Fortune Tellers with 24 Layers of Chocolate Cake

Rumor has it, that Vegas is partying like it is 2019 (and that a pandemic didn’t just happen), which is why I’m sending Mr. SJ out for some reconnaissance. Vegas is open at 100% capacity so expect to see loose masks, loose plexiglass and loose morals.   Mr. SJ and our friend J will be in Vegas for the next 3 days staying at Circa on Fremont St.  If you haven’t heard Circa is going to be THE place to be this summer with the hottest pool scene and sports book.  

Vegas is back!  And just like Elvis sang, “there’s black jack and poker and the roulette wheel…a fortune won and lost on every deal.”   Listening to that song and thinking about the boy’s trip at hand, my mind can’t help but wander back to our first stay downtown.

J and his wife, The Queen of Hearts, were the second newbies that we took to Las Vegas. They loved it so much that they went back with us a second time and are always ready for a quick trip. The second trip was spent on Fremont Street at the Golden Nugget as it was Mr. SJ’s birthday celebration. And there can’t be a birthday celebration without cake… so I want to offer up a tale of pure food bliss with a side of Vegas strange…

The Queen of Hearts and I were out for the night to see Backstreet Boys at Planet Hollywood while the boys went casino hopping on Fremont. We walk into Planet Hollywood and The Queen is approached by a woman who tells her “you have a beautiful aura around you and it’s color is red…” (or something of that nature). The Queen brushes the lady off, tells her thank you and shucks it up to “the weird crap of Vegas” and we continue to our show. Backstreet Boys was everything that my middle school heart could have wanted, and it was a fantastic performance; but, that’s not the focus of the story…

The focus is cake… yes, I’m a sucker for a good, I mean GREAT, dessert. Word on the street is that Planet Hollywood’s Strip House has a 24 layer (read that again…24 layer) chocolate cake. I had already decided after dinner that this was my goal after singing my heart out to “As Long As You Love Me.” So the #chase began with a very brisk walk to find the casino entrance. The concert ended close to 11 and despite what many people think, the restaurants in Vegas close around 10 or 11 (even on weekends) as way to keep you on the casino floor longer.

As we head down the Miracle Mile of shops, I am stopped by a woman. She touches my arm and says “I see big and prosperous things in your future, and to know more I have a psychic shop down on the left that I think you should visit Mrs. SJ. “ What the actual – this lady just called me by my name?? And no, I didn’t have anything out, no names on my clothing, heck I don’t even carry a purse to events! Slightly freaked out we continue on our search.

Quick side note about The Queen of Hearts… she is truly my sassiest friend. Like she is who I want to have my back in street fight; she is loud, she is blunt, she is bold… Until it comes to rules. Hidden on the second floor is The Strip House, the high-end steak house of Planet Hollywood, and my heart literally started to break as I approached the mostly closed doors of a dark, almost empty dining room. But there’s hope… I see people. It’s Vegas, right? The doors looked like shutters that could be folded and they were mostly closed, but it wasn’t completely closed… So I pushed the shutters to the side and walked in. Thinking my ride or die is behind me, I walk up to the waitress as humble as possible and ask “I don’t want a table, I just want a piece of your 24 layer chocolate cake to go. Is this possible?” After a quick conversation, the waitress nods and tells me I can sit at a table. It was then that I realize that The Queen is waiting outside.

The Queen of Hearts walks in, hands her credit card to the waitress and laughing she says “yeah girl, I’m so proud of you for walking in and asking for what you want, but I’m all about following rules, so I was just going to wait to see what happened before I came in, so for that I’m buying this cake.” A rule follower… I never would have guessed. Cake in hand we head back to Fremont to find the boys, but we aren’t finished with Vegas strange just yet.

I wish the psychic had spent a little less time talking about our aura and a little more warning us about the driver taking us back downtown.   Little did we know but we had found ourselves in the rideshare of “The Grifter”, the 2^nd best card counter in the world.  I’m not even joking,  the Uber driver proceeded to tell us why he was one of the most feared men in any casino…but that’s a story for another day…we have cake to discuss!

This chocolate delight was comprised of 24 paper thin layers of the moistest cake and covered in a rich decadent ganache icing. Plus, it was HUGE! And at 3 am on Saturday in Vegas… it made for the perfect before bed snack…or early breakfast depending on how you count. Honestly, this cake was so rich, that I packed the leftovers in my carry on and had it for breakfast while waiting for our flight. This is a must eat dessert, and while I can’t speak on the rest of the food, I will say the staff The Strip House rocked for allowing me to check off a famous Vegas dessert on my “must eat” list after hours.

I have a reputation for waiting in lines and making reservations just to have the signature dessert of famous chef or restaurant, and the BEST places I share with my friends. Get ready for 3 days of #chasing on Fremont and expect some upcoming posts about the new things Vegas and Circa! Chasing Tip: No matter the time…always ask for the dessert and get ready to #chaseme … #chasehim (Mr. SJ) on Fremont Street…