Kassi Beach House brings an outdoor Mediterranean vibe to Vegas

By Nina King

for a drink or two before your meal. Once you’re seated, order a cocktail or three, like the new Free Bird with tequila, lime, watermelon and mint, or a margarita (Kassi features five versions), or a nice glass of prosecco. During brunch, you can also indulge in bottomless rose for $45 a person. Bargain! And if you don’t want the alcohol, you’ll find several versions, from the iced matcha latte to the spritzes, which combine flavors like ginger and lemon, pineapple and lime and watermelon and mint. They’re all incredibly refreshing.

For brunch, there are plenty of delicious breakfast items like avocado toast, smoked salmon and ricotta pancakes, but you’ll want to start with the mezze platter, a shareable appetizer for the whole table, with whipped eggplant, whipped ricotta and white bean dip—all served with oven-roasted puccia bread, which comes out puffy and tender. You might also want to indulge in the grilled octopus, served with hearts of palm and red onion.

For dinner, a charcuterie platter presents a range of meat and cheese as well as cornichons, marinated artichokes and grilled bread.

That delicious puccia bread is also used for the crusts of the pizzas, available for brunch and dinner. For brunch, check out the breakfast pizza, with three cheeses, scrambled egg, guanciale and green onions—you can even get it with sausage and hash browns! You can get several different pizzas on both menus, and two of the newest are the Bianca, with prosciutto di Parma, lemon, EVOO and balsamic vinegar; and the pear and formaggio, which layers on three cheeses, honey and chives plus Bosc pears. Delightful!

At dinner, entrées are substantial, with offerings such as rotisserie chicken diavolo, eye-opening with its chili and garlic; filet mignon (add on lobster for decadence); and a 32-ounce tomahawk. The Italian-style family meal is three courses of chef-selected goodies—prepare to be wowed. (A quick note: there is a four-person minimum to order the family-style menu.)

Pasta lovers will find items like cacio e pepe, squid ink gemelli with crab, lobster tagliatelle and a newer addition to Kassi, mushroom carbonara, with campanelle pasta and royal trumpet mushrooms, served with a 62-degree egg and Parmesan cream, and the egg adds such richness to the sauce.

For dessert, indulge in the housemade ice cream sandwich while you can—it won’t be around forever. With pistachio gelato, marshmallow and chocolate, it’s an impressive sight that is worthy of a post or two.

From Feb. 10-14, you can order from the special Valentine’s Day menu—start with arancini with caciocavello and artisanal caviar and cheekily named cocktails like The Honeymoon, with Haku vodka, white chocolate, raspberry and alcohol-infused whipped cream—heady stuff! virginhotelslv.com

Pan-seared scallops with cauliflower purée and braised short rib with polenta and truffle butter are your entrée choices, while chocolate pot de crème comes with brandied cherries.

Katy Perry conjures the classic Vegas spirit in her successful residency Play

For Katy Perry, pop music’s reigning Queen of Camp, “Waking Up in Vegas” has become much more than a hit song and set list staple. Perry is and will always be a California gurl, but her Las Vegas residency places her on a stage that’s likely not far from where her aunt once kicked up her heels as a showgirl at the Stardust Resort and Casino. That property was imploded in 2007, making way for new beginnings and the explosive success of Perry’s residency, Play

By the end of its inaugural run that launched Dec. 29, 2021, Play grossed nearly $7 million with at least 32,000 Perry fans making the pilgrimage to her royal court. Inspired by childhood memories of television and film comedies such as Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Perry and her production team let their imagina- tions run wild. They were so flushed with excitement that they even created an oversized commode with a talking inhabitant.

Perry balances the fun onstage with the seriousness of being in top condition physically and mentally to make Play look as e ortlessly fun to present as it is demanding to perform. Perry became a mom during the pandemic, making her well-being a priority to balance work and family life. She even launched a nonalcoholic drink, De Soi, with a friend who also experienced a recent pregnancy and is making it available at Play for the sober-curious.

