August '08 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 8-9-08

	Trump downsizes restaurant menu A reeling economy has taken another bite out of Donald Trump's first Las Vegas venture. Less than five months after opening his golden 645-foot tower, Trump has downsized his fine dining restaurant, DJT, which easily ranked among the priciest menus in town. In a city awash with $50 to $60 steaks, the $39 king-sized filet mignon appears to be the most expensive item on DJT's revamped menu. Also gone are most of his top chefs, including his personal chef-turned-executive chef, Joe Isidori, who supervised Trump's ultra-luxury wedding dinner when the billionaire married supermodel Melania Knauss. "Based on guest feedback, we have decided to modify the DJT experience to become more approachable and casual," DJT spokeswoman Erin McCleskey said. She confirmed that Isidori is "pursuing other opportunities." It was the second economy-related adjustment for Trump, who confirmed at the April ribbon-cutting ceremony for his first tower that he was not going to proceed on the second tower until the economy improved. CHANNEL 5 ADDS 11 P.M. The 11 p.m. newscast at KVVU-TV, Channel 5, which debuted last Monday, is off to a strong start, according to news director Adam P. Bradshaw. KVVU tied KLAS-TV, Channel 8, with an overall rating of 4.0 and an 8 share tied KLAS for the entire half hour. KVVU won the first quarter hour of the 11 p.m. newscast with a 4.4 rating and a 9 share versus a 4.0 rating and 8 share for KLAS and KVBC, said Bradshaw, who called it an "amazing performance for a second day of a new newscast." The three-day average, he said, was a 2.5 rating, nearly double the performance of the sitcoms that previously occupied the time slot. The Scene And Heard N9NE Group has signed star DJ/remixer Paul Oakenfold to a 26-show date deal at Rain nightclub at the Palms, starting this fall. In making the announcement, Las Vegas-based N9NE Group said it was the two-time Grammy nominee's first resident DJ deal in the U.S. His engagement will begin Aug. 31, with Saturday shows through next summer. ... Vegas Rocks! magazine is celebrating its four-year anniversary Aug.16 at The Canyon Club inside the Four Queens, with publisher Sally Steele hosting nine bands. ... MUSICAL 'TREK' The Las Vegas Philharmonic will be performing theme songs from "Star Trek" movies and the TV series during the annual convention this weekend at the Las Vegas Hilton. Going where no conductor has gone before will be Richard McGee, the Philharmonic's associate conductor. ... The El Rancho headliner who boosted Eydie Gorme's career while she opened for him was misidentified in Friday's column. It was Joe E. Lewis. Sightings At Tao Las Vegas (Venetian) on Thursday: actor Ryan Phillippe, with his girlfriend, Australian actress Abbie Cornish, after hanging out earlier in a Tao Beach cabana. Also at Tao nightclub: comedian D.L. Hughley and "Last Comic Standing" host Bill Bellamy, in a skybox. ... Actor Anthony Anderson, who starred in the hit TV show "Law & Order" and the film "Transformers," celebrated an early birthday with friends Thursday at Tryst nightclub (Wynn Las Vegas). Anderson turns 38 on Aug. 15. ... Jon Lovitz, Steve Schirripa, Richard Belzer and Bobby Slayton, dining at Rao's (Caesars Palace) on Friday, after Lovitz took in Slayton's show at Hooters Hotel. ... Chris Hansen, known for his work on NBC's "To Catch a Predator,"carving up the 18-oz. bone-in rib eye at the Orleans' Canal Street restaurant Wednesday night.

Sunday 8-10-08

Pure speculation follows IRS raid

There's buzz surrounding the IRS raid almost six months ago at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace and Pure Management Group's headquarters on Industrial Road.

One of the questions that will be answered is whether there's any substance to the story that more than $5 million in cash was found in a storage shed of a top executive.

We hear rumblings that a cable show has interest in doing a documentary on Pure's IRS battle and the damage it could do to the PMG empire.

Meantime, the fact that the celebrity investors are staying the course likely means two things: They've received assurances that the "problems" have been fixed, and that the payoff on their investment will be even more lucrative.

The Scene And Heard

The rumor that won't die has Jay-Z's 40-40 Club on the sales block, with the latest chatter involving interest by Emeril Lagasse in the Palazzo space. ...

