Kimo’s Vegas

Prince Harry in Nevada. Nick Stern photo from Kimo Akane

WELCOME TO Kimo’s Vegas … the Player’s Edge!

BORN TO BE WILD … Prince Harry, third in line to the throne of England, rented a Harley in Arizona and rode it all the way to Vegas. The royal knows how to roll and checked into the Wynn, then checked out Tryst (nightclub) and played a little blackjack. The Captain of Wales went unnoticed (make that unbothered) for a while, but succumbed to the inevitable outing and subsequent swarm of Vegas barracudas, who were quickly shooed away by his security team.

A ROSE by any other name … It’s no secret that Las Vegas Hilton was in the market for a new name once its agreement with the Hilton expired. On January 1, the hotel will adopt the acronym LVH, as in Las Vegas Hotel …

THE HOTEL HAD been considering new names since Hilton Worldwide said that, as of Jan. 1, its franchise agreement with Colony Resorts LVH Acquisitions LLC, owner and operator of the hotel, would be terminated.

THE FLAMINGO is upgrading its offerings with renovated modern décor rooms that feature upgraded pillow-top beds, plush linens and 32-inch plasma TVs … Just ask for a FAB room after Jan. 1.

SEVEN OUT … Studio 54 nightclub. After 14 years, MGM Grand announced the closing of Las Vegas’ first megaclub Jan. 8.

THE CHEFS at Jean Philippe Pâtisserie used 50 pounds of chocolate and 112 pounds of fondant to bring the 6-foot-tall Grinch from Mount Crumpit. Look for the (mean) one who stole Christmas tip-toeing across the patisserie … and the chocolates are good, too.

BARMASA, CUT, Estiatorio Milos, Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, L’Atetier de Joel Robuchon, La Cirque, Michael Mina, Picasso, Twist those are the Top 10 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas in alphabetical order, according to the hardcore critics of Eating Las Vegas. John Curtas, Max Jacobson and Al Mancini have published the second Eating Las Vegas: Top 50. The top 10 will put a small kine ding on your AMEX, but the cool thing about the list is there’s something for every palate and pocketbook.

MASSACHUSETTS IS the latest state to roll the dice in casino-ramma. The high-stakes game is where governments strapped for funds legalize Las Vegasstyle casino gaming in hope of increased revenues. The price to play is a deposit of $85 million and a promise to invest $500 million in the project in addition to a 25 percent tax.

PALEONTOLOGISTS ANNOUNCED the discovery of 190-million-yearold dinosaur tracks in Red Rock Canyon right outside Las Vegas. The exact location of the trail has not been revealed … Hopefully we’ll be able to visit the site in less time than it took to discover it.

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