AccessVegas.com Las Vegas News

The Epicurean Charitable Foundation Las Vegas (ECF) will host the organization’s 10th annual scholarship fundraiser, M.E.N.U.S. (Mentoring & Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students), at the M Resort Spa & Casino’s upscale Villaggio Del Sole Pool and Entertainment Piazza on Friday, September 30. The sophisticated gala begins at 7:00 p.m. with a live private concert by American rock band, Lifehouse.

The Villaggio Del Sole Pool and Entertainment Piazza will stand as the gala’s spectacular setting to this unique and memorable evening with more than 40 of Las Vegas’ top restaurants and finest chefs presenting guests with an extravagant dining experience. M.E.N.U.S supporters will enjoy a feast from leading chefs preparing tastings from top Las Vegas eateries including Aureole and Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Sirio and Sage at Aria Resort and Casino, Robuchon/L’Atelier, Craftsteak and Emeril’s Fish House and L’Atelier at MGM Grand, Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace and 35 Steaks + Martinis at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to name a few.

“We are very thankful for all the support this Foundation receives from our committed sponsors and community supporters who help make this event a memorable experience every year for everyone” said Christina Clifton, Epicurean Charitable Foundation Chairwoman. “It’s fulfilling for us to know we are changing the lives of many students who are the future of this amazing industry.”

Over the past ten years, M.E.N.U.S has generated substantial monies for scholarships and ECF’s charitable initiatives within the community. Each year, ECF collects proceeds from the event that go towards the scholarship program’s primary endeavor to support students passionate in seeking a career within the hospitality and culinary industries. Each student attending UNLV receives a $28,000 scholarship which is enough to cover the expenses associated with tuition, fees and book purchases while students attending institutions other than UNLV receive up to a $48,000 scholarship to cover educational expenses.

Tickets start at $500 per person with tables of 10 starting at $5,000. For donations in excess of $20,000, groups can be treated to an exclusive 4 course meal prepared by some of the best chefs in Las Vegas, private VIP seating for the concert during which they receive private wait and bar service. For more information on purchasing tickets, guests can contact Executive Director, Elizabeth Muto of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation at (702) 932-5098 or via email at elizabeth@ecflv.org.

The ECF scholarship provides students the opportunity to attend a four-year college with premier hospitality and culinary programs anywhere in the nation. ECF mentors each student one-on-one, provides financial aid, and presents varied professional work experience and ethical guidance throughout their educational experience.

Lifehouse is well known for such hits as their debut single “Hanging by a Moment,” and Billboard chart-topping singles like “You and Me” and “All In.” The Los Angeles-based rock band will put on a memorable live performance for guests to celebrate the Foundation’s ten year milestone.

About Epicurean Charitable Foundation Las Vegas

Comprised of more than 40 of Las Vegas’ top food and beverage executives, the Epicurean Charitable Foundation not only awards students with scholarship funds to attend any four-year accredited university of their choice, it also provides mentorship throughout each student’s college career and helps to place the students in internships and jobs. 2011 marks the tenth year of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation and in its tenure the foundation has provided over one million dollars to local scholars and also over one million in charitable community grants to such organizations as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, UNLV Rebel Athletic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Nevada Cancer Institute. The Epicurean Charitable Foundation Las Vegas can be reached 702-932-5098 or by visiting www.ECFLV.org.

Comments(0)

WHO:  Sonrisa Grill at The Village Lake Las Vegas
A representative from Sonrisa Grill will be available for interviews.

WHAT:  Valley bartenders and mixologists are invited to shake up their best margarita recipes and compete in front of a panel of national judges and margarita lovers! For $20, guests can enjoy 10 tastings from their choice of the participants and can vote on their favorites to win. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN). The first place winner will not only receive bragging rights for the best margarita in town, but also $1,000 cash. Additionally, the winner will be featured on Liquor.com as the Best Margarita Mixologist in Las Vegas. The People’s Choice award will receive a $500 cash prize and third place will receive $250.

In addition to the margarita tasting, guests can enjoy live entertainment, food and drink specials including delicious barbecue and tacos from our winners of the Tacos and Tequila Festival. Sonrisa Grill’s authentic south-of-the-border cuisine focuses on a number of innovative and healthy traditional dishes.

