NEW RESTAURANT

VEGAS DINERS SOON GET TO TRY WOLFGANG PUCK'S FAMOUS CUT

Wolfgang Puck, the master of restaurant cloning, will open a branch of his award-winning Beverly Hills steakhouse, CUT, in Las Vegas in December. A year ago, food critic John Mariani named CUT "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine, and it was nominated for a "Best New Restaurant" honor in the 2007 James Beard Awards. The restaurant's executive chef will be Matthew Hurley, who has served with the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group for 12 years, including work at Spago, Las Vegas, early in his career, and most recently as corporate catering chef. He prepared by working alongside Puck at CUT at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.

Yes, this is a steakhouse, but don't expect tableside flambe service and leatherette banquettes: The ambience is sleek and contemporary and the menu is an international one (Kobe beef short ribs with Indian spices, Colorado lamb chops with mint raita) with a world of sauces to add on the side.

OUTDOORS

WHISTLER, BLACKCOMB SLOPES SLATED TO OPEN ON THANKSGIVING

It's been snowing on the Whistler and Blackcomb slopes in British Columbia, favorites of Islanders who keep their skis waxed as carefully as their surfboards. Snow reports haven't begun yet on the Web site, and there's been some rain of late, melting a 12-inch accumulation from late September. Still, the mountains are scheduled to open to skiing Thanksgiving weekend, from Nov. 22. Skiers can sign up for Snow Flash, which alerts them every time it snows 4 inches or more, and for e-mail newsletters; go to www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

In other news, construction is well under way on a new peak-to-peak gondola that will not only be a breathtaking ride but will also cut transit time between the mountains. It should open in December 2008.