DAVID

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We All Scream!

Frozen Treats for the Summer Heat BUT IT’S A DRY HEAT! MONDO CONDO MAN

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THE NEW LAS VEGAS HAS ARRIVED And it’s taking shape at The Ogden

Everything you desire begins at The Ogden. An exciting array of dining options, a community grocery market, a casually hip nightlife, independent

One to Three Bedroom Condominium Residences from the low $200,000s

boutiques, coffee houses and more. It’s the new Las Vegas, a growing neighborhood of inspiring individuals and businesses. And it’s all taking shape at The Ogden’s doorstep, at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and everywhere you want to be.

150 N. Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Nevada 89101

Call 702.478.4700 to schedule a private presentation today.

Sales Center open daily.

ogdenlv.com

© DK Ogden LLC Unauthorized use of the images, artist renderings, plans or other depictions of the project or units is strictly prohibited. Offer subject to change without notice. See agent for details.

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You won’t find a bored room anywhere.

With both indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, say goodbye to stuffy work meetings. The Springs Preserve offers numerous unique, fully equipped venue options across a lush 180-acre campus. Add a little life to your next meeting.

Conveniently located near downtown Las Vegas at U.S. 95 & Valley View Blvd. | 702.822.8779 | springspreserve.org

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098414.01 • Springs Preserve • 9 x 10.875” (.125 bleed) • David Magazine • 4/c

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I PREPARE MY CHILDREN Holly, the mother of two in a busy household and pursuing an advanced degree, had few options to engage her preschool aged children Lily and Gabriel. Most preschool options were too expensive for her and her husband. As such, the kids were at home, yet she could see they were yearning for social, emotional and cognitive interaction. Through United Way’s Tuition Assistance Preschool Scholarship program (TAPS), Holly can now send both kids to Griffith Preschool and at the same time finish up her degree so that she can ultimately better provide for her family in the future. Gabriel and Lily are flourishing, and they are gaining vitally important skills that are born from quality early education programs. They will be prepared to start kindergarten, all thanks to an incredible program. When families have resources and are connected, they are prepared to grow and thrive.

Through United Way of Southern Nevada’s education programs, we are changing lives. By bringing together the best and brightest, our collective power is creating a more solid community fabric. Together, person by person, we can make lasting change.

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If you’re in the market for a luxury home, Nevada State Bank is the door to your future. Our experienced lending team can take what seems like a complicated process and make it feel easier for you. And with low rates and the ability to finance* large transactions, we can make buying the home of your dreams a reality.

nsbank.com | 866.535.3065

Bring your banking home.

*Loans subject to credit approval. Amounts exceeding $417,000 qualify as a Luxury (Jumbo) Loan.

Terms and conditions apply. Nevada State Bank NMLS# 561942

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JULY

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22 46

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live

think

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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay

19

devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley

28 speak Corey Levitan does not subscribe to the notion that a dry heat is infinitely tolerable.

32 know Real estate developer Uri Vaknin is determined to bring the urban vibe to Sin City.

36 taste What do we all scream for in the dog days of summer?

Eric Gladtone burns rubber to provide DAVID’s readers with the most complete map of frozen Las Vegas.

42 Turn Up Town Once unthinkable, revenue from Las Vegas’ mega clubs now rivals gaming. EDC culture is paying off big time.

22 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World

A maiden of the maritime persuasion screams for some ice cream.

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46 Plain White T’s A cultural history spun in simple white cotton ties the new millennium to simpler times.

J U LY 2015

20 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things

on the cover

6.3

pulse

52 Mad Max Redux They say imitation is the best form of flattery, in Hollywood it means big bux.

We All Scream!

Frozen Treats for the Summer Heat J U LY 2 015

BUT IT’S A DRY HEAT!

TURN UP TOWN

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Copyright 2015 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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Every new chapter needs characters.

The Flirt

The Dancer

The Brain

The Storyteller

Every group of friends has its roles to play.

The one who is always quick with a joke, the one that knows every pick-up line, the one that knows the answer to every trivia question. Las Ventanas is a community of characters. Come meet your new best friends.

Call 1 (888) 294-2123 to schedule your personal tour today!

10401 West Charleston Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89135 | www.lasventanaslv.com Active Adult Living | Assisted Living | Memory Support | Skilled Nursing

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Publisher/Editor Associate Publisher

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Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIALllllllll

Calendar Editor

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Marisa Finetti

Marisa Finetti ZoĂŤ Friedland

Jaq Greenspon E.C.Gladstone Corey Levitan Brian Sodoma Lynn Wexler

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

steve@davidlv.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 06 Number 3 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2014 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

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contributors

Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.

Jaq Greenspon is a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt.

Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.

E.C. Gladstone is a Las Vegas-based writer/photographer and social media consultant. Covering the ever-growing worlds of travel, food, wine & spirits, he has contributed recently to BonAppetit.com, About.com, Thrillist, Everyday With Rachael Ray and multiple local Vegas outlets. Previously, he helped launched JLiving magazine and has held editorial positions with many websites and magazines including AOL.com, US Weekly, and Alternative Press.

His ideal day involves a busy kitchen, soul music, laughter and cask spirits. Currently he is compiling a book of his rock journalism from the ‘90s. Find more of his writing on food and beverages at nowimhungry.com and sipsavorswallow. com.

Corey Levitan is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine.

He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.

Brian Sodoma has been writing professionally since 1998. He has called Las Vegas home since 2002, and enjoys covering the city’s business issues, real estate, health, sports ... anything that isn’t fashion. Sodoma currently is working on a feature-length screenplay about Las Vegas real estate meltdown with local fi lm director Roger Tinch. When he’s not hunting for new story ideas, Sodoma dabbles in real estate, coaches youth soccer and plays ice hockey.

Lynn Wexler has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people.

She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.

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from the publisher Seeking inspiration for this month’s opus, I reviewed my communiqués of Julys past. It’s remarkable how themes and some content seem to recycle themselves from year to year, notwithstanding my efforts to freshen our mag as a new year demands.

I am, it seems, not alone. ’Tis the season for summer blockbusters, and Hollywood, too, seems eager to reboot its tried and tested winners. In Mad Max Redux, pages 52-56, Jaq Greenspon explores this trend and wonders “Why?” Successful movies are regarded as franchises, of course. And depending on the public’s appetite for the familiar, they can go on forever. Welcome to Planet of the Apes, The Tyranny of the Reptiles #437, in a never-ending conquest of the Earth by successive animal kingdoms. I’m led to believe that by 2096 we humans will once again land on top, but wait …

My colleagues at the magazine have accused me (somewhat accurately) of choosing the topic as an homage to my post-apocalyptic alter ego and the über hot landsman (fellow South African) Charlize Theron.

A year ago this month, we published a piece on the ultrapool and dayclub scene in Las Vegas. This month we follow up with an exploration of the nightclub industry as a whole. In Turn Up Town, pages 42-45, we discover the ever-increasing status the nightclub industry has achieved in the local economy. Move over gaming, the loudest chachings now come from the DJ’s mixes.

For those not quite as hip as I, let me explain the story’s title. The term is club vernacular. “Turning Up” or to “Turn Up” refers to getting loose, being wild and potentially engaging in sexual activity with a willing partner. Why get all dressed up and spend a month’s income on bottle service if there’s no payoff?

“One condo at a time!” is the mantra of Uri Vaknin of KRE Capital, as he strives to revitalize Las Vegas’ urban core. Fresh from a record sales month,

he preaches the gospel of a return to a more urbane lifestyle. His latest project, The Ogden (on Las Vegas Boulevard North), is just steps from an inspiring array of restaurants, shopping, nightlife and businesses that let downtown denizens ditch the freeway crawl. A $2 million re-design offers occupants a rich living experience, with a new lobby, ground floor restaurants, a Sky Deck, rooftop pool and 16th Floor Clubhouse. My wife and I will be taking the tour as we evaluate our empty nest housing options; we encourage our readers to do the same.

Nothing says hipster cool better than the ubiquitous white T-shirt, especially if there’s a pack of Luckys tucked into the left sleeve. This humble undergarment’s popularity took off in the ’50s, as the likes of Marlon Brando, James Dean and Montgomery Clift sported them as outerwear.

They’re still as cool as ever. Check out The White T’s, pages 46-51.

When we launched DAVID in 2010, we chose it as part of our marketing campaign, embossing the magazine with the simple slogan, “Hello, my name is DAVID” —something we continue to say every month. Enjoy your summer and we’ll see you in the racks.

Max Friedland max@davidlv.com

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pulse

explore @ 14 devour @ 19 desire @ 20 discover @ 22 JOHNNY MATHIS 7.31

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eXplore L A S

V E G A S

TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-359-9982. downtowncontainerpark.com EASY 8S: Time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947111. treasureisland.com

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PICASSO - CREATURES AND CREATIVITY: Through Jan. 2016, times vary, $14-$19.

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 888-987-6667. bellagio. com KENNY CHESNEY - THE BIG REVIVAL TOUR: Through July 4, 8 p.m., $155. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com NICKELBACK: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702632-7777. mandalaybay.com AMERICAN TRILOGY: Through July 5, 7:30 p.m., $20. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com 311: Through July 4, 9 p.m., $55-$95.

Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com KATHY GRIFFIN: 10 p.m., $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7917111. mirage.com COUNTRY NATION BAND: Through July 4, time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com CARLOS MENCIA: Through July 4, 8 p.m., $29.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com

REBA AND BROOKS & DUNN TOGETHER IN VEGAS: Encores July 3-4, 7:30 p.m., $59.50$205. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com

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46TH ANNUAL WORLD SERIES OF POKER: Through July 14, times vary, costs vary. Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 866-7467671. caesars.com/rio-las-vegas

JEFF DUNHAM: Varying dates through July 31, times vary, $72. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. planethollywoodresort.com AMY GARTRELL AND PATTERSON BECKWITH - CHROMOPHILIA: Through July 12, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com REBA AND BROOKS & DUNN TOGETHER IN VEGAS: Encores July 3-4, 7:30 p.m., $59.50$205. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com

ERIC BURWELL - PROGRESSIVE FAILURE: Through July 25, times vary, free. Brett Wesley Gallery, 1025 S. 1st Street, Las Vegas.

