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MONICA

I was just in Vegas 2 weekends ago and now I'm preparing myself for round two with Junette and some girlfriends next weekend. The one thing I look forward to the most is the food. Yeah the shows are entertaining, the gambling is fun while intoxicated, and the shopping is addicting now that Topshop opened up, but there's no place else that has food quite like Las Vegas.

This last visit we ventured off the strip to try Bachi Burger which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. They have Asian-style burgers like the Bahn Mi burger served on a Taiwanese sweet bun. If you're into burgers, you gotta try this place. My fondest meal memory in Vegas though has to be at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. I've kind of spoiled my own taste buds to the point where nothing really surprises me anymore. But their tasting menu did something so worthy to my tongue that I replay it in my mind from time to time, like listening to an old Beatles song. The most creative cocktails are at the Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan. My one recommendation is to try the Verbena before you die. Lastly, Jonathan Gold said the single best Thai restaurant in North America is Lotus of Siam. That's where you will most likely find me next weekend.

JUNETTE

To me, Vegas is like going dancing: it's fun in small doses. This summer, I'm looking forward to a quick trip to Vegas with the girls at the end of the month. Monica and I will be joined by some 6 of our friends to get our annual fill of Vegas.

When in Vegas, I believe you must join the hordes of people walking the Strip. It's part of the Vegas experience. While walking the strip, you must people watch, gawk at the ridiculously dressed girls, shake your head at the midwestern tourists, complain about the heat, wish that the City of LV would install moving sidewalks, and perhaps buy an alcohol filled guitar at Rockhouse.

However, I like to have a purpose when I walk, and this trip, I'll be headed toward the Cosmopolitan. I just read about the Cosmopolitan's P3 Studio for artist(s) in residence.

I'm not sure who will be the artist in residence, when we get there, but there are other exhibits to see: The Golden Age of Glam and Steampunk?? I'm in.

Other Vegas musts are lounging by the pool, gambling, dancing, and buffets!

I'm not how we'll manage to score enough lounge chairs for all of us (I refuse to go to a beach club like Tao), but the pools themselves at the Venetian are fun to splash around in.  As for gambling, I recently received some advice on quarter vs. penny slots and video poker. Intriguing. This might be good (or very bad) for someone like me who is too intimidated to play with real people and with a real dealer. I'm not much of a gambler though, so this would just be while waiting for my other friends who are on lucky streaks.

For some reason, I always seem to end up at one specific nightclub, Tao. I really hate Tao because I feel like I'm crammed into a tin can. This time, I'd like to try out a new place: XS or Marquee. XS has been on the "to try" list for a long time, but the long lines are intimidating and my clothes are never small enough to get us in for free. I prefer to try Marquee because the go-go dancers there aren't just your typical boots with da fur girls who dance to the beat of a song that no one but they can hear.

I saw this picture on someone's facebook, and I thought, "WOW!" That seems fun to watch. Classy go-go dancers, though that may seem like a walking dancing contradiction.

Las Vegas' Best Buffet is actually located in Henderson at Green Valley Ranch, but I think the detour is well worth it. $4.99 for a breakfast buffet sounds like music to my ears, compared to the $40 buffets on the Strip. The rave review I am hearing give me confidence to convince the other ladies to hit Feast Buffet for breakfast. Plus, anywhere the locals like is legit to me.