Greatest Show on Earth!

-Michael Politz, Las Vegas Food & Beverage Magazine

Everything but the Name - An Eye on Vegas Exclusive
Recently we reported that the Luxor Hotel and Casino was about to undergo renovations in all its F&B outlets which would create opportunity for improved venues to bring more traffic to the quiet property. Now the Eye has learned that the transformation is going property-wide and that everything 'Egyptian' is getting the boot- pharaoh, pillars, roof, and carpet. Confirming our take on the new venues, an extremely well-placed source tells us that a hip, upscale dining outlet titled 'Aspen 702' is slated for one of the pyramid's new hot spots. Rumors persist that the chic dining destination will be headed by Pure Management under their new F&B division. As always, stay tuned to the Eye for more to come.
 
On The Move
- Adam Gunty has been hired as the corporate assistant food & beverage director for Station Casinos. Gunty previously held the general manager seat at the PF Changs Aladdin outlet. The longtime Eye on Vegas reader makes an excellent addition to the team.

- As Harrah's Entertainment continues to grow, members of the senior F&B management team continue to grow and expand with them. The Eye has learned that former Rio F&B bigwig J. Jeffery Fredericks has now accepted the regional vice president position with the company, giving him dozens of outlets to oversee. Also accepting new gigs are Joseph Grimaldi, a longtime Rio F&B director who adds a vice president moniker to his title and takes over the Bally's/Paris position. Lastly, former property executive chef, William Becker, trades in his chef's whites for French cuffs accepting the vice president of F&B role with the Rio. Congrats to all three, few deserve it more than you guys!

- Dwante 'Dee' Spuriel has signed on as the director of marketing for the Light Group's Treasure Island venue, Mist Bar & Lounge. Spuriel comes well-versed in the role having held the same position with Vivid Nightclub and the V Bar (Venetian). This addition gives the Light Group yet another talented marketing mind on the roster and pairs Spuriel with Mateo Reyes, Mist's talented general manager.

- Jovan Andow is the latest addition to the N9NE Group VIP hosting team. The savvy Hawaiian is a UNLV grad and a somewhat recent newcomer to the business, although he has strong experience as the lead VIP host at the now defunct-Teatro Eurobar and as a VIP host for the Foundation Room's weekly Godspeed promotion. Andow will now serve as a VIP host for Rain Nightclub while he continues to progress his career.

Pimp My Tao

The hit MTV series Pimp My Ride offers enthusiasts the opportunity to hit the road with a tricked out, pimped up automotive masterpiece that is guaranteed to turn heads. That being said, we weren't all that surprised when word reached the Eye that the pumping entertainment and dining facility have had preliminary conversations about a potential pimped out Tao Mobile that would cruise the strip and hit the highway for Tao road trips to destination parties like Park City's Sundance Film Festival. It all started when Rick Hurvitz and Bruce Beresford-Redmen, the co-creaters and executive producers of the hit MTV show Pimp My Ride, dined at Tao over the weekend while visiting a former high school classmate, Tao's talented Chef de Cuisine, Josh 'Moses' Thomsen. Reportedly, Tao owner Rich Wolf then became involved with the conversation and was immediately excited over the possibilities. While no deal has yet been struck, it sure sounds tempting doesn't it? We're no experts but perhaps a wok in the trunk for on-the-fly cooking demonstrations would be appropriate or a rose pedal-filled bathtub as a backseat for those nights cruising the strip. Only time will tell .

In other Tao news, rock super group Journey became the first non-athletes to sign the Wall of Fame located in the Tao kitchen, inside the chef's office. While it already included several World Series, Super Bowl, NASCAR and N.B.A. champions, nary a rocker was included, until now that is.

Stepping into the Light
UFC Light Heavyweight champion Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell stopped by Light Nightclub last Saturday night to help warm up the club for it's up-coming Anniversary Weekend. While the Iceman enjoyed all that Light had to offer, he might have come a week early as the 4 Year celebration for the club that started it all is sure to rock the house on Saturday, June 24 when Light's thick rolodex of celebrity followers turn out to help the guys celebrate what has been a long and successful four year journey. The party gets started next Friday (06/23) at Caramel at 7P before blowing the doors off Light on Saturday (06/24) at 10:30P.

