Headed to Vegas for The Super Bowl?

If you’re headed for the City of Las Vegas for the @SuperBowl, there’s a seriously epic celebration awaiting you — far beyond just gambling, betting and fumbles. Whether you’re interested in touchdowns, chow downs or throw downs at the craps table, Vegas offers nonstop experiences and sensations that you will never experience anywhere else. While Vegas used to be all about showgirls and show tunes, the city now has a 3-star Michelin restaurant, the best night clubs and music festivals in the world, and the nation’s newest urban experiment. If you spend all of your time on the Strip, you’ll miss out on some of the best that Vegas has to offer.

The Best of Las Vegas

ENTERTAINMENT

Best Show: Absinthe.
 The first thing on the ultimate to-do list is to book your tickets now for Absinthe, the Best Show in Las Vegas, which is often sold out. Absinthe is a stunning, risque, intimate comedy/circus show that could only be born in Vegas. F-bombs will explode. Scantily clad Cirque du Soleil style acrobats will perform so closely to you that you will pray for their safety (and yours). It doesn’t hurt to sip on the signature drink (absinthe, of course) to get you in the mood for a night of raunchy, politically incorrect jokes. If any of this description disturbs you, you’ll still want to see the death-defying acrobats in this night club setting. Having the performers just inches away is a visceral memory that will stay with you forever.

It’s difficult to find a bad show on the Strip — outside of Showstoppers — but Absinthe is in a league all its own. It’s worth it to make a special trip to Las Vegas just to see this show.

Best Night Club: Drai’s at the Cromwell
Not only does @DraisLV have the best ambience and view, this night club attracts the hottest DJs, too. This outdoor beach club/night club towers over the Strip, twinkling with neon. Tyga, Big Sean and Future are headlining this Super Bowl weekend. Nicky Minaj rang in the New Year at Drai’s.

EATING

Best Celebrity Chef Restaurant: Giada. 
There are more celebrity chef restaurants in Las Vegas than most cities on the planet, including the only 3-Michelin star restaurant in Sin City — Joel Robuchon. You’ll find outstanding preparation of French classics at DB Brasserie (@DanielBoulud) and exquisite Italian comfort food at Carnevino (Mario Batali). However, what sets Giada apart are the flavor-packed premium ingredients themselves, the imaginative menu (from the custom coffees, baked goods and desserts to @GdeLaurentiis interpretations of Italian classics), the meticulous preparation, the luxurious setting, all surrounded by the best restaurant view of the Strip. @GiadaVegas’ culinary team prides themselves on California-inspired Italian cuisine — a lighter fare that is inspired by seasonal produce. The basket of baked goods is orgasmic, as are the desserts. Giada is Giada de Laurentiis’ first restaurant, and you can taste that this is her baby — that no detail has been overlooked in creating dishes that are memorable. I can still taste the Sweet Pea Tortellini “Cacio & Pepe” (cheese and pepper, Roman-style), and visualize every detail of the meal, from the polenta muffin to the tiramisu. Be sure to ask for a table next to the window.

Best Gasto-Pub: Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar
Guy Fieri’s S’mores Monte Cristo is a bucket-list experience in and of itself. While I’m not normally a fan of this camping staple, the yummy, gooey delight created by @GuyFieriLV is decadence at its finest. Guy Fieri’s is Vegas’ best gastro pub by far, however, don’t let this designation fool you. @GuyFieri’s Kitchen & Bar is also tastier than most of the higher-priced, fancier fare found in the luxury buffets and casino bistros. Executive chef Tony Leitera (@chefleitera) goes to great lengths to ensure the quality of the meat and produce, with painstaking preparation that is worth every bite. Everything on the menu, including the vegetarian options, are worth tasting. Standouts include: the wings (best I’ve ever had), the bacon mac-n-cheese burger, the Motley Cue sandwich, the 14-hour beef brisket and the ribs.

The drinks are as tasty as the food. Don’t miss the gargantuan, spicy Bloody Mary.

If you want a second dessert, you’ll be quite surprised just how tasty cheesecake topped with pretzels, chips and hot fudge can be. Guy Fieri’s offers one giant meal that will keep you filled up all day!

Best Breakfast: Eat.
Locals commute from the suburbs just to dine at @EATDTLV. Anthony Bourdain has been there. American Express featured chef/owner Natalie Young in their ad for the 2015 Super Bowl, as someone who went from rock bottom to successful restaurateur. So expect a line. Yes, it’s worth it. My favorite is the huevos motulenos.

