From the Past,”

Kid ‘N Play Ceelo Green

Blast From the Past

Residency ‘shu es’ the sounds of favorite decades

C’mon, admit it: You’ve got a station on Pandora for the music of the ’80s. And the ’90s. Heck, probably even the aughts. As much as today’s musical artists of today are packing stadiums and arenas across the country, there’s just something about the music of those decades that… resonates.

And that music will fi ll Westgate Las Vegas for the next few weeks with the arrival of BOOMBOX!—A Vegas Residency on Shu e, featuring some of the artists who helped defi ne those decades. It’s like you’re listening to Pandora, only the artists making those beautiful, nostalgic sounds are directly in front of you! Artists like Ceelo Green, Kid ‘N Play, J.J. Fad, and more.

Green’s massive appeal stems from both his work with Gnarls Barkley, which produced hits like “Crazy” in 2006, to his solo work, which culminated in “Forget You,” a hit that garnered fi ve GRAMMY nominations. Green is no stranger to Las Vegas—he performed at Planet Hollywood during his Loberace residency in 2012. His over-the-top style is ideally suited for Vegas, and there’s no doubt he’ll have fans dancing .

It was nearly impossible to miss Tone LoC at the height of his popularity. In addition to his chart-topping hit “Wild Thing” in 1989, the award-winning artist also hit the silver screen in movies like Ace Venture: Pet Detective, Heat, Poetic Justice and The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. He’s shared the stage with everyone from Boyz II Men to Britney Spears.

Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart for the movie House Party and its central duo, Kid ‘N Play? The pure, unadulterated joy Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin generated together has had crowds dancing for years, and songs like “Rollin’ with Kid ‘N Play” and “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody” are classics of their type. We haven’t even mentioned the look—the hightop fade haircut on Reid and the low top fade on Martin were major trend-setters from the late’80s to the early ’90s. –Ken Miller

Westgate Las Vegas, Aug. 31-Sept. 4 and Sept. 28-Oct. 2, ticketmaster.com

It’s the Tops

When you walk through the floor-to-ceiling doors of Alle Lounge on 66 your jaw will drop. This lounge on the 66th floor provides gorgeous views of the city—especially after the sun sets. It has a total New York-style penthouse feel to it— homey yet upscale. Furnishings are modern and inviting, and there are plenty of places for groups or cozy nooks for you and your sweetheart. The cocktail menu at Alle delivers handcrafted mixology, with the specialty cocktails combining delicious ingredients. Rare spirits are available, as well as light bites like oysters, lobster rolls and wagyu sliders. –Kiko Miyasato

Resorts World, 702.676.7766

New York-New York, 866.606.7111

Artistry in Action

Even if you have been to other Cirque du Soleil shows, you’ll find that the newest show in its stable is a different kind of animal. Mad Apple merges comedy, acrobatics, singing and dancing with Cirque’s penchant for over-the-top costumes, creating a dynamic, engaging show.

As you’re filtering into the theater, you’ll have a chance to grab a drink, but you may want to wait until you’re inside, since the preshow involves an actual bar on the stage and magicians circulating through the crowd.

Some numbers feature the full member cast, while others celebrate New York musically—music director Xharlie Black, five vocalists and a five-piece band present incredible mashups of Big Apple-themed songs. There’s plenty of clowning around, but stand-ups like Brad Williams and Harrison Greenbaum re-create a comedy club vibe.

The acrobatics will amaze you, from two-man balancing acts that quickly morph in a flipping frenzy, to trampoline experts that make amazing roundball shots while sailing through the air. And that’s just a portion of the eclectic mix; Mad Apple might be even more entertaining than a night in the Big Apple itself. –Nina King

Airborne Escape

Don’t be fooled by the name—although Iceland has its share of ice, it also has waterfalls, cliffs, volcanoes and fields of flowers. In FlyOver Las Vegas’ new flight ride film, Legendary Iceland, you soar over all of them, and it’s incredibly moving.

Before the main film, a special preshow film in a special antechamber introduces you to Iceland’s history (and the main character is indeed memorable). When it is over, head into FlyOver’s theater, where you’re belted into seats that face a nearly 53-foot spherical screen. You’re lifted into the air, where six planes of motion have you feeling as if you are indeed in a helicopter, zipping between canyon walls, diving toward the sea and taking in the beauty of the capital city.

