Las Vegas Happenings

Las Vegas Weekend

Las Vegas is the only town where the cabbies tell you where to go. So this weekend I’ll be the cabbie and let you know about some of the upcoming activities in the Valley of the Dollars.

Las Vegas Uncork’d: Next week Bon Appetit magazine meets Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Hard Rock Hotel, and Wynn Las Vegas hook up for a week of pure unadulterated (burp) Vegas fare. Co-chairs for the festivities include chef Wolfgang Puck and Bon Appetit Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild. Highlights of the event will include A Tale of Five Chefs Gala, brunch and cocktail smack down, the Grand Tasting, and Masters vs. Pro-Am cooking competition. More info at www.bavegasuncorked.com

Burgers and other fine cuisine: LBS, and American classic burger joint will soon join the other fine restaurants at Red Rock Casino and Resort. A planned opening this fall will feature the finest, freshest ingredients and a 101 seat restaurant with more than 40 microbrews. Local restaurateur Billy Richardson will again perform his magic. We’ll be licking our chops for this one to open. More info at Michael@braintrustlv.com.

The Higher the Top the Longer the Drop: Everybody loves records as the Guinness Record Book people have discovered. Another entry will be attempted as Jean Philippe Patisserie in Bellagio has submitted measurements of their chocolate fountain as the World’s Tallest Chocolate Fountain. The floor-to-ceiling fountain is 27 feet tall and circulates two tons of chocolate at 120 quarts per minute. The fountain is real and outdoes the fictional Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. More info at mmckiski@mgmmirage.com

Hand Over Your Chocolate and Nobody Will Get Hurt: A good way to wile away your time while thinking of chocolate is to watch the Payard Chocolate Clock at Caesars Palace. The 13-foot high timepiece displays nine different time zones and dispenses free truffles. The clock mechanisms create the six-step process in making chocolates and truffles. More info at terlitzkyr@caesarspalace.com

Las Vegas; The Meadows: Las Vegas was named for a desert oasis. Today that oasis appropriately on the grounds of the Las Vegas Valley Water District called the Springs Preserve, a 180 acre cultural and historical attraction. The ambiance of the Springs Preserve is something that might just as easily be found in Idaho or Iowa or Kansas. Every Thursday night in the Springs Cafe on the property, concerts are available sponsored by restaurateur Wolfgang Puck and a special Farmers Market will show local produce, fruits and vegetables as well as arts and crafts. More info at rwolfson@kirvindoak.com

Quit Draggin’ your Dragon: Mandalay Bay includes a Shark Reef Aquarium but do not worry about getting eaten. It is a great display that will soon include a rare Komodo Dragon on display. The huge lizard, which can grow to 200 lbs. will be among the 2,000 other animals in the Reef and could be the meanest as it has no known predators. The Shark Reef is the only aquarium of its kind in North America. More info at zanellas@mgmmirage.com


A little blogging music Maestro... I can hear the strains of Elvis singing “Viva Las Vegas.”
Dr. Forgot