Las Vegas Weekly

November 10, 2008 · 11:47 AM

Hollywood stars help Tao celebrate its 3rd anniversary

By Robin Leach

Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind ...

Photo: Tao

It was more like a glittering first night than a third anniversary when the stars packed Tao restaurant and nightclub over the weekend. The 60,000-square-foot-entertainment complex at The Venetian was jam-packed with celebrity VIPs. Click HERE for our initial Morning Call coverage yesterday.

Photo: Tao

John Enos III, Mickey Rourke and Greg Bello.

Here’s the remainder of the through-the-night excitement we didn’t get to when I called it quits at 2 a.m.! It was shortly after that when actor Mickey Rourke joined the fun. You tell me how best to describe the outfit he wore for the party! I can’t tell if it was Mexican bullfighter’s regalia or a leftover Halloween costume or a doorman’s uniform from an S&M club on Bourbon Street!

He’d arrived late on a flight from Los Angeles and insisted on watching a tape of Joe Calzeghe and Roy Jones Jr.’s light-heavyweight contest at New York’s Madison Square Garden, which was live while he was on the jet! He ordered up Asian delicacies from Tao restaurant for he and new movie The Wrestler co-stars and producers. Included was John Enos III, Armin Amiri and Marilyn Manson’s just ex-gal pal Evan Rachel Wood. Said Mickey: “If I don’t win an Oscar for this, I’ll be pissed.”

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Stacy Keibler.

Gorgeous Dancing With the Stars’ long-legged beauty Stacy Keibler sat alongside my table celebrating her gal pal’s 30th birthday. The former World Wrestling Entertainment stunner was the center of attention with her short mini! Reality TV star and former Charlie Sheen partner Denise Richards showed up in a Theory vest, D&G tank top and Joe’s Jeans with her sister Michelle McLaughlin. They ordered up pork pot stickers, crispy rice and sea bass skewers.

Photo: Scott Doctor

Kate Walsh.

Private Practice actress Kate Walsh wore a Stella McCartney dress, Valentino shoes and Neil Lane jewelry. She was with her husband and told me it was their first time back since her bachelorette party. Kate denied pregnancy rumors and, asked about her weight loss, said: “I just gave up eating fried foods.” She ordered Taotinis to go with her sushi and Kobe rib eye.

Photo: Scott Doctor

Amanda Bynes.

Hairspray actress Amanda Bynes in silver Dior shoes and a BCBG dress also brought her girlfriends to the party and danced with gossip blogger Perez Hilton and Private Practice star Taye Diggs. Amanda ordered up grilled tuna in the restaurant and once up in the nightclub sang along with all the words to Lil’ Kim and 50 Cent’s “Magic Stick.” When I said hello to her table, she said it was her first time back at Tao since celebrating her 21st birthday there.

Photo: Tao

Ellen Pompeo, Kate Walsh, Chris Ivery and Taye Diggs.

Other notes from my reporter’s jottings: Lindsay Lohan, solo after gal pal Samantha Ronson flew to a DJ gig in Chicago, crept in quietly through a back staircase after watching the Madonna concert to order up Tao’s signature lobster won tons, Kung Pao chicken and sushi, but, so as not to break her Pure contract, didn’t go up to the nightclub. Instead, she joined friends in a penthouse suite at George Maloof’s Palms Place condo tower. … Ellen Pompeo, who wore a Givenchy dress, was with her husband Chris Ivery, and they celebrated her birthday and their one-year wedding anniversary. … Kate and Ellen ordered up champagne to also celebrate their mini-reunion. … Jenna Fischer from The Office said her teal-colored party dress had been a “last-minute pick-up” from a boutique near her L.A. home.

Photo: Tao

Jenna Fischer.

Other guests included The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky, Greg Bello, Hill Harper from CSI, Heidi Montag from The Hills, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Mad About You actor Richard Kind, 24 star Roger Cross, smooth singer Robin Thicke and Shawn Hatosy. I took the Polish-born, classical violin players the Alizma triplets, who had their party dresses flown in from Warsaw just for the party -- and all the stars wanted their photos taken with them.

Photo: Tao

Tao partners Jason Strauss, Richard Wolf, Noah Teppenberg, Mark Packer and managing partner Lou Albin share in an appropriately designed cake.

Photo: TVT

Tao co-owners Richard Wolf, Noah Teppenberg and Mark Packer with Alizma.

Congratulations to Tao partners Richard Wolfe, Mark Packer, Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg -- and here’s to many more. Since they opened at The Venetian, they’ve turned Tao into the top-grossing restaurant in the United States, and this fall they opened their new Lavo restaurant and boutique nightclub in the adjoining Palazzo.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Robin Leach with the Alizma triplets.

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