The Year Of The Horse Rides Into Las Vegas With World-Class Festivities.

The Year Of The Horse Rides Into Las Vegas With World-Class Festivities.
   LAS VEGAS, Jan. 13, 2014 Las Vegas will celebrate Chinese New Year, Jan. 31 – Feb. 16 with a dazzling collection of symbolic decor, traditional Chinese cuisine and activities to commemorate the Year of the Horse.  This year's Chinese zodiac sign is significant because it is believed to bring fortune and good luck. The Year of the Horse is also an excellent year for travel, making Las Vegas the ideal destination to celebrate.

Festive Decor & Entertainment 
Starting Jan. 11, the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio will display a new exhibit with a fabricated three-tier mountain featuring eight massive stallions – as the number eight represents good luck. The East Garden will feature a prosperous money tree with oversized gold coins hanging from branches. Live performances of traditional folk and pop music with authentic Chinese instruments including the erhu, ruan, and pipa will take place in the serene South Garden from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The conservatory design will be guided by Feng Shui with the exhibit on display till March 1.

Wynn Las Vegas will unveil three, 800-pound Tang Dynasty horse sculptures on Jan. 9. The 9-foot-tall, 10-foot-long horses were created by master sculptor Sillipachai "Mod" Toonrud of FORTE Specialty Contractors in Las Vegas, and will be painted red and gilded in gold leaf. The sculptures will be on display through Feb. 14.

"PANDA!" takes the stage at The Palazzo Las Vegas, Jan. 7 to Feb. 28 for a limited engagement. Audience members will go on an epic journey as the show follows the heroic quest of LongLong, a warm and caring panda, on an adventurous mission to rescue his beloved Peacock Princess who was kidnapped on their wedding day.

Singer Hacken Lee will perform live at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Feb. 7-8. The show starts at 8 p.m., and will feature hit songs from his last decade of music.

Downtown Festivities 
This year, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts offers two special shows that will highlight the spirit of Chinese New Year. On Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. "TAO: Phoenix Rising" takes the stage with a night of Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. Then Shen Yun performs from Feb. 21-23. This show brings to life 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through classical Chinese dance and music in an exhilarating performance you will never forget.

The Fremont Street Experience will host "Chinese New Year In the Desert" Feb. 7-9. Kicking off the weekend of celebration is the opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m., followed by a concert series with special guests Victoria Wei Zhong and Henry Chuc. Other notable events include the Lotus Flowering/Thai Folk Dance, Muay Thai Exhibition and a special concert series on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Chinese New Year parade takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. and starts at 4 th Street, from Gass Ave. to Ogden. The festivities continue on Fremont Street Experience with performances by the Tendo Baikoki Cultural Dance Group, Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club Choral Group and a dazzling concert featuring Gloria Papin. Fremont Street Experience will host nightly lion dances performed by Lohan School of Shaolin taking place on the 3 rd Street stage.

Lion & Dragon Dances 
Traditional Dragon and Lion Dances will take place throughout the destination to celebrate the Year of the Horse. Performances will include:

Jan. 31 – 3 p.m. at The Venetian Las Vegas: A traditional Dragon dance and eye painting ceremony with firecrackers and festive decorations to celebrate the Chinese New Year
Jan. 31 – 6 p.m. at MGM Grand: Lion-dancing pioneers Yau Kung Moon will perform a traditional Chinese lion dance that starts at the main lobby and carries through the casino
Feb. 1 – 4 p.m. at Bellagio: A lion and dragon will prance their way through Bellagio's Porte Cochere welcoming guests
Feb. 1 – 6 p.m. at Wynn Las Vegas: Guests can experience the traditional dragon dance, which will start at South Valet at Wynn. The parade will wind through the Wynn Casino before making its way to Encore. The procession will feature a 90-foot-long-dragon, eight lions, firecrackers and special acrobatic performance
Feb. 1 – 5 p.m. at Flamingo Las Vegas: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 1 – 6 p.m. at The Quad Resort & Casino: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 1 – 7 p.m. at Harrah's Las Vegas: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 3 – 6 p.m. at ARIA: Traditional lion dance that will start at the main porte cochere and head through the casino
Feb. 5 – 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m. at Gold Coast: Traditional dragon dance through casino floor. Guests will also enjoy trees filled with candy and tangerines.
Feb. 8 –  12 p.m. at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 8 – 1 p.m. at Paris Las Vegas: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 8 – 2 p.m. at Bally's Las Vegas: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 8 – 5 p.m. at Caesars Palace: Traditional lion dance through casino floor
Feb. 12 – 7 p.m. at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino: Traditional lion dance through casino floor


Strip Steak: Las Vegas Chefs Discuss Burgeoning Trends Across America's Playground's Steakhouses

     Steakhouses are sprucing up their menus.  No longer is it acceptable just to have dry or wet aged beef.  Guests are demanding, and receiving, sustainably raised, grass-fed products prepared with upscale techniques like cold-smoking and sous vide.  TravelsinTaste found six steakhouse trends popping up in Las Vegas and spoke with some of the city’s top steakhouse chefs about them.

