Everything needs to have bacon built into it.

Theyr’e the sliders that gave Kerry Simon his Iron Chef victory over Cat Cora, which means KGB Chef Adrian Mora was under just a little bit of pressure to replicate them at Simon’s burger restaurant inside Harrah’s.

“We have to mock it. People are coming here expecting to see what won Iron Chef,” Mora said. “They want to know what was so good that beat out a really good Iron Chef, Cat Cora. We have to synch with that, and we have to carry on his name. We’ve seen (the episode) four or five times.”

The sliders call for KGB’s ground beef, made with Kobe trimmings. Applewood bacon is sauteed in and chopped and added to the beef with sauteed onions and shiitake mushrooms. For good measure, they pour in and cook out dark beer. Finally, a little cheddar is melted on top and it goes on buns from their bake shop. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

In Soviet Russia, cocktail drinks you.

Oh, America. We won the Cold War so damn hard we took the idea of the very place where ruthless, stony faced Soviet bureaucrats plotted the demise of capitalism and turned it into a cocktail even your little sister can drink.

Take that Brezhnev.

The Red Square at KGB inside of Harrrah’s is a mix of Stoli vanilla, Khalua and almond liqueur, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass with a maraschino cherry resting at the bottom. It’s perfect for people who don’t like whiskey but still want to pass off like they’re drinking a Manhattan. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Wait, what the hell was going on behind the Iron Curtain, anyway?

Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers — Kerry Simon’s new joint coming to Harrah’s in July — is taking the KGB theme to heart. By which we mean you could be carted off to a gulag at any moment by strangers.

Actually, the restaurant will feature a vodka hostess who can specialize in burger/vodka pairings. It’ll also be decorated in Soviet-era propaganda posters. Because nothing stokes the appetite quite like having Stalin looming over you while you eat. BURGERS FOR THE MOTHERLAND. Actually, if they were serious about doing a Soviet-themed place, wouldn’t it be a winding, six-hour breadline with nothing at the end?

By Jason Scavone

Welcome to the Dollyhouse. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Maria Menounos, the Access Hollywood host so hot she should be called Greek Fire (This can be a thing, right? Come on, work with us to make this a thing. We spent 20 minutes thinking that up. Ohgodwe’resoalone.) hopped on stage with Legends in Concert at Harrah’s for her “Maria’s Madcap Adventures” series this weekend.

She did “9 to 5″ for the Access cameras, which will air today on channel 3, KVBC at 12:30 p.m. She also got to perform with the New Kids on the Block, for which we assume she dressed like Danny.

By Jason Scavone

Wait, wrong kind of fair.

Well, the job fair anyway. Harrah’s is hiring 500 people — 125 full-time and 375 part-time. They’re holding a job fair until 3 p.m. today at the Rio. Finally, you’ll be able to once again pay your rent like a big boy. Just don’t get greedy and start dreaming of cable. You just be content to torrent Treme like the rest of us. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Does that mean Hillary Clinton is going to join the show to do her Amy Poehler impression, too?

So, last night on The Tonight Show, Sarah Palin made her stand-up debut. It’s twice the disaster you think it’s going to be, but it was still funnier than Jay Leno. ZIIII-I-I-I-I-I-IIIII-I-I-NG! Oh, take that Leno, and your seemingly indestructible audience with an insatiable appetite for unthreatening comedy and your practically incalculable fortune.

Among her myriad and sundry bon mots (skip to about the 6 minute mark), she said “I picked up a gig in Las Vegas at the Legends show — playing Tina Fey.”

A spokeswoman for Harrah’s says Palin is welcome to get on stage with Legends in Concert any time to do her Fey. Representatives for Fey responded, “What? Why are you bothering us? No you can’t have pictures of Tina Fey in just her glasses and a bustier.” In retrospect, our request for comment may have been a little specific.

Legends right now features a Jay Leno impersonator, so last night’s Tonight appearance gave us a a long, hard look at the show’s upcoming April lineup. As soon as a Kevin Eubanks impersonator can be located. Although even Tyler Perry and Martin Lawrence have rejected the role as being “too humiliating.”

Still, this feels like Palin is foregoing a prime opportunity by not actually taking the gig. Politically, she’s missing out on the chance to align with Mayor Goodman in a strong anti-Obama stance. He’d make a damn fine running mate in ’12. But more important, she’s robbing us of the endless parade of the moose jokes that have been so sorely missing from the Strip since Siegfried and Roy’s tragically well-intentioned-but-nightmare-of-just-hooves-and-antlers-and-oh-God-the-stomping-the-endless-stomping Tribute to Saskatoon show.

By Jason Scavone

It was the P-Ho’s crushing debt that killed MJ. (Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Harrah’s completes its Jay Leno-ing of Planet Hollywood Resorts tonight at midnight, taking over management of the former Aladdin after buying up its debt, while working on the plan to take over outright ownership. This gives Harrah’s almost all of the east side of center Strip from the P-Ho to their namesake casino.

We’re not sure if this is part of some nefarious Old West land grab where the railroad pays off a bunch of Apache to go terrorize a small town and then grab their homesteads at a reduced price, but they’re getting it just in time to lock in the properties that face about half of the Las Vegas Monorail, which just filed for bankruptcy. It’s a shame, too, because that’s the thing that put Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook on the map. Monorail!

By Jason Scavone

The best of the booze-juggling best. (Photos by Scott Harrison | Retna)

The U.S. Flair Open wrapped at Harrah’s Carnival Court last night with Argentinian Rodrigo Delpech taking home a big $10,000 check that they really should have made him juggle if he wanted to keep it. Delpech is currently the No. 1 ranked bartender on the Flair Bartender Association’s Pro Tour Leaderboard. This brings the list of “professional leaderboards we didn’t know existed before this week” up to three, after the Jello, Mud and Oil Wrestling Association of America and the Slip ‘n’ Slide Hot Doggers Federation of the World.

By Jason Scavone

Oh no! We wanted that Martini stirred! (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

For the alcoholic on the go, there’s nothing worse than the flair bartender. Unless you hear the words, “But we’re all out of bourbon.” To parahprase Dave Attell: Flair bartending is for when you want to get a little drunk, but you also want juggling.

This, of course, does nothing to stop crowds of people from gathering around flair bartenders to watch them take their entire range of ingredients on a little vodka Tilt-a-Whirl every time some unsuspecting tourist orders a Cosmo.

The U.S. Flair Open is going on at Harrah’s Carnival Court through tomorrow, where one rum-flinger will net $10,000 for the top prize. Competitors include Paul Nguyen of Caesars’ Shadow Bar and local Chris Parker, plus bartenders from as exotic and far-flung places as Argentina and Reno. You can go watch the qualifiers today at 12:30 p.m. at Carnival Court or hold out for the finals tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

By Jason Scavone

Why a bear? Because why not a bear, that’s why.

Mac King celebrated his millionth audience member yesterday by giving Pearl Lee of New Paltz, N.Y., a prize package that included a two-night stay at Harrah’s, dinner for two at The Range, a spa treatment at Harrah’s, the Mac King Magic in a Minute kit, and a meet-and-greet.

You wouldn’t think they could do a spa entirely in plaid for the promo, but you’d be wrong. That’s something you could probably live with if you close your eyes, but it really is a problem when they ditch the Enya for their soundtrack and put on bagpipe music.

By Jason Scavone