Why are we not surprised that this news is out of Vegas? Caesars Palace is starting up summertime lunch-and-booze service at its Italian restaurant, Rao's. But rather than just have grilled food outside, the place is stepping it up with bocce courts and some Bocce Bellas, ostensibly hanging out to help you with your game.
The food menu is on the simple side, channeling that barbecue vibe with sausages, burgers and chicken wings. The specialty drinks sound a little sweet for our taste, but you can't really go wrong with pitchers of sangria.
The bocce bar menu is set to be a seasonal thing, starting this Thursday and running until just after Labor Day. And, yes, we have a gratuitous photo of the Bocce Bellas after the jump.
What the world looks like when you get off the Palazzo tasting tour.
We were fortunate enough to get invited to the Palazzo Las Vegas last week to check-out the hotel scene. But as with most hotels these days and especially in Las Vegas, the hotel is often not about the hotel. It's about what else is at the hotel.
And aside from the gambling, the Palazzo has a ton of other distractions and ways for you to spend your cash, whether you won it at the blackjack tables or whether you're just burning your paycheck.
While the Shoppes at the Palazzo definitely caught our eye (hello, massive Barneys department store!), there are 12 restaurants to indulge in. We tested a few of them out. Be prepared to leave your calorie-counting ways behind.
"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest and acerbic judge Simon Cowell were caught trysting at the Wynn Las Vegas. And by trysting we mean they were partying at the hotel's nightclub Tryst.
Seacrest apparently scored time off from his nine other jobs to hang with Cowell and celebrate the two-year anniversary of the club.
We've been to Tryst quite a few times, and it's one of our favorite nightclubs in Sin City because it's rather small compared to other Vegas clubs. Plus there's a grotto outside underneath the man-made waterfall (Wynnfall?). And, gals, don't forget to ride the stripper pole in the corner.
Of course, it's Vegas so you still get a mix of bachelor/b-rette parties, stripper wannabes, meatheads and Middle America types who decide to visit a nightclub for the first time ever. If you're looking to avoid the touristy Vegas crowd, go on either Sunday or Monday nights when the locals who work on The Strip like to release their inhibitions.
Right after Hung Huynh won Bravo's Top Chef, we filled you in on the hot tables at his stomping grounds, Restaurant Guy Savoy. And starting tomorrow, the four-course menu that Hung constructed with the help of Rocco DiSpirito will be served Guy Savoy's new Bubbles Bar.
The competition-winning meal starts with "fish and chips" (hamachi and potato chips) before moving to sugar and coconut glazed prawns with radish salad. Sous vide duck with mushroom ragout takes center stage before a chocolate cake finale.
The Bubbles Bar is a more casual take on Guy Savoy, one of the priciest restaurants in Vegas. With a communal table and smaller, shareable portions, you'll be able to strike up a convo about Hung with your fellow diners--even if you're not sampling his menu.
Last night, after Virgin America's inaugural flight to Las Vegas was in the books, Sir Father Richard Branson threw a bash at Wynn Las Vegas. The party was at Tryst and while plenty of celebrities and one billionaire were in the house, it was the Le Rêve Virgin pixies that stole the show.
Jaunted was on the scene and we have a back of the envelope wrap up, including some photos from the Tryst soiree.
As much as we like TV travel, we could never really get into Top Chef even though it was in Miami. (Probably because it was season 3. You can't start watching a reality show after season 1 is over.) But now that Hung Huynh has carried off the proverbial golden toque, we're gonna be on the lookout for his new restaurant. (Though if history is any guide, it'll take awhile to get the place open.)
In the meantime, you might want to check out Guy Savoy in Vegas. Hung honed his skills as a sous chef at the French haute cuisine house working with dishes like butter roasted veal sweetbreads and artichoke black truffle soup. On the second floor of Ceasars Palace, the dining room has a good view of the casino's Roman Plaza where you'll spot lots of folks not dropping hundreds of dollars on dinner.
For a double dip of reality TV travel, after dinner you should head to Ceasars' nightclub Pure, the venue that played host to pseudo-star Brody Jenner's birthday party on this week's episode of The Hills. If LC is around, ask her for a kiss!
We're not the biggest fans of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, namely because it's the biggest hotel in the world, has the smokiest casino and is just an average casino experience.
But this time around we actually liked the place. Aside from gross hotel rooms, the MGM has spiffed up the place with cool lounges, amazing restaurants (Joel Rubochon for the high-end folks with a $225 fixed menu and a Wichcraft for the simpler people), the chic Cristophe Salon and not one, but two Starbucks.
And we will admit that their Jello-shot bar on the main concourse is probably the best deal in Vegas. Yes, we know. Jello-shots are soo freshman year in college but these come in amazing flavors and are only $2 a shot. So you can have three shots of vodka for $6 and be good to go. Beats the $9 drink tab for a small specialty drink.
Or you can just pretend to play the slots as the cocktail waitresses bring your drinks for free. That too, is a good deal.
Ok so maybe hitting up an all-male, all g-string revue in Las Vegas like the Thunder From Down Under show at Excalibur is only for bacherlorette parties, cougar conventions and perhaps a lone man who's into this sort of thing.
A supposedly all-Australian men cast, the show has been "sizzling" since 2001. Because it is really hard for us to describe this male stripper cheese-fest without gagging, we'll let the show's website do the talking:
The sexy Australian imports crackle with high energy as they show off their buffed bodies to adoring fans who can't seem to get enough of them. That's fine with the handsome blokes. They love to perform and interact with the ladies who scream with anticipation from the moment the show begins.
The latest production features charismatic characters including pirate "Jack Sparrow" from "Pirates of the Caribbean," to a "Desperado" from the Wild West. Did we mention the ladies get fired up at the thought of a romantic and muscled fireman sweeping them off their feet and creating heat on his own terms?
The shows run nightly at 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM, Sunday through Thursday and at 9:00PM and 11:00PM, Friday and Saturday.
Unfortunately, if you're a male and like the Ozzie concept but not the men, the women's version Aussie Angels at the Las Vegas Hilton didn't do so well.
Insider Tip: Don't expect perfection. Several women we know who have checked out the show say some dancers have bacne.
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by pbb