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011
Live entertainment from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Margarita tasting/competition 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.
(awards ceremony follows immediately)

WHERE: Sonrisa Grill at The Village Lake Las Vegas, 30 Via Brianza Suite #100, Henderson, NV 89011

Comments(0)

The Michael Jackson Experience will highlight various stages of Jackson’s career, including the Jackson 5 years, Invincible era and This Is It.  The three figures collectively represent over $1 million in wax sculpting.  Admission to the special exhibit is included with admission to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. Prior to its arrival in Las Vegas, The Michael Jackson Experience was on display at Madame Tussauds Hollywood.

To celebrate the arrival of the exhibit, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas is offering everyone that shares the same birthday as Jackson a special discount. From Sept. 8 to Dec. 27, anyone with an August 29 birthday is encouraged to present their photo ID at the box office to receive one ticket to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas free with the purchase of one Adult General Admission ticket.

Jackson’s relationship with Madame Tussauds began in 1984 when he underwent his first sitting to gather his measurements as well as footage and reference photos.  His first wax figure was so popular that another one was created following a second sitting in 1989.  In all, Madame Tussauds has sculpted six different waxwork figures of Jackson, more than any other celebrity in history.  A waxwork figure of the King of Pop has been reproduced for every Madame Tussauds attraction in the world.

Comments(0)

El Cortez Hotel & Casino has opened the call for entries for the El Cortez Cinema Competition in honor of the property’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The competition, co-hosted by Shoot To Kill Media,  is a challenge to local filmmakers to produce an original short film, three to five minutes in length, that showcases Las Vegas’ longest continuously operating hotel-casino in a unique and novel way.

Each participating group must include several elements in their film. Every film must incorporate and element of El Cortez’s neon or classic signage. Also, all films must include shots of at least three of the following items: El Cortez Sports Book, table games, slot machines, The Flame Steakhouse, Café Cortez, El Cortez front desk, El Cortez valet, Cabana Suites lobby, Cabana Suites room, El Cortez main stairwell, El Cortez vintage room, El Cortez tower room and/or El Cortez Jacuzzi suites.

The competition will run from Friday, Aug. 26 through Friday, Oct. 21 with final submissions due to the El Cortez by 5 p.m. on Oct. 21.  After submissions are received, up to 10 finalists will be selected to have their films screened during El Cortez’s 70th Anniversary grand celebration on Nov. 4.  Films will be viewed that night by the public and a judging panel with a winning film selected based on creativity, relevance to the theme, incorporation of required elements and composition. The winning film will be announced on Nov. 4 following the viewings.  Prizes include a contract to produce a future El Cortez advertisement and a $250 video-equipment rental package from JR Lighting & Grip Las Vegas.

To be eligible for entry, filmmakers, or at least one member of the filmmaking team, must be U.S. residents living within the Las Vegas area.  Full contest details, rules, entry forms and competition agreements can be found online at http://filmfestival.elcortezhotelcasino.com/. All entries should be mailed along with a $50 entrance fee to El Cortez Hotel & Casino, 600 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101.

El Cortez will donate all entry fees to Opportunity Village, a Las Vegas-based, not-for-profit organization that serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities to improve the quality of their lives and the lives of their families. Opportunity Village is the largest private provider of vocational training, employment, therapeutic respite, advocacy, art enrichment and social recreation for people with disabilities in Nevada and currently serves more than 1,000 people every day.

Comments(0)

Boyd Gaming today announced that Pick the Pros, the longest-running football contest in Las Vegas, will return on August 30 for its 34th season. Recognized as “Best Football Contest” by the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Pick the Pros will award more than $500,000 in prize money during the 2011 professional football season.

Unlike other football contests, Pick the Pros starts a new contest each week, so players have a chance at sharing in a $30,000 guaranteed prize pool each week of the season. Pick the Pros is also completely free; players only need a B Connected card to participate.

In Pick the Pros, players are asked to pick winners straight-up (not against the point spread) in each of the week’s professional football contests. Holders of Ruby cards receive three entries each week; Sapphire members, four entries; and Emerald players, five entries.

A total of $30,000 in cash will be awarded each week. If there is only one top performer during a given week, that player will receive the entire $30,000 prize pool. If there is a tie among multiple players, one player (selected by tie breakers) will receive a $10,000 cash prize, while all runners-up will split a $20,000 pool. Last year, 213 players were awarded cash prizes over the course of the season.

Following a successful rollout last year, Boyd Gaming will once again use kiosks to accept entries at all participating properties.

