Las Vegas: If the world is ending, why not indulge?

A Kobe burger topped with black truffles and foie gras is on the menu at Mandalay Bay's Fleur, priced at $5,000, just in time for a last blast before the end of the world (Fleur)

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By Jay Jones

December 19, 2012, 7:15 a.m.

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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.