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 by
Jacqueline Monahan
jaxn8r@msn.com
Photos by Judy Thorburn
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Holds Benefit/ First Annual Frozen Drink Competition
Toni Tanase has a lot of friends, some of whom have never met him
before.
To celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in the
Greater Las Vegas area, a first annual frozen drink competition was held
on Sunday, September 16, with contestants paying $5.00 a piece to
compete. This got them 5 small ice blended drinks and a commemorative
5th anniversary T-shirt. All proceeds went to help pay medical bills for
13-year-old cancer patient Toni Tanase. Proud parents Marina and Isador,
both employed as living statues at the Venetian Hotel were there to
witness the event, with Toni calling the start of each round. Toni’s
medical treatments are expensive, and his parents’ insurance does not
cover him.
Three teams of five contestants each squared off to see who could
survive brain freeze and down the most frozen Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
drinks within 5 minutes. From 12 PM to 2 PM, they chugged through the
thick arctic blasts of such signature drinks as Pure Vanilla, Mocha
Mudslide, Lemon, Pomegranate-Blueberry and Mango ice-blended
concoctions.
Paul Chow (in background) and tie winner Meredith
Hillenbrand
(with daughters arms around her)
Brain Freeze Sets In
No danger of global warming here and the contestants could vouch for the
fact that polar bears could have easily taken up residence on their
tongues after a few frantic gulps. Heads were held, eyes were pressed
shut, someone was heard to exclaim, and “I can’t feel my face!” Hands
rubbed foreheads hoping to create friction heat to counteract the
internal frostbite.
With everyone looking gaunt during the initial suckdown, (you know how
it is when you try to coax a thick liquid through a tiny straw) it was
easy to forget that these drinks packed a caloric punch. I wouldn’t be
surprised if a few of the contestants jogged around the block a few
times before feeling normal again. Some looked dazed after their 5
minute round, massaging their jaws and flexing frigid tongues in an
effort to thaw them out.
Fabulous Philip Patent, President & Chief Operating Officer of all of
the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores in the region personally helped blend
the drinks, welcome the Tanases, charm your humble correspondent and in
general enhance the atmosphere with his presence. There’s nothing
pending (pun intended) about this hands-on guy.
The winners, (it was a tie), Paul Chow and Meredith Hillenbrand,
attributed their success to having strong straw pulls early on, then
maintaining their pace. Each vacuumed up four twelve ounce glasses of
frozen drinks in 5 minutes time. They are still alive, as well, and able
to carry their Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf gift baskets away with them. Paul
was on Team One, Meredith on Team Three.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s menu includes a variety of both cream and
water-based ice drinks and the blenders never ceased their whirring
during the competition. I hope no one was afraid of calories, as none of
the offerings were remotely low-cal or sugar-free. I tried a
shot-glass-sized serving of the frozen vanilla drink and nearly
experienced an icy aneurism – in a good way. How these brave souls
persevered past a few swigs is beyond me, and if I wore a hat, I’d take
it off to all of them.
Speaking of brave souls, hats off to guest of honor Toni Tanase, whose
delicate hand I shook upon arrival, and whose spirit shone from wherever
his wheelchair happened to be at the moment. The UNLV campus area is
especially important to Toni, who would like to attend the university
someday, eventually becoming a professor. He urges his younger brother
to study and do well in school. Benefits such as this one put a lot more
people on Toni’s side during his tug-of-war against an unfair and
indiscriminate disease.
Rhonda Verona of RSVP & Associates coordinated the event with an
enthusiasm that highlighted the fun and revved up the excitement for
both contestants and onlookers. There were no strangers in the room,
just a lot of new friends, mixed up with ice and happiness and a warmth
that occurs when good works are accomplished by good people.
It would be hard to think of a sweeter way to spend an afternoon.
For more information, visit:
http://www.coffeebean.com
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
UNLV Campus
4550 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 944-5029
David
London’s Love Boat sets sail at Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens Restaurant
On Thursday, September 20, Tivoli Gardens got some love, courtesy of the
Captain of the S.S. Romance, Las Vegan David London, for the release of
his CD, Here’s to Romance. Vincent Falcone (Frank Sinatra’s
conductor/pianist) orchestrates London’s new effort.
Dressed in captain’s whites, the crooner, resembling a suave version of
a Milton Berle/Ernie Kovacs hybrid, took the floor to enthusiastic
applause. London opened with “That I’m in Love” from his new CD a sweet
tribute to life partner and Last Mate Alma Davies who joined him on
several of the selections. A real crowd pleaser was their duet version
of the Dick Haymes classic, “You’ll Never Know”. With a smooth, silky
tenor, London sang with style and grace and most of all, love. Davies’
flawless harmony enhanced the melody as she returned his adoring gaze
with one that could rival Nancy Reagan’s for her beloved Ronnie (you
remember).
