Trump’s Las Vegas eatery was fired temporarily

If you think boorish billionaire Donald Trump played dirty during the presidential campaign, it's nothing compared with the yucky stuff Clark County Health Department inspectors found during a recent visit to DJT restaurant at Trump International Tower on the Strip.

The restaurant was temporarily closed after racking up a whopping 51 demerits. Chances are good Trump, who loves to brag about super-sized lifestyle, won't be enthusing about the out-of-date ingredients and under-heated victuals found by inspectors.

Following his own failed Republican presidential bid, Trump gained a lot of media attention for challenging President Barack Obama's citizenship and demanding to inspect his college transcripts.

Maybe Trump should have spent that time inspecting his own kitchen.

From the Trump International website, "DJT at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is in a class by itself. A superbly crafted menu of fine American cuisine, complimented by an extensive wine and cocktail list in a setting of dramatic splendor, makes DJT an exceptional dining experience."

Exceptional, indeed.

I can almost hear Trump saying, "Our dangerously tepid pork products put all others to shame."

The restaurant's repulsive record led the KTNV, Channel 13, Dirty Dining segment. DJT quickly reopened after dumping the outdated grub and cleaning up its act.

I don't want to review Trump's college transcripts or birth certificate, but I would like to see his health card.

JUDGE JONES: Senior District Judge Gerald Hardcastle is working in Family Court Department C during the absence of Judge Steven Jones, who is named in a 20-count federal indictment in connection with a $3 million investment fraud scheme.

Jones is on paid leave as he prepares for trial.

Hardcastle is scheduled to be paid $1,000 per day, a courthouse source confirms.

RESCUE RESPONSE: When it comes to emergency rescue service, timing is everything. When it comes to balancing a city budget in difficult economic times, time is money.

You will read plenty about the efficiency of the Las Vegas Fire Department soon. The city paid the International City/County Management Association $155,000 to produce a study on the subject. The report is due to be made public.

But Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285 Vice President Scott Johnson isn't waiting for that bell to ring. He's proud to compare his outfit's rescue response times with those of private ambulance services. Through September, he says, local ambulances were late more than 11,000 times and unavailable for transport more than 400 times.

"Our fear is that (fallout from the report) will both jeopardize public survivability and firefighter safety," Johnson says.

Consider this political fire one to watch.

NEVADA CANCER: Word is that the beleaguered Nevada Cancer Institute is undergoing yet another transition following a bankruptcy and the transfer of operations to the University of California, San Diego. But it's at least a partial relief to learn the facility still has a chance to survive.

Although its operations are shifting dramatically, UCSD Dean of Clinical Affairs Thomas McAfee Thursday on "KNPR's State of Nevada" expressed optimism the clinic will "evolve" and survive.

"We're not planning to close the Nevada Cancer Institute," he said. "Rather, what we're doing is changing our model so that instead of running a local practice ourselves, we're going to collaborate with many of the premier local oncology practices so that we can offer a broader spectrum of options to patients there."

ON THE BOULEVARD: If you have time for a little comic relief, check out the hilarious "Comedy Insultant" Bob Zany and Zan Aufderheide at the Laugh Factory inside the Tropicana. Zany has been playing Las Vegas more than 25 years. It's taken him all that time for Zany to find someone named Zan to partner with. … Eddie Griffin, currently filling the Rio's King's Room, has agreed to appear at the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation fundraiser for Shade Tree Shelter for women and children and the Awakenings Foundation for homeless youth Dec. 9 at the MGM Grand.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith. Follow him on Twitter @jlnevadasmith.