SPOTLIGHT

Resorts World, 702.676.7000

Get Out of Your Shell

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while that statement is up for debate, at Sun’s Out Buns Out, it’s the only meal of the day. (And that’s up for debate, as it is open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and technically, that’s lunch, too!) There are six versions of the basic breakfast sandwich , all on soft brioche buns and featuring cage-free eggs. The typical bacon, egg and cheese gets extra pop with applewood smoked bacon, a good cheddar, cage-free over-medium egg, and chipotle ketchup . If you want some extra oomph on that brioche, you can choose the short rib and egg version, which includes slow-roasted beef short rib . –Nina King

New to You

Popular steakhouse updates menu

To walk through the doors of Jean Georges Steakhouse is to enter a world of elegance, a place that feels entirely unique on the Strip, a restaurant where carnivores feel pampered from beginning to end.

The large, welcoming space has ambience for days, with soft curves connecting each area effortlessly. It’s the perfect space to enjoy a cocktail like a lychee raspberry Bellini, made with prosecco, lychee and raspberry, and a JG Vesper, a blend of Grey Goose vodka, Bombay gin, aperitif and lemon. Pair one with a raw bar treat; we recommend the rice cracker-crusted tuna, chunky, delicious pieces of toro served with scallions and sriracha. Or try a starter like warm white Provencal asparagus, a taste revelation served with a mustard emulsion and herbs.

Chef/owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten has added a few pleasant surprises to an already sturdy menu. Longtime fans will be thrilled to see the return of swordfish Milanese, a dish Vongerichten made famous in the 1980s. It’s a delightful twist on chicken Milanese, with the sumptuous, thick swordfish blending spendidly with the breading, served with grilled lettuce hearts, capers and brown butter.

Other new highlights include slowcooked sea trout, packed with flavor and served with fava beans, preserved lemon and pistachios, and fragrant spiced lamb chops, arranged like a delicious work of art and accompanied by cucumber yogurt and crunchy garnishes. Pair any of these with delights like crunchy potatoes, one of the best versions of this standby we’ve had on the Strip, served with chili yogurt and herbs, or maitake mushrooms, saison battered and served with chili honey.

For dessert, the warm Valrhona chocolate cake and New York-style cheesecake are both strong contenders, but if you want something lighter, there’s a market citrus plate with yuzu cream, white chocolate, passion fruit and mango. –Ken Miller

Aria, 702.590.8660

Aria, 877.230.2742

Elegant Eating

One of the big reasons we go out to dinner? We want to be waited on and feel like we’re the most special people in the world. And at Carbone, mission accomplished. You cannot go wrong with the appetizer menu here, but we strongly suggest starting with the carpaccio Piemontese, featuring truffles, walnuts and mushrooms atop thinly sliced beef tenderloin, brushed with a white truffle emulsion.

Moving onto main courses may present a challenge, as there are plenty of eye-catching offerings. For meat lovers, a large, tender helping of veal Parmesan, pictured, is sure to satisfy. If seafood is more your style, the dover piccata, drizzled with a lemony brown butter sauce and finished tableside by your captain, is irresistible.

For pasta fans, the choice here is clear: the rigatoni in spicy vodka sauce, an absolute Carbone classic that lives up to its name and then some. Whatever you decide to order, don’t forget perfect sides like spicy broccoli rabe, potatoes Louie, squash agrodolce or funghi trifolati. –Ken Miller

Feeling Cape-able?

Are you a true Marvel fan? Test your knowledge about that universe at Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., where you’ll be reminded of the origin stories of everyone from Captain America to Thor. Throughout the attraction, you’ll find interactive elements that let you discover the true strength of the Hulk in Bruce Banner’s lab, and explore other dimensions with Thor. Not only will you check out the heroes, there might be a few villains featured, too. And take your time—there are plenty of small details that you might overlook at first glance, like Ant-Man’s ants leading you on. –Nina King

Treasure Island, 702.894.7722

Tanned in Sand

From desert dunes to tropical sands, Élia Beach Club transports guests from Las Vegas to a beachy paradise.

Guests can 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. A huge covered outdoor lounge and bar allows for shaded reprieve, and the multilevel day club also offers an intimate pool, second bar and plenty of lounging space on the upper floor with a bird’s-eye view of the entire pool complex.

Élia also offers an elevated cocktail program. Highlights include the Tulum with Casamigos reposado tequila, grapefruit juice, Cointreau, orgeat syrup, lime and mint, and Flamenco Beach with Grey Goose Watermelon and Basil Essence vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, watermelon juice, cucumber and lime. –Kiko Miyasato

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, 702.693.5570

Making Melodies EGOT winning artist brings his heart to the stage

John Legend is a fi rm believer in the fusion of spirituality and music, and an ardent endorser of practicing mindfulness. It’s his ability to stay in the moment that’s made his career climb seem so e ortless.

