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Last weekend I spent two days exploring Las Vegas with Crystal, her mother, and her brother. It was my first visit to the unholy city that never sleeps, and I was quickly immersed in the unique culture and feeling of anticipation that ever-present gambling and general sloven behavior creates. We had fun, but the entire experience felt a bit rushed, as we only had two days to visit all of the sites.
For lunch on our first day we decided to make a reservation at the “Top of the World Restaurant and Lounge” that is located on one of the top levels of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino tower. This restaurant’s claim to fame is mainly it’s height from the ground, although it’s cuisine has also been well received by the food critic community. Since I don’t consider myself a refined food critic, I will try my best to review the entire experience, as well as the food.
Making the reservation was relatively easy - the woman who I spoke to on the phone was courteous and friendly, but I did have a hard time understanding her at times, due to her strong accent. I am not sure if this is a common trait among operators at the reservation call center, but it was definitely a negative factor during my phone call.
The support staff, everyone from our server to the elevator operators were all courteous and nice to us. Our server may have been a bit overloaded with tables, as she forgot a few minor things, and didn’t visit our table as often as I am used to. I can imagine that working in a circular restaurant which sits 1,000 feet off of the ground, and which rotates slowly over time can add a bit of stress to an already stressful job, so I won’t hold it against her. 
The revolving restaurant thing is actually pretty cool, and our meal lasted nearly two hours, so from our vantage point we were able to see nearly a 360 degree view of the Las Vegas landscape. The one downside to rotating for so long is, I felt a bit off-center for the rest of the day on Sunday.
We were served complimentary champagne at the start of the meal. We decided to maximize our variety of food by ordering the special four course lunch that was being offered. Thankfully our server allowed us to split our meals - this allowed us to share the large amount of food, and keep our total meal price reasonable (at $39 each, splitting the meals helped a lot). Each course offered us a few different choices, and for the first course we chose the smoked salmon appetizer. This was an interesting course - a large piece of smoked salmon was topped with diced asparagus, a white sauce that I couldn’t identify, and some artfully placed potato chips. The salmon was delicious, and the topping added the perfect amount of texture and variety.
For our second course we chose soup instead of salad, and each of us got a very tasty lobster bisque. Being a salt-fiend I added a bit of salt to mine, but it was a very tasty bisque either way (sorry, we forgot to take a picture of the soup!).
We chose the steak and shrimp for our main course, and we each received a very tender piece of juicy steak served over a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with a large shrimp and a delectable cream sauce. My steak was cooked perfectly, and I was left craving seconds. The cream sauce added a lot to the flavor variety, for both the shrimp and the steak.
For dessert we were served a chocolate “stratosphere” tower which was filled with raspberry chocolate mousse, and topped with vanilla sauce table-side. While somewhat gimmicky and hard to dismantle, this was a tasty dessert and a good end to the meal.
Included in our meal was complimentary access to the stratosphere tower observation floor above the restaurant, where we were able to see a slightly taller view of Vegas, and visit the gift shop (Crystal got me a t-shirt - thanks Crystal!). Overall, I enjoyed our visit to the Top of the World Restaurant - it gave us a unique vantage point from which to view Las Vegas, and it was a very nice (though slightly dizzying) atmosphere in which to enjoy a great meal - even for someone who is afraid of heights (me). All of our food was gratifying and presented in a somewhat unique style. I would definitely recommend this restaurant (given that you can fit it in your budget) to anyone visiting Las Vegas in the future. Also, it might be interesting to check out their, “Private Dining with a View” option, for a romantic dinner date.
Top of the World Restaurant (Stratosphere, Las Vegas, NV): 
4.5/5
Have you ever been to the Top of The World Restaurant in Vegas? Have you ever been to the top of the stratosphere tower? What did you think of either?
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Tonight we decided to check out a newer restaurant near our house here in Fort Collins called Maya Cove. The Maya Cove website (which could definitely use a facelift) describes the restaurant as contemporary Caribbean/American cuisine in a relaxing Island atmosphere - I would say that this is a quite accurate description of the place, except that it also features a bar. The menu is diverse, with a range of sandwiches to steaks and pastas, most with a slight tropical spin. The atmosphere is very laid back, with a selection of wooden barstool-height tables and relaxed patio furniture to sit in, as well as tropical decorations and signs on the walls. The atmosphere was almost too relaxed, seeming more like a bar and grill than a sit-down restaurant. The food on the other hand was delicious and diverse, and definitely gave Maya Cove back some of it’s true restaurant credit. The Island atmosphere is successfully implemented, but some of the decor seemed a bit cheap.
To start out, we shared an artichoke dip appetizer ($8), which was pretty tasty. The dip came with freshly-fried tortilla chips that were very crunchy, as well as fresh vegetables. The dip didn’t stand out as anything unique, but tasted good. We ran out of chips well before the dip was gone, unfortunately. Crystal ordered a french dip sandwich ($8) for her entree, which was served with french fries and a pickle wedge. She enjoyed the french dip, citing it’s quality meat, and she particularly liked the french fries. I ordered a Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich ($10), which contained 4 buffalo-sauce-dipped tiger shrimp of pretty decent size on a sandwich with lettuce, ranch, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, as were the shrimp. The sandwich as a whole was delicious, but very messy to eat (shrimp kept flying out of my sandwich, and my hands were nearly constantly covered in either buffalo sauce or ranch dressing). I had never had shrimp on a sandwich before this Maya Cove offering, and I was pleasantly surprised at the result. They also serve fish tacos, something I haven’t been brave enough to try in the past, but might have to return to Maya Cove for in the future. My sandwich was also served with french fries and a pickle wedge. We unfortunately didn’t sample any of the tropical drinks being offered on the drink menu this time around. We also didn’t have any desert, as they didn’t seem to offer any.
Our service was great, which wasn’t a surprise, as there were very few customers around. The bar area had a few patrons, hanging out to watch hockey and basketball, but our server, Chris, had enough time to check on us multiple times, as well as tend the bar, and keep everyone happy. He seemed to really enjoy hanging out at the restaurant, and knew many of the coming and going customers by name. I definitely enjoyed the friendly and relaxed atmosphere created by the staff and other customers - maybe a true extension of Caribbean ambiance?
Overall, we were a bit surprised by the atmosphere of Maya Cove, but we enjoyed the relaxed feel, as well as the food. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but couldn’t be considered expensive either, and I was happy with the variety of choices on the menu. The great service and friendly staff definitely made us feel welcome. I recommend Maya Cove Restaurant to anyone looking for a unique dining experience in Fort Collins.
Maya Cove Restaurant (Fort Collins, CO): 
4/5
4/5
Have you eaten at Maya Cove? What do you think about their menu choices on their website?
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