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Mario Batali Announces Vegas 10th Anniversary Celebration

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One of my personal favorite chefs,  Mario Batali will personally be on hand to celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversaries of his signatures restaurants B&B Ristorante and OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria with a special reception and dinner. In addition, the restaurants will launch month-long special menus showcasing classic dishes.

“These dishes are the distillation of our philosophy on Italian food: cook using local (and sometimes unpredictable) ingredients with the spirit of the Italian peninsula,” says Batali. “This is all in service of creating an exciting but familiar and delicious bite each and every time.”

110TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER ON APRIL 14
Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 14, festivities will start with assaggi, prosecco and spirits served on OTTO’s lively patio located in the heart of St. Mark’s Square inside the Grand Canal Shoppes. Guests can expect passed appetizers and signature pizzas including:

A festive cheese and meat display featuring classic Italian cheeses and OTTO’s signature housemade charcuterie
Carrozza: fresh mozzarella deep fried, served with fresh Italian herbs
Fried Ricotta: house-made ricotta, Castelvetrano olives and cherry pepper fritters
Mixed Marinated Olives: a medley of Italian olives including Picholine, Castelvetrano, Gaeta and Cerignola olives, marinated with citrus zest, bay leaf thyme and fennel
Calzone: with ricotta and Prosciutto di Parma
Margherita Pizza: ripe tomato, bufala mozzarella and fresh basil
Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza: Prosciutto di Parma, peppery arugula, fresh tomato, mozzarella and Cacio di Roma
Guests will also be served Batali’s favorite cocktails: The Venetian Spritz (Aperol liqueur, prosecco, orange slice, olive) and Joe Bastianich’s Flor Prosecco.

1At 7:30 p.m., festivities will move to B&B Ristorante where guests will savor a 4-course meal showcasing a blend of dishes from when the restaurant opened and brand-new Spring additions. The courses will include:

Antipasti (served family-style):
Grilled octopus with “fagioli marinati” and spicy limoncello vinaigrette
Three types of bruschetta: ceci, fava and Tuscan kale
Warm lamb’s tongue with chanterelle mushrooms and a three-minute egg
Primi (served family-style):
“Mint Love Letters” with merguez sausage
Beef cheek ravioli with black truffles and crushed duck liver
Secondi (choice of one):
Grilled quail with beet “farrotto”
Short rib “al Barolo” with Anson Mills polenta and horseradish
Crispy striped bass with spring vegetable “vignole”
Dessert (served as a duo):
Pistachio semifredo with chocolate chip torta
Bruciato balsamico with strawberries
The price for the OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria reception will be $50 per person; the four-course dinner at B&B Ristorante will cost $150 per person. Guests may also purchase a combined ticket to both events at the price of $175 per person. Click here to purchase tickets.

ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS
Before the anniversary dinner—beginning April 1 and concluding April 30—B&B Ristorante and OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria will offer month-long special tasting menus encapsulating the spirit of the restaurants when they opened in 2007.

At B&B Ristorante, the anniversary tasting menu will include:

Asparagus vinaigrette with black pepper pecorino zabaglione
Spaghetti with garlic chives, sweet garlic and lobster
“Mint Love Letters” with Merguez sausage
Short rib “al Barolo” with Anson Mills polenta and horseradish
Goat cheese torta
Semolina Budino with rhubarb and mint marmellata
The price will be $99 per person; wine pairings can be added for an additional $99 per person.

At OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria, the special menu will feature various dishes from the restaurant’s original menu, all priced at $10 per dish. Selections will include:

Carrozza: fresh mozzarella, deep fried, served with fresh Italian herbs
Calzone with ricotta and Prosciutto di Parma
Caprese: fresh mozzarella, oven-roasted tomato and basil pesto
Acetaia salad with tender baby greens, cucumber, a hardboiled egg, Prosciutto di Parma, and Aceto Manodori
Grilled radicchio with smoked mozzarella and aceto cavedone
Salumi di giorno

“Dishes like the Mint Love Letters have been favorites since we opened Babbo in 1998 (which was the inspiration for B&B Ristorante). I think I’d be banned from Greenwich Village if we ever removed them from the menu! The same can now be said for Las Vegas and B&B Ristorante,” concludes Batali.

