The Cosmopolitan will unleash Vegas' next big culinary blitz - and bring a renewed focus on local palates

Jaleo's arroz mediterraneo paella, with porcini mushrooms, mixed vegetables, olives and thyme

We got our first taste of the upscale food phenom on the Strip with the opening of the Bellagio in 1998. We got another taste when Steve Wynn tried to up his culinary cred with Wynn Las Vegas in 2005, and again when his rival Sheldon Adelson opened the Palazzo.

The Healthy Baby Bundle by LaVanila Laboratories, $42
For: Your adorable new niece/nephew/cousin/godchild/foundling (and the accompanying parents who will appreciate the gesture)
Why: They'll be so delighted you remembered to get a gift for their little darling that you may be spared babysitting duty for the next few months.
Where: Sephora in the Meadows Mall, 870-9182; Miracle Mile in Planet Hollywood, 737-0550; Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian, 735-3896; Town Square, 361-3727

Skull cardholder wallet, $35
For: Your husband, whose wallet bulge you can spot even from where you're sitting, even though he's in the kitchen making himself a BLT.

Few structures still stand tall in Southern Nevada after 75 years -- and fewer that do still leave you in awe. But standing on the Hoover Dam, it's still inspiring to peer over the edge into the river far below your feet.

To most of us, November means a big turkey, loud relatives and deathlike, tryptophan-induced slumbers in the easy chair. However, it's also Native American Heritage Month.

Last November, I was plotting a path through CityCenter and all its scrumptious treasures. My first visit to the Strip's latest restaurant wonderland found me at Julian Serrano, and the food was so good, I got stuck.

Many of Southern Nevada's cultural institutions have roots in the historic Mesquite Club, the women's organization that does much more than afternoon tea
Nearly 100 years ago, a group of Las Vegas women gathered for tea. The city hasn't been the same since.