BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW
Date: March 20, 2022
VANDERPUMP À PARIS AT PARIS IS OPEN
Restaurateur, television star and philanthropist Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd have opened their 36th establishment and second Las Vegas venue, Vanderpump à Paris, at Paris Las Vegas. The restaurant featuring Parisian-inspired dishes, cocktails and design is located adjacent to the front desk and is open from 4 p.m. to midnight with limited seating available. Vanderpump à Paris follows the success of Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace.
Designed by Vanderpump and her design partner Nick Alain, guests are immediately transported to an old Parisian courtyard. The space features approximately 200 seats with multiple seating areas, decorated with plush velvet art nouveau banquettes, adorned with oversized, ornately embellished pillows, as well as light fixtures and bespoke furniture from Vanderpump and Alain’s celebrated design line, Vanderpump Alain.
A long, white marble bar is embedded with crystal chandeliers in wrought iron cages, unique bronze umbrellas sit on top of the marble, and the back of the bar features massive windows overlooking the Eiffel Tower and Seine River, flooded with rain. Water streams down the glass with a magically realistic effect.
The cocktail menu features unique offerings presented in playful ways including the Tickle Your Fancy and the Riviera Rules. The Vanderpump creativity is perfectly depicted in their signature Love Locked cocktail for two with one glass featuring a padlock and the other glass a key. Couples can write their initials on the back of their padlock and lock it onto a gorgeous wall in the restaurant.
CROSSROADS KITCHEN TO OPEN AT RESORTS WORLD
Resorts World Las Vegas will be debuting two new restaurants by acclaimed chef and plant-based visionary, Tal Ronnen, including the first Crossroads restaurant outpost outside of Southern California as well as the launch of an entirely new fast-casual concept, CB | Crossroads Burgers. Both dining experiences are anticipated to open in late spring.
Crossroads Las Vegas will be the first fully plant-based fine dining restaurant on the Strip. Ronnen is best known for his New York Times Best Seller, “The Conscious Cook,” and was named “America’s Best Vegan Chef” by Oprah Winfrey.
ILLUMINARIUM PARTNERS FOR LUMIN CAFÉ & KITCHEN
Illuminarium Las Vegas, a tech-driven entertainment experience set to open April 15 at Area15, has created a partnership with celebrated James Beard Award-nominated and husband-wife business partners, Elizabeth Blau and Chef Kim Canteenwalla of Blau + Associates. Launching with the opening of Illuminarium, Lumin Café & Kitchen will provide a contemporary culinary experience with fresh dishes and specialty cocktails. The dining concept will feature a warm environment including wood accents, greenery and natural light and will be accompanied by an outdoor covered patio with a full-service bar. A floating white oak trellis interspersed with lush plants and pendant lighting creates a relaxed atmosphere throughout the indoor café and exterior patio.
Lumin Café & Kitchen will offer breakfast items, small and large plates for all-day dining, a kid’s menu and a selection of grab-and-go options. Guests looking to enjoy the After Dark experiences will have the opportunity to partake of a late-night menu.
Lumin Café & Kitchen will be located inside Illuminarium and will be open to the public daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The late-night menu will be available on the patio beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are not required to visit Lumin.
RESORTS WORLD HOSTS INAUGURAL TEQUILA & MEZCAL FESTIVAL
Wally’s Wine & Spirits and Resorts World will bring a taste of Mexico to the Strip this spring in the form of an inaugural Tequila & Mezcal Festival on Saturday, May 14 at Rose Rooftop with and indoor and outdoor setting. The one-night-only event will showcase the world’s best agave spirits, from small independent distillers to award-winning international brands.
Wally’s Wine & Spirits has a 30-year history of presenting tasting events featuring the globe’s finest wines, champagnes and spirits in major cities, and will now host an event in Las Vegas for the first time.
General admission tickets are $100 each for three hours of access to Mexico’s finest tequila and mezcal. The VIP experience is $200 providing early access beginning at 5 p.m., as well as admission to the VIP Rooftop all night. The VIP Rooftop Bar will feature tastings of rare and high-end tequilas and mezcals not available in the main festival.
During the event, a DJ will spin Latin tunes and a Mariachi band will keep the party spirit. A fine array of Mexican-inspired creations will be offered with bites from some of Resorts World’s restaurants, including ¡VIVA!, Fuhu, Tacos El Cabron, Mulberry’s Street Pizzeria, Famous Foods and of course, Wally’s Wine & Spirits.
BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY REVEALS ITS SPRING DISPLAY
The beauty of flight is the theme for the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens this spring with the “Flights of Fancy” display running through May 14. The “elevated” exhibit features various forms of flight from fanciful hot air balloons to hummingbirds and butterflies, with all four beds showcasing a spring palette of purples, pinks, yellows and blues.
The spring exhibit is highlighting a festival of balloons, which symbolize freedom and independence. Outstanding focal points include seven hot air balloons, two giant hummingbirds, one vintage airship, and six Bellagio “B” letters. Larger than life in one bed are two large 16-foot-tall handmade glass daffodil installations accentuating the scene along with oversized 8-foot-tall yellow roses, and a 26-foot-tall Persian silk tree with delicate yellow flowers. It took 8,000 hours for 80 artists, horticulturist and engineers to create this seasonal display, which includes 8,700 potted plants and 15,000 roses.
The Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is complimentary to the public and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
TOURING COMIC PAUL OGATA TO HEADLINE L.A. COMEDY CLUB
The L.A. Comedy Club, now in its new Dragon Room showroom on the main floor at The STRAT, has a stellar lineup of touring comedians set for the club’s 8 p.m. time slot in April including Jay Reid, Patrick Garrity, Paul Ogata, Quinn Dahle, Peter Berman and Keon Polee, whose combined credits span Comedy Central, “The Tonight Show,” Showtime and more.
Paul Ogata will take center stage Tuesday-Sunday, April 5-10. In 2004, he was named “Funniest Asian-American Comedian in the U.S.” in the Take Out Comedian Competition. In 2007, the Hawaiian native won the prestigious 32nd Annual San Francisco International Comedy Competition.
“A Collection of My Favorite Lies,” Ogata’s first hour-long special, made its debut on Amazon Prime in 2021. He was also the first ever comedian to film a Comedy Central Asia half-hour special. Ogata has been featured on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” the syndicated “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” CBS’ “The Late Late Show” as well as appearances on Showtime and TBS. He had a guest role in the motion picture “Behind the Smile” directed by Damon Wayans and the short film “Amasian: The Amazing Asian.”
Shows are nightly at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. The lineup of popular resident comics includes James Michael’s Redneck Comedy Show at 6 p.m.; comedian Butch Bradley at 10 p.m. Thursday through Monday; and comedian Bret Ernst at 10 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets are $39 for general admission and $59 for VIP admission with the option to purchase L.A. Comedy’s famous “$25 All You Can Drink Special.”
DOWNTOWN SUMMERLIN® CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH FESTIVITIES
Festivities at Downtown Summerlin® celebrating Earth Day include the Pollinator Garden under the covered Pavilion, signature Tour de Summerlin and Half Marathon events, Student Farmers Market and Happy Earth Day Festival.
On Friday, April 22 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Green our Planet and the Clark County School District will host the second Student Farmers Market. Billed as the largest student market in the U.S., the free event will feature approximately 600 students from 60 schools throughout Southern Nevada. Students will run the market, selling fruits and vegetables that are grown in school gardens along with handmade crafts.
New this year will be the Happy Earth Day Festival taking over The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin on Friday-Saturday, April 22–23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Festivities include children’s activities, vegan food for purchase, a beer garden for guests 21+, oversized lawn games, a sustainable marketplace, and a plant swap in partnership with Carrie Lynn’s Plant Shop. Tickets available at the event or in advance at happyearthdaylv.com are $10 for two-day access.
Southern Nevada’s longest running cycling event, Tour de Summerlin, now in its 19th year takes place on Saturday, April 23. The 80-mile course kicks off at 7 a.m.; 40-mile course at 8:15 a.m.; and 20-mile course at 9:15 a.m. Registration fee is $100 per person. Event benefits Breakaway Cycling.
The Summerlin Half Marathon, now in its 11th year, kicks off at 7:15 a.m. on April 23. The 13.1-mile course includes a scenic tour of several Summerlin villages.
GREEN VALLEY RANCH OPENS OUTDOOR POP-UP LOUNGE
Green Valley Ranch has opened its seasonal outdoor pop-up lounge, “Spring at the Terrace,” which will run through the early summer. The resort’s patio, located in The Backyard, has transformed into a botanical garden and blissful springtime escape.
“Spring at the Terrace” is open every Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to midnight for guests must be 21 or older, and entrance is complimentary. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended and can be made through the concierge at 702-617-7744 for tables and greenhouses. Greenhouses are available with a food and beverage minimum starting at $100 and may be reserved in two-hour blocks.