Wynning in Aspen

Foodies, chefs and xenophiles gathered in Aspen, Colo., last week for the 24th annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic, one of the country's premier culinary-focused events. The main difference this year was that for the first time ever an outside venue hosted the Welcome Reception at The Little Nell resort when Wynn Las Vegas' talented collection of chefs joined forces to help further cement Las Vegas' legacy as a culinary capitol. The culinary army included Alessandro Stratta (ALEX), Daniel Boulud and Philippe Rispoli (Daniel Boulud Brasserie), Paul Bartolotta (Bartolotta: Ristorante di Mare), Richard Chen (Wing Lei), David Walzog (SW Steakhouse), Stephen Kalt (Corsa Cucina & Bar) and Jennifer Witte (Executive Pastry Chef - ALEX). "The 2006 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen was a tremendous success for Wynn Las Vegas and our chefs," said Amy Rossetti, senior food & beverage PR manager for Wynn. "We were honored to co-sponsor the Welcome Reception and were also very pleased with the exposure our resort received as a result of the event." When asked what sort of impact it could have on Wynn in the future, Rossetti didn't skip a beat, "This coverage reached out to affluent travelers nationwide, many of whom will make Wynn Las Vegas a future resort destination."

In True Forum

Last week we boasted that professional athletes can't get enough of OPM Nightclub (Forum Shops - Caesars Palace) and one week later we are proven correct, once again. First, Friday night saw a pair of homegrown talents getting funky when Marcus Banks (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) were spotted hanging out with AND 1 street basketball stars MAIN Event, no relation, and his running mate Half Man, Half Amazing. The next night Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Mike Peterson celebrated his birthday with a crew of gridiron giants that included 'The Freak' Jevon Kearse (Philadelphia Eagles), Samari Rolle and Jonothan Ogden (Baltimore Ravens) and teammates Fred Taylor, Marcus Stroud and signal caller Byron Leftwich.
 
Bursting Bubbles
The world of hip-hop music has long attached itself to some of the planet's most premier brands as a way to flaunt success and achieve legitimacy to the upper crust world. Bentley, Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Prada would be prime examples of big brands dotting the lyric sheets that will be repeated over and over by hip-hop heads from urban communities to the poshest waterfront mansions. One brand you will not be hearing in a rap song anytime soon Cristal Champagne, once the reigning champ of gratuitous name-dropping. Retired hip-hop mogul, Jay Z is leading the way on a boycott against the high-priced bubbly after Louis Roderer's managing partner gave an interview to The Economist magazine in which he labeled the name-dropping as 'unwanted attention'. Jay Z quickly and publicly fired back issuing a press release that stated, "It has come to my attention that the managing director of Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud, views the 'hip-hop' culture as 'unwelcome attention.' I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including The 40/40 Club, nor in my personal life."

Although the loss of Jay Z's, currently two, 40/40 Clubs as accounts will likely provide little loss of sleep to Rouzaud, the fallout could have major implications to the champagne market stateside. Hip-hop is big business these days with a large and diverse demographic preaching the same intense brand loyalty as their favorite MCs. With a name as big as Jay Z leading the way, other hip hop stars could follow suit and convince loyal consumers to follow. As we all know, it's not just the top of the social world purchasing high-priced bottles but also those looking to flash some cash and gain social acceptance, even if only for one night. In a world where perception becomes reality very quickly, will popularity seekers still be dropping hard-earned bucks on a bottle of Cristal after 50 Cent drops his newest nightclub anthem, 'F**K Cristal'? We think not. Put our bottle of Egly-Ouriet on ice please.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to Celebrity Chef Hubert Keller, the man behind the phenomenal Fleur de Lys (Mandalay Bay & San Francisco) and the wildly popular Burger Bar (Mandalay Place), celebrated his special day last week. For the occasion, the man from Alsace, France hit Las Vegas intent on making his birthday count. Although the night started with dinner service at Fleur de Lys, Keller dropped the chef whites in favor of a more stylish shirt and slacks combo. Flanked by his polished General Manager, Tobias 'The' Peach and capable Executive Chef, Laurent Pillard, Keller started the evening at Corsa Cuchina (Wynn Las Vegas) hanging out with old chef buddy Stephan Kalt before hitting the subterranean Wynn hot-spot Tryst Nightclub. The entire team at LVFBM would like to wish Chef Keller (an LVFBM Advisory Board Member) a very Happy Birthday, with many more healthy and hearty birthdays to come!

