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Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Joël Robuchon

I’m happy to say this is the third year I’ve attended, and each time has yielded new treasured experiences, though some imperfect aspects of the event also persist. One thing both wonderous and frustrating: the number of activities and meals taking place over roughly 72 hours make it impossible for one person to attend all (regardless of cost), and many unannounced elements make it difficult to know what will be truly special until it’s already in motion. Readers interested in digesting the entire weekend will have to piece together different reports…including some of my favorites:

Eating Las Vegas … ABC7 Chicago’s Steve Dolinsky …

Average Betty and Las Vegas Weekly .

The festival began as the four aforementioned musketeers gathered for a photo op mid-afternoon May 6, with downtown Las Vegas Mayor Goodman (the Supervisors of Town of Paradise, where

Gagnaire and Jean-Phillippe Maury chat in the background, Ducasse and Savoy in the foreground, Jean Joho on the right.

the Strip is actually located, typically remain off-camera) and Rao’s chef Carla Pellegrino (who makes good eye candy—surely she knows she’s not in their league) on the balcony of Ducasse’s mIX at theHOTEL.

They then joined some 40-odd other Vegas chefs (including just-awarded James Beard Foundation Best Chef, Southwest, Claude LeTohic) inside for a daunting group shot, before Ducasse kicked off the event officially with a traditional champagne sabering. I’ve seen this clipping off the cork of a champagne bottle with a ceremonial saber done many times before, and it usually takes several clumsy attempts. Mssr. Ducasse executed it with two short and one long stroke, as if he was buttering bread.

with Claude LeTohic

That’s one way you get to be Alain Ducasse.

(Oddly, this event was private for press and insiders only. Why, in a town that loves photo ops—during a week when the Miss USA ladies were popping up practically everywhere on the Strip—was this monumental event hidden not only from the public but even Uncork’d ticket buyers? Then again, if it weren’t private, I wouldn’t have had the unique experience of taking the elevator back down with Joel Robuchon instructing his staff en Français like de Gaulle going into battle.)

Afterward, Caesars Palace hosted four “Masters’ Series” dinners, all of which were repeats from previous years (perhaps because they sold well—and this year, all sold out). Though I didn’t attend any, having eaten at all four restaurants (Mesa Grill, Bradley Ogden, Guy Savoy and Rao’s) I can say with confidence which were probably best (hint: the most and least expensive). On the other hand this Boston couple apparently spent $722 to attend Bobby Flay’s Mesa meal. What can I tell them? That they could’ve spent the same amount and had probably two of the most memorable meals of their lives here? That if they had chosen to dine with Savoy, Robuchon or Ducasse, not only would those chefs have spent more time with them than apparently a passing handshake at the table, but also lavished them with extra course after extra course? But I digress.

Shibuya's robotayaki station

The first evening capped with a great, very reasonably priced event, “Shinkansen to Shibuya,” at which dozens of sakes—some very unusual and rare—were sampled alongside Shibuya’s great robatayaki (cooked live) and sushi. Being able to count the North American Sake Institute’s Tiffany Soto among my good friends, I’ve covered some ground in this territory. But even Shibuya soms Eric Swanson and Alysia Wrenn (who offered me personal guidance) admitted there were a few here they’d never tried. I attempted to entice Sage’s Shawn McClain and his Chef de Cuisine Richard Camarota to sip Brown Sugar Umeshu or Silent Stream, but the Chicagoans felt safer with the Sapporo. Serious sake snobs might have been put off by the house music and fur bikini’ed go-go girls. But hey, this is Vegas. Get used to it. (Look for my full tasting review here on EscapeHatchDallas.com .)

Puck signing cookbooks after his chat.

Friday morning began with a “Culinary Conversation” between Bon Appetit EIC Barbara Fairchild and Starchef Wolfgang Puck, (Bellagio’s Fontana lounge) at which WP entertainingly reminded us that he’s not just a worldwide brand but still a passionate chef, gourmand…and stand-up comedian. He admitted he isn’t able to experience many new chefs’ cooking—and is pretty strongly against the food truck thing—but is far from out of touch with trends.

“We don’t have any new ingredients,” said Wolf, “we just didn’t see them before.”

