Aid for AIDS of Nevada
This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s little piggies raised $20,925.61 to prove that every little piggy does count! In fairness, they didn’t do it alone. They had help from AFAN and some generous donors on a mission to increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education for HIV/AIDS.
During the Every Piggy Counts initiative, AFAN handed out approximately 500 wee little piggy banks throughout the community. Families were then encouraged to fatten up those piggies with loose change and return them to AFAN in commemoration of World AIDS Day, observed on December 1st each year. Some came back heavier than others–Donny tipped the scales with a whopping $1000 in his belly–but in the end they all brought home plenty of bacon. All donations went to support AFAN’s continual fight against HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour
Mac King might be best known for tickling funny bones with humor and magic as a headliner at Harrah’s, but lately he’s been busy mastering a different sort of trick; fostering a love of reading in the community through his Magical Literacy Tour.
The tour launched in February at the Orleans Arena, where fans of the Wranglers hockey team were invited to bring donations of new and gently-used books to the games. After all was said and done, the event raised more than 800 books that were donated to Clark County READS, an initiative of the Public Education Foundation.
King’s ultimate goal is to promote childhood literacy and provide more opportunities for children. “Reading is very important to me because it literally changed my life,” said King. “I want every child to have the same opportunity and explore new worlds and ideas through the magic of reading.” The Orleans Arena was but one stop on the literacy tour. During Nevada Reading Week he’s stopping at four at-risk elementary schools in Las Vegas to deliver the books that were collected. Ta-daaaa! For more info, visit www.mackingshow.com or www.ccpef.org.
Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada and Jamba Juice
Kindness is contagious, and thanks to the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada and Jamba Juice, it’s delicious as well! In recognition of Random Acts of Kindness Week, held February 14-20, local do-gooders were treated to an original sized smoothie for reporting what they did to put a smile on someone else’s face.
To help encourage good deeds, the Volunteer Center provided ideas on their website, as well as posted inspirational messages on Facebook and Twitter. “Random Acts of Kindness Week was about seeing what small efforts you can do to make a big difference within your community,” said Robin Kelley, director of the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada. “Ideas ranged from greeting people with a smile, or complimenting everyone you encountered on a single day, to donating blood or volunteering time through our center.”
Collecting a refreshing reward was simply icing on the cake, with local Jamba Juice locations offering up their own blend of good cheer. “We were proud to take part in this partnership with United Way’s Volunteer Center and promote the pay-it-forward concept during Random Acts of Kindness Week,” said Cary Karrer, district manager of Jamba Juice Las Vegas. “We are always looking for ways to give back to the community.” For information on future volunteer opportunities, visit United Way’s Volunteer Center at www.uwsn.org/volunteer.
Las Vegas Jiffy Lube
Change your oil; change a life. That was the sentiment behind Jiffy Lube Service Centers’ recent event to kick off their ongoing Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) campaign. The event held on February 12th invited vehicle owners to make two important changes; one for their car’s health, and one for children and adults fighting muscle disease.
Participants were encouraged to visit one of 18 Jiffy Lube Service Centers to receive $10 off a signature service oil change. In addition, those who contributed $3 or more to MDA received a special Make a Muscle, Make a Difference coupon book with over $85 in preventative vehicle maintenance coupons. ‘We are pleased to offer our customers the chance to make a difference and enjoy incredible savings,’ said Julie Jensen, Jiffy Lube Market Manager.
Donations collected will benefit over 455 families in Southern Nevada fighting neuromuscular disease. It’s all part of Jiffy Lube’s new national effort to raise more than $500,000 to help accelerate MDA-funded worldwide research seeking treatments and cures, while simultaneously providing comprehensive medical and health care services to individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases. Jiffy Lube will continue to accept donations through March 20th. Car maintenance and charity in a jiffy? We like it. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.jiffylubecharity.com.
