The oft-maligned Emperor’s Buffet at Imperial Palace knows what some are saying about it, and it’s not pleased.

Take that, Yelpers!

Oh, this blog has heard the rumors. And we, too, have been a tad reluctant to visit the buffet at the IP, but after a surprise drop-in, we’re happy (and relieved) to report most, if not all, of the buffet-bashing is unwarranted!

Yes, we sometimes start with dessert. So, sue us.

Let’s get something out in the open right off the bat.

The decor at the Emperor’s Buffet is gawd-awful. It’s like somebody let Bobby Brady do the decorating after returning from a Hawaiian vacation. We have no idea what Polynesian masks have to do with emperors. At all. And the cafeteria-style seats and tacky teal booths have the potential to put a ding in one’s enjoyment of the buffet.

This color was all that back in the day. Possibly.

But, here’s the thing. This blog doesn’t make its buffet-going decisions based on decor.

And here’s the other thing: The folks at the buffet, and the Imperial Palace, know the decor sucks! That’s why (world exclusive here) there are plans for a complete overhaul of the interior of the Emperor’s Buffet.

The renovations will begin in December, according to our source, and will take about three months to complete. The buffet will remain open, but the changes will be dramatic. More details as they become available, but the renovations are unrelated to The Linq project, in case you were wondering.

Like we said, though, you can’t eat decor, and besides, one person’s tacky is another person’s kitsch, so let’s move on to the food!

We dig us a self-serve pizza carousel, baby.

We tried just about everything at the Emperor’s Buffet, and we found lots of tasty dishes that were hot, fresh and solidly above par in terms of selection, preparation and palate appeal. Nothing like what we’d heard. Hearty, flavorful buffet goodness.

If you look closely, you can even see the love with which the food is served at this buffet.

Selections included steamed crab legs, meatballs, rigatoni with marinara, BBQ pork rubs, Kung Pao chicken, broccoli beef, fried shrimp, grilled steak (the only serious fail in the whole buffet), roast pork, salmon, fried chicken, pizza, sushi, fried shrimp and lots of other tempting dishes.

The salmon was lovely, as our grandmother would say.

A popular carving station served up roast turkey and prime rib. Succulent, and we defy you to think otherwise after you try it.

Desserts were plentiful, of course. Fresh and pleasing to the eye, too.

We stopped eating these after our first dozen. Hey, we can control our urges.

The soft serve easily met this blog’s exacting standards.

Everyone has something they're into at buffets. Soft serve would be our thing.

Again, we dropped in, unannounced, so the photos presented here weren’t the result of a team of food stylists or anything. And we made sure to get up close, so you’re seeing the food as it is served to guests in the buffet.

Oh, almost forgot, we found the servers to be friendly and helpful, too.

Overall, if you can embrace the kitschy decor, the Emperor’s Buffet can definitely hold its own among Las Vegas Strip buffets, at least in the opinion of this award-winning Dining and Entertainment blog. (Yes, we’re milking that for all it’s worth.)

Oh, all right, there are fresh fruit slices, too. Buzzkill.

Is the buffet at Imperial Palace going to be voted best in Vegas like the Carnival World Buffet at Rio Vegas for 30 years in a row or whatever? Probably not. Is it a worthy stop for those enjoying a Buffet of Buffets all-access pass? Definitely.

So, give it a try, and let us know what you think.

We took photos of just about everything in the buffet, so you’d know we weren’t just picking the most photogenic offerings. Enjoy our exclusive photo gallery, below.

We’re not entirely sure how to interpret this license plate, but no matter what it means, we’re loving it.

Be still, our Vegas-loving heart.

We’re big fans of novelty and Vegas-themed license plates. You just have to be careful where you put them. READMR.

From what we hear, the incredibly popular downtown Las Vegas “zip line” will soon become a permanent part of the Fremont Street Experience.

No way this blog is doing it, but thousands of Vegas visitors have.

