Las Vegas: If the world is ending, why not indulge? - Los Angeles Times
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Las Vegas: If the world is ending, why not indulge?

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You don’t need an excuse to overindulge in Vegas, but if you feel the need, there’s the end of the Maya calendar on Friday.

Maybe a $5,000 hamburger is what’s needed for a final feast. Or, to drown one’s sorrows, some fine cognac -- at just $975 a shot -- may do the trick. Hey, as the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.â€

Robert Flicker, a Sin City publicist, came up with the word “ArmagedDINE†to describe the various ways in which folks can enjoy a belly-filling, wallet-draining gastronomic gratification. Topping his list is that, pardon the pun, whopper of a burger.

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The FleurBurger 5000 -- priced at $5,000 -- can be ordered at chef Hubert Keller’s Fleur restaurant at Mandalay Bay.

This burger’s about as far removed from a Big Mac as you can imagine. It begins with succulent Kobe beef, but the toppings aren’t your run-of-the-mill cheese and ketchup; they’re foie gras and black truffle.

To accompany the burger, Fleur serves a bottle of fine red wine, Chateau Petrus 1995, poured into elegant Ichendorf Brunello stemware from Italy. After the meal -- and the payment of the bill, of course -- the restaurant ships home the glasses, no extra charge.

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If foie gras sounds good, but the credit card won’t accommodate that kind of charge, consider chef Shawn McClain’s curious combination of foie gras and crème brulee. His concoction, a custard topped with the goose liver pate -- is priced at just $25. It’s available at McClain’s Sage restaurant at Aria.

The pricey cognac, a 140-year-old called Hardy Perfection, is served at the high-end Le Cirque at Bellagio. The restaurant’s impressive wine list includes bottles selling for as much as $25,000.

It’s also possible to bid the Earth farewell on a budget. Commonwealth, one of downtown Las Vegas’ newest bars, is hosting La Fin du Monde (End of the World) bash on Friday.

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The Prohibition-styled club on Fremont Street will be pouring a new stout -- also called La Fin du Monde -- to mark the occasion. The party starts at 6 p.m. and runs until the wee hours of the following morning or until the cataclysm, whichever comes first.

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