World Market Center 2010

Las Vegas Market hosted the winter show Feb 1-5, 2010 at the World Market Center located at 495 S. Grand Central Parkway. The center consists of three buildings with 5,000,000 square feet and when future building is complete there will be eight buildings with 7,500,000 square feet. It has the largest furniture showrooms in the world. Every floor has enclosed walk ways connecting all the buildings. http://www.lasvegasmarket.com/

This is fantastic because it saves time waiting for elevators to go to the main level and it saves more time walking outside from building to building.

The five day events were needed in order to see all the showrooms. Lots of market receptions, net working events, seminars and parties were scheduled and a lot of free food and drinks were supplied everyday. There was a kick off party the first night in the grand plaza and a few chefs from some famous hotels were cooking for everyone. The food was delicious.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are some of the fantastic furniture and accessories that were featured. My favorite was the jungle themes.

I also loved the modern furniture.

The elegant beds, chairs and accessories were beautiful.

Jane Seymour, in collaboration with Michael Amini showed their 150 piece furniture collection.

Jane Seymour

It featured the Hollywood Swank, the Cobblestone Road and Palace Gates furniture line.

Ed Sanders of Extreme Makeover Home Edition design team was in the Simmons Bedding Co. showroom. Simmons Bedding featured a new Comfor Pedic Loft mattress that the Extreme Makeover show is now  putting in all their homes.

 Ed Sanders is a carpenter in the reality TV series on ABC, which stars Ty Pennington.

The summer show will be on August 2-6, 2010 and it is a must see event.

Hash House A Go Go

Hash House A Go Go

Imperial Palace

(Nikki Artale, Sebastian Sanzera,Sarah Cosner)

Big O Chicken Pot Pie

Ham Hammered Pork Tenderloin

Famous Flapjack with Ham and Eggs

Once again we were invited to Hash House A Go Go and it was the grand opening of their new restaurant in the Imperial Palace Hotel. Customers have been asking for years when they would open a restaurant on the strip. Jim Rees is excited that they have fulfilled everyone’s wishes. The restaurant is located on the entire second floor in the back of the casino. Hash house is noted for the huge portions of food that they serve and for the creativity of each plate that is served. They are also noted for using only the freshest ingredients.
Roasted Butternut squash
The entire restaurant was reserved for the media and celebrities, who came out to wish the owners of Hash House, Jim Rees, Jim Nyberg and Bill Underhill much success.
The food and the prices remain the same as their first location at 6800 W. Sahara Avenue.

Jim Rees and George Wallace

Frank Marino and Jim Rees

Kevon Stover, Rock Star

Nikki Artale and Kevon Stover
Entertaining everyone for part of the evening was the a capella group Mosaic, a singing group who is currently opening for the George Wallace show at the Flamingo. They recently opened for the Jay Leno show at the Mirage and they were a popular attraction on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line for four years. Mosaic has been noted for doing local charity work which is much appreciated by the community. They are a great talent and very unique. www.myspace.com/vocalmosaic

Mosaic

(Troy Dolendo, Sean Gerrity, Corwyn Hodge, John Gibson & Heath Burgett.

Congratulations went out to the chefs who made the fabulous food for the evening. I can’t wait to go back for another meal. Big food is back and it is at the Hash House A Go Go in Imperial Palace. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, Sunday through Thursday and until 2:00 am on Friday and Saturday. www.hashhouseagogo.com

Chef Anthony Vidal and Chef Stanton Caldwell

Ferraro's Restaurant & Wine Bar

Ferraro’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

The Ferraro family was so excited to welcome everyone to their beautiful new restaurant at 4480 Paradise Road, corner of Harmon and across from the Hard Rock. A huge gala event took place on January 27, 2010 when friends and family gathered to celebrate the opening. On hand to welcome everyone was Gino and Rosalba and their children Theresa, Gina & Mimmo. (Theresa, Rosalba, Gina) (Gino, Mimmo, Rosalba)

Executive Chef Mimmo Ferraro features family favorites of Osso Buco, homemade pastas and many desserts. Mimmo graduated from the California Culinary Academy and studied at a culinary school in Tuscany and that accounts for all the delicious foods on the menu. He loves working with his family and loves what he does. .

