"lasvegas" news and stories

Tiki has long been a beloved sub-genre of American culture, revered by those who love retro, irony, carved wooden heads, eccentric glassware and powerful, fruity drinks. All these things come together at the tiki hourse of worship: The tiki bar. Yet tiki bars are few and far between, with many having been torn down or stripped of their grandeur--only a few beloved relics like San Francisco's Tonga Room, Los Angeles' Tiki Ti and Tuscon's Kon Tiki remain.

But there's a new tiki in a town that rides its own undercurrent of retro and irony. Las Vegas now hosts the planet's only 24-hour tiki bar: Frankie's Tiki Room, which offically opens today, December 4.

Frankie's is a lovingly crafted example of authentic tiki style, with woven palm thatching, carved wooden chairs and blowfish lamps, along with one-of-a-kind art and design by tiki titan Bosko and space-age bachelor pad painter Shag, among others.

But, of course, no tiki bar is a true tiki bar without an extensive selection of fruity, sugary, unexpectedly powerful drinks. The menu at Frankie's Tiki Hut goes all out, offering classic rum-and-pineapple tropical beverages like the Mai Tai and the Zombie made with original Don the Beachcomber recipes. There is also an abundance of specially-created cocktails like the Mojito-esque Bearded Clam, the clover-and-hazelnut spiced Jonas Grumby and the Bombora Blast, which combines 151-proof rum with guava-flavored energy drink. The menu categorizes drinks, with a rating of two to five skulls indicating strength, from pleasant libation to lethal concotion. Given the deceptively sweet nature of tiki drinks, it's a big help.

Even before the plummeting economy bred the trend toward downscaling, the idea of the burger joint as a gourment restaurant was popular. However, it's hit Las Vegas in a big way, with two casinos introducing their high-end take on the American classic--BLT and LBS. I guess this initial thing is in fashion now too....

These days, product placement (especially when it comes to food) is a fact of life. We all know that when one of our favorite television characters is holding a Coke or Pepsi product in an episode of their show, the company paid big bucks to get it there. Same goes for any mention of Kraft cheese, Cheerios cereal or Tropicana orange juice. We've come to expect this from scripted and reality TV shows (think about all the products on Big Brother or even Jon and Kate Plus Eight).

You'd like to think that the news is incorruptible, miles away from the allure of food companies offering pay for placement. Apparently, journalistic standards are a little looser in Las Vegas, where at Fox affiliate, KVVU, morning anchors now display plastic cups of McDonald's iced coffee on the podium, where a station-branded coffee mug used to sit. They hardly ever touch these cups, and the printed-on labels are angled for best viewing. The station readily admits that it's a sponsored promotion and defends the practice by saying that they cups don't come out until they start airing the lighter morning news at 7 a.m.

What do you think? Is it appropriate for food companies to get product placement on the news?

[via New York Times]

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When talking about steaks, I take the word "big" very seriously. I'm the girl who was raised on huge cuts of prime rib, and would be offended when waiters would challenge my 20+ ounce beef order. Still, the one thing that has always remained out of my reach was the epic, huge, "dare you to eat it all yourself" piece of steak. I so desperately want to take on that dare, so is it wrong of me to think that the 120-oz porterhouse for six that's being offered at the new Brand steakhouse in Las Vegas is perfect for just me?

Yes, steak fans, that is just one of the many steak offerings coming from the new restaurant, nestled on the Monte Carlo's casino floor. The menu, created by chef Brian Massie, boasts even more tasty steak options like an oversized, Bone-In and dry-aged Nebraska steak, Kobe short ribs and burgers, plus fish, sides, and appetizers like the delicious-sounding King Crab Scampi.

I'm bummed that this place wasn't around when I visited Las Vegas last year, but if any of you readers happen to check it out, let me know how it is. And if you're interested in more information, you can check out the press release after the jump.

Out in Las Vegas, NV, a group of elementary school students were unhappy with the amount of canned green beans that the school cafeteria was serving them and decided to take action. Led by their teacher, they wrote polite letters to the cafeteria manager, expressing how they liked the food, with the exception of the green beans. Impressed by the letter-writing campaign, the food service department for the school district sent some staff members out to the school to conduct a mini taste-test, to see what the kids liked. Unfortunately, the district can only afford to serve a limited number of veggies, so the exercise is sort of moot. But at least they listened to the kids and showed that they respected their likes and dislikes. Here's to even more kids speaking out about their vegetables!

image by Marisa McClellan