702-433-4433. brettwesleygallery.com

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MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - PADDINGTON: Sundown, free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - ANNIE: Time

DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE - PERFECT TEN TOUR: Encore July 5, 8 p.m., $49.50.

Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-414-1000. venetian.com

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DIVE-IN MOVIES - DESPICABLE ME & DESPICABLE ME 2: 7 p.m., $5. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK: Through July 12, times vary, $35-$65. Sands Convention Center, 201 Sands Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-733-5556. ufcfanexpo.com OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: Through July 11, 7:30 p.m., $70-$150. Additional shows July 14-18 and July 21-25. Flamingo, 3555 Las

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Brian Wilson w/ Rodriguez 7.10

Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-733-3111. flamingolasvegas.com

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MARIAH CAREY: Varying dates through July 26, time and cost TBA. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com

MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - THE MIGHTY DUCKS: Sundown, free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - GOONIES: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-359-9982. downtowncontainerpark.com

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NATIONAL FANTASY FOOTBALL CONVENTION: Through July 12, times vary, costs vary. The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com THE SMASHING PUMPKINS AND MARILYN MANSON - THE END TIMES TOUR: With special guest Cage. 8 p.m., $59.50. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com JIM BREUER: Through July 11, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com BRIAN WILSON WITH SPECIAL GUEST RODRIGUEZ: 8 p.m., $50-$70. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com IN ITS ENTIRETY - THE BEST OF PAUL MCCARTNEY - THE BEATLES AND BEYOND:

7:30 p.m., $15. Red Rock Hotel, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com NELSON: 9 p.m., $30. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com STEVEN WRIGHT: Through July 11, 8 p.m., $29.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com

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COACH WOODSON LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL: Through July 13, times vary, costs vary. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd.

S. and Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. coachwoodsoninvitational.com WAYNE BRADY: 10 p.m., $39.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7917111. mirage.com THIRD EYE BLIND AND DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL: With special guest Night Terrors of 1927. 8 p.m., $39.50. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com SOMMORE: Through July 12, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas.

702-636-7075. suncoast.com

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STRIKES FOR KIDS: Time TBA, cost TBA. Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-607-7777. lasvegasallstarclassic.com

Happy INdependence day 301 N. Buffalo Drive 255-3444 www.thebagelcafelv.com

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YAHOO! SPORTS RADIO SUPERWEEK: Through July 18, times vary, costs vary.

Venetian, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-607-2665. venetian.com

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TEQUILA DINNER - JUAN PUENTES MEXICAN GRILLING AND ENTERTAINING: 6 p.m., $45. Red Rock, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com

CHICAGO AND EARTH, WIND & FIRE: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. planethollywoodresort.com

DIVE-IN MOVIES - THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX & THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: 7 p.m., $5. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

HERMAN'S HERMITS STARRING PETER NOONE: Through July 19, 7:30 p.m., $40. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

AUSTIN WEBB: Time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-894-7111. treasureisland.com

SOUTH OF GRACELAND: 9 p.m., free. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas.

702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

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DIRTY DANCING-THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE: Through July 19, times vary, $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

FRANKIE MORENO: Tues. through Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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LGBTQ CAREER FAIR: 1 p.m., free. The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas.

702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org

Herman’s Hermits w/ Peter Noone 7.17

THOMAS WILLIS - RETROFIT PAINTING LAS VEGAS: Through Aug. 9, times vary, free.

Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

NMLS 335665

NORMAN FOOTE CONCERT: 7 p.m., $3.

Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 S. Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-2787. artslasvegas.org

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FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - PADDINGTON: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-3599982. downtowncontainerpark.com EASY 8S: Time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947111. treasureisland.com

Refinance Purchases Reverse Mortgages

Ira Epstein President

NMLS 308738 Nev. Lic. 2749

1401 Hillshire Dr. #150 Las Vegas, NV 89134 Tel:702.8717800 Cell:702.561.5444 Fax:702.871.7808 ira@statelinefundinginc.com

NORMAN FOOTE CONCERT: 10:30 a.m., $3.

Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-2787. artslasvegas.org

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FANTASY SPORTS COMBINE: Through July 18, times vary, $895. Wynn, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-770-7000. wynnlasvegas.com 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com

IRATION AND KATCHAFIRE: 9 p.m., $32.50.

Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com RON WHITE: Through July 18, times vary, $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com BRODIE STEWART BAND: Through July 17, time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com THE POETS’ CORNER: 7:30 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center Community Gallery, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-2294800. artslasvegas.org THROWBACK SIZZLING JAM: 8 p.m., $42.

Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleansarena.com AUTHORITY ZERO: 8 p.m., $12-$15.

Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA: Through July 18, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com

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TOPSPIN: Time TBA, cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-4141000. venetian.com/sports

UNDER THE SUN: Featuring Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Uncle Kracker and Eve 6. Time TBA, $34.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com J. COLE: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-3339474. planethollywoodresort.com LAST SUMMER ON EARTH 2015 TOUR - BARENAKED LADIES WITH SPECIAL GUESTS VIOLENT FEMMES AND COLIN HAY: 8 p.m., $50. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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ALICE IN CHAINS: 8 p.m., $53. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-944-3200. palms.com DON MCLEAN AND JUDY COLLINS: Through July 19, 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans Casino, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-2847777. orleanscasino.com

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DIVE-IN MOVIES - LEGO MOVIE & TRANSFORMERS: 7 p.m., $5. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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THE ADOLESCENTS AND THE WEIRDOS: 8 p.m., $17-$20. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-3822227. backstagebarandbilliards.com

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MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - WRECK IT RALPH: Sundown, free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - GHOSTBUSTERS: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-3599982. downtowncontainerpark.com BELLAGIO EXECUTIVE CHEF'S CULINARY CLASSROOM - LEARNING TO ROLL... SUSHI AND ROLLS: 7 p.m., $135. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 888-987-6667. bellagio.com

CHAD FREEMAN AND REDLINE BAND: Through July 25, time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-894-7111. treasureisland.com

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ROMANTIC MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - THE NOTEBOOK: Sundown, free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com LOUIE ANDERSON: Through July 25, 7:30 p.m., $40. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com BRANTLEY GILBERT WITH SPECIAL GUEST CARTER WINTER: 8 p.m., $65$85. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE

Grace. Strength. Artistry.

CELEBRATION.

Nevada Ballet Theatre and Cirque du Soleil® Present

A CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE

A BALANCHINE CELEBRATION: Serenade / Slaughter on Tenth Avenue / Who Cares?

From Tchaikovsky to Rodgers & Hart to Gershwin

October 11 & 18, 2015

November 7 & 8, 2015

THE NUTCRACKER

February 13 & 14, 2016

THE STUDIO SERIES

ROMEO & JULIET

GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING: Time and cost TBA. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7111. orleanscasino.com DAVID ALAN GRIER AND TOMMY DAVIDSON: 9 p.m., $49.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947111. treasureisland.com

December 12 – 20, 2015

CINDERELLA

KYLE GASS BAND: 8 p.m., $11-$14.

Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com

March 31 – April 3, 2016

May 14 & 15, 2016

PACKAGES FROM ONLY $129

2015-2016 SEASON ON SALE NOW (702) 749-2000 NevadaBallet.org

2015-2016 SEASON SPONSORS

Judy Collins & Don McLean 7.18

Photos by Virginia Trudeau. Cinderella photo by Yi Yin, courtesy of Oregon Ballet Theatre. Serenade Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Programs subject to change.

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE www.davidlv.com | JULY DAVID MAGAZINE AD — 2.5” X 9.875”2015

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STEVE MILLER BAND: 8 p.m., $49.50. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com RUSH: Time and cost TBA. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com AN EVENING WITH LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND: 7:30 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com AER: 7 p.m., $15-$50. Silverton, 3333 Blue Diamond Road, Las Vegas. 702-263-7777. silvertoncasino.com SOCIETY OF SEVEN: Through July 26, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com

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WILLIE NELSON: 8 p.m., $35. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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DIVE-IN MOVIES - AGENT CODY BANKS & MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: 7 p.m., $5.

Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com THE ATARIS: 8 p.m., $15-$20. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas.

702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com

Rush 7.25

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ROD STEWART: Encore July 31, 7:30 p.m., $49$250. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com

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FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - ET: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-359-9982. downtowncontainerpark.com

SCOTTY ALEXANDER BAND: Through July 31, time and cost TBA. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com

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BRIT FLOYD - SPACE AND TIME WORLD TOUR 2015 - THE WORLD'S GREATEST PINK FLOYD SHOW: 9 p.m., $35. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

CHRISTOPHER TITUS: Through Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m., $20. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com CHROMEO: Time TBA, $20-$30. Drai's Beach Club, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702777-3800. draislv.com PUDDLE OF MUDD: 9 p.m., $25. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com JOHNNY MATHIS: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

Willie Nelson 7.26

To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.

18 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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A Splendid Summer Ensemble The burrata and heirloom tomato salad is a classic and light summer dish. Honey Salt puts its special spin on it by adding a few seasonal fresh figs, as well as balsamic reduction and basil oil. Finished with basil leaves, coarse sea salt and cracked pepper, it’s also offered “Chef Kim’s Way” with bittersweet chocolate shavings, which adds another layer of complexity and texture.

Honey Salt, 1031 S Rampart Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89145 (702) 445-6100

Duck Thunder There’s no need to be sitting on a rustic wooden rocking chair on a wrap-around porch to set the ambiance for this sipper. The Duck Thunder, available at the recently-opened Public School 702, is perfect anytime, anyplace. Let the monsoon season roll in with the refreshing “Thunder.”

Recipe: • • • • • • • •

Another Bite, Please

1.5 oz Aylesbury Duck Vodka 1.5 oz watermelon juice .5 oz simple syrup .5 oz St. Germaine .5 oz cranberry juice 6 mint leaves 1 turn fresh ground pepper 1 turn fresh ground salt

Comfort comes from dishes that hold all the right ingredients and make you want to return for more before you’ve even left. The potato and leek risotto, with wild mushrooms and aged parmigiano, at Tapas by Alex Stratta celebrates texture and flavor, while its luscious mouth-feel takes this risotto to the next glorious level.

