By Judy Thorburn This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - Las Vegas Round The Clock
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - The Flick Chicks
Director of Communications - Nevada Film Alliance
http://www.theflickchicks.com
In honor of National Pizza Week, TREVI Italian Restaurant, located at the heart of The Forum Shops at Caesars, hosted a pizza cook-off Wednesday afternoon, January 7, featuring local news personalities competing for charity.
Competing chefs included John Huck and Olivia Fierro of FOX 5 KVVU, Jessica Janner of ABC 13 KTNV, Kim Wagner of NBC 3 KSNV and Doug Elfman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Each participant worked with TREVI Executive Chef Peter Scaturro to create a pizza using individually-selected ingredients.
(L:R): Back Row: Kim Wagner, Olivia Fierro, John Huck, Doug Elfman, Jessica Janner and Chef Peter Scatturo; Front Row: Sean E. Cooper, Brittany McGowan and Chef Jose Navarro
Photo credit: Jeff Ragazzo
The pizzas were judged on taste, creativity and presentation by a panel of guest judges including: recently-crowned Miss Nevada USA 2015 Brittany McGowan; Sean E. Cooper and the cast of FANTASY at Luxor; and Chef Jose Navarro of Grotto inside Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, owned by Landry’s Inc. The winner received $500, donated by Landry’s Inc., to a charity of choice.
Sean E. Cooper and ladies of FANTASY at Luxor with Miss Nevada USA 2015 Brittany McGowan
Photo credit: Jeff Ragazzo
Elfman was crowned a unanimous champion with a pizza featuring portobello, oyster, button and shiitake mushrooms. The donation will benefit Poppy Foundation, a local cat shelter specializing in rescuing and helping cats and kittens with special needs or illness.
Doug Elfman with his winning pizza
Photo credit: Jeff Ragazzo
Huck and Fierro competed for Dress for Success of Southern Nevada and created a Hawaiian-style pie featuring goat cheese, mascarpone, pineapple, caramelized Maui-style onions and pancetta.
John Huck and Olivia Fierro with TREVI Executive Chef Peter Scaturro, middle, creating a pizza
Photo credit: Jeff Ragazzo
Janner’s charity of choice was the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Southern Nevada. She created a pizza highlighting her Brazilian roots with salami, corn, ricotta cheese and cilantro.
Wagner cooked for Safe Nest Shelter and created her favorite flavor of pizza topped with pepperoni and black olives.
As the competition winner, Elfman’s pizza will be featured on TREVI’s menu for a week beginning Monday, Jan. 12, with the remaining pizzas included in weeks to follow.
Additional recent and upcoming “happenings” in and around Las Vegas include:
Rounding out Vegas’ 2015 tech-centric CES conference, COIN CLOUD the Vegas-based company providing consumers convenient access to bitcoin, hosted a launch party on Friday, Jan.10, for its new digital currency ATM recently deployed at Goldspike Hotel & Casino. Over 200 CES attendees and Vegas tech and bitcoin movers and shakers gathered to view and use the bitcoin ATM with several patrons commenting on the ease and efficiency of using the machine.
Coin Cloud’s new bitcoin ATM provides tech-saavy patrons and bitcoin enthusiasts with a convenient downtown location to buy or sell bitcoin with the touch of a screen. All guests who used the machine and presented their Coin Cloud ATM receipt at the launch event received a complimentary libation from the Goldspike bar.
MARIAH CAREY, the best-selling female artist of all time with over 200 million records sold, is coming to Las Vegas with a headlining residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, beginning Wednesday, May 6, 2015. For the first time ever, she will perform all 18 of her timeless and beloved Number One Hits together in one concert. Designed exclusively for The Colosseum, the production will also feature fan-favorite album cuts, never-before-performed selections and many more musical surprises.Tickets to the first 18 performances in 2015 are on-sale now. Prices (including 10% Live Entertainment Tax) are $250/$175/$140/$95/$55.
