SPOTLIGHT

Need Speed?

With all the twists and turns that we experience day-to-day, is there not a more perfect metaphor for life than a roller coaster? Ironically, if you’re looking for a way to take your mind off this year, a roller coaster might be your best bet, and there’s no better place for such thrills than the Big Apple Coaster. But first, you’ll have to prepare your mind, and your stomach, for what’s about to go down. The coaster starts with two huge drops, which lead into twists and loops alongside the faux Manhattan skyline.

One such loop is the heartline twist and dive maneuver, a move that quickly flips the cart upside down and settles into a tummy-tingling drop, so be sure to ride on an empty stomach. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff

New York-New York, 702.740.6969

Excalibur, 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

Winning Combo Where amazement and laughter collide

Before The Mac King Comedy Magic Show even begins, something wonderful happens: An announcer invites you to participate in the kids’ singalong “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Sure, there’s bound to be plenty of eye-rolling at this request, but once that jaunty music starts playing, you just cannot help but join in. The best part? It instantly puts you in a better mood. The cares of the world fade away, and suddenly you’re a kid again, smiling and excited for what’s to come.

That feeling continues unabated throughout King’s set. The Kentucky-born-and-raised magician instantly connects with his audiences through down-home humor and a self-effacing nature—no one is quicker to acknowledge that a joke didn’t work than King, which in itself is pretty hilarious.

King is so endearing, in fact, that you momentarily forget you’re at his show to see some magic—you’d rather just have a conversation with the guy. But when the magic does come, it’s very organic to King’s persona—there’s no pomp, no circumstance, no razzle, no dazzle. In fact, the illusions are oftentimes so subtle that you may not immediately realize you’ve just seen the most amazing thing ever. But when it hits you, don’t be surprised to find your jaw on the floor.

There’s plenty of audience participation in King’s show as well:

• Using a “cloak of invisibility” (no Harry Potter jokes, if you please), King helps a couple move some playing cards around the stage—and each other; • Using four envelopes and a bit of fire, King finds a novel way to use a volunteer’s $100 bill; • A young volunteer is asked to help King set up his camping tent. At one show I attended, my great-niece was brought onstage. Her reaction to the “great reveal”—utter shock, followed by the biggest smile ever—remains one of my fondest memories as a Las Vegan.

By the time King’s show is over, it’s hard to say what you’ll miss more on the walk back to your room—the illusions or the laughs. –Ken Miller

Home Advantage

Whether you’re a faithful fan of Raider Nation, a fan of football or just a fan of impressive architecture and design, the Allegiant Stadium Tour is both money and time very well spent. The hourlong walking tour has many stops along the way (some with special access that not every visitor to the stadium is privy to), stops like the Level 200 suites, containing personal VIP areas for Vegas bigwigs, including Raiders owner Mark Davis. (Fun fact: Davis’ suite is where you’ll find the only white stadium seating out of all of Allegiant Stadium’s 65,000 seats!)

One fun stop is the Raiderettes locker room—you’ll see where they get ready for a game. You also enter the team’s locker room and check out the massage and medical areas, and the hydrotherapy pools. Other stops include the broadcast booth, the Champions Club (where celebs and A-listers hang during a game), the tunnel where the Raiders run onto the field, and the pièce de résistance: A stop to snap some pics at the 50-yard line. –Kiko Miyasato

Allegiantstadium.com/tours

No Holds Barred

When you go see Eddie Griffin perform at his reopened stand-up comedy residency at Sahara Las Vegas, you better be ready. The veteran funnyman has never shied away from controversial or taboo topics over the course of his 30-year career onstage, and he’s not about to change his ways after a global pandemic and a polarizing presidential election. Griffin’s latest comedy special, Laughin’ Through Your Mask, captured his performance the day after the Capitol attack in January 2021. –Brock Radke

Sahara Las Vegas, 21+. 702.761.7000

Treat Yourself

You’ve seen dignitaries, royalty and the über-rich dine on it. We’re talking caviar, folks. But if you’ve ever been curious to try the eggs collected from the best type of fish (sturgeon), there’s a new hot spot that allows more than just the privileged few to indulge. Caviar Bar honors the culinary traditions of serving the delicacy, but makes the experience (and cost) more accessible to us commoners.

