AccessVegas.com Las Vegas News

Caesars Palace announced today James Beard award-winning Chef Michel Richard will bring a version of his popular Washington D.C restaurant to Las Vegas. Central 24/7 by Michel Richard is scheduled to open in late summer of 2011 and will occupy the current Augustus Café space adjacent to the iconic Caesars Palace hotel lobby. Central 24/7 will offer a 24-hour dining experience daily highlighting breakfast, lunch and dinner selections. The 9,600 square-foot restaurant will seat approximately 300 guests in total including an outdoor patio terrace. The restaurant also will feature a large lounge complete with full bar including several beers on tap and a specialty cocktail menu.

“The people who visit Las Vegas are interested in fun and good food around-the-clock. That is exactly what we will give them with Central 24/7 – American favorites with a French accent,” said Michel Richard. “I am thrilled to create this marriage with Caesars Palace, one of the most iconic resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.”

The menu will feature many Central signature items such as Richard’s celebrated burger, 72-hour short ribs, fried chicken, razor clam chowder, and fresh oysters. The Caesars Palace location also will offer many new selections and will maintain the Richard style of light and fresh with witty presentation.

“We are delighted that such a talented and beloved chef as Michel Richard will be joining the inspiring collection of Caesars Palace chefs,” said Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. “With the opening of Central 24/7 the standard 24-hour café will be elevated to new heights. This new dynamic dining experience will offer Richard’s flare for delicious cuisine in a lively yet sophisticated setting.”

Central – pronounced sen-TRAL – opened in Washington D.C. in January 2007, and takes its name for its central downtown location in the nation’s capital, between the White House and The Capitol building.

With Central, Richard crafted a restaurant consistent with his famous style that marries whimsy and mouth-watering food. It’s a jovial style that Richard perfected at his landmark Georgetown restaurant, Michel Richard Citronelle, and his former Los Angeles restaurant, Citrus.

Related Links:

Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino

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Blue Man Group, the international entertainment phenomenon, is holding an open call for talented performers to portray Blue Men in its existing and upcoming productions and multimedia projects. Open call auditions will be held in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Blue Man Group Theater inside The Venetian Las Vegas.

The open call is part of a national search to find performers who possess the rare combination of talents that qualifies them to portray Blue Men. With ongoing productions in Chicago, New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin and Tokyo, Blue Man Group offers talented men and women the opportunity to join their established but continuously evolving organization.

Both male and female performers are encouraged to audition for Blue Man Group. Some of the basic criteria for Blue Man auditioners include:

• Height between 5’10″ and 6’2″ tall (athletic build)

• Excellent acting/physical theater/improvisation skills

• Drumming skills are an advantage but a good sense of rhythm is necessary

• Willingness to relocate if necessary

The Blue Man cast includes individuals with a diverse mix of disciplines: classically-trained actors, rock musicians, performance artists, musical comedy performers, dancers and even stagehands.

For more information about Blue Man Group’s ongoing national and international casting efforts, including how to audition for the Blue Man Group band, visit www.bluemancasting.com.

About Blue Man Group Las Vegas

Wildly popular around the world, Blue Man Group defies simple description. A musical feast? Yes. A roller coaster of comedy? Absolutely. A stunning mix of technology and raw imagination? You bet. It’s all that and so much more. This explosion of color, humor, music, and technology comes to life every night in the custom-built Blue Man Group theatre at The Venetian® in Las Vegas. The show’s contagious energy engages the audience, thrilling adults and kids alike. It’s intense, exciting, interactive and above all – a must-see.

Related Links:

Blue Man Group Tickets

Venetian Resort Hotel Casino

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Japan’s radioactive fallout has reached southern California. However, according to health officials, the levels are a billion times beneath what would threaten a person’s health.

Radiation levels are also being monitored right here in the valley. The monitoring system came about because of another radiation scare.

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Kent Smith is a native of Southern California and attended Brigham Young University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Communications. He presently lives in Salt Lake City and will be commuting to Las Vegas weekly.

Kent Smith said, “I will be doing everything from soup to nuts. I’ll be finding the best type of aircraft and working with Sean Smith (Chief Marketing Officer) on the marketing. Basically I’ll be doing a little bit of everything to make LV Air successful.”

He began his career in advertising and worked with FunJet Express in conjunction with FunJet Vacations. He was vice president of advertising with Vanguard Airlines. I worked with David Neeleman who later went on to become chairman of the board of JetBlue (Neelemen is now Founder of Azul Airlines in Brazil). I did the advertising for Morris Air with Neeleman who founded that airline. JetBlue was sold to Southwest Airlines. Kent Smith said, “With FunJet we did a lot of business with Cancun and Hawaii.”

