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| - After having changed our minds as to where we wanted to spend the evening (Burger Bar? Cosmo somewhere? Oooh, let's go to Aria!), Friday night found my friend and I bellied up to the bar in the lounge... and it was phenomenal. He had been here; I was the Union virgin.
Waiting for another girlfriend to join us, we started our evening with drinks and dinner and a chat. Not yet too busy, but buzzing well enough at both the bar and tables, we experienced immediate, attentive service without delay.
The decor was dark and intimate without being stifling or prohibitive to a casual evening. It got a bit loud at points, but it was the energy of the lounge crowd that created it and, because it was dynamic (read: it wasn't like the music was blasting too loud or anything), it seemed to fit the space.
The important stuff: drinks! Orin Swift's Prisoner by the glass made me a happy girl. Additionally, Sheena (bartender) made for me the only dirty martini I have had in Vegas that I didn't need to have them "fix" in some way. It was absolutely perfect the first time. The lemon drop shots were great (and a great ice breaker for new friends!).
Food: I had the Caesar salad and a side of mushrooms (about $10-12 each, very generous portions). Flavorful, well executed, and beautiful. The mushrooms were deep and earthy with a great, fresh, bright bite from the wine and spices in which they were cooked. The romaine was crisp and the dressing was tangy and rich. My friend had the (large!) Kobe burger ($25ish), which he was kind enough to let me taste, and I found it to be fresh, juicy, and well seasoned.
The Union was great for meeting up with friends and making new ones at the bar (you never know who you will meet through a foursquare checkin!). We were there for over three hours and we were always served quickly and efficiently, always with a smile, and always with a fantastic attention to detail. Whether it was our drinks, food, conversation, or a question, everyone was helpful, on point, and made us feel like we were the most important people in the room.
The pricing, I found, was appropriate. Yes, it's a high-end resort property, that has something to do with it, but we also had great food, great drinks, and amazing service. I would (and will) do it all again in a heartbeat.
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