You may buy tickets here!

Bellagio and Aria increasing Parking Fees Again

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According to a valet at Bellagio and Aria, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, Bellagio and Aria are once again increasing parking fees by at least 50% more.

Already people are upset at the fees and it’s hurt restaurants, and more importantly, destroyed the income of valets who are no longer receiving as many tips.

Our insider claims that self-parking will be as high as $15, with valet prices starting at $20 and $25 soon.

Yes, you’ll have to pay $15 for the “privilege” of spending money at the Casinos.

Valet’s who used to get $20 tips frequently from customers have noted that the tips have decreased to averages of $1-5 with many people refusing to tip at all for a service they are paying for. This means that many of the top valets who have been working the top for years, known to all VIPS have either left these properties or have left the industry completely.

The impact on restaurants has been told me numerous times, with managers saying they’ve seen a decrease of 10-15% in visitors who decide to eat “last minute” while visiting the casinos. Similarly, if you’re just going to hang out for a few hours and want to get a drink at a bar, and only spend $10-$15 at the bar, why would you want to spend $15 in parking.

This just doesn’t hurt revenue at the restaurants, but all those people visiting creates more of a buzz and more “social check-ins” which increase visibility.

Are Casino Bars Charging for Ice?

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Everyone has been talking lately about the move of almost every casino to paid parking as a sign that Las Vegas is starting to charge for almost everything — but maybe the story is a lot worse. Recently Scott Roeben of VitalVegas fame posted on his Twitter account an interesting receipt from the Indigo Lounge Bar at Bally’s.

The first thing you notice is that, yes, the prices in Las Vegas are a bit on the high side, especially for a bar at Bally’s, not exactly the highest class strip hotel.

Then you notice the real issue: they are charging for ice. Yes, if you want your drinks “on the rocks,” you have to pay an extra $3.00.

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Yes, $3.00 for frozen water.

What’s next, a cost for the glass?

What is the Best Burger in Las Vegas?

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If you ask people in Las Vegas what the best burger is, you’ll get a lot of answers. However, you’ll find strangely enough that most people have no idea what is really out there.  Some people will claim it’s the Beta Burger, at FukuBurger, with applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, pickled red onions and red ginger, finished with Japanese barbecue sauce and wasabi mayo. If you ask others, it’s the Le Burger at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, topped with foie gras and caramelized bell pepper, served with crinkle-cut pommes frites.

However, according to Time Out Las Vegas, there is one burger that is by far the best. It deemed B&B Burger & Beer’s “Royale with Cheese” worthy to make the ‘Best Burgers in Las Vegas” list.

The aptly named burger is fit for Paris royalty, as noted by Pulp Fiction’s infamous Vincent Vega. The burger is made with fresh ground USDA Prime Black Angus beef topped with melty Robiola Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Grilled Treviso and creamy Parmesan-Mascarpone Cream. For $15, it’s a creamy, melty bliss of major proportions that you’d kill for.

 

It’s Official: Raiders Moving to Las Vegas!

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The Raiders are on the move after NFL owners approved the franchise’s relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Yep, the NFL owners approved the Raiders move to Las Vegas with a whopping 31-1 vote, with the Miami Dolphins being the only team that voted against the Raiders move. The Raiders needed 24 of 32 votes and easily cleared the hurdle.

Oakland’s mayor made a last-second push to try and keep the Raiders in the Bay Area, but ultimately it was too little, too late.

This comes after Sheldon Adelson, billionaire and CEO of Sands Corp., pulled out of the funding deal for a $1.9 billion NFL stadium for the Raiders in Las Vegas. Adelson had committed to funding $650 million toward the project, but reportedly withdrew after being excluded from the team’s recent lease proposal which made their lease only $1.

