A half-score and several six-packs ago, a troupe of dancers brought forth on this continent a new production, conceived in sexiness, and dedicated to the proposition that all women deserve to have a night to themselves, surrounded by hard-bodied men from Australia. That production, Thunder From Down Under (“Aussies Forever”), celebrates its 10th anniversary in Las Vegas this month, and if the reactions from the audience are any indication, the relationship between the talented Aussies and the women of America is anything but civil.
It’s long been standard for men to come to Vegas and spend a bachelors’ weekend among scantily clad women at any number of gentlemen’s clubs. But women were always relegated to the sidelines—that is, until shows like Thunder gave women an outlet to scream at, cheer and even touch the kind of men they had previously only dreamed about. And so it is that Thunder has lasted a decade on the Strip, with no end in sight. Cheers to the guys. Here’s to many more.
Another import, from across a completely different pond, is the new Gordon Ramsay Steak (“Working for Perfection”), the Hell’s Kitchen chef’s first-ever Las Vegas restaurant. It’s been a long time coming, and you can tell that the second you step into the modern Euro-styled restaurant. People clearly love Ramsay. Critics do, too, and the restaurant has earned rave reviews for its beef Wellington, fish and chips (certainly a first for the Strip at $44) and sticky toffee pudding.
Beyond that, there are other fun touches: a cocktail list referred to as the Perfect 10, composed mostly of handcrafted gin-based drinks; some to-die-for sides (a superlative mac and cheese, creamy potato purée, Irish colcannon); and a bread basket—seemingly a trivial part of the meal—the envy of most steakhouses.
Rumors are swirling that another Ramsay outlet will open here in the near future. To that, we say, “Bring it on!”