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with one turn of fresh salt and pepper.

Tapas by Alex Stratta, Tivoli Village, 440 Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-483-3555

Public School 702, 1850 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-749-3007. www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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desire

Just Beachy

Fashioned with a shapeable brim, this sun hat is enhanced with space-dye coloring for a contemporary look. The raffia body is accented with a braided leather band around the crown and finished off with a large, fringed-leather tassel. $138. Tommy Bahama, Town Square Las Vegas, 6635 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas. 702-948-8006.

Let the world know where you’ll be with a tote bag that proclaims “Meet Me At The Beach” by Lily Pulitzer.” $88. Zappos.com.

BPA-free, this 27-ounce wide mouthed water bottle with natural Binchotan charcoal filters tap water for when you’re on the go. $20. thegrommet.com

For an easy sheer cover up, the open front kimono by Z&L Europe does the trick. Its neutral palette coordinates with all colors and the neon orange tassels add extra visual interest. $64.

Everything But Water, Downtown Summerlin, 2115 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-978-5797.

Evoke classic American style with the Martha Stewart Collection’s watermelon beach towel. White stars against a navy ground surround a painterly watermelon design that will make a statement in the sand or poolside. $40. Macy’s Home Store 4450 W. Spring Mountain Road Las Vegas. 702-579-6333 20 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Quick-drying European fabric makes these Solid & Striped white and navy Venice-inspired stripe microfiber trunks simply stylish and comfortable. $165.

Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas. 702-629-4200.

The unisex Cazal 8010 sunglasses have a sculptural and edgy distinction that attract attention and get people talking. $385. Eyes & Optics, Downtown Summerlin, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive #180, Las Vegas.702-254-0332 A jumpsuit that works hard to keep you in style from day to night, Trina Turk’s tropical print jumpsuit is ready for a day at the beach, lunch al fresco or a night out. $154. Everything But Water, Downtown Summerlin, 2115 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-978-5797.

The ultimate expression of girl power inspired by the iconic Wonder Woman superhero flip flops. $32. Havaianas, The Linq, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas. 702-868-2884

Elastic boho beaded bracelet set is inspired by the colors of the sea and made with recycled glass African beads by Twine & Twig. $56. Everything But Water, Downtown Summerlin, 2115 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-978-5797. www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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discover

A Sunday Ride During the 1930s when Hoover Dam construction workers made $5 a day and a loaf of bread was 25 cents, the Boulder Branch line, constructed by Union Pacific, brought equipment and laborers to service the Boulder Dam project. Today, a trip through U.S. history can be experienced by riding the same rails during a 35-minute trip in your choice of an open-air car or heated Pullman coaches. After the ride explore the train museum.

Southern Nevada Railway, 600 Yucca St., Boulder City.

(702) 486-5933

Clay Expedition

Picasso’s Human Figure

Cathedral Gorge, one of Nevada’s four original state parks, is quite possibly Nevada’s best-kept secret. From a distance, visitors see tall stone spires above the passageways carved into the soft bentonite clay, formed by eons of erosion. Get a little more personal within the maze to experience slot canyons and passageways within walls that tower high above. Great for avid photographers and easy hikes for the entire clan, Cathedral Gorge is just two and a half hours north of Las Vegas.

Picasso had the extraordinary ability to capture the human form with his use of line, movement, and color. Now through January 2016 at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, “Picasso – Creatures and Creativity,” features 43 of his works and celebrates the artist’s favorite theme, the human figure.

The exhibition showcases 19 lithographs, 13 linocuts, 8 paintings and three rare plates, each telling a different story.

Guests will be taken on a step-by-step journey through the famed artist’s thought progression and creative process behind his painting and printmaking.

Cathedral Gorge State Park, Hwy 93, Pioche, 775-728-4460

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas. 702-693-7871.

22 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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KEEP MEMORY ALIVE HONORS ANDREA AND VERONICA BOCELLI AT 19TH ANNUAL“POWER OF LOVE™” GALA Venue

3

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Date Saturday, June 13

Photos 1.

Veronica Bocelli, Andrea Bocelli and Matteo Bocelli .

2.

4

Honoree Andrea Bocelli performs on stage.

5 3.

Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan.

4.

Celine Dion and Sharon. Stone

5.

Quincy Jones and Keep Memory Alive Founder and Chairman Larry Ruvo.

6.

Holly Madison, Insomniac Events Founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella, Tal Cooperman and Ryan Doherty.

7.

Jewelry designer Steven Lagos and President of The Kingswood Company

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Kristie Nicolosi 8.

(L-R) CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems (JPMS) and Co-Founder of Patron Tequila and Spirits John Paul DeJoria, Actress Eloise Broady and Michael Shulman.

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Photos: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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CONGREGATION P’NAI TIKVAH L’CHAIM GALA CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF RABBI YOCHEVED MINTZ Venue M Resort

Date Saturday, May 30

Photos 1.

Top row: (L-R) Zach Elkin, Lee Mintz, Gabrielle Mintz, Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Rachel Mintz and Molly Mintz. Bottom Row: (L-R) Abby Mintz, Netanya Mintz, Jack Mintz, Heidi Mintz and Sophie Mintz.

2.

(L-R) Charles Adams, Dr. Beth Traylor, Wayne Weitan and Jacqueline Adams.

3.

(L-R) Jane Kusel, Karen Fleischer and Ann Brandt.

4.

(L-R) Laura Sussman, Barbara Raben, Wendy Kraft and Phyllis Friedman.

5.

(L-R) Barbara Holland, President of Congregation P’nai Tikvah, Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Lynn Pisetzner and Jane Kusel, Co-Chairs of the L’Chaim Gala

6.

(L-R) Dotti Elgart, Scott Linker and Stephanie Paykel.

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(L-R) Jeffery Mintz, Steve Mintz, Dr. Ari Mintz, and Lee Mintz.

8.

(L-R) Tim Lockett, Kristen Jaeger and Judy Stotland.

9.

Kenneth and Evelyn Clark.

10. David and Lynn Pisetzner.

Photos by Jennifer Nicholson

24 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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mingle ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OF NEVADA 2015 JURISPRUDENCE AWARD LUNCHEON HONORING THE HONORABLE MICHAEL A. CHERRY, NEVADA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE Venue Plaza Hotel & Casino

Date Wednesday, June 3

Event The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was 5

founded in 1913 to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all.” For over 100 years, ADL has been a force for change, a champion of the nation’s values and a shield against hate and extremism.

ADL is now the U.S.’s premier civil rights/ human relations agency fighting antiSemitism and all forms of bigotry, ADL defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for everyone. As a leader in the development of materials, programs and services, ADL builds bridges of communication, understanding and respect amongst diverse groups.

Its annual Jurisprudence Award recognizes leaders within the legal community for exemplary contributions to their profession, and salutes their outstanding civic activities and continued dedication to the principles of the ADL.

Photos by Tonya Harvey www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA GUYS & DOLLS DANCE FOR DAUGHTERS, DADS, GRANDDADS, UNCLES OR DESIGNATED DADS Venue Chayo at the Linq

Date Thursday, June 11

Photos 1.

Bree, Sage and Mike Serenco

2.

Neil and Dara Braunstein

3.

Shira and Joel Mann

4.

Seth Schorr and Mia

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Ilana and Leonard Stone

6.

Sara and Jon Sherman

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Emma and Michael Rosenblum

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Steve and Nicole Miller

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Norm and Molly Blinder

10. Bob and Lia Jensch 11. Jerry and Avi Weiss 12. Madison Poe and Dan Eitnier

Photos by Ryan Aaron Reisman

26 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Condo Interior at Spanish Palms, photo courtesy Northcap Real Estate

live But it’s a Dry Heat! @ 28 An Urbane Man @ 32 We All Scream! @ 36

Mondo Condo Man pg 32

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www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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But It’s a

DRY Heat!

28 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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A Temperate Weathered Man’s LamentSurviving the Summers in Las Vegas

By Corey Levitan

W

e Jews are supposed to be a desert-dwelling people.

But I feel more genetically equipped to dwell in meadows and along coastlines. Yes, it’s a dry heat here in Las Vegas. But so is fire. And normal people, they run away from fire. They don’t build their dream homes inside of it.

Maybe I wouldn’t dread the annual four-month assault on our humanity – and let’s not kid ourselves: it’s June through September, not August as much if locals were more honest about it. The highest temperature possible to achieve inside your body is 0 degrees. Top that and your brain dies. et www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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here in July, the same temperature outside your body is universally referred to as “warm.”

Please knock the euphemisms off, people. Calling it something different doesn’t make it any less inhumane to walk around in. Meteorologists, can’t you look into the camera just once and shout, “Holy crap! It’s hot outside! here the hell did we choose to live? Please stop this torture!”?

The L as V eg as S un recently had the nerve to publish an online article headlined “ easons to be Grateful It’s Hot Again in Las Vegas.” Each reason was more of a self-delusional rationale than the last. Behold No. : “The early mornings and late evenings are warm enough to host a backyard dinner with friends or hike without a sweatshirt.” ( ow, thanks for the update! Because early morning is my favorite time for hosting dinners with my friends. And isn’t sweatshirt weather the absolute worst hat mental patient can take standing around wearing a sweatshirt ) Not until No. did the writer finally relent to some brutal truth: “The beginning of summer means the end is in sight.” Now that one, I can relate to.

Science has proven why humans are able to walk across hot coals: our foot sweat boils to provide a brief, protective layer of water vapor. And this perfectly describes my experience visiting friends at the Mandalay Bay pool one July afternoon in 00 . After the perspiration boiled off my bare soles, midway through my walk to the pool, I was literally cooking two personal cheese pies of my own feetz a.

But even that second-degree agony couldn’t match the first and only time I made the mistake of leaving the top down on my parked Mustang convertible with black leather seats. hile

wearing shorts. And what resulted is probably the most logical explanation for my wife and me re uiring in-vitro fertilization to conceive.

I no longer have that Mustang, by the way. Because it melted.