Kent Smith said, “The sky is the limit for LV Air. Las Vegas is a world famous city and everybody wants to come here. Airline service is dramatically down and LV Air will give it a boost by focusing on a huge market and giving them the amenities that they crave. The number of rooms available is dramatically up so though that’s a bad combination for the city, it’s an opportunity for LV Air.”

He continued, “The problem is that the airlines stayed the same and now offer fewer amenities with no discounts or specials. They used to run specials from San Diego, LA and Oakland for $39, $49 and $59. You can’t even get a $69 or $79 air fare by booking in advance. Southwest Airlines used to be the discount trendsetter and they no longer do that. If you can fly anywhere for under $100 you are doing well but you have to book that well in advance. Instead of discounting, the airlines have cut back on the number of flights coming to Las Vegas. They want to be more efficient. The same amount of people or more won’t be flying to Las Vegas any longer unless they discount.”

Kent Smith said, “You have to stay within the normal trends when you are setting your price structure. You have to play by other people’s rules to a point. Your price structure is what makes you successful. We will be leasing four wide body airliners and I will be heavily involved in that. The time is right for LV Air. Things are different today than they were two years ago. Las Vegas has taken as big a hit as anywhere but there’s a chance that everything will turn around now”

LV Air will be Las Vegas’ newest charter carrier that will fly non-stop from JFK Airport in NYC to Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport in 2011.

In-flight offerings include inter-texting; inter-seat video, wireless ipad, club music, mood lighting and true-to-life holographic safety briefings from Las Vegas celebrities. Las Vegas entertainers will perform live from JFK. Deluxe Snack Packs will be offered onboard and supplied by Las Vegas restaurants. The First Class Cabins of each aircraft will be fully-sponsored. See more information at www.flylvairnow.com

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For the first time, the world-renowned Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace makes Gayot.COM’s Top 10 Hotel Restaurants in the U.S. for 2011… and for the fifth year in a row, the restaurant is also named on the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.

As noted on Gayot.com: “Culinary genius is not the only attribute a restaurant needs to make it to our Top 40 list. Destination dining needs to be exciting, intelligent and offer an exceptional experience that truly makes it heads and tails above the rest. Passion is essential because that is at the heart of a chef who can offer us a meal we will never forget.”

For more information on the accolade, go to http://www.gayot.com/best-restaurants/restaurantawards.html.

ABOUT RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY
Caesars Palace welcomed Michelin three-star French chef Guy Savoy in May 2006 to its Augustus Tower, making this the famed chef’s sole U.S. restaurant. His coveted three Michelin stars are widely recognized as the pinnacle in culinary achievement. In 1997, he was honored with a “Guy Savoy” entry in the prestigious Larousse encyclopedia. In 2000 he received the Legion d’ Honneur – his country’s highest honor – from the French Minister of Agriculture, and, in 2009, was named “Officier” of the Legion d’Honneur. In 2002 he was awarded his third Michelin star and voted “Chef of the Year” by his French peers. Since opening in May 2006, the Caesars Palace restaurant has received widespread critical acclaim including Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants,” and Gayot’s “Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.” It earned 3 -1/2 stars from the Los Angeles Times while Newsweek International called it “the best restaurant in Las Vegas, and one of the finest anywhere.” In 2008, after only two years of operation, Restaurant Guy Savoy won the AAA Five Diamond Award and the Wine Spectator Grand Award.

ABOUT CAESARS PALACE
Caesars Palace is the world’s best known resort-casino, celebrating the grandeur that was Rome, in an 85-acre destination location that sets the standard for entertainment, dining and luxury. Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace ranks among the world’s top luxury resorts known for its originality and beauty. The resort features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, 23 diverse restaurants and cafes, five-acre Garden of the Gods pools and gardens, 50,000 square foot Qua Baths & Spa and 300,000 square feet of premium meeting and convention space. The 4,300-seat Colosseum sits just steps from celebrity chef restaurants and the acclaimed Forum Shops at Caesars. The resort spotlights world class entertainers such as Jerry Seinfeld, and returning March 15, 2011, Celine Dion.