FlyOver’s other show here spotlights American West locales like the Grand Canyon and Lake Tahoe. –Nina King

3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 866.498.2023

Leave It to the Chef

Looking for a real treat on your Las Vegas vacation? We’ve got the perfect occasion for you—and it involves course after course of delicious, authentic Italian cuisine. Brera Osteria, in the picturesque St. Mark’s Square at The Venetian, recently introduced its Chef’s Choice Surprise Menu. If there are fi ve or more in your party, consider this lunch or dinner adventure for only $100 per person.

What you’ll get is a secret meal designed especially for your party by chef Angelo Auriana. He will meld together all the fresh fl avors of Northern Italy into recipes he learned from growing up—but with a bit of modernized fl air.

As you sit at your table you won’t know exactly what recipes you’ll receive until the dish hits your table—from appetizers, pastas (house-made), pizzas (from the wood-fi red oven), main dishes (land-and-sea-options) and indulgent desserts. All courses are served family style, so sharing is encouraged. For an additional charge your party can choose to pair cocktails with each course.

When making your reservation, ask for the specifi c menu name and get ready for an unforgettable, made-specially-foryou meal. –Kiko Miyasato

Have a Field Day

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.

One fun stop is the Raiderettes locker room . 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 fi eld, and the pièce de résistance: A stop to snap some pics at the 50-yard line. –Kiko Miyasato

Allegiantstadium.com/tours

The Venetian, 702.414.1227

Hear the Hilarity

For years, Gordie Brown has been making audiences laugh with uncanny impersonations of some of the world’s most famous people (with some musical skills thrown in). 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

WITH SPECIAL GUEST COLIN CLOUD

LIMITLESS

More Than Shopping Retail center o ers fun experiences

The indoor, 1.2-mile stretch that makes up Miracle Mile Shops is a great way to beat the heat and shop for all types of fashions, while also enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants. But there are also some specialty spots that make for a great afternoon or evening adventure.

You’d be hard-pressed to fi nd someone who doesn’t like cereal. The Cereal Killerz Kitchen ups the ante on the breakfast-food favorite by giving guests the choice to build their own treat. O ering more than 100 di erent types of cereals from around the world, build your own cereal bowls, or combine cereal and ice cream, wa es decorated with cereal and sugary treats or milkshakes mixed and topped with your favorite cereal brands.

For a more adult adventure, stop by Tipsy Robot. This bar is sans human bartenders, instead actual robots will build your cocktail. Order one of the specialty cocktails available or you can use the app to create your own. In about a minute you’ll have your drink mixed for you by a gigantic robotic arm—and have one cool Instagram story or TikTok. For more social media content, and some more alcohol, stop into Nacho Daddy. Take a seat at the bar and order up the scorpion shot, served with Telson blanco tequila, salt and a lime wedge; you’ll notice that sitting in the shot glass is a scorpion. #GotStung.

Now that you’re nice and liquored up, what better time to bite the bullet and get your fi rst tattoo? Head to Club Tattoo. It’s here that you can use the shop’s touch screen displays to scroll through thousands of artworks and artist portfolios. They’ll help you decide what type of piece you’re looking for, or help you design your own unique ink. Club Tattoo also o ers piercing services and clothing and accessories.

More skin stu can be found at Dr. Fish Spa. Guests dip their feet in water and let a school of garra rufa fi sh—which are toothless and have a special enzyme that helps heal skin—get to work on softening and rejuvenating the feet. The fi sh are attracted to the vibrations in the water given o by the pulse in your feet, and the experience is a relaxing one, compared to jacuzzi bubbles.

Lastly, stop by the Rainstorm Show at the top of the hour from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. and every half hour on the weekends. Watch as rain falls into a lake surrounded by rocks and listen to the rolling thunder. Coins tossed into the water are given to various local charities throughout the year. –Kiko Miyasato

Planet Hollywood Resort, 702.866.0704

Presented by Omega Mart

Omega Mart is ready to bend your mind—in a good way

“I’m all lost in the supermarket/ I can no longer shop happily/ I came here for that special offer/ A guaranteed personality.” Other than the part about being unhappy, these song lyrics by The Clash could have been written specifically about one of the newest, most exciting venues to open in Photography courtesy of Omega Mart

Las Vegas for some time: Omega Mart by Meow Wolf, an otherworldly experience with personality to spare.

At first glance, it appears to be just a grocery store like any other, with brightly lit shelves popping with colorful products to stoke your impulse to buy, buy, buy.

