Hello Las Vegas – Encore Hotel Vegan Room Service

Our trip from San Francisco on Virgin America was uneventful and quick. Every trip out of Vegas comes with a free pat down (for us, since we always opt-out) but it’s gotten pretty routine at this point. From the moment we got out of the plane, it was a non-stop cacophony of gambling and lights and noise, as people prepared to ring in 2013 in one of the biggest parties Vegas has to offer (which is really saying something.)

First stop was our hotel, one of vegan tycoon Steve Wynn’s imposing towers – we were staying at the Encore, and it was opulent and slightly over the top, while also amazing. I soaked in the view and we contemplated our next move.

Every Wynn property restaurant has vegan options, so we didn’t have to leave the hotel to eat, I was already pretty happy with that… that was until I picked up the room service menu. I do this at every hotel we stay at, not expecting to see anything more exciting than a plate of fruit or a basket of fries or at most a veggie (probably-not-vegan) burger of some kind. Imagine my surprise and excitement at the special “vegan” menu section.

JC tells me (yesterday) he knew that the Encore had room service, but I was completely taken by surprise. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. There were options, and lots of them. You can see the menu here

I’ve never had room service before beyond a soggy container of fries, so this was extra extra special. But what do you pick, when everything is vegan and you’re still trying to pretend your birthday is a week long? Well, I think we chose well.

In my bumpkinnery, I attempted to open and then hold the door open for the porter bringing in food and a table – I’ve since learned this is just not how it’s done. Though I’m not sure how people are supposed to open doors while also pulling folded tables that are some how also full of hidden food, but they’re the pros, so they know what they are doing.

JC had soup, and I don’t think I even tried it. Vegan tomato soup, with cashew cream, topped with croutons, but I was focused on the Nachos. Vegan room service nachos with a “cheesy cashew cream sauce.” I ordered them while still expecting them to be some kind of mystery gross gloop mix of stuff. It was delicious. We spent several hours grazing on it that evening.

I was approaching everything as novel, everything was photographable – including the condiments. These are the tiniest bottles of ketchup I have ever seen – why do they exist in this size? Why am I taking pictures of condiments? That grated parmesan looking thing in the centre? It was like parmesan, but not as gross. It was late, and nothing was making sense.

We also shared an order of spinach and artichoke ravioli. Ravioli. Something I have a hard enough time finding commercially in Toronto, no big deal, here you are. We would see these again (or at the very least, a very similar version of them at The Lobby Bar & Cafe).

Up until this point the Birthday trip had included:

– Millennium – Happy birthday to me!
– St. Francis Fountain – Brunch of Champions
– Souley Vegan – Amazing vegan Soul Food in Oakland
– Herbivore – Brunch of okay.
– Gracias Madre – Delicious food with a side of sexism.
– Another visit to Souley Vegan and a quick run to Cinnaholic

And there was still more to go.