Downtown Zen Jul 2015

UNIQUELY US. DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT.

DTZEN.COM • JUL 2015

PIN UP

CLAIRE SINCLAIR TALKS MODELING, HEF & PASTIES

LOOK PRETTY IN

PASTELS Fashion pg. 8

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

FROM A FOODIE’S PERSPECTIVE

AMBER BURKHART: BIG JOY, BIG VINTAGE

Life’s best moments are rarely made alone

SHOP OUR CLOTHES: Zappos.com/toadandco Also available at ToadandCo.com and specialty outdoor shops everywhere.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS BALLOONS & MACARONS, PAGE 8

FEATURES

08 Balloons & Macarons 22 Cheffini’s Hot Dogs 24 Inside Pin Up 30 Merideth Spriggs

CHEFFINI’S HOT DOGS, PAGE 22

36 Amberjoy’s Vintage Closet 50 Life is Beautiful

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

55 Fabulous Downtown 56 Book Review

INSIDE PIN UP, PAGE 24

58 Heirlooms & Artifacts 60 Behind the Lens

FOOD & BEVERAGE

62 Glutton 64 Hop Nuts MERIDETH SPRIGGS INTERVIEW, PAGE 30

66 The Beat 68 Recipe of the Month

UPCOMING EVENTS

69 Calendar of Events

AMBERJOY’S VINTAGE CLOSET, PAGE 36

ABOUT THE COVER Playboy Playmate and Stratosphere “Pin Up” star Claire Sinclair graces us with her presence wearing a purple boa and corset from the show’s signature number “Bumps & Grinds.” On page 24, the young model and headliner candidly talks about her career, past and present, and what she’d like to do next.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL CULINARY TOUR, PAGE 50

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EDITORS’ LETTER This one’s for girls who’ve ever had a story to tell …

O

ur largest magazine printed to date, this issue goes beneath the layers and features narratives of some of downtown’s most notable women. From modeling and entertainment to homeless outreach and small business ownership, their wide-ranging backgrounds are nothing short of spectacular.

Headlining the cover and famously known as 2011’s Playboy Playmate of the Year, Claire Sinclair sits down with us to talk candidly about her admiration for Bettie Page, her rise to modeling fame and how the Stratosphere’s stage made everything come full circle. Read the full interview and see the burlesque beauty posing in costume on page 24.

More like a superhero minus the cape, Merideth Spriggs demonstrates what it’s like to care about those who need a hand up the most. Follow along as our editor shadows her homeless outreach efforts and how she’s making Vegas a better place to live, one person at a time.

Rounding us out, Amber Joy Burkhart illuminates the camaraderie of hep cats at Vegas’ coolest bashes. As owner of Amberjoy’s Vintage Closet, her perspective is of additional value: small business owner, downtown resident, vintage maven.

Before sending you freely on your way, we do want to make one more mention. As longtime editors of this publication, we are hanging up our hats and stepping away. And it pains us to have to say goodbye.

Over the last three years we have managed to grow the Downtown Zen beyond our loftiest expectations. What started as a 10-page internal newsletter, printed at a meager 600 copies, has become what you see in the pages to follow.

Despite the many challenges of this process, to the Vegas Valley, and in particular, our downtown community: thank you. Thank you to our volunteer staff, advertisers, brand partners and readers. This magazine, that has been the focus of our deepest passion, has always aimed to inform, inspire and uplift the subjects of our niche neighborhood. Impossible it would have been without your support.

CHIEF EDITOR Michael Boley, Mandy Crispin MANAGING EDITOR Jacqueline Cordova ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING Loren Becker Michael Boley Mandy Crispin Jacqueline Cordova CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brian Paco Alvarez Michael Boley Mandy Crispin Jacqueline Cordova

Elisabeth Daniels Kayla Dean Peter Gaunt Charlene Sands

CALENDAR & EVENTS Alexie Ihde PHOTOGRAPHY Jacob Atmodjojo Ivan Quiroz Matthew Carr Matthew Wong Elisabeth Daniels LV News Bureau Peter Gaunt Nate Ludens/Vox Solid Communications CREATIVE DIRECTORS Michael Boley Mandy Crispin ART DIRECTOR Bradford Wason DTZEN.COM Michael Boley COVER Producer: Michael Boley Model: Claire Sinclair Wardrobe: Cynthia Brooks Hair & Makeup: Eden Walton & Natalie Lane (MAC Cosmetics) Logo Design & Typography Layout: Nina Thomasian PRINTER: CREEL Printing 702.735.8161 | www.creelprint.com CONTACT US: Email: DowntownZEN@zappos.com Follow on Instagram: #dtzen Follow on Twitter: @downtownzen READ ONLINE AT: dtzen.com and issuu.com/dtzen

As we conclude penning our final sentence, it would be most fitting to say farewell with the following …

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” -A.A. Milne

SCAN ME FOR DTZEN.COM

Be good, Michael Boley

Mandy Crispin

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Zappos.com/Only 6 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

6TH & FREMONT | 702.385.5200 |

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SIEGELS1941.COM Management reserves all rights.

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WRITTEN BY Michael Boley

PHOTOGRAPHY Ivan Quiroz

STYLING Ashotta Ward-Whales

HAIR Brandon Hall

HIGH-RISE FASHION BALLOONS & MACARONS Nineteen floors above the desert landscape of downtown’s Arts District, loft-style luxury meets its match inside Newport Lofts. Showcasing a modern aesthetic, this sky parlor of floor-to-ceiling windows and a walkout terrace seizes a flawless midafternoon glow, pairing perfectly with airy summertime fabrics and a mixed pastel color scheme throughout.

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MAKEUP Natalie Lane

ROMPER BCBGeneration CLUTCH Rebecca Minkoff FOOTWEAR Aldo BRACELET Gorjana

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BLUE HUES AND TRANSFORMATIVE SHOES HANDBAG Ted Baker EARRINGS Vince Camuto BRACELET Kendra Scott FOOTWEAR Aldo

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DRESS Ted Baker

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TOP Gabriella Rocha SKIRT BCBGeneration

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FRINGE, FRILLS & FUN

HANDBAG Rebecca Minkoff EARRINGS Guess NECKLACE Guess FOOTWEAR Steve Madden

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DRESS Rachel Zoe BRACELET Kendra Scott

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DRESS Rebecca Minkoff CLUTCH Rebecca Minkoff FOOTWEAR Duen London

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CLUTCH ONTO SUMMER

CLUTCH Rebecca Minkoff EARRINGS Kendra Scott BRACELET House of Harlow FOOTWEAR Joe’s Jeans

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TOP Catherine SHORT BCBGeneration BRACELET Elizabeth and James

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DRESS Rebecca Minkoff BRACELET House of Harlow

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WRITTEN BY Michael Boley

PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Wong

FRANKFURTERS FOR THOUGHT It’s National Hot Dog Month, and Cheffinis’ mission is simple: to create the best hot dog experience you can have. Reinventing an American classic, co-owners Jose “Chepe” Villamil and Fabian Arias infuse their footlongs with international flavors, proving time and again that basic is boring. Without further ado, here are their top five mouthwatering must-haves: CHEFFINI’S Downtown Container Park 707 Fremont St., Suite 1050 Cheffinis.com

#2

#1 #3

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#1 | EL MEXICANO Bacon-wrapped grilled frank, cherry pepper relish, green sauce, chipotle guava, garlic aioli, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro garnish

#3 | THE GRANDFATHER Grilled frank, pork belly, red bell peppers, caramelized onions, crushed potato chips, spicy mayo, basil aioli, pickle mango, fried quail egg

#2 | MOSHI-MOSHI Grilled frank, caramelized onions, seaweed, jalape単os, wine sauce, spicy mayo, sesame seeds

#4 | PANCHERO Grilled frank, dry chorizo bits, caramelized onions, red bell pepper aioli, chimichurri

#5 | CLASSIC CHEFFINIS Grilled frank, onions, tomatoes, jalape単os, mozzarella, crushed potato chips, pineapple sauce, mustard, mayo, ketchup

#4

#5

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WRITTEN BY Michael Boley

HAIR Eden Walton

MAKEUP Natalie Lane

WARDROBE Cynthia Brooks

CLAIRE SINCLAIR STRIPS AWAY THE LAYERS From Bunny Yeager’s last subject to Playboy’s 2011 Playmate of the Year, Claire’s the sultry star of Stratosphere’s “Pin Up,” Vegas’ most critically acclaimed adult show. Flip left to read the sit-down conversation and see much, much more of the unattainable girl next door.

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As a teen, what attracted you to pinup modeling?

My dad is a collector, he sells memorabilia, and all over our house growing up there were Olivia De Berardinis’ paintings. She’s a pinup artist who specifically did a bunch of pieces on Bettie Page. Our house was covered in Bettie Page and all these Playmates, and she would paint them as pinup girls; they’d be a genie, they’d be a maid, they’d be doing fetishes. I’ve loved Bettie Page since I was a little girl, and I knew that if ever there were a dream job it would be being a pinup model.

Can you recall your breakthrough modeling moment?

The only jobs that I seemed to be booking were retro-inspired shoots where they needed a curvier girl. Anything ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s I would always book.

There was this one job that kind

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of foreshadowed what was to come. It was a gig, like a cattle call, where there were a bunch of girls for this job, and it was for a centerfold in the movie “Whiteout” with Kate Beckinsale.

It was a blonde girl in the centerfold that they wanted us to recreate, and it was a centerfold for Playboy, but they couldn’t get the rights to it for the movie so they were recreating the image. And there were all these blondes at the audition, and I was like ‘what am I doing here?’

I was underage at the time, but I go and I got that. I’m the centerfold at age 17 in that movie.