An Offer You Can’t Refuse – Mob Mentality
By Lisha Ross
If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting anxiously for the opening of the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a.k.a. the Mob Museum. It was slated to open in the spring of 2011, but due to various setbacks it looks like we may have to shelve our excitement for a while longer. So here’s the offer you can’t refuse: an appetizer, if you will, to the Mob Museum. A chance to learn more about the bad boys of Vegas’ past and the law enforcement agents who took them down, and then maybe a straight-laced, yet mob-tastic outing for cocktails and goombah-worthy grub.
Get Made or Get Whacked
The Las Vegas Mob Experience, now open at the Tropicana Hotel, is about as close as you can get to being a mobster without getting whacked. Then again, you might, if you don’t play your cards right. As you move through some 30 rooms in this highly interactive attraction, you’ll learn about the rise and fall of the mob in Vegas while being faced with certain decisions. At the speak-easy you’ll be asked to deliver cash to Fat Tony; after spotting a cheater from a casino catwalk, you’ll decide his fate in the security room; and in a police station, you can be a “rat” or clam up. The choice is yours, but it will all lead up to your “final fate”, so choose wisely.
The beauty of this attraction is the innovative technology, from Disney Imagineers holograms to sense technology that reproduces odors, sounds and other life-like sensations. Upon arrival, you’ll select your “gangster guide” who will show up in holographic form periodically. At immigration, you’ll get your I.D. card which contains a microchip that tracks your activity and customizes the experience to suit you and your party. In other words, don’t be surprised if your holographic guide addresses you by name, or if you get a phone call from Bugsy Siegel himself.
As imaginative as this experience is, it would be nothing without its outstanding collection of artifacts purchased directly from the estates of Sam Giancana, Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Tony Spilatro and Allan Sachs. What’s more, the exhibit was created in collaboration with the descendants of these fallen gangsters, offering visitors a chance to see a different, more human side of their personalities.
In the end, it all comes down to a final showdown, where you’ll either become a “made man”, get whacked, or land in the middle of a police shoot-out. I won’t ruin any more surprises in the “Final Fate” room; just be prepared to answer for your actions. Tickets to the Mob Experience are just $29.95 when purchased at the Tropicana box office. Visit www.lvme.com or call 739-2222 for more info.
The Vegas Mob Tour
If you’re not into theatrics or you’re simply mad for the mob, The Vegas Mob Tour offers a completely different perspective on the subject. It starts at the Royal Resort and circles around town, stopping at various spots where some of the most notorious mob happenings went down. Along the way, your guide will offer all sorts of little-known factoids. Our guide, Bobby A, also had some pretty interesting theories on the botched attempt to blow Frank Rosenthal to the moon. Be prepared to sit awhile. The tour is 2.5 hours long and the only time you actually get off the bus is to visit the monument to Bugsy Siegel behind the Flamingo. But with colorful guides donning pin-striped suits and a slide show of declassified FBI photos, it’s an informative journey that really brings the legendary locations of mob lore home. For tickets and info, call 339-8744 or visit www.vegasmobtour.com.
Dine Like the “Don”
Bobby A made a poignant statement on our Vegas Mob Tour: “Things don’t change much in Vegas; they just disappear.” So true! Whether it’s a defunct casino or a classy old lounge, good ol’ Vegas is hard to find. With the exception of Peppermill Lounge and Coachman’s Inn (both originals), sometimes we just have to improvise with places like Capo’s Steakhouse on Sahara. Dark, sultry and mellow, Capo’s is a speak-easy for the modern age. Ring the doorbell and a slide opens on the opposite wall. “Do you have a reservation?” they ask. Don’t worry; you won’t get capped if you don’t have one, though they are recommended.
Inside, the scene is set to dine like one of the “family” among plush, red booths, tables topped with solitary candles and Hollywood regency-style crystal chandeliers. Menu items of pasta and steak are pricey, so if you want a full meal and drinks, expect to spend a couple bills for two. For a more low-key experience, have a seat at the bar for signature cocktails and appetizers; the antipasto salad and baseball-sized meatballs with peppers and marinara are some of the best I’ve ever had. For reservations and info, call 364-2276; to view a menu online, visit www.caposrestaurant.com.
