The Stratosphere has begun daily lunch service in the Top of the World Restaurant and also started a happy hour in the Lounge located directly above the restaurant. Another addition is live entertainment in the Top of the World Lounge Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 9:30 p.m. and going until 12:30 a.m. on weekdays and 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The new lunch menu features large entree-style salads, an assortment of sandwiches as well as fresh seafood, prime rib and pasta dishes. Menu prices range from $6.75 to $12.75.

Happy hour which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the lounge is a package offering a combination discount Tower admission ticket and one drink for $7. The regular Tower admission price is $6. In addition, there is an appetizer menu featuring chicken fingers, shrimp cocktails and cheese platters.

The Top of the World Restaurant and Lounge is located more than 800 feet in the air on level 106 of the Stratosphere Tower. One thing many people don't realize is the daytime view of the city, while totally different than the nighttime sighting, is equally awesome.

Street of Dreams, a tour of nine luxury homes built by nine different home builders, has begun its six-week run through Oct. 29, in Henderson's exclusive Seven Hills area. The display homes this year range in value from $1.2 million to $2.9 million and in size from 4,400 to 7,700 square feet.

Tours are offered from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. , Sunday through Thursday, and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for seniors and children 4-12. For more information and directions, call 702-616-1819 or visit www.streetofdreams.com.

Street of Dreams conducts similar shows in 60 North American cities.

San Diego will be hosting a show Sept. 30-Nov. 5.

The third annual CineVegas International Film Festival will return to Las Vegas, Nov. 28-Dec.3, and be headquartered at Paris Las Vegas. Sixty to 70 films will be presented throughout the six-day event along with seminars and galas.

Tickets for CineVegas range from $7 for a Single Ticket Pass up to $500 for the V IP Pass. For more information about CineVegas 2000 call 702-477-7530 or go online at www.cine.vegas.com. Hotel, air and film festival ticket packages are available from Accommodations Express 1-800-468-7666.

Last Friday, six headliners were inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame at the Tropicana and recognized for their impact on the gaming and entertainment industries in Las Vegas. The acknowledged headliners were the Righteous Brothers, Smothers Brothers, DeCastro Sisters, Checkmates, Bob Anderson and master magician Lance Burton.

The Casino Legends Hall of Fame features the largest collection of Nevada gaming memorabilia. Hours are 8 am. - 9 p.m. daily and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. General admission is $4, and $3 for seniors, call 702-739-2222.

"Splash" at the Riviera will be closed from Dec. 10-24, to allow for work on the production's stage, sets, ice rink, lighting and the show itself. The dark period also gives the entire cast a well deserved two-week holiday. "Splash" can be seen twice nightly at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. For information, call 702-794-9433.

The delightful two-woman cabaret musical "Always_Patsy Cline" starring Sally Struthers has closed an extended run in the 600-seat showroom at the Silverton. Serious talks are continuing to try and relocate the show to a Strip resort.

Meanwhile, the Silverton will go back to a concert format with The Nelson on Oct. 31, and Chris LeDoux, Dec. 6-8.

This could be an interesting gathering. The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" Fan Club will be visiting Las Vegas to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary. The convention will be at Circus Circus, Oct. 13-14, and an anniversary party will take place at the Hard Rock.

The Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge will return to Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort, Oct. 20-24. It's one of golf's premier end-of-the-season events, bringing nine of the game's greatest professional players together to create a tour versus tour, men versus women, and young versus senior competition. The event will be taped on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and aired on Dec. 23 and 24, for an ABC Sports telecast. For information, call 1-800-564-1603.

Hip R-rated hypnotist, Frank Santos, will deliver his risque and reckless routines at the Riviera Comedy Club, Sept. 29 & 30, during late night 11:45 p.m. shows. Santos will induce his subjects into performing bizarre and hilarious stunts on stage at KXTE's XXXtreme Comedy Showcase. Tickets are $12 plus all applicable taxes and fees, call 702-794-9433.

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"Crazy Girls" at the Riviera celebrated its 13th anniversary this month. It is the sixth longest running show in Las Vegas. Originally it opened as "Crazy Girls - Fantasie de Paris" and later changed the name to "Crazy Girls" AKA "Las Vegas' Sexiest Topless Revue."

The show has garnered a lot of media attention over the years. One of the tabloids favorite stories was when comedian/emcee/singer Jahna Steele was voted "Las Vegas' Sexiest Showgirl" and discovered that she was born as a male named John Steele in San Antonio, Texas.

The famous "NO, IFs ands OR_" promotional campaign visually showing the girls from behind in a provocative pose became a lifecast bronze statue that is anchored to the front outside wall of the Riviera's Casino. Visitors discover this to be a photo op that they don't find back home.

Show times for "Crazy Girls" are 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. nightly except Mondays, with a midnight show on Saturday. Tickets are $19.25 plus tax with one drink included. Add $10 for VIP seating. For information, call 1-800-634-3420 or 702-794-9433.

There's no question that today's Las Vegas is associated with fine dining and world renowned chefs.

The Italian Trade Commission and the Regional Italian Government of Friuli-Venezia Giulia will host a benefit event "Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Through the Millennia," Oct. 31-Nov. 1, at the Valentino Restaurant at the Venetian.

The charity event will encompass two days of specialty food and wine tasting, featuring more than 100 wines, as well as showcasing many other Italian regional products including designer furniture, kitchen cabinetry and hand-crafted knives.

The general public can participate in activities from noon to 5 p.m. on Nov. 1. Tickets for the public tasting are $25 at the door the day of the event. Luigi Veronelli will conduct a food and wine tasting seminar at 3 p.m.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and "Bon Appetit" magazine's "Chefs of Aloha" program will make its Las Vegas debut at the MGM Grand in October. One of Hawaii's distinguished chefs will prepare Hawaii inspired dinners.

The planned five-course dinners will be held in Gatsby's intimate 86-seat restaurant on Oct. 2 and 3. Tickets for the "Chefs of Aloha" dinners are $90 per person including tax and gratuity, with wine pairing. Complementing the Hawaii theme, guests will receive a fresh orchid lei. For reservations, call 702-891-7300.

The March of Dimes will present their fundraiser, the third Star Chefs of Nevada on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Caesars Palace. There will be a cocktail reception, cuisine sampling, live auction and a fashion show featuring Escada fashions. Individual tickets for the event are $125, with tables for ten being $1,250.00. For more information, call 702-732-9257.

A couple from Yorkshire, England, Sally Giles and Carl Groves told their families they were going on holiday together to Spain. Instead, they eloped to Las Vegas for a quiet wedding at the Little Chapel of the Flowers. But low and behold, scouts from the food show "Emeril Live!" convinced the couple to share their special moment on television with 50 million subscribers who get the popular Food Network show. Emeril acted as best man and cooked the couple their first feast at The Venetian. The experience "Emeril's Quickie Wedding Party" can be observed on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 8 and 11 p.m. ET as part of Food Network's "Food Fest: Las Vegas" airing episodes Sept. 25-30.

For the fifth consecutive year, the superstars of World Championship Wresting (WFW) will step into the squared circle for Halloween Havoc 2000. The show will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. PDT on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, Oct. 29. For tickets, call TicketMaster at 702-474-4000.

It's not everyday that you want to see a building demolished, but in the case of the El Rancho at the north end of the Strip, it's a pleasure to see it being reduced to rubble. Turnberry Associates bought the property and they are building two high rise condominium complexes directly the old El Rancho. Getting rid of the eyesore is everyone's main concern.

Pachyderm lovers will want to check out the Elephant Castle museum in nearby Henderson at 650 W. Sunset Rd. It's a museum and gift shop of elephant collectibles in a gray-stone building the shape of a medieval castle. The owner Mitch Brown has more than 2,000 elephant-related items on display that she has collected over 40 years. They come in every form: porcelain, ceramic, wooden, metal, jewelry, furniture, stuffed animals, etc.

The Elephant Castle is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., call 702-566-7600 for information. The cost is free.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. has received the 2000 Leadership in Data Warehousing Award from the Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI) in recognition of its highly successful Total Rewards customer-loyalty program. It is the gaming industry's only nationwide customer-loyalty program with a database providing information on more than 19 million Harrah's customers.

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