R.I.P., House of Lords; Boyd’s best asset; Poll party

My missus and I were going to make a farewell visit to the Sahara‘s charming fine-dining spot on Sunday. However, our reservation has been canceled because House of Lords will be closing a day early. The reason? They’re running out of food and won’t have enough to last the weekend. So this is how the Sahara ends … not with a bang but an empty fridge.

My man Al. Former Coast Resorts mascot and The Orleans icon Big Al hasn’t been seen in these parts for quite some time. Once a familiar sight on local TV commercials, the lovable green-felt gator used to be depicted running through farm fields and sailing the high seas of Lake Mead, in search of good buffet fodder. But the casino industry got a little too slick for Big Al and he was banished from view either before or during the absorption of Coast into Boyd Gaming. Like Coast CEO Michael Gaughan, Big Al just didn’t fit into that new, publicly traded world.

And then … there was suddenly a Big Al sighting last night at the Orleans, where my main man helped promote the eponymous new comedy club. (I’m showing a lot of forehead there, aren’t I?) Meeting the best mascot not named the Philly Phanatic was definitely the high point of the evening and my single favorite “red carpet” moment in 12 years here. (Yes, I do get out much. Why do you ask?) They mix a good Bloody Mary at the club but service is slow and desultory (and understaffed). Five comedians were two too many, making for an exhaustively long program, and to say that the opener bombed would be putting it most diplomatically. But the room is cozy and the decor looks spiffy. They just need to screen the talent a little more carefully. If it’s local standup comedians Boyd wants, how about Gabriel Gentile, salty and southern-fried Deanne Grace or Joe Hynes‘ “Thoughts of the Amish Man,” which recently played the Sahara? (Hynes’ postmortem: “Final show. It went great! Plus some nice parting gifts, a gold camel, AND a partition! PLUS, only 2 people contracted HEP B from the carpet, WINNING!“) You’ll thank me later, Orleans.

Poll party. If you haven’t already done so, please vote in our “Best Pools of Las Vegas” poll, which closes May 17. I can’t disclose the current front-runner but, if its narrow lead holds up, its identity may surprise you. As of this writing Aliante Station‘s pool has twice as many votes as Aria‘s, while nary a ballot has been cast in favor of Trump International or the notorious Vdara pool. The “Death Ray” might have something to do with that.

Uh-huh. According to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a poolside concert will be held tonight by Fugees fugitive Lauryn Hill. Some of us still remember this incident at The Rio. If concertgoers are lucky, perhaps Ms. Hill will emerge/arrive/whatever and sing by sunup tomorrow. Booking this gig was a dice throw, so did the Cosmo have tempt Fate twice over by scheduling for Friday the 13th?

“Twitter Wars.” I saw that term and UFC President Dana White‘s name in the same sentence on the LVA home page and thought, “Oh no!” Dana White + social media = a blitzkrieg of obscenities, right? Wrong. The Fertitta Brothers‘ ringmaster (octagonmaster?) is simply encouraging his gladiators to Tweet early, often and creatively, with cash rewards at stake. If only the R-J did the same for its reporters. Especially the cash part.