With a beautiful interior design and plenty of perfect spots to lounge around, enjoy a curated menu of several caviar options, served with homemade blinis, crème fraîche and chives. There’s also a large menu of decadent seafood and meat entrées. And don’t miss the specialty cocktail list and curated wine list. You’ll quickly feel like royalty yourself. –Kiko Miyasato

Resorts World, 702.676.7936

Amalfi Carversteak

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés

Real Good Eats

Indulge in food and drink while giving a boost to those in need

It’s my favorite time of the year! From June 6-17, Restaurant Week returns to Las Vegas for the 15th year, offering prix fixe menus that showcase the offerings of the amazing eateries all across the Las Vegas Valley and on the Strip. And although I can squeeze a dime ’til it squeaks, and am often loath to throw down cash on an unknown quantity, ponying up those dollars during Restaurant Week is easy, because the event benefits Three Square, a food bank that helps those in need.

Head to the Las Vegas Restaurant Week website, and under the tab labeled Restaurants, filter and sort by cuisine, location, meal type and donation amount. It’s an easy way to plan out your meals and maybe try a place that you might not have considered before. Some of the highlights from this year’s event include prix fixe menus from Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at Sahara Las Vegas, Amalfi at Caesars Palace, Carversteak at Resorts World and Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris. On Bazaar Meat’s menu, look for American wagyu from Texas and setas al ajillo, luscious mushroom caps with garlic and nasturtiums; Amalfi offers squid ink fettucine and a wonderfully fragrant bufala mozzarella on charred lemon leaves; Carversteak presents shrimp cocktail and Faroe Island salmon or filet mignon; and Eiffel Tower Restaurant serves up farm-raised chicken with foie gras and crème brûlée.

Not only can you choose from set menus from participating restaurants, you can also take advantage of special promotions from breweries, food trucks, coffee shops, bars and smaller venues, all donating to Three Square for each promotion sold. For instance, Able Baker Brewing Company has created a Restaurant Week flight and will donate $3 for each one sold. At Westgate Las Vegas, the team created a creamy “Dream to Feed All” cocktail, available at multiple venues, with a portion going to Three Square.

So get clicking. And eating. And drinking. I know I will be. –Nina King

Multiple venues, June 6-17, restaurantweeklv.org

Relax in Style

Élia Beach Club transports guests to a beachy paradise. Chill in the cool waters or on luxury daybeds dotted along the sand or opt for one of the many roomy cabanas stocked with upgraded amenities and comfy furniture while enjoying an elevated cocktail program. There’s also a focus on health and wellness, including yoga and fitness, as well as live EDM sets from a huge stage equipped with an impressive sound system. –Kiko Miyasato

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, 702.693.5570

Flamingo, 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

Watch This Werk

The classic Flamingo Showroom is the home of RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!, a vibrant, music and fashion-focused spectacle directed by RuPaul and Jamal Sims and produced by World of Wonder, the same team behind the hit TV show. It expands on that format with the competing queens showing off their skills in lip-sync, on the dance floor and on the runway, with the eye-popping performances bolstered by an engaging, party-ready soundtrack.

Asia O’Hara serves as host, interacting with the audience and bringing out the other queens for their time to shine. Queens including Kameron Michaels, Derrick Barry and Naomi Smalls take turns displaying their distinct skills and style with interspersed video clips adding the right amount of “Mama Ru” to the glamorous proceedings and the six-man Pit Crew dance squad injecting extra sizzle.

“As much as you rehearse and prepare, nothing can prepare you for the actual show in front of a live audience, and my role is a little different in Las Vegas because a lot of times we’re in front of people that may have never seen an episode of Drag Race,” O’Hara said. “It’s my job every night to bring these people into our world.” –Brock Radke

Match Made in Heaven

Best American spirit? That’s easy—bourbon. Best American breakfast food? Again, easy—bacon. And for a limited time, both these classics come together to create comfort-food goodness at Shake Shack.

