Pretty sure he celebrates his birthday by doing extra curls. (Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Carrot Top and friends were in at Simon inside Palms Place last night to celebrate The Top’s 45th birthday. Do you think there’s pressure in trying to come up with a birthday gift for Carrot Top that leaves you combing through the bargain bin at a Toys R Us with a roll of duct tape in one hand and a stuffed monkey in the other? We’re pretty sure we’d be in a wide-eyed panic the night before, like when science projects involving chicken wire and papier-mache were due at school.

Meanwhile, over at Tao, David Spade was back in his familiar haunt for dinner with friends. A lot less pressure involved in hanging with Spade. You toss off two or three snarky observations about Spencer Pratt and you’re good.

By Jason Scavone

In our head, Chefdance would totally involve legwarmers. (Photo by Joe Fury)

The Three 6 Mafia joined Z-Trip Friday night to hit the stage at Rain for Revolution after dinner at Nove Italiano. And while that’s mildly notable, what’s kind of awesome is that Nove’s Chef Geno Bernardo, along with Kerry Simon, cooked for more than 200 VIPs at Chefdance, the big culinary event at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Simon’s Palm Place joint and Nove were the only two Vegas restaurants represented. Also, Chefdance would be a fantastic sequel to that 1983 Jennifer Beals movie.

Upstairs at Ghostbar, hoops broadcaster Malik Rose and two friends had drinks before going down to check out Three 6. Oakland Brad “At least I’m not JaMarcus Russell” Gradkowski and five friends were at Moon.

Vanity at the Hard Rock Hotel went the sports route, with Carl Lewis and Bryan Clay. We assume Lewis wasn’t allowed on the microphone. The Cowboys’ Patrick Crayton, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice were also in, trying to figure out how they could be the only team in the NFL to get rolled so badly by the Vikings without so much as one classic Brett Favre game-losing pick in the playoffs.

By Jason Scavone

(Photos by Edison Graff)

Maroon 5 played through the New Year with a flurry of balloons at midnight — making this the most fun anyone’s ever had at a Maroon 5 concert — during their end-of-2009 show at The Pearl inside the Palms. Kirsten Dunst and Jason Segel joined the countdown. You don’t want to know what Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s nakedest dude Segel did for “One!”

Dunst popped up again at Simon inside Palms Place for her New Year’s Day lunch (American Idol winner Kris Allen and wife, Katy, were there for dinner). Dunst was at Rain Friday to hear Z-Trip spin where she was dancing with a girlfriend. Spider-Man, we assume, was busy fighting the Green Goblin. Earlier in the evening, though, she was at Love inside The Mirage with her boyfriend drinking Patron on the rocks while a wheelchair-bound Dame Elizabeth Taylor was watching the same show.

Maroon 5′s Adam Levine had dinner with Segel Saturday night at N9NE Steakhouse, and must’ve out-lasted the shot-blasting Levine, because he was seen at 4 a.m. upstairs at the Playboy Club rolling solo. We have no idea how that went for him. Is it harder to pick up girls after the world has seen your dong? Only Jason Segel and Harvey Keitel know for sure.

By Jason Scavone

We can’t promise he won’t be wearing the wig. (Photo by Denise Truscello)

Fresh off the Puscifer tour, Maynard James Keenan is back in Vegas for a bottle signing of his wines from Caduceus Cellars, Merkin Vineyard and Arizona Stronghold Wednesday at the Town Square Whole Foods from 5 to 8 p.m.

First, though, Simon at Palms Place is doing a wine pairing dinner tonight with Stronghold’s Tazi, Mangus and Nachise, plus Merkin’s Chupacabra. The 7 p.m. dinner is $85 and includes a $20 gift card to Whole Foods, plus line-cutting privileges at the signing on Wednesday.

Chef Kerry Simon even donned overalls for the Puscifer show when he brought cotton candy out on stage for the band. That’s how you know you’ve arrived: When you can talk people into getting into costume to bring you food. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to persuade our minions to put on slutty Mrs. Claus outfits and deliver us candy canes and egg nog. All in the spirit of the season, of course. (First step: Finding minions. Applications now being accepted.)