How do we know the zip line is incredibly popular? First, buzz. Second, our relatively lame video of the zip line has gotten more than 16,000 views on YouTube. Yeah, it’s popular.

Currently, the zip line tower is 65 feet tall (oh, all right, it’s 67 feet, but please stay focused). Thrillseekers hit about 30 miles per hour as they glide over the crowds below the Fremont Street Experience’s famed canopy.

At the moment, the zip line runs about half the length of the Fremont Street Experience, or 800 feet. An expansion will include a taller take-off tower, and lines running about 1,600 feet. The expansion will double the attraction’s rider capacity.

The changes to the zip line are expected to happen by Feb. of 2012. Have you tried the Fremont Street Experience zip line yet?

They deal blackjack. They entertain. Hence, the mash-up: “Dealertainer.”

A day or two ago, a loyal Pulse of Vegas blog reader (yes, they actually exist) asked, “Have you featured the guy who plays Adam Lambert at the Imperial Palace?” We have, in fact, not. Until today.

J.D. channels Adam Lambert in the Dealertainer pit at Imperial Palace.

Still not sure what a dealertainer is? Visit their official page on the Imperial Palace site.

Or check out all the dealertainers featured in this blog. As Halloween approaches, the dealertainers at Imperial Palace are a great source of inspiration! Of course, we have a few Las Vegas Halloween Costume ideas of our own, too.

The indefatigable Elton John returned to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Sep. 28, 2011 to begin a three-year stint at the storied entertainment mecca. No, we didn’t copy and paste that from a news release. It’s storied.

Elton John’s new show, “The Million Dollar Piano,” won standing ovations after pretty much every song throughout its opening night at the theater Celine Dion built.

Elton John seems fairly at home sitting at a piano.

The two-hour show was filled with one recognizable hit after another from the five-time Grammy-winning performer. The playlist included “Circle of Life,” “Saturday Night’s All Right,” “Crocodile Rock,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Philadelphia Freedom” and many others.

Elton John has 35 gold and 25 platinum albums under his belt, including 29 consecutive Top 40 hits. He was knighted in 1998. (Note: We expect the Pulse of Vegas Blog will be knighted any minute now. We can wait.)

Elton John's waredrobe has mellowed a bit since the 1970s.

Check out this great photo collection in Rolling Stone that highlights “Elton John’s Outfits Throughout the Years.”

John had a successful, five-year residency at Caesars Palace that ended in April of 2009. He originally planned to do 75 shows over three years, but demand for “The Red Piano” was so great, the engagement was extended for a total of 241 shows.

Elton John trivia: The “Million Dollar Piano” featured in the show took four years to make, and it’s nicknamed Blossom, after singer Blossom Dearie, a jazz singer.

Yes, knights can work it.

Thanks to our pal, photographer Erik Kabik, for the great pics.

Elton John is scheduled to do 16 shows through October. Get tickets to see this legendary performer at the Caesars Palace box office or online at Ticketmaster.

People magazine is reporting that Holly Madison, star of Peepshow at Planet Hollywood and reality TV sensation, “Holly’s World,” has insured her breasts for a cool $1 million with the Lloyd’s of London insurance company.

Madison reportedly said, “I’ve heard about people getting body parts insured and I thought, ‘Why not?’ Because if anything happened to my boobs, I’d be out for a few months and I’d probably be out a million dollars. I thought I’d cover my assets.”

This blog is happy to keep you abreast of any Holly Madison news.

Read the full story from People.

Worldwide exclusive: In an unrelated story, Lloyd’s of London has reported a dramatic spike in job applications for its claims adjustment department.

This blog loves it some free. It also loves it some casino. So, you can understand why this blog’s loins were overcome with elation when we heard Flamingo Las Vegas is hosting a sweepstakes featuring, of all things, free Vegas stuff.

A Grand Prize winner will receive a two-night stay at Flamingo Las Vegas, dinner for two at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, $150 in slot play at the new Margaritaville Casino (soft opening, Oct. 1) and $100 of Jimmy Buffet merchandise.