Two sandwiches, the Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Burger and the Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Chicken, will tempt your tastebuds with bourbon bacon jam on a toasted potato bun. The burger includes 100 percent Angus beef, white cheddar and crispy shallots; the chicken sandwich features whole white meat, white cheddar and pickles.

But the new menu also includes two decadent shakes: Chocolate Churro, made with cinnamon churro frozen custard, dark chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cinnamon waffle cone crumbles; and Oreo Funnel Cake, made with Oreos, funnel cake crunch hand-spun with vanilla frozen custard and chocolate whipped cream. –Ken Miller

New York-New York, 702.740.3311

Devilishly Good

Entertainment meets flavor at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, one of the most popular restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip. Named for Ramsay’s hit reality series, the dining room will be recognizable to fans with its now-iconic red and blue kitchens. And the cuisine that fans see being served on the show is all here—although, unlike the show, all are cooked to perfection each and every time, of course.

Take a seat in the high-energy dining room and get ready for a real adventure. The signature cocktail list has a bit of everything, from the Meet Your Maker, made with Maker’s Mark, of course, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, mint, apple, strawberry and cinnamon, to the Notes From Gordon, a cocktail featuring Plymouth dry gin, green tea, lemongrass, peach and lemon.

Most know about Ramsay’s beef Wellington, a juicy cut of meat surrounded by a pastry shell in a red wine demi-glace, but explore the rest of the menu. Jidori chicken scallopini is pure decadence, served with roasted pee wee potatoes, artichokes and lacinato kale, while crispy skin salmon is complemented by white beans, sea bean salad and Iberico chorizo, all in a citrus beurre blanc. –Ken Miller

Laughs Aplenty

George Lopez calls himself “America’s Mexican.” It’s somewhat schtick—but also a proud identity—that he has used since the start of his stand-up career. And one that has served him well. Lopez has received several Grammy nominations in the Best Comedy Album category.

He’s taken his dual identity and hysterical observations about said identity and spun a successful career that spans more than just the stage. Lopez spent six top-rated seasons on the WB with his namesake TV show and co-starred in hit movies like Valentine’s Day. He’s also put pen to paper and released his New York Times bestselling autobiography Why Are You Crying? in 2004, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 and was named one of Time’s 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America. He continues his reign when he performs June 10-11. –Kiko Miyasato

The Mirage, 800.963.9634

Caesars Palace, 702.731.7373

Dune It Right

You’ve seen it on TV and in movies—dune buggies vaulting over sand dunes. Now experience the great outdoors while in Vegas with SunBuggy Fun Rentals. As long as you’re 16 (or 15 with a permit and a parent), you can rent an ATV or buggy and go out on an adventure of your own or join a guided tour from the Valley of Fire to the Amargosa dunes. ATV Quad Tours start at just $89, but you can rent dune buggies and UTV buggies, too. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff

702.644.2855

Rhythm and Blue Audiences can’t help connecting to Luxor show

Before the Blue Man Group show even starts, you’re in a great mood, thanks to a digital ticker on both sides of the crowd giving the audience instructions, such as applauding for notable athletes in the crowd or saying “Happy birthday!” to someone in unison. It’s so simple, but it gets the crowd warmed up and loose for the fun to come.

Once the propulsive EDM music begins (anyone who’s been to Electric Daisy Carnival will know exactly what we’re talking about), it’s hard to not move your body around. The Blue Men instantly appear, making sounds with objects that don’t look like instruments at all, moving their bodies rhythmically, their eyes wide and full of curiosity. Families with young children should know that this is as all-ages as a show can get.

There’s barely anything spoken during the entire show (other than tutorials on how colors are interpreted in our brain and how plumbing works); the Blue Men wordlessly discover the musical properties of Cap’n Crunch and cell phones, not to mention the artistic possibilities of chewed gumballs, mouths full of marshmallows, and paint spilled on drums that are being furiously pounded.

One of the show’s signature moments—when an audience volunteer is brought onstage to share a dinner with the Blue Men, complete with music, flowers and Twinkies—has been changed slightly in keeping with safety protocols; we don’t want to give too much away, other than to say the segment is every bit as hilarious as before.