Sheldon Adelson celebrated his 75th birthday in style last weekend in Macau. He flew about 300 friends to the Asian gaming hot spot and treated them to a three-day extravaganza that included Team USA's 120-84 victory over Lithuania, Cirque du Soleil's new show at The Venetian Macau, stunning Chinese acts and Israel's Three Tenors. The punctuation mark on the latter event saw the tenors backed by a 60-man Red Army chorus. "It couldn't have been more spectacular," said boxing promoter Bob Arum. ...

Venetian headliner Wayne Brady took time near the end of his one-year anniversary show to mention his former agent, Bernie Brillstein. The legendary Hollywood talent agent, manager, producer and studio head died Thursday, about the time Brady was starting his show. Brady told me Friday that Brillstein was "my guardian angel ... and like family." Brillstein sought out Brady about eight years ago, and they worked together for five years. "He saw a guy who was a throwback," Brady said. He was an old-school show business cat, a gentleman who did business with a handshake. No double deals. That age is gone; it's now officially over."

Sightings

Prince was a man on a mission Friday: He turned up at Privé (Planet Hollywood Resort) with a walking wall of security and The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, where he watched Latin singer and songwriter Julieta Venegas perform. Instead of his usual hideaway in a Pure VIP room, he sat in front of the crowd on the VIP stage, not far from Jason Lewis of "Sex and The City." During the Purple One's stop at Christian Audigier The Nightclub at Treasure Island, he watched a fashion show hosted by "America's Next Top Model" Season 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez. Prince ended up checking into a Hard Rock suite. ... Actor Ryan Phillippe and Abbie Cornish, celebrating her birthday Friday at Charlie Trotter's restaurant Charlie at The Palazzo. ... Bon Jovi guitarist Ritchie Sambora and his girlfriend, Jennifer Mallini, at Wasted Space lounge (Hard Rock Hotel) on Friday after dinner at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) and taking in the Steely Dan show at The Pearl (Palms). ... At Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay on Friday: entertainer Bobby Brown with a female companion; Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff with family, and comedian Joel McHale from E's "The Soup."... Steve Schirripa, Jon Lovitz and Richard Belzer, checking out Wasted Space lounge and AGO with friends on Friday after dinner at Rao's (Caesars Palace) with Bobby Slayton, KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs and comedy magician Nathan Burton. ... Actor/comedian Cedric Yarbrough of the hit Comedy Central show, "Reno 911!," at Tryst (Wynn) on Friday. ... British hip-hop star Estelle, performing Friday night at The Bank (Bellagio). ... At Tao Asian Bistro (Venetian) on Friday: "Pineapple Express" actress Amber Heard, hosting the evening. Also dining: Jaslene Gonzalez with Jeff Beacher. ... At Poetry (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Friday: retired baseball star Rickey Henderson. ... "Prison Break" stars Amaury Nolasco and Robert Knepper, relaxing in a cabana at the Planet Hollywood Resort before they start shooting scenes Monday for an episode of the Fox hit. ... Country star Travis Tritt, drinking Coronas at ghostbar (Palms) before moving on to the Playboy Club and Moon nightclub. ... St. Louis Rams All-Pro running back Steven Jackson, who is being fined $15,000 a day for his contract holdout, dining Friday with a galpal at Dos Caminos (Palazzo). He's in the final year of a four-year deal after three 1,000-yard seasons. ... Jewel and rodeo legend Ty Murray, at Aura, Pure Management Group's hot spot in the Bahamas, where they eloped Thursday.