He was born John Roger Stephens in Springfi eld, Ohio, to music-loving parents. “My mother was the church choir director,” he said during a March 21-26 stint as guest host of the Radio Headspace podcast. “My father sang in the choir and played the drums, so I grew up in the church and I grew up around a lot of music.”

Legend begged his mother to let him take lessons. “I had this drive. I wanted to be good at this thing that I loved. I wanted to play music for other people. I grew up in the church and watched other musicians playing in front of the audience and I wanted to be one of those people who could move people with their music.”

Legend did wind up performing in church and practiced his lessons diligently. His piano playing can be heard on “Everything Is Everything” from Lauryn Hill’s 1998 debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and he contributed backing vocals to tracks by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys before Kanye West discovered him and produced his 2004 debut album, Get Lifted.

That album contained his fi rst huge hit, “Ordinary People,” which earned Legend Best Male R&B Vocal Performance honors at the 2006 GRAMMY Awards. Get Lifted won for Best R&B Album that year, and Legend was also named Best New Artist. He’d win nine more GRAMMYs in the ensuing years, most recently in 2021 for Bigger Love.

Legend earned a Best Original Song Oscar in 2015 for “Glory” from the fi lm Selma, a Tony in 2017 for co-producing a revival of August Wilson’s Jitney and an Emmy in 2018 for playing the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. And while Legend probably won’t literally walk on water in Zappos Theater during Love In Las Vegas, fans expecting to be moved by his music will not be disappointed. –Matt Kelemen

Planet Hollywood Resort, 8 p.m. Aug. 10, 12-13, 17, 19-20, Oct. 14-15, 19, 21-22, 26 & 28-29, starting at $69 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com

Sound Off

See if you can find the Vinyl Parlor, the hidden speakeasy inside the über-cool On the Record nightclub. Hint: look for the wall of cassette tapes. If you can’t find it, don’t fret. This 11,000-square-foot hot spot has plenty of other awesome spaces, including a patio bar, three karaoke rooms, a functioning record store with an impressive vinyl collection, a vintage Rolls Royce DJ booth and a 1963 Bristol Lodekka double-decker bus converted into another bar. Just so cool! –Kiko Miyasato

Park MGM, 702.730.6773

Rio, 702.777.2782

They Are the Champions

It’s a rock music fan’s dream: Some of the most famous rock songs of all time, performed by some of rock’s most accomplished veterans. Raiding the Rock Vault proceeds at breakneck speed from the get-go, going all the way from the ’60s to the ’90s, with informational tidbits on each song shown on video monitors (like the true story that inspired “Smoke On the Water,” or how “Stairway to Heaven” was never released as a single).

Guitarists Rowan Robertson (Dio, Bang Tango) and Z Maddox (Bow Wow Wow), bassist Dan Grennes (Melissa Etheridge), vocalists Keith St. John (Montrose, Burning Rain), Georgia Napolitano (Trans Siberian Orchestra) Jimmie Romero (The HellenBacks) and Jason Ebs (Peter Criss), keyboardist Michael T. Ross (Missing Persons) and drummer Blas Elias (Slaughter) mesh seamlessly as they jam their way chronologically through classics like “My Generation,” “Hotel California,” “More Than a Feeling,” “Eye of the Tiger” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

Visually, the show keeps your eyes plenty busy as the vocalists change outfits depending on the era (and performer) they are channeling. In addition, two backup dancers provide plenty of hot moves in various costumes. –Ken Miller

Meat and Greet

Brazilian steakhouses are a carnivore’s dream come true—just keep showing your green flag on your table, and your servers will keep bringing you different cuts (the red flag means you need a break). For one of the best examples of this unique experience, head to Galpão Gaucho, where the cultural aspect is as satisfying as the cuisine.

Everything at Galpão Gaucho, from rib-eye, lamb chops and chicken to grilled salmon and more, is prepared according to cultural standards, and your servers will be more than happy to stay awhile and educate you on the history of churrascarias— while also bringing you plenty of mashed potatoes and sweet caramelized bananas (a great way to clean the palate between courses). –Ken Miller

FSLV—Fashion Show Las Vegas, 702.602.0384

From TV to Table

Lights, camera and action! Guests to Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen will feel as if they’ve walked on to the set of the celeb chef’s popular TV show of the same name—complete with the famous red and blue kitchens.

