After a great day of wine tasting, 4 Vineyards today, lunch downtown in Amador City and then a run over to Jackson for the casino,  we finally make it to dinner and we’re going to get our Taste. Taste Restaurant is overwhelmingly the number one choice in Amador County. Every person at every winery tell us we have to go to Taste, and when we do,m we need to order the Mushroom Cigars. After taking a peak at the menu, Nancy is extremely excited about it, and drooling over the idea of finally getting her hands on some crispy-skinned Duck. (And this time when we called for reservations we also confirmed the Duck was in fact being served.)

We head on over to Taste and somehow, on a one lane highway in this small town, we get lost! I guess I was not paying attention and turned one little side street too soon. Cute little small town houses, reflecting the simplicity of life here in Plymouth, population 971. We come to a street that seems to have a couple of shops on it, so I make a right hand turn, go down a block or two and along what I can best describe as a cowboy boardwalk, we find Taste. Looking at the store fronts, I literally feel like I should tie up my horse. This is so reminiscent of what you would see in a country-western movie. We mosey on in and are greeted by the hostess with a huge smile on her face. (Everyone here is just so nice. I love it!) She tells us that the table will be ready in about 10 minutes or so, quite a crowd tonight being Thursday and all. I see a couple of spots at the bar, so we decide to “saddle up to the bar and we'll let the barkeep get our fixins. (That's what cowboys used to say back in the day)

Let's face it, the bar is where the fun is, and in wine country, of course you’re going to have the chance to bump elbows with some interesting folk. We sit down and present our bottles to enjoy the evening with: the sparkly Nancy picked and my red blend, the Knucklehead, both from the Serafina visit earlier today. His first words were, "Oh...I love the Knucklehead," and proceeds to open both, the sparkly to have now, the Knucklehead to air.

Nancy asked what are the favorites that people ordered to start with and he responds with the Mushroom Cigars. Phyllo dough wrapped minced mushroom goodness. We start with the champagne to toast the night and Daniel D'Agostini comes in and sits next to us and we begin chatting. He's kind of a big thing in Shenandoah. His family has been working the lands here for decades, and if you want something to grow in the valley, you call Dan. He informs us that we have to try the the Mushroom Cigars. "You are absolutely going to love it. It’s their best menu item." Everyone loves this starter. Gary returns with glasses for the sparkly wine and we order the entrées. Nancy asked about the Duck, if the skin is crispy? He responds yes, and she’s in heaven. I’m a little torn between steak and seafood tonight. I ask him how many scallops are in the order and he states four. Then Nancy states how much I love steak, but I can't make a decision between the two. And then Nick said something that totally catches me off-guard, something I’ve never heard in a restaurant : “We can split that so you can have a surf-n-turf if you’d like? What? I have had restaurants offer to split an order entrée between the two of us, with scallops between the two of us, But I have never heard a restaurant splitting two separate entrées for one single person to make a new dish. Poof!...That was my mind being blown.

The Mushroom Cigars comes out and it’s a beautiful presentation, two stacks of mushrooms plated it with a mushroom-olive oil puree. One bite and wow! The phyllo dough has such a wonderful light crunch. The mushrooms breakout and play on your tongue with an savory earthly flavor. I can see why everybody in the county points to this place and this dish, and so does Sacramento Magazine, as they select the "Mushroom Cigars" at Taste as the Best Appetizer in the Sacramento region. I only regret is that we order a single order and split them. I have to take a smaller second bite so I can make this last three bites. Just yum!

Mushroom cigars with Knucklehead wine from Serafina, Amador City

Creekstone Farms Filet Mignon and Day Boat Sea Scallops

Grimaud Farms Duck Breast

Happy birthday from the staff at Taste!

The main dishes make their appearance in perfect timing. I still cannot get over the fact that they combined two entrées for a single diner! The steak was perfectly cooked, so tender and juicy, perfect char on it, accompanied by potato and sunchoke terrine and perfectly browned Scallops with that coconut-curry cream! Oh my God, I’m in heaven. I want more! Nancy‘s Duck is just beautiful in it’s presentation. A full boat of Duck sliced and laid out to display its juicy, tender breast, seared to perfection and accompanied by little Cannellini bean cakes and a dreamy mirepoix and blackberries. We have the Knucklehead with dinner and toast to one of the best birthday dinners we've ever had. The staff was so generous, and kindly present us with a happy birthday card signed by the staff. Thank you Gary, chef Mark Berkner and the rest of the kind and sweet staff at Taste! You lived up to your name.

Day 2 starts with breakfast and a beautiful view outside the window of our room. Last nights dinner was still in our minds. The steak was surprisingly good, the Gorgonzola cream sauce was delish! OK, well lets map the day out. How about we have wine in the vineyards, lets' hit Helwig for their view, Cooper for their Barbera, and Andis to pick up some bottles for cousin Michael, and then back to Sutter for lunch? Perfect!

Andis Winery is our first stop, and again, we start the tasting all by ourselves. Lindsey is behind the counter today and gives us a nice rundown of Andis history. And in doing so, tells us how she has worked at a few of the wineries in the area, visits the others to learn more about wines and also has great connections about places to eat. We mentioned we need to eat at some point today, and she points us to Buffalo Chip in Sutter Creek for their great burgers. OK! Wine. Burgers. More wine. Sounds like it’s going to be a great day. And again, Andis has some wonderful wines, the Zins are great, but they work their magic on the Cooper supplied Barbera grapes. Great, Cooper is our next stop, so we're in good company. We grab a Barbera for ourselves, grab two for cousin Michael and drop a couple of bucks in the donation jar to help the Santa Rosa fire effort. We say goodbye and head off to Cooper.

Cooper Vineyards lies at the end of a small private road that runs through Barbera vines and past the old Shenandoah School. This old school was originally built in 1879, almost 140 years ago! The school was built after the main gold rush ended in ‘55, but amazingly, it’s been in use ever since. Oh I’m sure it’s been renovated, added on, modernized and even more, but still pretty awesome to stand with some Gold Rush history.

