Travel Guide: Being a Healthy Vegan in Viva Las Vegas

The overarching theme of this trip was Plants + Champs in Sin City (pronounced “shammpz” like champagne, duh). Let’s dive in, shall we?

Yay for Labor Day- I hope everyone has had a safe, relaxing day with their crew! For me, it means a Monday off work and a chance to get back to the blog. I legit have sOoO much to share with you guys, I just made a whole list so I don’t forget one lil’ topic. But for now, a mini travel guide of how I made my recent Viva las Vegas birthday trip a PLANT-BASED party.

If you follow along on the ‘gram, you probably saw me and my wolf pack (aka Garrett my husband and Caesar our Maltese pup) drive the couple hours trek from LA to Vegas last weekend to celebrate the fact that I was turning 27 on the 27th of August (aka a Golden Birthday). I’ve been playing up the “Golden Birthday” for years now so I’m glad it worked well enough I got a whole special weekend getaway out of it. Score, am I right?  I gotta tell ya, I was worried I would leave that dirty desert feeling like I needed a major detox but luckily some simple travel hacks and quality restaurants made for an overall fantastic 48 hours!

Here’s a quick hit list of places we ate:

• On the Strip:

  • The Wynn and Encore Las Vegas: I seriously cannot recommend this hawt a$$ pair enough. I was absolutely thrilled to read that vegan businessman, casino and real estate developer Steve Wynn is the source behind why EVERY restaurant in these two hotels on the strip is dedicated to providing a vegan and vegetarian menu option! Our two favorites below:

    • Andrea’s:  I give this place 5 stars for everything from food to swanky atmosphere. It was the perfect Saturday night “out on the town” kind of din before we hit a show. Asian Inspired Dishes for the win here. We dined on the shishito peppers, vegan fried rice (because treat yo self), asparagus and avocado sushi, and of course, champagne! Props to this place because they started our meal with personalized birthday chopsticks and ended the night with a complimentary vegan cookie dough cake ball and candle. That’s about as lit as I got in Vegas (get it? ah good ol’ candle puns). JK I got tipsy. But seriously, give a girl a personal touch like that and you’ve got me as a loyal customer fo’ life!
    • Jardin: Another spot we ate for dinner but I read the brunch is amazing too! Quinoa grapefruit salad, vegan veggie pizza, kale pesto ravioli, and chia seed coconut berry dessert melted my heart just like watching an early 2000’s “rom com” classic (Jenny from the Block in The Wedding Planner anyone?!) This restaurant earned seriously high ranks in my book because the menu does a great job of being truly more plant-based and not just unhealthy, vegan copy versions of recipes. I really don’t do a lot of imitation meats or cheeses, etc and really is why I was super satisfied with this place. To top it off, it’s enclosed in this like, super lush greenery and has a very garden-esque, flowery vibe. LOVE.

• Outside the Strip:

  • The Modern Vegan: casual lunch place with a huge menu of vegan spins on classic American favorites. I give this a “meh” rating but it’s worth looking into for a quick bite!
  • Whole Foods: Ok, so I really wanna try and visit every WF store in the country. I mean, I think I could do it. Anyway, check this location off the list. A quick 10 min drive from the main strip and we were able to pick up some wine and snacks to stock up our room. Nothing says DOTL Does Vegas more than carrying WF bags through the casino, right?!

 

 

Travel Hacks:

• Bring your own organic, vegan, biodynamic, and/or sulfite free bevyz to the room. Make a fizzy Kombucha + vodka or opt for some rose and champs! Give me alll the proseccoooo plz. We were easily able to sneak these in pool side too. I know, so risque. 
• Ask the front desk fo’ shiz- you didn’t hear it from me but apparently if you tell the front desk staff that you suffer from a medical condition they can bring you things such as a mini fridge and air purifier or humidifier which def would come in handy for your room snacks and combatting that dry desert heat.
• Next Round: I can’t wait to go back and use even more travel tips for turning this unhealthy city into a wellness weekend! More on that in this article here from one of my all time faves, Mind Body Green.

 

So, while the trippy Cirque du Soleil Circus and roulette tables may be a gamble, at least you know what you’re putting into your body on a Sin City trip doesn’t have to be! Cheers to Vegas.

Until next time,

Xoxo

Dani