The Palazzo’s Double Helix has long been one of my favorite wine destinations on the Las Vegas Strip: it was one of the first to have an extensive by-the-glass selection, and with owner Ray Nisi frequently on premises, it’s also always had a very well trained and knowledgeable bar staff–regrettably still a rarity.
It also seems [...]

I’ve attended Aureole’s Wine Weekend for the past two years, and I remain convinced that this small, rather under-publicized affair, is among the best annual food and wine events in the country. The first year, 2009, I documented on this website, here. The second, 2010, on EscapeHatchDallas.com, here.

Last Friday, USA Today devoted the better part of a two-page spread on The Best of Las Vegas Nightlife, a pictorial written by Kitty Bean Yancey with the input of Vegas “panelists” Norm Clarke (Las Vegas Review-Journal gossip columnist), Anthony Curtis (LasVegasAdvisor.com), Sarah Feldberg (Las Vegas Weekly), Oscar Goodman (outgoing Mayor of downtown Las Vegas), Dan Hippler (Vegas.com), Jack Houston (Las Vegas Magazine), John Katsilometes (Las Vegas Sun), and Abby Tegnalia (VEGAS magazine).

I have to tell you, I was pretty dumbstruck by it. I had to check the date of the paper—and wonder how much input my colleagues actually had. Because without exception, every single one of the choices—most of which wouldn’t generally be considered ‘nightlife’ specifically—could have been made two years ago. If not longer. YAWN.

Well, maybe not so much song. But the Universal Whisky Experience, which gathered together dozens of distilled malt beverages from around the world at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas March 19-20 2010, was both educational and entertaining. Covering for The Tasting Panel, I took some candid snaps. Here’s the album:
And here’s my Tasting Panel [...]

Since Yellowtail, the modern Japanese restaurant at Bellagio, is already well established, I don’t need to write a full review to explain it. However, a recent meal of Chef Akira Back’s specialties reassured me that even with the introduction of Blue Ribbon at Cosmopolitan, Yellowtail remains easily one of the Ten Best Japanese restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip… and possibly even Top Five (but don’t force me to make that difficult choice right now). And if the hostesses don’t convince you that it’s a sexy room all by themselves, the Rockwell Group interior design will. The patio is also one of the best places to watch the Bellagio fountains while dining.

It’s true. I had the rare opportunity to participate in the first US Certification class from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila of Mexico, at Dos Caminos Las Vegas. Read all about it in my blog for EscapeHatchDallas!

Click above to download PDF

I want to tell you about an incredible weekend I had…last June. I know, I know, this “blog thing” is supposed to be a little more current than that. But after I missed the chance to report about the Aureole Wine Weekend at the time, I got distracted by other things. Until now. Because Kevin [...]

Food festivals touting Star Chef appearances are nothing uncommon these days—they take place seemingly everywhere from Aspen to the Bahamas—but in Vegas, they like to do things a little bigger. Which is why Bon Appetit’s fourth “Vegas Uncork’d” fest (up and down the Strip May 6-9, 2010) not only featured healthy quotients of local and [...]

My first-person account of the 2010 North American Body Painting Championships. Click here for the  story published in the Las Vegas Weekly.

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)

Click to download the full PDF:

In late 2007 I spent three months researching and reporting on the previously unpublicized young sommelier community in Las Vegas. The story ended up influencing many imitators.

Download the entire article

And here is an updated look at Vegas’ best wine destinations

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 [...]

From 2006 to 2009, as Contributing Editor, I wrote 13 celebrity cover profiles for luxury title VEGAS Magazine. Click on the cover images below for excerpts…

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 [...]

Although Las Vegas has long had a healthy Latino population, it hasn’t necessarily had much authentic, quality Mexican food (at least, for visitors) until Border Grill came along ten years ago and shook things up. Here are some notes on my favorite Mexican spots on the Strip, edited from my Orbitz blog:
• MGM’s Diego has one [...]

Here are my answers to your burning questions about Las Vegas:
My Best of Vegas 2010 for Away.com
And more from the Orbitz Vegas files…
• Secret Stays and Sorting out City Center
• New Nightclubs,  Top Ten Casino Lounges and Hot new Club Lounges
• Top ten Free Activities… Top Outdoor Activities and  top tips for Families on the Strip
• Rating the [...]