Cooper Vineyards is one of the main suppliers of Barbera grapes in Amador County. Other vineyards may grow their other varietals on their lands, but for Barbera, everyone comes through Cooper or Ann Kraemer over in Sutter Creek. The scorching hot summers help the grape thin out and retain their sugar, but it’s the rolling hills in the county that allow the right amount of drainage so the vines don’t retain too much water during the wet seasons. At Sonoma wine competitions, Amador County rocks, snagging 11 out of 25 gold medals last year. The next closest appellation to score medals is in fact the next closest appellation, El Dorado County, 20 mins to the east, which garnered four medals.

Cooper is a simple tasting room. An example of what I figured a tasting room in this quiet town would be like. A simple open space for the tasting bar backed by barrels of Barbera and Zinfandel. We step up to the bar, say hi to the couple we met yesterday at Turley, and are greeted by Hank Cooper, son of the vineyard. He gives all kinds of great details of the wine, including the fact that they are actually out of Barbera for tasting. What! Of course they have the reserve Barbera for $20 a glass. Uh, I love Barbera, but this tasting is free and I have 2 more vineyards today, 4 or so tomorrow, so much easier to just buy another bottle and enjoy the Zinfandels and Syrahs on the menu.

Well now it’s lunch time and everyone keeps talking about Buffalo Chips, so we head over for lunch. It’s a 16 minute drive back to Sutter Creek, and on the way, we pass the coolest town name ever, Drytown! Yes, what a cool name. Just imagine the name comes from the fact that agents from the federal government ransacked the place during prohibition and seized and smashed all the alcohol. Awesome...but wrong 🙁 There’s a creek that ran through the town that runs dry in summer. Oh great!

Buffalo Chips is the local malt shop in town, the classic small town Americana that I grew up with. While we were there, the shop was being photographed by a local magazine. I wonder who’s photos came out best? Anyway, this burger was damn good with a gooey American cheese slice and thick cut bacon. The fries must have been cooked up in some Riesling fat or something because they were exceptionally tasty. And I do not little frittes, I’m more of a fat thick fries guy, but I couldn't get enough of these. Probably should have order a second round, but with more wine on the way, I held off.

Lunch was great and we take a walk around town. It’s a small town so it’s an easy walk to cruise the two blocks of storefronts. Knick knacks, candy, ice cream shops make up the lanes. We decide we need to come back tomorrow for sure, but for now, it’s back to the Shenandoah wineries. OK, now we can hit Helwig, wait, what’s that big white building? The Methodist church at the end of the strip is a throw back to small town churches and leads us to walk another block or two. Cool little town, and since we’re here, and it's getting late, let’s check out some of the tasting here. Sounds good to me!

Bella Grace Vineyards tasting room, conveniently enough, was located right next to where we parked the car. This little house in the middle of town sits below street level, and has been converted into a tasting room for wine and olive oils. Interesting, because as this is the main street, and its the only house in the situation, surrounded by the two-story mining town buildings. So walking down to the entrance of the house is just the first step of the journey, literally, the tasting room is located in I guess was previously the basement of the house. So a couple more steps down and you’re there. Bella Grace was the first of the wineries where we  had a hard time finding our palette.  The Barbera was too light, almost like a Pinot. The Reserve Zinfandel was a thick flavored, syrupy tasting concoction. The Primativo, another one of my favorites, tasted like it been sitting out just a little too long and started picking up vinegar. I don’t know what happened but things just were not sitting right until, by mistake, we came across the Reserve Petite Sirah.  This had a wonderful nose, great finish, luscious berries popping out all over the place. All right, give me a bottle! It was also the first time we started coming across the little wine pour figurines. Stag heads, roosters, coyotes, bears, all sorts of woodland creatures had been configured into little pewter figurines for use as pour spouts on the bottles. But it $25 a pop, just seem like an unnecessary gimmicky tourist trinkets not needed now.

Sera Fina Cellars is just down the street from Bella Grace, and next door to Scott Harvey. For the first time this trip, Scott Harvey was a tasting room that was full of people. Given it was getting later on Thursday, maybe more visitors were starting to show up in town. Sera Fina represented an interesting change in taste as they specialize in flavored ciders as well as wines. Their wines were a little sweet for my taste mostly plans from various vineyards in the valley, but there are ciders were unique. Nancy picked up a six pack of the pineapple cider she become attached to, to share with friends back at home. I grabbed a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and we stayed on drinking and chatting with another couple there, residents of Sutter Creek who moved here from Sacramento. I guess they were enjoying the small town life and things were going well for them. A younger couple, he's in construction and she's a teacher at the school. Perfect small town life.

It was getting late again, my how the day flies, and shops were closing up, so one of the ladies at tasting mentioned the magic word of "casino" and that got Nancy going. The casino was in Jackson, about 15 mins away, and she just had to go. I wanted to explore more, so we compromised and stopped in downtown Jackson to walk the main street there first. The first thing we notice was the National Hotel. A huge, white old cowboy two story saloon and room looking place and the end of the street. I begin to notice a theme here. the small town has a main street that always seems to end at a hotel. Same way in westerns too. Something about being able to keep an eye on things I guess. But it also makes you wonder, how did they build these places before Home Depot was around? Must have been neat getting all this building material out here. I guess thats why railroads were so important in the expansion of the country. We step inside and the decor is just amazing. The pressed tin roof of Stanley's Steakhouse downstairs was incredible. The parlor on the first floor maintains its old west flair. It looks like something from a movie set. I was expecting to see gents walking around in Bowler hats and ladies in Petticoats and umbrellas.

We leave, head over to the casino for an hour or so. Nancy has a little luck, so we leave an extra money for the meter and head back to get ready for dinner. Tonight it's dining at Taste. Everyone raves about the place so we are really looking forward to it. Nancy is hoping they have Duck tonight, since she missed out on it at the Imperial Hotel. We'll see! We head back to the hotel with 6 bottles of wine, after 4 stops and we begin to question how are we going to get this home. Oh boy. Well, maybe we can drink one at dinner, one after dinner back in the room, and the another....oh boy. We'll figure something out. Worse case, when we drive back to Elk Grove to visit cousin Michael, we'll guzzle as much as we can there and leave the rest as gifts.