And I wish I were joking. Not the outside of it, which would have re uired the ,500-degree highs we won’t see until global warming kicks in a little more. But every rubber hose, belt and gasket finally said, “Eff this heat,” and went all at once on the Summerlin Parkway between the 5 and Anasazi Drive one wretched day last August, forcing me to wait 5 minutes for a tow in 5-degree direct sun beside a steaming car. (By the way, we’ve got the windchill factor. hy isn’t there a corresponding summer factor accounting for the 0 degrees hotter your skin feels in direct sun than in shade ) Maybe some of you have lived here on the surface of Mercury too long to remember. But besides allowing pretty much any part of your skin to touch pretty much anything outdoors, here are some other things it’s normal to expect to be able to do during an average summer back on Planet Earth: ) leave your groceries in your trunk longer than minutes before they spoil ) decide which side of the street to walk down based on some factor other than which has more shade and ) breathe.

I’m about as far from an outdoor guy as you’re apt to meet in this lifetime. Still, most of the Memorial, Independence and Labor days of my youth were spent at beaches, backyards and parks. And it would be nice if the outdoors were still at least an option to enter. My -year-old daughter will only know these summer holidays as three-day stretches of watching TV in an air-conditioned house instead of the normal two-day stretches.

30 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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(A guy I know says his doctor informed him of an abnormally high local rate of Vitamin D deficiency due to all the staying indoors in the summer. If this is true, this makes Vegas and Phoenix probably the only two American cities where you can die from both melanoma and rickets.)

Look, I knew what I was getting myself into when the Review-Journal relocated me and my wife here 10 years ago.

And I realize I sound like some selfish moron who moves to the Amazon and starts screaming about how it rains too much. I also know the meaning of “If you can’t stand the heat” – especially since, in my case, it’s so literal.

“YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE!” wrote a friend of a Facebook friend when I griped about the heat in a recent update.

But what can I say? I’m Jewish. I enjoy complaining about my environment more than I do changing it. (No, wait, that’s a bad joke. The truth is, thanks to a home-refi deal I really can’t complain about, my family is essentially stuck here forever.

Barring some unforeseen magical jackpot of fame and fortune, I will die here, and be cremated simply by being left outside in July and bursting into flames.)

I will totally concede how great the weather here is during the other eight months of every year. Growing up on Long Island, I can recall waiting for late school buses in negativedegree wind gusts at least a dozen times. But here’s the thing about intolerably cold weather: You put more clothing on and it’s suddenly more tolerable. When it’s too hot, you can’t take skin off.

Besides, there are plenty of places where the winters are as mild as Vegas’ but the summers won’t explode every soda can

1257063_15246 8x4.8125 4c

stored in your car’s trunk. (My first and only experience with this absurd phenomenon gave my late Mustang a caramelcolored trail for days.) For example, there’s, oh … all 840 friggin’ miles of California’s coastline extending inland for about 50 miles. During my Vegas decade, some of my neighbors have found it possible to look me in the eye while uttering some variation on the following sentiment: “Even if I could afford to live in Southern California or the Bay Area, in the same lifestyle I have here, I would still choose to live in Las Vegas.”

These are the people, I’ve got to figure, who have gambling problems. I mean, not all of them. Some could be professional poker players or strippers. But, by and large, normal people choose to live in Las Vegas because it’s so much cheaper than California. The beautiful McMansions of our suburbs sell for the same price as basic two-bedroom condos near SoCal’s airports. And smaller houses like mine, which sits behind a community gate in Summerlin, can be owned by the kind of people who, in San Francisco, would either be lifelong renters or homeless: security guards, fast-food servers and humor journalists.

Of course, there are some crazy individuals who seem to actually enjoy the smell of their own bubbling flesh wafting on a blow-dryer breeze.

“It can’t be HOT ENOUGH for me!!” my Facebook friend Patricia Newell wrote recently. “Love LOVE LOVE the heat!”

Actually, I take that back. When I stop to think about it, people like Patricia aren’t crazy at all. They’re living in summer weather they can accept and even appreciate.

It’s people like me who are crazy.

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Stop by to speak with a local banker today, or visit wellsfargo.com/ appointments to make an appointment.

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All financing decisions are subject to credit approval. Deposit products are offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2015 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. (1257063_15246) www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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Urbane Man Uri Vaknin of KRE Capital is Urbanizing Las Vegas — One Condo at a Time

Photos courtesy Northcap Real Estate

By Lynn Wexler

32 JULY 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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rbanization is an upward trend, literally, in many metropolitan housing markets – Las Vegas prime among them. The allure of vibrant city living, with fingertip access to culture, entertainment, sporting events, shopping and fine dining, is increasingly attractive to a spectrum of home buyers, including aging baby boomers, up-and-coming hipsters and globetrotting jet-setters.

While some are still opting for the private communities of luxury single-family homes found throughout Las Vegas, it’s the high-rise condo explosion that’s making news.

In 2013, Uri Vaknin, a partner in KRE Capital LLC – a private equity firm in Beverly Hills – joined forces with Dune Real Estate Partners in New York, and Las Vegas-based Northcap, to buy five Las Vegas condominium properties – the Ogden and Juhl (downtown properties), Loft 5, One LV and Spanish Palms, a residential garden complex.

Those properties comprise 1,300 units valued at more than $400 million. Vaknin, CEO of DK Las Vegas, the joint ownership entity, is betting the valley is ready again to convert rentals to condominium ownership.

Downtown luxury high-rises built between 2005 and 2009 have been on an economic roller coaster. At one point condos were fetching more than $1 million, and were being sold from blueprints. But when the valley’s real estate market tanked, prices dropped below construction costs.

Buyers fled; sales evaporated; foreclosures mounted. Landlords had to rent units, leaving buildings with a blend of tenants, owners, homeowner associations and on-site leasing agents.

Eventually, the federal government and private investors stepped in, rented the units designed as for-sale condos and sold the buildings in bulk.

Today’s market looks primed for recovery. Vaknin is confident his group’s portfolio will yield big profits and contribute to a substantial turn-around in downtown Las Vegas over the next five years, due to

Far Left: Exterior and interiors of The Ogden, Above: Uri Vaknin

multi-tiered gentrification.

“Our initial focus is selling condos in the 21-story, 273-unit Ogden, the most prominent property in the portfolio. We spent over $1.5 million on capital improvements and upgrades before recently returning the building to market,” he says.

Improvements include: overhauling the lobby with glass bead wallpaper, silver-embossed leather backrests and navy blue mohaircovered seating; a sky deck with shade structure capable of withstanding 120 mph winds; a cooking area with grill and wine cooler; comfortable lounge chairs set in a desert landscape; a renovated outdoor pool; club room; fitness center; and new lighting, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in all units.

A venue so cool, your staff will think they have the summer off too!

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For more information or to schedule a tour, call (702) 734-6338 or visit www.MEETLV.com.

www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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@ the

JULY

WEDNESDAY 1

6:30 pm Jewish Senior Singles

MONDAY6

Let’s Get Cooking Camp Begins Magical Manners w/ Rock the Tea Camp Begins

Ivrit Camp Begins.

Mitzvah Corp Speciality Camp Begins

MONDAY AUG. 3

8:30 am: MEL Men Enjoying Leisure @ the Suncoast Buffet Speaker TBD

12:00 pm: Mah Jong

WEDNESDAY 8

THURSDAY 9

12:00 pm WEL Women Enjoying Leisure @ Claim Jumper Boca Park

MONDAY 13

Musicals, Movies and More Camp Begins

SATURDAY 18

Buy Buy Birdie @ Spring Mountain Ranch

MONDAY 20

1:00 pm BINGO for adults

JCC Theatre Camp Begins

MONDAYS

TUESDAYS

10:00 am: Current Events

WEDNESDAYS

10:00 am: Jewish History & Culture Class 12:00 pm: Mah Jong 12:00 pm: Pinochle 12:30 pm: Yiddish Conversation

THURSDAYS

9:30 am: Current Events Eastside at CNT

FRIDAYS

9:30 am: Sports Talk @ Suncoast Buffet

www.jccsn.org

702.794.0090

JCC of Southern Nevada

“We want interested buyers to experience a sense of arrival,” Vaknin says. “At the same time we wanted to maintain the hip funkiness of the building that was originally called the Streamline Towers back in 2008.”

Equally important, says Vaknin, are ground-floor amenities (two restaurants and a bar at the Ogden) that add convenience and vitality to the neighborhood.

The ground floor at the Juhl — it’s near the Bonneville Transit Center — soon will be home to seven retailers, including a coffee shop, a furniture store, mixology lounge, waxing studio and a wellknown eatery. Health food purveyor Greens & Proteins is scheduled to take a space nearby.

“None of these by themselves represent game-changers,” says Vaknin. “But collectively they make for a community environment with hipster-friendly businesses, in a walkable area.”

“We highly curate who is going to occupy these ground-floor spaces. They have to be both an amenity to the building and to the downtown,” he adds.

The group plans to gradually sell units – Vaknin refers to them as homes — in the remaining four buildings over the next few years.

“We want to avoid flooding the market,” he says.

Fifteen percent of the homes at the Ogden, 150 Las Vegas Blvd. N., are individually owned now, with the rest rented. Residents include Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who leased several units and is known for putting up visitors and tech startups in the building.

“We’re not renewing leases as they come due in order to prepare more homes for sale,” Vaknin says. He’s quick to note, however, that tenants can opt to buy their units before they go to market, and KRE will honor all leases, and in some instances extend them. “We want to be considerate of both the renter and the owner in this venture,” he says.

About 15 units become available at the Ogden each month, and Vaknin has two national lenders on site to provide financing for qualified homebuyers.

According to the National Association of Realtors, Las Vegas is experiencing a real estate, population and culture boom. And though the city is known historically for gambling, with little in the way of downtown housing, an influx of high-end and sophisticated homebuyers is fueling the need for options and diversions.

“A lot is happening downtown,” Vaknin says. “You have the Smith Center, the Discovery Children’s Museum, Symphony Park, Container Park, Fremont Street, the new City Hall, Zappos, the Arts District … restaurants … bars … concert series. Life is Beautiful is at our doorstep! Most of the law offices and courthouses are already here; and increasingly businesses are moving in. This all makes for a diverse and interesting mix of people, and the need for housing for those who want to live near their work and feel the energy of a downtown lifestyle.”

