Pure rolls up red carpet for Salahis

Faced with unprecedented media interest, Pure nightclub has canceled Saturday's red carpet event for the so-called White House party crashers.

That yanked the rug from under the media horde that wanted to cover Tareq and Michaele Salahi's first stint as Las Vegas celebrity hosts.

Pure spokesman Michael Gilmartin said the red carpet area was going to be so overcrowded that it would create 11:30 p.m. gridlock as the Caesars Palace hot spot was opening the doors.

"It came down to logistics" and "a crazy amount of media requests," said Gilmartin. Extra security isn't planned, he said, "because our normal standards are very high."

Pure wasn't able to accommodate the media mob that wanted to chronicle the Salahis' visit to Las Vegas' largest nightclub, which holds 2,500.

Photos of the aspiring reality show stars will be distributed by the nightclub, Gilmartin said. Celebrity and political media from coast to coast requested access, he added.

The Salahis reportedly crashed the November state dinner to get the attention of the producers of "The Real Housewives of D.C."

MANILOW'S SNEAK PREVIEW

Barry Manilow will headline the Keep Memory Alive gala on Feb. 27, six days before he opens his new show at Paris Las Vegas.

The fundraiser will be held at Bellagio, with proceeds going to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.

Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Keller will hold court in the kitchen, with Steve Schirripa of "The Sopranos" and comedian Brad Garrett joining auctioneer Christian Kolberg and celebrity blogger Robin Leach, co-hosts of the live auction.

Landing Manilow was a coup, said Leach, who lines up talent and handles publicity for the event. The timing was perfect: The former Hilton headliner is releasing his new album, "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," on Jan. 29. Manilow will unveil several songs from the album during an appearance Tuesday on the QVC shopping cable channel via satellite feed from Paris Las Vegas, starting at 6 p.m.

FOOD FRIENDS

Wynn Las Vegas chef Paul Bartolotta joins late-night host Jimmy Kimmel tonight, the result of a budding friendship between the two foodies.

They met about six years ago, shortly after the opening of WLV, when the ABC funnyman brought a large group of friends into Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare.

Kimmel returned in December when he was a guest on "Live with Regis & Kelly" during the show's two days of taping at the Wynn.

Kimmel found Bartolotta's 8-year-old daughter, Giulia, so charming that he invited her to join his table. During Bartolotta's animated fish presentation, Kimmel popped the question, "Why haven't I had you on my show?"

Over the holidays, Kimmel and Bartolotta exchanged messages, and at one point Kimmel, who also loves to cook, asked the Wynn chef, a master of authentic Italian seafood cuisine, to check out his "Feast of the Seven Fishes" Christmas menu.

Bartolotta's response: "It's looks more like the Feast of the 27 Fishes."

Bartolotta will be enlisting Kimmel's help during a cooking demonstration that reflects the seafood antipasti served at his restaurant that could be easily duplicated at home.

Some of us happen to think Bartolotta has the comedic chops to be the next Food Network star.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Tiger Woods is still in hiding. He has not been seen since what he now refers to as the worst Thanksgiving ever." -- Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.