And on In N Out: “For what it is, it’s good, but I wouldn’t go there to eat it.”

"Lord, what fools these mortals be."

And before the audience Q&A: “I like questions about food and sex, and how they’re related…”

Afterward, as Puck hosted a lunch at CUT (others concurrent included Valentino, Pinot Brasserie and mIX), Joel Robuchon gave a cooking demonstration at his L’Atelier. While the event was staggering—imagine having one of the world’s most awarded chefs ever tell you how to cook your meat & veg (even other chefs would clamor for this)—L’Atelier’s open kitchen is ill-designed for such a situation, and most attendees had to watch the close action on video monitors, to augment the Chef’s fumbling translator. Still, $135 with a full lunch and autographed cookbook? Bargain.

CUT's Bruléed Baby Banana Cream Pie. Pretty, huh?

“Cooking is an act of delicacy,” Robuchon philosophized. “If you do something for a customer, do it like you would for your girlfriend or family.”

Overlapping these was an organic wine lecture by Bellagio Wine Director Jason Smith, MS, which I would’ve liked to have seen, followed hard by an Akira Back sushi class, cocktail class with mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim and Wynn’s Patricia Richards (loved this event last year), and a chocolate pairing with Smith and Bellagio Pastry Chef Jean-Marie Auboine.

With samplings from more than 50 restaurants around Caesars Palace’s Garden of the Gods pool deck, the Grand Tasting that evening offered an embarrassment of culinary riches—but the

Cat Cora looms large

emphasis might be on embarrassment there. For while it was a daunting, almost endless offering of food, wine and other treats (Vosges chocolate!), it was arguably a victim of its own success. A claimed 2300 attendees (not counting 75+ chefs and their staffs), showed the newly expanded Caesars pool deck to be a still-inadequate space, and nothing at the event was done to allay huge human traffic jams in front of some stations (particularly City Center row). Not even Chef Hubert Keller’s DJing skills could get people moving .

Considering how many disappointed voices I heard, here’s hoping it doesn’t become a victim of its own success (Why so much free space is devoted to tasting tables of rather ordinary wines, while too many restaurant booths are crammed in close quarters makes no sense).

Still, I was able to get in early enough to sample many remarkable bites, from Guy Savoy, Wynn Country Club, Dos Caminos, to off-Strip stars Vintner Grill and Rosemary’s, and the “sushi ghetto” of Roku, Marssa and Nobu poorly placed behind the Infiniti car display (Didn’t see them? Can’t say I blame you, there was almost no way of knowing they were there). Some highlights:

Mesa Grill scallops I actually saw Chef Bobby Flay plate himself!

•Bradley Ogden’s lamb sausage

•Mesa Grill’s scallops on the half shell

•Cat Cora’s lamb & tapenade burger (yes! One of the best lamb burgers I’ve ever had, really)

•Sirio’s raviolo with asparagus sauce

•Valentino’s home made pasta with rabbit meatballs–and gelato

•Switch’s wagyu tartare

•Lotus of Siam’s curry beef (only #5 hot, tho)

•Union’s tuna tartare “pizza”

•Silk Road’s ice cream push-up pops

Fish guru...card sharp?

Afterward came the annual celebrity/chef blackjack tournament outside at Encore, won once again (3^rd year in a row) by Wynn’s Paul Bartolotta. It’s not for me to question, but the next morning, Shawn McClain did grumble a bit about getting bad hands… (he was just KIDDING)

That was before the second Culinary Conversation, between chefs McClain, Pierre Gagnaire, Julian Serrano, Laurent Tourondel and Bon Appetit’s camera-ready editor Andrew Knowlton. Some of Andrew’s questions were good, some odd (“Why aren’t there more female chefs?” Hm, maybe you should have invited one!) but he never quite started the conversation promised. Certainly this discussion could have gone much longer.

Still, we discovered Serrano originally wanted to be a footballer, McClain grew up with a mom who “Was everything the ‘50s brought to cooking–vegetables in a can, lemon juice in a bottle,” and Gagnaire, in rough English, said “For me, this job was a mistake! Then I realized it was a fantastic way to meet people.” Serrano finds his inspiration just spending hours in farmers markets, while Gagnaire said all the knowledge in the world won’t make you a good chef “if you don’t have the sensibility.”

