Reliable Classics: Serendipity 3

As I mentioned in a previous post, all of our meals at Caesars Palace restaurants were comped this past weekend.

Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace was a pleasant place for a casual all-American meal.

The restaurant is pink and orange and whimsical all over.

We had a much better visit at this outpost than we'd had at the original New York City location years ago primarily because of this lovely little placard.

When you flash a Seven Stars card, no matter how long the wait is, you get ushered to a seat immediately. It works at buffets. It works at fast food eateries. It works at Serendipity 3. We skipped a 30-minute line. Score.

Hot chocolate, whipped cream, cinnamon, shaved French chocolate ($5).

Warm hug in a mug.

Safe at Home Kobe Sliders -- Kobe beef, melted American cheese, and bacon aioli on home plate mini buns ($12).

I don't know if we were really hungry or what, but these were some badass beefy bites.

Crab cake salad -- Maryland jumbo lump blue crab cake, ruby red grapefruit, avocado, corn, and red onions topped with mache and frisee salad tossed with herb vinaigrette ($16.50).

This was actually just half of the salad because the kitchen was kind enough to split it onto two plates for us. Surprisingly tasty salad at a place known primarily for desserts, burgers, and sandwiches.

Triple decker grilled cheese -- cheddar, American, Brie, and Swiss served with a cup of tomato soup or fries ($15.50).


We got sweet potato fries and a cup of tomato soup because we're greedy like that. The sandwich was a cheese-filled dream, the only imperfection being the additional slice of bread in the middle. Didn't need that. The soup was nice for dipping, although it wasn't so impressive on its own.

Strawberry in Right Field Malt ($10.50).

I only had a small sip of this, but my husband enjoyed it greatly. Real strawberries. Real ice cream. Real good.

Aside from immediate seating, our Seven Stars card yielded the next two complimentary treats. Well, I guess they would've been complimentary if everything wasn't already comped. Even so, we were still stupidly excited.

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate for Two ($14).

Overrrated. But it was frrree. We liked that. The thought of actually paying $14 for this makes me a little ill, though.

A Frrrozen Hot Chocolate mix gift bag.

Too much chocolate for me, but we knew right away that we were going to give it to one of our sweetest friends when we went home. We practically said it at the same time. I love that.

Would I recommend Serendipity 3? We had a grand time because of the special Seven Stars service, but I'm not sure I'd be thrilled waiting for or paying for this meal. The food is familiar and comforting, but nothing about it is extraordinary.

I'd definitely redo our Seven Stars experience, though. I wish we qualified for a Seven Stars card of our own. I wish we had a Seven Stars card for life in general.

Sweeter Than Suite: Mandalay Bay

We thought we were going to stay at Caesars Palace all weekend because that's where my father-in-law said he would be gambling. But, upon our arrival, he told us that he'd been playing at Mandalay Bay.

And that's how we stayed in this huge free suite at Mandalay Bay during our first night before we headed to our usual room at Caesars Palace. Not too shabby, eh?

Big Fat Meh: Rao's

Rao's in New York City has been around since 1896. Apparently, it's hard to get a reservation there. Not so in Las Vegas.

In fact, we hadn't planned to eat here at all. It was the fourth restaurant we visited, and it was simply the only one in Caesars Palace that was still open when we got in late Friday night.

Orecchiette con Broccoli di Rappe -- sweet Italian sausage, broccoli rabe and garlic, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil ($25)

Meh.

Fiochetti al Burro, Salvia e Amarena -- beggar purse ravioli stuffed with pear and ricotta cheese in a butter, sage, and dried cranberry sauce ($28).

Meh.

Le Polpette di Rao's -- traditional Rao's meatballs served in tomato sauce ($15).

Better than meh. Juicy, good texture, nice blend of meats, but too salty.

This meal (as each of our meals and rooms in Vegas during this trip) was comped.

As you can see, though, I won't lie even when things are free.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hope your December 25th sparkled.

Substantial Sandwiches: Lovebirds Cafe & Bakery

Lovebirds Cafe & Bakery is a local chain with six locations.

Everything is fresh and made to order.

Chicken salad sandwich ($4.75 for half size), hot air fries ($1.95), classic Reuben ($6.45 for regular size).

Half a sandwich is enough for me. The portions are rather generous.