Oh, it’s ON.

Wrassler Bill Goldberg had dinner with the UFC’s Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last night at Ago inside the Hard Rock Hotel. With Hulk Hogan floating around the premises somewhere, this threatens to make the hotel the battleground for an impromptu Wrestlemania. All we’re saying is if you’re walking around the casino and you see Roddy Piper with a steel folding chair, turn around and walk the other way.

By Jason Scavone

Still trying to live down The Honeymooners

Bring it On’s Gabrielle Union and 10 friends, including CSI: NY actor Hill Harper ran the show at Tao inside The Venetian Friday night, starting out with dinner before retiring to the club for Patron and Grey Goose. Also in the club was Floyd Mayweather Jr. So, you had the Pretty Boy there with Union, who worked on Ugly Betty. If they could’ve landed one of the contestants from Average Joe it would’ve been perfect.

Also, Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was seen dining at Ago inside the Hard Rock Hotel Friday, and spent some time schmoozing with fans.

By Jason Scavone

Young Vito Corleone-approved.

Ago at Hard Rock Hotel is introducing Ago After Dark on Fridays and Saturdays starting tomorrow night. The event will feature music from Jeremy Cornwell and, for the first few weeks, open bar and hors d’oeuvres starting at 10 p.m. on the poolside terrace. And no, before you ask, it’s not going to be anything like Cinemax After Dark.

By Jason Scavone

FACT: DJ Lindsey demands the Dodgers move back to Brooklyn.

Tonight on the Ago patio at Hard Rock Hotel, New York City’s DJ Lindsey takes a break from being surrounded by surly Mets fans to spin for Kilowatt.

She’ll be joined by Kilowatt residents the Martinez Bros. at 9 p.m. for a no-cover extravaganza, which, it has been proven via science is the best kind of extravaganza.

By Jason Scavone

(Photos by Erik Kabik)

Last night’s grand opening of AGO, the first new restaurant to open in the Hard Rock Hotel in five years, was a rousing success, drawing celebrities, local media, major industry players and other invited guests to the location formerly housing Simon Restaurant & Bar.

Chef Agostino Sciandri (the restaurant’s namesake), AGO co-owner Robert De Niro, motocross racer Carey Hart and former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson were just a few of the recognizable faces on hand for the invite-only reception that was more a celebration of the two month-old restaurant’s success than its opening. Hard Rock Hotel President and COO Randy Kwasnieski and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa (who has his own namesake eatery in the Hard Rock) turned out to help Sciandri and De Niro celebrate the latest location of AGO, which launched in Los Angeles and now has restaurants in Miami and New York.

And if the plentiful sampling of entrees and desserts available last night were any indication, the restaurant’s menu lives up to its hype. From the rich and tangy mushroom risotto to the melt-in-your-mouth spinach ravioli, the culinary offerings were thoroughly enjoyable. Even AGO’s gnocchi – a dish too often found dense or rubbery – was surprisingly good, with just the right amount of savory texture. Click for more words and pictures »

By Pj Perez

There was a running joke in 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen about the “soft” opening versus the grand opening of The Bank casino, which prompted Carl Reiner’s salty old man Saul Bloom to declare, “When they opened The Flamingo, one day it was closed, the next it was open. End of story.”

With that in mind, AGO, the new, upscale Italian joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel, is finally holding a grand opening reception next Monday, March 3, from 7 to 10 p.m. Of course, AGO has been open since New Year’s weekend, serving its acclaimed cuisine to the likes of Flavor Flav, Vince Neil and Tera Patrick.

But that was just the soft opening, of course. Monday’s bash will see executive chef partner and namesake Agostino Sciandri and partner Robert De Niro turn out to officially give their blessing to the first new restaurant to open in the Hard Rock in five years. Of course, this is an invite-only event, but we’ll try to save you some leftovers so you don’t miss out.

By Pj Perez

(Left photo courtesy Hard Rock Hotel. Right photo by Hew Burney | SpyOnVegas.com)

If you were at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night, you probably couldn’t throw a poker chip without hitting a celebrity. Actor/DJ/professional clubber Danny Masterson — or DJ MomJeans or whatever the hell he is calling himself these days — stopped by Body English for the weekly Smashtime event, where he joined a table with E!’s Sal Masekela and DJ Clinton Sparks. Sparks and Masterson kicked it after Sparks’ set, discussing turntablism and some house party at which the pair played in Miami back in the day.

MTV DJs D-Wrek and D-Nice — in town for the Pink Taco grand re-opening party on Friday — also stopped by Smashtime to check out Sparks’ work on the turntables.

AGO restaurant continued putting celeb-drawing spices in its Italian food, pulling in Tera Patrick and husband Evan Seinfeld for dinner Saturday, while rapper E-40 wandered the casino, giving the roulette wheel a shot. Click for more words and pictures »

By Pj Perez

(Photos courtesy Hard Rock Hotel)

Looks like the Hard Rock Hotel hasn’t lost any of its draw as a prime spot for celebrities to dine and party. New York Yankee Jason Giambi celebrated his birthday at the property, starting with dinner at the newly-opened AGO and finishing up inside Body English later that night.

Hip-hop luminaries Flavor Flav and DMC also enjoyed AGO’s offerings before joining Chuck D and DJ Johnny “Juice” Rosado inside Body English for a launch party celebrating their new digital music content project, Beyond.fm. Flavor Flav and Chuck D (of Public Enemy) joined DMC (of Run-DMC) for an unannounced, 20-minute performance, the first time all three have performed together on stage.

Want to see more pictures? Of course you do. Click for more words and pictures »

By Pj Perez

AGO, the new Italian trattoria at the Hard Rock Hotel, isn’t holding its grand opening until February, but curious foodies can get in on the restaurant’s authentic Tuscan-style fare just before the new year when it opens — softly, of course — on Dec. 30.

The elegant dining experience launched in West Hollywood in 1998 when executive chef Agostino Sciandri partnered with Hollywood illuminati Robert De Niro, Bob and Harvey Weinstein and Tony and Ridley Scott. Ralph Gentile, whose design vision recently created Bliss inside the W Hotel in Westwood, Calif., designed the Las Vegas location of AGO.

A sleek and welcoming lounge affords diners unique cocktails and food selections from the bar menu. The intimate dining area includes the Cava, a room designed to create the feeling of an underground wine cave. You know, so you can fulfill your fantasy of eating dinner in the Batcave.

Sergio Santoro, who trained at the Los Angeles location, is the Las Vegas AGO’s executive chef and sommelier Emilio Marchionne directs the trattoria’s extensive wine selection. Cave and all.

By Pj Perez