16 minute read
SPOTLIGHT
Resorts World Las Vegas, June 15, 17-18, 22, & 24-25, axs.com
The Great Entertainer
When Luke Bryan won Top New Artist and New Artist of the Year at 2010’s CMAs and ACM awards, just a few years after releasing his fi rst album, it was a harbinger of a successful career to come. Since that time, Bryan has released 10 albums, sold about 75 million records, garnered many other awards, been named entertainer of the year fi ve times, become a judge on American Idol—and scored a Vegas residency. In his fi rst dates earlier this year, Bryan pulled out hits like “Crash My Party,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” “One Margarita,” “Huntin,’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” and “What Makes You Country.” “Drink a Beer” provides an emotional moment in the concert . And possibly his most popular song of all, “Country Girl (Shake it for Me),” will leave the audience feeling energized, before “I Don’t Want This Night to End” brings another performance to a close. –Nina King
Master Class in Laughs Comedian brings more than props to the stage
Prop comic extraordinaire Carrot Top is currently observing his 16th year as a headliner at the Luxor, his 15th anniversary having taken place during the pandemic pause. While a nonstop barrage of visual jokes is his trademark, the stage show has evolved.
The screen behind him is used to complement his delivery with visual punchlines, often media-driven, for at least one-third to one-half of the show. One bit involves images from a Las Vegas Magazine shoot of him in a Varvatos suit with his trademark curls straightened.
“Whenever we have a real windy day, I always come onstage and say, ‘What a beautiful day. Look at the beautiful weather,’ and they show a clip of me where they put like 10 leaf blowers on me outside. It’s fun. I’m trying to smoke a cigarette, and then it cuts to, ‘My hair was straight this morning,’ then I put those pictures that you did with the straight hair, and it kills. It always kills.”
Thompson’s prop jokes are often topical and may remain in the set as long as they continue to get laughs. A giant, translucent, impenetrable cell phone case that prevents tweeting may show up whenever Donald Trump trends. A clip of Norm Macdonald chiding Carrot Top’s infamous foray into film, Chairman of the Board, on Late Night With Conan O’ Brien made it to the screen after Macdonald’s passing, transformed into a self-deprecating tribute.
And he kills. He always kills. –Matt Kelemen
Luxor, 16+, 702.262.4400
Who’ll He Be Next?
For years, Gordie Brown has been making audiences laugh with uncanny impersonations of some of the world’s most famous people, from Eminem to Arnold Schwarzenegger. But Brown is far more than just an impersonator; he’s also a versatile comedian who puts his various voices into some strange situations—it’s one thing to impersonate Jack Nicholson, but when you have him talking about a golf swing, that’s taking serious talent to the next level. –Ken Miller
Golden Nugget, 866.946.5336
The Cromwell, 855.442.3271
California Dreaming
Get your weekend mornings started on a perfect note at Giada. The Food Network star’s California-Italian dishes are light, yet decadent. No matter if it’s Saturday or Sunday, since it’s brunch, ordering a drink is clutch. The Giad-arita is a simple but delicious thing with Patron silver, Cointreau and lime juice, while the G consists of Macchu pisco, pineapple juice, apricot preserves and Angostura bitters. But if you prefer sangria, wine or beer, Giada’s got those, too.
If your appetite is light, try ordering a pastry basket—there are several goodies to sample, including rosemary-Parmesan scones and chocolate croissants. If you need more, try the Sunrise polenta waffle, a favorite among patrons, with béchamel and two sunnyside-up eggs. Other great options include cavatelli pasta with pesto, and a really delicious grilled panini with lemon pesto and heirloom tomatoes.
And since it is brunch, not breakfast, feel free to indulge in dessert. The chocolate tiramisu is gorgeous and tasty, while a selection of cookies are sure to include Giada’s justifiably famous lemon-ricotta cookies. –Nina King
Water Featured
The famed Fountains of Bellagio feature a dancing fountain show that’s an epic feat in design and dazzling production. More than 200 water-emitting devices spread across 1,000 feet rocket water nearly 500 feet up.
The attraction animates the water, so guests watch choreographed “dances” to hit pop songs like Cher’s “Believe,” Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” and Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.” It’s also a top spot for romance, especially during sunset and night performances with songs like Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Andrea Bocelli’s “Con Te Partirò.”
Catch the show every day beginning at 3 p.m. during the week and starting at noon on the weekends. If you miss one show don’t fret as every half hour another show starts and after 8 p.m. it’s every 15 minutes. –Kiko Miyasato
Bellagio, 702.693.7111
Cornerstone Virgil’s Real Barbecue
Chica Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar
Father Figures Take Dad out and celebrate with him
Did you get Dad to agree to celebrating Father’s Day, June 19, in Vegas? Well, lucky day for him! Vegas always works up special experiences for the day. We’ve lassoed a few suggestions as to places to take him and what to order (and making reservations ahead of time are never a bad thing).
We know not all dads are fans of barbecue, but if yours is, Virgil’s Real Barbecue in The Linq Promenade is offering a special surf and turf menu with a 28-ounce tomahawk and grilled shrimp with two sides. If he orders an entrée, he’ll get a beer for free.
Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas, at 4510 Paradise Road, has created the Smokehouse Platter, with Krainer sausage, Debreziner sausage and smoked pork. Share? Ha ha, as if he’d let you.
Over at The Venetian, Chica’s three-course Father’s Day menu is full of surprises, with smoked octopus carpaccio, a 10-ounce rib cap with crab meat and Huancaina sauce. And check out the wildest dessert ever: The corn, a strawberry cheesecake that looks just like an ear of corn.
At Carmine’s Italian Restaurant in The Forum Shops at Caesars, wowing your father is easy with a 2.5-pound Angus beef tenderloin, served with a sides like herb-stuffed tomatoes and roasted potatoes.
Go drinking with Dad at Cabo Wabo Cantina in Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort, where you can order up the Paparita, a margarita with Cabo Wabo tequila and Grand Marnier, topped off with a bottle of Dos Equis.
Cornerstone at Gold Coast offers a meal of braised balsamic barbecue pork shank with bananas Foster cheesecake and a beer!
Farther off the Strip, Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar at Red Rock Resort gives brunchy dads something to look forward to. From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., snag a surf ’n’ turf Benedict featuring beef tenderloin and sautéed shrimp with bearnaise sauce. –Nina King
Get Your Game On
Gamers and beer drinkers, unite! There’s now a new, totally awesome bar and lounge to play and drink—Player 1 Video Game Bar. The beer selection here pours out of 50 taps and nearly 150 bottle selections covering everything from lagers, ciders and stouts to pilsners, ales, wheats and more. When it comes to games, there’s something for nearly every generation. Choose your play on either classic arcade and pinball machines or fire up old-school gaming consoles from Atari, Sega and Nintendo and current ones like PS4 and Xbox One. –Kiko Miyasato
2797 S. Maryland Parkway, 21+. 725.204.11399
Aria, 702.590.8650
Take a Bao
When you waltz up to Din Tai Fung, the first thing you may see is the chef with a dumpling for a head—he’s kind of hard to miss. The cheerful greeting from the Taiwanese dumpling house mascot puts you in an upbeat frame of mind, a feeling that is sure to continue until you are seated at your table.
Ordering here is on a checklist-style system, where you choose the dumplings and buns you want to share. Good choices are the shrimp and kurobuta pork shao mai; Jidori chicken; and vegan dumplings, the latter stuffed with shitake and wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles and bean curd—but it’s the color that’s truly amazing. The plump buns come in several options, like kurobuta pork, Jidori chicken and oyster mushroom buns, and a vegan version stuffed with the same mix you’ll find in the dumplings. Get wontons and xiao long bao varieties, too. It seems like the choices are endless.
If you’d prefer, choose soups, noodles or entrées instead of dumplings only. The vegan wonton soup is light and delicate in kombu broth. The hot sour pork soup is packed with tons of ingredients. Wok specialties include shrimp fried rice, fried rice with a pork chop; veggie and mushroom fried rice; noodle dishes; and rice cakes. –Nina King
Go Up, Look Down
The Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck really is a cool attraction on the Las Vegas Strip—and one with some of the best views of said Strip. Hop aboard the elevator—with glass walls so you can watch as you climb higher and higher—that takes riders 46 stories into the air to the top of the half-scale replica of the real deal in France. Once at the top, the open-air, wraparound observation deck provides optimal views of the Bellagio fountains show across the street and sights up and down the boulevard.
Back on the ground, make sure to stop by the property any time between sunset and midnight and look and point your camera upward for the Eiffel Tower’s recurring light show that dazzles and illuminates the attraction with choreographed, dancing lights up and down the tower. –Kiko Miyasato
Paris Las Vegas, 888.727.4758
Winning Ways
As the name would indicate, there’s no shortage of meaty options at Victory Burger & Wings, but you can also enjoy great salads, shakes and more.
The burgers here are substantial, each featuring a half-pound of Angus beef, short rib and brisket blend. Top them with anything from an olive sauce mixture (the Vegas Martini Burger) to sweet red peppers, roasted artichokes and blanco cheese sauce (Fondue Burger). Wings can be ordered boneless or bone-in and prepared with bu alo, sweet chili, sweet barbecue or garlic Parmesan. Sides like onion rings and seasoned wa e fries round out what’s truly a satisfying experience.
Vegetarians will love the Victory Loco Salad, romaine lettuce and spring mix sprinkled with tortilla chips and topped with fi re-roasted corn poblano mix, chipotle ranch dressing and cotija cheese (and all burgers can be swapped out with the Impossible version). Everyone will love the decadent shakes, from Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries to Cinnamon Toast Crunch. –Ken Miller
Standout Comedy
Fans of the Everybody Loves Raymond star have no doubt by now heard about Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, which hosts some of the hottest (and up-and-coming) comedians in the country .