Serrano disabused the notion that getting fresh ingredients in a desert town was any challenge. Thanks to the proximity of California, “You order produce 10 at night, and it’s here at 10 in the morning, same as any other city.”

Of coming to Las Vegas, said McClain: “To be showcased in a city that has so much talent concentrated was

Walzog's sexy tartare

impossible to resist.” And for his fellow new CityCenter star Gagnaire, “To be in Las Vegas for me is incredible. Today I find Vegas more exotic than Tokyo.”

Saturday continued with the “Ultimate All-Star” Interactive Luncheon, a great event where Wynn/Encore chefs show everyone how to cook a dish, and one person from each table actually cooks it with the help of a sous chef. This one might have been a little anti-climatic from last year (at least for me—in ’09 I got to cook with Daniel Boulud, who then sat down at the table and ate my squab. Cleaned his plate, too!) but when talents like Bartolotta, Alex Stratta, David Walzog and Frederic Robert are in charge, you’re getting a treat.

Stratta shows you how.

And we did: steak tartare from Walzog, sweet pea risotto from Stratta, classic salt crust fish from Bartolotta, and a raspberry trifle (with sherbet and candy bars) from Robert. When we all chopped basil at the same time (including Vegas Channel 8’s Denise Valdez at the next table, and That 70s Show’s Laura Prepon nearby), and the Beethoven ballroom filled with its amazing earthy perfume, that was a Proustian moment. And Robert really ought to have an event of his own, focusing on the incredible breads his pastry shop creates unique for every Wynn/Encore venue. Think about it for next year, Uncork’d.

Rissotto perfecto.

(Walzog, by the way, wouldn’t give me a single hint about what’s in store for the space where DB Brasserie is in Wynn after Boulud leaves later this season and Walzog takes over. But I’m predicting something [American, fishy and “approchable” (read: Gastro-pubby). Even though I’d like to see a more adventuresome concept, say...a tribute to the Turkish Bosphorus. But I digress.)

Overlapping that event was an interesting seminar with winemaker Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climat), reviewer Pierre Rovani, MS Smith and Bon Appetit’s Steve Olson about wine ratings at Bellagio, then a Payard pastry demonstration at Caesars which I’m sure was great (I’ve seen Payard do these twice—he’s fantastic).

Laura Prepon and David Walzog follow Bartolotta's orders.

Meanwhile at Mandalay Bay, Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood hosted a very cool demo collaboration between Moonen, Keller and Border Grill/Too Hot Tamales semi-legend Susan Feniger—three diverse talents you’d never expect to get on so well. With the temporary stage open to the casino, onlookers were free to gather and watch (and arguably get a closer view than you could inside). It’s a concept RM’s Top Chef Master should repeat—perhaps even with Rick’s kitchen dream team, Adam Sobel and Gerald Chin.

Feniger, Keller & Moonen ... One Night Only!

The big event that evening was a “Fashion Feast,” pairing the best chefs of Bellagio—Vegas’ first starchef-centered property—with fashions from the property’s high end shops. Even with food from Todd English, Michael Mina, Serrano and Le Cirque’s David Werly, it was one I was happy to miss. A property-promotional ballroom meal doesn’t really seem in the spirit of Bon Appetit, IMHO.

Palmer knows pig.

But one I’m glad I didn’t miss was the surprisingly intimate Charlie Parker/Alain Ducasse Mandalay Beach party, which was truly a marvel; first to see how each approached the task, then to see the chefs and their staffs interacting with the relatively intimate crowd, Moonen, and each other (much wine and Patron was poured to help).

Romano scoops!

Palmer roasted a pig, served fantastic grilled lobsters, bacon-wrapped monkfish medallions and softshell crabs. Ducasse served more elegant fish and delicate vegetable terrines. And lastly, Megan Romano scooped her own silky ice cream (black raspberry—yum).

With an entirely different flavor, the Joe Bastianich-hosted “Palazzo after hours” Rock and Roll pool party was also fun. Mario Batali’s partner joined a Zeppelin cover band (featuring Antrhax’s Scott Ian), while Batali Exec Chef & salumist Zach Allen manned the B&B salumi station, First Food brought sliders, and Lagasse Stadium had wings. Rene Lenger, Akira Back, Scott Linquist and Carla Pellegrino made the scene as well. Naturally, several nice wines were poured too (even a supple brachetto).

