Vegas trip...Lunch at Julian Serrano

Aria Hotel also has a very nice spa area. After spending hours in the spa in the morning, we were very hungry for lunch.

We decided to check out Julian Serrano inside of Aria. It's a modern Spanish tapas restaurant. White Sangria after swimming tasted especially nice.

First, we shared a few different tapas dishes. I loved the squid a la plancha and seviche. The stuffed piquillo pepper was very nice, too.

I also had the seafood rice from their lunch menu. It was flavored with saffron (just like paella), and very tasty. We also had churros for dessert. I enjoyed the lunch very much.

In the evening, we checked out the hotel and drove back to LA.

On the way back, we stopped by at Peggy Sue's 50's Diner, which is located about half-way from Vegas in Yermo for quick dinner. The road between Vegas and LA is basically the desert and there is little choice of restaurant. My American friends said it's a very typical American diner and it would be fun to check it out. I had a cultural shock.

Vegas trip...Dinner at Sage

Before the trip to Maui, I had a trip to Las Vegas to check out the new Aria Hotel with friends.

We stayed at their luxury 2-bedroom suite at Aria Sky Suit, and both the room and the view were really gorgeous! Since we drove from LA, we didn't get this particular service, but if you fly and stay at Aria Sky Suite, they send a limo to pick you up at Las Vegas Airport.

For dinner, we went to Sage, which is one of the fine dining restaurants at Aria. They offer the sophisticated "new American" cuisine by Chef Shawn McClain. We did the 6-course tasting menu ($125) and paired with the wines we brought. The corkage fee at any of the restaurants in Aria is $35/ bottle. It was indeed a very sophisticated delicious dinner. I especially liked the foie gras brulee and the beef dishes. The dessert was nice, too. I loved the canele.