There aren't too many times I have a chance of fine dining at a haunted hotel, but when it comes, I need to take it. We were directed to the Imperial Hotel in Amador City as one of the nicer locations close by. The Imperial has a nice menu, and has won several awards, so this makes it a great choice for a birthday dinner. Our first impression is wow, this is an old mining town main street and a serious throwback to the gold rush days. The hotel itself is quite impressive. Beautiful and modern while holding on to its historic heritage, the bar remains connected to the past as it is the original bar that was actually hidden in a storage area below the hotel during prohibition. This is the kind of bar that begs you to "saddle up to the bar and have a strong one."

The music in the hall comes from a group of local musicians having a jam session of guitars, bangos, harmonicas and tambourines. I could imagine this very same scene happening 100 years ago and having the same sound. The wait staff comes out and are very friendly. Everyone has smiles and a pep in their step. For a small town like this, you almost expect lethargic kids who feel trapped here. But just the opposite. This is a small town that supports local major cities and a clientele that is respectful of the historical roots here. This is reflected in the food offered. Locally source, sustainable and expertly prepared, with offerings ranging from Roasted Garlic and Warm Brie to Liberty Duck Breast to a creamy fresh fruit Cheesecake. Yum! But unfortunately they were out of the Duck, Nancy's favorite, so she trades in for the Bistro Steak. I get the Scallops to go along with the brick decor and the Renwood Zin. We chill, relax and listen to the music and devour a wonderful dinner.

Imperial Hotel

When my wife asked where I was taking her for her birthday, I wanted to do something special and romantic. We've done Miami, New York, San Francisco, so I was really pondering the next trip. Then it hit me: Let's go drinking! Yes, wine country it is! But Napa is just so...Napa. Over crowded, over priced, and over done. Sonoma, the other wine country is preferred as our destination for some premium vino consumption. As the getaway got closer, news broke of a fire in the Santa Rosa area, not far from our Hotel, the Hyatt Sonoma Wine County. At this point, the trip was 2 weeks away and we had Vegas to enjoy with first. My wife began to worry, but I told her, "Let's relax and enjoy our stay at The Delano first, and we'll check in on the progress by Friday, and if they have the fire in the 50-75% containment, we'll be fine."

That Saturday, we awake to the sad news, the fire was only 10% contained. Not good and getting worse. The fire was growing faster than anyone could predict, destroying homes and businesses and livelihoods. We called the Hyatt and even through the hotel stated they were open and fully operational, we heard reports of the smoke that was a big issue, and several vineyards had closed as employees need to take care of their personal property and everyone was pitching in the help others in the community. By the time we got home Sunday, it was obvious that we needed to change plans. A relative recommended Amador County, east of Sacramento,  as an alternative. Amador County, never even heard of the place. By this point, the fire was on its way to being the largest in California history, so we made last minute changes and headed 150 miles to the east to Amador County.

Wednesday morning, we board the flight for Sacramento, and found ourselves in the midst of about 20 firefighters from Australia who flew in to help with the fires. That was absolutely amazing that these guys even knew of the fire, let alone they flew half up the globe to help fellow firefighters here in America, the land of plenty. Next time a politician talks about other countries not paying their dues, I'll remind him of the guys from Victoria who came up to help California. As we reach the Central Coast border, we look out the window and realize the San Francisco fog that was blocking our view of the ground below was actually smoke from the Santa Rosa fires.Scary at the immense size of it all.

We land in Sacramento and heading through the baggage claim to get our car, we are met with one of the weirder airport art installations: A 30ft tall pile up of lost luggage. Interesting to say the least, this was amusing and a nice way to start things off here. We pick up the car, head out to Amador and quickly find ourselves in the tiny town of Plymouth at the Shenandoah Inn. And by tiny, I mean their main street doesn't even have a stop light!

Wow, this was true rural living by California standards. So we check into the room, and Lee, the owner, is just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He stops from his current work of hanging Christmas lights outside to check us in. He also informs us that guests of the inn get free wine tasting at 9 wineries in the area. Jackpot! Needless to say, this was my favorite new spot to visit and I began drooling thinking of the wines we were going to taste. We take the bags to the room and began our wine adventure. We check the list of wineries Lee offered, cross reference Google maps, and plot a course for the 3 wineries for the first day. We have 3 hours of daylight left, so let's go!

Day 1

Turley Vineyards is scheduled as our first stop, if you can call the fact that its the closest to us as scheduling. We arrive to find we had the place all to ourselves, which means a good chance to enjoy the wine and hear some great stories about Amador from the hostess. And stories she had. Turley is the premiere Old Vine Zin producer in the area. She informs us that there is not real standard for "Old Vine". Generally, it can be from 35 to 105 years old. But they have the oldest in the area at around 75 years. And since they have been producing the vines for so long, they have a surplus of old vines that they turn into decorative artwork (see above). The interior is done in old pine lodge style. Lots of wood, an old National cash register from the early days of the valley, and tons of old vine knick knacks. But back to the wine. We start with all reds, a petite Syrah, then Zinfandel, then old vine Zinfandel, all of them wonderful and the conversation was a blast. Laura told us all about life in Plymouth, although she lives over in a little area called Enterprise. Then a few people pull up in the driveway and come in for tatsing. We sit, or stand and chat with them. Visitors from Sacramento. They leave and another couple comes in with their dog Charlie. A cute little playful pup. I think to myself, this has been an absolutely wonderful first 30 mins to the trip. If it continues, I may not make it back home. I pick up a bottle of the Duarte Zinfandel, a beautiful bouquet, lovely sweetness to it, and a bold taste grabs me. We pack up, say goodbye, and head to the second location.

Next on the list in Kamère Vineyards. Same thing, it's just us, the fun loving hostess Hayley, 2 other people, and some really good wines. Karmère Vineyards has an interesting story of the parents who owned the house that is now the tasting room. And quite a room it is. A huge vaulted ceiling with massive beam support makes a interesting architectural statement, while a huge mantle full of award winning wines with their ribbons lets you know these guys are for real. Then I begin to notice the spooky images on the walls. Kind of a gothic cartoony, "Nightmare before Christmas" meets "Dia de las Muertes" thing. OK, interesting, but let's get back to the wines. I see Barbera on the list, and Hayley informs us that Amador is primarily Barbera country. I have a taste, nice, but the Zinfandel is really catching my palette today.  Then Hayley informs us that the Zinfandel I prefer, is actually her wine. What? Yes, the father names all the wines after family members, and the Hayley belongs to her. Well it also belongs to us now as we pick up another bottle for dinner tonight. And where should we dine? Hayley suggests Taste, the premier restaurant in town. A town with no stoplight. But I inform her that we tried to make reservations for tonight but they were booked, so that will be Thursday night dinner. So she then suggests The Imperial Hotel as second choice. A quick review reveals the hotel certified haunted by Gold Rush Ghosts. Oh yeah we gotta check this place out!