“Another betrayal in a community as valuable and deserving as the Bay Area will further destroy fan loyalty and the NFL’s brand,” Schaaf wrote in a letter to NFL owners.

Schaaf asked for a secret vote and a delay in the vote on whether to move the Raiders, but the NFL wasn’t interested in holding off, believing now was the time to take the leap into the desert.

Getting $750 million in public money to build a stadium in the desert is startling for the Raiders or any sports franchise in 2017.

EDC Las Vegas Week Lineup Announced!

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Leading up to the dusk till dawn flagship event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, over 40 artists from all over the world will take to The Strip and beyond with unforgettable sets at Las Vegas’ premier indoor and outdoor venues. Experience a taste of EDC with the best sounds in dance music, costumed performers, iconic décor, and a community of positive people where all are welcome.

The first phase of EDC Week 2017 events include:

Monday, June 12
• Events to be announced

Tuesday, June 13
• Zedd ¬– OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace

Wednesday, June 14
• Andrew Rayel and Firebeatz – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Bijou – Liquid Pool at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Hardwell – Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Jauz – JEWEL Nightclub at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Tommy Trash – The LIGHT Vegas at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino

Thursday, June 15
• Above & Beyond – WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Armin van Buuren and Illenium – OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace
• Bassrush Massive – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• Bassrush Pool Party – REHAB at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• Dreamstate Pool Party – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Dreamstate – TAO Nightclub at The Venetian Las Vegas
• Galantis – Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Kaskade – Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• NGHTMRE and Illenium – Liquid Pool at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Oliver Heldens – JEWEL Nightclub at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Thomas Jack – TAO Beach at The Venetian Las Vegas

Friday, June 16
• Armin van Buuren – WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Cash Cash – Liquid Pool at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Dash Berlin – Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Galantis – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Irie – Jewel Nightclub at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Martin Garrix – OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace
• Steve Aoki – Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino

Saturday, June 17
• Calvin Harris and Generik – Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Dash Berlin – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Gareth Emery – TAO Beach at The Venetian Las Vegas
• GTA – JEWEL Nightclub at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Oliver Heldens – Liquid Pool at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Tiesto – WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• VICE – Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Sunday, June 18
• Afrojack – WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Carnage – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Carnage – Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Ghastly – TAO Beach at The Venetian Las Vegas
• Matoma – Liquid Pool at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• NGHTMRE – Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino

Monday, June 19
• Party Favor – JEWEL Nightclub at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas
• Steve Aoki – WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Thomas Jack – Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Zedd – OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace

Fans can expect additional EDC Week events to be announced in the coming weeks. All EDC Week shows and artists are separate from the EDC Las Vegas 2017 festival lineup. Tickets for individual parties, exclusive tables for select EDC Week events, and hotel reservations at the best hotels in Las Vegas can all be purchased at www.EDCWeek.com.

EDC Las Vegas returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway from dusk until dawn June 16 – 18, 2017 to celebrate 21 years Under The Electric Sky. Hundreds of thousands of fans will travel from all over the globe to the Las Vegas desert for an unrivaled experience filled with theatrical performers, brand new stage designs, stunning audiovisuals, full-scale amusement park rides, interactive art installations and more.

A limited number of tickets for EDC Las Vegas 2017 are on sale here. For the most updated details regarding EDC Las Vegas, please visit ElectricDaisyCarnival.com.

Minus5 Ice Experience Opens Third Vegas Location

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Minus5 Ice Experience, the company that launched America’s first ice experience, is gearing up for the warmer weather with the opening of a third Las Vegas location inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Set to debut this summer 2017, locals and tourists alike will soon be able to enjoy three distinctive winter wonderland experiences in Las Vegas.

