It all started innocently enough, with an offer to sample some more ho-um wine:

[imagebrowser id=866]

Then we learned über-brewmeister Eric Villareale was cooking a brisket the size of his sizable cranium: [imagebrowser id=867]

Then the newscaster gals showed up,…and fondue-mania broke out: [imagebrowser id=868]

…whilst Denise Valdez set her usual magnificent table: [imagebrowser id=869]

The meal was proceeding without incident, (although, we noticed Sherry Swensk was a bit pensive): [imagebrowser id=880]

…but then, Eric decided to bring out his big guns…which was all well and good, except he couldn’t get the darn thing open without breaking the cork: [nggallery id=870].

Rachel Smith, being the thirsty sort, was most disturbed by this: [imagebrowser id=871]

Meanwhile, Calvert Collins, and The Food Gal®, were innocently scouring Luxury Las Vegas for pictures of themselves: [imagebrowser id=872]

When suddenly, overcome by this slight delay in getting her glass filled, Rachel inexplicably, savagely attacked Calvert with the fury of Megyn Kelly throttling Katie Couric: [imagebrowser id=873]

Calvert, of course, blamed all of this on poor Vince: [imagebrowser id=875]

But then Denise’s birthday cake showed up: [imagebrowser id=876]

…and everyone put aside the seething rivalry between KLAS and KVVU long enough to pose for pictures: [nggallery id=877]…

…and ELV (and poor Vince and Eric) were finally allowed to exhale: [imagebrowser id=878]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENISE!

THE END

PS: For you wine geeks out there, the ’79 Lafite (avg. retail price around $800/btl) was surprisingly firm, if a bit faded, and had the classic leather, smoky and lead pencil notes of a first growth Bordeaux, although the fruit was elusive, to say the least.