A typical day or weekend with Hef and the other Playmates looks like …

What day? Hef has rituals, almost like OCD to what he does every week. On a Tuesday it was game night where the girls play Uno or Dominos, and they’d all put in $5. Friday, Saturday and Sunday is movie night at the Mansion. Friday is old movies, everything before the ‘50s and silent movies, Saturday is one of his girlfriends’ picks and Sunday was a new movie out in theaters.

Is there anything you regret during your time at the Playboy Mansion?

I wasn’t meant to be a Playmate for a couple of years after I got there; I was meant to entertain myself. So, I would wake up and figure out how they would push me along to be Playmate faster. It was my whole sole purpose in life. It was boring for a couple of years. But it was chill times, and in retrospect I should’ve just enjoyed the chillness of it and not have been so in a hurry to rush things along. When weeks get hectic, I miss those moments.

Biggest Hugh Hefner fallacy?

‘Hef’s too old and doesn’t know what’s going on.’ Up until I left the Mansion, [Hef] was the smartest man I have ever met. He’s Mensa, and he has a genius IQ, and he was fully in control of the magazine. He did things old school. He was literally pasting into a mock magazine before it would go to Chicago for publishing.

But he did it, it was all him 100 percent.

You couldn’t ask him something he didn’t know about.

How many pillow fights inadvertently left you in lingerie surrounded by goose feathers?

Yeah, right (laughing). That’s another misconception, that there are beautiful women loitering around in the nude allover the place. It’s more of a historical old people’s club. It’s interesting, but it’s not what you think. At a party you’ll get the Playboy experience, you’ll see the girls in their lingerie prancing around. Eight girls lived there, but all of the Playmates traveled around to different places, so in the house it was me, Jaime Edmondson and Kim Phillips; we were the ones there consistently. But I don’t ever remember pillow fights. Sorry to disappoint.

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Models generally pose and move for the camera, not for live audiences.

Was there a learning curve to nailing down Pin Up’s choreography?

It’s more of a sequence of poses is how I like to look at it. Coming into this I had no dance experience whatsoever, and I talked to the choreographer when I first got here. I told her, ‘If you’re gonna want me to dance, you’re gonna have your work cut out for you because I don’t dance.’ After two years, I feel like I’ve worked hard to make sure I dance my numbers really well. I have the utmost respect for the highly trained, gorgeous dancers in our show — they are terrific!

The sexy burlesque acts I do in Pin Up are an absolute blast, and I have fun performing them. Each person in the show has his or her own strengths, and we each contribute our own special something to this amazing show.

In your signature Pin Up number, Bumps & Grinds, you vigorously shake your breasts at the audience. On a scale of 1 to sexpot, where does this rank for you?

I don’t feel sexy when I’m rolling my tassels around in the audience. I feel more like ‘this is hilarious.’ That’s my thought in my head when I’m doing it. To me, it never feels like sexpot; that’s just a funny moment for me.

Skin sells. Despite being voted 2015 Best Adult Show, do you foresee Pin Up ever baring all?

I’m a fan of more. I don’t think we should ever go completely nude, but I think that we should definitely give more skin from all of the girls throughout the show, and progressively, as the show goes on, give a little more skin for each number. I think the show is taking that route; it’s a happening slowly but surely, and the layers are coming off.

At 24, you’re famously young to have had so many accomplishments. What’s one thing you’ve yet to do that you wish you already had?

Acting I would say, because it would be the natural thing to do, but I’m not going to say that because I’m not an accomplished actress. You’ve got to be real with yourself. What I wish I’d done was designed with a brand, such as the Bettie Page store or some sort of line of clothing. I’ve been a spokesmodel for many brands for different things, but I’ve never looked into making my own line with any of them, and I think I could’ve made some cool stuff. And I’d like to do that still.

PIN UP™ shows Thursday through Monday at 9:30 p.m. in the Stratosphere Theater. For tickets and specials, call 800.99.TOWER

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WRITTEN BY Jacqueline Cordova

MERIDETH SPRIGGS Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis said, “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes in which we see reality.”

It’s a beautiful reminder that you can’t always change a situation, but you can change your attitude toward it.

Merideth Spriggs, founder of Caridad, is an example of someone living by these words. She’s a real life superhero out to change the world of homelessness one person at a time.

“I go for the hardest to reach. I go for the one who everyone’s already tried to help.” Merideth spoke with so much passion that I knew it wasn’t a lie.

Through our entire conversation she never broke eye contact. This showed an incredible amount of confidence and complete honesty. Merideth knew what she wanted to say and how to say it.

She continued, “There’s a stigma about the homeless: that they’re lazy, drunk or mentally ill, and that’s not always

the case. Many of them have [college] degrees.”

The issue of homelessness can be a sensitive topic and sometimes difficult to discuss. It’s a reminder of how fragile life is and how quickly it can change.

Whether by choice or circumstance, things we own, people we know and places we live can be gone in an instant.

For many people, tough experiences like this are usually a one-time thing. For our downtown homeless, living in a constant state of change, struggling to adapt is a regular occurrence.

Merideth told me about her most memorable client named David — a 15-year street guy with two master’s degrees. He had a family and stable job until he lost it all to alcoholism. When she found him, he was in really bad shape, lying in his own feces. “He could’ve died out on the street,” she said.

According to the VI-SPDAT test, a revolutionary tool used to measure a homeless individual’s chronicity and medical vulnerability, David scored a 17. The VI-SPDAT factors in things like selfcare, physical health, risk of personal harm and history of homelessness. If an individual scores 10 points or more, permanent supportive housing is recommended because their chances of long-term survival are extremely low.

“When I took him in for help, they didn’t want to take him,”

Photograph by Elisabeth Daniels 30 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

she said. “I remember getting into a shouting match with one of the workers.

I told him, ‘It’s different because I said it is!’ I wasn’t leaving until they helped him. I promised them I’d call everyday to check on him if I had to.” The facility’s hesitation seemed to come from having seen David so many times before. They were skeptical as to whether or not things really would be different this time.

Luckily that day, with Merideth fighting for aid, David was admitted back into the facility. Flash-forward to present day and David is more than one year sober.

He is back in contact with his family via Facebook and is slowly finding recovery.

“I still have a voicemail from him saved on my phone. I can play it for you …”

Tears swelled in Merideth’s eyes as her voice trailed off.

“He told me, ‘Thank you for saving me.’”

Some might call it intuition, but Merideth simply stood up for what she believed was right. And she’s still doing that — fighting ardently for a change in homeless outreach, refusing to give up until more people are permanently off the street. She is fiercely driven, incredibly intelligent and a real force to be reckoned with.

Street outreach is something she is deeply passionate about and a topic that hits close to home. When the stock market crashed in 2008, Merideth, then living in San Diego, lost her job and struggled to find steady work. Even with a master’s degree under her belt,

Photograph by Ivan Quiroz July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 31

Photograph by Ivan Quiroz 32 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

employment opportunities were limited and life grew incredibly tough. She was soon sleeping on a friend’s couch and applying for up to 10 jobs a week in hopes of landing a paycheck. That experience further fueled her desire to help.

After months of uncertainty she found work in the Recuperative Care Unit at the San Diego Rescue Mission. It’s a place where homeless individuals recently released from the hospital can go for further care. Merideth helped men and women find jobs and land long-term housing. This RCU was the first of its kind in the entire country. It was the fresh start she needed and an opportunity to dive deeper into homeless care.

The following year, she created her charity, Caridad (Spanish for “charity”), with a goal to provide charitable giving in the community. She partnered with multiple San Diego homeless agencies to hold donation events.

Their sock and underwear drive, playfully dubbed “Undie Sunday,” was a constant success.

Still wanting to do even more, Merideth moved on to street outreach as the regional manager for PATH (People Assisting The Homeless).

The job was a huge responsibility but especially rewarding. She worked faceto-face with those living on the street and helped find permanent housing for countless individuals, many of who are now thriving.

In 2013 she moved to Las Vegas with her husband. Armed with her active charity, a business plan and vision of how to help homeless in her new community, she reached out to a few connections that led her to the Downtown Rangers.

The Rangers are a team of goodwill ambassadors who keep the community safe. They escort people to their vehicles at night, offer assistance to downtown patrons and watch out for serious situations that could require police or medical aid.

The Rangers had never handled

homeless outreach before, but they were intrigued by Merideth’s idea and ready to learn more. She joined the group as a homeless outreach representative later that year. Employing Merideth was not only a first for the Rangers, it was a first for the entire country. It was the first time a “for profit” company had ever hired someone to do homeless outreach, and Merideth was the perfect person to have at the helm.

This new role allowed her to become more involved in the downtown community and partner with homelessness agencies in town. She was out there networking, organizing events,

treated with such. Still, some individuals are hesitant to provide it to them.

The surprising thing is, many people interact daily with those who have been homeless and they don’t even know it.

In 2014, the number of homeless individuals within Southern Nevada increased over 25 percent from the prior year. Though this number is still much lower than when the economy crashed almost seven years ago, Las Vegas’s financial recovery still hasn’t been strong enough to provide stable opportunities. Merideth hopes that continued outreach to those in need will help soothe the situation while it continues to improve.

“My friend Allen Graham of Mobile Loaves and Fishes once told me, ‘our homeless have been broken from community, and we need to think about how we can restore them.’ And it’s so true,” she said. “We need to humanize the homeless.”

I’m so intrigued by what Merideth said that I find myself still fixated on it days later. In Photograph by Matthew Carr truth, I am guilty of ignoring people living on the street. I have avoided eye contact and allowed their educating the public and collecting requests for help to fall on deaf ears only donations. Merideth was determined because I’m never sure of how to react. to prove that fixing the problem of But what if I took Merideth’s words to homelessness downtown was possible. heart and started acknowledging their Through hard work, she built her presence instead? program and slowly gained trust within the city.