 

heritage The first? Natural grilling methods.  Top chef judge Tom Colicchio brought his passion for cooking with fire to the Strip with his Heritage Steak which focuses on meats prepared entirely over an open flame – from wood-burning ovens to charcoal grills. So who better than Anthony Zappola, his executive chef, to demonstrate this trend. Zappola explained, “The standard guest nowadays simply demands a quality, organic meal with outstanding taste. We deliver this through natural cooking methods, the original concept behind Heritage Steak. Our steaks are prepared over an open wood flame, rather than a gas grill that can add a dominant char to the meat. The wood-burning grill gives the beef a wonderfully unique roasted flavor and allows us to highlight the exceptional quality of our product.”

Next up? Sustainably raised and grass-fed beef products.  Michelin three-star, James Beard Award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has rewritten the steakhouse with his decidedly contemporary Jean Georges Steakhouse.  Executive Chef Robert Moore told us, “At Jean Georges Steakhouse we’re taking the next step in artisanal, small-farm sourcing by not only offering grass-fed and free-range beef, but now moving toward serving an all-natural product. The fats in these steaks are healthier and they won’t give you that ‘food hangover’ associated with hormone-injected meat. The beef we serve is not only what guests want, it’s what they should be eating.”[/entity]

Meanwhile Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse at the D Las Vegas transports guests back to the glory days of the classic Vegas steakhouse while meeting the modern day demand for sustainably prepared meat. Executive Chef Joe Parrino provided further details, “We’ve learned that food has a huge impact on both personal health and the environment, and as such, consumers are increasingly looking for greater transparency when it comes to where their food is coming from and how it was raised. At Andiamo, we only serve products of the highest quality that we are proud to serve. We’ve partnered with the nation’s top butchers to offer the finest meats including Pat LaFrieda and Stockyard Premium beef, all-natural Strauss® Lamb and Veal and premium free range chicken, all of which is raised sustainably on grass-fed, free-range and humane practices.”

At TENDER steak & seafood Executive Chef K.C. Fazel’s menu showcases sustainable, small farm and seasonally procured ingredients. Fazel expanded upon the trend, “I’ve seen a great rise in demand for grass-fed meats. Steaks that are grass-fed have lower fat content providing a healthy alternative to traditional beef and are more sustainable for our eco-conscious guests. For foodies, grass-fed meats deliver distinctive flavors as you can actually get a taste of the animal’s natural environment. At TENDER, we provide grass-fed beef selections from all over the world in addition to traditional beef so guests have the opportunity to experience a diversity of flavors.”

fix-steak-sizedNot all beef has to be the most exciting cut – chefs are now tenderizing less glamorous butcher’s cuts.  Brian Massie, Executive Chef of The Light Group explained what he is doing at FIX Restaurant & Bar.   “One trend that we’re experimenting with at FIX at Bellagio is taking what’s been traditionally regarded as less glamorous butcher’s cuts’ of beef – such as flat irons, hanger steaks and non-traditional sirloins – and using special techniques like cold-smoking, 24-hour brining, dry-rubbing and sous vide, to name a few, to create surprisingly tender, incredibly flavorful steaks. This has been a popular trend in other foodie cities for some time now and I’m excited to see Las Vegas embrace it, as it really allows a chef to showcase their skill.”

At Biscayne Steak, Sea & Wine Executive Chef Will VanDusen shared his thoughts with why on the bone is in again. “At Biscayne, we are including more ‘on-the-bone’ options to the menu such as our Dry Aged New York Strip. In addition to being more tender near the bone, leaving the bone in imparts flavor to the meat.”

The bigger, the better and who better to tell you about that then Barry S. Dakake, Executive Chef of N9NE Steakhouse, famous for its Chicago-style prime aged steak selections and frequent celebrity guests.  Dakake explains, “I feel that larger steak cuts have become popular since they offer great value and the comfort of sharing a family-style meal. Our brand new 48 ounce Tomahawk Steak has quickly become one of our most coveted dishes on the menu. It has a massive, over-the-top presentation because of its size.  As I slowly walk through the room to present it to the guest, everybody in the restaurant starts spinning their heads and we are suddenly inundated with a high demand of orders. Some of N9NE’s additional larger cuts include our 32 oz. bone in Prime Rib and our 22 oz. Porterhouse that melts in your mouth.”

primeLastly, special dietary menus are making their way the steakhouse.  At Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s other Vegas steakhouse, PRIME, Executive Chef Sean Griffin explained, “I’ve experienced a noticeable increase year after year in the amount of diners visiting our restaurant with special dietary restrictions and preferences. At PRIME, we feature exceptional vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menus. These menus are excellent because the dishes offered on them are well thought out by our chefs, rather than just being prepared as an afterthought. Because of this, we’re able to provide guests with particular dining preferences with just as enjoyable of a dining experience as someone visiting us for a mouth-watering steak.