Las Vegas Blog

Joey Lawrence, who first won hearts around the world in the ’90s TV hit, “Blossom,” is all grown up and ready to bring his talents to the Chippendales stage at Rio Las Vegas for a limited-time guest-hosting gig, June 7-24, 2012.

Joey Lawrence should totally hang out with comedian George Wallace at Flamingo, because he, too, be thinkin'.

Lawrence is expected to sing, dance and host the popular male revue. Other recent guest hosts have included 98 Degrees singer Jeff Timmons and former “Bachelor” star, Jake Pavelka.

Yes, that Joey Lawrence.

Lawrence currently appears in the ABC Family series “Melissa & Joey,” co-starring Melissa Joan Hart. He also starred on Broadway as Billy Flynn in the hit musical “Chicago” and a number of feature films.

Bonus Chippendales trivia: On May 31, 2012, Chippendales will celebrate its 4,000th pec-fueled show at Rio Las Vegas.

Here’s an exclusive Pulse of Vegas peek inside the bedlam that is the Chippendales experience.

Chippendales performs nightly at 8:00 p.m., with additional shows on Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Joey Lawrence will perform Thursday through Sunday night performances only. Tickets run from $39.95 to $59.95.

Let us know how you think Joey Lawrence has blossomed. See what we did there?

You know that replica of Michelangelo’s David in the Appian Way Shops at Caesars Palace?

Yes, that Michelangelo's David in the Appian Way Shops at Caesars Palace.

The dude has really big feet.

Huge.

We’re just saying.

There’s always something new in Las Vegas, and that includes downtown. The historic area north of The Strip has been bustling with activity in recent months, and we’re not just saying it’s bustling as an excuse to type the word “bust” a couple of times. Probably.

During our last visit to the Golden Gate, the oldest operating casino in Vegas, we noted they’ve recently opened a high limit salon. And it’s precious.

Photos of the dancer-dealers is allowed, with their permission. Which we're 31% sure we were given. Hey, it's loud in there.

The “intimate” high limit room has two shoe blackjack tables and one double-deck game. We hear the room may add a baccarat table in the near future.

The room features plush, high-backed chairs, in case your feet get tired from all the, you know, sitting you’re doing while playing blackjack.

Comfy.

The new high limit room isn’t all that high limit when you compare it to The Strip, with two tables having a $25 minimum and another with $50.

The tables are manned, or rather, “personed,” by the casino’s popular go-go dealers. In fact, the only tables we saw personed by male dealers in the entire casino were at the craps tables. This blog does not generally have a problem with this trend, as long as the dancer-dealers know what the heck they’re doing.

Let us know if you spot anything new in downtown Las Vegas, and we’ll use it as an excuse to visit and snap some pics.

Las Vegas is very proud of its meat. In fact, we often show off our meat to friends and loved ones. Sometimes even on trolleys, like at the newly-opened Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Vegas.

We don't make up the news, we just report it.

Now, Vegas has been paid the ultimate compliment (just go with it) by having a new cut of beef named after it: The Vegas Strip Steak.

The new steak was developed by “a meat scientist, a chef and a university,” at least according to the Vegas Strip Steak’s official site. Yes, steaks have Web sites. Doesn’t everybody?

Here’s the Vegas Strip Steak in action.

Thanks to the Vegas Strip Steak people for giving us permission to use this photo, probably.

The official site states, “The Vegas Strip Steak is often compared to the New York Strip Steak. But there can only one New York Strip Steak. So what city should this steak honor? Vegas, of course! It’s a great restaurant town that has earned its culinary reputation more recently. Vegas is a crowd-pleaser and so is this steak!”

For the record, Las Vegas is not only fond of its meat, but also exclamation points, so the Vegas Strip Steak seems a perfect fit for Sin City! Read more.

Apparently, cuts of meat are the intellectual property of whomever “invents” them, so there’s licensing involved in serving the cut in a restaurant. We’ll let you know if they turn up in Vegas. Or, rather, when. That one’s kind of a no-brainer.

As we were browsing through one of our favorite local magazines recently, Las Vegas Weekly, we caught a great Q&A with Brian “Paco” Alvarez. He’s the curator of the Las Vegas News Bureau Photo and Film Archives, as well as being a fanatic about Las Vegas history.

In the article, he mentions that at one time, for about 10 years, Las Vegas was called “Los Vegas.” Who knew?

This blog is not an expert in Spanish, but that doesn't sound right.

Alvarez writes, “At the time that the railroad had arrived in Southern Nevada, Las Vegas was known as ‘LOS’ Vegas at the local post office. Apparently in the late 19th century the Postmaster General of the United States changed the name of the Las Vegas Rancho to Los Vegas, spelled with an “o,” because of concerns regarding confusion with Las Vegas New Mexico. On December 31, 1903 the name ‘Los’ Vegas was officially changed back to ‘Las’ Vegas, in a deliberate move to fix a glaring mistake.”

We found more great information in Alvarez’s Las Vegas Arts & Culture blog. Yes, Las Vegas has arts and culture, and we resent your question. Which you didn’t actually ask. Probably.

Get more scoop about Las Vegas history at the UNLV Special Collections site, whence the above image originally came.

PBR Rock Bar & Grill inside The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is mounting the mechanical bull of Vegas nightlife and riding it for all it’s worth. Which, this blog realizes, might be the worst metaphor in recorded history. Let’s not allow that to deter us from the matter at hand.

The popular PBR Rock Bar restaurant has already added a DJ booth (the paint was still fresh when we snagged the pic below), and plans are in place to divide the restaurant into two parts as the evening progresses (with a sound-proof wall, so diners won’t be disturbed), providing a mix of laid-back dining and the Vegas nightclub experience.

Tip: Tilting your camera makes things seem even cooler.

Additions are still being made to the decor, but the area pictured below will serve as a dance floor for night owls seeking to shake their badonkadonks off, whatever those might actually be.

This is where this blog will be exhibiting its mad badonkadonk skilz.

The area is expected to feature high-top furniture for party animals to keep their dogs from barking too much as the night wears on.

The club portion of PBR Rock Bar will even have its own entrance, directly across from the popular Earl of Sandwich restaurant.

It's a photo of a door! Hey, not everything can be front page news.

Bonus, the more adventurous can still make their way from the dance area to take on PBR Rock Bar’s hydraulic mechanical bull. This would seem an opportune time to share our video of bull-riding maven Karie, who we took no enjoyment in taping, believe us.

Visit the official PBR Rock Bar site, where you’ll find all the latest news as well as a healthy supply of scantily-clad rodeo clowns. We try not to ask.

PH Towers Westgate, the timeshare resort next to Planet Hollywood resort and The Miracle Mile Shops, changed hands back in November 2011, but we haven’t blogged about that until now because this blog has been busy researching a variety of “frozen cocktails” and “sure-fire craps betting systems.”

This would be the "before" photo.

The resort formerly known as PH Towers Westgate is now called Hilton Grand Vacations, at least according to the new sign.

The "After" photo. Or the "Now" photo, whichever you prefer.

We read somewhere that the full, official name of the place is “Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club.” Technically, Hilton refers to it as “Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel Center Strip.” Which kind of just rolls off the tongue, don’t you think?

There are several Hilton-run places to stay in Las Vegas, the names of which elude us mainly because the Pulse of Vegas blog is the official blog of several Las Vegas hotels that would appreciate your business much more than some timeshare with an identity crisis.

Or something.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this blog loves casinos: The eye-popping carpeting, the slang, the clicking of gaming chips, the whole nine yards. This blog also happens to love dogs.

So, we were especially thrilled to discover the Dog Casino.

Why should humans have all the fun?

We quickly whipped out our wallet, stuffed with Blazing Sevens winnings from the night before, and acquired the Dog Casino to share it with you. We also thought it would make a great Mother’s Day present, but that’s beside the point.

While we didn’t immediately see the casino tie-in to this “fun interactive game,” we were comforted by a blurb on the box that said the game is slobber-proof.

Even the most modern human casinos in Las Vegas aren't especially slobber-proof.

The Dog Casino, it turns out, is like a puzzle for your pooch. The box gives fair warning that it’s challenging. Along with photos of dogs in hats. The international symbol for skill level in dog casinos.

Don't let these cloned dogs in graduation hats intimidate you.

So, here’s the “casino.” It’s a set of bones that rest on the top of a game board thingy.

Irrelevant Vegas trivia: Craps dice are often called "bones."