If you’re planning a return visit this week, just a heads up: Garrett’s club has moved. His new, 210-seat room is ideally located next to a lounge in The District—seriously, what better way to get ready for a night of comedy than with a cocktail and some live music from pianists and horn players? This week, catch Michael Loftus with DJ Demmers and Jimmy McMurrin on June 12. From June 13-19, enjoy comics Michael Malone, Andy Woodhull and Dave Williamson. If you’re lucky enough to be in town next week, you can catch Quinn Dahle and Warren B Hall from June 20-26, and the two will be joined by Garrett himself starting June 22. –Ken Miller
MGM Grand, 21+, 800.929.1111
Circa Resort & Casino, 702.247.2258
It’s a Par-Tee!
Enjoy some of the greatest music by one of the world’s greatest rock bands while enjoying some quality family time at KISS by Monster Mini Golf, which o ers a fun time for all skill levels across cleverly designed courses, all with a KISS theme (including a large Gene Simmons tongue!). And after besting your family members in a game, check out the gift shop and arcade, including—naturally—a KISS pinball machine. There’s even a themed wedding chapel, if spending your special day on the course is your dream. But seriously, if you’ve long been a KISS fan, how could it not be? –Ken Miller
Rio, 702.558.6256
Bally’s, 702.777.2782
All-In-One Entertainment
Bally’s production celebrates the variety show
If you’re the type to romanticize Las Vegas (which means you’re like me), you’re the perfect audience for Extravaganza—The Vegas Spectacular. It’s a celebration of all the elements that make this city legendary, from famous performers and locales to gambling and the showgirl. It’s also one of the most jampacked variety shows you’re likely to see.
Extravaganza is a collection of some very talented acts, from roller skaters and motorcyclists to acrobats and plate-spinners. The framework in which they operate concerns a down-on-hisluck hero who takes a one-way bus ticket to Las Vegas and experiences everything the city has to offer—including love. Along the way, he’s guided by a tap-dancing philosopher who helps move the story forward while providing plenty of good-natured laughs along the way. You’ll visit a ’50s diner, complete with bobbysoxers, a wedding, a visit to downtown Las Vegas and even fly high in the sky with the moon in the background.
The show is punctuated with several different styles of music, from the hits of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to the sultry sounds of Marilyn Monroe—all courtesy of impersonators who appear via a portable projection screen. The show’s technological components are well used here, including background projections that propel the audience into the desert, up and down a roller coaster and along a canyon.
It all combines for a fantastic framework around which Extravaganza presents us with acts like the skaters who perform death-defying feats on a small, circular stage; acrobats who are hurled into the air during a romantic interlude; a juggler who tosses several hats into the air in succession, always managing to be at the exact spot when they return; crossbow master Silvia Silvia, who displays absolutely pinpoint accuracy in whatever she’s shooting bolts at; and a Michael Jackson impersonator who delivers some thrilling dance moves to “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal.”
Best of all? This show is fun for the entire family. –Ken Miller
Luxor, 702.262.4400
Human Experience
You can view it as a learning experience. You can view it as entertainment. Either way you choose to view Bodies … The Exhibition, you’ll walk away with a better understanding and appreciation for that body that actually just carried you through said exhibit. Bodies is human anatomy come to life in a unique, curious and teachable way. Put through a method known as polymer preservation, 13 real, whole-body specimens and more than 250 actual organs and body parts are on display (as well as skeletal structures). The self-guided, walk-through experience is also chock-full of facts you can read throughout the exhibit: Every drop of blood in the body passes through the heart once per minute; the tongue is made up of 16 individual muscles; the kidneys filter impurities from the blood at a rate of 15 gallons per hour.
Perhaps the most meaningful quote on display says, “Why all this interest in the human body? The answer to this question seems quite clear to me: your body is the only thing you can carry with you from the moment you are born until your very last breath.” So why wouldn’t you want to learn as much as you can about your body, right? And that makes Bodies … The Exhibition a must-see. –Kiko Miyasato
Invest in Yourself
You’ll get the complete celebrity treatment at Color Salon by Michael Boychuck—this has been a longtime Vegas hot spot for visiting stars. The boutique’s interior design is so plush and beautiful that you’ll feel like you’ve just entered salon heaven. Besides specializing in hair treatments, Color Salon by Michael Boychuck is a top spot for hair extensions, lash extensions and makeup application—all great ways to update your look and treat yourself to some much-needed pampering. –Kiko Miyasato
Caesars Palace, 702.731.7791
Choice Chinese
Family-owned Ping Pang Pong is known for philanthropy, beautiful décor and great food. The sheer number of items is truly dizzying, with signature dishes and specialties vying for equal attention.
Order up apps like pork pot stickers, chicken lettuce cups and spring rolls to start. If you are in the mood for barbecue, the Cantonese BBQ items include a half roast duck, crispy pork belly and honey-glazed pork barbecue. There are chicken dishes like the Taiwanese-style three cup chicken, shrimp-stuffed chicken and kung pao chicken, and seafood dishes such as San Pan prawns or Dragonwell shrimp.
There are plenty of fried rice, noodle and clay pot options like the Night Market fried rice, starring sliced beef with Thai chilis, and anchovy and chicken fried rice. You’ll even find separate sections for lobster, red cod, eel and geoduck. –Nina King
Gold Coast, 702.367.7111