But to sweeten the pot for us, Hayley gives us a BevMo 5-cent deal. So with the Zin, we pick up a bottle of bubbly to make it a real celebration when we get back to the room. Yeehaa! Cool, the Proseco was light and refreshing, with hints of apple and honey. Nancy loved it, and Hayley even poured a second glass and joined us sharing more interesting family stories. Next thing we know it's 5:00p and time to close shop. Oh boy that was fast! But Hayley tells us to head up the road, 2 minutes as the crows flies, to Renwood, as they're open until 6:00pm. OK, Renwood it is then.

Renwood Winery has yet another distinct design to it. Modern lines and a clean design, I suddenly get the sense that these guys are doing very well financially. Each winery so far has stood out with it's own unique stamp on its design. And design as in architecturally unique, as well as interior design, each winery comes across not as some barrel room from the decades ago, but a well thought out reflection of the family characteristics of its owners. This location has a cool design of repurposed wood from around the vineyard evidenced by the unique tasting room ceiling of wine barrel ribs. For a wine country that I never even heard of, these vineyards a reflection of success of their wonderful wines and a thriving viticulture industry.

The first we catch after entry through the Renwood doors is a deli cooler. Perfect, we were getting hungry for munchies, not quite dinner ready yet, but cheese and crackers would be perfect. Of the pre-packed goodies available, we select a pack of taralli. Taralli are these little cracker like swirls with a sweet taste to them. Perfect with these Zinfandels and Barberas. We start up to the tasting bar and go through a series of wines. We get 4 tastings, so I jump right into a Zinfandel, awesome. Then step it up to an Old Vine Zin, wonderful! Next is the Tempranillo, I'll be taking this home thank you, and finish with the Barbera, and I'll take this also...uh oh... 3 wineries and 5 bottles already? Well, one for pre-dinner celebration. One for dinner tonight, and that leaves 3 to take home. I should have just enough space in the luggage.

I can’t tell you how many years I’ve sat there at the intersection of Harmon Ave and Paradise Rd. heading to the Hard Rock Hotel, and I look over to my right and see a moderate sized white building with a sign that says "Hofbräuhaus". And I would think to myself, who even goes in there, Hofbräuhaus? German food in Vegas? Ok...whatever. With all these high end luxury glamour hotels, who has time for some run down Hofbräuhaus?

Answer? Everybody!

We happen to be in Vegas this for October, which just happens to be Oktoberfest. (If you must know, I stole the idea of Oktoberfest for my birthday month. If you can celebrate beer for a month, then you should definitely be able to celebrate your birthday for a month.) It's mid-October, we go in and what I see absolutely amazes me.

This Hofbräuhaus in Las Vegas, Nevada... middle of the desert... is a beautiful replica of the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany.  The original was built in 1589 by Duke Maximiliann I. Amazingly enough, it wasn’t until 308 years later, in 1897, when  Ludwig I took over, that they actually opened the doors to the public. Previously it was a private bierhaus for the workers at the brewery. But when the brewery moved to the suburbs, really, they decided to repurpose the vast hall left behind. One of the first examples gentrification!  This is what Vegas does so well: Hofbräuhaus, Paris, Bellagio, Palazzo, all of them are replicas of the originals from Europe brought to the desert in living color. As we walk through these hotels and casinos in Vegas, I wonder how many people really take into account the effort it takes to replicate those great buildings. Even down to the ornate ceiling paint of the 'sexpartite', or six-parted supports for the ceiling. Sexpartite refers to the medieval Roman-inspired Saxon architecture of the vaulted support structure.

Not the wild Sex-parties that happen after guzzling stein after stein after stein of beer!

Once inside all the tables are communal tables were you sit down with any and everybody. Just our luck, we are set at a table with Drew and his buddies from Positive Proximity in Burbank, CA, my old hometown. They work for a small digital company and were already two steins deep into the evenings activities. Nancy and I did our best to catch up and the end result was a rousing evening of laughing, storytelling, Oompah bands, a chugging contest or two and something else that I simply refuse to remember.

I guess there some tradition in Germany, which explains Germans, where they feel paddling you is a public event to be shared by all. I seem to vaguely remember a girl bringing over Jägermeister shots, and I remember watching other people getting paddled and thinking that is crazy. The good thing is, the next morning I woke up not feeling any effect of the paddling at all. Which leads me to believe that maybe it didn’t happen. Maybe was all just a dream. And until I find the video I guess I’ll never know. Wait, just found it... oh you people are sick!

If you are on a diet and looking to eat healthy, Vegas may not be a destination for you. With so many 5-star restaurants here, the greatest concentration on the planet, this is a foodie mecca unlike anywhere else! Now, if you just want to try some of the wildest tastiest stuff, and you dig Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, then head over to The LINQ, turn left and step into Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen. It's a reflection of Guy's style: down home comfort food thrown together after a late night beer run. All the burgers are double up on ingredients and the flavors smash together like chips on a burger for a crunchy childhood revisit. Remember when you used to think, this is great...but better with [insert favorite weird food here] on your food stuff? Guy does. And he does it well.

All your favorites are here: Fried chicken, burgers, fries, burgers, mac and cheese burgers. And don't forget burgers. Oh...and a taco...and wings! OK, that's enough, I can only eat so much, and so much is what I want. For our breakfast, we stopped in at the perfect breakfast hour of 1:00 in the afternoon. The line out front was easily an hour wait, but if just the 2 of us, we can make it if we try, we slithered passed the crowd and grabbed a seat at the bar. Score! And since it's breakfast time, then anything that mentioned egg needs to be ordered. And where you have egg, you have bacon. But Guy kicks it up a notch by deep frying the bacon to give it a fried-chicken-like crunchy taste that would stand on its own as a Mayor of Flavor Town candidate. Add cheese, gravy and tomato, and yes, damn good!