Ducasse talks shop.

Sunday morning, Robuchon and Aureole both hosted Mother’s Day brunches, but by then I was, as my friend John Curtas texted me, “restaurant’ed out.”

For foodists and restaurant hounds, an event like this also offers an opportunity to view the differences in approach between chefs, and their interest in interaction. It’s a fascinating thing to see four of the world’s most admired chefs: Ducasse, Savoy, Robuchon and Gagnaire in a room together, and it’s notable how much each of them gave of their time throughout the weekend—certainly in contrast to a Bobby Flay, who seemed to spend a lot of time in front of the cameras, though after two security men helped him through the crowd (?) at the Grand Tasting, I did witness him actually serving.

Contrast this with Steve Martarano—not known to give his Vegas outlet lavish attention—at his GT booth (rather than the press line) actually making fresh mozzerella himself. He even taught me how to do it. But hey, don’t get me wrong—Todd English, who helmed the Saturday dinner, apparently couldn’t turn up a day early for the GT, Emeril Lagasse, who has more restaurants in Vegas than any town outside of NoLa, was a no-show once more, and when was the last time Nobu Matsuhisa (who’s trained half the sushi-slingers here) made his presence known?

By the same token, it was almost bizarre to see how negligibly most of City Center’s new star chefs spots were involved. Yes, Gagnaire was ever present—but why didn’t his restaurant host a single event? (curiously, he had a private lunch for local press only just the day prior.) Sage’s Shawn McClain, Masa’s Masa, Silk Road’s Martin Heierling along with the chefs of Sirios. Union, Jean-Georges and American Fish manned booths at the GT but had almost no other involvement (exception: American Fish’s Michael Mina represented his Bellagio restaurant at the Fashion Gala). That’s inexplicable, and a loss for both attendees and City Center. There were a few other local talents—Ago’s Marco Porceddu, N9ne’s Barry Dakake, Nove’s Geno Bernardo, Raku’s Mitsuo Endo, maybe even Hussong’s Noe Alcala—who were notably absent, but that’s just one man’s opinion. Perhaps next year they’ll find a way to include them, and the incoming Cosmopolitan resort talent like David Myers.

More obvious is how uneven the celebrity presence has always been at this festival. Having interviewed dozens of A-List Hollywooders, I can tell you bigger names than Laura Prepon (no offense) would love to eat their way through a weekend like this—and for that matter, why didn’t more Vegas stars trot around (I only saw Jersey Boys’ Frankie Valli, Rick Faugno, and magician Nathan Burton. Heck, this might be the only Vegas event Holly Madison has missed in months)?

Vegas has always been a bit bipolar about community-building, but our culinary offerings are now, ironically, a more unique element of Vegas than it’s heritage, gaming. If we don’t nurture this community, and build it, it will wither. And that includes nurturing a local community of sophisticated, passionate restaurant-goers. To do that, Uncork’d really ought to consider opening up some of the “ancillary” events, at least making them inclusive to attendees of others ($50 to see Puck talk, accompanied by coffee and danish? $150 to watch the blackjack tourney?) or including other free events. Perhaps the book signings within the Grand Tasting could inhabit a separate weekend-long “pop-up” store?

A sweet finish: Romano's shortcake sandwich

But you gotta break some eggs to make an omelet, as they say, and Vegas Uncork’d remains a fantastically creative high end food fest that reflects the absolute best this Star Chef city offers. It just needs a little more time in the kitchen next year.

Follow me on twitter: @vegasstarchefs

Watch some cool Vegas Uncork’d video here

More from Las Vegas Weekly’s Sarah Feldberg:

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/the-playground/2010/may/09/one-very-tasty-traffic-jam/

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/the-playground/2010/may/10/uncorkd-notes-quotes-and-salt-crusted-fish/

Moby and Miyun Park at the Skirball Center

I’m not normally a fan of being preached to, but last week (3/23/10) a mutual friend invited me to go see Moby (Electronica “legend” & DJ) talk about the new book GRISTLE: from Factory Farms to Food Safety (thinking twice about the meat we eat) he’d co-edited with Miyun Park, at the Skirball Cultural Center, West LA’s gorgeous Jewish institution.

