Have I mentioned how much I love dessert? Chocolate in particular. Meals are fine, they're just a thing to get out of the way so I can get to dessert.

Imagine how delighted I was to stumble across the Chocolate Swan, a new bakery, chocolatier, cafe, and corner of heaven located in the new Mandalay Place shopping gallery between Mandalay Bay and Luxor. This is the place that chocolate and dessert lovers have been dreaming about, and I predict pilgrimages of sweet-toothed fanatics from across the country will descend upon its doors.

Forgive the hyperbole, but this place is really, really good.

Mary and Robert Basta ran the Chocolate Swan in a suburb of Milwaukee for 20 years, building their business primarily on word of mouth -- which is interesting, because once you taste this stuff it's hard to imagine your mouth being empty long enough to actually talk about it. A family friend brought some of their delights to executives at Mandalay Bay and when the new shopping gallery was in the planning stages, getting the Chocolate Swan to come to Vegas was one of the top priorities.

Everything here is made from scratch from the finest ingredients, using such over-the-top exactness that it would preclude me from ever working there because the Basta's pickiness would probably drive me crazy. For instance, every egg used in the recipes is cleansed in a hot bleach-water bath and then cracked into a cup. If it doesn't turn out right, the whole thing goes into the trash. But that means only the best stuff gets to the display cases and eventually to your mouth. That attention to detail is obvious as soon as you take a bite.

The Bastas fly in their ingredients from around the world -- apricots from Australia, peanuts from a family farm in Virginia that are then roasted on-site in the Las Vegas store, the list goes on and on. And they don't do things the easy way either. For instance, they don't use butter in their caramels, they use a French creme reduction process that produces a sweetness that is almost indescribable.

There are two stores, one just off the main casino in Mandalay Bay, between the House of the Blues and the showroom where "Mamma Mia!" plays. The other is upstairs in the small shopping gallery between Mandalay Bay and Luxor. Both have display cases packed with chocolates, pastries, cheesecakes, frozen custard and more, many of which come with a wine or cordial recommendation from an extensive list of alcoholic beverages. The menu has even more temptations than what you'll see on display. Each location has seating areas both inside and outside done in a faux sidewalk cafe style. This would be a great place to stop after dinner or a show to have a confection and a glass of brandy.

Everything I tasted was eyes-rolling-into-the-back-of-my-head delicious, but here are just a few of my favorites: the milk-chocolate caramels, so chewy-gooey delicious that I had to bring back a box to savor and protect like jewels; the chocolate strawberry log, essentially a strawberry shortcake coated in dark chocolate; the grand raspberry cheesecake, sweetened with Grand Marnier and sealed with chocolate; the cinnamon crown, a delightful concoction of cinnamon meringue, chocolate, chocolate Grand Marnier mousse, and cinnamon whipped cream; the chocolate-covered strawberries; and the chocolate frozen custard with warm caramel sauce on top. Other things I plan on trying next time include the chocolate marble cheesecake, the chocolate raspberry creme brulee, the Bailey's Irish cream truffles, the white chocolate eclairs ... oh ,forget it. I'm just going to crawl in the display case and eat until they drag me out kicking and screaming.

In addition to all of the stuff mentioned, they also sell hot-fudge topping, hot cocoa mix, cakes, pecans, dipped fruits, truffles of endless variety, lemon bars, tortes, pies, chocolate chips, toffee, peanut brittle ... and the list goes on.

Of course, this is not a Hershey's candy bar purchased at a convenience store, so it isn't exactly cheap. The price of the chocolates, confections, and dipped items (like the chocolate-covered strawberries) are based on weight, but it all worked out to average around $1 for each piece of candy, so a 1 pound box is going to be in the $25 range. For comparison sake, you should know that a 1 pound assortment from Las Vegas chocolate maker Ethel M. is roughly the same price, while a pound from Godiva is in the $35 range. The Chocolate Swan's delicacies are better than either one of those manufacturers by far, so while it seems expensive it isn't out of line.

Tortes and cheesecakes start around $6 and the grander desserts start around $8. Cordials and brandy start around $4 for 1.5 ounces, wine starts at about $5 a glass, and if you're feeling really crazy you can go all the way up to a $500 bottle of champagne.

The service was as exceptional as the food, with attention to detail going all the way down to the intricacy of the fine foil and ribbon packaging.

If you do not stop at the Chocolate Swan on your next trip to Las Vegas, you only have yourself to blame for missing out on such a delightful experience.

The Chocolate Swan
Mandalay Place
3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Suites 121B ad 201B
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-9366
Casino-level store open daily, 8 a.m. to midnight
Mall-level store open Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m. to midnight.

This Week's Trivia

Q:Approximately how many people visited Las Vegas in 1970? ANSWER

The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.com

The Full Story

Anti-Vegas Oasis Called Best Attraction In Town
Chocolate Swan's Treats Eyes-Rolling-Back Good
Hammerhead Moves Into Tank; Towers, Towers Everywhere
Vegas Q&A: What's The Oldest Hotel-Casino?
Vegas Q&A: Where Are Vegas' Antique Hotspots?

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

Plus, don't forget to send me your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!

Click here to go to the main page of Vegas4Visitors.com and see all of the fantastic resources Vegas4Visitors has to offer you when planning your next trip to Las Vegas.