It’s also here that guests can indulge in Ramsay’s famous dishes including beef Wellington and sticky to ee pudding—order the prix-fi xe menu that includes those two dishes, plus an appetizer, for only $89.95. But one would be remiss not to explore other options like the vegetarian and vegan menus. Choices include pan-seared tofu scallops with an English pea purée, a decadent artichoke risotto, spring onion soup with a tru e potato hash, and a tempting vegan dessert, the coconut 3-ways with coconut sorbet, passion fruit caramel and coconut cake.

The lunch and dinner menus also include standout dishes like jidori chicken scallopini and braised short rib served with Yukon potato cakes and a beef jus.

Hell’s Kitchen also o ers impressive specialty cocktails like the Fear & Loathing, a perfect-for-summer sip with El Silencio mezcal, Luxardo liqueur, fresh cold-pressed blood orange juice, pineapple and lemon. –Kiko Miyasato

Seeing Red

Put on a dash of rouge and get ready to blush at one of Las Vegas’ newest adult revues. Rouge brings audiences’ fantasies to life through its 18-person co-ed cast of acrobats, dancers, comedians and more.

Created by Hanoch Rosènn, who also produces Extravaganza at Bally’s and WOW at Rio, this show is like no other. Inventive costumes and cutting-edge choreography take center stage while hints of comedy keep the tone lighthearted and approachable. And every moment is wrapped in a blanket of sensuality.

Adding to the seduction of this show, the co-ed cast blurs the line of sexuality as there are no limits on how the sexes interact with each other. Anyone with any identity can easily see themself represented in this show, which allows the entire audience to become captivated by the performers’ allure. –Em Jurbala

The STRAT, 702.380.7777

Caesars Palace, 702.731.7373

Tipple Time

Electra Cocktail Club is sleek, sexy and o ers some of the best handcrafted cocktails on the Las Vegas Strip. Settle into one of comfy club chairs and try ordering from the Zodiac Cocktail Menu, which features a special cocktail for each sign of the zodiac. And if you’re in town this week celebrating your birthday, then you must be a Leo. The Leo cocktail mixes together Campari, Bacardi rum, lime, simple syrup and strawberries. –Kiko Miyasato

The Palazzo, 702.607.1950

Bally’s, 702.777.2782

Acts Aplenty Variety show displays diverse array of talents

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 o er—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 fl y high in the sky with the moon in the background.

The show is punctuated with several di erent 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

Floatworthy Excursion

Looking for something different to do today in Las Vegas? Grab your group or your sweetie and book a sail along the waters of The Venetian on a gondola ride. Guests can coast along the waters indoors of The Grand Canal Shoppes as the gondolier serenades or take it outdoors and float along the waters Stripside and enjoy the sunshine. Twice a day, guests can also catch the Gondolier March—gondoliers serenade in unison through the indoor canals at 9:50 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. –Kiko Miyasato

The Venetian, 702.414.4300

3542 S. Maryland Parkway, 702.620.5103

Your Sword, Milord

Up until now, if you wanted a taste of medieval-themed entertainment in Las Vegas, Tournament of Kings at Excalibur was your only option. But not anymore. Primal Steakhouse opened in 2020 at Boulevard Mall, and it’s a hit with locals. The décor is straight out of a scene from Game of Thrones—it’s dimly lit with faux chandeliers and wall sconces, dark-colored curtains, dark stone and wood walls with brick outlay and wooden tables and chairs.

Guatemalan-born chef Angel Lopez has created a varied menu full of flavors and surprises, all served up by some of the friendliest, most professional staff in the entire valley. Appetizers include bone marrow, beef carpaccio (served with dry ice for a beautiful effect) and black ceviche, served in a shell made of ice that melts as you eat the contents within. Main courses include smoked halibut and a 32-ounce tomahawk that might be one of the best cuts of meat I’ve ever tasted. And grab some sides like lobster mac and cheese and risotto. Everything here is just bursting with flavor and personality. –Ken Miller

This Show Is Money

Those who were lucky enough to catch the Miss Behave Gameshow at Bally’s a few years ago will be excited to know that its intriguing host, Amy Saunders, is back in Las Vegas in a new show, this time downtown at Cheapshot. And while the format is different from before, Miss Behave’s Mavericks is no less entertaining.

It’s a grab bag of performers, all hosted by the inimitable Saunders (who performs some pretty nifty sword-swallowing and balancing acts of her own). You’ll enjoy jugglers, magicians, acrobats and burlesque dancers.

What really puts this experience over the top is, well, you. You are strongly encouraged to bring dollar bills along, which you are then strongly encouraged to crumple into tiny balls and throw at any performer you particularly like. It’s like making it rain, only it’s more like hail. –Ken Miller

517 Fremont St., cheapshotdtlv.com