Vaknin’s on a board exploring options to open a first class art museum in the downtown area, which he says will enhance the city’s cultural dimension.

In a 2011 National Association of Realtors poll, 19 percent of Americans wanted to live in a city, up from 13 percent in 2004.

Many cities have become safer and cleaner. Empty-nest baby boomers no longer worry about the quality of schools; nor do they want the cost or burden of large home maintenance, says John McIlwain, a former senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. “They also want to return to their former, youthful days when they lived, worked and played in a city environment,” McIlwain says.

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Bruce Weiner, former CEO of Turnberry Ltd., which owns three complexes in the city, knows just where folks born between 1946 and 1964 can find that pulsating environment they’re after.

“If you like entertainment, Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. If you like gaming, it doesn’t get much better than Las Vegas,” Weiner says. “If you like shopping, it’s world-class shopping.

Dining … every celebrity chef from America and other parts of the world has opened up restaurants here.”

Vaknin says he and his colleagues initially believed “our market would largely be young hipsters. We were surprised to find that, in fact, there has been great interest from the 55-and-older set. They’re tired of mowing the lawn and want to be in a more youthful and accommodating setting.”

A 56-year-old corporate executive who swapped her 3,500-squarefoot home in Henderson for an 850-square-foot condo downtown says, “You’re as young as you feel. I replaced my old furniture with more modern pieces, and I now easily take advantage of walking to fabulous restaurants and shops anytime of the day and night. And the city views are like none other!”

Retired physician James Wyler and his wife also went urban, purchasing a downtown condo. “We want to be around people who are younger,” he says, “because that gives us more energy. Many of our friends have chosen the 55-plus communities on golf courses, forgoing ethnic diversity and outside opinions.”

The Wylers say they’re part of a multigenerational book club in their new building. “We find people here are much more engaged in the world,” James says. “Every day we say, ‘Can you believe this? This is so fun.’”

Glenn Coffman, a downtown condo denizen, considers himself part of a new generation of hipster. He’s married with a baby and has started hanging out with some of the boomers who’ve moved the neighborhood. “If you told me I’d one day become friends with people near to my parents’ age(s), I would have said, ‘No way!’” he says.

Vaknin says the Spanish Trails-adjacent Spanish Palms Condominiums will be the next of the five buildings to offer homes for sale, once ground renovations including athletic, pet and garden amenities are added.

Las Vegas is certainly a unique U.S. city, but it shares one thing with other towns: Beginning with the post-war economic boom, people decamped to the suburbs, taking with them the social and economic vitality that once marked urban centers.

Downtown Las Vegas was the epicenter of the valley until the 1960s. But with the advent of the Strip, and the suburban explosion, downtown Las Vegas became an afterthought. Master-planned communities in safe areas, amid pleasant surroundings, defined “progress,” at the expense of downtown.

City leaders who saw tourists flocking to the Strip sought ways to keep customers downtown. The Fremont Street experience represented an attempt to do that, but it didn’t attract new residents, jobs or businesses to the city center.

Scott Adams is acting deputy city manager for the city of Las Vegas. He believes downtown redevelopment is synonymous with economic development. “It’s not just about elimination of slums and blight,” he says. “It really is at its very foundation rebuilding the core of a city and its economy.”

Former Mayor Oscar Goodman implemented initiatives to address this. Hsieh and his investors are following suit with the Downtown Project. They’ve set aside $200 million for real estate development, and $50 million to aid small businesses, technology startups and education.

“It’s a work very much in progress,” says Vaknin, adding that DK Las Vegas is happy to help bring the American dream back to downtown Las Vegas through real estate development and home ownership.

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We All

Scream!

Frozen Treats to Beat the Summer Heat

By E.C. GLADSTONE

W

hen it comes to food in the hotter months, opinions are mixed: some prefer spicy dishes to get juices flowing, others lean toward water-rich fruits and vegetables. And some lean toward ethnic foods, particularly those from hot climates (Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean — which only makes sense — while others of us fall back on the good ol’ American comfort foods of hot dogs, hamburgers and cold salads.

But there’s one thing we can all agree on: When it comes to dessert, we all scream for ice cream!

Well, maybe not ice cream specifically, since so many variations have sprung up from gelato to froyo, shave ice to snow cream. But whatever they call it, we want it cold, and sweet and … now!

It seems safe to say that a desert town like Las Vegas has always been receptive to cold treats.

But recent history — very recent history — has seen such an incredible explosion of variety available that someone needed to ink a user’s guide.

Who would that be? This guy. This crazy guy who launched himself down the frozen rabbit hole, discovering ever more variations as he scooped the valley. He brought along an 11-year-old daughter who was thrilled at the notion initially, but after a week of intrepid tasting was actually begging for the end.

31 Flavors? Is that all?

No disrespect to the national brands that are sprinkled throughout Clark County, but the one loose rule I set out with was to avoid them. There’s nothing wrong with Baskin Robbins (where I got my first food service job at 16) or Dairy Queen or Ben & Jerry’s per se — but you don’t need me to sell you on them.

Instead, let me suggest a detour to Handel’s, a slightly smaller Ohio-based chain that recently moved into a rather large space at 10170 W. Tropicana Blvd. Only the space isn’t

for the customers, it’s for the 35+ flavors that owner Patrick Frank makes on a daily rotation, including some unexpected variations like Chocolate Cake Batter, Twixtor, Grape and one of my new favorites, Buckeye (peanut butter ice cream, chocolate swirl, crunchy Buckeye candies). Handel’s $4.25 four scoop sampler is a great gateway, though the container doesn’t protect it too well from our Vegas heat. Carpe diem!

While you’re in the Southwest area (which oddly enough seems to have more than its share of spots), check out a nondescript storefront called Mixers (5625 S. Rainbow Blvd.)

This site may look questionable from the outside, but inside the array of flavors the current Asian owners are making in-house (ice cream, gelatos, shave ice, boba smoothies) will wow you. They range from Cinnabon to the more exotic Black Sesame, Thai Tea, Taro, Lychee, Horchata, Black Walnut and Jackfruit, all true flavors and not overly sweet (single scoop, $2.59).

And here’s the kicker: Tiffany, behind the counter, even offered to let me try the Durian flavor, which is kept in a separate freezer lest its notoriously pungent fragrance take over all the others. Yes, fresh Durian ice cream here in Vegas.

It’s a thing. And it’s … not bad. This might be one of the best kept off-Strip secrets in Vegas.

A new addition that’s gotten lots of attention is CREAM (“Cookies Rule Everything About Me;” 1980 Festival Plaza Drive), based around the concept of cookie sandwiches made to order. Love that you can even mix and match two different cookies if desired, or go for a waffle taco. Unfortunately, the oven-warm cookies melt the ice cream so quickly that it creates a mess on a typical hot Vegas day unless you scarf the 4-inch-wide sandwich down instantly. Even my dessert-loving daughter was so frustrated by the drippy mess she gave up halfway through. Single Far Left: A line forms at Amorino, Left: A Tiramisu cono from Amorino.

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cones are a good value ($2) and a better choice.

A far, far better alternative on the same side of town is called Sweet Addiction (5165 S. Fort Apache Road), using a larger variety of Thrifty ice creams (yes, including Medieval Madness and Cotton Candy) with about a dozen cookie varieties, smartly cooled but still oven-soft, and only $3.69 for a massive single scooper. They’ll make you a shake with Twinkies blended in too, if you want.

Another spot making sandwiches with fresh baked cookies can be found on the other side of town, hidden in the Target center at 9711 S. Eastern Ave: EIS Cream Café, owned by a Filipino family, makes the cookies fresh (in two sizes, the $5 large is big enough for a whole family!), but the ice cream is brought in from a wholesaler in San Jose who makes seasonal flavors using prime California produce. The consistency here is noticeably harder and lower fat, but the flavors outshine any textural concerns. I could mention the macapuno and the ube and the strawberry, but really, the one to try here is pistachio, studded with whole, prime quality nut meats — it really may be the best pistachio ice cream I’ve ever had, although all of these still fall short of California’s CoolHaus trucks for me (Can we get them for the next Foodie Fest?).

While we’re talking Pacific Islander influence, downtown in the California Hotel (12 E. Ogden Ave.) is the only Nevada location of Lappert’s, beloved in Hawaii (though they’re now separate companies) with a rotating selection of ultra-rich, Island-inspired flavors like Pink Hawaii Sea Salt, Caramel Coconut Macadamia and Kona Mocha Chip, generously scooped. When I brought LA NPR radio food personality Evan Kleiman here a while back, she gave it a big thumbs up.

And then there’s Vegas’ ever-expanding Latino culture. La Flor De Michoacan (3021 E. Charleston Blvd.) – not to be confused with the restaurant of the same name – promotes itself first as a paleteria, making frozen fruit pops with and without dairy in more than two dozen fresh varieties, including many you’re unlikely to see elsewhere (kiwi cheese, chile, guanabana). They also serve aguas frescas, licuados (smoothies) and juices and extol their healthinducing properties on bold signage (en Espanol, claro). But it’s the varieties of rich housemade ice creams (helados) here that are really exciting, in tropical fruit flavors like mamey and tamarind, and even oddly successful cheese and corn or corn cake varieties. The store may look a little rough from the outside, but the people inside are warm and the treats are cool.

As long as we’ve mentioned Thrifty’s (from the California pharmacy chain that was bought out a few years back by Rite-Aid and had so many faithful ice cream fans that the merging companies continued making the legendary line), true fans owe themselves a visit to Scoops

by Desert Breeze park (3655 S. Durango Blvd.)

This purveyor offers 33 flavors (try Chocolate Malted Crunch or Pecan Praline), delivered via the company’s classic cylindrical scoopers at, naturally, thrifty prices.

And one more note: If you want to spice up your backyard barbecue or kids party, consider a trip to Flavors (1300 N. Las Vegas Blvd.), a warehouse store for ice cream bars where you can get all those wacky Blue Bunny and Good Humor novelties, push-ups and sandwiches in bulk. Cool, right?