Going Platinum

We were somewhat confused this week when we drove down Koval Lane and spotted the Platinum Hotel & Spa next to Ellis Island, the plot of land that once held the ambitious Aqua Blue concept which had His Airness, Michael Jordan, set to soar over the Vegas skyline. Aside from the property seeming to go up overnight, we hadn't heard anything about it. Coincidently, the next day we ran into familiar face, Robert De La Rosa, the former ENVY Restaurant (Renaissance Hotel) manager who has signed on to the Platinum project as its food & beverage manager. De La Rosa is currently working in tandem with Executive Chef Brenton Hammer, a serious chef-on-the-rise who was acclaimed for his work at several high-end Milwaukee hotel properties. One of Hammer's plans for Platinum is to develop customized menus that are prepared right in the guest's condo! From what we hear, Platinum will offer an upscale restaurant concept, The Restaurant at Platinum, which will overlook the fifth floor pool. Other notables include personalized iPods that will be offered to guests in The WELL, Platinum's luxurious spa. Platinum is currently slated for a "summer 2006" opening."
 
4 Years, 400 You're Welcomes and 400 Thank Yous
Last week we wanted to give our loyal readers a special treat to thank you for all of your support as Las Vegas Food & Beverage Magazine nears its fourth anniversary. As a result, we teamed up with Cirque du Soleil and gave away 400 tickets to Zumanity.

The Enemy of My Enemy.

Twelve issues, 36 irrelevant glossy photo shoots and 18,723 advertisements later, 944 Magazine is set to celebrate one year of operations in Las Vegas. All kidding aside, the folks from 944 have a monster weekend (June 30-July 1) planned at the Palms Hotel & Casino that will include several concert performances, parties across the property, the movie screening of Superman and one local DJ putting it all on the line to break a Guinness Book World Record for longest consecutive DJ set! ""We are absolutely thrilled to host the magazine's one-year anniversary in conjunction with the unveiling of our much anticipated new pool," beamed Palms CEO and president, George Maloof. "We are certain the event will be nothing short of unforgettable!" All-star rock band Camp Freddy will play the Palms Pool opening party on July 1 accompanied with a swimsuit fashion show and whispers of a surprise performance from someone that could be defined as BIG TIME. We just can't wait to see if DJ Robert Oleysyck can go 84 hours in the state-of-the-art DJ booth environment that Red Bull constructed for the challenge.
 
Only in America
What do you get when you combine Diet Coke, Mentos and the great American motivation of "nothing better to do"? If a junk food geyser that will fire 20-feet in the air is not what you came up with, don't worry, niether did we until we found one of the greatest internet videos in recent time. Click here and witness the Bellagio Fountain Show, or least what it would look like if it were constructed out of 101 2-liter bottles and 523 mentos mints. Trust us, just click the link.
 
Under the Stars
Plans have been announced for a nine-building, $220 million community named Galileo that will be constructed in the north shore of Lake Las Vegas. The project, which will include condominium units and luxury villas, is slated to break ground early next year. Other plans for the mixed-use facility also include a pair of championship-level golf courses, one from 'The Golden Bear' Jack Nicklaus and another from acclaimed designer Tom Fazio. Designers also have plans for a bell tower, a two-acre lagoon, a pedestrian plaza and cascading waterfalls.
 