I admit I walked into the auditorium feeling guilty already, after putting the cream of tortured cows into my coffee. I half expected Moby to appear like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s Childcatcher (you know, the Jack White lookalike?) twitching his nose and saying “I smell meat eaters.” Doubtful there were many of “us:” the hundreds-strong crowd skewed young and thin, even if not everyone was a pomo hippy type.

There were a few interesting characters though. A couple of guys in the crowd (largely belonging to the “converted” to whom Moby was preaching) wore Vegan Bodybuilding shirts—not a great advertisement, considering both were scarcely more muscular than I am. One creepy guy had his 8 year-old daughter (I’m assuming) on his lap and was massaging her back the whole time. Dude, seriously? Then there was the bearded man with the Moses staff who felt like telling the world every time he agreed with a point, or not.

With a book title like GRISTLE, I expected the long-time vocal vegan activist to speechify to his minions, with one fact and figure after another, about how the entire planet’s doom was tied to the fact that people eat meat.

To my delight, there was no real speechifying—even if Moby tacitly made that assertion nonetheless. “You look at the health plagues of the 20^th century,’ he said “and they’re all related to diet.” I wasn’t ready to entirely buy that. But with E. Coli outbreaks becoming almost commonplace, it wasn’t entirely dismissible, either.

“The issue is about reducing animal suffering,” said Miyun, who was perhaps a bit less adept at seducing a crowd. “In the two hours we’re going to be here, 2.5 million animals will be killed in the US.”

Okay, that is a number that should give anyone pause.

Moby won a lot of points by relating his personal journey (for lack of a less new-agey word). “When I was in high school, I had nothing but disdain for vegetarians,” he said, recalling days in a Connecticut hardcore punk band. “I’ve had so many militancies in my life. Where does it come from? My insecurity.” Moby admitted he’d personally gone to extremes in his political correctness–even “not wanting to take hot showers because I didn’t want to support the oil companies…it got so bad that I threatened to only talk to other vegans.”

Eventually, he says, he realized “Not everybody is born vegan [just as] not everybody is born with a cool record collection” (apparently he’s learned to accept his aunts and uncles who raise chickens—hey, at least it’s local).

“We have to resist the temptation to judge other people because they don’t meet our standard of purity.”

He also made the valid point that even vegans can still contribute to environmental degradation (especially if they’re eating foods from far away).

Moby’s thrust seemed to be that government be persuaded to remove subsidies to animal production for food, and that that would make the vegetarian option much more affordable by comparison (though he also admitted many “vegetarian” packaged foods are overpriced). He claims that he even asked Al Gore why the environmental impact of animal production wasn’t included in “An Inconvenient Truth,” and Gore responded that it was “too inconvenient of a truth.”

Fighting climate change and eating meat, Moby posited, was the same kind of contradiction as trying to cure cancer or heart disease while being a cigarette smoker.

The book’s collection of essays were only lightly touched upon. “Even if you don’t want to read it,” Moby quipped, “there’s fun little graphs.”

Moby made a point of going overtime to answer all of the people who lined up to ask questions; an impressive number of them stayed to wait in line and have the book signed, evidence that a “free” event is good business (FYI, Moby also pointed out all the book profits go to animal rights organizations).

“I’m just as passionate” as ever, Moby said “but I want to figure out a way to do it and not irritate my friends and family in the process.”

Dita Von Teese performing in her custom-designed champagne glass bath.

In honor of Dita Von Teese’s return to the Crazy Horse of Paris show at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, I thought I would post this interview I did with her last time around, talking about her PETA campaign, and how she would do her own Vegas show if she had a chance. Take a look… (click PETA ad to download PDF)

Some favorite Las Vegas residents and visitors–Wolfgang Puck, Holly Madison, Sugar Shane Mosley, and Ivanka Trump–share their Vegas loves (click above to download full PDF)

Mark Andelbradt, Paul Bartolotta, Geno Bernardo, Osamu Fujita, Martin Heierling, Jean Joho, Emeril Lagasse, Scott Linquist, Shawn McClain, Michael Mina, Rick Moonen, Bradley Ogden, François Payard, Luciano Pellegrini, Guy Savoy, Kerry Simon, Alex Stratta, Masa Takayama, Charlie Trotter, Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Actors, Directors and Personalities

Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba, Alison Anders, Greg Araki, Samaire Armstrong (Entourage, Dirty Sexy Money), David Arquette, Desmond Askew, John August (Go, Charlie’s Angels)

Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Banks, Roseanne Barr, Kristin Bell (Heroes, Veronica Mars), Lorraine Bracco, Wayne Brady, Michelle Borth (HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me), Steve Buscemi

Kelly Carlson (Nip/Tuck), Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing), Steve Coogan (24 Hr Party People, Alan Partridge), David Cronenberg, Russell Crowe, Jon Cryer

Matt Damon, Jonathan Demme, Ted Demme, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Taye Diggs, Robert Downey Jr., David Duchovny, Kirsten Dunst

Jon Favreau, Jerry Ferrara (Entourage), William Fichtner (Prison Break, Black Hawk Down), Clare Forlani, Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous, Wristcutters), Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, American History X)

Beau Garrett (Turistas, Fantastic Four), Janeane Garofolo, Rebecca Gayheart, Larry Gordon, Maggie Grace (Lost), Greg Grunberg (Felicity)

Anthony Michael Hall (Breakfast Club, The Dead Zone), Eddie Izzard, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Spike Jonze, Tommy Lee Jones, Mike Judge

Kim Kardashian, Stacey Keach, Arielle Kebbel (American Pie Band Camp), Ben Kingsley, Neil LaBute, Diane Lane, Heath Ledger, Tea Leoni, Doug Liman, Eva Longoria, Baz Luhrman, Robert Luketic

Ewan MacGregor, William H. Macy, Romany Malco (Weeds), AnnaLynne McCord (90210), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Jay Mohr (Action, The Ghost Whisperer), Sophie Monk, Mandy Moore, Bill Murray, Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)

Anna Paquin, Audrina Patridge, Bill Paxton, Jesse Peretz, Todd Phillips, Matt Pinfield (MTV, VH-1), Joe Piscopo, Whitney Port, Jaime Pressly

Sam Raimi (Spiderman), Keanu Reeves, Brad Renfro, Ryan Reynolds, Emmy Rossum (Phantom), Geoffrey Rush

William Shatner, Vinessa Shaw (Eyes Wide Shut, 3:10 To Yuma), Ally Sheedy, Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos), Kevin Smith, Brittany Snow (Hairspray), Kevin Spacey, David Spade, Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Julia Stiles, Ben Stiller, Domenique Swain (Lolita)

Noah Taylor (Shine, Pirates of the Carribean), Dita Von Teese, Charlize Theron, Christopher Titus, Stanley Tucci

Gabrielle Union, Amber Valetta, Gus Van Sant, Vince Vaughn, Natasha Wagner, Paul Walker, Patrick Warburton, Estella Warren, John Waters, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Williams, Owen Wilson, Scott Wolf (Party of Five, Everwood), John Woo

David Zucker (Airplane!, Scary Movie 3/4)

Musical Artists and Producers

Atari Teenage Riot, Dan the Automator (Dr. Octagon/Gorillaz), Burt Bacharach, Beastie Boys*, Beck*, Natasha Bedingfield, Archie Bell, Tony Bennett, Jello Biafra, Bo Bice, Mary J. Blige, Boss Hog, Holly Brook, Bobby Byrd, Mariah Carey, Nick Cave,  Citizen Cope, George Clinton & P-Funk, Bootsy Collins, Julian Cope, John Doe, Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers), the Dust Brothers, Hillary Duff

Earth Wind & Fire, Elastica, Perry Farrell, The Frogs, Greg Ginn, Girls Against Boys, Greyboy, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Gwar, PJ Harvey, Richard Hell, Robyn Hitchcock, Holland, Dozier & Holland, Jamiroquai, Jawbox, the JBs, Wyclef Jean, Jesus Lizard*

Kool Keith, DJ Keoki, KMFDM, Gladys Knight, Korn, Ben Lee, La Ley, Lords of Acid, John Lydon (Sex Pistols/PiL), Ian MacLagan (Small Faces/the Faces), Mazzy Star, Meat Beat Manifesto*, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Ministry, Monster Magnet, Scotty Moore (Elvis’ guitarist), Mudhoney, Wayne Newton, Nickelback

