Vegas - 2015 - Issue 8 - Winter - Jennifer Lopez

PURE INDULGENCE OVER-THE-TOP HOLIDAY DINING

WATCHES, JEWELS & GORGEOUS WINTER ACCESSORIES PLUS DOMENICO DOLCE & STEFANO GABBANA MAROON 5 JOHN FOGERTY

YEAR OF THE DIVA

Jennifer Lopez

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Front runner in front, from left:

Here’s to You

FRANK SINATRA AND FRIENDS TOAST ANOTHER YEAR FOR THE SANDS HOTEL DURING A STAR-STUDDED ANNIVERSARY PARTY IN 1963. by TESS EyricH In a cIty that evolves as rapidly as Las Vegas, any anniversary is a milestone to be celebrated, which may explain why, when the Sands Hotel reached its 11th birthday in December 1963, all sorts of celebrity pals turned out to toast the occasion.

Only the seventh property to open on the Vegas Strip, the Sands had always reeled in talented performers—think Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, and Harry Belafonte—all taking their turns on the stage of the hotel’s famous Copa Room.

The big names gave the so-called “Place in the Sun” a leg up on its competitors, quickly transforming it into Vegas’s most successful hotel operation yet and the basis for a new model of Sin City resort that embraced entertainment as its biggest draw.

“The Sands is the Vegas place to be,” wrote reporter Bill Smith in a December 1952 issue of Billboard magazine, just weeks after the hotel’s opening. “Besides its big shows topped by whatever headliners it can snag, its lush opulence has few comparisons either in town, where superlatives are common, or any place in the country, for that matter.”

The hotel’s famous anniversary weekends in particular became the stuff of

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show-business legend, featuring raucous events like what was possibly Vegas’s frst daytime pool party, hosted by Jayne Mansfeld and Mickey Hargitay in 1956, as well as nighttime performances by acts like Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra. Here, Sinatra poses at the hotel’s 11th-anniversary bash with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Gary Morton, Danny Thomas, Lucille Ball, and Sands President Jack Entratter, who personally invited Ol’ Blue Eyes to take the stage at the glamorous Copa after his headlining contract with Wilbur Clark’s Desert Inn expired in 1953.

The trial run kicked off a 14-year relationship between the two parties, which led to the 1966 release of the singer’s frst live album, Sinatra at the Sands (a second compilation, The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands, coincided with the release of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11 in 2001 and showcased material Sinatra had recorded with Martin and Davis in 1963).

December 12 marks what would have been the Chairman of the Board’s 100th birthday, and though he and the Sands have since passed on (Sinatra in 1998, the Sands in 1996), the spirit of both lives on in every Vegas concert hall that welcomes a new entertainer to its stage. V

photography courtesy of university of nevada, Las vegas university Libraries/sands hoteL coLLection

Sands President Jack Entratter poses with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Gary Morton (with Danny Thomas and Lucille Ball in the back) at the hotel’s 11th-anniversary fête in December 1963.

Front runner In 1967, eight years after the Kim Sisters frst wowed Las Vegas, these K-pop progenitors were still a marquee act at the Stardust.

Seoul SiSterS

From the mcGuire SiSterS to the chordetteS (remember “Mr. Sandman”?) to later acts like the Shirelles, the Ronettes, and the Supremes, girl groups ruled the airwaves in the 1950s and ’60s, and Vegas saw dozens of these performers pass through the city in their quest for stardom. But the most unlikely success story among them might have been the Kim Sisters.

Born in Seoul, the talented trio—sisters Ai-ja and Sook-ja and their cousin Min-ja—together played more than 20 musical instruments and frst gained attention by entertaining American GIs stationed in Seoul during the Korean War with their renditions of feel-good American tunes like “Ole Buttermilk Sky” and “Candy and Cake.” A soldier named Bob McMackin was particularly impressed and offered to become their manager. Encouraged by their success and their new manager, they made their way to the States, bringing

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a fresh look and sound with their quirky takes on American pop standards.