By Jason Scavone

This is what Shaq sees when he looks at photos of himself and Kobe. (Photo by Ana Dobrijevic)

Shaq and Oscar De La Hoya were filming at Simon for a show Shaq is doing for ABC called Shaq Vs.. Presumably this is going to be about Shaquille O’Neal taking on reasonably mundane jobs, because he went back to the kitchen with Kerry Simon to make a burger. It would be a lot better if it was Shaq vs. Kerry Simon in one-on-one. Or even better, things we’d actually like to see Shaq take on. Like Shaq vs. A Horse. (In free throws. We like the horse.) Or Shaq vs. Batman. (In crime fighting. We like Shaq.) Or Shaq vs. Giant Robots. (Actually, we all win in that one.)

Yesterday at Simon, Joe “Let’s not rush into this burying-my-son thing” Jackson had brunch. Holly Madison was there, too, as was Benji Madden.

By Jason Scavone

Churchill fought the Nazis so one day England could be a world player in the reality TV game. (Photo by Denise Truscello)

Brit singer Peter Andre and wife Katie Price (known by her nom de model, Jordan) had dinner at Simon inside Palms Place last night. They’re filming the sixth season of their reality show Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter Stateside, doing shots at the restaurant and in a sky villa at the Fantasy Tower.

Katie & Peter is a big hit in the United Kingdom, so it’s a good thing they’re over here to get some rare reality TV footage in these here United States. We should send Omarosa to go crash their show wearing an Uncle Sam hat and a shirt that says “Courtesy of the U.S. of A.” Just to remind the Brits who’s boss. We don’t want them getting cocky and trying to pull any of that War of 1812 crap again.

By Jason Scavone

Michael Phelps does love him some surgery-related jewelry. (Photo by Alex Loc Thieu)

Jewelry line Skeletal Metal — which fashions rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets based on reconstructive plates used to mend broken bones — holds its launch party just in time to cash in on maximum Halloween-induced creepiness tonight at Simon at Palms Place.

Swimmer Michael Phelps will be at the pool-side restaurant, as will UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, gold-winning Olympic swimmer Eric Vendt, volleyball silver medalists Stacy Sykora and Nicole Davis, soccer player Abby Wambach, beach volleyball’s Nicole Branagh and volleyball gold medalist Rich Lambourne along with Reed Johnson of the Chicago Cubs, Skeletal Metal founder Dr. Michael Crovetti, and partners Marty Cordova, formerly of the Minnesota Twins and Anthony Bonifazio.

If you’re lucky, maybe Phelps will break a bone just for you, so you can get your very own unique piece of jewelry. Ask him nicely — we’re sure it’ll be fine.

By Jason Scavone

You know, they kind of DO make bath time so much fun. (Photos by Melissa Reese | SpyOnVegas.com)

Last night’s second installment of Quack! at the Palms Place pool outside of Simon saw not just the addition of thousands of rubber ducks to the water, but DJ Samantha Ronson, fresh off her jewelry-shopping spree, spinning for the crowd.

Chuck Liddell was among the cabana set, as were Palms restaurateur Kerry Simon and co-owner George Maloof. The idea of Liddell hanging out amid all the rubber ducks is pretty solid, but we’re really holding out hope he’ll hit up a Chuck E. Cheese for the ball crawl. SpyOnVegas.com caught all the action here.

By Jason Scavone

(Photo by Melissa Reese | SpyOnVegas.com)

And that’s when Gerardo finally learned how to identify where boobs go.

By Jason Scavone

FACT: Samantha Ronson’s favorite duck is Dewey.

Rubber ducky is the one again tonight at Simon inside Palms Place. The restaurant kicks things off with happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. before Quack! starts up from 8 to midnight with a pool chock full of ducks bearing fabulous waterfowl-approved prizes outside of the restaurant. Samantha Ronson DJs. We can only pray “Disco Duck” makes an appearance. (Seriously, if you ever doubted how truly awful the ’70s were; or what the tragic consequences of abundant cocaine use were for the music industry, do yourself a favor and suffer through three minutes of sweaty Rick Dees.) Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone