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

I don’t know if the bosses forgot to pay the heating bill or what, but we’re freezing up in here. Like snowflakes. Hmm, snowflakes … Hey! Doesn’t Trevi — the Italian joint inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace — offer some sort of tasty, winterish cocktail? Let’s ask Nick Catanella, managing partner and general manager of the restaurant.

“The Snowflake Martini is a popular signature cocktail filled with great flavor,” Catanella says. “The martini is topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato. You won’t find a tastier or fresher gelato anywhere.  We model our methods of gelato-making after the ‘gelato artisans’ in Florence, Italy.”

Wow, sounds fancy. So how’s this libation assembled? Looks like you take a martini glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar, pour in 1-1/2 ounces Tuaca and 1-1/2 ounces French Vanilla Kahlua and top that baby with a scoop of gelato. Now put on a parka and enjoy.

By Pj Perez