In Las Vegas, the Kim Sisters captured the attention of club owner Tom Ball, who produced shows at the Thunderbird Hotel and the Desert Inn. By 1959, they had their frst booking: four weeks of performances at the Thunderbird, followed by a residency at the Stardust Hotel, where The Ed Sullivan Show was flming. The trio auditioned for Sullivan’s show, made it on the air, and returned to the program more than 20 times. Not bad for three young women from a foreign country who didn’t speak a word of English when they arrived, aside from the song lyrics they had memorized. As Min-ja explained in a 2011 interview, the language barrier ultimately didn’t matter to their fans. “They just loved us,” she said. “Our pronunciation was bad, but they knew the melody and always said, ‘More, more, more!’” V

photography courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau

More than 50 years ago, the Korean iMport the m SiSterS becaMe an aMerican pop-culture phenoMenon—and brought their girl-group stylings to the Vegas stage. by emily brandenstein

contents

Winter 2015

16 // front runners 34 // Letter from the editor-in-Chief

36 // Letter from

the pubLisher

38 // …Without Whom

this issue WouLd not have been possibLe

40 // the List 71 // invited

style 45 // La doLCe vita Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana celebrate three decades of fashion, femininity, and Mediterranean fare.

48 // the neW romanCe A new wave of moody, yet modern romance arrives in Las Vegas, creating an over-the-top grandeur perfectly ft for the holiday season.

52 // styLe spotLight Kevyn Wynn launches a new line of luxury slippers, Bulgari’s customizable B.Cocktail ring, Mondaine gets exclusive at Tourneau; Lalique joins forces with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and lush shoes.

45

Dolce & Gabbana are celebrating 30 years of fabulous fashion.

20 vegasmagazine.com

54 // in rare form Your watch has what in it? Exceptional watches with unconventional elements appeal to Las Vegas men who aren’t afraid to attract attention.

CONTENTS

Winter 2015

59

CULTURE

Kick off 2016 with Maroon 5.

59 // MIDNIGHT MOVES Forget the ball drop—in Vegas, Maroon 5 leads the pack of superstars ringing in the new year on the Strip.

62 // SINATRA

AT A CENTURY

Celebrating his 100th birthday, the most lavish tribute to Frank Sinatra is the ticket of the season.

64 // CULTURE SPOTLIGHT

66 // WHAT’S THE DEAL? Jerry Seinfeld is a busy guy—getting coffee in cars with comedians—but he makes time for a chat in advance of his wildly popular show at Caesars.

62

The only televised celebration of Sinatra’s centennial films at Wynn Las Vegas this December.

22

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

64

Check out the deconstruction boom at Marjorie Barrick Museum.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN STELLMON (BARRICK); TONY WOOLLISCROFT/WIREIMAGE (MAROON 5); JOHN DOMINIS/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES (SINATRA)

John Fogerty brings an eight-show residency to the Venetian Theatre, Mötley Crüe’s final tour hits MGM, the Philharmonic gets flexible, and breaking up is easy to do at the Marjorie Barrick Museum.

contents

Winter 2015

90

Alain Ducasse’s proprietary Champagne is available in Vegas exclusively at Delano’s Rivea and Skyfall Lounge.

TASTE 83 // Holiday Hedonism, Vegas-style

Dining in Las Vegas is extravagant any time of year, but during the holidays, our temples of gastronomic delight really pull out all the stops —and stoppers.

86 // How Bazaar

88 // Hot for CHoColate As if Vegas didn’t already have enough sweet temptations, gourmet artisanal chocolates are the city’s newest indulgence.

90 // let tHe skyfall Don’t mourn the loss of Alain Ducasse’s Mix, celebrate its rebirth as Skyfall Lounge and elegant French Riviera-inspired Rivea.

FEATURES 98 // diVa las Vegas The hardest-working woman in showbiz, Jennifer Lopez, is moving to Vegas for one of the most anticipated residencies in years.

Naturally, she’s offering all she has.

By Mark Ellwood

104 // ViVa 48 Hours Here’s what to do, see, and eat in 48 fabulous hours in America’s most exciting cities.

94 // taste spotligHt

114 // green is tHe

Ultimo brings a Weekend of Excellence to Venetian, Harvest crops up at Bellagio, beer gets the Champagne treatment, Mr. Chow comes to Caesars, and Herringbone surfs in to Aria.

