During this year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, Papi Steak, a steakhouse in Fontainebleau that charges $1,000 for a tomahawk steak served in a rhinestone suitcase, is charging 28 times that amount to sit trackside at its popup inside the official F1 garage.

A three-day trackside ticket, unlimited food and drink, and a VIP entrance to the paddock area behind the pit lane—where race teams put up their garages, hospitality suites, and operational bases—are all included in the package, which made its debut with the event in 2023.

The Poodle Room, a private club located 67 storeys above the Fontainebleau, is also open to Papi popup patrons for the first time this year.

You can buy tickets by sending an email to [email protected].  After two days of warmup races and activities, the Las Vegas Grand Prix this year will take place on November 22.

The ICE marketplace

Citing "fear and uncertainty at its highest level ever among the immigrant community in Las Vegas" over possible US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, a well-liked neighborhood spot for Latin American street cuisine closed indefinitely on June 21.

According to census data from 2024, 41% of Las Vegas' Latino population resides in North Las Vegas, the nearby area where Broadacres Marketplace and its more than 1,000 vendors have been operating since 1977.

“We don’t want any of our customers, vendors, or employees to be detained at our business or for us to be a beacon of shopping and entertainment while our federal government is raiding businesses and detaining its people,” Broadacres announced on its Instagram account.

Broadacres described the closure as temporary but did not provide a projected date of reopening.

Getting His Phil Off-Strip

The Netflix culinary series "Somebody Feed Phil," which stars Phil Rosenthal, the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond," finally debuted its first episode in Las Vegas after just eight seasons.  Phil, however, avoids the Strip completely, with the exception of one eatery.

Phil dines at Ferguson's Downtown, Big Dan Shanxi Taste in Chinatown, Milpa Mexican restaurant in Spring Valley, Esther's Kitchen and Good Pie in the Arts District, and Gritz Café in West Las Vegas, where he had dinner with Donny Osmond, star of Harrah's

His one and only Strip liaison was a supper at Don's Prime steakhouse in Fontainebleau with his longtime comedy pals and sitcom co-stars Brad Garrett and Ray Romano.

I would also want to thank Vital Vegas for his thorough play-by-play analysis.  (There are still "The Pitt" episodes for us to catch up on!)

Ins and Outs of Dining

Early next year, Paris Las Vegas will welcome Salt & Straw, the kooky-flavored ice cream shop that is growing in Portland, Oregon.  Another branch is set to debut this fall at the Flamingo between Gordon Ramsay Burger and the retail area that was previously occupied by Margaritaville, as we revealed last month.

Former STK at the Cosmopolitan chef Ricardo Romo has started his second restaurant in Las Vegas.  12656 Southern Highlands Parkway is the address of Tuscan Cove Bar & Patio.  Roma Kitchen, which made its debut in the same off-Strip suburb last September, comes after this opening.