“The introduction of kiosks made Las Vegas’ favorite football contest even better, as we greatly reduced player wait times and made the contest more accessible to our customers,” said Bob Scucci, Director of Race and Sports for Boyd Gaming. “Participation in last year’s Pick the Pros was up nearly 60 percent, and we expect another record-breaking season in 2011.”

Players can participate in Pick the Pros at any one of 60 kiosks at seven participating properties: The Orleans, Sam’s Town, Suncoast, Gold Coast, California, Main Street Station and Fremont. A B Connected card is required to participate; however, membership is completely free to all adults age 21 and older.

Entries for week one will be accepted starting Tuesday, August 30 and the contest will continue through the end of the regular season. For further information, including contest rules, visit pickthepros.com or any Boyd Gaming race and sports book.

Comments(0)

WHAT: Treasure Island Las Vegas will host a launch party on September 8 inside Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall, & Bar-B-Que to unveil Devil’s Cut, a 90-proof bourdon from Jim Beam that is extracted from the wood of the distiller’s aging
barrels.

DETAILS: Treasure Island and Jim Beam will host:
· Devil’s Cut sampling.
· Jim Beam drink specials.
· Live music.
· Introduction of Gilley’s ‘Rattlesnake’ cocktail, made from Devil’s Cut.
· Prize raffles for a Kid Rock Fender Guitar and tickets to Carlos Mencia’s Sept. 16 performance.
· Line dancing lessons.
· Toughest Cowboy Competition.

ALSO: National Football League season opener.
· $4 Budweiser/Bud Light Bottles for $15 during the game.
· $3 Draft Beers (Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Michelob Ultra) during the game.

WHEN: Thursday, September 8, 3 p.m. to close.
Line Dancing Lessons: 7 – 8 p.m.
Band: 8 – 11 p.m.
Toughest Cowboy Competition: 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

WHERE: Gilley’s at Treasure Island Las Vegas
Casino level, adjacent to Siren’s Cove
3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Comments(0)

Date: Friday September 16th 2011
Time: 6:30pm – 10pm
Location: Royal Resort (99 Convention Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV)
Cost: $25/$30@door

Details:
Indoor/outdoor beer festival, which supports the UNLV Hotel Student Organizations. Beer festival tickets include unlimited taste and samples of Local Nevada Breweries as well as non-local breweries, heavy emphasis on southern California and Hawaiian Beers. Other breweries and beer companies will also be involved. Festival also includes live bands and DJ’s, most of which are from the local scene. There will be three areas to the festival: Indoors lounge area, outdoors tent area, and Pool and Cabana area where the main band will be playing. Being advertised as one of the most exciting beer festivals on the year, so many exciting things are to occur (TBA).

Partners:
Organizer: Ryan Wieczorek (cutieryankay@yahoo.com; 714-721-2670)
Beverage Sponsor: Nevada Brewers Guild
Media Sponsor: Las Vegas Food and Beverage Professional
Staff/Managers: UNLV Beverage Club, UNLV Epicurean Society, and the William F. Harrah Hotel College Alumni Association.

Back Details:

Brew Las Vegas is being managed by student Interns and Faculty of UNLV, giving the students a chance to get real life experience in the beverage and events industry.
Food will be provided by local Vegas Food Trucks
All breweries and parties involved are given accommodations, if needed, at the Royal Resort for the night of 9/16.
All proceeds benefit the UNLV Hotel College student organizations
Beer festival went under the name brUNLV back in 2006
Beer event will become an annual festival
Due to nature of occupancy, ticket sales will stop at 1500(including comps)

Bands and Participants
Sin Camisas Cuban Band, Joseph James Brewery, DJ-K!2, Chicago Brewery, Tenaya Creek Brewery, Plan 9 Brewery, Wirtz Beverage, Wydmer, Red Wine Rewind, Nevada Beverage, Southern Wine and Spirits, Triple 7 Brewery, Redhook, Big Dogs Brewery, Kona Brewing Company, Maui Brewing Company, Spadoni, Play For Keeps, and more TBA.