Doggie treats are placed in small drawers along the edges of the game, and they can only be opened when the corresponding bone is removed.

Remove the correct bone, and dogs get the equivalent of a slot machine jackpot, but without the irksome tax obligations.

Forget this ticket-in ticket-out business. It's treat time.

If all this seems a little complicated, don’t worry, there’s a training manual for pet owners included (as well as a CD we didn’t actually use).

Yes, there's some reading involved. People still do that, you know.

We found the Dog Casino game in a local store here in Vegas for a hefty $64.99, but it sells for much less online (in the $40 range). Our local store split the difference.

While the similarities to a real casino are a tad tenuous, we still think this is a fun way to see just how clever your dog is. Like the box says, it’s challenging, and our test subject, Bonnie (below), seemed to prefer receiving her treats the old-fashioned way.

Mom loved her Mother's Day present, by the way. The jury's still out for Bonnie.

If you dig dogs, too, you might want to read up on the dog-friendly PetStay program available at a number of Las Vegas hotels. Yes, treats are included. Delivered the old-fashioned way.

These days, it’s not uncommon to see police officers on the Las Vegas Strip being tailed by a camera crew. Typically, those officers are being taped for future episodes of “Vegas Strip” on the truTV network.

We caught a couple of burgeoning TV stars being shadowed in front of Planet Hollywood on a recent afternoon.

One guy does the camera. One guy does the sound. Two guys keep the peace.

If you haven’t seen “Vegas Strip” yet, here’s a synopsis of every episode so far: Somebody does something stupid. Police officers intervene. Repeat.

Hey, if it’s set in Vegas, it can’t not be entertaining, right?

Find out more about Vegas Strip on the official site.

There are a couple of things this blog highly recommends during a Las Vegas visit. The first involves chatting with an exotic dancer about how college is going.

This blog also recommends enjoying a cocktail at the elegant bar inside the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas, and riding to the top of the Eiffel Tower for a view that will simply knock your g-string off.

You can now do those last two things we mentioned (you’re on your own with the exotic dancer), with a few bucks knocked off in the process.

You owe this blog so very, very much.

Here’s the deal. When you visit the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, order the “Top of the Tower” specialty cocktail. In addition to your cocktail, you’ll also get a ticket for a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower (usually $15.50). The cost for both is $28, which results in a $5.50 savings.

Oh, and did we mention how completely, mind-numbingly awesome this cocktail is? We do leave out important details from time to time. You’ll live.

Here’s the recipe if you’d foolishly like to try making this at home: Sky Vodka (2 oz.), Domaine de Canton (ginger liquor, 1/2 oz.), Ginger Beer (1/2 oz.), Sweet and Sour (1/4 oz.), grated Star Anise and a garnish of an orange slice, candied ginger and mint leaf. Trust us, it’s better when the Eiffel Tower Restaurant bartender makes it.

Don't you make us show another photo of this drink with a red menu as a background.

So, have a sip, then take a 46-story elevator ride to one of the best views in Vegas. Oh, and bring some additional sets of eyes to fully take in that heart-stopping view. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Caesar’s in a chef’s hat and apron in honor of Vegas Uncork’d.

Confirmed: Roman emperors liked to spoon.

See more about Vegas Uncork’d here.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was in rare form at Paris Las Vegas today as he officially opened his new restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Steak. Yes, we have exclusive photos. Haven’t you learned how this blog rolls by now?

Gordon Ramsay didn't disappoint!

Ramsay gave a lively cooking demonstration for members of the media, and expertly navigated a Q&A laced with Ramsayisms we can’t actually report due to Internet obscenity laws, many of which we just made up.

Actually, we found Gordon Ramsay to be as funny and charming as we’d hoped, tossing out good-natured zingers throughout his interactions with journalists and fans.

Pulse of Vegas blog exclusive: Gordon Ramsay confirmed to us that when he calls someone "Donkey," it's not meant as a compliment.

While Ramsay did a great job of keeping visitors in stitches, it was also clear he’s serious about the business of food.

He also seems to have a soft spot in his heart for Las Vegas, which tends to go over really well with Las Vegas blogs.

You done good, chef!

See more exclusive photos, several of which are actually in focus, of Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas.