Best Decadent Breakfast: Jean Philippe Patisserie at the @Bellagio Hotel (and Aria). 
Jean Philippe, the 2002 World Pastry champion, is known for creating the world’s largest chocolate fountain (at the Bellagio Hotel) and the tastiest, most decadent delights available to man. If you think the Jean Philippe Patisserie is only chocolate, macarons and desserts, think again. The Jean Philippe Patisserie offers an outstanding and vast selection of sweet or savory crepes, for the Best Breakfast in Vegas (outside of EAT.) Skip the soggy eggs in the hotel cafe, and saunter over to Jean Philippe for world-class espresso drinks, crepes and that sweet little something.

Best Coffeehouse: Publicus
Publicus offers fresh, local organic food, along with the best espresso drinks in Las Vegas, prepared by master baristas. If you’re staying downtown, or planning a trip to any one of downtown Vegas’ many attractions, it’s worth it to stop off at @PublicusLV for a snack.

Best Family Fun Dinner: Downtown Container Park
If you’re dragging your kids along to Vegas, then you’ll definitely want to check out the @DTContainerPark for dinner. Your kids can fill up on Cheffini’s hot dogs, Pinche’s tacos or Big Ern’s Barbecue and then play Game of Thrones with Nerf toys in the giant tree house and lawn. You can look down on the mayhem from a safe and enjoyable distance, at The Perch restaurant, enjoying drinks and American tapas and plates, inspired by International cuisine.

WHERE TO STAY

Best Hotel on the Strip: Caesars Palace.
 If what you really want is the Hangover Experience, then sell some stock and book a villa at Caesars Palace. The villas are massive and stocked with every amenity you might desire for your over-the-top party rage. The Nobu Hotel villa, located inside Caesars Palace, offers an elevated experience for the sophisticated Sin City connoisseur. You’ll overlook the Strip, while sampling Nobu sushi in a zen David Rockwell decor. Desire a private game of high-stakes Black Jack with your friends? Want Mike Tyson playing piano? Champagne delivered at dawn? The concierge team has seen at all, and is happy to cater to your whims (as long as they are legal).

A stay at a Caesars Palace villa could be the ultimate pajama party, if 30 of your closest friends are willing to throw down a grand each and bring their own sleeping bag. However, you don’t have to mortgage the house to have an epic adventure at Caesars. The Garden of the Gods pools are unmatched. The selection of restaurants fits every taste bud and budget. And the best show in Vegas — Absinthe — is hosted at the hotel. Prices for rooms at Caesars Palace start at just $99, if you book now.

Best, Affordable Downtown Hotel: The Oasis at the Gold Spike
The Downtown Vegas Experience is worthy of its own entirely off-Strip get-away. Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos and author of Delivering Happiness, has committed to creating a community of “Inspiration, Entrepreneurial Energy, Creativity, Innovation, Upward Mobility, and Discovery, through the 3 C’s of Collisions, Co-learning, and Connectedness in a long-term, sustainable way” (according to the Downtown Project’s webpage). This formerly blighted area, has become a destination in its own right, with great restaurants, bars, zip-lines, music and a unique community park/retail/dining center made out of shipping containers. All of this, and plenty of gambling, are within walking distance of the Oasis. You can even sneak into a cabana at the Gold Spike and get a little work done in between your beer pong and Black Jack.

You’ll definitely want to walk around downtown Las Vegas — perhaps up to EAT. or Publicus — to check out some of the many great murals that have been created during one of the best music festivals in the world — the Life Is Beautiful festival. This festival stampedes into downtown Vegas the last weekend of September, featuring music, chefs and artists colliding in 3-days of optimism.

Best Spa: Linq
Now that spas go all out to wow their pampered patrons, the defining factor comes down to two things — the treatments themselves and the Salt Cave. The Linq Spa excels at both. De-pollute your partied-out pores with the Alaskan Glacial Mud Wrap, followed by a Skin Glow Scrub and massage — in the Couples’ Room. Finish up with a meditation or nap in the Salt Cave (complimentary with treatment, but must be booked in advance).

If you’re a Millennial, The Linq might be your hotel of choice. If you’re not, you’ll need ear plugs for the nonstop House music. Bravo! Linq for the shades of sustainability that are present throughout the rooms and casino.

The Bottom Line

It’s worth it to extend your stay in Sin City beyond Super Bowl weekend, to enjoy all that Vegas has to offer these days, including the finest restaurants, nightclubs, pool parties, shows, massages, festivals and llamas. Who knows, you might even rub elbows with a billionaire.