Comments(0)

Celebrating its fifth year, Las Vegas Restaurant Week returns to provide tourists and locals the unique opportunity to affordably dine at some of Caesars Entertainment’s most popular restaurants while also helping to end hunger in the valley.  This year, in honor of its fifth year, Restaurant Week will extend to two-weeks, starting August 29 and running through September 11.  Thirteen restaurants at various Caesars Entertainment resorts have prepared specially designed menus at a discounted price.  Guests taking advantage of the Restaurant Week menus will also be fighting hunger as a portion of the proceeds from each designated menu sold will be contributed to the Three Square Food Bank.  For every $1 raised, Three Square provides three meals for hungry children and elderly persons in Southern Nevada.  In addition, all 13 participating Caesars Entertainment restaurants have pledged to donate $5 from every meal purchase during this two-week period, meaning guests contribute 15 meals to those in need each time they select a Restaurant Week menu.

All participating restaurants will feature a minimum of a three-course menu priced at $20.11, $30.11 or $50.11 per person.  A selection of restaurants participating include:

Rao’s at Caesars Palace has been called a ‘culinary national treasure’, widely acclaimed for its authentic, southern Neapolitan Italian cooking and its home-style family ambiance.  The dinner menu features three courses for $50.11, and includes a choice from their famous selection of Penne Vodka, Uncle Vincent’s Lemon Chicken and Pan-seared Salmon.

Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, the creation of award-winning Pastry Chef, François Payard, is offering a three-course lunch and a four course dinner, both with the rare added value of delicious wine pairings, featuring Lobster Sliders served with Mango and Fennel Pollen Aioli, Onion Soup and a choice of either Pan-Seared Mediterranean Sea Bass or Filet Mignon au Poivre with Peppercorn Sauce and Gratin Dauphinois.  At the great price of $30.11 for lunch and $50.11 for dinner, guests are in for a treat at this Caesars Palace bistro.

Serendipity 3, one of New York City’s most beloved eateries with more than 50 years of history, offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience at Caesars Palace with over-the-top desserts and a variety of savory creations that makes it a haven of comfort food.  This year, the restaurant is stepping up its commitment to fight hunger by offering menus for all meals of the day.  To start, the restaurant is highlighting its brand new breakfast featuring a Mixed Berry Smoothie and a list of eye-popping entrée choices, such as the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate French Toast triple stacked with strawberries or the Holy Huevos Rancheros with chorizo, black beans, tomatillo avocado salsa, queso fresco, pico de gallo and three over-easy eggs piled high with tostados.  Topping all that off for a breakfast at only $20.11 is the world-famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate with a Cheesecake Lollipop.

Other participating Caesars Palace restaurants include Empress Court, Hyakumi Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Beijing Noodle #9, featuring a rare poached or Fried Prawn appetizer served with lettuce wrap; and Mesa Grill, highlighting their unique Yucatan Style Grouper served with blue crab succotash sauce.  Rounding out the exceptional list is the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas; Steakhouse at Bill’s; The Range Steakhouse, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill and Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers at Harrah’s and Martorano’s at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Governed by a corporate Code of Commitment, Caesars Entertainment is dedicated to investing in the local community to help make it a healthy and vibrant place to live and work. In addition to Restaurant Week, all ten Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas resorts showed their continuous support of Three Square in July by hosting an internal food drive. Employees collected almost 3,000 pounds of food for the charity, equating to more than 2,200 meals for the 300,000 Southern Nevadans currently struggling with hunger.

For the full list of Restaurant Week participants and menu specifics, visit http://www.helpoutdineoutlv.org/restaurants/menus

About Restaurant Week and the Three Square Food Bank:

Las Vegas Restaurant Week began in 2007 as a way to give locals and tourists the opportunity to help out by dining out. The two week-long celebration of fine dining includes more than 80 participating restaurants, from popular mid-level eateries to the city’s premier and celebrity-chef restaurants, all offering pre-fixe meals at special prices. Proceeds from Restaurant Week benefit Three Square Food Bank, established to end hunger in Southern Nevada. A national model project inspired by Eric Hilton with a grant provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Three Square is a community collaborative partnership with the gaming industry, businesses, non-profit agencies, food distributors, UNLV, the CCSD, governmental entities, the media and hundreds of volunteers to efficiently and effectively serve hope to those in our community struggling with hunger. Three Square currently provides 17 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 13 million meals – per year to more than 300 non-profit and faith-based organizations, 200 schools and multiple food service sites throughout Southern Nevada. Three Square is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks. www.threesquare.org

Related Links:

Rao’s

Caesars Palace

Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro

Serendipity 3

Empress Court

Hyakumi Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Beijing Noodle #9

Mesa Grill

Eiffel Tower Restaurant

Paris Las Vegas

Steakhouse at Bill’s

The Range Steakhouse

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers

Harrah’s

Martorano’s

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

Comments(1)

MARIACHI USA® Fiesta, a 90 minute version of the iconic MARIACHI USA Festival, will play at the all-new Tropicana Las Vegas on September 17 in celebration of Mexican Independence weekend. This unique version created by Rodri J. Rodriguez exclusively for Tropicana will feature the MARIACHI USA All Starz, two of America’s finest Mariachis, Campanas de America and Las Alteñas, plus the MARIACHI USA® Folklorico Ballet.