Related Links:

Restaurant Guy Savoy Information

Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino

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The Bachelor’s Vegas Episode Airs Monday, January 31 at 8/7 central on ABC

ARIA Resort & Casino, the premier destination resort in Las Vegas, and Crystals at CityCenter, the exquisite shopping, dining and entertainment experience on the Las Vegas Strip, will host a one-on-one, two-on-one and group date in the fifth episode of The Bachelor, Season 15 Monday, January 31 at 8/7 central on ABC. The episode will feature an exclusive one-on-one date with a VIP shopping expedition at luxury retailers Ermenegildo Zegna, FENDI, Lanvin, Bally and Paul Smith inside Crystals at CityCenter as well as a first-of-its-kind private dinner on the Crystals rooftop with a beautiful fireworks presentation from the renowned Fireworks by Grucci; a two-on-one date in Sage restaurant with extraordinary cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Shawn McClain and a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the cast of Viva ELVIS™ by Cirque du Soleil; and a group date at ARIA’s luxurious pools, all with the newest Bachelor, Brad Womack. Womack, who shocked Bachelor fans by rejecting both of his final bachelorettes in one of the most controversial finales in the series’ history, returns three years later, having undergone a radical personal transformation he feels sure has readied him to make a genuine commitment to a relationship.

The new season of The Bachelor airs 8/7 Central on ABC. For more information on The Bachelor visit http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor. To learn more about ARIA Resort & Casino go to www.arialasvegas.com; Crystals at CityCenter visit www.crystalsatcitycenter.com.

About ARIA Resort & Casino
ARIA Resort & Casino debuted in December 2009 as part of CityCenter, a dazzling urban resort destination adjacent to Bellagio. ARIA features an extraordinary collection of exceptional restaurants, high-energy nightlife, a world-class spa, exclusive fashion-forward shopping, contemporary gaming, a larger-than-life modern art collection, high-tech meeting and event space, and Viva ELVIS™ by Cirque du Soleil®, celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley. CityCenter is one of the world’s largest private sustainable developments.

ARIA has assembled a collection of the world’s most critically acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs, uniting those who have played integral roles in the development of Las Vegas’ culinary scene with a pair of remarkable newcomers. For the first time, Michelin three-star chef Masayoshi Takayama brings his unrivaled mastery of Japanese cuisine to Las Vegas with Bar Masa. Also new to the city, James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Shawn McClain introduces his innovative cuisine at Sage. The duo joins Sirio Maccioni, Michael Mina, Julian Serrano, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, The Light Group and Jean-Philippe Maury in creating an unrivaled epicurean journey at ARIA Resort & Casino. For more information and reservations, visit the website at www.arialasvegas.com or call toll free at (866) 359-7757.

About Crystals at CityCenter

Crystals is a magnificent gathering place that welcomes guests on a journey through couture, cuisine and entertainment as they enjoy the interactive atmosphere set within an abstract 21st century park. The unprecedented collection of renowned retailers, including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Roberto Cavalli and TOM FORD, paired with one-of-kind galleries from artists such as Chihuly and signature restaurants from Wolfgang Puck and celebrity restaurateur Eva Longoria redefine the traditional shopping experience. The Concierge at Crystals delivers a level of personalized service that sets a new benchmark in the retail industry by arranging services from personal shoppers and fashion consultants to dinner and show reservations.

ABOUT THE BACHELOR
In the hit primetime reality series The Bachelor, one lucky man is offered the chance to find true love. A single and eligible Bachelor embarks on a romantic journey, getting to know a bevy of beautiful bachelorettes, gradually narrowing the field to the one woman to whom he may propose marriage in the dramatic season finale. Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelor is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television.

Related Links:

Aria Resort and Casino

Crystals at CityCenter

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N9NE Steakhouse and Nove Italiano located inside Palms Casino Resort are the first to implement the Safe Harbor Certification program, to ensure their guests are served the safest and highest quality seafood available in Las Vegas. To commemorate their participation in the program, Executive Chef Barry S. Dakake and N9NE Steakhouse hosted the Safe Harbor showcase event to the Food and Beverage industry on January 17 with well over 30 Las Vegas restaurants and casinos, including N9NE Steakhouse and Nove Italiano, in attendance. Currently, there are more than 30 restaurants implementing the Safe Harbor program in Las Vegas.

The Safe Harbor program, developed by Micro Analytical Systems, Inc. (MASI), is a California-based company that provides the industry’s first and only real-time, large-scale and low-cost testing for mercury and pathogens, such as E. coli, and histamines which, are caused by microbial contamination in certain species of fish. A clear indication that a restaurant is participating in this comprehensive seafood safety program is that the Safe Harbor logo is proudly displayed within the restaurant and on the menu.