By the time the show climaxes with large, mechanical insects that can be played like a percussion instrument, followed by smoke rings billowing from drum sets—we dare you to not try to catch one!—you’ll be on your feet and working up a sweat.

Sometimes we need reminding that, in this time of great division, music is still a uniting force. –Ken Miller

Luxor, 702.262.4400

Paint the Town

Rising out of the ashes of the city’s first mega club, Pure, Omnia did it bigger, better and more jaw-dropping when it opened in 2015. The running design theme is a cross-section of modern and vintage, with soft and sexy flourishes—and bold and seductive touches. If you’re in town to get down, do think about purchasing Omnia’s Las Vegas Party Pass. For just $99, you’ll receive a wristband that will grant you access to multiple nightclubs over the weekend. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff

Caesars Palace, 702.785.6200

Golden Nugget, June 10, ticketmaster.com

The Food of Love

The word ambrosia refers to the food of the gods, and for fans of ’70s rock, the group Ambrosia just about fits that bill. The music goes down easy, with hooks that propelled them onto the top 40 on a regular basis. And while the lineup may have changed slightly over the decades, the endless appeal of their greatest songs ensures they will live forever for fans of oldies playlists.

The California-based group, which started with David Pack, Joe Puerta, Christopher North and Burleigh Drummond, enjoyed success thanks to singles like “How Much I Feel,” “Biggest Part of Me,” “You’re the Only Woman (You & I)” and “Holdin’ on to Yesterday.”

Incredibly, the band’s current iteration features most of the original members, including Puerta, Drummond and North, with Kipp Lennon replacing Pack as lead vocalist. There will be plenty of memory-jogging moments in the Golden Nugget show, and with the good feelings their music engenders, you may not want the night to end. –Ken Miller

For Fusion’s Sake

Taste and presentation are put into every plate at Michael Mina. The James Beard Award-winning chef’s eponymous restaurant is a practice in modern cooking techniques combined with global influences, all concentrated on fresh seafood and the cuisines of Japan, the Mediterranean and France.

Tableside preparations and grand entrances of signature dishes like Mina’s famed lobster pot pie are de rigueur here. But a must-try is the caviar parfait (pictured)—or start with the melt-inyour-mouth ahi tuna tartare. Main options address both land and sea, with flavorful, fresh-steamed Icelandic halibut in coconut-corn broth, phyllo-crusted sole in a mustard beurre blanc, and the impressive “pepper steak,” made with your choice of a 12-ounce New York Strip or 8-ounce filet mignon. –Kiko Miyasato

Bellagio, 702.693.8865

‘RARELY SEEN’ OFFERS A GLIMPSE ACROSS THE GLOBE

Travel to some of the most exotic

locales in the world or simply slow down

and see things from a vantage that few

can explore in person at National Geo-

graphic’s Rarely Seen, Photographs of

the Extraordinary, Imagine Exhibitions’

immersive experience at Bally’s.

Inside the exhilarating exhibit, you’ll

first find an introduction by Stephen Alvarez, a veteran photographer with

National Geographic, which will give

you a view into what motivates photog-

raphers and how the effort pays off for

those looking at the image.

Check out the pope taking a selfie

in Vatican City, or a hummingbird

hovering in front of a pit viper. A simple

shot of the dusting of a bighorn sheep museum exhibit leaves you wondering

just what’s real. Innovative lighting

technology allows many of those visual

wonders to become even more impres-

sive, as they are projected on the walls

and wrap around you.

The entire experience leaves you with

an emotional reaction, and a feeling of

connection to the globe we live on.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PRESENTS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE AT BALLYS

Among the photographs you’ll see:

A supercell storm, with lightning crack-

ing down all around;

A beach with thousands of penguins;

The beauty of the release of thousands

of floating lanterns;

The enormous, perfectly spherical Moer-

aki Boulders of New Zealand;

A close-up look at a Siberian tiger;

A monk standing in the ruins of a Cam-

bodian temple.