Unfortunately, for every Yin, there's a Yang. How could you go wrong with a Mac and Cheese burger. The name says it all. The Mac was too light, flavorless and not fun. I simply slid off the burger with every bite, and tasted more like Kraft Velveeta than something Guy might whip up. And why wouldn't you put the Mac under the patty to hold in in place better. The saving grace is that even with the Mac dropping off, the burger was still tasty. Guy always love a good does of pepper to flavor things up, and its just right for this burger. Add 2 strips of bacon (next time make it 3!), sliced lettuce and that fires tray, and I was still having a good time here. The office, as I call it, is setup like a sports bar so big screens all around to provide plenty of entertainment. But since we were up until 3am the night before, and Cosmo was giving away Tequila like its out of style, time for a Bloody Mary. And Oh Mary! Its a breakfast Mary with 2 slices of bacon, sausage, pickles, lemon (to kill the taste of last night) oranges and olives. Hell, that's breakfast right there!

So it was a good time. The bartenders are fun and friendly, Alex was awesome, the place is lively. Sitting at the bar removes the wait, but sitting on the patio puts you in the heart of the action. It faces towards the passage between The LINQ and Harrah's with the Carnaval Court in the background adding live music. Thousands walk pass this point, so you're bound to see something you shouldn't see, or can't unsee. (Really, you thought it was ok to wear THAT!?! In public!?!) It's a festive atmosphere that adds to the flavors of the food. You don't just go there, you become a participant, observer and observed. It's Vegas baby!

• Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen
• 3535 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
• (702) 794-3139
• Open: 9am - 12am

Remember that commercial about the guy who gets hit by a bus, ends up in heaven with all the cookies he can eat? But when he reaches for the milk cartons, they’re empty! Ha ha, you’re not in heaven! That’s the way I kind of felt about the Delano. Upon arrival of the Delano, which is attached to the Mandalay Bay, we pull up and see a Bugatti Veyron in the valet parking. Oh yeah that’s my car. This is the kind of luxury and class and I’m looking for. Fortune may smile on me this visit after all.

It was 2 o’clock in the morning, and fortunately a valet was available to take our bags up. I walk through the front doors, between the two halves of a 62-ton metaquartzite boulder. Interesting...no fascinating! Typical Vegas, it's so sublime, and yet, how many floors can even support 62-tons, let alone have a design team split the boulder, and place it just right. To read more, click here for the Best of Vegas story. We get to the front desk, we check in, the hostess was a little snippy. I don’t mind so much I was just thinking about this cool entrance and that Bugatti. Vegas, baby Vegas! This Delano is total hipster chic that is tangible and appealing. We get up to our floor, a cool hallway, interesting photographs lining the walls with a really nice design. Old Vegas and hip desert scenics. I’m thinking this place is the bomb! My only previous brush with the Delano, pronounced Del-la-noe, as in Franklin D, US President #32, not DE-lan-no, like the Italian getaway in South Beach, Miami. That place is dope! I love that lobby bar tucked off to the side behind the 30 foot curtains flowing through the entryway. Perfect for South Beach on a perfect summer's eve.

Delano Living Room

So we get to the room, we walk in and nice! The room is decked out in soft white through and through. The wall, the flooring, the furniture. Along the left wall a good 42 inch wall-mounted TV, business desk underneath with minimalist gold legs. A comfortable looking couch with chaise. Oh look there, a wet bar! Sink, faucet, a couple of wine glasses standing on glass shelves. A mini fridge underneath. Looking good so far. Hmmm, what’s behind this door? Closet maybe? Wait, what? This is the bathroom? Theres no shower! Wait, don’t tell me, are you kidding me? A second bathroom? I’ve never been in a hotel in Las Vegas that had two bathrooms! This is awesome! I’m in heaven!

We call down to the valet to bring our bags up. He’s a very courteous guy, and interestingly enough, his name is Curtis. Really cool guy, he steps out to get us a bucket of ice. Time to chill the Courtage! That was very nice of him. I leave a nice tip. I take the bags into the curved bedroom to unzip, so I can unpack and put my clothes into the dresser drawers. I always like to make myself at home when I travel, so I completely unpack and put all my clothes in the dresser drawers...where are the drawers? Wait... where are the drawers!?! Seriously, where are the drawers!?!?! Oh oh... this ain’t heaven!

As luxurious and well laid out as this place is designed, there are no drawers here. And to add insult to injury, we open the closet doors, and it’s half the size of most Las Vegas luxury rooms. How can this be? There is one small drawer at the base of the closet, and I pull it out, it’s only about 18 inches deep. Are you kidding me? We upgraded to a scenic suite which has the cool wrap around windows, king size bed with a ultra lux headboard that was oh so visually appealing. But no drawers!

And to add additional insult to injury, there’s only one luggage rack. Of course it goes to my wife. Thank God the bed has a foot bench to put my suitcase.

We head down to the casino for a little wine down late-night action at the slots. When we come back up it’s time to hit the bed. I’m not in heaven! The bed feels like it’s been hit several times before, like, a lot of times before! wink wink! You can literally see the depression in the mattress. Looks like this they have been slept on for quite some time, and since this is Vegas, by quite a few people. Wink wink.

The next morning we wake and hit the shower. And yes, we’re not in heaven. They didn’t even spring for shower gel. Just bar soap! Can you believe it? Good thing I had my Laura Tonatto shower gel from Milan packed in my toiletries bag. Yes you never know when you’re going to need gel, even in luxury high rise hotels in Vegas.

One aspect we really did enjoy about The Hotel (get it?) is the Skyfall lounge. It's located on the 54th floor, with a private entrance, and views to die for! Since The Delano is at the southern end of the strip, you get to see all the other hotels in a single view. And in the summer, at evening, with those desert sunsets, the view is amazing. I highly recommend making reservations around 30 mins prior to sunset to get settled in for the show. We were a little, and since it was fall, a little chilly as well, and had prior reservations so we missed the show. But next summer, I'll make sure I'm on time and you'll have some nice pics.

The bar is done up in a deep blue-purple theme, with wood and neon green highlights. Think Jetsons meet Prince. There are these big bulbous globular rings that are lit internally and provide and soft ambient lighting effect. Like I said, I cant wait to check this place out at sunset and into the evening. The crowd is upscale to match the futuristic feel of the place. It seems like a great place to meet some pretty interesting, in a good way, people here. New age intellectuals channeling the ancient desert energy in a posh hot spot.

