Italy!  It’s an amazing country that bundles food, fashion and lots of friends into one tidy boot-shaped package.  Sadly, I’m lazy, and don’t visit as much as I’d hope.  Luckily for me, Las Vegas has done its best to recreate various parts of Italy, right here, in the desert.  And while I’m not gonna tell you that sitting on a patio at Bellagio is the same as sipping an espresso in Como; it’s still got all the makings for a delightful Italian-themed sojourn.

Recently, Audra Baldwin and I joined our friend, Phillip Marc, for lunch, at Lago by Julian Serrano; after which he took us to the Giorgio Armani boutique on the Via Bellagio, where he introduced us to Andrea Perulli – the company’s longtime lead stylist, who was in Las Vegas for a couple of days (as part of a short tour of the US), before returning to Milan.

It was an ideal afternoon for a bit of al fresco lunching, and we got a table on the patio, overlooking the Bellagio Fountains.  I hadn’t been to Lago, yet; and – being a huge fan of eating outside – was immediately taken with the bright restaurant.  And while I’d heard grumblings around town that the venue still had a bit of ramping-up to do, it would seem that those matters had been attended to rather well.

I found the meal to be fun, fresh, and flavorful (not a bad combination for a Saturday afternoon with friends).  The highlights of the meal, to my mind, included the Ricotta Infornata (baked Ricotta, with roasted bell peppers, and basil), the Polpette (both à la carte, and flattened as a patty, in the Polpettone Panini), and the Prosciutto E Fichi Pizzette (a small pizza with goat cheese, prosciutto, and figs).

Now, obviously, a meal is much more than just the food – although that’s usually a pretty big part of it – so it could be that my high spirits have something to do with my enjoyment of that lunch; but I even enjoyed a few bites of Phil’s Verdure e Farro con Pollo (farro grain salad with chicken breast).  Sure, I always thought Farro was the guy to whom Moses sang “Let my people go!” but I’ll just file it away under Q for quinoa (which I insist on pronouncing as Kwinowah, because apparently, Hooked on Phonics neglected to work for me).

After lunch, we rose and meandered through the casino, and down the Via Bellagio, to the Giorgio Armani boutique.  There, we chatted with store director Suzanne Gilmore, then met Andrea, and his assistant Andrea (for real!), and I marveled at how – after nearly two decades – the décor of the Michael Chow-designed shop is as beautifully suited to Armani’s tailored garments as it ever was.

I’m pretty sure that Signor Perulli thought I was Audra’s personal photographer (which is pretty ironic, seeing as I’d forgotten to adjust my camera’s settings; so, as far as my camera was concerned, I was shooting outdoors in sunlight); but I was amused by the whole thing, and just kinda went with it.

For those of you wondering “What the heck is a Lead Stylist, anyhow?” Andrea is longtime confidante of the designer, and is the last person to futz with the models, before they walk down the runway.  Simultaneously, as Signor Armani no longer travels, Andrea is an ambassador to brand’s many high-profile and celebrity clients.

While visiting with Andrea, he asked if he could fit a jacket on Audra; and before you could say “Uno più per la strada,” he was buttoning and adjusting and smoothing; and between the white fabric, the bright backlight, and the cut of the garments, brought to my mind a sartorial dervish whirling around one of Degas’ ballerinas.  And if that’s not a perfect mental image upon which to rest an essay, I don’t know what is.

LAGO by Julian Serrano | Giorgio Armani
Bellagio Las Vegas
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