“We are excited to expand in our hometown and open our third Minus5 Ice Experience location inside the Grand Canal Shoppes,” said Noel Bowman, president of M5 Management. “Since the opening of our first location in 2008, we have received a wholehearted response from locals, tourists and especially convention-goers, and we plan to build on that success for our third location in the heart of the city.”

The all-new Minus5 Ice Experience at the Grand Canal Shoppes will boast 3,000 square-feet and will feature a 1,500 square-foot ice attraction made with more than 100 tons of 100% pure Canadian ice, complete with a walk-up warm bar. Named for its constant frosty temperature of minus five degrees (twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit), guests will be able to touch, feel and explore handcrafted ice sculptures and architecture – the walls, benches, sculptures, chandeliers, and even the glasses to drink from are made from ice.

Minus5 opened its first U.S. ice experience in 2008 at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas, and currently operates four company-owned locations in three cities nationwide including Las Vegas, New York, and Orlando.

Created in 2001, Minus5 Ice Experience is a unique ice-themed experience where guests can enjoy quality vodka cocktails served in a glass made of 100% pure ice, all within the beauty of a -5° Celsius (23° Fahrenheit) stunning ice environment. This icy experience begins with donning Minus5 parkas and gloves, then entering a fully frozen attraction, complete with walls, tables, benches and a bar made completely of ice. Guests are surrounded by a variety of intricate works of art, carved out of pristine ice, and created by some of the country’s most award-winning ice carvers. The experience is rounded out with a state-of-the-art sound and LED light show, providing much more than just a place to grab a cold cocktail. It’s a true entertainment experience. Upon exiting, guests can purchase permanent memories of their time spent at Minus5 Ice Experience including high-quality logoed clothing, framed photographs and other cool merchandise. In addition, Minus5 Ice Experience is also available for private and corporate events allowing for something completely unique for guests, clients and coworkers.

Dirty Coal Power Ends in Nevada with Last Smog Plant Closed

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In a victory for clean air and healthy communities, the last remaining coal-fired generating station in Southern Nevada has closed. NV Energy has operated the Reid-Gardner Generating Station in Moapa, Nev., northeast of Las Vegas, for the last five decades.

Leaders with the national and local chapters of the Sierra Club, and for community leaders of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, who live adjacent to the plant and have long been concerned about health impacts from the burning of coal, have worked for years to close the plant, which also was implicated in the pollution that dirtied the skies over the Grand Canyon National Park about 50 miles southeast of Moapa.

“The closure of the Reid-Gardner coal fired power plant is a testament to persistence and good policy,” said Jennifer Taylor, executive director, Clean Energy Project. “The hard work from various environmental, Native American, public health and clean energy advocacy groups, led by Sierra Club and Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, helped bring this issue to the forefront and help develop legislation and policies to virtually eliminate coal generated energy from Nevada’s energy mix.”

“There is no such thing as clean coal, and underrepresented communities like the Moapa Paiute Tribe have been suffering from this coal plant for decades,” said Vinny Spotleson, program director for Nevada Conservation League. “As the largest polluter in Southern Nevada shuts down, we have a big opportunity to continue the transition to clean energy. We have to thank the Nevada Legislature and Governor Sandoval for passing a law in 2013 to make this happen, and now in this 2017 session we hope they will continue to take strong action and pass important legislation to put Nevada back in the lead nationally on solar and other sources of clean energy.”

Soot pollution—a by-product from burning fossil fuels that results in small particles in the air composed of a mixture of metals, chemicals, and acid droplets—is one of the deadliest and most dangerous air pollutants. The smallest soot particles are less than one-thirtieth the width of a human hair. Because of its minuscule size, this fine particulate matter can travel deep into our lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Exposure to soot pollution is extremely dangerous and is linked to premature death, heart attacks, lung damage, and a variety of other significant health problems. Stronger soot standards could avoid up to 35,700 premature deaths, 23,290 visits to the emergency room, and 2.7 million days of missed work or school due to air pollution-caused ailments every year.