Gelato Bar

L’amore del gelato Las Vegas is almost literally awash in gelato these days, with star chefs like Luciano Pellegrini and Megan Romano in the game, and a stand offering ice cream’s lower fat, denser Euopean cousin in nearly every resort on the Strip (and on even more restaurant menus). Little of it is less than very good, but until recently the unofficial giant was downtown’s brilliantly creative Art of Flavors.

With the departure of Chef Desyree, the crown lost its jewel (She’s reported to be opening her new Gelatology on South Rainbow imminently.) In the meantime, two newcomers have arrived as serious competition: With a small kiosk in Town Square and a new full shop in the Las Vegas Premium Outlet Shops North (875 S. Grand Central Parkway), Amorino — a Paris-based, Italian-owned chain — is absolutely the most authentically Italian gelato I’ve tasted in this country, with flavors like Amarena Cherry, 70% Cocoa Ecuadoran Chocolate, Agrumi (organic Sicilian grapefruit, blood orange and tangerine) sorbet, and — how’s this for obsessive? — two kinds of vanilla, Madagascar and Tahitian (yes, they’re quite distinct). In fact, the gelato is made in Europe with natural and some organic ingredients, and shipped over so it can be shaped into pretty rose blooms rather than boring old scoops. It costs more (singles start around $5), but I’d say it’s worth it as a special treat for the quality and aesthetics. Amorino also has probably the most attractive scoopers in town.

Why neighboring CREAM attracts lines when Downtown Summerlin’s Gelato Messina has to flag people down is anyone’s guess (actually, mine would be related to the store design) because the stuff this Australian company makes daily in its glass-window kitchen is likely to be some of the best frozen dessert you’ll ever experience: Panna cotta with Fig Jam & Amaretti Biscuit; White Chocolate & Hazelnut; Pear & Rhubarb, just to name three killers (don’t worry, they’re not all that exotic). Heather Dolton, a career chef with a Strip pedigree, also creates even more adventurous seasonal flavors. What’s more, she crafts some of the most architecturally impressive gelato cakes you’re likely to see, although they are priced to reflect the work involved ($42-75).

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Gelato Messina @ Downtown Summerlin

Though it doesn’t have anywhere near the same level of ambition, I’m soft-hearted about the simply named Gelato Bar (3849 Spring Mountain Road), which also makes everything in-house, using a nonfat milk recipe (as well as dairy free sorbettos) for a lighter texture. Fruit flavors are the emphasis here — Green Apple, Blackberry, Watermelon. And the bubbly countergirl likes to combine them with the Biscotti or Cinnamon Caramel flavors for extra oomph. While many of these spots stay open until 10, 11 or even midnight, Gelato Bar might be the only one open until 1 a.m. every night, party people.

Italian Ice & Frozen Custard Not long ago, our options for frozen custard were limited basically to one: Luv-Its, the shack in the shadow of the Stratosphere (505 E. Oakey Blvd.) that, thank goodness, somehow still soldiers on with revolving flavors, dense and creamy and endorsed by visiting celebrities as much as Vegas natives. It’s still a great call, but there are now some reasonable alternatives worth considering for those who can’t make the detour. Of the spots that like to offer both Frozen Custard and Philadelphia-style Italian Ice, both together and separately, I was most impressed by CJ’s, on the same block as Scoops (3555 S. Durango Blvd.), where they offer 16 flavors of mostly dairy-free Italian Ice and four custards on daily rotation, made into many different forms with some 40-odd mix-ins — plus many more of both prepacked (including sugar-free versions). They also make something called a ‘gelati’ (don’t confuse it with gelato), a cup with your choice of Italian ice sandwiched by custard for a kind of grand creamsicle effect (Small size, $3.85; There’s also something they call a Custard Cannoli, not far from CREAM’s waffle taco.).

The ice flavors were fine; the Crème Brulee custard was true to its name; and both topped Rita’s for me. But my daughter thought it was fighting words to suggest it competed with Luv-Its. And I still have a soft spot for Freddy’s dense, rich chocolate (9809 S. Eastern Ave., coincidentally, in the same parking lot as EIS Cream). It still contends for the world’s best fast-food milkshake (even against the side-by-side flavors of Steak & Shake at the South Point).

Snow Cream For the uninitiated, snow cream, or snow fluff is a Taiwanese concept (Xue hua bing in its original language). The first shop below

describes it this way: “when ice cream and shaved snow fell in love and had a baby.” It’s been slowly working its way into the western United States for the last few years, with more than a few spots now around Spring Mountain, and our other unofficial Asian district, South Rainbow.

Located in the same wondrous strip mall that houses Raku, Monta, Nakamura-Ya and other foodie destinations (5020-5040 Spring Mountain Road), Snowflake Shavery, within the most unadorned space imaginable, seems to dominate this category in town. With its variety of combo flavors and toppings, you can see why. Choose from black sesame, mango, taro or cookie butter snows (among others), and have them mix in brownie bites, passionfruit popping boba, egg pudding or Reese’s Pieces – just for example. The “small” 16-ounce cup starts under $4.

Hiding in plain sight, Kuma Snow Cream (3735 Spring Mountain Road) takes the Taiwanese concept and makes it a just a bit friendlier for the froyo crowd, offering flavors like strawberry and chocolate alongside taro and green tea, and toppings like Cap’n Crunch and Oreos next to red beans and mochi.

Located in a forlorn corner by Robindale and Rainbow, Ice Monster Café has some grand ambitions for its Snow Fluffs (shaved snow cream sundaes with panna cotta, ice cream, jelly cubes and other additions). The small sizes are pricey but more than ample to share. I tried the Coffee Sensation with coffee ice cream, coffee snow fluff, coffee jelly and panna cotta, though I think I felt more effect

Raspados Shave Ice. www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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Blvd Creamery at Monte Carlo.

from the sugar than the caffeine.

Shave Ice, Raspados Lappert’s notwithstanding, Hawaii’s cold treat of choice is, of course, shave ice, the abundant and colorful cousin of the snow cone. Many islander-friendly spots offer them, but a clear category killer wasn’t easy to find until I arrived at Bahama Buck’s. It’s in a blind corner of the WalMart center at 215 and Rainbow (2345 Arroyo Crossing, if you’re Googling) but is busy nonetheless, even on a random weekday. Their product (which they call “shaved” ice) is closer to snow, however, than the Hawaiian version. But they offer so many fun flavors (from Apple to White Coconut, Sugar Cookie to Blueberry Muffin!), including several Stevia-sweetened options, that only purists will call them Haole (an ample small, $3.19). Those folks should hunt down one of the many fun trucks roaming our streets, including the Purple Penguin and Sin City Snoballs. I’d heard good reports about The Lab in Meadows Mall,

On The Strip

T

he tourist corridor obviously has plenty of options for cold desserts, but which are worth seeking out? Let me give you a quick guide: Possibly the most passionate spot is Monte Carlo’s Blvd Creamery, where they make a large, rotating selection on property of luxe flavors with whimsical names like Cup O’Joe and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (yes, it’s got bacon, #sorrynotsorry), as well as a few spiked varieties that definitely have a kick. Pushpops, frozen bananas, cereal milk and fresh cookies are also on the menu.

Caesar’s new Forum Food Court includes a tiny outpost of Cincinnati’s’s beloved Graeter’s, still family owned and using its “French pot” method for mixing chocolate flecks into its flavors. Cups and cones are generously portioned but flavors are unfortunately limited (signature Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip is the go-to). And when I visited, the flavors sampled all suffered from ice crystals. Hopefully, kinks will be worked out.

In the Linq, both Ghirardelli and Sprinkles are good choices:

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too, (4300 Meadows Lane), but the shave ice here is relatively limited — their selection of Dole Whip is probably more exciting to those obsessed with that non-dairy soft serve.

If you thought all that Mexico had to offer was helados, paletas, licuados and aguas frescas, well, guess what: They have one more cold treat you need to try. Also built on shaved ice, raspados mix juice and chunks of fruit into a more natural version of a slushie, which need a straw and spoon to devour. They pop up in so many spots across the Valley that it would require a whole other article just trying to rate them. But some of the most admired come out of Raspados Los Pinguinos, a trailer parked at 840 N. Decatur, offering most of the expected fruit flavors. Go native and try the Chamoyada or Chamango, a blend of guayaba or mango and spicy Chamoy sauce that will hit all your sweet salty spicy buds at once. A $4 “mediano” will last you a long time.

FroYo I’m aware that I’ve put off the frozen yogurt category — mainly because it’s far from inspiring by comparison. But of the local chains I’ve tried, Yogurtland seems a clear winner, for the variety and quality of flavors and toppings alike — not to mention some of each seem legitimately healthy (Blueberry Tart: real blueberries, active cultures, 30 calories per ounce), should that be important to you.

And Lastly …

As much as I tried to favor local over franchises, I have to give a nod to Sonic Drive-In, which not only keeps the dream of rollerskating car hops alive, but also happens to offer a nearly ridiculous variety of 25 milkshake flavors, 28 slushes, 18 “blasts” (still not quite sure what those are, but they are cold), malts, floats, sundaes: Good people, I doff my cap to you, for you have truly slayed the frozen dragon.

the first doesn’t have a lot of variety, but they make great sundaes with real hot fudge in go-cups you can share as you walk around; the second has a nice selection of flavors made with quality ingredients, which are fashioned into cute cupcake or cookie sundaes.

If you’re up for a novelty, or seeking dairy alternatives, you might want to check out Ice Pan in Harrah’s, a Japanese concept that makes ice cream to order, literally, paddling the seasonal ingredients, including scrambled eggs, on a freezing countertop. You’ll pay a couple dollars more than you might for premade stuff, but you get some entertainment out of it, too!

I was excited as well to try Marash Turkish Ice Cream (made with orchid flour for a slightly more marshmallowy texture), located next to Tix4Tonight in Bally’s Grand Bazaar Shops. But, unfortunately, they offer only eight flavors. And with small servings starting at $5, you’d do just as well to hit Palio across the street at Bellagio or Blizz froyo inside Bally’s.

