Luxe Life Blog

Strip Scribbles: Jay-Z shows up for late-night meal at Tao

Posted July 30, 2009 • 12:34 p.m.

Jay-Z in concert at The Pearl in the Palms.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Just as Tao in The Venetian was about to close after midnight this morning, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z made a surprise appearance and confirmed that he’s here for the weekend to watch and support his wife Beyonce’s four concerts at the Encore Theatre.

A male friend and a bodyguard joined Jay-Z, and the three men secluded themselves in Tao’s private dining room where they ate satay bass and yellowtail jalapeno. They also shared more than a dozen of the specialty sushi hand rolls featuring albacore, avocado, scallions, tobiko and spicy ponzu wrapped in soy paper.

An urgent phone call interrupted their meal before they had finished, so the gracious group asked for the food to be packed up. They apologized for leaving so quickly but thanked the managers and servers for the great food and service.

*Rumors in the nightclub and strip joint business that an alleged police sting operation at Sapphire Men’s Club triggered the closure of The Rio’s topless Sapphire Pool. The exotic dancers from Sapphire were supposedly encouraged to go to The Rio pool in exchange for voiding the fee they would have to pay each night for dancing at the club.

Rumblings surfaced alleging that vice squad detectives nabbed some 30 dancers at the strip club. I’m reliably told that there will be charges of drug use and sales along with illegal escort services! Las Vegas police notified The Rio of the investigation about the girls and without blame, Rio execs decided to close down the pool and avoid any problems.

*I’m hearing buzz that the box office boom Holly Madison has generated for Peepshow at Planet Hollywood will have producers announcing her contract renewal soon. Peepshow celebrities are signed to 90-day deals, and Holly would be the first to be renewed. She’s also celebrating the go-ahead for her reality show pilot on E!, which will film here next month. Execs are toying with the titles Girls Night Out and Blondetourage, which will feature best girlfriend Laura Croft. Holly also is returning to The Girls Next Door for four appearances this season, and her friend Carrot Top will be at Peepshow tonight.

*British TV personality Piers Morgan, who judges America’s Got Talent and the British counterpart, is bringing his cameras to town for two weeks of filming for other British specials. The travelogue here will be titled Piers Morgan on Las Vegas. His earlier episodes filmed in Monte Carlo and Dubai were top-rated hits. His producers and advance team just wrapped up a weeklong visit scouting locations and booking segments and then return soon to block out the two-week August shoot. Click HERE to check out Piers’ Dubai episode. Downloading will take awhile because it’s the entire TV special, but Piers gives you the full story of that desert kingdom that make ours look tiny and poor by comparison. It’s mindboggling!

*Pop princess Britney Spears is just one celebrity who raves about Blizzberry Frozen Yoghurt. Blizzberry has become all the rage in Hollywood, and we get left out in the cold! That’s all changed because Palms mogul George Maloof has opened the first Blizzberry in Las Vegas at his casino resort. Denise Truscello was on hand for opening day. The store is a business venture for Beverly Hills, Calif., plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Nassif, who has been featured on E!’s Dr. 90210.

Star surveillance

Dancing With the Stars beauty Melissa Rycroft returned to the Palazzo’s First Food & Bar for a second time during her Las Vegas vacation -- no dancing, but a whole lotta eating, according to my spywitness. Her group dined on chicken parmesan garlic knots, tortilla soup and salmon filet. They topped it off with chef Sammy D’s spike o’donuts. … Fellow DWTS alumnus Holly Madison was nearby in Lavo with friends. Wearing a pink Peepshow T-shirt, jean skirt, tube socks and Chuck Taylor’s, Holly sipped vodka cocktails while chatting and taking photos with fans. She watched as her cast mates jumped on top of the banquettes and performed several sexy dances. … Hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy hosted a party for Puma at Blush in the Wynn. The legendary urban music master sipped Dom Perignon and got on the mic to hype up the crowd that included Junior Seau of the New England Patriots.

Tonight’s tips

The pleasure-packed weekend kicks off early with a variety of entertainment options. Superstar Beyonce kicks off four nights at the Encore Theatre. … Rodney Carrington starts a run of humor and songs at MGM’s Hollywood Theater through Aug. 12. … Toad the Wet Sprocket is performing in a free poolside concert at The Rio’s VooDoo Beach. Toad, whose hits include “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean,” disbanded in 1998 and reunited in May. … Adult film star Tera Patrick returns to Tao to celebrate her birthday in sexy style. … Actress Mirtha Michelle hosts at Lavo with a Latin night titled “Seduxion.” … And Reel Big Fish with One Pin Short plus English Beat and the Supervillains make it a music powerhouse at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

Tomorrow’s teases

We’ve got all the secrets and details of the doubly dangerous tricks and death-defying stunts that Mindfreak magician Criss Angel has in store for Season 5’s A&E episodes, plus an intimate look at Jubilee! as it celebrates its 28th anniversary as the Strip’s longest-running topless spectacular. … It’s a superstar music weekend with Motley Crue, Rod Stewart and Jonas Brothers, while comedy kings Jay leno and Jerry Seinfeld duke it out in a laugh fest.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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