“The short-term challenge of closing the Reid-Gardner Power Plant is far outweighed by the long-term benefit to the children and future generations of Nevada,” said Jerry Holliday of the Uplift Foundation.

“The Moapa Band of Paiutes is relieved that Reid Gardner Power Station is finally ceasing operations with the closure of Unit 4,” the Moapa Band of Paiutes Tribal Council said in a statement. “We applaud NV Energy for standing by its commitment to retire this plant, which has been a source of environmental and health concerns to the tribe and its members for a long time. We hope that NV Energy and our other neighbors join us in leading the way toward developing more renewable energy sources that create jobs, clean power, and opportunity right here in Nevada.”

Guy Fieri Favorite Metro Diner Opens in Las Vegas

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Metro Diner, which Fieri featured in 2010 on his Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” features made-from-scratch twists on old classics, including fried chicken and waffles topped with house-made strawberry butter and Charleston shrimp and grits with signature sweet and spicy sauce. Kids can find something familiar, too, including macaroni and cheese and pigs in a blanket.

For a hearty breakfast, try Yo Hala on the Square. The dish is made with two thick slices of challah bread stuffed with a mixture of bananas, brown sugar, cream cheese and hazelnut syrup, prepared like French toast. It is then topped with blueberry and strawberry compote and powdered sugar.

Its fried chicken and waffles is a taste sensation with juicy chicken with a crispy coasting paired with perfectly made waffles (fluffy and toasted on the outside) toped with housemade strawberry butter. Its kid’s menu offers smaller portions with favorites including pigs in a blanket and macaroni and cheese.

Over 80 items are offered, all freshly made and prepared in an open, scratch kitchen and counter seating as well as patio dining.

“We served menu items that people grew up with and our motto, ‘Where the locals eat,’ says it all, whether in Florida or Las Vegas,” said longtime Las Vegas restaurateur Tony Grappo, one of the joint venture partners.

Metro Diner will start with three Las Vegas locales. The first located at 9595 W. Tropicana Ave. opens March 14. Other locations to be opened include restaurants on Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas and Stephanie Street in Henderson. The total number of restaurants planned for Southern Nevada will be eight, including Laughlin, with more locations to be opened in Northern Nevada, Utah and Arizona.

 

Rice Republic Closes in Downtown Summerlin

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One of the first restaurants to open in Downtown Summerlin is unfortunately one of the first restaurants to close. Asian themed restaurant, Rice Republic, that offered the “flavor” of Taiwan, Hong Kong and China with a menu that is structured differently than a typical Chinese restaurant closed abruptly leaving employees hanging.

The problem wasn’t the location: but that it was pretty much universally hated by anyone who went there. Here’s a sampling of reviews:

“If I could give this place half a star I would. Me and my girlfriend came here thinking “why not try something new.” Boy was that the worse decision of my life. We walked in and waited 10 min to be seated. We had to get the waiters attention to seat us when the place was EMPTY. We sit down and see that everything is above $10.00. Expecting that the entrees were enough for two people the waiter tells us “no it’s one person size.” Did he mean that literally? I was thinking. Our plate of orange chicken comes out with 8 tiny pieces on it big enough to barely feed a child. The bill came out to $16. I would’ve felt better burning that money than spending it there. We walked out and no goodbye, no thank you for coming, NOTHING.”

“If you like ramen noodles from the store then you will love this place. Super disappointed with the bland taste and price. Ordered the Japanese Tomkotsu pork. Be then on top of it all, the Thai tea only comes in small with no refills for $6.”

“My daughter and son-in-law were excited to go here but I was disappointed with both the food and the service. I ordered chicken breast fried rice and the chicken was very tough and difficult to chew. My daughter ordered udon noodles and vegetables and she said they were good. But my son-in-law didn’t receive his order of fried rice for another 10 minutes after we received ours. He said his was tasty. I probably won’t be back.”