Her performance is intoxicating all on its own. Fans who attended Play last year witnessed Perry descend from the ceiling and placed in a bed by a giant hand to sing “E.T.” Styling by RuPaul collaborator Zaldy included colorfully gaudy ’60s-inspired outfits, a crystal dress embellished by strategically placed beer cans, a mushroom cap and a baby doll dress.

By Matt Kelemen

gown accessorized with gloves and a feather boa.

Resorts World Las Vegas Feb. 15, 17-18 and 22, ticketmaster.com

The latter was worn during “Dark Horse” as Perry sat astride a wooden steed. She went full-on showgirl for “Teenage Dream” with the aid of designer Johnny Wujek and crystal studder Disco Daddy, who helped her bedazzle and beguile audiences with a form-fitting yellow-gold-and-silver

While costume changes were frequent, the arrangement of “Waking Up in Vegas” received a makeover as well. The song is jazzed up as if it were played by lounge musicians in the golden age of the Strip. The feel is as real as the live band that includes bassist Kyle Whalum. His father is GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, most familiar to pop music audiences for his solo on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Houston was paid tribute to during many of the show’s encores throughout last year with a rendition of “The Greatest Love of All.” The career-spanning sets included “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Roar” and “Firework,” all realized live in a way only an entertainer with showgirl roots, dedication and discipline, and a neo-kitschy personal style can.

What changes are in store for this year’s shows will be revealed when Perry returns to the stage the evening after Valentine’s Day, but superfan KatyCats can count on making unforgettable memories during a new Vegas golden age.

By Matt Kelemen

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens presents an enlightening Lunar New Year display

Among the first guests to arrive at a banquet hosted by the Jade Emperor that, according to Lunar New Year lore, would determine the order of the 12 astrological animals was the rabbit. Some legends say the rabbit arrived first and slipped while crossing a river to the banquet, while others say it took a nap as the rat, ox and tiger arrived, making the fourth phase in the astrological cycle The Year of the Rabbit.

It’s a period of peace, tranquility, good fortune and prosperity reflected in the current display at Bellagio

Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. The goal for designer Ed Libby and Bellagio’s horticulture team was to honor Asian culture and tradition through an installation inspired by enlightenment and imagination.

“This is one of the most beautiful garden settings I think we’ve ever done at Bellagio,” says Libby. “The meaning is coming through in every bed, and the guests are very interested in what they’re seeing.”

In addition to increased signage identifying botanical species and providing facts about the display, QR codes give deeper dives into the meaning of the astrological cycle and Lunar New Year. Red, pink, purple and blue suggest the season, with bromeliads and succulents blooming in vibrant colors of white, hot pink and ruby red.

“Ed sets the tone and builds the story,” says Conservatory manager Lea Jonic. “He’s really thoughtful about everything he does. You take a look at it, you look at the renderings, and we find the right flowers and plant material and give the serene, peaceful, very gentle vibe to the room that fits his design.”

With the corresponding element of 2023 being water, the koi pond in the north bed takes on particularly special relevance. Topiary children constructed from an estimated 45,600 flowers frolic and fish around The Temple of Six Banyan Trees, which rises eight levels in front of a high-definition LED screen displaying scenes of fireworks and falling gold coins as live inhabitants swim through the water and effortlessly capture the attention of guests passing by.

Live zebra finches flit around inside a tall cage in the south bed, where pink lunar moths float above long-legged, intricately feathered cranes that preen for guests with reservations for The Garden Table. An unprecedented innovation that symbolizes the Jade Emperor’s banquet, guests can dine immersed in the Conservatory’s bucolic surroundings with prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner prepared by Bellagio’s Pan-Asian restaurant Noodles. Reservations times are 1, 3, 6 and 8 p.m.

The meal comes with an incomparable view of the 32-foot-tall Year of the Water Rabbit sculpted medallion in the West Bed (the hero piece of the display sentried by twin bonsai trees) that reflects the rippling waters beneath it at night. Intricately crafted cloisonné cherry blossoms hang above fu dogs that watch over the surroundings. A 17-foottall statue of Chinese god of wealth Caishen in the east bed gazes in the direction of Bellagio’s entrance, while a nearby family of golden rabbits gather on a wooden bridge. Family, food, fun … what Lunar New Year is all about.

By Em Jurbala