The “Play in Paradise” sweepstakes is free to enter on Facebook, so enter now.

The new Margaritaville Casino. Keep your eyes peeled for pop-tops.

Other prizes include dinner for two at Margaritaville (second prize) and $100 in merchandise for third prize. The giveaway ends Oct. 26, 2011.

Read more about the new Margaritaville Casino. We even got an exclusive pic of the casino’s new sign, just erected today. Yes, it was erected. A perfectly acceptable construction and engineering term, thank you.

The Five O'Clock Somewhere Bar is the centerpiece of the new casino. As it should be.

You might also want to take a peek at a Margaritaville Casino-inspired room package being offered by the Flamingo, in honor of the new casino. The package includes two nights accommodations, a $50 dining credit and a $30 gaming voucher. Note: “Gaming” is like “gambling,” just more lawyery.

Troublesome Rio Las Vegas headliners, Penn & Teller, launch their new TV show, “Penn & Teller Tell a Lie” on the Discovery Channel on Oct. 5.

In each episode of the show, Penn and Teller make up to seven outrageous claims. Most of the claims are unbelievable but true, and one is an out-and-out lie.

These guys lie? Never!

In an interactive twist, viewers try to spot the fake story and get to vote for it online using a “Guess the Lie” smartphone app.

Find out more about the show on the official Discovery site, or take a look at a fun ad featuring Penn and Teller and the gang at the popular “Mythbusters” series, also on Discovery.

Ever wonder what Teller sounds like? Take a listen as he talks about the new show during an appearance at Comic-Con.

Check your local listings for blah blah blah, and see Penn & Teller live at Rio Las Vegas.

As this is an equal opportunity Las Vegas blog, we aren’t really allowed to have a favorite casino game. And in that spirit, we say unto you, craps is our favorite casino game!

Yes, we made up an entire blog post just to show off our groovy photo of this sign.

So, here’s today’s craps jargon.

The plain, unmarked outer edge of a craps table layout is called the “apron.”

Now you know!

Eh, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

We do, however, have a fun photo of “Harry Potter” co-star Rupert Grint and boxer Victor Ortiz mixing it up outside Sugar Factory at Paris Las Vegas.

Celebrity throw-down!

See how actor Rupert Grint pretends to sucker punch Victor Ortiz? You might even say he uses a questionable sneak attack to gain his victory. Luckily, that never happens in real life boxing matches. Ever. Ahem.

On Sep. 17, Grint, known for his character Ron Weasley in the Potter films, celebrated his 23rd birthday at Chateau Nightclub, also at Paris Vegas. (Grint’s real birthday is Aug. 24, but let’s not get bogged down with details.)

Wasn't he just a little kid like, oh, two months ago?

Grint walked the red carpet and took some pics with fans before taking up residence in a private booth inside Chateau. Then the young star posed for photos with cocktail waitresses dressed in sassy “Harry Potter” costumes.

Fame rocks, don't it, bro?

Everybody comes to Vegas, baby!

Sure, you know a lot about Las Vegas, but we’re betting you didn’t know this.

The famed “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign is four miles south of the city limits of Las Vegas. Count ‘em, four.

It is fabulous, or it wouldn't be on a sign.

That’s right. Most of the Las Vegas Strip actually sits in the town of Paradise.

Check out our advanced photography course for taking great shots of the Las Vegas sign.

And relive our April Fools’ story (shared 33,000 times, we might add) about the welcome sign being updated to reflect Charlie Sheen’s undeniable impact on American culture.

Apparently, Jennifer Lopez was anxious to get to the dance floor at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace on Sep. 24, because we hear she indulged photographers on the red carpet for less than a minute.

Thankfully, that was more than enough time for ace photographer Dave Proctor to snag a couple of pics of the “American Idol” judge. (Oh, and we hear she sings and dances a little, too.)