As for Xue Hua Bing, I have it on the best authority that SLS’s Ku Noodle does the most impressive version you could hope for. Will have to put that on my list.

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Turn Up Town

Dria’s Nightclub and Beach Club

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EDM Culture Meets Vegas to Meld World’s Hottest Club Scene

By Brian Sodoma

O

n a recent trip to North Dakota, Tobin Ellis visited a small Mexican food restaurant. As the founder of BarMagic, a Las Vegas-based bar and club consulting firm, Ellis was surprised to find a Sin City connection – a VIP host from a Strip nightclub, in town to meet a potential guest.

“Someone in Vegas flew him up there to try to find the next person to spend $10,000, $15,000 or more for bottle service at their club,” Ellis said.

Just like casinos that court whales, Ellis says nightclubs solicit VIPs, those willing to shell out serious money to be a big tuna in a booth at a club. It’s not surprising to the bar pro and six-time national mixology champion.

Through the years, Ellis has gotten away from nightclub consulting, focusing more on bars and lounges – where specialty cocktails and spirits can take center stage. At nightclubs, he says, it’s, above all, about image and playing the part of a VIP – even if you’re a humble North Dakotan for the other 360-some days of the year.

“You might have people who wouldn’t spend $100 for a dinner back home,” he says. “But they’ll spend $1,000 at a strip club, or $1,500 at a nightclub when they come here. This drives the VIP model.”

Top of our game When it comes to nightclubs, Las Vegas is a force. Nightclub & Bar’s 2015 annual report of the highest-grossing nightclubs lists seven of the top 10, and 10 of the top 15, as being in Las Vegas. The top three are XS (at the Encore), Hakkasan (at the MGM Grand) and Marquee (at the Cosmopolitan).

Cathy Tull is senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “The biggest [DJ] names all perform here on a resident basis,” she says. “Our nightlife outlets are constantly changing things up for a fresh experience.”

The average age of visitors, she says, has dropped in the past five years from 49 to 45. And the younger crowd seems to crave clubs.

With visitor counts climbing from 37.3 million to 41.1 million in the same period, the number of people going to nightclubs during a Vegas visit has jumped from 5 percent to 8 percent, according to LVCVA statistics.

Nightclubs are part of an industry lumped in with bars and lounges that takes in about $24 billion annually, according to IBIS World’s January 2015 Bar & Nightclub World Industry report.

The nightclub industry as a whole is pulling out of a recessionary slump. The IBIS report, written by Andrew Alvarez, highlights how the industry’s growth was slow in the first half of the last five years. Simply put, more people were drinking at home during the recession. That trend’s still alive today, but is now less of a concern, according to the article.

“In spite of these factors,” Alvarez writes, “the industry’s financial performance is forecast to strengthen as the economy improves and consumer spending increases.”

Courting VIPs Ellis’s North Dakota encounter speaks to operators’ willingness to go above and beyond to get the highest profile people into their clubs.

Ryan Craig is managing partner at Drai’s Nightclub and Beach Club, a rooftop venue at the Cromwell. He refers to certain employees as “ambassadors.” They are a team that combs the world for DJ talent and VIPs. Craig, a one-time host himself, says VIP hosts comprise a couple of dozen or so people who’ve worked in and studied the local scene over the past decade. Their celebrity, DJ and client contacts are critical to an employer. But not all are who they claim to be.

“They have to establish trust with their customers,” he says.

“Wealth travels in circles. … You see a lot of people come and go and jump venue to venue. … Without those roots, you’re tough to trust.”

Craig likes to mix young newbie VIP hosts with seasoned veterans. “I like that guy that’s 21, 22 and ready to get to work. …

You can get complacent doing it for 10 years and think you don’t have to do anything but pick up your phone. … It’s nice to have a couple (of) older guys mentor the younger guys, too.”

Never to be outdone So when VIPs enter Drai’s, Marquee, XS, Hakkasan or any other hot club in town, what do they experience? “All the clubs really try to outdo each other with bottle service,” Craig says.

At Drai’s, for $20,000 you can have your own fireworks show.

Spend $250,000 and you get a private jet charter on a 737 with 50 of your closest friends. For $1 million, “The Moby Dick” package, you can host a private party on a yacht.

Ellis says he’s heard of packages that allow a club-goer to set off the Bellagio’s fountain show, and plenty of other extravagant offerings. And there’s no shortage of beautiful women presenting champagne bottles, Ellis adds.

Anchored in music Electronic dance music, or EDM, drives nightclubs all over the world. Understanding the EDM scene is critical to surviving in the business, Craig says. Hot DJ’s are the big draw at clubs. And many people argue that Las Vegas has made the careers of some of the world’s top DJs, including Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Hardwell, Avicii and Skrillex.

Robert Casillas, founder and president of Monsoon Group, a nightclub consulting firm, is a passionate EDM fan who understands the scene. He started his company in Arizona in the 1990s as a rave promoter. By 2000, his enterprise had caught the attention of nightclub owners in Las Vegas and around the country.

“We would get club owners in VIP tents and they would be asking ‘how do you get thousands of people to come out and party in the desert?’ It was pure networking. There was no Twitter, Facebook, no Myspace. … Then they came to us and asked for help,” he said.

By 2008, Casillas had packed up and moved his company to Las www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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Hakkasan Nightclub @ MGM Hotel & Casino

Vegas.

“We were a group that was serious about our music and serious about our people,” he says. “You can’t just assemble a marketing team to reach these people. … It’s an underground scene. It’s about getting music to people before it’s available on the radio.”

But today, EDM has gone mainstream. Casillas says that before the megaclubs of today, Utopia (1996-2002) was a true local underground EDM club. “You couldn’t ask the DJ to play Madonna in there. You’d get kicked in the face,” he says.

As EDM grew in popularity at nightclubs, it was ripe for Vegas to put its touch on the experience. In came bottle service, VIP booths and plenty more. “One can argue Miami was well ahead of Las Vegas as far as music, but it just didn’t have the budget,” Casillas says. “Las Vegas has the budget for the bells and whistles.”

The heart of EDM, he notes, is in Ibiza, an island off the coast of Spain. “It’s still the mecca of EDM. … America is really barely catching up to Europe. … American EDM is very cookie cutter. …

It’s also more about celebrities in Vegas. But who cares what Paris Hilton wants to play? Pretty soon Oprah will be a DJ.”

DJ talent The top 15 DJs in the world can draw thousands of people to local clubs on any given night. But it’s a talent pool that, Craig says, isn’t available to everyone. “They’re locked into exclusive contracts. …

That really wasn’t an option for us [when opening Drai’s],” he says.

So Craig’s team has relied on up-and-comers like Dannic, Dyro, Chromeo and others. “Since we’ve done that, more and more clubs are going after our guys. It’s a compliment,” he says.

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His team is constantly traveling the globe to find DJ talent, and he gets plenty of unsolicited input as well.

“We’re willing to give someone a shot. We get people from all over the world,” he adds. “People will submit their work. ... A lot of people in the industry, it’s their passion and they’re always coming and telling us who to book, too.”

Aesthetics

Of late, clubs have turned to the outdoors. Pool clubs feed nightclubs, Casillas says, and Drai’s ability to do it all on the roof of the Cromwell has been a hit.

“You’re 11 stories above the Strip. The view, that’s where it’s at,” says JC Diaz, executive director of the International Nightlife Association.

Casillas also commends Las Vegas for its restraint. He has seen clubs in Asia with outrageous props, including floating dragons and massive sculptures, that make some of the Las Vegas clubs’ eye-catching attractions, such as XS’s million-dollar chandelier, look downright subtle.

“There’s a point where it gets tacky,” he says. “And Vegas, even with its big budget, has done a good job of not getting to that.”

The next chapter of Las Vegas’ nightclub evolution may lie in the $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas on the north Strip, formerly the site of the mothballed Echelon project. The Chinesethemed resort could bring a new level of over-the-top to the market, according to Casillas.

“You see some of the most insane stuff in clubs in Asia,” he says.

“For now, all eyes are on (Resorts World).”

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Tao Asian Bistro, Nightclub and Beach Club

Safe and Sound

N

othing can bring a club down faster than a violent incident or assault. These problems hike up insurance rates and can even shut down venues. No one knows this more than Robert Smith, founder of Nightclub Security Consultants Inc. in San Diego.

Smith started the company in 1998, after working 20 years with the San Diego Police Department and dealing with thousands of calls from club managers. Smith trains bouncers, and his work has caught the attention of insurers and club owners around the country. He says an assault or shooting can easily double a club’s six-figure insurance policy premium, and

some insurers are requiring his trainings before assigning a policy to a new club.

Smith teaches bouncers to check their egos at the door. He says many also misinterpret ID and sexual harassment laws. As a result, he says, some may end up using force unnecessarily.

“Bouncers need to have customer service skills,” he says.

“Drunks will do stupid things. You have to expect it. Sometimes the toughest thing to do in these situations is to be nice.”

Smith, who has done trainings for numerous local clubs, including Tao and the Hard Rock’s Rehab, finds a better bouncer-to-patron ratio in Sin City.

“In a lot of clubs you’ll see one per 75 to 100. In Vegas, it’s one per 25. You’ll have five or six guys at the door, 12 or so walking the floor,” he says.

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Plain White T’s

think

A Culture Spun in Cotton

By Marisa Finetti

W

as there even a time before the classic white T-shirt? Yes, but we have to go back to the 1900s to remember that this wardrobe staple was an undergarment before it saw daylight. Back then it was a union suit, the traditional single undergarment that Sears & Roebuck sold for 80 cents. Some inspired soul came up with the idea of splitting the “suit,” to create top and bottom separates that were cooler (in the old sense of the word) than the original mono-garment.

Eventually, the top half emerged – independent of its counterpart. It became essential outerwear almost overnight. The U.S. Navy introduced T-shirts as part of the standard-issue uniform. They were cheap, easy to clean and quick to dry. Soon enough, the T began making its way into other industries, including farming and mining. By the 1920s, “T-shirt” had taken up residence in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

The T-shirt, aptly named for its traditional shape, slowly, but steadily, morphed from a masculine to a unisex garment. And once Marlon Brando wore it in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and James Dean sported it in “Rebel Without a Cause,” it quickly became renegade-chic for Americans (and those beyond our shores) to wear this fashionable standalone. During the mid-1980s, the T-shirt (now in a rainbow of colors) reached its fashion apogee, thanks, no doubt, to producer Michael Mann’s hit TV series “Miami Vice,” co-starring Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas. Crockett and Tubbs, as the actors’ TV alter egos were known, respectively, made it über-cool to wear tees under slick Armani suit jackets.

