When friends visit New York, they often complain about high food prices. Two dollars for a cup of coffee? Six dollars for an omelette, toast, hash browns and juice? Eight to ten bucks for a glass of wine?!
May they never travel to Las Vegas.
At first glance prices in Vegas don’t seem out of proportion. Martinis and mojitos at the Venetian Resort with my friend Tim cost around $12 apiece, roughly what I’d spend on a cocktail in New York or Philadelphia. Factor in the live music and that we were in a fancy hotel in the heart of Las Vegas and the amount appeared realistic.
Even the first night’s dinner at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon didn’t seem particularly outrageous. My trout almondine entree was $27 while my friend Marilee’s scallop special was $46. Okay, $46 was quite steep but this was THE Thomas Keller. What truly surprised me was not the cost but the quality. Good but not astonishing. Plus, the haricot vert that topped my trout were limp and lukewarm. When you’re favorite part of the meal was the complimentary bread, well . . ..
The shock came the next morning at Starbucks. At home my usual tall coffee is $1.90. In Vegas it’s $2.91. A plain, untoasted bagel? $2.50 plus tax. I passed on the $1.50 banana and the $4.25 bottle of orange juice. Too much for my breakfast budget.
Things only got more expensive from there. Casual dining at the Wynn buffet was $36.70 plus drinks and tip. The atmosphere was elegant, though, and the food plentiful and creative. Tim dined on octopus and sauteed mushrooms while Marilee indulged in fried chicken, pizza, candied apples and scones. Unfortunately, the two beers that I had drunk before dinner quashed my appetite. Yet, I did manage to sample the mashed potatoes, asparagus salad, gazpacho soup, smoked trout and a smattering of desserts. 
Expense aside, I did eat some wonderful meals while in Vegas. From the lime-chili seared ahi tuna sliders and banana cream pie at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House to the sun-dried tomato, basil and goat cheese scramblers with hash browns, biscuits and fresh fruit at Hash House A Go-Go, the fare was fresh and flavorful. Just don’t talk to me about the price!
