A drink, a cigar and a story. Casa Fuente does that to me. It's not that I feel cool. It's just that I feel like I'm in a spot that says I know just a little more than the next guy. It's like I found the secret before somebody else decided to tell everybody about it. It's like I'm in high school and I decided to drive an El Camino when everyone wanted to go around in a sports car.
If that makes very little sense to you just imagine an inviting place where you can sit back and enjoy a drink with others very much like you who want to enjoy a good smoke while tasting a classic cocktail on their lips. You want to enjoy the moment and ease into your "happy place."
The Cuban music is playing, the rum is flowing and you'll get that feeling of South Florida. If you have a real good imagination you can almost look out and see the waterfront. You can hear the vendors negotiating in a quick Spanish that is accented with a cadence that is genuinely Cuban. If you relax even more you might think your Cuban aunt will walk out from the back with some moros and fried plantains.
If you find yourself at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and you need a respite from the doldrums of shopping you should head over to Casa Fuente because everyone needs a spot to sit back, relax and take inventory of their priorities.
Photograph © 2012 Zeke Quezada, licensed to About.com, Inc