Overall, the room is built more for an overnight traveler, or ultra highrollers who don’t lug clothes around. But just buy new clothes wherever they go. If I’m a business traveler, this is perfect to have the place all to myself. But for a family man on a weekend getaway, not my bag baby. I give the Delano high marks for its design and appeall. But the lack of drawers definitely left a sour taste. Very disappointing. I did don’t feel as if I could kick back and relax. Put my feet up and sit a spell, not with my clothes still sitting in their bag. I’m sorry Delano, I call this one, one and done. It’s not you, it’s me.

This is a list of low cost airlines borrowed from a Travel and Leisure article in their August, 2017 magazine issue.

©2017 Travel and Leisure Magazine

Travel Reward cards work well too. They accrue that can be used for anything. Capital One is probably the biggest and best out there. I don't have TR cards. No reason other than I started on the points and miles programs and just never looked elsewhere. Once I compare the two program aspects, I'll update this report.

And remember, this is not a definitive list. This is to help start your search for the program that best fits your needs. So get out there, find the dream vacation and find someone else to pay for it! Bon voyage!

Yeah, that's pretty much it. I was actually disappointed, but let me tell you about that later. We land and right off the bet we hit the best and the worst of Milan.

We start off walking through the airport, and a guy does the "Do you need a ride?" Oh what the hell, I'm tired and want to experience the best of Milan, fashion capital of the world. He takes one of our bags, takes us over to a counter, charges us $75, and walks us out the terminal. I’m starting to think does this guy realize I’m wearing my cape under my clothes, what does he think he going to get away with here? Next thing I know, bam! We’re loading up a sweet ass MB E350! Oh snap baby! This is the way you make an entrance to the fashion capital. The Espresso and Black interior was pure Italian. Reminds me of my father’s old Lancia. I sit back and take it all in, buon giorno signore.

Now I’m all excited about the aspect of being in Milan, fashion capital of the world. Although a Maserati would have been more appropriate, we are in this elegant car on our way through the streets of Milan to our DoubleTree Hotel. Unfortunately, this dream has come to an abrupt end. Fashion capital of the world? Driving through the streets, where is the fashion?  Milan, it turns out, is a left over from old World War II days. The city is a massive conglomeration of ancient deco styles, but none of it really comes together as high fashion. More like shabby chic. The streets are incredibly bad, most of them are still cobble stone, making you wonder how did a horse and buggy ever get across this? The buildings are more low maintenance than high fashion. Don’t give me wrong, it’s still a little better than most of New Orleans, or even South Houston. This is simply not what I imagined when I’ve been told for the last 55 1/2 years that this is Milan, fashion capital of the world. Where's the shine...the sheen...the glamour?

We finally arrive at the DoubleTree Hotel, and the entry and lobby are quite nice. Now this is what I expected Milan to look like: Lean and clean lines, minimalist design, elegant and luxurious. We check in, Stefano was so helpful with information about town. The room is comfortable, an appropriate size for a more business travel oriented hotel like the DoubleTree.  Nancy says she’s starving so we walk out to check the neighborhood out to see what kind of local leads are available. Yes, I would probably would have been appropriate to simply order room service, but I want to see Milan! In the lobby is my first taste of Milan fashion. A small men's store is located in the lobby with suits, jackets, ties, even shoes. I try on a couple of jackets, but nothing is quite the right size. Oh well, this is a hotel, so what do you expect? Outside in the streets is where the real fashion happens. I want to get out in the streets and see the people. See the people? The streets are empty and we walk about a quarter-mile before we reach the main street which has the number 14 trolley car. We hang a left and walk down another quarter-mile before we find a restaurant open, and it’s the Chinese restaurant we saw driving in, Ristorante Cinese Felice. Better known as Happy Chinese Restaurant. Everything else looks closed up, so we go in, but this little Chinese place was not what I was expecting to have as my first meal  in Milan. But Nancy is hungry and she loves Chinese food, so she orders. Our first night in Milan is a quiet one while we eat in the room.

Day 1 Milan: We head out to grab lunch and walk up the street from the hotel. Yesterday I saw a place that looked like a café, so let’s check that out and get some local flavor. We find the café, named Tom and Jerry. Tom and Jerry? Give me break, like the American cartoons? I look up and there’s actually the cat and mouse characters on the marquee, so yes, that Tom and Jerry. We head inside and have our first Italian meal. Finally!  From here we hop the trolley that runs throughout the city, and head to Central Milano. Rundown buildings, cobblestone streets, and various people scaring about. But as we get to Milan, the look becomes more retail, and more and more store fronts start popping up. But still, nothing in the vein of the glamour that I expected. Our first stop is il Duomo, this is tourist central for Milan. There’s got to be 10 to 20,000 people walking about here. The Duomo is massive, enormous, gigantic, and any other superlative you can think of to indicate a church that's the oldest in Italy and something like the 4th or 5th largest in the world. I notice the intense amount of sculptures around the building. I mean they are everywhere, never ending. Imagining the man hours of this level of detail in, this is the kind of thing you do for life, and it’s also why you wind up only living until you’re 40. What an incredible amount of work, and the craftsmanship is amazing.

Next to il Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Now this is the Milan I expected, open air shopping with tons of gelato shops and high-end fashion such as Dior, Prada, Gucci. But, this is just one small little area. Maybe 1000 meters each way. It’s fabulous to walk through and marvelous to look at, but this is all in very small given the importance of fashion capital of the world. We walk around and come across the Ferrari store now this is cool. Maybe I can go in and buy some Ferrari gear, straight from Italy! Wait, this is the same stuff from the F1 website. And look, it's 15% more with the conversion rate. never mind. Now I'm hungry and we get pulled into Gino's 1928 for dinner. This is a little again getting back to the Milan that I expected. We finished dinner and look up in the sky is the most incredible color of royal blue.  It looks as if there’s got to be some kind of artificial lighting to give at this color, but no, that’s just the color of Milan around 9 o’clock at night at the end of August. Absolutely incredible. Then I remember the night sky in Monaco and Nice. Must be something in the Mediterranean air. Back at the hotel, the men's store is still there, but now the attendant has left although the suits are still there. I dig a little deeper, determined to find a jacket to take home as my Milan suit. Nothing. Now I’m really eager to head back into Milan to find some proper Milanese fashions.

