Aria Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas [TheAge.com]
Welcome to Breaking Down The Times, in which Gridskipper tries its best to speed things up for you by sifting through the NYT Travel Section and telling you what you need to know.
1) Las Vegas, Nevada: Fred Bernstein takes on the task of reviewing the enormous Aria Hotel, one of the main components of the CityCenter development. And you know what? He likes it. "The hotel is huge, and it feels that way, but thanks to thoughtful design, it also feels luxurious and, at times, even cozy." Some essential points: 1) If you decide to stay there, don't take a shuttle from the airport, as it'll leave you too far from reception. 2) The bathrooms are great. 3) The views are both good and bad, so try and see if you can secure a room with a great view beforehand. 4) Restaurants are good and varied (our Vegas Restaurants Of The Moment map includes some). 5) Perhaps most importantly, the luxury you get for $149 a night can't be beat.
2) Palm Beach, Florida: For this week's 36 Hours, The Times takes a look at post-Madoff Palm Beach and finds that it's still all about luxury. Have a cocktail at The Breakers, have meals at The Palm Beach Grill, Testa's, Green's Pharmacy, The Brazilian Court Hotel (where D-Biggety Boulud runs the restaurant), The Omphoy Hotel (where Michy Bernstein runs two restaurants), among others. Also, do beachy things and check out The Flagler Museum.
3) Mexico City: There's a piece on Calle Regina, a lively nightlife block in the otherwise dead Centro district. Check out mezcaleria Al Andar, have a drink at El Hosteria La Bota, and hear some jazz or comedy at Los Canallas. "The Mexican government designated [the street] as a “cultural corridor” in 2007, [when it] was sealed off from traffic, and storefronts were repainted in bright pastels — part of a sweeping revitalization project that is a joint effort of the Mexican billionaire businessman Carlos Slim Helú (who is also a major shareholder and creditor of The New York Times Company) and the city government."
4) Portland, Oregon: Freda Moon reviews Whiskey Soda Lounge, the latest "in a growing sub-genre of Portland restaurants that have made Asian drinking snacks a lifestyle as much as a menu item — a group that also includes the raucous hole-in-the-wall sake bar Tanuki, and [Whiskey owner Andy Ricker's] pan-Asian skewer house, Ping." Though the cocktails "can underwhelm," the place makes great booze food and it's a great spot to visit for dinner or just to kill time waiting for a table at Ricker's nearby Pok Pok.
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