You know how some people have impish grins, but they're not impish? Gordon Ramsay isn't that.

Ramsay said he’ll be in Vegas every couple of weeks as Gordon Ramsay Steak establishes its footing, then expects to directly oversee his “brigade” at least monthly thereafter. He recently purchased a home in California, and quipped, “It’s great to be able to get here in 15 minutes. I have a private jet.” After a beat, he added, “No, I don’t. Seriously? I’m just kidding.”

Gordon Ramsay also took the opportunity to mention that the winner of the 10th season of his popular reality TV show, “Hell’s Kitchen,” will win a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris. The new season premieres June 4. A direct Vegas tie-in on “Hell’s Kitchen”? As if this blog weren’t already a huge fan! Remember when the contestants got a drop-in from Rio headliner’s Penn & Teller back in 2012? Check it out.

Welcome to Las Vegas, Chef Ramsay, and thanks for stirring things up at Paris Las Vegas. Because he’s a chef. See what we did there?

Some of the culinary world’s most acclaimed chefs served up a bubbly photo op at Caesars Palace on May 10, 2012 to launch Vegas Uncork’d, an annual food and wine event in Sin City.

Could somebody whip us up a sammich? Thanks.

Click here for a larger version of the group photo. Frame not included.

Chef Wolfgang Puck did the honors for the traditional “saber-off” (uncorking a symbolic bottle of champagne with, you know, a saber) at the famous fountains in front of Caesars Palace.

It's all fun and games until a famous chef puts an eye out.

Many credit Wolfgang Puck with starting the fine dining restaurant revolution in Las Vegas, one which had led to Vegas becoming a mecca for celebrity chefs from around the world.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Puck’s Spago restaurant at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

This blog credits Wolfgang Puck with "letting us get all up in his grill for a close-up."

Vegas Uncork’d was first held in 2007, bringing together culinary superstars for a “celebration of wine, food and spirits.”

Visit the official Vegas Uncork’d site for all the details.

Chef Bobby Flay currently has 124 shows on the Food Network. Roughly.

The launch event included appearances by so many big-time chefs, it was difficult to keep track of them all.

They included Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill at Caesars), Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay), “Nobu” Matsuhisa (below, Nobu Las Vegas) and Rick Moonen (RM Seafood, Mandalay Bay).

Chef "Nobu" Matsuhisa is about to get his own hotel and restaurant within Caesars Palace. It's complicated.

Because there were too many great chefs to fit into once sentence, here are more: Francois Payard (Payard Patisserie & Bistro at Caesars), Jean Joho (Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Vegas), Michel Richard (Central at Caesars Palace), Guy Savoy (Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars), Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Prime Steakhouse, Bellagio), Bradley Ogden (Bradley Ogden at Caesars) and many others.

French invasion in Vegas: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michel Richard, Jean Joho and Guy Savoy.

Vegas Uncork’d is presented by Bon Appetit magazine and the event is sponsored by the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace and the Cosmo.

Wolfgang Puck's lucky there were no cameras present to record this mishap.

All-in-all, Vegas Uncork’d will feature about 50 world-class chefs, 60 restaurants and 30 events (through May 13). Don’t miss this rare opportunity to rub elbows with a pantheon of culinary greats. Only in Vegas, baby!

Here’s a virtual sample platter of exclusive photos from the Vegas Uncork’d kick-off event at Caesars Palace.

Holly Madison, the pulchritudinous star of “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood and “Holly’s World,” has further assured her place as the official-unofficial face of Las Vegas by being named Miss Atomic Bomb 2012.

Las Vegas never met a photo op it didn’t like, so in honor of the 55th anniversary of the original Miss Atomic Bomb, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority had Madison recreate a 1957 photo taken by Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English.

Holly Madison just radiates sex appeal.

Holly Madison’s version of the photographic homage to Vegas kitsch was captured by Darrin Bush, also of the Las Vegas News Bureau. Bush has been with the Las Vegas News Bureau for an astonishing 23 years. Read more.

The release of the updated Miss Atomic Bomb photo marks the 65th anniversary of the Las Vegas New Bureau, which captures photos and video of special events, entertainment and the resorts of Las Vegas known around the world.

Showgirls have a certain glow about them, don't they?