“We’re the first point of contact for the homeless until they go into care. It’s more of a customer service outreach,” she explained. “We’re asking them, ‘what do you need? What do you want?’ It’s about pride and ownership for them, and we have to take baby steps. We want to give them their dignity back.”

It can be hard to imagine the homeless as prideful people, but pride is an emotion created by our interactions in society and a sentiment everyone feels.

It holds strong in our human psyche.

The homeless want to be respected just like everyone else and deserve to be

Her whole view is a unique spin on how to solve the problem, but it makes sense.

Act with respect to help humanize those who feel dehumanized. She seems to be onto something. This customer service style approach has proven effective in downtown Las Vegas, and Merideth hopes it will benefit street outreach efforts nationwide. It hasn’t really been tried on a large scale and could prove effective. “As a country, we put up a lot of red tape. We limit their ability when we should be helping them navigate the system,” she told me.

This statement is also quite true.

Although agencies like the U.S. July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 33

Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) are in place to help, they each have separate client eligibility requirements that are based on separate government funding.

This division makes it hard for individuals seeking aid to know where to go. Having someone like Merideth to reach out to the proper agency for them is a huge help. “We have the resources to end homelessness. We just haven’t been coordinated about it,” she said.

Along with providing dignity to her clients Merideth also sets expectations for them. Self-accountability and weekly check-ins are expected, and they too must be responsible and show respect.

Though this doesn’t seem like a hard task, it’s a big deal for the homeless who accomplish it. Merideth has created reward programs like “Slurpees for Success” to celebrate achievements.

Those who have met their expected goals are treated to a slurpee as a form of congratulations. Small, thoughtful acts like this are an opportunity to create meaningful connections and provide further encouragement.

“My role is to celebrate success,” she said, and what she’s done thus far has been great for the street community.

By focusing on three things: customer service based outreach, complete focus on a concentrated area (downtown Las Vegas) and repeat encounters with those on the street, she’s shown that her techniques work. It’s been so successful, in fact, that she’s now branching out farther in the Las Vegas area.

Merideth’s charity, Caridad, has joined forces with the VA, HUD and USICH on its 25 Cities Initiative. The 25 Cities program is a federal initiative in which 25 communities throughout the nation are organizing local efforts and aligning resources to create a more coordinated approach for tackling the same issue.

Their goal is to work together to end 34 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

homelessness. It’s impressive to see the division lines between agencies finally dissipating. What’s even more impressive is that Merideth serves as co-lead for the project.

Vegas. She is living proof that human kindness and perseverance can create a positive shift in the world. Proof that if something is worth fighting for, give it your all.

“I never thought I’d be a leader. I was always on the street helping people,” she told me. Southern Nevada’s choice to place her in this role is further proof that she’s a key component to ending homelessness in our community. She knows the administrative side of things, has a strong ability to build connections and isn’t afraid to handle the grittier work. She also has charisma and, no matter how difficult things get, she’ll continue to fight until the battle is won.

“There were times when I wanted to give up. When I didn’t think I could do this and really make it matter. I remember calling my dear friend Donna Frye for advice, and she said the best thing. She said, ‘My dear, if you’re doing it for the good of the people and you’re honest, then hold your head high and scream it from the rafters.’”

Merideth celebrates the small victories of her 25 Cities team just as she does with her street outreach clients. At a recent meeting, held in the Veteran Agency’s Community Resource and Referral Center, she passed out hand clappers to the 20 plus attendees and gave them time to speak about current achievements. This helps further build a sense of community within the 25 Cities agency collaboration. “I want them to know that there’s room at the table for everyone. We need each other, as agencies,” she said.

She isn’t afraid to reach out to businesses in the community for additional assistance either. In the past, Merideth worked with members of The Light Group, the Las Vegas hospitality company that manages more than 20 food and beverage establishments in town. She asked if they’d assist the Nevada Homeless Alliance, a group that Merideth serves as a board member, with their Project Homeless Connect event. The Light Group gladly provided corporate sponsorship.

It’s amazing to see how far Merideth Spriggs has come. She’s experienced losing her job and home, has created a small donation-based charity to help others on the street, and is now guiding a team of government agencies on their initiative to end homelessness in Las

This beautifully poetic advice provided

by San Diego Politician Donna Frye is Merideth’s constant reminder that her quest to end homelessness is a worthy one.

Today, Caridad, has two office locations in Las Vegas. Though most of her time is split between Caridad and the 25 Cities Initiative, she’s still on the street five days a week working face-to-face with the homeless she cares so much about. She’s someone they can turn to who listens, who doesn’t judge and who truly wants to help. Merideth greets those she knows by name, introduces herself to the ones she’s meeting for the first time, and takes a few moments to speak with each of them.

Her cell phone is constantly buzzing from community business and agency text messages alerting her of repeat clients who might need her help. Even if the phone call comes in late at night, Merideth will respond. She does so because it matters and because people like David, who she saved one year ago, need a superhero on their side. Her work is 24 hours a day, seven days a week and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is a valuable support system for the homeless and an incredible role model for society.

TO DONATE CONTACT: www.caridadcharity.com facebook: CaridadLV Twitter: CaridadCares

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DOWNTOWNGRAND.COM | 702.719.5100 ON THIRD, ONE BLOCK NORTH OF FREMONT ST. 206 N 3RD ST, LAS VEGAS, NV 89101 | FOLLOW US ONLINE! DOWNTOWN GRAND LAS VEGAS

@DOWNTOWNGRANDLV July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 35

WRITTEN BY Mandy Crispin

PHOTOGRAPHY Jacob Atmodjojo

AMBERJOY’S VINTAGE CLOSET: COMMUNITY LINCHPIN Most small business owners are survivalists. They have to be savvy, and they have to be scrappy. Amber Burkhart is a bit of both those things, but what makes her tick is good ol’ fashioned friendship.

She’s amassed a huge group of pals, a couple of whom are usually visiting her shop, discussing one interesting thing or another, every single time I randomly pop in there myself to see what’s shakin’.

Stepping into Amberjoy’s Vintage Closet is like being stirred into a vortex full of happenings and pretty collisions. Joy beams from Amber, befitting her namesake. The experience hinges on the fantastic.

The following Q&A illustrates her as accurately as you will find her standing there in her store. Thoughtful, kind, energetic and passionate, she sheds light on how she runs her shop, why she does things in her particular ways and what this vintage scene is all about. You’ll also have the pleasure of viewing pictures made by Jacob Atmodjojo and team, the subjects of which are a whole cast of characters from Amber’s real life.

What is the significance of the word “Amberjoy”?

My mom and dad were trying to choose my middle name, and my mom’s best friend’s name was Susan, but my maiden name is Smith. But then my initials would have been A.S.S., so that was obviously out.

One grandma was named Jo, and one grandma was named Joyce, so they combined the two names,

and I became Joy. My girlfriends and I were talking about my pinup name. They asked me, “What is your middle name?” and I said, “Joy.” They said, “Amberjoy is a great pinup name, and it’s honestly yours,” and it stuck. I’ve been Amberjoy from that point on!

Amberjoy’s Vintage Closet is located on Main Street in the Antiques Alley Art District at 1225 S. Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89104. Contact the store at 702.825.2020. Store hours are noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. www.amberjoysvintagecloset.com 36 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

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What eras can one find at Amberjoy’s Vintage Closet?

We are exclusively 1940s to early 1960s for men, women and kids. If you like the movie “Cry-Baby,” or “Greece,” or “The Great Gatsby,” you can find items that are vintage and retro that fit those looks. We also have home furnishings and accessories. Our inventory literally changes on a daily basis, so no matter when you come in, you will always be able to see something new.

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What draws you to this time period?

Where do you find your inventory?

Personally it’s the look that I’m drawn to. I love mid century, Googie, art deco, mid mod, 1950s rockabilly-styled everything!

I love to dress and live the lifestyle, so really I opened the shop to support my hobby.

Like I said, I opened the store to support my habit. I am a shopaholic. I love to travel all over, especially with my friends, and hit estate sales, vintage clothing stores, garage sales, resale shops, and thrift stores. I really enjoy the thrill of the hunt! I also have consignees, and that has been a real benefit for our shop. Our consignees have some of the best treasures that their family members have held onto for years.

They get to add a little to their income while sharing beloved items with the people who really appreciate them today.

I like that women were feminine and soft, that men were strong and responsible and supported their families. I think the era was very visually appealing to look at, and that people treated each other with respect and kindness and put their neighbors first. When you look at the articles and magazine ads for the 1950s that feeling of family is really present.

I think it’s a happy look. I love the bright colors and the lines and the decor and the makeup styles and hair styles, and I also enjoy how people today have taken their own twist on those retro looks with intense colors, bigger skirts, brighter hair colors and lavish hairstyles.

How do you assess an item and price it?

Well this really starts with my love of vintage and where that love came from. My mom, grandma, and aunts would take me vintage and retro shopping in Washington and Oregon when I was a young girl. We would jump in the car and head to Seaside, Long Beach, Portland, and Seattle hitting antique and vintage clothing stores along the way.

I got to know the eras and styles listening to my family members explaining and pointing out items. I also talked with storeowners and learned about the history and value of these vintage finds. I don’t know everything, and I do have to do research, but as a whole I can look at most items and give a general approximation of what era and value an item may be.

I will make sure that I price things accurately and honestly.

I’m not super expensive, and I’m not cheap. We are priced right in the middle.

What’s your favorite find?

My favorite find has to be the 1940s house dresses that I am going through a stage with. I have four of them, and I wear them all the time. I get the most compliments on them. They fit my figure well, and they make me feel very comfortable and pretty. I love finding vintage formal gowns because they don’t last very long, and they are super hard to find. Vintage formal is our white buffalo. Also, Lucite purses, Bakelite jewelry, and my top favorite thing to find is vintage fabric!

