Girlie show singer spices up food fest

Sometimes it takes a woman from a topless show to beef up a food fest. Well, to be honest, this weekend's Vegas Uncork'd was already an interesting, four-day study of people who make food constantly and people who talk food religiously.

But Stephanie Jordan, the singer from Luxor's "Fantasy" girlie show, kicked it up a notch at Saturday's chef-off between her and John O'Hurley, the King Arthur from "Spamalot."

Jordan told me she challenged O'Hurley to a little I'll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours.

O'Hurley declined but repeatedly showed his legs to the male judges. In response, Jordan kicked her legs up waaay high and faux-flashed the judges, since she kept her T-shirt on.

Surprisingly, Jordan told me she hasn't taken a single night off from "Fantasy" since Mother's Day 2007. That means the Vegas native has sung at the 90-minute show seven nights a week, 360-something straight days. If her voice ever tires and falters, it would be no biggie, she said:

"When you're in front of women who are topless, they aren't listening to you anyway."

O'Hurley and his chef (Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta restaurant at Wynn) beat Jordan and her chef (Carlos Buscaglia, the executive chef at MGM's Fiamma Trattoria & Bar). I asked Jordan how it felt to lose to King Arthur.

"Not good. But my show is still open," she snarked.

Ouch. Wynn closes O'Hurley's "Spamalot" in July to make room for song man Danny Gans. O'Hurley said he'll take some time off then, host "Family Feud" and return to Broadway for "Spamalot" there.

"We were sold out last night," he said. "But we bequeath it to Danny."

Recently, John Cleese told me he would perform the pre-recorded "Voice of God" for other Vegas productions, as he did for "Spamalot": "I'll do it anytime. It's $5,000 a year. It's not a fortune to be God."

O'Hurley was surprised at Cleese's lowball figure.

"You'd think God would hold out for more money," O'Hurley said.

Throughout the weekend, I asked chefs who the "mister in the room" was. A running answer was Joel Robuchon. He was named "Chef of the Century" by the French restaurant guide Gault Millau. Some chefs were awed just seeing him.

The George Clooney of Uncork'd was probably Jason Lewis. He played Samantha's final lover in "Sex & the City." He made it into the finals of a chef-centric, midnight-blackjack tournament at the Hard Rock Friday, and women swarmed and swooned for photos.

"I just noticed who you are," a razzle-dazzled woman swooned. "I'm freakin' out. I'm freakin'! Out!"

Lewis was easygoing with fans, but he genuinely didn't seem to be into stargazers. He totally refused to tell me anything about the upcoming "Sex & the City" movie.

"I just plead the Fifth," he said.

Lewis didn't stick around for the whole weekend. He flew to San Francisco to hand out Media Awards for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination.

"You can write this," he said, launching into a passionate argument against discrimination. "Why in the world does anybody care what anybody else does?"

And the most hyped-up chef was Rick Moonen, who said very quickly it was a blast cooking on "Oprah" the other day:

"I went there to re-create two sloppy Joes. It's as if I flew to Chicago to make peanut butter and jelly for the queen."

CHER CASE

Tonight is a media night for Cher, so expect a whole new slate of Cher press in the next few days, topped by a review in Thursday's Review-Journal by the authority, Mike Weatherford.

IN VEGASLAND

Right now on my news and photo blog VegasLand at reviewjournal.com: "Transformers" director Michael Bay plays with Hawaiian Tropic pageant contestants; Everclear's Art Alexakis sings to Hawaiian Tropic girls; Jason Lewis of "Sex & the City" talks skiing; chef Todd English teaches a food class or something; and John O'Hurley gets cooking with girlie show singer Stephanie Jordan.

Doug Elfman's column appears on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 702-383-0391 or e-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He also blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.