The model in the original Miss Atomic Bomb photo (above) was a showgirl, Lee Merlin, who was working as a Copa Girl at The Sands at the time of the photo. Apparently, Vegas fans have been trying to track Merlin down for some time. Read more here and here. A lesser-known version of Merlin can be viewed here. Get more on this intriguing story at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Here’s some news coverage of the Miss Atomic Bomb 2012 unveiling.

If you’re not all that familiar with Vegas history, you might wonder, “Atomic bomb? What’s up with that?” We hear you. Well, in the 1950s, there was quite a bit of above-ground nuclear testing done in Nevada, and creative Vegas marketers made the most of the tests by playing them up with viewing parties and all things atomic. Flamingo Las Vegas, for example, even served a popular Atomic Cocktail. Yay, capitalism!

For 12 years, an average of one bomb every three weeks was detonated in Nevada, with flashes seen as far away as Montana. Read more about Sin City’s part in the atomic bomb craze. Las Vegas even has its own National Atomic Testing Museum attraction.

Now you know! Thanks to Holly Madison for being such a great sport, and for making us an offer we couldn’t diffuse.

There are a lot of restaurants in Las Vegas. Sometimes, if you’re coming for a short visit, it can almost feel like too many. Well, this blog is going to make it easy for you, because we have discovered what we can confidently say is the perfect Las Vegas meal, courtesy of Old Homestead Steakhouse at Caesars Palace.

So, here’s our breakdown, course by course, of what was perhaps our best meal in Vegas, ever. First course, a cocktail. Yes, “course.” This is a Las Vegas blog.

Many great culinary journeys have begun with the imbibing of a Lemon Drop Martini.

Of course, one does not live by liquid alone, so it’s time for some old-school steakhouse bread.

It's all delicious, but trust us, you'll want to pace yourself.

Next up, appetizers. There’s a wide selection, including Oysters Rockefeller, Maine Lobster Bisque, Steak Tartare, Calamari, Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon. They all sounded good, but we got the Kobe Meatball ($20) and were so glad we did.

The mind boggles. We're definitely boggled.

There’s an argument to be made that the bowling ball-sized Kobe Meatball is a meal unto itself, but what fun would that be? Suffice to say, this may very well be the best meatball in the contiguous United States.

The next course in our perfect Vegas meal: The Kitchen Sink Salad ($18). It’s a masterful mishmash of shrimp, salami, bacon, avocado, tomato, hearts of palm, blue cheese and champagne vinaigrette.

No actual sinks were used in the preparation of this great salad.

Granted, at this stage of the perfect dinner, you’re already feeling your maximum capacity approaching. Remember, this is Las Vegas. Go big or go home.

Time for the succulent centerpiece of the meal, the Petite Filet Mignon ($52). Seasoned and prepared to perfection, there’s a chance the steaks at Old Homestead will alter the course of your life forever.

Granted, this might not be the perfect vegetarian meal. But that doesn't make it any less perfect.

There’s a long story behind the meat served at Old Homestead Steakhouse. Something about it being dry-aged at least 30 days, and how it comes from a specialty butcher on the East Coast, but honestly, we weren’t paying all that much attention because we were busy having a religious experience involving our side dish, the Potato Gnocchi with Truffle Butter ($13).

Hand-rolled, every day. Our mouth has already sent us flowers and four thank-you notes.

Again, the mouth-watering gnocchi side could be the perfect Vegas meal all on its own, but there’s no stopping now. It’s time for dessert. Which we probably should have pluralized. The first dessert we tried, the creme brulee ($13) was great.

You're awesome, creme brulee, but you're about to get upstaged. Sorry.

Our perfect Vegas meal, however, features another offering: The Cast Iron Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie ($13), with house-made vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream. If you can look at this and not drool, there’s a chance you’re a cyborg.

We're looking into whether marriage between blogs and desserts is legal in the state of Nevada.

Guaranteed: You’ll fantasize about this dessert long after you leave Old Homestead Steakhouse.

No perfect meal, of course, would be complete without incredible service. In the case of our visit, that was provided by the charming, knowledgeable (and patient) Charles.

Charles: Perfection purveyance, personified.

There you have it.

If you can only have one meal in Las Vegas, this should be it. And trust us, if you ever have this one, you may feel like it’s the only meal you’ll ever have room for. Simply spectacular.