Hold' Em and Fold'Em
By Maria Pilar Clark
If it’s September, then it’s time for tortillas in Las Vegas, where the Tortilla Industry Association and its members will participate in programs and seminars detailing how to hold ‘em, fold ‘em … and sell ‘em.
Las Vegas hasn’t earned the nicknames “America’s Playground” and “Sin City” for being the goody two shoes capital of the world. Exuding inimitable appeal, Vegas draws visitors like bees to a honey pot with its glitzy gambling and nightlife scene, extravagant entertainment, belt-busting buffets and, of course, the hunka’ hunka’ burnin’ love himself: Elvis.
As the most flamboyant destination this side of the gaming table, Vegas is the ultimate location to celebrate a job well done. As such, the Tortilla Industry Association will hold its 17th Annual TIA Convention Sept. 15-17 at the storied Riviera Hotel and Casino, located on the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, aka, the Strip.
Known as one of the glittering stars of the Strip, the Riviera benefits from a past of legendary proportions as one of the first top-notch hotels in Vegas, famous for its entertainment headliners and outstanding hospitality. The hotel celebrated its golden anniversary just last year, making it one of the city’s most historic retreats, hearkening back to the Rat Pack era, while taking advantage of all the modern conveniences technology has to offer.
Investments on a multimillion dollar scale, including room remodeling and a convention facility face-life, put the Riviera neck-and-neck with some of the world’s mega-resorts. Stay in one of four towers — The Monaco, The Monte Carlo, The Mediterranean or The San Remo — and prepare for the hustle and bustle of more than 100,000 sq. ft. of gaming action, boasting Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Slots, mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker and Spanish or Caribbean 21. The Riviera’s Race and Sports Book, one of the most famous on the Strip, also offers sports fans a chance to play as hard as they work.
Located smack dab in the heart of the city center, the Riviera is a convenient 15-minute drive from the McCarran International Airport. Visit www.rivierahotel.com for more information.
There’s No Business Like Show Business
Nowhere else in the world can you walk down the street and encounter Caesars Palace in full raucous swing, a 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower and swashbuckling pirates — and that’s just on one block! Strolling down the Vegas Strip is an adventure in and of itself, with entertainment of gargantuan proportions awaiting visitors behind each ostentatiously decorated hotel door.
However, no visit to Vegas is complete without taking in a show, and with the many options the entertainment capital has to offer, there is most definitely something for every taste and budget, be it a showgirl revue, magicians, hypnotists or the infamous Elvis impersonators.
Celine Dion tops the list of internationally acclaimed stars who hang their hats in Vegas. She headlines at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Cirque du Soleil is a Vegas institution and offers four breathtaking shows.
Long for the soft crooning of Old Blue Eyes? Reclaim that Rat Pack feeling when singer-songwriter Clint Holmes takes the stage at Harrah’s.
If you’re in the mood for a Broadway hit, try “Mamma Mia!” at Mandalay Bay, and rock out to music by Swedish ‘70s super-group ABBA.
Posh Nosh
With all of the upscale culinary choices Vegas now has to offer, it’s no longer necessary to let out the waist in your pants or carve another notch in your belt post-dining … that is, of course, unless you want to.
Vegas has undergone a food renaissance in recent years, going beyond its typical all-you-can-eat-and-then-some buffets. While those are still beloved favorites, gourmands of all shapes and sizes can enjoy white tablecloth cuisine in swanky hot-spot dining destinations.
Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at Caesars Palace catapulted Vegas into the culinary limelight in 1992.
Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino can’t be beat when it comes to celeb-watching.
Go straight to the Golden Gate for a Vegas eating experience standby, the classic 99-cent shrimp cocktail.
Try the Plaza’s Center Stage for a traditional down home Vegas classic: a nice juicy steak and potatoes. TIA