Anything with a novelty print can literally drop me to my knees and bring me to tears. I love, love, love vintage novelty fabrics, and I have my own clothing line, so to be able to turn those pieces of material into an item that somebody’s going to love and wear from an original 1940s or ‘50s pattern with a vintage zipper and vintage buttons makes my heart rejoice.

To see a true vintage aficionado put on one of my pieces, and fall in love with it, is my entire reason for having my store. I really want to make my clothing line a success that people can enjoy, talk about, appreciate and love. I want to have excellent quality clothing that is beautiful to look at, wonderful to touch and appreciated for its uniqueness.

Amber with her seamstresses Kathleen and Lindy 40 | DTZEN.com | July 2015

Forever Amber: Vintage-inspired men’s and women’s clothing designed and made in-store with true vintage pattern, zippers, and buttons. Shown— Men’s shirt: The James; Women’s skirt: The Sophie

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AMBERJOY’S PIN UP PAGEANT SEPT 30, 2015 I have two major events a year for my shop. One of them is my 2016 Bombshell Calendar. We choose 12 Calendar Girls out of all our contestants, there is a $20 entry fee, and we get to shoot each girl in a vintage style. We then design, print, and sell them for the year. The calendar signing is a hoot! All 12 girls are dressed up, Deep Eddy vodka comes and does free tastings with their Bettys. It’s quite a spectacle of fun, and our girls love being a part of it.

My largest event is our yearly pageant. For the 2015 Pinup Pageant, we have celebrity judges, a runway, major prizes from awesome sponsors, raffle prizes, live music, lots of beautiful dresses and dashing men, with cameras and photographers everywhere. This year we will feature Miss Viva Las Vegas 17, Ginger Watson, on a red carpet interviewing people in their vintage formalwear, asking about where they got their

In the wedding gallery, Amberjoy’s carries vintage wedding gowns and offers custom vintage replicas and wedding planning services.

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treasures, the designers, what it means to them, and their love for it.

My celebrity judges this year are Tom Ingram, the creator of Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend and The Rockabilly Rockout, Ginger Watson, miss Viva Las Vegas 17, Doc Phineas from Pawn Stars and the president of the Steampunk Guild, Roy Varga, a world-famous pinup photographer, and Bang Bangs, who is the drummer for the Cutty Flam Band from LA, our live music for the show. The event will also be DJed by our local Spin Master DJ Lucky La’Rue, and EMC Scott Hinds, from The Royal Hounds Rockabilly Band, with his lovely assistant, Lolita Haze.

September 30, Wednesday evening, 7 p.m. – 1 a.m. No entry fee.

Formal attire. Go to my event page on Facebook page (Amber J. Burkhart) to see the entry rules and description.

ABOUT CLASSES OFFERED Hair: Lolita Haze is an incredible teacher for vintage updos. She teaches authentic techniques on how to get big, beautiful, silky, glossy vintage looks with minimum effort.

Our classes range in price because we offer multiple styles, such as the bombshell, victory rolls, bumper bangs, beehives, Marilyn updos, and Bettie Page bangs. She is a master at vintage hairstyles. Lolita has years of experience and has worked with hundreds of women. The classes are unique because they’re hands-on, and you actually learn how to do your own hair. www.lolitahaze.com

Makeup: Linz D is a licensed professional makeup artist. She has worked for musicians, stars, catalogues, magazines, newspapers, TV and cosplay events. Her work includes people such as Miss Universe, Miss America, Tom Cruise, Paul Rudd, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many other unique characters.

Lindsey teaches students how to achieve the perfect cat eyeliner, red lips that stay, contouring and much more. When you are done with her class, you know what you’re doing. Her

classes range from $25 to $35. If a student asks a question in the class, no matter what it is, she will teach them how to do it. www.linzd.com

Pinup Posing: This is one of our most popular classes. We’ve been offering it from the first month that we opened a year and a half ago.

Students learn how to pose from top to bottom for pictures, with a pinup flare. We have amazing teachers, such as, Rockwell De’Vil who is coming as a special guest. July 24 and 25 she will be teaching a vintage hair, makeup, and pinup posing class. If you hate having your picture taken and you feel like you don’t look good in pictures, this is a class you want to take. It literally will change your life.

July 24 pinup posing class by Rockwell $60. July 25 hair and makeup class by Rockwell $60. www.facebook.com/ MissRockwellDeVil Call the shop to book your spot. We will also be hosting classes by Ginger Watson, Miss Viva Las Vegas 17. www.letsgetdolledup.com

Amber Burkhart, Amber Foxx and Ginger Watson share some gal pal time.

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How would you describe the culture of this scene (e.g. what is the significance of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend and The Rockabilly Rockout)?

It’s a mixed culture. You have your purists (they wear and live only true vintage), your reproduction lovers (they enjoy new creations inspired from the past … like my line, Forever Amber), your hot rodders (greaser types who love old cars and the classic beauty in the next door neighbor’s garage), rat rodders (they take bits and pieces of vintage cars to create their own vision of a classic vehicle), your dancers ( jivers and boppers who have studied the art of swing), music lovers (they appreciate the bands, the musicians, old and new, who love to see a good show and enjoy a cold PBR), pinup girls (glamorous vixens who emulate the style of old Hollywood starlets, the girl next door, the glamour queen, and the Rita Hayworths, Bettie Pages and Marilyns of our world), burlesque (all the tease with out the sleaze, adult entertainment), and tattoo lovers.

Viva Las Vegas, the rockabilly weekender, is a place where everybody can get together, unite, and catch up on the past.

We all get to show off our clothing and hair. It is one place where we all fit and work together as a team and there is no separation. Women admire one another and publicly compliment each other no matter what size or shape they are.

Everyone is hugging like they’re family and eating together,

sharing drinks, dancing, and rocking out to amazing music.

It’s truly genuine. It is a time of meeting new best friends and seeing old friends that you met from a few Vivas before.

Everyone acts like family. You see very little pettiness or hostility. It’s rare, and it’s shunned. The point is for everyone to get together and show off their vintage or their own designs, build each other up, have fun, and strengthen the culture. The numbers are growing each year, and it is very exciting!

People ask me all the time, “What is the difference between Viva and The Rockabilly Rockout?”. Rockabilly Rockout is Tom Ingram’s newest creation. It’s old-school and all about the music. It’s not like Viva with 15,000 plus people, four different rooms of music and dancing, burlesque shows, fashion shows, pinup pageants, and car shows. Rockout is a smaller, more intimate event. The Rockout is only about the music, so if you prefer more one-on-one conversations, in a relaxed and personable weekend, Rockout is it.

One of my favorite things about being at these events is the people and the musicians that you get to meet. Because of Tom Ingram, I have been able to meet and hangout with the people who I think are superstars, like JD McPherson and his band, Imelda May, and Amber Foxx, who we recently got to do a photo shoot at her house with. What a privilege! www.abmerfoxx.com April 14-17, 2016 www.vivalasvegas.net October 1-4, 2015 www.rockabillyrockout.com

Tom Ingram, creator of Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend and The Rockabilly Rockout. “Tom is our Walt Disney of the rockabilly world.” –Amber

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Andrew and Ginger Watson (Miss Viva Las Vegas 17) July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 45

How do you know Jacob?

We were shooting for our 2014 calendar when Jacob came into the store to check it out as a customer. We started talking, and he told me he was a photographer.

I looked up his website, and I was so impressed with everything that he had done, I knew that we had to work together.

Jacob specializes in wedding photography and is taking the world of pinup photography by storm. His work is amazing. He has an eye for detail, and capturing the moment. He did an old Hollywood shoot for customers at my store that we sold out for, and when everyone that got their pictures back their jaws hit the ground.

He’s professional, he’s kind, he’s creative and he really knows what he’s doing.

I love working with Jacob, and I’m so privileged to have him opening his second location in my store.

If you’re getting married, having engagement shots, graduation photos, a “save the date” or anything that you want captured that will express your style and tell a story, Jacob captures memories. Come in and do a consultation with us, see some pricing and see examples of his work on our walls. What he captures with his camera will be something you will treasure forever, and so will your families. www.jacobgalleries.com

Jacob Atmodjojo and team.

Left to right: Lucy Chuang, Jacob Atmodjojo, Mary Alexandra Stiefvater, Mary Diaz, Miguel Diaz, Paul Kesaulya

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Why did you choose to have your shop located downtown?

that you meet downtown. Real people. I wanted that 1950 downtown old-time feel of camaraderie, people putting people first, and having it really be about the experience of the era.

I knew that my entire focus was going to be 1950s and rockabilly style, and downtown in the Arts District is where vintage and retro is supported and flourishing. I love being downtown. It is my favorite place in Vegas! It’s such a privilege to work with the most amazing people. For example, Dave and Becky of Main St. Inc., who own the building that I rent, have treated me swell and respected me as a businesswoman in the downtown area. I literally could not have done this without them. And that’s the kind of people

Your shop is a hotspot for community.

Why do you think that is?

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I think that people enjoy coming into my store and hanging out because they are treated like a family member the minute they walk through the door even though I may have never met them before. The shop is clean, it smells good and it’s fun. I believe that people very much enjoy having fun when they’re out shopping.

We have lively rockabilly and retro music playing at all times, and when you walk in you feel comfortable. We have seating for people to relax in if they just want to sit down to take a break. We offer cold water to our clients, and carry local information about other businesses and events because we want to support everyone.

When you come into the store, you are greeted within 15 seconds. No one goes ignored. People are asked to make themselves at home. “The store is yours, please have fun and play!”

I really have a hard time when I go shopping, being that I am a larger woman, and I would have to look through the entire store for two hours to find four items that would fit me. With us, you can go right to the exact size and style of the items you’re looking for. If I’m a extra large, I can go right to the extra larges and look at each rack. I can be in the store for less than 30 minutes and find everything that I need.

