Glass o’ pumpkin.

If we had leaves here, their turning would be a sure sign that the vast, far-reaching empumpkining of America was under way. Realizing that pumpkin pie, while a delicious fall treat, was in no way enough to serve the pumpkin-craving masses, some sort of shadowy pro-pumpkin consortium has taken to our coffees, our gnocchi, nay, our very way of life with pumpkin spiced variants on favorite foods just in time for cooler weather.

It’s even gone all the way to our booze.

BOA Steakhouse’s Harvest Moon ducks the pie-in-a-glass approach to other pumpkin cocktails, cutting the heavy spice with a bright dose of citrus to make it surprisingly light for a drink that involves fresh whipped cream. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

God, Spielberg used to pull the hottest tail.

Steven Spielberg was at BOA Steakhouse in the Forum Shops Friday night with a group that included his wife and son, to celebrate his son’s birthday. They got a Marilyn Monroe impersonator to sing “Happy Birthday,” presumably for his son’s JFK-themed party complete with Back and to the Left Sheet Cake.

If we were Steven Spielberg, there’s no question you could ask us that wouldn’t end with us screaming “AND I MADE JAWS!” It seems like the kind of thing people should know. And that we’d never let them forget. The fact that he doesn’t either shows remarkable restraint or a startling lack of self-esteem.

By Jason Scavone

High heels. Women love wearing them. Men love watching women wear them. Well, maybe everyone can get their fix at BOA Steakhouse inside the Forum Shops at Caesars with the restaurant’s Red High Heel, a sweet concoction featuring Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman’s favorite liquid, Bombay Sapphire gin.

The Red High Heel combines 1-1/2 ounces of the gin with one ounce of simply syrup, half a lime juiced, one counce of Champagne and one ounce of rose water. Toss all those ingredients into a shaker, pour into a Champagne flute and garnish with fresh raspberries and a lemon twist. Holding elected office not required to enjoy.

By Pj Perez

What a difference three years makes. Just ask Eric Smith, who has recently been promoted to manager and mixologist at the award-winning BOA Steakhouse inside the Forum Shops at Caesars.

When he joined the Innovative Dining Group restaurant in 2005, it was as a food runner. But under the tutleage of Chef de Cuisine Jose Aleman, Smith learned and perfected BOA’s commitment to quality products and customer service. He was promoted to head bartender and has designed a number of specialty cocktails for the restaurant with skills garnered from Master Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim.

Smith will now be responsible for continuing the development of libations at BOA and overseeing all of the restaurant’s operations.

By Pj Perez

Well, they’ve already won awards for their cuisine, so it might come as no surprise that two of Innovative Dining Group’s Las Vegas restaurants, Sushi Roku and BOA Steakhouse, have now been honored for their aesthetics as well.

The two popular eateries won citations in the “Interior Environment” category in the Nevada chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ “Excellence in Design” awards program.

Both restaurants feature cutting-edge design by YWS Architects, including Roku’s Asian-inspired, minimalist decor and BOA’s steel-and-glass, modern surroundings. Located on the third level of the Forum Shops at Caesars, the conjoined locations both afford spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip.

By Pj Perez