I recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my friend's 50th birthday.  While there we were lucky enough to get an appointment to view the 'Akhob' exhibit at the Louis Vuitton store in the Crystals mall.  This is an amazing installation by James Turrell, an artist known for his work with light and its interaction with space. Entering Akhob, one experiences the Ganzfeld effect ("a mild form of sensory deprivation, it is caused by exposure to an unstructured, uniform stimulus - in this case, a field of colored light").   The light changes in color, slowly, and the full experience lasts about 24 minutes.  It was beautiful and very moving.

Another highlight of the trip was a visit to Thomas Keller's restaurant, Bouchon.  Thomas Keller is a renowned chef, restaurateur and cookbook author known for his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry.  Bouchon Bistro is located in The Venetian and is beautifully decorated. I especially loved the patterned tile on the floor....it was the only thing I took a picture of all night! 

Below is a sample from the menu (which is printed on kraft paper and folded into a square at each place setting):

*Steak Frites

pan-seared 9 oz. flat iron, caramelized shallots & maître d’hôtel butter, served with French fries $37.00

*Steak Bouchon

grilled 9oz. eye of the rib & sauce béarnaise, served with French fries $59.00

Poulet Rôti

roasted chicken with braised kale, Tokyo turnips & natural chicken jus $29.75

*Gigot d’Agneau

roasted leg of lamb with flageolet beans, garlic confît & thyme-scented lamb jus $35.00

Boudin Blanc

white sausage with potato purée & dried French plums $27.50

*Loup de Mer en Barigoule

pan-seared sea bass with globe artichokes, sweet carrots, pearl onions & barigoule emulsion $36.00

*Truite Amandine

sautéed Idaho rainbow trout with haricots verts, toasted almonds & beurre noisette $28.00

Moules au Safran

Maine bouchot mussels steamed with white wine, Dijon mustard & saffron, served with French fries $28.50

Gnocchi à la Parisienne

sautéed gnocchi with a fricassée of garden vegetables $26.75

*Croque Madame

grilled ham & cheese sandwich on brioche with a fried egg & sauce Mornay, served with French fries $18.95

Bouchon also has several bakeries in The Venetian with yummy looking treats!