The white T remains a global favorite for its simplicity. But over the past 50 years, it has functioned as a vehicle to project our beliefs, our taste in music (remember the “tongue and lips” design of the Rolling Stones? John Mellencamp?), our sense of humor, our preferences in beverages, even our travels (“All I got was this dumb T-shirt”). While printed shirts have done a swell job of providing us with self-identifying billboards, the blank T remains the true American fashion statement.

Moving well past its humble Fruit of the Loom and Hanes origins, the plain white T became a fast fashion staple in the 1990s and continues to receive designer treatment from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, who layered Chanel’s signature tweed cardigan jackets over white tees and Kanye West, whose Hip Hop T-shirt for A.P.C. was a total sell-out.

Certainly, the white T has seen success over the years, and price hasn’t seemed to matter. The basic T can go for $5.99 (H&M) to $125 (Rag & Bone) and up. And, now with so many variations, from lightweight casual, to ultra-soft cotton luxe, crew-neck to boyfriend V-neck, pocket to plain, chiffon to jersey, slim-fit to split sides – it’s no wonder, that along with jeans, a skirt or any bottom for that matter, the classic white tee remains a key element of the quintessential casual-cool cat.

The very nature of its plain-ness and blank canvas leaves room for self-invention. Perhaps that’s what we love most about this home-grown staple.

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Clockwise from top left: James Dean, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clifft and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson

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Clockwise from top left: Kanye West, Beyonce, Adam Levine and Rihanna

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Clockwise from top left: Johnny Depp, James Franco, Angelina Jollie and Kurt Cobain

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Clockwise from top left: Calvin Harris, Kathy Ireland, Emporio Armanie white eagle v neck, Kate Moss

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think

Art of the

Reboot

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“Imitation is a kind of artless Flattery.”

— Eustace Budgell, The Spectator No. 605, October 1714

By Jaq Greenspon

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

F

or me, the tipping point came at the end of this past May when it was announced that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was going to take on the Kurt Russell role in a remake of the mid-’80s John Carpenter cult hit Big Trouble in Little China. Of course, this news came on the heels of the opening of Mad Max: Fury Road. That film, hailed by some as the best action movie in a generation, takes place in the same universe, with the same character (played by a different actor), last seen on film 30 years ago in the bland Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Now, coming in December, we have the latest Star Wars tour de force, The Force Awakens. It’s number seven in the film series but part of a larger filmic universe; this month there’s Ant-Man, and in August there’s The Fantastic Four, part of the Marvel Comic Universe but not the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But how do those all fit in with X-Men Apocalypse? And what about Batman vs. Superman?

I like this stuff and even I’m confused.

The easy thing to do here is to wave your hands and say something about Hollywood running out of original ideas. That’s why we get yet another superhero film or big screen version of some classic

TV show, or the most confusing of them all: the “reboot” (see the just-announced Untitled Spider-Man Reboot coming in July 2017).

It’s simple to dismiss this as a dearth of creativity, people just falling back on the same old, well-trod ground. Are the studios merely reaching for low-hanging fruit in pursuit of maximum profits? Lines like that can certainly make you a hit at your next cocktail soiree, but are they accurate? Are they fair? Is this really what’s happening in Hollywood? Is there any art in its commerce?

I think the answer is more complicated than it appears, because a lot of people are involved in bringing these movies to life – both creatively and financially.

Sure, there’s a lot of incentive on both ends. But the easiest place to start is by following the money. This year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron has a worldwide box office take that’s headed well north of $1 billion. By the start of June, it was already in fifth place for all time grosses. This is a sequel to The Avengers (2012), which holds third place in the box office sweepstakes, having made slightly more than $1.5 billion in its theatrical release. Sandwiched between them is Furious 7, the sixth (!) sequel to a mediocre car chase film from 2001.

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Standard industry wisdom states that if it worked once, it will work again. For one thing, you don’t need any screen time setting up characters or situations, because the audience already knows.

James Bond has been carrying his franchise for 50 years, right?

And the general public knows (from their parents if not by osmosis) that 007 has a “license to kill.” This kind of familiarity is great and inspires a customer’s loyalty. The publishing industry has known this for years. Why sell one book, when you can sell three (party trivia note – The Lord of the Rings is one book, broken into six parts, then repackaged into three “volumes” for marketing purposes)?

With films, it’s even worse. Why make one per book when you can separate them into more parts? The film versions of the final books in the highly successful Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games series were each split into two parts. And The Hobbit, a relatively slim young adult book, begat three films. Sure, it costs more to make the films. But from a financial standpoint, you already have the hard assets in place, so the relative startup costs are nil. It’s like that old medical adage: The first pill costs millions. The second? Pennies. When you average it out, it makes more sense profit-wise, to film “parts 1 & 2” at the same time and release them a year apart.

They’ve been doing it this way for at least 30 years. In fact, the first I heard about it was the second two films in the Back to the Future trilogy. Of course, that was back in the days when you waited until you knew the first film was going somewhere.

Today, the automatic plan is for three films unless things go horribly awry. In some cases, as with the comic book “universes,” actors are signed for multiple appearances as the same character (Hugh Jackman is putting on his Wolverine claws for a ninth go-round, and rumors are rampant of a guest shot in Marvel’s Deadpool). Financially, the advantage is obvious. For relatively little money, the studios have locked in a (hopefully) popular character that can be slotted as they see fit. Marvel Studios makes the most of this, as with Captain America: Civil War (opening May 2016 – By the way, April is early enough to start getting in line). Marvel has announced 14 heroes/ villains we’ve seen before, plus two new to the universe and at least one more (Spider-Man, more on him later) who hasn’t been cast yet but will certainly be making an appearance. By constantly presenting us with iterations of the same characters, these films are a slam dunk financially.

But there’s also the “nostalgia factor.” This is a variation on the “if it worked once” theory above. Nostalgia says if you make a film based on something in the zeitgeist, the audience naturally will respond by filling the theater (at least on opening weekend before the reviews are in and the word-of-mouth out). Tim Burton has built a solid career mining your memories – Batman, The Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dark Shadows and others. Even his Alice in Wonderland would fit here.

This is also where things start to get a bit blurry in the commerce vs. art category. As commerce goes, revisiting a hit, even a timely piece of fluff, is a way to draw the type of crowd that feels a warm pang looking at Instagram pictures of last week’s dinner. At the same time, this is a way for filmmakers to put their contemporary stamp on something they loved from their youth.

Making a sequel mostly works because you’re continuing the story.

But what if you want to restart things the way you see them?

Creative people love to play the “what if” game. We all have our own take on how we see the characters, our own artistic sensibilities on the stories that should be told. We want to make it our own. This is nothing new, mind you. Actors do it all the time on the stage.

The Amazing Spiderman (2012)

Shakespeare stopped writing in 1616, with an oeuvre of 30-something plays. Yet we constantly restage them, constantly put Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet or Prospero through their paces the way new groups of actors, directors and designers envision them creatively.

The score’s the same with musicians. How many covers have you heard? In the ’50s, it was common for a songwriter to release a tune and have several competing versions on the radio at the same time.

Even today there are “tribute” albums released.

For the first several years of his career, David Bowie included at least one cover version on each album. Entire musical careers are predicated on remaking someone else’s songs. But no one ever complains about that. Marcel Duchamp put a mustache on the Mona Lisa, renamed it L.H.O.O.Q., and it’s considered fine art. But when Christopher Nolan decided to restage the killing of Bruce Wayne’s parents in an alleyway, there was an uproar (enough so that, with Batman vs. Superman approaching, the producers already have said there will be no origin story. Same with Spider-Man.) When Sam Raimi made the Spider-Man trilogy for Sony, starting in 2002, it was the first time that hero had been on the big screen.

Sure, there had been a live-action TV series (thank you, Nicholas Hammond) in the ’70s, and a number of animated adventures on numerous Saturday mornings. But this was the first mass exposure on the silver screen. So it made sense to give us an origin — especially since Raimi went against comic book canon by giving his hero organic web-shooters rather than mechanical ones. He was re-creating the character through his own creative lens.

Scarcely 10 years later, we had “reboot,” though, in the form of The www.davidlv.com | JULY 2015

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Dark Shadows (2012)

Amazing Spider-Man (2012), this time under the guidance of (the aptly named) Marc Webb. He took the web-slinger and once again recast him – literally with a new actor, and figuratively by giving him a new origin story (and reviving the mechanical web-shooters). In 2017, look for a new director, a new Spider-Man and a new studio in Marvel.

This means the latest version of the character will be able to interact with any of The Avengers (but not the X-Men or Fantastic Four, which are getting their own reboots, and are at different studios).

A “reboot,” then, is a new take on an old character, a creative revision. Nothing wrong with that, right? We can all appreciate an artist, in this case a writer or director or even an actor, bringing his own interpretation to a project. So how should we feel about remakes? By definition they’re the same thing. It’s a current artist re-imagining an existing piece of work. The difference, usually, is in whether the source material is a continuing character or a specific original project.

I think where we, as an audience, push back is in the perceived “necessity.” The reason we don’t need another origin story for well-known characters is, well, we already know it. The reason we complain about remakes is we feel strongly about the original, good or bad, flawed or perfect. Something about it resonated with us. With Big Trouble, that’s a part of my childhood.

Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011)

And while it’s not a great film, it works as it is. I can’t see how anything can be done to it to make it better/more relevant/new without taking away something that made the original so much fun. There’s a reason no one has done a superior “Stairway to Heaven” or “Hey Jude” cover.

In the end, money probably drives the ultimate decision. But we also get reboots and remakes and sequels because artists feel they’ve got something new to say or offer on the subject. Letting them explore their visions, in theory at least, is never a bad thing.

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