IGNITE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL RETURNS TO SANDY VALLEY RANCH
IGNITE, an original outdoor festival featuring live music, food trucks, cowboy games, and a premiere circus performance will be held again at Sandy Valley Ranch from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. for three nights April 22, 23 and 24; one night longer than last year. This 40-acre area in the Mojave Desert is located about 45 minutes from Las Vegas.
IGNITE’s 2022 theme “Return to the Elements” infuses this year’s festivities and manifests into an all-new show featuring the talents of more than 40 international artists who hail from the Las Vegas Strip stages and beyond. Sandy Valley Ranch transforms into festival grounds, and the horse arena becomes a performance stage for circus performers and musicians to ignite guests with joy, energy, and inspiration.
You can make reservations to stay overnight by bringing your own RV and dry camping or staying in the ranch’s exclusive accommodations: teepees, covered wagons, glamping tents, luxury RVs and handcrafted tiny homes.
SAHARA ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE LIMITED-EDITION WHISKEY LABEL
The Sahara is debuting its brand-new exclusive whiskey label in partnership with Rare Character Whiskey Co. The extremely rare IRT-23/BG#38 barrel—never released before and never to be released again—is a five-year high-rye, straight bourbon aged in Tenn., and bottled in Bardstown, Ky. Created by restaurateur and whiskey aficionado Pablo Moix, Rare Character Whiskey Co. was created out of his love for collecting and producing rare and distinctive whiskies. The limited-edition Sahara high-rye bourbon barrel is available at Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabhouse and Sports Bar, CASBAR Lounge and The Tangier while supplies last.
Whiskey enthusiasts can also look forward to the Sahara’s next barrel release of Rare Character Whiskey Co.’s straight Kentucky rye whiskey in the coming months.
THE GOLDEN TIKI HONORS SAMMY HAGAR WITH SHRUNKEN HEAD
Famed Las Vegas bar, The Golden Tiki on Spring Mountain, will honor rock ‘n’ roll legend Sammy Hagar with a shrunken head ceremony while in Las Vegas for his residency dates this week on March 23, 25 and 26.
To commemorate the occasion, The Golden Tiki is adding four new drinks to its cocktail menu rolling out on National Cocktail Day, Thursday, March 24. New cocktails include Tiki La Sunrise, Red Headed Stranger, Kola Nui, and Tres Puntos. The cocktails will be made with Hagar’s portfolio of award-winning spirits, Santo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum. The iconic bar will also carry Hagar’s new line of sparkling rum cocktails, Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co.
Hagar join celebrities who have been honored with shrunken heads over the years including Rod Stewart, Vinnie Paul, Rich Little and others.
ABSTRACT ARTIST KRE8 HOLDS FAN EVENT AND SPECIAL EXHIBITION
World-acclaimed abstract artist Kre8 is hosting a special exhibition along with a free fan meet and greet, Q&A at Park West Fine Art Museum & Gallery in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace on Saturday, March 26 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Kre8 began fostering his artistic abilities at the age of 14, when he was introduced to graffiti. Throughout his twenties, Kre8 found himself favoring the work of Salvador Dali. Coming from a military family, Kre8 continuously found inspiration while traveling the world. Over time, he developed a unique style he named “Faceless,” which incorporates graffiti, surrealism, realism, cubism, and abstract art into one.
COWABUNGA TAKES OVER WET ‘N’ WILD NAME
Wet ‘n’ Wild water park in southwest Las Vegas, which opened in 2013, is getting renamed. Under an ownership change, it will be called Cowabunga Canyon. Having the same owner as the Henderson water park Cowabunga Bay, the name is similar. There was a Wet ‘n’ Wild on the Strip next to the Sahara, which closed in 2004 during a real estate boom before the big recession. Cowabunga Canyon has 25 slides and attractions, including the Tornado.
QUICK CLIPS
Twenty-first century pop icons BTS have scheduled “BTS Permission To Dance On Stage - Las Vegas” on April 8, 9, 15 and 16 at Allegiant Stadium in front of a live audience. Additionally, the in-person live broadcast event “Live Play In Las Vegas” will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena on all four days. The concert will also be streamed online the last day of the tour on April 16.
Lady Gaga’s “Jazz + Piano” production is booked for nine shows at the Dolby Live at Park MGM April 14-May 1.This show is Gaga’s orchestral tribute to the Great American Songbook, peppered with selections from Tony Bennett, Cole Porter, Dinah Washington and Nat King Cole as well as updated arrangement of her hits.
PT’s Taverns has officially opened its newest PT’s Gold tavern, marking the company’s 63rd tavern in the Las Vega Valley, with happy hour specials, bites and more, located at 7770 W. Ann Road.