But you quickly realize the theme here: Look closer.

As you scan the various cans, boxes, packages and bags, you see that things are not quite what they seem—and that the humorous, askew personality of Meow Wolf is absolutely everywhere. For

instance, the can that you think contains peaches actually says “Canned Beaches,” with the word “Unexpectables” below it. Those “Omega Oranges”? They’re “Boneless and Seedless.” That pack of gum? It actually says “Gom.” And the green-andwhite candy is labeled as “Leprechaun Kidneys.” Those packs of ramen noodles? They’re “Ramen Notes” for when you want to leave a sticky note behind for a friend. discover a whole world behind the scenes That bottle of “Tomato Milk”? It’s actually by crawling through a tent, slipping through a phone charger. a small divide in the wall, or walking into a

The theme continues throughout the soda refrigerator. What you’ll find beyond is store, with large displays for bottles of a world that can only be described as Tim medicine (they’re actually mints), fake Burton meets David Lynch. plastic produce, and fake meat prod- This part is what really pushes Omega ucts, including “Romantic Steak Cakes,” Mart into the imagination stratosphere. “Tattoo Chickens” and “Great Smoky This entire area is very nonlinear; Muttons.” you can walk anywhere you

At every turn, a store employee want at any time. There are energetically informs you of the Get Tickets at hallways with seemingly latest specials. You can also Meow.wf/lvm endless pathways, staircases, purchase an Omega Access hidden rope climbs, hidden Card, which is affectionately titled doors, interactive displays and a “Boop Card.” so much more. Along the way,

Once you have this in hand, look for marketing analysts ask you questions stations you can “boop” it at. Depending that make no sense (at least on the on the station, you’ll take a survey, answer surface). But you’ll answer them anyway, quiz questions or find out information because when in Rome … about the store. And if you’re planning on visiting Meow

Remember what we said about looking Wolf’s other installations (there’s one in closer? That applies to the design of the Santa Fe, NM, and another in Denver, CO), store as well. You’ll quickly realize that the you’ll find that the Omega Mart story is store is just a façade. As you explore, you’ll only the beginning.

• Libation •

Espresso Martini

This writer tries a lot of cocktails for the job. And when Yung says that the espresso martini will be the best I’ll ever try … well, he wasn’t joking. Using his own recipe, the espresso martini is a mix of Stoli Vanil vodka, Kahlúa and a double shot of fresh-brewed Illy espresso. Yung even comments that once guests have tried it, they came back the very next day and the next day—even bringing their friends along—to order the cocktail again. It pairs perfectly with one of Zeppola’s fresh pastries, pastas or dinner entrées. –KM

Benefi t

Order the golden cappuccino. This secretmenu item is a vanilla cappuccino smothered with golden fl akes!

Jen Yung Having pride in the product he sells

As the general manager of Zeppola Cafe, Jen Yung oversees a little slice of food and beverage heaven inside The Venetian.

Head to St. Mark’s Square and you’ll fi nd Zeppola tucked away in a corner—a quaint little café that o ers some of the best Italian food and drink you’ll have on the Strip. “All our products are made from scratch, handcrafted,” Yung says. “It’s authentic Italian; recipes from the owner’s grandmother in Italy.”

Yung has a long history in food and beverage and hotel operations. He began his career in his native Hong Kong, opening the wine programs for Wynn Macau. He then brought his talents to the U.S. and helped establish the wine program for various Encore restaurants when the property opened. “I never in my life thought I’d end up in Vegas,” he says. “I remember my boss came up to me and asked if I wanted to work in Vegas. I had two weeks’ notice. I decided to go and got my tickets and my visa.”

For Yung, it was the right decision. Since he’s been in Vegas, he’s tackled the industry with gusto. Yung has served on both the hotel operations side as well as in the food and beverage industry. He’s been a director of luxury hotel operations for Caesars Palace and director of butlers for The Cosmopolitan; he’s helped open Resorts World’s Chinese fi ne-dining restaurant Genting Palace, and for the past six months he’s been with Zeppola, where he oversees operations and created the wine and cocktail program. “I love being hands-on,” he says. “I really enjoy the action. I’m always out on the fl oor helping guests. I like to not only help with operations, but I love to walk around, talk with guests, even bus the tables.”

But what he loves the most at Zeppola, what he’s most proud of, is what it o ers. “When I look at the product that we serve, I’m really proud,” he says. “You have to come taste it to know how good it is.” –Kiko Miyasato