leek Quinoa with Citron Butter. Simply beautiful. I’ve also tried their Braised Beef Shortribs, their Onion Soup Au Gratin and their Strawberries Briand. A must on your next visit!

Chocolate By The Bald Man, Wolfgang Puck’s Pizzaria & Cucina, Earl of Sandwich, Oh My Godard Gallery

Speaking of next visits… our stroll in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace led us directly into the welcoming store of Max Brenner’s Chocolate By The Bald Man… A Chocolate Love Story. Wow! I am a huge chocolate fan, dark chocolate is my preference but I haven’t turned down a taste or two of milk chocolate either. This place is going to be part of my gluten-free scavenger hunt on my next jaunt to Vegas. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, excellent drink choices such as Choco Classic Martinis, Chocolate Aphrodisiacs and Cocktail Euphoria, a Chocolate Bar selling all sorts of fabulous chocolate pieces (of which I grabbed a few), Ice cream, Chocolate Syringes, Chocolate Fondue, Hot Chocolate served in a Hug Mug, what a sweet menu they have! I’m curious how many gfree items are available.

Following that stroll, it’s always fun to see what Bellagio’s courtyard is showcasing. We found scarecrows, huge fall leaves and wicked twisted trees on this visit – lots of fall photo ops and beautiful foliage everywhere.

The next afternoon before checking into Aria Casino we stopped at Wolfgang Puck’s Pizzaria & Cucina inside The Shops At Crystals. It’s modern in design, enjoys a great view of the shopping center, and the wait staff is top notch with attention, iced tea refills (yay!), and awareness of gluten-free options. Our waiter Roman was outstanding. I ate the Beef Bolognese with gluten-free spaghetti, some of my mom’s veggies from her Chicken Marsala dish, and we topped the afternoon with a delightful Trio of Budino – Butterscotch, Pistachio and Chocolate pudding cups. Yes! Just enough for two people, and great portion sizes. Many items on the menu can be made gluten-free, just let your server know. I’d expect nothing less from a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, and this place didn’t disappoint.

The Shops At Crystals and Aria Resort & Casino Pool Grounds

By evening, after enjoying our comfy hotel room for a quick break and laying out at the pool for about an hour before closing, we popped across the street to Planet Hollywood and the Miracle Mile Shops. We grabbed a Berry, Chicken, Almond Salad and a bag of natural chips at the Earl of Sandwich shop located just inside the doors near Planet Hollywood, just enough to give us stamina to walk through the huge indoor mall. (It didn’t especially look like the pretty photo on the menu, but it was tasty and priced well for what it was.) 170 unique shops at a pace of fast feet, I especially love the Oh My Godard! gallery – such creative, fun ways to look at martini’s and olives. What talent!

Aria Resort & Casino – Hotel Room, Cafe Appetizer of Seasonal Fruit & Cottage Cheese, Hotel Lobby, Grilled Chicken w/ Jack Pepper Cheese & Poblano Chillies

Aria’s Cafe is open 24-hours and is the largest of it’s kind in Las Vegas. It’s floor-to-ceiling windows provide great views from any seat, and the place uses reclaimed stones from the Boardwalk Hotel implosion to decorate the tiers leading to the second floor seating area. Funny memories of the Boardwalk – great friends, silly times. I digress. The food was really tasty and everything came to the table well plated. We started with the Seasonal Fruit & Cottage Cheese, and I enjoyed the Grilled Chicken (sans Ciabatta) with Pepper Jack cheese, roasted Poblano chillies, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and spicy mayonnaise. I brought my own Udi’s bread, made my sandwich at the table, and voila, lunch was served!

My 90-second photo story of sites you might see in your upcoming three day adventure:

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Each Vegas jaunt leaves an impression. I enjoyed all the belly laughs with my mom, the 75*-80* weather that weekend, and the great food and attention from the chefs at the various restaurants we ate at. It proved once again not to be shy about asking for what you need – with the right attitude and giving your business to professional eateries, you will enjoy planning your next trip tout suite. Forgo the struggle of poor planning, and amaze yourself with all the fun you’ll have on your next trip.

And remember, what happens in Vegas…