The festive fine-dining restaurant Twist by Pierre Gagnaire at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

 
  John Katsilometes gears up for his drive in a Ferrari 458 Italia
 
  The high-thrill and highspeed track at Exotics Racing school in Las Vegas

For men seeking an action-packed weekend in Las Vegas, the experience is often the stuff of film lore: five guys stuffed into a room for four, splayed across a pair of queen-size beds. Pitched in the corner: a collection of crumpled ATM receipts, a dozen advertisements for escorts, and a plastic football beer decanter. Really, gentlemen, is this any way to vacation? No. There is so much more to be had in Vegas for adventurous gents who understand you get what you pay for, such as, for starters, a spin around a Las Vegas Motor Speedway road course, some 20 miles north of the Strip. This city moves at a quick clip, and I discover nowhere is that more evident than at Exotics Racing school, where new-model Lamborghinis, Porsches, and Aston Martins are among the 10 types of exotics available to drive.

Upon arriving bright and early, I quickly understand this will be no ordinary morning drive. Before I am allowed to even curl into my exotic machine—mine being a 560-horsepower Ferrari 458 Italia valued at $280,000—I am required to attend a 30-minute instructional session. Afterward, with my driving instructor in the passenger’s seat, I take to the 1.2-mile, 10-turn road course. I learned it’s all about the “line” in this car, which means finding the most efficient path around the curvaceous raceway. My driving instructor intones, “Go wide! Go low! Gear up! Gear down! Open throttle!” The latter is my favorite, as we come out of Turn 10 and fly down the straightaway at an exhilarating 115 mph.

Someday I will try to beat that speed, but not today. I’ve got a date at Rumor, the ultramod, chic, and unpretentious 150-room boutique hotel where I discover, to my amusement, the room awaiting me is not a room, exactly. It’s more a Lewis Carroll experience: a 1,000-square-foot space known as the Camouflage Mega Suite. Camouflage—in this context—is a fairly dizzying effect, a swirling dark- and sky-blue painted The room reminds me of the interior of a classic American-made automobile. There’s a pair of light blue couches with metal studs, a trio of hassocks, and, inside the bathroom, a lounge with yet another couch and a wide-screen TV. But the pièce de résistance of the space is a dual-showerhead “cleansing oasis” that can accommodate up to 10 people.

After surveying the suite, I head downstairs to Rumor’s Addiction Food & Drink restaurant, where permanent guest chef Vic “Vegas” Moea is doing one of his pop-up events, which occur about every six weeks. I indulge in four satisfying courses: wild mushroom, corn, and potato zuppa; seared scallops with saffron risotto and caviar; espresso-rubbed tenderloin with horseradishparsnip puree; and Kahlúa bread pudding crème brulee for dessert.

A Delectable Dining Experience
The next day I discover there is life beyond Rumor and head to Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, located on the 23rd floor of the high-rise luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, the only restaurant in the US operated by Gagnaire, the Michelin-star chef. I take in fantastic views of the Strip through floor-to-ceiling windows in the bathed-in-white dining room, where glass light fixtures dangle overhead like dozens of Christmas ornaments. The experience is further elevated by the presence on this night of Gagnaire himself, his tousled white hair shooting in all directions.