We have made so many great friends that the shop is really a treat for me, and I enjoy sharing it with the world.

We are clean and organized so it’s easy for customers to shop.

I actually set the store up the way that I would want to shop.

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WRITTEN BY Jacqueline Cordova

PHOTOGRAPHY Ivan Quiroz

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL CULINARY TOUR THE EPIC EATS & SIPS OF FESTIVAL LAND

RANDOM CHEF FACTS: Jonathan Waxman, a pioneer of California cuisine, is godfather to Marc and Bryan Forgione’s sister.

“36-Hour Pork Ribs” from Culinary Dropout. So good I had the urge to cry and slap our photographer at the same time. Eat this.

Do not share it.

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Waxman and their father, Chef Larry Forgione, spent a lot of time together in the 1980s cooking alongside other major chefs like Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck. They were all good friends. Their dad is also hailed as the “Godfather of American Cuisine.”

Talk about having some serious culinary role models!

When you mix incredible food with incredible music something beautiful happens. And when that food is made by people who appreciate all aspects of the craft, well, the experience is downright unforgettable. Last year’s “Culinary Journey” at Life is Beautiful did not disappoint. If this is any intimation of the food grandeur that LIB intends to bring this year then prepare for something truly epic.

The event provided 51 food vendors spread through four culinary villages and two food truck parks. Additionally, 29 specialty alcohol and wine companies were thrown into the mix. Craft brews and the festival’s signature cocktail called the Dutch Mule, made with K1 Citroen vodka, Barritt’s Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer and lime, could be found at multiple bars near every musical stage. Local downtown restaurants also offered weekend deals to lure in the community and event attendees. From celebrity chef and musician-partnered food demos, high end restaurants with makeshift dining rooms, fusion style food trucks mixing traditional with the unique, and well-known Las Vegas eateries providing greasy spooned fare, there will definitely be something for everyone.

The Downtown Container Park doubled as celebrity chef headquarters where some of the world’s finest hosted live cooking demonstrations each afternoon.

Culinary giants such as Chopped judge Scott Conant, Iron Chef America’s Cat Cora and Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman wowed the crowds with their on-stage charisma and cooking prowess. Musicians Astr and Grammy Award winner Kimbra played sous chefs to James Beard Award winner Hubert Keller and renowned seafood chef Rick Moonen. LIB focused on intermixing music and cuisine with every demonstration. Food Network’s first ever Chopped grand champion, Chef Madison Cowen, hosted the event keeping the crown engaged with chef trivia, Q & A opportunities and tastings of the final dishes.

Just off the main musical stage,

world-renowned Japanese restaurant Nobu set up an intimate dining area for its patrons complete with sheer fabric canopies and mini candles. Red Rock’s then-newest eatery, Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar, created a rustic picnic setting of natural wood tables and a bar top facing its hearth oven so curious diners could watch the process. Chef Jose Andres’ pop-up restaurant, Sunny Day, prepared its food on solar powered cookstoves as the world famous chef continued his crusade for more environmentally sustainable cooking technology. Chef Andres later spoke at the event’s learning series, held in the Western Hotel, where he voiced the importance of bringing cleaner energy sources, like his cookstoves, to rural areas of the world.

LIB did not skimp in the alcohol department either. Whether you’re into the simple or complex, almost any drink you fancied was available on the festival grounds. Drinks ranging all the way from spicy, like the “Scottish Merchant,” made with a little Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur and jalapeno, to the dessert-like “Almond Joy”, containing a bit of Tippy Cow chocolate liqueur and coconut cream were provided at surprisingly reasonable prices. Even the craft brew and winery lineups had us drooling over their drink menus and price points. Café Bustelo offered free coffee all weekend long to fight looming hangovers and fatigue.

Those with a penchant for food truck fare had plenty to choose from and many offered meal deals to push their fusion flavored eats. Newcomer StripChezze had an array of deliciously gooey cheese filled items while Filipino

food truck Oming’s Kitchen served its mouth-watering pork belly and lumpia eggrolls. The Funnel Cake Café and Tornado Potato stuck true to festivalstyle grub with funnel cakes and spiral shaped seasoned spuds.

All in all, Life is Beautiful made sure fairgoers were more than satisfied. The detail put into each dining experience, the focus on crowd engagement and the importance of food sustainability all played integral parts. It’s as if every cuisine, every taste bud and every budget was considered. The result was taste and sound overload at its absolute finest.

As co-chairmen of LIB’s culinary advisory board Chef Bruce Bromberg pointed out in an interview with FoodRepublic.com back in 2013, food is what absolutely started the concept for this festival.

“Food

and music are on an equal plane.”

The event in 2014 held true to that statement: an ode to great eats and good music. Hands down, the best festival experience ever brought to life. Even if food isn’t your passion, you’ll still walk away with an appreciation for it. Life is Beautiful knows how to throw a party.

It’s a deliciously beautiful celebration that’s damn near impossible to beat and is anticipated to sizzle again.

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FOR THE SWEET TOOTH: Tokyo honey toast from Aloha Kitchen

#1

#2

#3

“Food is all about entertainment.”

HUBERT KELLER

#6

FOR THE BOOZE LOVER: LIB’s signature “Dutch Mule” #4

#5

STAGES AND PLATES AT LIB #1 Duff Goldman’s bananas foster comprised of fresh made vanilla bean ice cream, pan crisped bacon and a drizzle of chocolate sauce over biscotti. #2 Duff Goldman realizing he may have “used a little too much Everclear” alcohol for his bananas foster. #3 Aloha Kitchen’s “Tokyo Honey Toast.” An absolute must try before you die. If they served dessert in heaven, it would be this. #4 Whole Foods Market employees crack open fresh coconut, nature’s Pedialyte, for festival-goers.

#7 #8

#5 Jose Andres speaking on the dangers of smoke inhalation experienced by rural farmers “fanning the flame” to feed their communities. #6 Rick Moonen and Grammy Award winner Kimbra teaming up to make black tea seasoned smoked salmon topped with horseradish cream. #7 LIB’s official drink, the Dutch Mule, made with Ketel One Citroen, Barritt’s Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer and lime juice. Clean, crisp, and incredibly delicious. Order two. You won’t regret it. #8 Brothers Marc & Bryan Forgione passionately speak on the importance of human responsibility towards all aspects of food. They believe that when you respect Mother Earth, she will provide you with good, quality sustenance that doesn’t need to be cooked.

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#10

FOR THE BRAVE: Shishito peppers with ponzu sauce at Yusho’s #9

#11

#9 Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar, Red Rock Casino’s newest restaurant, created a rustic picnic style setting for its pop-up spot. #10 At only $10, Yusho’s deliciously succulent BBQ turkey leg was worth every penny. #11 Jet Li and UFC Fighter Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson take time for a quick Q & A with fans at the Downtown Container Park’s chef demo stage. #12 Lao Sze Chuan’s $10 combo of crispy lemon shrimp and spicy cold Szechuan noodle salad. Our favorite dish of the weekend. We could’ve licked the inside of both containers when we were done. #13 Solar stoves, identical to those used at Jose Andres’ pop-up restaurant Sunny Day, show festival goers that cooking sans gas or electricity is possible in the desert light of Vegas. #12

#14 Beer battered avocado tacos from Garden Grill. Nuff said. #15 Roasted pork, braised beef cheek and beef tongue tacos from Fleur restaurant of Mandalay Bay. Juicy and tender with just the right amount of flavor punch. #16 Chef Hubert Keller, owner of Mandalay Bay’s Fleur restaurant, smiles widely while working behind the scenes of his LIB pop-up eatery.

#13

#14

#15

#16

RANDOM CHEF FACTS: Did you know Hubert Keller actually moonlights as a DJ? His friend, San Francisco based DJ Frenchy le Freak, taught Keller how to DJ in exchange for cooking lessons. During Keller’s food demonstration, he pointed out that his paella dish was actually Frenchy le Freak’s recipe. He prepared it in Frenchy’s honor to show his support for the LIB music festival.

July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 53

CHEF Q & A IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE CHEF COOK YOU A MEAL, WHO WOULD IT BE? Hubert Keller: “Antonin Careme, the founder of French cuisine. But you can also add Angelina Jolie to that.”

Jet Tila: “My grandmother. I wish I could bring her back.”

WHAT’S ONE FOOD YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Spike Mendelsohn: “Really good fried chicken with mashed potatoes. I actually crave it sometimes.”

Jet Tila: “Oh, chicken wings, easily.”

Hubert Keller: “Vanilla bean ice cream.”

CRAZIEST OFFERINGS AT DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK’S CHEF DEMO Chicken sashimi served on a giant block of pink sea salt and Buffalo tartare in “Hottish Sauce” served directly into my hand.

Both courtesy of the Forgione brothers.

“FOOD FOR THOUGHT” QUOTES FROM THE PROS SPIKE MENDELSOHN “Recipes are just guidelines. You don’t need to pay attention to everything. You can cook with your heart.”

No, this was not a test of wills or a social experiment to see if people would really eat raw meat. It was an opportunity for Marc and Brian Forgione to show that when you have respect for every aspect of your food — how it’s grown, raised and cared for — the results are incredible. “Great ingredients find you when you start to appreciate Mother Earth and good quality food,” said Chef Marc Forgione, “Beautiful ingredients that don’t need to be cooked make beautiful food.”

MARC FORGIONE “Be patient in the kitchen. Don’t rush. Sometimes you can just smell when something is ready for the next step.”

JET TILA “We don’t use salt in Thailand, we use fish sauce.

Have you heard the saying? It smells like hell but tastes like heaven.”

DUFF GOLDMAN “The difference between fresh ground cinnamon and the other stuff is like night and day. It’s so good!”

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Chef Jose Andres pauses to acknowledge us while preparing food at Sunny Day.