“N9NE Steakhouse has always served top of the line steaks and seafood, and by adopting Safe Harbor Certification, N9NE Steakhouse will continue to serve the best seafood in the United States,” said N9NE Steakhouse Executive Chef Barry. “Due to the 2010 BP oil spill, restaurants were affected by the loss of seafood. We believe in Safe Harbor’s goal, to make Las Vegas the safest city on the planet for seafood.”

By being Safe Harbor certified, restaurants such as N9NE Steakhouse and Nove Italiano are choosing seafood with mercury levels even lower than those allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Safe Harbor provides restaurants with the opportunity to serve their guests the best seafood on the market,” said Nove Italiano Executive Chef Geno. “Guests can now dine at the restaurant (Nove Italiano) and know they are being served the highest quality of seafood because of the Safe Harbor logo displayed on the menu.”

About N9NE Steakhouse: N9NE Steakhouse represents a bold new era for the great American steakhouse and generates a scene that redefines the beloved American dining institution. Created by Executive Chef Barry S. Dakake, signature dishes include rock shrimp, sashimi N9NE, garbage salad, Morty’s organic chicken, Kobe burger, lobster mashed potatoes and a variety of prime aged steaks such as filet mignon and natural bone-in rib eye. A circular, champagne bar lies in the center of the room, beneath a domed silver-leaf ceiling with a 300-color computerized lighting system. N9NE Steakhouse is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 – 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 – 11 p.m. For additional information, please visit www.n9nesteakhouse.com or call 702.933.9900.

About Nove Italiano: Nove Italiano sits atop the Palms Casino Resort’s Fantasy Tower and combines inspired design, superb Italian cuisine and unsurpassed energy—not to mention some of the city’s most spectacular views. Named #1 Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas by Orbitz in 2009, Nove Italiano transforms perceptions of Italian dining just as N9NE Steakhouse, situated in the original Palms tower, revolutionized the American steakhouse. Created by Executive Chef Geno Bernardo, the menu offers a wide range of crudo (which means “raw” in Italian, often ceviche or sashimi), thin-crust pizzas, a variety of steaks and happy hour specials, including $7 select wine, premium cocktails and signature dishes. The restaurant is a unique blend of classical and modern elements, an intriguing combination that permeates both the dining room and the kitchen. Nove Italiano is open Sunday through Thursday from 6 – 10:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 – 11 p.m. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 6 – 8 p.m. For additional information, please visit www.novelasvegas.com or call 702.942.6800.

About Safe Harbor: Safe Harbor Certification is the first venture of Micro Analytical Systems, Inc. (MASI), headquartered in Emeryville, CA. Safe Harbor certification utilizes a proprietary testing technology exclusive to MASI and capable of accurately measuring mercury concentrations within all species of fish. Founded in 2002, MASI conducts the testing in plants and distribution centers worldwide. More information is available at www.safeharborfoods.com.

Related Links:

N9NE Steakhouse Reservations and Information

Nove Italiano Reservations and Information

Palms Casino Resort

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Blondies Sports Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops has been named one of the “Top 10 Sports Bars” in the nation by Gayot.com.

A leading online resource for travel and dining, Gayot.com honors Blondies Sports Bar & Grill as one of the “Top 10 Sports Bars” in the country. The lifestyle guide praises the Miracle Mile Shops hot spot for its array of drink specials, daily happy hour, dozens of plasma and big-screen televisions and waitresses fashionably clad in cheerleading attire. Gayot.com makes note of one of the best happy hours in Las Vegas, Blondies’ $20 all-you-can-drink draft and well drinks from 3 – 6 p.m. daily. In addition, the online guide commends Blondies for its assortment of bar snacks and menu options including a few non-traditional items such as New York steak, pork chops and Atlantic salmon.

Blondies Sports Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. The bar features Thursday beer pong tournaments, karaoke, daily happy hours and more. For more information, visit www.blondieslasvegas.com

Related Links:

Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino

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The Miss America Organization has announced the highly-anticipated return of a beloved tradition, the Miss America Parade, renamed the “DSW Show Us Your Shoes Parade” presented by DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse! The parade will be hosted by the incomparable Robin Leach, who will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

For the first time since 2005, the 2011 Miss America Pageant festivities will include this unique tradition in the host city of Las Vegas, on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011 at the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas. The event is open to the public; the parade starts at 12 p.m. PST.

