With the opulence and reverent air of a lavish jewelry salon, award-winning pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury introduces the first truly European-style pastry shop to Las Vegas. Located within Bellagio's luxurious new Spa Tower, the Pâtisserie whets the imagination as much as the appetite, with an incredible selection of sweet and savory items including chocolates, cookies, cakes, crepes, salads, sandwiches and much more.

Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie has been a dream of Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Philippe Maury for years, and now he and designer Norwood Oliver present a multitude of gourmet delicacies in an equally delicious design setting. "Our approach was not to think that we were selling pastries," said Chef Maury of the design plan. "Rather, we approached the space as if we were selling exquisite jewelry. Pleasure in food is stimulated as much by visual appreciation as by our taste buds. It is imperative, however, that the quality of my creations live up to the expectations invited by the visual allure of the packaging. It must be superb!"

Working at TAO Las Vegas can be very surreal at times. In this beautiful building, some of the biggest names in the world pass through its doors each week. To give you a glimpse of a week in the life of TAO, I chose one of the most exciting and celeb filled weeks the club has seen yet, the week of the MAGIC/PROJECT fashion conventions and NBA All-Star Weekend. This was a week filled with big events and jam packed VIP sections filled with A-List stars ready to get their party on.

This is my 40th year and 5th decade writing about Las Vegas. During the entire span the city has been referred to as "the entertainment capital of the world." Making a rare drive along the famed Strip the other night, I started wondering it the phrase meant the same today as it did when it was first coined.

I don't think so.

The entertainment of the bygone Las Vegas was the entertainers, the names on all the hotel marquees that are virtually gone today. Names such as Frank, Sammy, Dean and Joey, or Anthony Newley, Juliet Prowse, Joel Grey, Shecky Greene or Johnny Carson. The headliners and co-headliners performed two-shows-a-night, seven-nights-a-week for two, three or sometimes four weeks at a time. They started exactly at 8PM and midnight with a dinner and drink show, respectively. There were lines weaving through the casino prior to the performance with your reservation guaranteed, but your seat location depended on the toke you gave the maitre d' or captain seating you. It was part of the Las Vegas excitement that old-timers miss.

Liza Minnelli celebrated her birthday in Vegas belatedly during a recent show at the Luxor and Vegas photographer Scott M Doctor was there to snap these photos.

HOME SWEET HOME

For a modest $700,000, you can own Lance Burton's former home of 20 years. The Spanish-style house includes almost an acre of land with a pool and gazebo, five bedrooms, four bathrooms and more than 3,500 square feet of living space with a view of Sunrise Mountain as pictured in photo above. The property was featured in the Sunday LA Times' Hot Property column by Ruth Ryon who began her celebrity real estate column in 1984, the same year Lance's former casa was built. Ruth visited with Lance at his new magic mansion before seeing his show at the Monte Carlo. His high tech castle in Henderson is complete with tributes to his profession including Houdini mural and a secret passageway.

Take a virtual panorama tour and look at photos of his home for sale or contact agent Dulcie Latorre directly before it disappears.

New York star chef David Burke's long-awaited eponymous restaurant has opened at The Venetian. His 'Modern American Cuisine' is showcased in a palace of presentation with playful architecture and design. Dig into these photos by top Vegas photographer Scott M Doctor to hold you over until you can make a reservation at David Burke.

Even though the show has been open for a few weeks, we as dancers, are always trying to better our routines. Under the direction of JJ Villar, we review all our dance numbers, make sure our spacing on stage is perfect, and change anything that needs to be changed to make the routine work.

While all of this is going on, the technical crew is also working hard to light our show so that production value is added. According to the tech crew, in order for the 'lighting to be perfect' they need to test it directly on our bare skin requiring us drop our pants quite often during rehearsal. Sometimes a little too often.

The 'X Show' was created in 2002 and since has developed a world-wide following. The X Girls did a tour of South America in Santiago, Chile and Bogotá and Cali, Columbia last year. The X Show has also performed across the US from Lake Tahoe, Cal., Ute Mountain, Col. to the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. They are scheduled to perform in Laughlin, Nev. in April and Lac du Flambeau, Wis. in August.

'X Burlesque' is now playing at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The Flamingo president, Don Marrandino, known as the man with the Midas touch, brought the sexy revue to the famed resort. "The X Girls are a talented group of gorgeous dancers and their new Burlesque project brings an energetic and sexy production to the resort."

Today we catch up with 'Queen of the Strip' Frank Marino, seen here with Mary Lou Retton, and the cast of his world-famous 'An Evening With La Cage' show that has been entertaining crowds on the Strip for more than 20 years. Frank was recently on Penn Gillette's new game show, 'Identity.'