WRITTEN BY Brian Paco Alvarez

LAS VEGAS HISTORY

Provided by the world famous Las Vegas News Bureau, this historic photo demonstrates the elegance and beauty of the ever-iconic showgirl.

Taken at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in celebration of the 4th of July 1975, the Folies Bergere showgirl is the epitome of French-inspired entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip. There is little doubt that the showgirl in her feathers, rhinestones and fabulous headdress will forever live in the psyche of Las Vegas, the Live Entertainment Capital of the World.

July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 55

BOOK

REVIEW BY Kayla Dean

Review

REVIEW OF: “Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker and the Fiery Fart Berry Bush” Book by Laurey Ray, Illustrated by Stephen Boyle and Bert Leongson “Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker and the Fiery Fart Berry Bush” is an endearing tale about the importance of honesty. Hutter Cutterclaw, a young dragon, never wins any contest he enters. But when his opponent in checkers isn’t paying attention, Hutter cheats the game and wins the match.

Later, his teacher, Wheezer, leads a story time in which he tells the young dragons about a competition he once entered.

Wheezer shows them that sometimes the easy way isn’t

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always the right way, and Hutter learns that it is better to be honest than to win a competition. This comedic tale features adorable young dragons, alliterative names and the hilarious shenanigans of Wheezer, Hutter’s wise educator. “Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker” is a story with a heart. Parents and kids alike will love this tale penned by a local author and team of illustrators. The book can be bought on Amazon or at the Writer’s Block on Fremont Street.

INTERVIEW WITH LAUREY RAY You told this story to your son to teach him life lessons. What inspired you to create your own stories out of these lessons? Have you always enjoyed telling stories?

I’ve told stories since I was a child. When I had my own my children, they loved to give me characters and have me make up worlds and adventures around them.

The “Wheezer and Whimple” books came to be because my son wanted me to tell him stories before bed. He loved dragons, so naturally, we had to have dragon characters.

Because I homeschooled both my children, I looked for teachable moments anytime they presented themselves. I used the bedtime stories to entertain my son, but also to teach life lessons.

“Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker” features some great illustrations of dragons.

What inspired you and the illustrators to craft a story with dragons?

My son inspired me, and my illustrators were able to take my descriptions and create on paper what had only lived in my imagination. They are amazing artists. I can’t imagine working with anyone else to capture Wheezer and Whimple.

Author: Laurey Ray

I noticed that some of the names for the dragons are long alliterative names (like Hutter Cutterclaw or Heartstring Strongscale). How did you create these names?

When I began telling these tales, my son was at the age where he loved repetition and rhyming. It was natural for me to come up with names that would be fun to say and keep him interested.

In story number four, not yet published, the young dragons go to the way-tip-top-ofthe-tall-tam-trees looking for treasure. He used to love to recite that phrase.

Your book is self-published. What was your journey to publication like? When did you decide to publish this book for children?

I originally worked with an editor who wanted to turn these stories into a chapter book. I just couldn’t see that happening. I’m a bit of a control freak, and I wanted these stories to be told the way my son had enjoyed them. I also wanted to use my own illustrators. So self-publishing was the best choice for me.

Where do you get your story ideas from?

I have no idea. I’m normally inspired by something I’ve seen or read, or by my children. Now, my 2-year-old grandson has become a source of wonderful ideas.

Watching him play is fascinating, and he constantly inspires me.

Illustrator: Stephen Boyle

“Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker” teaches that honesty is the best policy. How challenging do you think it is to teach young children the importance of honesty and other life principles?

I think, in this day and age, it’s very easy to cheat. Kids can get what they want without putting in the hard work. I wanted my children to be truthful even when they weren’t around mom — so I created stories with life lessons. Parents are so busy nowadays. I think we need all the help we can get. Having fun, colorful books that teach lessons are invaluable to our parental arsenals.

On your website you have merchandise like T-shirts, journals and stickers with “Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker” illustrations. Kids must love the dragon T-shirts! When did you decide to create merchandise based on the books?

I have to give credit for that to my illustrators. They thought is would be fun. I have to say, the T-shirt with the fire-fart illustration is a family favorite.

Author Bio: Laurey Hart Ray is the author of the “Wheezer and Whimple Whitewhisker” series of children’s books. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband, three dogs, two parrots, two snakes and one son.

Illustrator: Bert Leongson July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 57

D OW N TOW N

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY Elisabeth Daniels

VINTAGE VEGAS

Antiques

HEIRLOOMS & ARTIFACTS Ever wonder where Vegas celebrities shop for home décor? High-end shops in New York or Los Angeles, right? Or the most exclusive stores on the Strip?

Actually, some of them head downtown, to Antique Alley on Main Street.

“Holly Madison and her husband come in here a lot,” said Jeff Adler, owner of Vintage Vegas Antiques. “They just moved, and they’re remodeling their house.”

Comedian Carrot Top has popped in a few times too. The prop department for a Nic Cage film recently wiped out the shop’s supply of candles salvaged from the old Clarion Hotel.

And Vintage Vegas has been profiled on the show “American Restoration.”

So what brings the celebs in — along with film producers, TV shows and tourists?

INSIDE STORY “If you go to the regular antique malls, they just put stuff in,” said Jeff’s wife May. “Here, we arrange our sections several times a month to tell a story.

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We buy because we like the story behind it — and the looks!”

That Art Deco-style mirrored glass coffee table up front? It’s in perfect condition, and rumor has it that it came from Liberace’s house. (There are end tables to match, in case you’re wondering.)

The vintage clothing in the back room is authentic. No reproductions here unlike lots of other antiques stores. May scours estate sales, looking for dressmaker details and other hallmarks of quality.

Then she styles the pieces into chic vignettes. A dress for picnicking is paired with a gauzy scarf, or a sleek black clutch is matched with a rayon tank dotted with cherries. And she’s happy to share the provenance of each piece.

Jeff and May know the history of all their pieces because they’re handson pickers. They travel frequently to purchase one-of-a-kind finds. When they see something great, they go after it. “I’ll go to North Las Vegas, over off of Washington Avenue, knocking on doors,” said Jeff. “People say I’m crazy.”

That commitment means the shop is filled with an eclectic mix of period pieces.

With genuine antiques, a sprinkling of modern items and original artwork created by the whole family, there’s something for every visitor to discover at Vintage Vegas.

Guys will probably gravitate toward the “mantiques,” a quirky selection of rusty lighting, toys and military collectibles that includes an entire wall of vintage televisions. A few steps away,

an oddities section is filled with strange novelties, like a zombie boar. “I tell everyone it’s the boar from ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Jeff.

“It’s a little bit for everybody,” May noted, “from the little babies to the hipsters to the guys to the grandmothers.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY Jeff and May have four children, and they’re involved in every part of the business. “The kids go to Internet school, so we can all travel together,” said Jeff. “We drive so we can stop on the side of the road and buy things.”

Damon, who’s just a year old, has already made his first pick: a glass boot filled with perfume that he found in Beatty.

But don’t look for it in the store. “He just wants to keep it,” laughed May. Back at the store, Kalysta, 12, helps with merchandising and rings people up.

Titus, 7, sells his own stuff at the shop.

“He picks knickknacks and puts them together,” said Jeff. “Sometimes I’m missing tools because he’s hot glued them together to create a spaceship or something!”

That creativity is apparently genetic.

The atomic symbol on the shop’s building signage was drawn by May and painted by Jeff. May is a mixed media artist, specializing in dress forms that she embellishes with nails, one at a time. Using found objects, Jeff creates steampunk sculptures, one of which is a lamp he modeled after downtown denizen Doc Phineas Kastle (see Downtown ZEN January 2015 issue online). Jeff also fashioned a one-of-akind bar by gutting a vintage stereo, adding shelves and attaching Bluetooth so that it’ll play music from your phone.

“We like to do things ourselves,” said May. MAIN SQUEEZE When Jeff and May first opened Vintage Vegas, there was just one other shop in the area. “We liked it because it had an old Vegas feel,” said Jeff. “Plus, the rent was cheap.” They moved downtown, and since then, five more stores have opened up. That’s good news for business owners because antiques lovers want to go to a district where they can walk and see a lot of stores all at once.

Jeff and May are pleased that Mayor Goodman is focusing on developing the downtown area even more, especially the plans to make Main Street a one-way thoroughfare. “We leave our lights on all night,” said Jeff. “It’s bait for all the people who drive from the Strip at night.”

Tourists make up a large part of their clientele, and they have a strong rental business. Their collectibles are frequently rented out for movies, commercials, photo shoots and conventions. Jeff and May also cater to locals. Their vintage luggage is used for weddings, and they welcome other talented artisans who need a place to show off their wares. “If someone has something cool that goes well with the store,” said Jeff, “we’ll rent the space out.” They also supply other antique stores in town too.

Whether you’re looking for a great prop for a photo shoot, the perfect accessory for your wedding, a vintage treasure for your home décor or one-of-a-kind artwork, make sure Vintage Vegas is on your list of stops on Antique Alley. You might even run into someone famous while you’re there.

Vintage Vegas, located at 1229 Main St., is open Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Follow them on Instagram @702vintagevegas.

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WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY Peter Gaunt

BEHIND THE LENS

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It’s summertime in DTLV, and the days are long, and people are out and about checking the scene. In Las Vegas, that scene has changed over the years, but really only the face of it.

Non-excluded is the Villa Inn and other time-honored hotels, motels and places we call home while traveling the unknown.

That’s why I really love downtown. There are so many places to look at and think about, especially in regards to the inspiration of transforming each new space from its original look. Without places like these vintage buildings around Vegas, it certainly wouldn’t be the place we know so well today.

