Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace, Fiamma at the MGM Grand, O at the Bellagio -- this town is killing us

So, so, so tired! I just got back to my room from seeing O at the Bellagio and it looks like this is going to be my third consecutive night getting only 4 hours of sleep. And we're leaving tomorrow, so I have to pack. Wah!

Today was another fun-filled day in Vegas, but it's becoming a bit of a strain due to all the sleep deprivation. Since tomorrow is our last day in town, I think Cameron should let us leave early and go sleep in a lounge chair by a pool somewhere. Sigh.

For lunch, Cameron took us all to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Caesar's Palace. I had been dying to go here and I didn't think I'd get the chance, so I was thrilled. Caesar's Palace is an absolutely enormous property. Mesa Grill was excellent. The complimentary basket of carbs contained the most delicious corn muffins that were a swirl of two kinds of dough, studded with crispy whole corn kernels. They fell apart when you touched them and they melted in your mouth. I ate two.

For my main, I had chicken tacos, which were presented in the deconstructed way that Bobby Flay does everything on Iron Chef America. Each ingredient was presented separately and attractively on a long plate. The chicken was charred and delicious, the cilantro and mint were fresh and green, the sauteed onions were lovely, and the sweet garlic sauce went with everything perfectly. Best chicken tacos I've ever had.

Oh, and the waiter seduced all of us into having margaritas with freshly squeezed juices. I had a Cactus and Pear margarita. It was pretty good and very strong, but I've been spoiled for life by the cocktails that Marcelo and I had in Goa. Those were way better.

Since O wasn't going to start until 10:30, we had dinner first. I made a reservation at Fiamma, an upscale Italian place in our hotel. Jeff had gone there on his last trip to Vegas. I had fusilli with prosciutto, peas, and black truffles. It was pretty decent. Creamy. For dessert, I had a little scoop of Sicilian Blackberry sorbet. It was tart and sophisticated tasting with a hint of booze, I think. The food was good, but my tummy was very upset later in the evening (actually, during the show). I don't know what it was, but I had to run out on two occasions. I think I only missed the contortionist, which was okay with me because they creep me out.

So, O was a very impressive production with an elaborate set. The stage was large and round, like usual, but in the middle was a large pool with a perforated floor that was raised and lowered so that the pool could be at different depths during the show or disappear altogether. The artists in the show were synchronized swimmers, high divers, and acrobats. It sounds really cool on paper, but actually in practice it wasn't as good at Mystere. The water limits the types of stunts that can be performed and the result is sort of like watching the Summer Olympics except that everyone is in costume. I don't want to sound jaded. It was a very cool show, but seeing it after last night's show made it a bit underwhelming. If you have to choose between the two, I'd totally pick Mystere.

Well, I am about to drop and I have to get up in 4 hours. I took a tonne of pictures today in Caesar's Palace, MGM Grand, New York New York, Paris, and the Bellagio. If you'd like to see them, please click here. Nighty-night.