Between live songs, standards were played over the sound system,” As
Time Goes By”, “The Shadow of Your Smile”, and instrumental saxophone
versions of “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, “Have I Told You Lately
That I Love You” and “The Greatest Love Of All”. Are you sensing a theme
here? We were also treated to London’s own CD version of “I Know It’s
Spring”.
London’s live performance of “When Paris Sings” will transport you there
with its familiar Parisian accordion intro, the kind that will make you
see striped shirts, berets, unfiltered cigarettes and pencil skirted
waifs in red lipstick. London singing about Paris? It works out just
fine. He also sang the title track to his CD, Here’s to Romance, a
ballad incorporating slow bongos chimes and piano with upbeat, heartfelt
lyrics.
With his lady love by his side, radiant in her red satin naval ensemble,
the couple knew how to “cut a rug”, with several high kicks thrown in
from the classically trained Davies. He is 81; she is 80. They were
celebrating their 59th “monthiversary” – nearly 5 years together. Both
taught at Fred Astaire dance school - at different times. Both lived on
west 72nd St. at 7th avenue – at different times. It took a Wayne Newton
event at Mandalay bay to bring them together nearly 5 years ago. They
started out as friends, always a good foundation and developed into
romance one day while dancing.
They are proud of each other’s accomplishments. When Davies announced
that London “writes all his songs,” he quickly countered with “and here
is my inspiration,” gesturing toward the lady in red.
“It is our joy to help people realize it is never too late to love”
Davies read, from the mission statement she created for the couple.
She’s also his manager and founder of Alma Productions LTD. You’ve heard
the saying that “behind every good man there’s a good woman”. London
returns the compliment. As he says so eloquently, “we come together as
something that is more powerful than we are separately.” This man lives
what he writes and sings.
London has had a long and distinguished career on Broadway, in films,
cruise ships major cabarets and nightclubs throughout the US. His first
Las Vegas appearance was in 1957, when he was the lead singer in
Liberace’s show at the Riviera Hotel.
As Captain of the SS Romance, and a practicing romantic, London’s songs
can be heard on FM radio stations in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada,
Poland, USA, Argentina, UK, France, Ukraine, Macedonia, Belarus,
Denmark, and New Zealand. The language of love, aside from being
universal, is international as well.
As a master voice teacher, London has coached Marilyn Monroe, Eddie
Fisher, Pia Zadora and Sammy Davis, Jr., a dear friend who gifted him
with the gold medallion he was wearing this night.
London’s Broadway performances include 110 in the shade, Carousel,
Fiddler on the Roof, and The Music Man. Films include Song of
Bernadette, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Sweet Rosie O’Grady. He opened for
Phyllis Diller, Liberace, Juliette Prowse and Joan Rivers. London was
the featured singer in prominent nightclubs such as The Latin Quarter in
New York City, The Empire Room in Chicago, and The Moulin Rouge in
Hollywood. He’s played Caesars, the long gone Desert Inn, the former
Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood), The Plaza and The Flamingo. He is a
resident Master of Ceremonies for the Las Vegas symphony and the
founder-Director of Las Vegas Youth Chorus. And he’s just getting
started.
If what the world needs now is love, David London is prepared to show us the
way.
For further information, please visit:
http://www.david-london.com
http://www.herestoromance.com
About Tivoli Gardens
Liberace’s Tivoli Gardens opened in 1983, but closed shortly after his
death in 1987. The Carluccio family took it over in 1989. Since then
Liberace’s ghost has been rumored to mysteriously lock and unlock the
ladies room door, and tip over bottles, and appear at the window. On one
occasion the electricity went out and was restored only when someone
remembered it was his birthday (and wished him happy birthday). It seems
divas never die.
The interior of the restaurant resembles a dimly lit supper club that
will put you in mind of 50’s and 60’s decor. It has a comfortable,
kitschy charm, no doubt due to the fact that Liberace himself did most
of the decorating. The menu features Northern/Southern Italian cuisine
and seafood and is adjacent to one of the Liberace museum buildings.
The piano lounge features Liberace's mirrored, autographed grand piano
and a bar in the shape of a grand piano. Mirrored from floor to ceiling
with Liberace's theme song I'll Be Seeing You etched in the mirror
around the room, a wall-to-wall red carpet completes the retro look.
Here there are cocktails, not drinks. A black ceiling full of twinkling
white Italian lights resemble stars, and the mirrors help create the
illusion of miles of them. Black-framed pictures of keyboards adorn the
wall. Small round tables with white table cloths seat five intimately,
and plastic swivel chairs preserve a 60’s feel.
Like one of Liberace’s over-the-top costumes, you’d be disappointed with
anything less.
Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens Restaurant
175 East Tropicana
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 795-3236
Tuesdays-Sundays 4:30-10:00 PM Closed Mondays
http://www.usmenuguide.com/carlucciosmenu.html
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