DJs take Flight
Vegas Club Scene, Groove Radio and ICE have teamed up to make history with a newly branded night "Club Scene Live." Last Saturday was the inaugural launch of this new concept to broadcast live on GrooveRadio.com to more than 145 countries with a live stream. Vegas Club Scene racked up the frequent flier mileage this week by flying in DJs from coast to coast, starting last Wednesday with DJ duo MSTRFRFT who was shipped in from Toronto, Canada to play the M.A.D.a.M launch party at Beauty Bar (downtown). Saturday, legendary Groove Radio founder, Swedish Egil flew in from L.A. Egil played his own set and MC'ed VCS's soft launch of CLUBSCENE LIVE at ICE Las Vegas. Club Scene Live featured DJ Serge Devant from New York and ICE resident Faarsheed.

Part of the Community
Longtime local Marleen Marino, and we do mean longtime with almost 30 years in the valley under her belt, had a vision of bringing together the Las Vegas community by presenting a Web site about Las Vegas for Las Vegans. The result is Vegas Community Online, a comprehensive collection of columnists that includes some larger than life local names like the towel-chomping Jerry 'Tark the Shark' Tarkanian, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Rich Little, and, of course, Robin Leach. Now thanks to Marino's efforts you can add the Eye on Vegas to that list. Hey, there's no better source of accurate and unbiased F&B dirt in town! Check out Vegas Community Online by clicking here. Thanks Marleen!
 
Collars for Dollars
Southeastern fast-food chain, Raising Cane's has partnered up with the Nevada SPCA to help raise money for the no-kill animal facility. Raising Cane's only Nevada location (Charleston and Decatur) will give patrons one doggy dollar for every animal in your car when you hit the drive-thru. The valley location of Cane's is its 36th nation-wide for the Chicken Finger fast food chain that got its start at Louisiana State University in 1996. For more information on the Nevada SPCA please click here
 
Thoughts and Prayers
We would like to take a moment to send our thoughts and prayers to LVFBM friends Mackenzi and Jamal Parker after Jamal was admitted into Intensive Care late on Sunday evening. The popular couple is an institution around the city, attending and hosting many events and they had just welcomed their first child to the family. We wanted to take a moment to ensure they know that they are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
 
Quick Bites
It would seem as though the family of legendary Hollywood director Steven Speilberg has a birthday tradition that involves Las Vegas. Max Speilberg celebrated his 21st birthday this past weekend by taking in Cirque du Soleil's KA show at the MGM Grand with a large group of friends. It was the second time young Speilberg had seen the show, the first was earlier this year for the birthday celebration of his younger sister!
Celebrity Chef Daniel Boulud is going late night! Don't worry, the fine Frenchman isn't opening an after-hours club, he is launching his brand new television series 'After Hours with Daniel' that will be available exclusively on iNDemand (Cox Channel - 706). Each episode takes place in a different NYC restaurant with various chefs and celebrity personalities talking trade and showcasing culinary experiences. 'After Hours with Daniel' launches on June 21.

Harrah's nightlife czar, Pauly Freedman, checked in with us last week to let us know he has some big surprises up his sleeve for the One Year Anniversary of Voodoo Risin, the Voodoo Lounge's weekly Thursday night promotion. "Fireworks off the roof," he teases, "and you never know who is going to drop in," adding that parachutes will be involved. C'mon Pauly, tell us it's Flying Elvises, please tell us it's Flying Elvises! The party is being planned for Thursday, June 29, and can anyone confirm that the plural of Elvis is actually Elvi?

Tabu Ultra Lounge has announced that they will no longer be open on Tuesday nights, making Monday and Tuesday nights their 'dark nights'. Tuesdays had long been a nightlife staple at MGM Grand until PURE Nightclub opened last year with PURE Tuesdays, a local-driven promotion that was met with incredible success, effectively ending Tabu's reign of Tuesday night.

Babs is back! Barbara Streisand has signed on to bring her upcoming national tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, November 18. Tickets range from $100-$1000 and go on sale June 24; Coffee Talker Linda Richman is already in line!
Top Chef champ, Harold Dieterle is pairing up with Top Chef cohort, Stephen Asprinio to host a 'Guess Who' wine dinner at NYC's Tribeca Grill on Wednesday, June 28 where guests have to guess whose dish is whose. Myriad Restaurant Group honcho, Drew Nieporent will host the event and Asprinio will host a Q&A and wine tasting at vino bar, Crush the night before.

