Maybe most of Hollywood’s attention was on the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles this weekend, where the 80th Academy Awards were held on Sunday night, but there was still plenty of action 280 miles to the northeast in Las Vegas, and as always, a good chunk was at the Palms Casino Resort.

Things kicked off in the House that Maloof Built on Friday night when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had dinner at N9NE Steakhouse with a group of 10 men, including teammates and high rollers. The Super Bowl winning athlete, after declining a round of shots from a neighboring table, enjoyed calamari and oysters followed by a petit filet and vodka with Red Bull. After dinner, Roethlisberger and his crew moved the party to Moon nightclub, where they kicked it at a VIP table on the dance floor. Saturday night, Roethlisberger, along with four pals and two bodyguards, placed some serious bets at a reserved blackjack table – as much as $8,000.

Roethlisberger wasn’t the only NFLer at N9NE on Friday — Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer and his wife joined another couple to enjoy a tasting menu specially prepared by Chef Barry that included scallops, steak and a dessert platter, all accompanied by Champagne and a few bottles of red wine.

Also enjoying dinner at the Palms Friday was rapper Ja Rule, dining with five friends on a terrace table overlooking the Strip at Nove Italiano. Ja Rule’s had a busy few weeks in Vegas, including an appearance at Moon on Thursday, the Starlight Tattoo opening last Saturday and at Body English inside the Hard Rock Hotel Friday night, where Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum also partied it up. Sorum and Ja Rule also had tables near each other at Tao nightclub inside the Venetian on Thursday. Seriously, has Ja Rule duplicated himself, or does he travel by transporter beam?

New York Jets center Nick Mangold and a group of five buddies partied at ghostbar inside the Palms Saturday night, enjoying the view of the Strip from a window-side booth. After getting all they could out of ghostbar, the crew – including John Thomas, Mangold’s manager — went up to Moon to keep things going with Grey Goose and sugar-free Red Bull.

Sunday night’s “Double Your Pleasure” promotion drew music lovers and former New Jersey Net Clifford Ralph Robinson to two of N9NE Group’s clubs atop the Palms’ Fantasy Tower. Felix da Housecat rocked the turntables at Moon starting about 1 a.m., nearly finishing off two bottles of Monte Alban Mezcal throughout the night – worms included. His set lasted nearly three hours, and as an encore, he threw on a remix of “Mr. Brightside” by homegrown heroes The Killers. Meanwhile, Philadelphia-spawned King Britt entertained the scenesters downstairs at Playboy Club, throwing down his distinctive plate of house grooves while being visited by fellow turntablists such as part-time Vegas resident DJ 88.

By Pj Perez

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