SPLASH STUDIO, LLC a “paint-your-own” pottery studio that offers a creative escape for both children and adults is now open at 9700 W. Tropicana Ave, Suite 105, Southwest Las Vegas. The multi-faceted venue offers a state-of-the-art colorful space with nearly 3,000 square feet of ceramic painting areas, two separate birthday party rooms, a game room with air hockey, a plush lounge with flat screen TV and a Karaoke stage. Splash Studio is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with additional hours upon request.
SCHOOL OF ROCK, the leader in performance-based music education, has opened its second Nevada location – School of Rock Green Valley (55 S. Valle Verde Dr. #470) – and a GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION is slated to rock the heart of Henderson on Saturday, Jan. 24. This all ages event will include tours of the new school, meet and greets with the expert staff, light refreshments and small bites, sign ups for free trial lessons, scholarship information and much more.
During the event, Teddi Tarnoff, Regional Director for School of Rock in Las Vegas and Henderson, has scheduled for a range of her current students at School of Rock Las Vegas West (the Valley’s first School of Rock location, which opened in 2011) to showcase the skills they’ve honed through live performances. Taking over the school and surrounding outdoor space, these performances from students ages 7 – 18 will blow attendees away and have you thinking you’re at a rock concert in a venue on the Las Vegas Strip. If you can’t make the Jan. 24 Grand Opening event, various open houses are scheduled for Jan. 10 and 17 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Jan. 13 and 20 from 4 - 7 p.m. Additionally, the students at School of Rock will play 12 concerts at House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay on Jan. 10, 11, 17 and 18 with show times at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. each day. Anyone who is interested in the programs can also stop by either school at any point during operating hours.
Comedian Theo Von, who was scheduled to perform at the Laugh Factory Jan. 19-25, inside the New Tropicana, has cancelled his appearance because of illness. Replacing Von will be JAMIE LISSOW, who has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and his half hour special is currently running on Comedy Central. Also on the bill is Francisco Ramos, and host, Jay Reid. Show times are 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at $34.95 and $44.95.
GILLEY'S SALOON, DANCE HALL & BAR-B-QUE celebrates The Big Game with an ALL YOU CAN EAT AND DRINK PARTY on Sunday, February 1. The party includes bottomless drinks – draft beers and all well/call cocktails – and the Big Game Buffet featuring southern style chicken wings, build-your-own Texas nacho bar, house salad, hot dogs, popcorn, Gilley’s Bar-B-Que pork sliders, pulled pork taquitos, Gilley’s chili, pork green chili cart, crudité platter, brownies and additional desserts.The Gilley’s Girls and the ladies of Bud Light will be on-hand with various prizes and giveaways.Doors open at 12 p.m. and the party starts at 2 p.m.Tickets are $150 plus applicable taxes. Price is per person and guests must be 21 and older.
Culinary novices and experts alike are invited to attend Bellagio Executive Chef Edmund Wong's AN EXECUTIVE CHEF'S CULINARY CLASSROOM, the resort’s popular series of cooking classes. During each interactive two-hour session, Wong and his culinary team will share ideas and techniques as they guide guests through the steps to creating an expertly prepared three-course meal. Tuscany Kitchen, the AAA Five Diamond resort’s state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, provides the ideal location for guests as they prep and cook alongside some of the best chefs in the business. The 2015 series begin Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. and will be held throughout the year. Tickets are priced at $135 per person all-inclusive and can be purchased by calling Bellagio Concierge.
Celebrity sightings:
Friday, Jan. 9...
Vernon Davis, tight end for the San Francisco 49ers, attended ABSINTHE at Caesars Palace.
ABSINTHE performers Lea Hinz, Melody Sweets and Charlie Starling with Vernon Davis.
Photo: Courtesy of Joseph Sanders/Spiegelworld
Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” star Stassi Schroeder celebrated a girls’ night out at Body English Nightclub inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. She was accompanied by Kristina Kelly and Jennifer Bush, who also appear on the hit reality series, and friend Brooke Chenery.
Stassi Schroeder
Photo credit: Patrick Gray/Kabik Photo Group
Kristina Kelley, Stassi Schroeder, Jennifer Bush, and Brook Chenery
Photo credit: Patrick Gray/Kabik Photo Group