The Circus Circus buffet has good news and bad news for you. They have raised the prices of their buffet, but dinner is still only $11.99.

Happy Birthdays to Larson Legris and Amber Anderson two members of Tao Nightclub's VIP host team. The dynamic duo celebrated with a party at Tao's ongoing Wednesday night promotion, Sutra.

Does your baby have sauce? Find out for sure on August 4 when G Love & Special Sauce hits the Palms pools for a special concert.

Consumer Reports concluded a survey on restaurant chains that asked 66,000 readers surveyed to rank the chains according to taste, service, mood, choice and value. The top ranked chain was The Capital Grille who finished as the top steakhouse, top special occasion restaurant and was rated for having the best hamburger! The Capital Grille has one Las Vegas location at The Fashion Show Mall, we love the steak sandwich!

With LOVE set to launch across the street, the V Theatre's Beatles offering, 'Fab Four Mania!' has come up with a novel approach to offer visitors and locals alike a chance to win tickets to the show. Starting this past weekend, Beatles enthusiasts will be given a chance to 'Baffle the Buckingham Guard'. If they can make the Buckingham Guard laugh, smile or giggle they win tickets to the show.

The estimated 200,000 Koreans who visit Las Vegas each year will soon be able to catch direct flights as Korean Air has introduced three weekly non-stop flights to sin city. "Korea is one of the fastest growing markets for us; the fifth largest overseas market followed by the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and France,'' said Terry Jicinsky, senior VP of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Original 'Brat Packer' Anthony Michael Hall has written a film entitled 'Life and Death in Las Vegas' that he hopes to start filming before the end of the year. The film follows a group of people who have been "screwed" out of an inheritance by Mr. Vegas himself, Wayne Newton. Reportedly, Hall has approached heiress Paris Hilton and his Breakfast Club co-star Judd Nelson with roles in the flick.

Comedian Chris Tucker was spotted getting crazy at Tangerine Nightclub (TI) last Wednesday night. Tucker, who starred in the hit film, Rush Hour, coincidently filmed the sequel across the street at the Desert Inn before it was imploded to make way for Wynn Las Vegas.

Other celebs partying it up with PURE Management Group this week included Travis Barker hanging out after his set with DJ AM at PURE, super model Caprice, SNL Alumni Chris Katan and Jerome 'The Bus' Bettis.

Red Rock Resort, Casino & Spa has announced that they will be more vigilant in upholding the 9P curfew for minors enjoying the property's entertainment options. "We feel that there's plenty of time for those under 21 to enjoy our movie theaters, restaurants and our arcade, but there comes a time and a place where we believe the casino should be enjoyed by those who are 21 and over," added Station Casinos PR queen, Lori Nelson.

Michael Mina and Patric Yumal have been a hot topic in conversation across dining room tables all over L.A. No word on why they're so popular in the City of Angels.

We know we aren't the only ones enthralled by Las Vegas local and former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Iron Mike Tyson. From the Evander Holyfield ear-chomping incident, to his rape conviction, to the facial tattoo, is there a bigger self-destruction story in recent years? Thankfully, Iron Mike was on his best behavior at Tao Nightclub on Saturday, hanging out and taking it all in. Other celebs in the house included supermodel, Caprice.

Our thoughts go out to the family of Manny Cortez, an integral cog in the machine that has made Las Vegas a premier international travel destination. He passed away last night at the age of 67 after suffering from a heart attack. Cortez served as the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for over 20 years.

With all of the nightclubs from New York, Miami and Los Angeles coming to Las Vegas, wouldn't it make sense that one of our clubs expands elsewhere? Of course it does, we hear preliminary conversations have one of Vegas' biggest clubs looking into a possible expansion to La-La Land. Shhhhhhhhhh .
 
 
CHEERS!
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