Rodriguez is converting the multi-level decks of Nikki Beach Club’s pool into the perfect outdoor stage for this hot review, that will kick off with a highly charged rendition of “Tequila” featuring an 8 piece brass section, and continue with non-stop traditional hits of famed composers Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Juan Gabriel, as well as hits by Mariachi legends Lucha Reyes, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Miguel Aceves Mejia, and Vicente Fernandez.

“Nikki Beach is the perfect venue for this particular show. Being outdoors at Vegas’ newest and most exclusive beach club on the strip with beautiful people, tequila, and Mariachi…sounds like hitting blackjack to me, ” said Producer Rodri J. Rodriguez.

Juan Cabrera, the world’s leading Mariachi harpist, will shine with his acclaimed performance of the well-known Cuban tune ‘Cumbanchero’ mixed with ‘Conga’ while dancers clad in Rumba costumes lead guests in an exuberant conga line throughout Nikki Beach Club.

The artistry of beauty mixed with musicianship excellence will be experienced with Mariachi Las Alteñas’ rendition of ‘El Querreque’ featuring 12 violins and amazing harmonious trios.

While powerfully showcasing the tradition of Mariachi with its Sones, Huapangos, and Rancheras, the show is infused with non-traditional sounds shaking it up with keyboard, congas, timbales, trombone, and accordion, delivering spirited Cumbias and Corridos inspiring guests to dance the night away.

The show culminates with a traditional sing-a-long to ‘El Rey’ and ‘Volver Volver’, two of Mexico’s most popular Mariachi tunes, performed by the 37 talented troupes with explosions of colorful streamers falling onto the vibrant audience celebrating Mexican Independence at Nikki Beach Club at Tropicana Las Vegas!

General admission tickets to Mariachi USA Fiesta are $89 per person, plus taxes and fees. For reservations or more information, contact Tropicana at www.troplv.com or 702-739-2222

Comments(0)

Are you ready for some football?  Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub is, as they gear up to show all NFL games at the ultra-dive bar.

Whether you are a Saints or Packers fan, the season opening game is sure be an intense matchup, as football enthusiasts watch the New Orleans/Green Bay game on Rockhouse’s 27 high-definition, flat screen TVs. Rockhouse will offer two-for-one beers, cocktails and $5 shots during game time and end the evening with the best ladies night in town with all ladies invited to drink for free from 10:30 p.m. until midnight. Whether it’s Thursday, Sunday or Monday, Rockhouse will show all NFL games, all season long.

Day or night, it’s always the right time to party at Rockhouse. Whether people watching on the rowdy Strip-side patio by day, or dancing on the bar with an 80-ounce guitar by night, the ultra-dive bar is one of Vegas’ best-kept secrets. Rockhouse gives partygoers the ultimate nightlife experience – minus the “VIP” attitude. With a knockout lineup of gorgeous bartenders, bottle service that won’t break the bank, a daiquiri bar and casual dress code, Rockhouse is definite must-visit hotspot for locals and tourists alike.

Blending a local dive bar with the glamour of Sin City’s party scene at a convenient center Strip location, Rockhouse is the top party destination on the Strip. Las Vegas’ only ultra-dive bar features top-notch lighting and sound with the best DJs in Las Vegas blending upbeat rock, hip-hop and dance. With beautiful bartenders pouring drinks from the bar tops, playing in the giant bird cage and dangling from tire swings suspended from the ceiling, Rockhouse is the spot where the party never stops.   Rockhouse is located on Las Vegas Blvd. in front of Imperial Palace, directly across from Caesars Palace in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip.  The daiquiri and main bar open daily at 10 a.m. and the adjacent nightclub is open from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly. For more information visit www.therockhousebar.com, and for bottle and table reservations call 702.731.9683

Comments(0)