Ohio Players, Yoko Ono, Ozomatli, Prince Paul, Pavement, Pigface, Portishead, Phil Ramone, Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Royal Trux, Gil Scott-Heron, Adrian Sherwood, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park/Fort Minor)

Slash, Smashing Pumpkins*, The Smithereens, Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum, Soul Coughing, Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore/Blues Explosion)*, Spinal Tap, Candi Staton, Supergrass, John Taylor (Duran Duran), The Temptations, Thrice, Thrill Kill Kult, Urge Overkill, Dave Vanian (the Damned), Veruca Salt, Vitamin C, Don Was, Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think, film composer), Ween*, Weezer

Moguls and madmen

Author Terence McKenna; Industrial/interior designers: Dodd Mitchell, Thomas Schoos; Master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim; LPGA Pro-golfer Natalie Gulbis; Music Supervisors Karen Rachtman; Chris Douridas, Randy Poster, Happy Walters; Brett Gurewitz (Epitaph Records); Nightclub owner Jason Strauss (Tao, the Mansion, Lavo); Photographer/filmmaker Richard Kern; Rockstar Games’ Sam Houser & Terry Donovan; Skincare guru Kate Somerville; TV producer David Saltz; Water feature engineer Mark Fuller (WET Design); Professional poker player Jennifer Harman

Eva Longoria Ocean Drive January 2007

Sophie Monk Ocean Drive May 2007

Emmy Rossum Ocean Drive May 2008

Mila Kunis Ocean Drive August 2008

click to see full text:

MAGGIE GRACE

NATASHA HENSTRIDGE

REBECCA GAYHEART      SAFFRON BURROWS

STYLE of the Venetian/Palazzo

CARLA GUGINO        KELLY CARLSON

Here’s some attention from bloggers on the Annalynne McCord cover, again here

http://www.stalknblog.com/2008/11/annalynne-mccord-atlanta-peach-magazine-november-2008/

For Kristen Bell:

http://flisted.com/24066/kristen-bell-does-atlanta-peach-magazine/

http://www.beyondhollywood.com/gallery/kristen-bell-is-a-real-peach/

For Maggie Grace:

http://atlanta.metromix.com/events/photogallery/where-were-you-did/557039/content

With Chef Kerry Simon and KLAS/Eating Las Vegas critic John Curtas

Here’s my take on the hot Sunday Pajama Brunch at Kerry Simon’s spot in Palms Place.

For some reason, Sasha Grey wanted to know if I could handle her muffin? Devendra's pink PJs: model's own

Here’s why!

Celebrating Sasha Grey's 21st Birthday at TAO, Las Vegas

Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger onstage Las Vegas 10/2/09

Those who might question the musical chops of Pussycat Dolls’ lead singer Nicole Scherzinger would be silenced if they saw her performance last night (Oct 2) during a Mirage resort anniversary party hosted by guitarist Slash. Perhaps the most unexpected guest of the rock-legend heavy roster, Scherzinger joined Slash and friends onstage first for a metal version of PCD’s “When I Grow Up,” and then recalled both Heart’s Nancy Wilson and Tina Turner in an undeniably ripping version of “Whole Lotta Love.” Did she kill it? More like she tore it into shreds and hurled it from a freeway overpass.

The next guest, Courtney Love (making a rare stage appearance in recent times) promptly got on the mic and said “I just got my ass handed to me–I can’t follow that!”

Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger and Courtney Love embrace backstage, Las Vegas 10/2/09

Afterward, Nicole was overheard backstage saying “I just learned that Led Zeppelin song yesterday.” Other performers on the show–filmed for the US A&E channel–included Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Guns’N'Roses alums Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan [thx MA], Chris Daughtry, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen and Cypress Hill rapper Sen-Dog. Nicole and Courtney returned to the stage together along with all performers for an encore of G’n'R’s “Paradise City.”

Elsewhere in town that night, Paris Hilton and her thinspo friends held an invite-only bikini evening fashion show at the Hard Rock Hotel pool to introduce Hilton’s sunglasses line– Apparently declaring it hip again to wear ’sunglasses at night.’