J. Lo works it at Pure Nightclub.

Jennifer Lopez hit Pure Nightclub after performing at the iHeartRadio music festival, touted modestly as “the biggest live music event in radio history.” Other performances at the festival included Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Steven Tyler, Sting, Nicki Minaj, Rascal Flatts, Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Sting and Lady Gaga. Get more details in the L.A. Times.

Take that, Marc Anthony.

Read more about Jennifer Lopez’s big night in Vegas at People.com, and there’s even some video here.

In related news, this is fun.

He’s one of the most-photographed nudes in the world, and you can see David at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

You can "ahh" first or "ooh" first. Whichever you prefer.

You can find this particular replica of Michelangelo’s work in the Appian Way Shops at Caesars. Make sure to add a photo op with the famed statue to your list of Things to Do in Las Vegas.

The original David was unveiled on Sep. 8, 1504, in a public square in Florence, Italy. The Vegas version is closer to slot machines, however, so we tend to prefer ours.

Well, this is awkward. Or at least we’re going to pretend like it is!

We’re pleased to announce this very Pulse of Vegas blog has received the inaugural “Most Valuable Las Vegas Blogger” award by CBS Local/KXNT News Radio.

Dozens, if not millions, of Las Vegas-based blogs were nominated by the public a few weeks back, and finalists in several categories went head-to-head in a vote for People’s Choice honors. The categories were: Dining/Entertainment (the category we were nominated in), Sports, Lifestyle, Local Affairs, Health/Fitness/Medical and Everything Else.

When the votes were tallied, a People’s Choice winner was named in each category. Yep, we snagged it, thanks to people just like you who voted for us. Maybe even you. We won’t pry. But you voted, right? Hey, thank you!

Simultaneously awkward AND awesome.

In addition to the People’s Choice award in the Dining/Entertainment category, as if we didn’t already have enough icing on our cake, an overall Editor’s Choice award was bestowed, too. Yes, we blushed, this blog was named Most Valuable Las Vegas Blogger for the whole enchilada (across all categories). The whole shebang. The whole kit and kaboodle, whatever a “kaboodle” might be.

You know how people sometimes say, “It’s an honor just to be nominated”? Well, we can clear that up right now. It’s even better to win.

The Editor’s Choice award was selected by a panel of three on-air personalities and Internet team members from CBS Las Vegas/KXNT news radio. If we ever find out who they are, they’re all getting back rubs from this blog, that’s for sure.

Congrats to all the nominees and category winners in the first “Most Valuable Las Vegas Blogger” awards. These folks toil for untold hours, usually for nothing more than the love of their Vegas-crazed readers, so give them a look. There’s a treasure trove of Vegas gold on each of the nominated blogs. See the official list of noms and category winners.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support of this blog. For your kind words, your Comments in the comments section, and for liking us on Facebook and for following us (both of you) on Twitter.

As a little background, because we haven’t talked about ourselves enough already, the Pulse of Vegas blog is the official Las Vegas blog of Caesars Entertainment, the folks who run a bevy of Las Vegas hotels.

Even though we say “we” a lot in this blog, it’s actually written by one (incredibly modest) individual, Scott Roeben, a humorist, photographer, author and longtime Las Vegas resident. We should probably interview ourselves sometime. We find us fascinating.

Seriously. The things this blog does for you people.

This award is going to look great on our resume, and we couldn’t have won it without you. Your love for Vegas, as well as this blog’s immeasurable talent and charisma, have made the “Most Valuable Las Vegas Blogger” award possible. We’re pleased to place this virtual award on our virtual mantle right next to our coveted Trippie Award.

Thanks, also, to the wise and very attractive folks at CBS Local/KXNT News Radio. Ready for those back rubs?

What the T-shirt below has to do with Las Vegas, we’re not entirely sure, but it does say “Las Vegas” right on it.

Again, this blog in no way condones this T-shirt. This is all you, Tony.

FYI: Even this photo caption doesn't condone this photo.