My friends and I are flying out to Sin City in a month and need you to settle a small bet we have: I say it is against the law to have open alcohol containers in the vehicle and in public places such as on the Strip and downtown; my friends all say you can have open containers anywhere within city limits, even inside of a moving vehicle! Can you please tell us how the REAL law(s) read, and settle this bet once and for all?

I see the term "corkage fee" on several of the restaurants info pages. What is this, and what does it apply to?

My wife is addicted to Diet Coke, to the point where we have to plan our trips around which casinos serve Coke products or someplace close to a "quickie mart" where she can buy Coke products. Why does it appear that Vegas is such a Pepsi-dominated town, and just for fun what volume (compared to a small ocean) of Coke or Pepsi is consumed in Vegas in a year?

In the Fast Track section of the January Advisor, there was a short blurb about a new controversy involving the IRS, the casinos, and the Culinary union. Can you explain the background of the tip-reporting deal that the blurb referred to? Thanks.

Regarding the Peppermill Lounge in Las Vegas, the land that it occupies must be worth a brazillion dollars -- that's more than a quadrillion. How can this ultracool retro hang afford to stay there? Who owns it?

Since trivia is so popular do any of the clubs around town have trivia clubs?

Please tell me it is not true that Circus Circus Steak House has canceled its fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch. I WILL be heartbroken if it is true.

A large group of us (15) are meeting in Vegas and want to have dinner at an old-school Rat Pack-style Italian restaurant with large tables, great spaghetti, and killer martinis. Suggestions?

I’ve heard that the new Brand Steakhouse at the Monte Carlo is offering a deal where if you can eat 120 oz of steak with fixings, the meal is on them. Has anyone tried or even finished this meal? Also, are there any other hotels/restaurants that offer ’deals’ like this?

Given the number of quality and celebrity kitchens in Las Vegas, what hands-on cooking classes are available for those of us not interested in a culinary career?