Elizabeth Banks Vegas Magazine September 2009

Olivia Wilde Vegas Magazine January 2007

Eva Longoria Vegas Magazine Februrary 2007

Vanessa Marcil Vegas Magazine March 2007

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Vegas Magazine May 2007

Tea Leoni Vegas Magazine July 2007

Brittany Snow Vegas Magazine August 2007

Saffron Burrows Vegas Magazine November 2007

Gabrielle Union Vegas Magazine March 2008

Jaime Pressly Vegas Magazine August 2008

Whitney Port Vegas Magazine October 2008

Kim Kardashian Vegas Magazine November 2008

Emmy Rossum Vegas Magazine May 2009

ELIZABETH BANKS (40 Year Old Virgin, Spiderman)

OLIVIA WILDE (Turistas, House)

EVA LONGORIA

VANESSA MARCIL (NBC’s Las Vegas)

JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER (The Sopranos)

TEA LEONI

BRITTANY SNOW (Hairspray)

SAFFRON BURROWS (Boston Legal)

GABRIELLE UNION (Bring It On, Meet Dave)

KRISTIN BELL (Heroes, Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

JAIME PRESSLY (My Name Is Earl)

WHITNEY PORT (The Hills)

KIM KARDASHIAN

EMMY ROSSUM (Phantom)

With Kate Somerville

Goodies and gimmies included a KS Ageless Collection package (her Quench, Deep Tissue Repair, Total Vitamin and Line Release serums in a glam little sliver kit case)…some baobab and olive oil-based products from Fekkai’s new line…a bare escentuals BareMinerals sampler…Clarisonic’s new travel-sized skin care brush…GoSmile’s pocket-packable flavored tooth whitener vials…Ajne natural-based perfume…and one of Dayna Decker’s very fancy candles–sorry, “chandels” (I dropped a suggestion that they adapt their cool oil lamp for a channukah menorah).

I even got a (near-perfect) manicure from Yuka Nishizawa of Calgel, a South African company–apparently huge in Japan–that does long-lasting gel-based nail art. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take advantage of the Fashion Forms lingerie table (note to self: bring lingerie wearer along next time) or the Michael Greene pearls the size of gumballs (note to self: bring along filthy rich lingerie wearer next time) and my hands were too full to take a Sprinkles cupcake!(clearly I have my priorities upside down)

Also notable:

Fekkai just moved his salon out of Beverly Hills to the less showy, more boutiquey Melrose Place (near Somerville).

Somerville has a big book coming in March 2010, and hopefully before that, the long awaited debut of her take-home light therapy device…

UPDATE: Debra Messing, Lauren Conrad, Debi Mazar (Entourage, Dancing with the Stars), Lisa Rinna, Sally Pressman (Army Wives), Judy Greer (Love Happens), and Michaela Watkins (SNL) also showed up after me on Friday. Guess I shoulda loitered more… And then on Saturday, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Felicity Huffman, Bryan Batt, Paris Hilton, Kate Walsh, Jordana Brewster, Perrey Reeves, Olivia Wilde, and Rachel Boston came by for freebies. Paris apparently made lunch of it, when she found out M Cafe was catering…

Playboy Playmate Laura Croft & Vegas Showgirl Kiltie Colleen chow down at NASCAR Cafe/photo:ECG

Laura Croft, Playboy’s Miss July 2008, always loves to talk about food. Trashy food. Big food. I figured it was time to give her what she wanted.

Exec Chef Tim Emert explains the finer points of pineapple chocolate curly fries to Playboy Playmate Laura Croft & Vegas Showgirl Kiltie Colleen at NASCAR Cafe/photo:ECG

With Kristin Bell at Chaya Cafe, Melrose, no makeup (on me, anyway)

My VEGAS Magazine cover story on “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star Kristin Bell picked up a fair amount of heat in gossip land… here the NY Post, and Hollyscoop weigh in… and more in Hollyscoop on the Atlanta Peach cover.

In the presence of Saffron. Photo courtesy Daniela Federici

Here’s a tease of my VEGAS Magazine and OCEAN DRIVE feature on the lovely (quite, in person), witty and sharp Saffron Burrows, of Boston Legal