Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Weekend Rewind: Sarah Jessica Parker, Penn & Teller, Ryan Lochte, Flavor Flav and more

Sarah Jessica Parker

Jerry Metellus

Sarah Jessica Parker opened her Bellagio boutique in August 2017.

Actress and designer Sarah Jessica Parker dropped into her SJP boutique at Bellagio on Thursday to share some shopping tips and recommendations with her guests, even signing the bottom of a newly purchased pair of shoes for one shopper. The “Sex and the City” icon reportedly loves to play personal shopper and after meeting her at the SJP opening last year, I believe it.

The Las Vegas Aces may have narrowly missed the WNBA playoffs in their inaugural season but the team and its owners, MGM Resorts International, constructed a rock-solid foundation for the future of professional basketball in the city and on the Strip. The Aces capped their year Sunday with a loss to the Atlanta Dream although the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd (reported at 5,737) was loud and proud the whole way through. Among the hoops fans taking in the season finale were Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis and hip-hop hype man extraordinaire Flavor Flav.

Speaking of MGM Resorts, the hospitality giant recently announced a full-on culinary extravaganza to be held in October, seeming built around the previously announced Martha Stewart Wine & Food Experience coming to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Oct. 13. The new plans run throughout the weekend of Oct. 12-14 with multiple ticketed dinners and special food events at Mandalay Bay, Delano Las Vegas and Luxor. The “Dine Under the (Michelin) Stars” six-course feast features a menu created by superstar chefs Alain Ducasse, Michael Mina, Charlie Palmer, Shawn McClain, Hubert Keller and Susan Feniger at the regal Rivea restaurant. Check out Mandalay Bay’s website for tickets to that one.

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Ryan Lochte at Marquee.

Further on the food front, Park MGM has unveiled yet another new concept coming soon to fill out its restaurant roster. La La Noodle, featuring authentic Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine in a casual atmosphere with an outdoor covered patio and a 1980s soundtrack, will arrive in November. Also on the way to the renovated former Monte Carlo resort are New York City’s award-winning NoMad Restaurant, the Italian marketplace Eataly and an unnamed Korean restaurant from Los Angeles chef Roy Choi.

Penn & Teller are back onstage at the Rio. The magic and comedy duo took a break to allow Teller to recover from back surgery and made their triumphant return on Saturday night. Their one-of-a-kind show has been extended for three more years at the Rio, where they originally opened in January 2001. It’s unlike any other show on or off the Strip, so if you haven’t seen them yet, consider yourself lucky to get many more chances.

Did you hear about Ryan Lochte? The 12-time Olympic swimming medalist was indeed making the Vegas rounds last weekend for a late birthday celebration, including parties at XS Nightclub Friday night and from a grand cabana at Marquee Dayclub Saturday. Another sports name took over a stage-side booth at XS Friday for his own b-day party: Former L.A. Lakers player and New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher.

At Drai’s Friday night, Atlanta rapper and producer Clifford Harris — who is officially going by TIP instead of the more familiar T.I. — was honored onstage after his performance at the Cromwell nightclub in recognition of the 15-year anniversary of his genre-defining album “Trap Muzik.” TIP is just one of the big names in hip-hop who call Drai’s home when in Vegas.