Cupcakery delivers presidential pastry

Las Vegas cupcake shop owner Pamela Jenkins never had a rush order - or a rush - like this.

Jenkins was at her home Tuesday in the Scotch 80s with her 5-month-old baby when the phone rang. An aide to Mayor Carolyn Goodman was calling with a request for six patriotic-themed cupcakes for President Barack Obama.

"I just about dropped the phone," said Jenkins, owner of The Cupcakery.

Her pastry chef - Ricardo Gudino - at the Lake Mead location, one of Jenkins' three shops, rushed into top-priority mode, making two red velvet, two vanilla and two chocolate cupcakes, each featuring images of the first family.

Asked whether Michelle Obama might prefer the president avoid pastry, Jenkins said, "Yeah, we knocked him off the sweet wagon."

Jenkins said it was sweet of the mayor to think of The Cupcakery.

"It's the ultimate, ultimate, ultimate compliment to have a president taste your cupcakes."

LAMB, KNAPP DOING BOOK

Former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb and KLAS-TV, Channel 8 investigative reporter George Knapp are co-authoring a book about the legendary lawman's colorful career.

They had planned to make the announcement Tuesday in front of a capacity crowd at the Clark County Library Theater on East Flamingo Road, but Lamb hurt his hip earlier in the day. The injury happened when Lamb, who turns 86 in April, stumbled going into a doctor's office.

Knapp said Lamb, who is played by Dennis Quaid in the CBS drama "Vegas," has been approached about a book and movie projects for years but declined because he's "always been an intensely private man, not at all fond of attention."

Knapp added, "The stuff he told me about working for Howard Hughes could be a book by itself."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

I asked Faith Hill during a roundtable interview at The Venetian the other day whether she ever wore a disguise. A trip to Disneyland in a black wig turned into a nightmare, she said. "It was so hot. I was absolutely dying, and so all the pictures of the kids and Tim (McGraw) and I ... I'm sitting there (thinking) 'just please get me out of here.' "

SIGHTINGS

Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady as a child on "The Brady Bunch" from 1969--1974, spotted having breakfast Tuesday at Society Café in Encore.

THE PUNCH LINE

"A fan is suing the San Antonio Spurs because at the game he attended, the star players were benched. Meanwhile in L.A., a fan is suing the Lakers because at the game he attended, the star players played." - Conan O'Brien

Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke. "Norm Clarke's Vegas," airs Thursdays on the "Morning Blend" on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.