The person who sent in this email actually started the job for us by trawling through Norm Clarke's column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and compiling a list of the most celebrity-frequented eateries. But in usual QoD style, we decided to take it a step further and we went through every one of the columns from last year (thanks, Norm!), making a note of which celebs. were seen in which restaurant, nightclub, or ultralounge. It took three of us a couple of days to get through all the legwork (jeez, do any normal people even come to Vegas anymore?) From former Presidents to porn stars, athletes to actresses, it seems you can't move for tripping over a starlet, socialite, or bona fide celebrity these days. The place is literally awash with footballers, rappers, politicians, magicians, comedians, models, fighters, singers, thespians, and Hiltons.
If you're planning a celebrity safari, our research yielded several very clear winners in terms of the most promising locations for spotting a live one. As far as eateries go, N9NE absolutely takes the biscuit for star-gazing: Over the course of 2006, the Palms' steakhouse fed the likes of Andre Agassi (regularly), Kid Rock, Dan Marino, Jenny McCarthy, O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman (another regular, but then where in Vegas wasn't he – read on), Vanilla Ice, Suge Knight, Gary Busey, Marg Helgenberger, Lil Jon, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Lindsay Lohan, Jon Voight, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Maria Sharapova, Rod Stewart, Carson Palmer, and Andy Roddick.
The Mirage's STACK is another fave with the celeb. crowd – Norm's informers spotted everyone from Leonard Nimoy to Jack Osborne, Leonardo diCaprio to Lindsay Lohan, and Bill Clinton to Nas during the course of '06. Red Rock's Terra Rossa fed the likes of George Clooney, Sting, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, and Cindy Crawford. FIX at Bellagio was favored by Mark Wahlberg, Laurence Fishburne, the Killers, Pete Sampras, Pamela Anderson, Kate Hudson, Toni Braxton, Kid Rock, and Kathy Griffin, among many others.
Other top possibilities for rubbing shoulders with wining and dining stars include the Rainbow Bar and Grill, the restaurant at Tao (Venetian), Mix (THEhotel), Nobu (Hard Rock), Piero's (a favorite since the Rat Pack days), Spago (Forum Shops, and also recently voted the "Best Place for a Power Lunch" in Las Vegas Life's annual Epicurean Awards), and Joe's Stone Crab (ditto: where there's shopping, there's star-spotting potential). TI's Social House is also a major star magnet (see the list for PURE and you'll get a good idea of who shows up there for a late-night snack).
Club-wise, it's no surprise that PURE, credited with revolutionizing the Las Vegas club scene, was the party venue of choice for: Paris & Nicky Hilton (who practically pay rent there), Stevie Wonder, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tyra Banks, Lance Armstrong, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, Terrell Owens, Charles Barkley, Warren Sapp, Chuck Liddell, Donovan McNabb, Cindy Crawford, Dolph Lundgren, Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley, Tiki Barber, Dennis Rodman, Dave Navarro, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Macaulay Culkin, Fergie, KORN, Tom Brady, Nicole Richie [and that was just January thru March...deep breath...here comes the rest of the year...], Matt Leinart, Nelly Furtado, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Nickelback, Hoobastank, Andre Agassi, Magic Johnson, Toni Braxton, Edward Norton, Tara Reid, Britney Spears, Toby Keith, Cindy Margolis, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lennox Lewis, Dennis Hopper, Ashlee Simpson, Celine Dion, Vivica Fox, Carmen Elektra, Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx, Nick Lachey, Prince, Nicole Richie, Criss Angel, Vince Neil, David Copperfield, Carrot Top, Whoopi Goldberg, Ivanka Trump, Topher Grace, Tito Ortiz, Gene Simmons, Jenna Jameson, Shannon Elizabeth, Mariah Carey, Quincy Jones, Mike Tyson, Enrique Iglesias, Mark McGrath, and Tommy Lee. And did we mention
