Las Vegas Weekly

August 27, 2008 · 3:15 PM

Strip scribbles and tonight’s blow-out bashes

By Robin Leach

*If selected to run as Sen. John McCain’s veep choice, former Gov. Mitt Romney would just be a heartbeat away from the presidency -- and today some Vegas-area residents are seeing him close-up at different spots all around town. He lunched at the Panevino restaurant across from the airport and then late this afternoon he turned up at the Henderson Convention Center. McCain’s announcement could certainly come by Friday on his birthday, which he shares with Michael Jackson and me!

*There’s no such thing as a “hiring freeze” at the new Minus 5 sub-arctic ice lounge attraction opening next month at Mandalay Place. General manager David Kuhn, who has moved over from Parasol at the Wynn Las Vegas, is looking for more than 70 new staffers, including model hostesses and cocktail servers, and the Eskimo Girls. It's all about the art of ice at minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) because everything inside the lounge is made of ice, including the walls, seats, bars, décor, couches and glasses frozen solid from pure New Zealand water! Even with the special wardrobe of insulated jackets, gloves and boots, guests will only be able to stay in the igloo environment for 30 minutes. You just know I’ll be checking it all out for you very shortly.

*An incredible night of food, wine and fun awaits tomorrow at the Bradley Ogden restaurant in Caesars Palace. Star chef Bradley, who serves up Vegas’ only James Beard award-winning cuisine, is matching up five mouth-watering courses of his "farm-to-table" cuisine with signature wines from Patton Valley Vineyards from Oregon’s legendary Willamette Valley ... much further ahead for your diary datebook is Dec. 1 at the Orleans, when the Vegas chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will honor Marvyn and Carol Roy -- known as Mr. Electric because of his amazing lighting illusions. Jeff Hobson will host the show, which will star a host of other magicians, including our local MAGIC magazine publisher Stan Allen. Then on Dec. 27, my friend Ron Dante from The Archies will open for Imelda Papin also at the Orleans. Ron celebrated his birthday by completing a brand new Archies Christmas album complete with songs by Betty and Veronica!

*From our surveillance file: Designer Kimora Lee Simmons and boyfriend Djimon Hounsou dined romantically at Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and enjoyed the Loup de Mer and Waygu Kobe beef. Then Kimora hit the Giant Magazine party at The Bank nightclub in the Bellagio with Vanessa and Angela Simmons at her side ... Ying Yang Twins and rapper T.I. hip-hopped their way through dinner at Strip House at Planet Hollywood.

Tonight's tip

*It’s the big blow-out bashes of MAGIC’s final revelry with Nicky Hilton hosting her Chick and Nicholai clothing lines at the LAX nightclub at the Luxor and the rival William Rast fashion collection, owned by pop-king Justin Timberlake, rocks the house at Corey Hart’s new Wasted Space rock lounge in the Hard Rock casino hotel. Tech-soul duo Pink Enemy performs at the Revolution party in the Mirage for Dallas Austin’s Rowdy fashion line and Arch Angel jewelry’s show.

*Superstar musician and singer Barry Manilow, who really does write those songs that people sing, resumes his run of shows at the Las Vegas Hilton through Sept. 6 and then returns again Sept. 24 through Oct. 4 ... the 2008 National Celebration and Theater of the Pure Spanish Horse starts at the South Point arena and runs through Saturday ... Charlie Zaa is at the House of Blues.

Tomorrow's tease

Is Celine Dion looking over the fine points of a new Caesars Palace contract? The Killers reveal their new album and track titles; the NBA sports stars have literally taken over the Strip with a series of nonstop parties; Hef’s Girl Next Door Playboy beauty Bridget Marquardt joins the Three 6 Mafia and showman Jeff Beacher spoofs the news to track down an "abominable snowman" -- and Luxe Life has the photo-proof!

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