The Party They Call “High Society”

So, here’s a place you should probably never visit when you’re high.  “High Society” inside the NOVE Italiano Restaurant is way up on the 51st floor of The Palms Resort in Las Vegas.  This is a Sunday afternoon dayclub where you can drink and feast to the music of the DJ and relax with friends while checking out the view of the entire Las Vegas valley.

Executive Chef Geno Bernardo has created an awesome spread of delectables for you to enjoy.  It is a buffet of little breakfast items, sandwiches, pizzas, lox, cheeses, fresh fruit, pastries, cakes and desserts.  There are also numerous hot breakfast type dishes. A chef stands at his Fratatta station offering to cook up omlettes and other egg dishes to your order.  I sampled as many of the dishes as I could get into me yesterday and they were all awesome!

The décor  in this place is bordering on the bizarre, but all in a very charming sort of way.  The women  wear leotards and brightly colored tutus, and the men are in bowler hats, vested suits and little ties. Throughout the place there are decorated cakes sitting in the oddest places, like on top of candelabras, with cupcakes in the candle holders or on tables off of the buffet area.  There are lit candles up and down the walls and all over the place. Tulle is strung here and there to add a touch more color.  It really puts you in the mind of Alice in Wonderland in a way and its all very fun.

The main dining area of the restaurant isn’t all at that large, so make sure you make your reservations ahead of time.  The booths are large and very comfy and surround the long tables of tasty dishes.

You can go just to hang out at the bar if you like.  You don’t have to go there to dine.  The diners get a wrist band, but others just go in to drink and hang out and enjoy the music with their friends.

The main focus of “High Society” is service.  I have never had such great servers in any restaurant, regardless of the amount of stars they were claiming.  It got to the point where I forced myself to quit looking at the staff because every time I did they were right there at the table asking to help me.  Instead of trying to get your waiter’s attention, you try to not get your waiter’s attention.  I don’t know how many people waited on us for the couple hours we were in there but it must have been ten of them.  Every time they passed by they offered something, either help, clean silverware, a frozen cheesecake lollypop, a shot of liquor, they just kept coming.

I think they should have called this place “Roman Orgy” and not “High Society.”  Really, the amazing food was a collection of treasures and I didn’t even want to leave.  There were so many dishes I wanted to try and I kept going even after I was full.  I was disappointed that I never got to the pizza my friend was raving about all through our meal, but there is only so much room in my stomach.  I had fried potatoes, lox, bagels, the best Eggs Benedict I have ever had, slices of salami, all kinds of sauces, cheeses, salads, oh, I just can’t remember it all.

And then it was time for dessert.  There is such an array of gorgeous little desserts and cakes.  I picked a few and then I was so far on overload I just had to stop.  I had to admit defeat.  I stopped eating.

The other thing they are real big on in this Sunday afternoon only dayclub is fun.  And that would be Fun with a capital F.  Oh, they encourage fun!

There is a pretty girl dancing next to the buffet at all times.  They trade off now and then.  They are cute, they are fun and are just having a blast up there dancing around.  These are not the emaciated stripper types you see elsewhere in casinos and clubs.  These are fun, healthy looking girls just having a great time.  They were the only employees I could safely look at because I knew that dancer wasn’t going to come running over to help me if I looked, like the rest of them did.

There is only one complaint I have about High Society and that is the music.  It is the latest and greatest techno beat.  And I can’t stand techno beat.  It is so loud that it is impossible to have any type of conversation with anyone.  You have to shout into each other’s ear and use a lot of pointing and sign language.  I guess I’m just old.  I like to be able to talk over the music without yelling.  I don’t think it is the over fifty crowd they are looking for, though.  The under thirty types in there were having an absolute blast.

High Society has a dress code.  Sneakers and beachwear isn’t allowed.  While jeans are okay, you do need to dress for the place.  This is intended to be your nightclub during the day where you can feast and prepare to go party all night.  It is your fun place on an otherwise boring Sunday afternoon.

While my friend and I were waiting for the valet to bring back our car, a young couple from San Diego  recognized our dining room bracelet and struck up a conversation.  They thought High Society was just the best.  I mentioned my dislike of the music, but he said they loved it.  He said his wife was dancing on the tables the entire time they were in there.  She claimed she wasn’t on the table.  He raved about the food and the whole experience, as we did.  His only questions was, “Is it a party?  Is it a buffet?  Is it both?” His wife didn’t say much, probably from all that not dancing on the tabletops and sat quietly with her floating collection of helium balloons.

There are many reasons you wouldn’t want to be high in this dayclub.  First of all, everything around you is pretty trippy and I’m afraid either you’d be convinced you have actually landed in a fairytale and freak or you’d be laughing so hard as you discovered things like cakes on candlesticks that you just wouldn’t be able to function.  Then, if you survive that, there is the endless supply of incredible food and drinks.  You’d awake after a few hours later face down in a tiramisu pudding.  And if that didn’t happen, you’d pass out looking out the window at the view.  You can see the entire Las Vegas valley from that 51st floor of The Palms Resort from three different directions.  I got some incredible photos.  So, save the spleef for later, this is an experience you’re going to want to remember.

High Society starts at 1 p.m. every Sunday at Nove Italiano inside Palms Casino Resort. The dayclub menu is $30 per person. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Admission is free and table reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, VIP tables and bottle reservations, visit novelasvegas.com or call 702.942.6800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              702.942.6800      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

CORRECTION:  The dress code is actually “anything goes,” so feel free to come right in from the pool or as you are.