Day 2 - Monza: We head out to the race track, and this time we just decide to eat lunch at the track. It's a beautiful day, and Stefano's instructions on getting to the track via train are spot on. A DoubleTree shuttle takes us to Certosa station. From there we ride up to the Biassano-Lesmo station, and along with 10,000 other fans, we file off and follow the herd to the gate. This entry takes us to a tunnel that crosses under the track, and next thing I know, I hear Formula 2 cars roaring. We exit on the infield of the Lesmos turns. Awesome! The cars are still running v8 engines, so they are loud and fast. They came zipping by and it reminds me of the old days of general seating being right there at the track at ground level. I can't believe I'm actually here. We continue walking and spend the next hour or so watching and walking the cars. By days end, I'm exhausted and ready for shopping and eating, let's head back!

Back in town we walk around looking for Milan fashion. And we find it! But we can't afford it! Oh snap! We head over to "Quadrilatero d'Oro", the Golden Square which is the Milan high end section for shopping. But unfortunately, all the stores are behind closed doors, guarded courtyards or otherwise secluded viewing unless you're holding an Amex Black Card. The only sense of high-fashion the general public gets are a couple of gold street plaques, and the Patek Philippe street clock. I bet that thing was awesome 60 years ago! Oh well, start heading back towards il Duomo, and in doing so, we walk through a couple of shopping areas and wind up in Galleria del Toro. Here we see Diesel, got that at home. Ray-Ban, got that...Vans got that...Levi's GOT THAT! Oh my God, where is the Milan fashion? Oh well, it's raining now, and at least I get some awesome Milan fashion pictures of people walking in the rain.

Day 3 - Monza: Oh boy, it's raining, but hopefully when we get to the track it will all work out. It doesn't. It is a downpour, and what we learned from yesterday, the underground tunnel leads to the infield and an hour or so of walking through what is surely now a mud pit, so we map out that getting off the train at Biassono was the wrong move, and we should switch trains and get off at Sovico. Of course we catch the wrong train and wind up in Acore. And not only are we lost, but it takes forever for the return train to bring us back. We lose an hour before we are back at Biassono-Lessmo station. Oh well, screw it, let's walk up the Via Parco to the back gate of the park. The walk was only 15 minutes yesterday, let's go! Now it starts raining, and 25 minutes later we reach the gate. Nancy is taking this much better than I am.

But at least we see the one Ferrari, in Red body and Red-White-Green accents, and that brings a smile to my face. The park inside the gate is a mess. It's all mud now, and we finally make our way up to the grandstand and hear the cars in the rain. By the time we hit our seats, qualifying has been delayed indefinitely due to rain. Well f#$% this! Back down the stairs, well, at least let's check out the Fan Zone. It's a 15-20 walk avoiding mud pits and swamp land. Guards keep telling us to stay in the ribbons, but screw 'em, I'm trying to stay dry foot and mud free. We get to see the Auto Concourse, that '54 Maserati is sweet! We try to find the right racing gear to buy, new AMG Mercedes for Nancy, and I'm still trying to find a blue Williams tech shirt for me. I need to honor Felipe Massa on his last tour of duty, and come hell or high water, I'm going to do it. Well, the high water is here, guess hell is right around the corner. But wait! I find it! Oh no...it's a medium and I need a large. What the hell, buy it, and if I find a large later, I can swap them. Holy Shit! I have a blue Williams shirt, bought at the Italian Grand Prix. Does life get any better? Yes! Read on...

We get back to the hotel after a day at the track and we're soaking wet. But we dry out and head out to Eataly for dinner. While waiting in the lobby for a ride from the shuttle service, I look up and see Mika Hakkinen! Yes that Mika Hakkinen: former McLaren driver, 2-time F1 world champion. This is awesome but I’m literally too shy to walk up and introduce and say hi to him. I take a Picture through the crowd that he is sitting with, about 10 or 12 people are discussing something that looks very important. It’s cool, I got a picture of him, but, geez I should’ve gone back and said hi. Oh well, note to self: Grow a pair! Well, let's hit it and head over to Eataly. We have been fortunate in that Stefano, does this guy ever go home, sets us up with a ride to the station to get to Eataly. We head out, and again, driving down these crazy streets and we are met with good fortune: a rainbow. I didn't even know they had these in Italy 🙂

We get to Eataly, and this place is crazy! Everyone is just a buzz, and with such warmth and generosity towards everyone. In contrast to our last Eataly experience in New York, where the crowd was uptight and rude, Milan is comfortable and welcoming. We have a good time walking the place, all 3 stories, trying to figure out what to eat. There are about 6 or 7 fooderies to dine at. We choose the large restaurant on the second floor and get ourselves a huge Quatrofolgio pizza. It has four different flavors, so we can both have a taste of the goodness. We are chugging down a bottle of Bianco we got from the 3rd floor wine shop. And once again, I'm blown away by how much English is spoken here. The clerk comes over and in Italian asks to help. As soon as my dear-in-the-headlight glance catches his, he immediately switches to English and we chat as if this was back home in LA.

Dinner was great, the experience wonderful, and the people fantastic. For a moment, I forget about the fashion search and I'm just enjoying the royal blue night sky. I love this place. I think I'm drunk. May every night be as good as tonight. The driver said he would be back at the train station at 9:00p, and we arrive spot on, and there he is, pulling up on time. How is this. I encourage him to race other drivers on the way back to the hotel, he takes me up ever so slightly, he is driving a min-van after all. But there were a couple of times he punched it and we go bumping down the street into Turn 1. Yeah, I wish.

