Red Carpet Report: Tropicana celebrates its 60th birthday in Las Vegas
It’s the 60th birthday of the opening of The Tropicana today, and its diamond anniversary continues with an array of monthlong specials. Known as the second-longest-standing property on the Strip, The Trop has a wide range of special offerings for guests from food to entertainment all month long.
Bubbly is 60 cents a glass this month, so share those champagne wishes and caviar dreams throughout April while supplies last, and a multicourse menu at Biscayne Steak Sea and Wine is $60 per person.
Entertainment execs have planned six new shows for Tropicana Theater this month: Food Network star Robert Irvine’s live cooking show kicks it off Thursday and is followed Saturday by the Golden Rainbow benefit with “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Robert is opening his first restaurant at The Tropicana in its former sports book space this summer.
The celebration continues with Kool & The Gang on April 15, comedian Andrew Dice Clay on April 22 and the phenomenal Wynonna & The Big Noise on April 28. It wraps April 29 with John Michael Montgomery teamed with Ben and Noel Haggard and The Strangers.
Back at the opening, The Tropicana was the only one of five hotels that opened that year to still be standing 12 months later under the same ownership. Today the Tropicana with its 50,000 square feet of casino space boasts a cool South Beach vibe.
MARIO’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Celebrity chef Mario Batali will be on hand to celebrate the 10th anniversaries of his restaurants B&B Ristorante and Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria at The Venetian. He plans a reception and four-course dinner April 14 with a monthlong launch of menus with classic dishes. He plans to serve guests his favorite cocktail of Aperol liqueur.
Also on the menu, business partner Joe Bastianich’s sparkling Prosecco with orange slice and olive. Appetizers will include two pizzas, deep-fried mozzarella and house-made ricotta. The $150 dinner will include three bruschetta, two desserts and Mint Love Letters made with merguez sausages and three entree choices. Mario said about the Love Letters:
“Dishes like the Mint Love Letters have been favorites since we opened Babbo in 1998, which was the inspiration for B&B Ristorante when we opened in 2007. I think that 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.”
LIVE FIRE PIT
It’s going to be quite the culinary scene when acclaimed chef and food pioneer Jose Andres comes to town at the end of the month for Vegas Uncork’d. He promises that his experience will let you taste Spain when he prepares lobster paella over a live fire pit during his dish-and-tell session.
Jose will share his favorite stories behind unique menu items at his Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, like Jose’s Taco, a slice of jamon iberico de bellota topped with Osetra caviar and gold flakes; Coca con Erizas del Mar, crusty Spanish cristal bread topped with sea urchin, iberico bacon and butter; and his Gin and Tonic program. His two-hour luncheon is set for April 28.
HOT DOG EATING CONTEST
In advance of the annual Fourth of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest at Coney Island, male and female competitors will stake out Brooklyn Bridge at our New York-New York on the Strip to compete for the Nevada title. The two winners, one man and one woman, go forward to compete in the 101st contest in New York.
Beforehand there’s a contest for MGM Resorts employees, followed by a servicemen and servicewomen showdown. Major League Eating will supervise the stomach-centric sport. Nathan’s has hosted the hot dog eating battle every July 4 since 1916 when the now-historic Coney Island was opened.
$600,000 DINNER
On Monday I reported the medical emergency during singer-songwriter Jewel’s auction at our St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation gala. Celebrity chefs Rick Moonen, Susan Feniger, Megan Romano, Barry Dakake and Saipin Chutima served dinner to guests including Ron White, Marshawn Lynch, Tape Face and Randy Couture.
Entertainment at the Caesars Palace event included music performances by The Plain White T’s, Bella Strings and Jewel, who even yodeled for one number. The evening and auctions raised more than $600,000 for the St. Rose community support programs as the Valley’s only faith-based, nonprofit hospital.
GOING NATIONAL
It was only a year ago that Las Vegas author Wayne Allyn Root began his radio career here with a one-hour evening show on KBET. A daily 3 to 6 p.m. show quickly followed. Now Wayne is going national as of Monday. The self-described conservative warrior and capitalist evangelist, who also writes here at The RJ, has landed a radio syndication deal with USA Radio Network.
Now his show “War Now” will air daily from 3 to 6 p.m. Wayne was the first non-politician chosen in 2016 to deliver the official Tea Party response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Congratulations on your steady rise to success!
