The Greening of Las Vegas

The Greening of Las Vegas

springsalad.jpgBack from Vegas, I’m still trying to sort out the declining playground of Frank Sinatra & friends. More posts in the following days. . . .
For now, let’s just say that in addition to a tremendous meal at Mario Batali’s new Carnevino, we discovered an eco-haven (with a Platinum LEED ranking) in the Springs Preserve. Here we lunched – twice – at Wolfgang Puck’s all-organic, utterly delightful cafe (here’s the house salad).

Stay tuned.

Unti Found!

Unti Found!

At New Leaf in Felton no less! For reasons I am content not to question, the wine buyer at the SLVunti.jpg New Leaf has a wide-ranging appetite Рand there on the shelf I found the highly quaffable Unti Ros̩ ($19), right next to other Unti varietals and a very hefty selection of Santa Cruz Mountain all-star premiums.

So now you know where to go to grab some of this stylish Grenache-intensive blush wine. But if you want to drink it along with that amazing squid ink pasta, you’ll need to go to Gabriella.

Viva Liberace!

Viva Liberace!

liberace.jpgA pilgrimage for my grandmother, that’s what last week’s visit was to the sundrenched Liberace Museum. Located conveniently next door to Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport, the museum is a meticulously preserved shrine to all things Liberace, the ultimate dress-up queen and role model for every Vegas ham from Elton John to Sigfried & Roy.

This would be the perfect setting for PhD research on the little-known friendship between Liberace and Elvis. If you think for even one minute about those rhinestone mini-capes The King wore during his late, great Vegas days, you’ll immediately get the connection.

Astonishing in its scope, the Museum holds treasures from the golden age of schlock performance that are worthy of the Smithsonian. Oh I expected clouds of maribou and tons of rhinestones — and I got them! — but I was (more…)