Gino Ferraro learned to cook by spending time in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother and has been around food his entire life. It was a natural thing that he would be in the restaurant business with his family. Gino graduated from the Italian Culinary School and studied under Master Chef Giovanni Gattis in Italy. Ferraro received the 5 Star Diamond Award and the Best Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas.

Everyone feels special and welcome and they take great pride in their staff. There is a live band playing to the enjoyment of the diners.

Some celebrities and entertainers were there to celebrate the grand opening. Michael Neal and Tom Chase of Sunny 106.5 radio and Norm Clark enjoyed the evenings festivities.
(Verena King, Richard Brian)
(Greta Ross)

We were very excited to have Rick Faugno entertain us with a few songs. Rick plays the lead role of Frankie Valli in the Jersey Boys at the Palazzo and he was joined by his co-star, fiancée Joyce Chittick who plays Frankie Valli’s wife.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkCaefp1pi0

The highlight of the night was the time I spent talking to Rosalda about her family who she is so very proud of. I felt the love and pride she had for them as she shared her story.

Miss America 2010

Miss America 2010

Miss America contestant’s filled one of the dining rooms of Buca di Beppo at 412 East Flamingo Ave, Las Vegas to the delight of all the people having dinner there. It was so special to spend a few hours with the 53 contestants and to see the joy and happiness they were all displaying. All the Miss America hopefuls were full of laughter and smiles and all were so beautiful. It was their once in a lifetime moment of being in the Miss America Pageant.

The contestants made a special appearance to unveil Buca di Beppo’s new ice cream sundae which will be added to the menu next month. They all took turns making the huge sundae with Chef Ryan Smith and they couldn’t wait to eat the sundae after they made it.
Miss Nevada, Christina Keegan and Miss New Jersey, Ashley Shaffer enjoyed working with Chef Ryan putting the finishing touches on top.

Equally excited were all the other contestants as they all came up to be part of the sundae making. I am happy to report that they all ate the sundae and licked the spoons afterwards. (MissRhodeIsland, Ryan, MissTexas)
(MissDC, MissAlabama) (MissGeorgia,Miss ND)
(MissNewYork,MissIndiana,MissFlorida)

Miss New Jersey, Ashley Shaffer, 22, is from Perrineville NJ and she said she has wanted to be Miss America since she was five years old. Ashley went to Atlantic City each year to see the parade on the boardwalk and she has dreamed of this moment since then. I think it was many a young girls dream to be Miss America. Ashley’s platform is on enhancing children’s health through education and support. (Ashley Shaffer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88TYBFi6gbk (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy51sJceY9s (video)

Miss Nevada, Christina Keegan, 24, is from Gardnerville, Nevada and is a medical student. Her platform is on rape education and recovery. Christina will be doing a ballet routine to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Miss Puerto Rico, Mimi Pabon has won the swimsuit competition and Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron won the talent competition and she sang “Listen” from “Dream Girls”. (Mimi Pabson)

(Caressa Cameron)

I have to compliment the chefs and everyone associated with Buca di Beppo for the great food and the hospitality. I definitely am going back to the restaurant and I will be bringing my friends and family.

Watch the Miss America Pageant live on TLC on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 8:00 pm EST. It will be hosted by Mario Lopez at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas NV.

Bulletin: Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron won 2010 Miss America title. She charmed the audience with her song “Listen” from “Dreamgirls” and her answer to the question on childhood obesity. Her advice to parents was to shut off the TV, play less video games and get the kids playing out on the streets again. To fight childhood obesity she said “expand your mind, go outside and get to see what this world is like”. Caressa wants to be an anchor and is a broadcast journalism student at Virginia Commonwealth University. First runner up was Miss California, Kristy Cavinder, winning $25,000.