Monday 8-11-08

Killers stake it all on 'Do or Die' CD The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers might not agree with the critics on the success of "Sam's Town" but he's not downplaying the importance of their latest CD: "Do or Die." "Everything is at stake on this album," Flowers tells Rolling Stone in the Aug. 21 issue. "Everything." The group's second release, "Sam's Town," was an overseas smash but fell well short of their 2004 debut "Hot Fuss." "Sam's Town" sales of 1.3 million were about half of "Hot Fuss." But those numbers don't tell the true story, said Flowers, who described "Sam's Town" as "a giant success. That's a misunderstood truth." Nevertheless, the third album "is stripped down in a lot of ways," said bassist Mark Stoermer. "It's our most poppy record but also our most experimental." Added Flowers, "We've got faith in what we do, faith in our fans and faith in the soon to be converted." A FINAL TOAST Bob Maheu's lunch gang didn't get to say goodbye, so they came up with a chardonnay sendoff. Local attorney Joe Brown, a longtime friend of Howard Hughes' top aide, who died on Monday at age 90, told mourners at his funeral Saturday that a group of Maheu's pals regularly gathered to have lunch with him at the Swiss Café, 3175 E. Tropicana Ave. Maheu loved his chardonnay during the story-telling get-togethers. About three or four months ago, Maheu started to miss the lunches. "The fun was gone," said Brown. Saddened that they couldn't lift a final toast to the local icon while he was alive, they agreed to salute their friend one last time, by serving Maheu's favorite wine to his friends after the funeral at St.Viator Catholic Church. Another touching moment came when one of Maheu's sons, Bill, made a point during his eulogy of greeting VirginIa Richardson and saying that she was considered "a member of our family." Richardson and Bob Maheu were close friends. Sightings At Tao Las Vegas (Venetian) on Saturday: Enrique Iglesias, "Pineapple Express" actress Amber Heard, actress Tia Carrere and "America Next's Top Model" winner Jaslene Gonzalez. ... Lauren Conrad of "The Hills," hosting the night at Christian Audigier The Nightclub (Treasure Island) on Saturday. ... Herman Matthews and Friends, a seven-member group of musicians who back Tom Jones, played a late show Saturday night at the Bootlegger Bistro. ... At Fix (Bellagio) on Saturday: Boston Celtics' star Paul Pierce, doing Patron tequila shots with Jermaine O'Neal, recently traded to Toronto Raptors. At other tables: hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and his family. ... Pete Rose, delivering a chocolate cupcake and tiramisu dessert to his lady friend at their table Saturday at Cafe Martorano (Rio), compliments of Steve Martorano, the partner-chef of the restaurant. Martorano has added another tattoo to his full-body collection. Martorano had celebrity tattoo artist Mario Barth of Starlight Tattoos at the House of Blues (Mandalay Bay) apply the likeness last week of Saint Padre Pio to his right leg. It took seven hours. The Catholic saint was canonized in part for experiencing the occurrence of stigmata -- bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ. ... Death Row Records founder Suge Knight, spotted at Drai's After Hours (Bill's Gamblin' Hall) after being turned away at Poetry nightclub (Forum Shops at Caesars). ... Actor Robert Maschio, who plays "The Todd" on NBC's "Scrubs," at Jet nightclub at The Mirage. Adrienne Frantz, Emmy Award-winning actress from "The Young and the Restless," at the 7 p.m. performance of "Mystère" (Treasure Island) on Saturday.

Tuesday 8-12-08

Norm is taking Tuesdays off

Wednesday 8-13-08

Magazine raves about Vogt wine

Kevin Vogt, one of about 20 master sommeliers in Las Vegas, is the toast of the local wine industry.

Wine Spectator magazine announced last week that Vogt's winemaking debut, a sauvignon blanc named Mastery, ranks third among the prominent publication's best new California wines.

Vogt, 46, has worked for Emeril Lagasse for 13 years, almost 10 at Delmonico steakhouse at The Venetian, the rest at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand.

About three years ago, Vogt went to a friend, Paul Frank, who recently sold Gemstone Vineyards in Napa Valley, where aspiring winemakers are paying $1 million an acre.

Vogt had an interest in producing a top wine, but he had a shoestring budget. He went to Frank looking for advice, not necessarily as a partner. Frank, then 65, got back to him a couple of weeks later and suggested they collaborate.

"It was strictly a benevolent act on his part," said Vogt. "He was almost protecting me from what he thought might be a risky proposition."

To the creative mix they added Philippe Melka, "one of the rock stars of winemaking," said Vogt, one of just 165 master sommeliers in the world and 97 in the U.S.

"Paul brought unbelievable fruit and the ability for me to do it," he said. Melka chipped in with building the parts of wine and "helping my wife, Lynda, and I put together the blend."

They bottled 356 cases of the 2005 vintage of Mastery a year ago and dropped off a bottle with Wine Spectator for review a month ago.

When the news came last week that Mastery had received a 92 score from Wine Spectator, "I was in tears," said Vogt. "I'm walking on clouds at this point."

He added, "It's nice to play in the big leagues."

He thanked Lagasse for being "such a huge supporter. He was the driving force behind it."

Once Vogt gets licensed to sell his wine, he plans to sell it this fall for about $95 a bottle, he said. He bottled another 134 cases of the 2006 vintage.

For more information: http://www.masterywines.com

The Scene And Heard

Howard Hughes' No. 1 man Bob Maheu could keep a secret. During a telephone conversation with him about four years ago, he mentioned that during John F. Kennedy's inaugural gala in 1961, "the mother of a top-secret man sat in my box." Last week, after he died at age 90, I asked his son Peter Maheu if he had heard that story. He said he hadn't. If any Maheu pals know the mystery woman's identity, please contact me. ...