July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 61

WRITTEN BY Charlene Sands

PHOTOGRAPHY Nate Ludens | Vox Solid Communications

GLUTTON

D OW N TOW N

Restaurant

REVIEW

The moment that the concept of, nay the name, Glutton was mentioned I immediately started lusting after all the possibilities that could come under such a namesake and culinary notion. What fatty and sumptuous treats awaited me? I soon discovered that the reality far outdid my lofty fantasies.

Glutton is the brainchild of two former Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa heavyweights Bradley Manchester and Joseph Kudrak. Manchester was on the opening team for The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, has worked for Caesars Palace and theWit hotel in Chicago, and more recently, he oversaw the culinary program at Red Rock for five years. Kudrak holds an Associate in Applied Science degree in culinary arts with a minor in baking from Paul Smith College out in New York. His time at Red Rock was spent being the assistant executive chef overseeing the food and beverage department, but not before he was the executive chef at T-Bones Chophouse. Under his lead they received Best of Las Vegas accolades from the Las Vegas Review Journal four years in a row.

While impressive backgrounds, they represent a somewhat conventional

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precedence that leads one to wonder how the two would pull off such a unique venture, but they sure do.

They do it with balance, tact and great savvy. Let me elaborate.

To begin, Glutton uses the location to the best of its potential. The restaurant sits on the northwest corner of South Seventh Street and Carson Avenue.

The large wraparound windows that grace two walls of the building allow a view of the street and the downtown Las Vegas affairs abounding, as well as a full view of noshing abandon for those passing by.

Within those window walls is 2,000 square feet of dining space, including a lustrous patio shrouded in herb towers for sunny outside dining. Back inside the renovated mid-century building has the industrial aspects of stained concrete floors, exposed brick walls and the original oak ceilings from the

1955 construction.

There are tables made by local furniture upstart Filmont Co. Glazed wood and raw looking metals make slick and minimalist seating arrangements for up to 78. They are spaced in such a way that a slight case of envy might strike you when you catch a peek of what your neighbor is having, but don’t worry, they’re not too close for comfort.

If desire doesn’t happen there though, it will definitely happen at the community table, or possibly one of the six seats available at the full-time bar, or at one of the 10 seats available at the diner counter. And if you’re not connecting with your fellow diners, you can connect with the outside world because the diner counter is equipped with USB and electrical outlets for those having working lunches. There are a plethora of dining experiences just waiting for you at Glutton.

Those dining experiences would, of course, be incomplete without mention of the very rich and diverse menu of new American cuisine. The star of Glutton’s kitchen is the woodburning oven. It’s responsible for five of the menu’s dishes, which range from curried cauliflower to sea bream.

Of those my dining-mate and I enjoyed the arugula and almond flatbread. The bread was flaky and buttery and didn’t fall into the trap of being too doughy and overwhelming like most flatbreads.

The other ingredients got to shine: the fresh arugula, the goat cheese and honey combined to make the perfect blend of savory and sweet. The shishito peppers added just enough kick to give it a specific twist.

We enjoyed it with a sampling from the cocktail menu. The mi vida roca is a tequila, ginger ale, lemon and cucumber soda number that wasn’t too sweet, too sour or too strong. It was just right and combined with the flatbread, was a deliciously delicate start to our meal; a perfect first act of summertime tastes.

The other wood oven dish we tried was the half chicken. Now we’re going to go out on a limb here and say that the exceptional and uncommon use of white barbecue sauce makes for the eating of a whole half chicken somehow seem to be the opposite of gluttonous.

The sauce was flavorful but subtle and took away the sticky aspect of eating barbecued chicken, which I actually really liked. It was paired with jalapeño biscuits that were soaked in butter, perhaps the most luscious item I tasted, and kohlrabi slaw that was crisp and a really admirable take on a traditional pairing.

I feasted even more by trying the brown butter gnocchi, which was soft and supple and wonderfully enough, handmade in-house. It was topped with braised pork cheek that was so tender you could just look at it and it

was already melting in your mouth. I greedily ate nearly every one, much to my dining partner’s chagrin.

We continued our gluttony (sorry, the pun was just begging to be used, you understand, right?) with a hefty helping of mushroom poutine, which gave us both our first encounter with pickled mushrooms, and let us reassure you, it’s a fine treat. The cheese curdles that settled to the bottom of the fries were a delicious treasure that begged you to keep eating fry after fry.

We concluded our dining journey with the caramel corn profiteroles, and this is the point at which Chef Joseph’s minor in baking shines bright. Puffy little pastry confections filled with salted caramel popcorn ice cream literally disappeared as quickly as they appeared on the table. They were just the right amount of delectable and decadent.

Chef Joseph has created an ice cream that magically channels the light and airy aspects of caramel corn into a frozen delight.

Without realizing it, we had become so perfectly full and honestly a bit sloth-like. The staff at Glutton is simply great, friendly, helpful and suggesting of just the right wines and a cappuccino nightcap to pep us back up.

As we reached our states of contentment we think the only other thing the staff could have assisted us with was rolling us out the door. The only sense of disappointment we felt was that perhaps Glutton’s menu is a little short. But then the staff informed me of the plan for consistent seasonal changes. I was quick to forgive as I know that variety is a top priority for the restaurant in coming days. We’ve got a reason to keep coming back. Not check out what sort of new concoctions Glutton infuses with playful, indulgent but also sophisticated sensibilities would be just absolutely sinful.

GLUTTON 616 E. Carson Ave. #110 Las Vegas, NV 89101 702.366.0623 www.gluttonlv.com July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 63

WRITTEN BY Jacqueline Cordova

PHOTOGRAPHY Ivan Quiroz

D OW N TOW N

Bar

REVIEW

HOP NUTS BREWING Hop Nuts Brewing brought its “A” game when it moved into the neighborhood of 1120 S. Main St. The newest brewery to hit downtown Las Vegas boasts a solid variety of house-made beers, a rotating guest tap of popular craft brews and a daily $4 happy hour. Add in their free Wi-Fi, dog-friendly patio and optional food delivery from local restaurants and you just might have the perfect weekly hangout.

Hop Nuts Brewing is nestled right next door to popular coffee shop Makers & Finders. The space has a warm, masculine feel with elements of wood, leather and metal spread artistically throughout. Brewing tanks can be seen through long windows at the far end of the counter, and a hefty selection of hard alcohol is displayed along the bar wall like a kitchen backsplash.

Yes, another exciting discovery, they serve cocktails too.

The indoor area is open and ample. No tables to stumble over and plenty of room to dance around, though I wouldn’t suggest it. Let’s be honest, drinking alcohol has never improved anyone’s dancing ability. (Please don’t attempt to prove me wrong.) A glass laden garage door leads out to the patio where beer barrels stand in place of actual tables.

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It’s a simple setup, perfect for large crowds to gather and dogs to lie out.

The entire place smells earthy and sweet, like nut bread being baked. It’s a scent most beer aficionados love, and it gets me excited. A giant chalkboard above the bar shows the available beer options and lines are drawn through beer names that are sold out. Green Mamba, Hop Nuts’ double IPA, and two guest tap ales are scratched off when I visit. I’m far from disappointed though.

Their best selling IPA is available along with an award-winning Hefeweizen and their seasonal Imperial Stout. I choose these three then pick out two more to complete my beer flight. Not wanting to miss any other spectacular flavors, I throw in another two beers before heading out to the patio.

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Everything I sampled was good. No, I don’t mean this in a bad way, I mean, even the beers I don’t usually care for were enjoyable. It’s a good sign since Hop Nuts Brewing is still quite new. The overall vibe might have added to my enjoyment too. Lights were low, music played at a lull and the crowd was full of locals wearing casual, everyday attire. It was comfortable, more backyard hangout than brewery, and I liked that.

Besides making traditional style beers, Hop Nuts Brewing lets their creative juices flow through a variety of seasonal brews. This past March they collaborated with neighbor Makers & Finders to create a Porter beer cask that contained 40 shots of Bolivian espresso.

If you were one of the lucky few to try it, I’m jealous.

I appreciate this local coffee and beer collaboration just like I appreciate the little chalkboard with local restaurant delivery options scribbled on it. The dog-friendly patio, house-made dog treats and occasional performances by local bands make me happy too. Hop Nuts Brewery is showing us they are all about the community, and it’s truly refreshing.

There is clearly a love of the craft and a love for their city. I give them an “A” grade for ambiance, friendliness and overall quality. Although I can’t say each beer I sampled was perfectly balanced, I will say that they’re on the right track.

It’s hard for any brewery to have all their craft beers at even keel, but if Hop Nuts Brewing continues to fine-tune the process, they just might come close. The next time you’re downtown give them a try. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

5 4 3 2

7

1 6

THE BEER: #1 HEFEWEIZEN This award-winning beer is a bit on the dryer side with a slightly tart finish. The light scent of banana bread appears as the beer comes closer to room temperature. Made with flavors of banana, clove and coriander, it’s mild on the fruit notes, earthy, and easy to drink. #2 PAPA’S RED ALE This standard style red ale has a nice, malty flavor. It’s practically odorless with no bitter aftertaste. There’s a hint of dark cocoa at the finish that creates an almost coffee-like flavor. #3 18B PALE ALE Hops are prominent in this pale ale. It’s closer to an IPA but has a milder, tangy finish. If you’re slowly building a palate for IPAs, this is a good starting point. It’s foamy and a bit creamy. #4 IPA Another best-seller, this beer is bubbly throughout with a noticeably floral finish. IPA fans will rejoice at this well-done version of the traditional style. #5 PORTER Coffee, citrus and dark chocolate are obvious in this porter. It’s reminiscent of Guinness but with a lighter body so you won’t feel full bellied after just one glass. #6 XPA This extra pale ale is delicious! It’s clean with an incredibly moist finish.

