Luscious Liana flew in from Honolulu to celebrate our 40th birthdays together this past February. I’ll share a full rundown of the festivities from our 45 hours in Las Vegas but first, a play-by-play of our exquisite dinner at the incomparable Joël Robuchon.

Located inside the MGM Grand (next to a sea of glowing slot machines and the Cirque du Soleil theater), the restaurant’s been on my bucket list for the better part of my adult life. And after what’s felt like a never-ending pandemic, it was beyond lovely to experience seasoned hospitality again.

While I have eaten at L’atelier de Joël Robuchon on three occasions (1, 2, 3), this was my first time dining at the mothership. It was hard not to feel giddy seated inside the plush purple temple dedicated to French-style fine dining. From the bread cart at the start to the dessert trolley near the end, and the impeccable dishes in between, the meal was as spectacular as I’d imagined.

A well-made Old Fashioned made for stiff and fabulous start to the meal.