The Miss America Organization’s Board Chairman Sam Haskell III stated, “We are proud to have partnered with DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse to be the presenting sponsor for the 2011 Miss America Pageant, which will air live on ABC, Jan. 15 from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.”

“Through this partnership, we were able to celebrate a great tradition and create a new parade for the visitors of Las Vegas to enjoy. The parade will feature all 53 of the Miss America contestants along with Miss Americas throughout the decades presenting their DSW shoes,” stated Art McMaster, president and CEO, Miss America Organization. “This will be another special event that will help commemorate the pageant’s 90th anniversary.”

In addition to the event being hosted by celebrity extraordinaire, Robin Leach, a musical performance by Miss America 2010 Caressa Cameron, as well as appearances by other special guests and dignitaries, will add to the festivities and parlay the excitement of the pageant. City officials will be on hand to read a proclamation declaring Jan.15, 2011 “Miss America Day” in Las Vegas.

The “Show Us Your Shoes” tradition of the Miss America Parade began in the early ’70s in Atlantic City, N.J, when a group of parade viewers in bleachers overlooking the boardwalk wanted to get a better look at the beautiful shoes the contestants were wearing while traveling the parade route in their convertibles. The contestants happily obliged and “showed their shoes” to the crowds, as they will proudly do when they walk the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas on Friday, Jan.14, 2011.

“We are so proud to be contributing to this great tradition and are extremely pleased that all of the Miss America contestants will be wearing and decorating DSW shoes,” said Mike MacDonald, president and CEO, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Paris Las Vegas, located next to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, brings the romance and excitement of the European City of Light to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. From its dramatic 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower to authentic architectural reproductions, Paris Las Vegas transports guests to Europe’s most romantic city.

To keep up to date on all the special events planned for the 90th anniversary of the Miss America Organization, visit the Miss America Web site at or follow the Miss America Organization on Facebook or Twitter.

ABOUT THE MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.

Related Links:

Paris Hotel and Casino

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MGM Resorts International, a global leader in bringing sustainability to the hospitality industry, announced today that Travel + Leisure named the Company as a recipient of its 2010 Global Vision Award for the contributions CityCenter is making to improving the world through travel. CityCenter garnered six LEED Gold Certifications, and at 18 million square feet, is the largest environmentally sustainable, mixed-use construction development in the world.

“We are extremely proud of this award and honored that Travel + Leisure has recognized the quality and leadership that MGM Resorts International represents when it comes to environmental sustainability,” said Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President of the Energy and Environmental Services Division at MGM Resorts International. “CityCenter is a perfect example of how we are driving a new paradigm of sustainability in Las Vegas and the hospitality industry in general, and we remain committed to improving these efforts at all of our properties each and every day. Most importantly, this award is a true testament to the talent of our employees who are personally driving our environmental responsibility vision forward.”

The 2010 Global Vision Award is one of several impressive industry awards that the Company has received for its sustainability efforts. Earlier this month, Newsweek named MGM Resorts International to its annual Green Rankings list as the highest-rated company in the gaming and casino space. In July of this year, the Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program recognized 12 MGM Resorts properties for their exceptional efforts in “greening” their business operations. This includes ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, which are three of only four properties in the United States to have received 5 Keys, the highest honor of the Eco-Rating Program.

Travel + Leisure’s annual Global Vision Awards honor the companies and organizations that are harnessing travel to positively impact our world. According to the 2010 Global Vision Awards, MGM Resorts was honored because, even though Las Vegas may seem like an unlikely paragon of sustainability, CityCenter is anything but conventional. This leadership is reflected in CityCenter’s cutting-edge green-building techniques and how it is giving classic Vegas luxuries a new twist. But the sheer scale of CityCenter’s accomplishments is what is most notable. The development’s efficiency initiatives alone save an estimated 94 million kWh of energy and 50 million gallons of water each year, making it a clear leader in improving the world through sustainable travel.

The winners of the Global Vision Awards were chosen by an esteemed panel of seven judges, including Nobel-prize winning economist Dr. Joseph Stiglitz; model, designer, and goodwill ambassador for the World Health Organization Liya Kebede; and Oscar-winning documentarian (The Cove) Louie Psihoyos. The winners are recognized in five categories—conservation, sustainability, preservation, development, and leadership—and represent the latest and best examples of the power of travel as an engine of positive change.

Related Links:

Aria Resort and Casino

Vdara Hotel & Spa

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino

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