Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Weekend Rewind: Nobu and Robert De Niro at Caesars Palace, Pitbull at SLS and more

Pitbull

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Pitbull performs at Foxtail Pool Club.

Legendary actor Robert De Niro and master chef Nobu Matsuhisa joined Caesars Entertainment executives Mark Frissora and Gary Selesner at the incredible penthouse villa at the Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace Friday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the world’s very first Nobu Hotel. Selesner, Caesars Palace Regional President, spoke of the desire to bring the serenity of a Japanese-style hotel to the Las Vegas Strip before Meir Teper (a partner in the Nobu Hotel brand with De Niro and Matsuhisa) said Selesner was the person most responsible for launching the boutique hotel company in Las Vegas. Selesner’s reply: “Honestly, I just wanted the food in my hotel so I didn’t have to go to the Hard Rock Hotel anymore.” Caesars CEO and President Frissora announced a decade-long extension of the agreement between the brands before Clark County Commission Chairman and Nevada gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak presented the team with a Key to the Strip and proclaimed October 19 as Nobu Day throughout the county.

That night, the model-actress duo of Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson hit the Hard Rock to check out “Magic Mike Live” and posed for flirty photos with the cast after the show. Meanwhile, at Marquee Nightclub, Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern partied with friends at a VIP table while DJ Vice spun the sounds.

The annual audio company-sponsored JBL Fest closed out three days of music and more with the Sound Splash pool party at SLS’ Foxtail Pool Club Friday night featuring a live performance from Pitbull. Among the celebs in the house were JBL hosts and actresses Priyanka Chopra and Olivia Culpo, Nick and Vanessa Lachey, NBA great Kevin Garnett and the cast of “Vanderpump Rules.”

Spotted singing along at stage left during Friday night’s Willie Nelson concert at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan: “Wedding Crashers” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” actor Owen Wilson. Both Nelson and Wilson appeared in Woody Harrelson’s “live” film “Lost in London,” and all three artists are known pals.

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Mat Franco at "Opium."

After helping launch Britney Spears’ new “Domination” residency at its big announcement event at Toshiba Plaza Thursday night, TV host Mario Lopez celebrated his birthday — and his wife Courtney’s birthday, too — at Apex Social Club at the Palms Friday night, complete with an L.A. Dodgers-themed birthday cake.

Actress and activist Charlize Theron was in town for Saturday’s Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project fundraiser at the Venetian. The organization’s mission is to invest in African youth to keep themselves safe from HIV. All proceeds from the event, which included a pop-up lounge by the resort’s Rosina bar, will go support programs on the ground in South Africa and Rwanda.

Big nightlife news broke late on Monday: Red Rock Resorts, Inc. (Station Casinos) and Tao Group announced they have jointly agreed to terminate the deal that would have Tao creating and operating a nightclub and dayclub at the Palms in the former Rain space, as well as a Las Vegas location of its New York restaurant Vandal. Both venues were scheduled to open in early 2019 and both were considered highly anticipated components of the ongoing renovation at the Palms.

Congratulations are in order for Las Vegas-based celebrity chef Akira Back, who received his second Michelin star last week for his restaurant Dosa in Seoul, South Korea. Back is executive chef and partner at Yellowtail at Bellagio and Kumi at Mandalay Bay and has called Vegas his home since 2008. He earned his first Michelin star last year, cementing his legacy as a culinary standout and a rare restaurateur who made his name on the Strip before opening an empire of restaurants around the world.

In just the last week, all of these stars have visited “Opium” at the Cosmopolitan: Vegas Golden Knights players Cody Eakin and Erik Haula, Gold & Silver Pawn Shop co-owner and “Pawn Stars” boss Rick Harrison, and the Linq’s headlining magician Mat Franco.

Super-producer, songwriter and R&B/hip-hop maestro The-Dream, aka Terius Nash, had dinner at the Palms’ hot spot Scotch 80 Prime last week, feasting on caviar, lamb chops, shishito peppers and the addictive ribeye ravioli. He has crafted monster hits for Beyoncé, Rihanna, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. Could he have been taking a break from a recording session at the Studio at the Palms? If so, what incredibly famous artist might he be collaborating with this time?