Frank and friends sit down with PR Guru Wayne Bernath to talk about the show and how current events like Anna Nicole Smith's untimely death change the show.

FRANK'S NEW NEIGHBOR MOONWALKS
"My new neighbor next door is Michael Jackson. It's very strange that they have the `Queen of the Strip' and the `King of Pop' living on the same block. We have Michael Jackson's longest running impersonator Lane Lassiter who has been in the show since day one."

"I said, `You could come over and we could go next door and borrow a cup of sugar. If we get yelled at we will just moonwalk out of his yard.' The show is going strong in its 22nd year. The show is all brand new. I have a new monologue where I'm talking about Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell having arguments and I say, `Hey, let the best man win!'"

Rita Rudner will be around performing on the Strip for at least three more years after agreeing to an extension today from Harrah's Las Vegas. In a run that began six years ago, the actress, author and comedian has seen the Strip landscape drastically change and with her new deal, she should still be headlining nightly as City Center and Echelon Place open for business later this decade to join resort extensions Encore at Wynn and the Palazzo at the Venetian.

Rita's run has been so successful she should be selling her millionth ticket sometime next year and in the more immediate future, Harrah's will be adding a 6PM show in May and a special discount for locals. Rita is currently working on her fifth book, 'I Can't Believe I"m Filfthy' and LUXE LIFE readers may remember that it wasn't even a year ago when she released her book, 'Turning the Tables' and penned a guest column for LUXE LIFE.

Rita is always quick with the one-liners, even in the press release.

Let's just start with this: I love Las Vegas. For the past seven years I've been doing my goofy little one-man comedy show at Harrah's on the Strip. Before that I was on the road 220 days a year performing in comedy clubs and for Fortune 500 companies. Without Las Vegas, I'd still be doing that. And while I sometimes miss spending the afternoons sitting in my hotel room in my underwear watching sports and ordering room service, I much prefer seeing my wife and daughter every day.

Also, because I'm not the only person who is acquainted with the charms Vegas has to offer, all of my friends come here, a lot. And when they visit, what we like to do is eat. In fact, the only job I've ever had besides magician was as a chef at a place called 610 Magnolia, which, at the time, was the nicest restaurant in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

If I suddenly lost my right hand and couldn't be a magician any more, I'd go right back to being a chef. Actually, if I lost my hand I reckon I'd have a pretty hard time being a chef as well.

Even though it was only in mid February during her own birthday celebration, it seems like it has been forever since the last time LUXE LIFE had this many Paris Hilton Vegas sightings in one night.

Paris was in Vegas with her rumored flame, Josh Henderson from 'Desperate Housewives,' and sister Nicky Hilton to celebrate several birthday parties, including that of Nicky's beaufriend, David Katzenberg. The group took in the World Extreme Cagefighting championship at The Joint at the Hard Rock where they ran into Vegas power couple UFC fighter Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson, who has been fighting her own battle against critics lately about her divorce-related weight loss.

Night two of Hugh Hefner's Vegas birthday bash was HQ'd at the Playboy Club and Moon Nightclub atop the Fantasy Tower at the Palms where Hef and his 'Girl Next Door' girlfriends held court after dinner at N9NE Steakhouse.

Holly, Bridget and Kendra stood on the furniture to toast Hef while Holly looked ravishing in her party dress and Kendra got a DJ lesson from DJ R.O.B. earlier and then rocked the turntables at the party. Even Paris Hilton and her sister Nicky Hilton stopped by to wish Hef a happy birthday.

Other party stars included Edward Norton, Jeff Ross, Joel McHale, Jeff Garcia, David Copperfield, Stephan Lessard, Jon Lovitz, Baywatchers David Hasselhoff and Donna D'Errico.

The lines to get in the club were massive until 4AM.

The 'Do Not Disturb' signs at the Palms will be very much in use tonight and tomorrow morning as the festivities for day three of Hef's birthday celebration center around a Playmate Sleepover at the Palms.

THE STARS NEXT DOOR

During Hugh Hefner's birthday weekend here in Vegas, his 'Girls Next Door' girlfriends received their Brenden Celebrity Star. Presenting Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson with the honor was movieplex mogul Johnny Brenden at his Brenden Theatres inside the Palms.

The lovely ladies join Hef, Shaq, Toni Braxton, CineVegas chair and legendary actor Dennis Hopper and Cuba Gooding, Jr. just to name to name a few who have also received their Brenden Celebrity Star honors in Vegas. Click here to see more photos of the ceremony from Scott M. Doctor.