Romance and Roulette: Why Vegas Is for Gay Lovers

Las Vegas might not spring to mind for same-sex loving, but it should.

BY Lucas Grindley

February 14 2012 5:00 AM ET

Cirque du Soleil puts on spectacles at a number of the casinos' giant theaters, and we've seen them all because none is like the other. A couple on the hunt for romance should see the LGBT-inclusive, adults-only Zumanity at New York-New York or the Beatles tribute Love at the Mirage. On this trip we opted for a VIP experience of non-Cirque show Le Réve at the Wynn. It's the type of show that drops a performer from a rope high above in the ceiling, dips her in a giant pool, then pulls her back upward while gently spinning her around — just because they like the way the rain drizzles down to earth from her hair.

The dining experience puts you in a state of perpetual surprise, with every entrée topping the last. The "dancing eggplant" flakes at China Poblano (ChinaPoblano.com) actually twist and sashay on your plate. It's a José Andrés restaurant that combines noodles and tacos; it's just one of the many in Vegas installed by top chefs, and he's one we love from our years in Washington, D.C. The drunken noodles served at Wazuzu at the Wynn were featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network. And Botero (also at the Wynn) is known for steak but offers meat-free options and a whopping 35-page wine menu (but don't miss the tater tots, stuffed with aged cheese and dipped in sour cream).

The food is only part of the eating experience in Vegas. One could get lost in the array of brunch choices at the Jasmine at Bellagio, but there's more to it than that. As we entered the casino, Frank Sinatra crooned "Luck Be a Lady" while fountain cannons fired in time with the beat. We watched the show through enormous picture windows, sunlight shining through billowing yellow curtains like stripes on a seersucker suit. For a moment we actually stopped eating and just sat and smelled the small bouquet of flowers on the table, indulging in the amorous idyll of Vegas.