The slumping economy has apparently claimed a one-time off-Strip dining treasure. Owner-chef Marco Porceddu's truffle-coated papparadelle was magnificent. When I called to check on reports of closure, the telephone service was disconnected. Porceddu was a Sicilian wonderboy. He was barely in his mid-20s when Steve Wynn hired him to run the kitchen at Francesco's when Treasure Island opened. By the way, I had a call the other day from George LaForge, longtime owner-chef of Pamplemousse on East Sahara. He's still very much involved, he said, contrary to one of those hard-to-kill rumors. ... Celine Dion opened the 62-date North American leg of her "Taking Chances" world tour Tuesday at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden. Former Las Vegas headliner Gordie Brown opened for her.

Sightings

Singer Pink, in attendance at Cher's show on Sunday at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Local female impersonators Larry Edwards as Tina Turner and Chad Michaels, the No. 1 Cher impersonator, walking through the casino at Caesars Palace on Tuesday, on their way to the Cher convention, keeping their fingers crossed that Cher would make an appearance. ... Alfonso Ribeiro, Orlando Jones and Tyler Beckford, among the attendees at Wasted Space lounge Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel for the 10th anniversary of Gumball Rally 3000. The 3,000-mile route incorporates overnight stops in locations such as Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. Upon leaving Vegas, all participants were to be flown directly to Pyongyang, North Korea, as part of a global "friendship" initiative. From there they will be flown on to Hangzhou, China, to be reunited with their vehicles and head north to Shanghai and Xuzhou, before crossing the finish line in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Saturday, in time for the Gumballers to watch a week of Olympic finals.... Method Man, performing a 12-minute set at Prive's "Money For Nothing" Mondays. Also there: Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break."

Thursday 8-14-08

LV condo is focus of divorce hearing

Pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan and his estranged wife are engaged in a legal tug of war over a 43rd-floor penthouse at Palms Place.

His two Las Vegas-based attorneys teamed up against her attorney in Pinellas County Family Court in Clearwater, Fla., on Wednesday in what is shaping up as a battle of appraisers in their divorce.

The couple made a preconstruction purchase of the 3,900-square-foot penthouse in 2005. The sales price was $4.2 million.

Hogan's wife, Linda Bollea, claims through her attorney that the unit is worth $4.5 million, according to their appraiser.

In a court filing this week, she accused Hogan of "legal shenanigans" that included trying to dupe her into signing a postnuptial agreement and hiding millions that were made through real estate transactions.

Shawn Mangano, who was retained by the wrestler to address various contractual issues with regard to Bollea's effort to force the closure, said by telephone Wednesday, "She wants to close and flip it."

Mangano said Hogan's appraiser pegged the penthouse's value at $3.2 million.

Bollea filed for divorce in November, contending the marriage was "irretrievably broken."

They were part of VH1's reality show "Hogan Knows Best," which featured their daughter Brooke, now 20, and son Nick, now 18.

The son was sentenced to eight months in a Florida county jail in May after pleading no contest to charges of felony reckless driving, stemming from the Aug. 26, 2007, car crash that left his best friend, John Graziano, in critical condition.

The Scene And Heard

The New Media Expo, which opens today and runs through Saturday, includes the first Las Vegas Podcast-A-Palooza. Three Las Vegas-centric podcasts will be showcased at The Lounge at the Palms between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday: www. FiveHundybyMidnight.com, www.TheStripPodcast.com and VegasGangPodcast.com. Palms owner George Maloof will join The Vegas Gang, and Carrot Top will be inter-viewed by The Strip. ...

Primm Valley Casino Resorts is offering 500 free tickets to every concert until the end of the year. To sign up: www.primmconcerts.com. ...

Winemaker Kevin Vogt's Mastery, mentioned here Wednesday, is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend. ...

The folks at Gold's Gym at Buffalo and Lake Mead are all abuzz over whispers that Angelina Jolie may be working out there late this month to get in shape for her role in "Thomas Crown Affair 2." ...

Cher announced during her Tuesday show at Caesars Palace that she's donating a Barbie doll and sketches to the Cher Convention's children's charity. Cher fans were hoping for her first appearance at their convention, which was held at Caesars Palace on Monday and Tuesday.

Sightings

LL Cool J, dining at Tao Asian Bistro (Venetian) on Wednesday.

Friday 8-15-08

Norm took the day off

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