Day 4 - Park Hyatt: Before heading out to the track we pack up and head over to drop our bags off at our new hotel, the Park Hyatt Milan. We called and they said that we they would be more than happy to hold our bags for us which is fantastic. A driver takes us from DoubleTree to Park Hyatt, and after checking in, the hotel is right next to a train station making easy transport to the track. Today, the weather is perfect, although the grass and mud areas are still a little soggy, but it’s a fantastic day to watch a race. The Italian Air Force does a fly by to start things off, first climbing high, then dropping down to do a low level fly-by on the crowd, trailing Red-White-Green smoke. How cool is that. Why don't US races do this? They always yap about how patriotic they are, and yet I've never seen a Red-White-Blue con-trail behind a jet at an auto race. I need to write about this to someone. Anyway, the weather was awesome, the race was fast, but not fast enough for the Ferrari drivers. Kimi Raikkonen actually was passed later in the race, losing 4th place. And this was such a contrast to his brilliant start of the race. See the video of the 1st lap, the crowd was going crazy over him. Oh well, I'm sure he'll get over it. All of a sudden, 71 laps have flown by, and it is time for the time honored tradition of running down to the podium. Fans at the italian GP, unlike any other, go running down the main straight to pack 100,000 fans on to the track to participate in the trophy presentations.  It's a pretty awesome event, and whats so call is you get the see the track and facilities up close. And it's here that you notice the cracks in the asphalt of the and the general deterioration of the place. Just like Milan.

After the race we head back to the hotel. We freshen up and head out to walkabout the courtyard of il Duomo. I'm again looking for fashion, but I begin to notice everyone here wears American casual. I don't think I've seen so many Abercombie & Fitch shirts ever! And then America's greatest export, rock n' roll in the form of a kid playing as Slash on the guitar, jamming on Gun's n Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine". That’s what’s so interesting about Milan, everybody wears American tagged items. Oh well, still no Milan fashion, so let's have dinner at Granaio next door. We dine on a fantastic filter and my cheesy lasagna bowl like substance. We discuss plans for next day, driving out to the Serravalle Outlet to get some Milan fashion for sure! Now I'm getting giddy about it. Although, I should have bought that Milan t-shirt the one sidewalk vendor had. A cool if not simple white t-shirt with red MI, white L and green AN. That would have sufficed as a fashion statement back home.

Day 5 - Serravalle: The next day we’re up and the plan is that we rent a car on Monday use it to drive around and then Tuesday we drive ourselves to the airport saving from the $95 transfer cost. A great idea as it lets us get out and explore the city a little more with a quick little drive around town. See the Driving around Milan video to get a feel for it. We head out to Serravalle to the outlet center to that when people say this is the real shopping. Finally I’m going to get my hands on some serious Milanese fashion! We walk over the Europcar rental shop. It is hot and stuffy here. But then it hits me. I've been in Milan for 4 days now, 3 days at the race track,  and I've seen only 1 Ferrari. ONE! What the heck is going on here!?! This is Italy, right? I mean none at the parking lot, none at the party spot, none when we rode the bus back to the Monza station. Nothing. Just a bunch of baby Fiat Pandas and Renault Clios. Tiny little cars for over priced European fuel and no where to park anyway. And just as I was thinking this, bam! This wahoo pulls up in his Lamborghini! What? Finally, but of course, he's English and it's just a rental. I think, that should have been me. How cool would it be to drive around Milan in a Lamborghini? But before I could finish that dream, the attendant pulls up in our Citroen C1. How embarrassing! This car looks like a stiff wind would just blow it over. OMG! and it's in Whimpy Blue. And it's French! I thought we were getting a Fiat? Oh no, it is a time honoured tradition to drive the car of the country we are in. In Italy, driving a French car, oh no!

Oh well, we get in and head out. What a trip. There's a red light every 5 seconds. At one point I gun and blast through a light, but to no avail, the next light catches me dead. As in I was so upset about all these lights that I forgot it was a manual drive and stalled the car. And yes, you guessed it, it would not start up. Again, in my frustration, I forgot to press the clutch in. Oh well, we're off!

90 minutes along A7 to Serravalle, and one thing I notice is that the drivers are so polite. Everybody stays on the right lane leaving the left lane open for speeders like myself. Driving in my mighty mighty Citroen C1, a whopping 56 horse power scooters down the highway at above posted speeds. We get to the outlet center and lo and behold, the prices are actually 10% higher than the outlet center here in Vegas and in Cabazon. Are you kidding me? We walk around, I think we buy a T-shirt or two as souvenirs, we have lunch at Ham Holy Cow. How could you not eat at a place like that. I see the hugo Boss store, and same, why buy this suit for €600 euros, when I can buy it for $500US back home. What a dud. We had back to Milan in time for our show at Teatro alla Scala. Tonight, it's Hantzel and Gretel, the original German version. The theater is amazing, although a little cramped, but it’s an interesting show. Good thing I read the notes prior to viewing because I have no idea what they were talking about. But it’s a fantastic experience and we had a fantastic time and I can’t believe it’s already over.

Day 5 - Malpensa: We are up and headed to the airport. The bags get loaded into this tiny little 4-door scooter. I look up and see the Galleria Vittorio  totally empty. Ah, one last shot before leaving. We wave good-bye and exchange pleasantries with the staff, the door men up this early are  still bright and cheery. I have come to appreciate the Italian spirit. What wonderful people and everyone treats you like family here. Ciao, we head out and have a caravan with a BMW 7-series. This was kind of fun as this guy was a little heavy on the gas pedal. But the with a red light every 5 seconds, the Citroen could handle it. The drive is a fun one to say goodbye through the city and then see some of the more of the countryside. Interestingly enough, we Google map the rental car location, and they actually use the image of our little Citroen, the same light blue color, as their tag. How funny. We get to the airport in plenty of time, and irony of ironies, in the airport is an actual Williams Formula One car on display. How cool is that?  Two weekends of Formula One racing and it’s at the Malpensa airport that I finally get to touch a Formula One car. Just don’t tell anybody I touched it, I had to slide under the rope, but I was going to touch that damn car no matter what. OK, let's head over to some duty free to buy all sorts of alcohol to bring onto the plane. We're headed home now, arrivederla Milano. It’s been grand!

Post Note: All the time searching for high-end men’s fashion in Milan I came home with nothing. We had a five hour layover in New Jersey, so we headed over to Jersey park place to walk around the mall there for some last-minute shopping and dining. Turns out it’s an outlet center, turns out they have a Hugo boss store there, and the last gray suit they had, which was also on sale, turns out was my size! Finally, I get my Milan fashion and first Hugo Boss suit...in New Jersey! At least I can claim it’s a Hugo Boss suit from our Milan trip. Italian fashion search is over!