Part Vegas re-cap, Part restaurant review, Part Wine review

Cuz that's how we roll...

We spent a week in Las Vegas earlier this month. Hubs had a conference to attend, so I tagged along, did a bit of antiquing, lots of walking, and we played tourist in the evenings. We ate out a lot, which has gotten very expensive in Vegas. Most restaurants were not worth it, but Circo (in the Bellagio) definitely was. We sort-of ended up there by default, having opted for the dinner-and-show combination to see Cirque du Soleil's "O". (We reviewed "O", "Phantom", and all our restaurants on TripAdvisor if you're planning a Vegas visit).

So, about Circo... We got there early, so had a drink in the bar before our reservation. The bartender was very friendly, and he suggested the espresso martini. It was excellent.

The recipe:
equal parts espresso,
Stoli vanilla, and
Kahlua. YUM!

For dinner, we got a table by the windows, so had a stunning view of the Bellagio fountains. Having signed up for the pre-show dinner, we had limited menu options. After deciding what we were going to order, we checked out the wine list. Yikes! To say it was extensive would be an understatement. And to top it off, some bottles were 5 figures. That's right, over $10,000 a bottle!

We picked a very modest bottle: a 2007 St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel.

The wine had a nice plum color. The aroma reminded me of a shady oak grove on a hot summer day...berries, light oak, and it smelled of cherry with a hint of green grass. The flavor was fruit-forward (black cherry) with a slow building of pepper.

For dinner, Hubs got the salad, which was fresh and light. I got calamari with tomato sauce, which was good. The sauce brought out the sharper tannins and pepper in the wine. We both got the ravioli, which was super tasty. The wine really brought out the sweet butter of the ravioli dish.

Our desserts were tasty and a feast for the eyes. Circo's service was attentive throughout, always keeping the wine glasses full. The fountains were lovely, and it was a great start to our evening.

Just goes to show that you needn't buy a pricey bottle to enhance a fine meal!