Although still high on the hops side, malt flavor is noticeable, making for a smoother taste. #7 IMPERIAL STOUT This seasonal beer has an intense espresso flavor and a dry finish. It’s rich, silky and full of heavily roasted flavor. If dark beers are your thing, then this tall, dark, handsome brew is sure to please.

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WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY Elisabeth Daniels

D OW N TOW N

Coffeehouse

REVIEW

THE BEAT GOES ON A hub of community, The Beat keeps the conversation and coffee flowing in Fremont East.

When The Beat Coffeehouse & Records opened in Fremont East, there was no downtown coffee scene. There was no scene at all, at least not during the day.

Friends wanting to get together, sip a cup of joe and talk about the arts had nowhere to go.

“Before The Beat, there wasn’t a daytime place to hang out,” says Jennifer Cornthwaite, who launched the café with her husband Michael five years ago.

“Unless you were coming for a drink, there wasn’t a whole lot to do.”

For Jen and Michael, it was either make something happen or go somewhere else. They committed to each other that they’d say yes to every meeting, every opportunity, in order to create the type

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of community space cities like New York and Seattle are known for.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK First up, a location. They approached El Cortez about the Fremont Medical Building on the corner of Sixth and Fremont streets, which was empty. It was an ideal space: ready to be occupied with power, water and restrooms.

“We asked them to let us try to do something with it,” Jennifer remembers.

It was a tough sell, but El Cortez agreed and gave them one year to make a go of it. So, in March 2007, they got married, took two days for a honeymoon and then immediately started working on their grand plan: a creative collective anchored by a café.

There was a lot to do in 12 months and not much cash to do it. They focused on the coffee shop first. “We didn’t have any money to do anything,” said Jennifer.

“We ripped the floor up and sealed it.

We painted.” They put up corkboards. A bench from an old church was recovered and used as seating. They got all the chairs and tables secondhand.

The City of Las Vegas Department of Building and Safety wouldn’t allow them to do any construction, so no walls could be knocked down. Undaunted, they made the best use they could of the existing space. The medical center’s waiting room became the main seating area. Jen and Michael removed the tacky baby blue plastic laminate that covered the check-in counter, replacing

it with wood. But they left the bays, using them to house supplies like cutlery and napkins.

Jen said, “We just worked with it.”

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS “We wanted to be a community place,” noted Jennifer, “the kind that you can always just sort of count on, that’s always open for whatever you might need.” Dubbed Emergency Arts, in a nod to the building’s past and present, the two-story space now houses the Burlesque Hall of Fame along with artists, writers, designers, a spa and tech companies — all centered around the coffee shop on the ground floor.

In addition to coffee, made with locally roasted beans and tea, The Beat has beer, wine, vinyl records and food. The menu includes breakfast items, soup, salads and sandwiches like the signature “Slap & Tickle,” an organic PB&J with smoked bacon. Hint: Say yes to the sliced jalapeños if you’re feeling adventurous. Throw in the free Wi-Fi for customers, and it’s no surprise that The Beat is now exactly the type of gathering place that Jen and Michael envisioned, where people stop by to discuss the local news, catch up with friends and find out what’s happening downtown.

Downtown Vegas continues to evolve. Families are bringing their kids to the container park. People are extending their walk down Fremont, crossing Las Vegas Boulevard to explore the Learning Village, Insert Coins, the new restaurants and retail outlets.

Through it all, The Beat has remained a constant, a bona fide destination for art-loving tourists and locals hosting community meetings. “Emergency Arts was a catalyst,” notes Jennifer. The Beat draws in people who live, work and play downtown with a central location, excellent coffee and the nearly same menu they started with.

All those elements combine to create a vibrant and attractive community hub.

“It’s a connection spot,” says Jennifer.

“The Beat has kind of become the living room for Fremont East.”

The Beat is located in the Emergency Arts building at 520 Fremont St. on the corner of Sixth and Fremont streets. It’s open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 67

WRITTEN BY Jacqueline Cordova

PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Wong

LATASI’S SPINACH SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE SALAD SERVINGS: 4

FOR THE CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE: Ingredients: 1 cup cranberry juice 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed and chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons chives, minced 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cranberry juice and cranberries to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup (about five minutes). Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and whisk until combined.

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FOR THE CHICKEN:

FOR THE SALAD:

16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled kosher salt freshly ground peppercorns

Ingredients: 8 ounces spinach 2 cups red cabbage, thinly shredded 1 cup honeydew melon, diced 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup flax seeds 1/3 cup small red onion, diced 1 1/2 cups Latasi’s Cranberry Vinaigrette

Lightly season chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook chicken on a grill set to medium-high heat until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Full cook is about 20 minutes, depending on your grill.

Remove from heat and allow to rest before slicing into 1/4-inch-thick cubes.

In a large mixing bowl, toss spinach and red cabbage together. Evenly spread layers of chicken breast, honeydew melon, feta cheese, golden raisins, flax seeds, red onions and cranberry vinaigrette over the lettuce mixture until all ingredients have been added. Using a rubber spatula, lightly toss ingredients together until vinaigrette is evenly distributed throughout. Serve and enjoy!

UPCOMING

Events

DAILY EVENTS Marriage Can Be Murder Las Vegas’ #1 Murder-Mystery Dinner Show!

Be a part of the mystery, be a part of the fun!

The D Las Vegas Showroom 6:15 p.m.

WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays Industry Night No cover, drink specials with TAM card and a night of pure entertainment!

Beauty Bar | 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Tuesdays Nickel Beer Night Cheap beer and great people make for the perfect night out!

Beauty Bar | 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

Wednesdays Geeks Who Drink Test your knowledge and your tolerance at this nerdy and cool, guy-friendly event!

Bunkhouse Saloon | 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Karate Karaoke Karaoke and drink specials: $6 beers and shots.

Beauty Bar | 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Into the Weekend Pub Trivia At Atomic (Thu) Win bar tabs and prizes!

Atomic Liquors | 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Summer Luaus at the Pool Deck (Thu) Say aloha every Thursday night with an all-you-can-eat Polynesian buffet with a cultural dance performance by Hot Lava. $18 for adults; $14 for ages 12 and under.

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino | 6 p.m.

Brunch at The Perch (Sat-Sun) Head to The Perch at Downtown Container Park for a delicious brunch and a refreshing beverage.

Downtown Container Park| 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

JULY 1 Wednesday Bingo and Beers Come drink and play on the first Wednesday of every month.

Purchase a drink and get bingo cards and the chance to win a variety of prizes.

Banger Brewing | 5 p.m.

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Bobby Meader Music Tickets from $5-$10 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

rooftop on the pool deck. Tickets start at $20, and your first drink is on us!

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino | 7:30 p.m.

2 Thursday Family Movie Night – “Annie” Downtown Container Park | 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Metalachi Tickets are $20 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

Calvin Love Tickets from $8-$10 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

7 Tuesday Tristen Tickets from $10-$12 Bunkhouse Saloon | 8:30 p.m.

3 Friday First Friday First Friday celebrates young and established local artists.

The Arts District | 5 p.m.-11 p.m.

4 Saturday Lit Under the Stars Get ready for a high energy Saturday night in downtown Las Vegas with alternative rock band Lit. Hailing from Fullerton, CA this four-piece rock group who’s known for their smash hits “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable” will be rocking out the

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8 Wednesday Fever Red Hamell On Trail Tickets are $5 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9:30 p.m.

9 Thursday Family Movie Night – “The Goonies” Downtown Container Park | 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

10 Friday Frontier Ruckus Tickets are $10 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9:30 p.m.

11 Saturday Trans Am Tickets from $10 - $12 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

13 Monday Sarah Bethe Nelson Tickets from $5 - $8 Bunkhouse Saloon | 8:30 p.m.

14 Tuesday Numb Bats Tickets are $5 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

16 Thursday DIY: Coin Purse Join us for our second installment of the wildly popular leather coin purse DIY. Choose from a selection of leather and embellishments, such as beading, crystals and charms to design your very own mini bag! Please sign up for classes 24 hours in advance, or call for availability after that point.

Stitch Factory | 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Factory Night Presents BBQ, Brews & Bowties A styling workshop for men with fashion stylist Brian Swan!

Come one, come all for our Second Annual BBQ, Brews & Bowties. Join us for a fun night of mixing and mingling, fashion tips for everyday adventures, good food and even better beer. And yes, ladies are encouraged to attend.

Admission is $20.

Stitch Factory | 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Family Movie Night – “Paddington” Downtown Container Park | 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Cayucas Tickets are $12 Bunkhouse Saloon | 10:30 p.m.

18 Saturday Empire Records at the Pool Deck $5 cover and first drink is on us!

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino | 8 p.m.

The Chicken Shack Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

23 Thursday DIY: Lace Mouse Ears Join us for this cute and easy DIY and pay homage to everyone’s favorite mouse! Students will be provided with all necessary supplies for this workshop. The price will include one basic black headband, wire and black lace. Guests can bring in their own headbands or colored lace. Admission is $25. Please sign up for classes 24 hours in advance, or call for availability after that point.

Stitch Factory |6 p.m.-9 p.m.

DIY: Leather Visor Join us and make your very own super cool and practical leather visor. Be ahead of the trend and make yours before it hits the stores! The price of this workshop includes all supplies. Students will receive the leather necessary for making one visor. Please sign up for classes 24 hours in advance, or call for availability after that point.

Stitch Factory | 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Family Movie Night – “Ghostbusters” Downtown Container Park| 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

24 Friday DIY: Leather Visor Stitch Factory | 12 p.m.-3 p.m.

26 Sunday Melt Banana Torche Tickets are $20 Bunkhouse Saloon | 9 p.m.

30 Thursday Family Movie Night – “E.T.” Downtown Container Park | 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

July 2015 | DTZEN.com | 71

REAL DEALS FOR REAL PEOPLE Visit TakeVegasBack.com

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