Most of us will never know what it was really like to be a made guy or a “boss”, but we can still pretend can’t we? As The Godfather himself said, “Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.” You’ll be feelin’ like a wiseguy and lovin’ it, I promise.
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
In the Know
Lucio Ristorante – Rock Solid for the Regular Guy
By Aly Wagonseller
It’s hard to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not on the Las Vegas dining scene. Small plates, molecular gastronomy, ChinaMex fusion and other chic eats can all be more than intoxicating to the star struck foodie. Still, despite the emergence of these latest and greatest trend spots, places a culinary hipster might perceive as the quintessential dinosaur continue to survive. Why? Because the food, while nothing fancy, simply tastes amazing. Dishes like buttery risotto, full bodied lasagna and fresh cioppino; these are the homey, go-to dishes that, when prepared correctly, have diners coming back time and again. This is the stuff of Lucio Ristorante. And, while you may not find tomato foam on your Sous Vide Osso Bucco, what you will find is rock solid food and great service in a setting where old Vegas cheese meets classic fine dining…and I mean that in a good way.
Recently expanding their operation to a second location found at 5900 E. Flamingo (previously Ferraro’s), the décor is classic old school. As you might expect, beautiful dark wood wainscot, marble flooring and linen tablecloths are all present, along with a large bar and…ba-dump-bump…a stage with backdrop curtains, a grand piano and song stylings reminiscent of many a Vegas lounge show gone by. Kitschy…well maybe, but it’s also oddly comforting and a welcome departure from the drone of clubby music found in many newbie restaurants these days. An added plus is that the place is quiet, despite being large, and has many nooks and crannies for secluded and romantic dining.
Like the surroundings, the food is traditional, the menu inspired by classic Italian staples including Veal or Chicken Parmigiano ($17-23), a hearty Lasagna made with béchamel and meat sauces ($15) and Spaghetti con Polpettine ($15) served with flavorful, yet delicate meatballs. Based on a friend’s suggestion, as well as the recommendation of our charming and, yes, clearly Italian waiter Claudio, we chose the Gnocchi Quattro Formaggi ($16) and the Salsiccia e Spinaci risotto ($20). There are times when the substitution of massive quantities of butter, cream and cheese to save calories could be considered criminal, and this was definitely one of those occasions, especially in the case of the decadent gnocchi dish. Light, pillow-like dumplings of pasta and potato were generously glazed in a sublime fontina, mascarpone and Parmesan cheese sauce, balanced with just enough gorgonzola and a sprinkling of fresh sage to add a nice bite. I was impressed by the integrity of the gnocchi themselves, blissfully lacking that lead-like, stuck in your stomach quality that poorly executed gnocchi so often exhibits. These were as melt in your mouth airy as gnocchi gets…delicious.
Lucio’s menu touts their risotto as being the best in town, and they certainly are in contention. Much like gnocchi, this is a dish that requires expertise and a skilled hand to avoid the pitfalls of rice that’s gooey or mushy as opposed to creamy, yet textured. The sausage and spinach version we ordered was nothing short of outstanding; the sausage nicely seasoned, the spinach not overly wilted, and the arborio rice perfectly cooked. The presence of butter was obvious, but it didn’t overpower the other ingredients, adding just enough flavor and creaminess to elevate the dish to comfort food perfection without feeling greasy or over the top. One tiny pet peeve: I would have liked my risotto to have cooled a bit longer before serving, as the flavors in the piping hot dish hadn’t quite developed yet. No matter though; exhibiting an uncharacteristic five minutes of self control while the food cooled down proved well worth the wait.
Lucio Ristorante has a modest wine selection, many served by the glass, imported and domestic beers, as well as full bar service. It may not be the newest kid on the block, but sometimes tradition trumps the trends. For reservations, call them at 207-1008, or their original location on West Sahara at 233-2859.