Emeralds are capturing the market, with increased demand and boundarypushing designs that bring their ancient allure to modern collectors.

By Roberta Naas

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new BlaCk

photography by pierre monetta

A year after the opening of Bazaar Meat, chef José Andrés, celebrates the season with some classics—and soon-to-be classics—at one of the most decadent restaurants on the Strip.

1954

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contents

Winter 2015

121

Paradise Palms is the Midcentury Modern capital of Las Vegas.

haute property 121 // Paradise Found As buyers snap up mid-mod treasures, they’re fnding some of the best in the Strip-side Paradise Palms neighborhood—courtesy of some of the architects who gave Palm Springs its iconic look.

124 // Haute ProPerty sPotligHt

Henderson hits theAmusespot for décor. Plus: midcentury modern treasures.

Living Las vegas 128 // CosmetiC

enCHantment

A trip behind the scenes at Madame Tussauds reveals surprising truths about the divas who have called Las Vegas home.

on tHe CoVer: Jennifer Lopez

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family.

We have the inside scoop on Las Vegas’s best parties, pursuits, and more. celebrate

WHERE TO HOST THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY PARTY Looking to entertain this holiday season? We’ve rounded up spaces that feel just like home.

photos

SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS

gift guide

THE PERFECT GIFTS FOR THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE We’ve compiled presents that are sure to please.

COME FOLLOW US 702.997.1230 ACCLAIMRE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLGA SAPEGINA (CELEBRATE); GETTY IMAGES (PHOTOS); RUSLAN GRUMBLE (GIFT GUIDE)

Couldn’t attend? Browse the newest photos from Las Vegas’s most exclusive parties.

Do Vegas Differently.

Escape to ESPA’s world-renowned spa experience at our all-suite, non-gaming, smoke-free, eco-friendly boutique retreat. Vdara.com

An MGM Resorts Luxury Destination

ANDREA BENNETT Editor-in-Chief Senior Managing Editor KAREN ROSE Art Director ALLISON FLEMING Photo Editor SETH OLENICK Associate Editor TESS EYRICH Senior Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Research Editor LESLIE ALEXANDER

MAUREEN SCHAFER Publisher Account Director JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Account Executives VINCE DUROCHER, IRENA HALL Director of Event Marketing HALEE HARCZYNSKI Distribution Relations Manager JENNIFER PALMER Sales Assistant RUE MCBRIDE

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Vice President of Creative and Fashion ANN SONG Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS ART AND PHOTO

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Art Directors SPENCER MATERN, JUAN PARRA Designer DEMPSEY MURPHY Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors MARIE BARBIER, JENNIFER PAGAN Associate Photo Editor HALEY HAMBLIN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN FASHION

Associate Fashion Editor CASEY TRUDEAU Assistant Fashion Editors CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON COPY AND RESEARCH

Copy Editors DAVID FAIRHURST, CANDACE NICHOLSON, JULIA STEINER Research Editors LOIS BARRETT, JAMES BUSS, JUDY DEYOUNG, KAREN MCCREE EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Director of Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Director of Editorial Relations MATTHEW STEWART Executive Editorial Assistant CHRISTINA CLEMENTE Online Executive Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editor ANNA BEN YEHUDA Online Editorial Assistant CATHERINE PARK Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, MURAT OZTASKIN, OUSSAMA ZAHR Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS ADVERTISING SALES

Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, MICHELLE CHALA, KATHLEEN FLEMING, VICTORIA HENRY, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, NORMA MONTALVO, DEVON MOORE, JEFFREY NICHOLSON, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, VALERIE ROBLES, JIM SMITH Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, LAUREN BROGNA, JANELLE DRISCOLL, JAMIE FOX, SAMANTHA HARRIS, SARAH HECKLER, CATHERINE KUCHAR, FENDY MESY, MARY RUEGG, JACKIE VAN METER Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, LISSETTE COLLS, ERIN GLEASON, KRISTINE GUEVARRA, DARA HIRSH, REBECCA JAMES, KARA KEARNS, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, ELIZABETH MITCHELL, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, MACKENZIE WAXMAN, ALEXANDRA WINTER MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Senior Director of Brand Development ROBIN KEARSE Director of Brand Development JOANNA TUCKER Brand Development Managers KRISTIN BARNES, JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Promotions Art Designer KAITLYN RICHERT Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, LAURA MULLEN, KIMMY WILSON Event Marketing Managers KELSEY MARRUJO, CRISTINA PARRA, ASHLEY VEHSLAGE Event Marketing Coordinators BROOKE BIDDLE, BLAIR GOTTFRIED Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Director of Positioning and Planning SALLY LYON Positioning and Planning Manager TARA MCCRILLIS Director of Production PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Production Artists MARISSA MAHERAS, DARA RICCI, ALISHA SMITH Director of Distribution Operations MATT HEMMERLING Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Manufacturing Coordinator KIMBERLY CHANG Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD FINANCE

Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Senior Finance Directors AUDREY CADY, LISA VASSEUR-MODICA Director of Credit and Collections CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Financial Analyst NEIL SHAH Senior Billing Coordinator NAYWANTIE ETWAROO Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountant NATASHA WARREN Accounts Payable Coordinator NADINE DEODATT ADMINISTRATION, DIGITAL, AND OPERATIONS

Director of Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Director of Human Resources and Administration STEPHANIE HAMILTON Digital Producer ANTHONY PEARSON Facilities Coordinator ASHLEY GUILLAUME Office Assistant ERIC HOFFMAN Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR Desktop Administrators ZACHARY CUMMO, EDGAR ROCHE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK ( Los Angeles Confidential), KATHY BLACKWELL (Austin Way), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH E. THORP (Capitol File), DAMIEN WILLIAMSON (Executive Editor, Aspen Peak), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons) PUBLISHERS

JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS F. DELONE (Austin Way), DAWN DUBOIS (Gotham), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), SUZY JACOBS (Capitol File), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue)

Managing Partner JANE GALE Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Chief Operating Officer MARIA BLONDEAUX Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Executive Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Copyright 2015 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Vegas magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Vegas magazine’s right to edit.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at vegas@pubservice.com.

To distribute Vegas at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net.

Vegas magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC., a division of Greengale Publishing, LLC. vegas: 608 South 7th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 T: 702-990-2500 F: 702-990-2530 niche m edia holdings: 711 Third Avenue, Suite 501, New York, NY 10017 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003

32 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

SHINOLA

saks.com

Fashion Show Las Vegas 3200 LAS VEGAS BLVD SOUTH. 702.733.8300

LETTER from the Editor-in-Chief // this issue //

ON MY RADAR I love the holidays, and my agenda includes:

1 Chilly weather means white truffle season at Guy Savoy; in other words, the happiest time of my year. Think Alba white truffle risotto, Brie white truffle, quince and apple, and this gorgeous pumpkin soup, served with a poached egg and white truffles.

Club, honoring Patrick Duffy and Beano Solomon, both heroes of the LGBTQ community; my Vegas Gives co-emcee and MORE executive producer and co-host Sean McAllister and I honored the exceptional philanthropists at our event (and broke a Vegas Gives record!); Kaskade and I celebrated his incredible October cover with an intimate cocktail party at Andrea’s in Encore.

EVERY CITY CARRIES A CERTAIN BRAND AWARENESS, built on years of history and industry,

topography and reputation. Which is to say, when you think of Las Vegas, you probably think less about our civic engagement than you do our dancing girls.

But no matter how tirelessly we’ve labored to earn our Sin City moniker, I’ve recently been reminded of all the ways in which Las Vegas is skillfully diversifying.

Most notably, of course, there was the first Democratic presidential debate, held in October at Wynn. For “fight night,” the marquee at Wynn pitted colossal images of Hillary vs. Bernie against each other in a promotional maneuver that nearly outdid the Mayweather vs.

Pacquiao match. Of course, no place is better equipped to handle the logistics necessary for a politician- and celeb-packed debate than a hotel casino whose own security rivals anything the nation’s capital can offer.

Plus, attendees that ducked out a bit early could probably have made it on time to “Zombie Burlesque” in Planet Hollywood, advertising “drop-dead gorgeous zombies” dancing to big band music.

Two nights later, I attended the third annual Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance dinner, held at Aria, where 700 business trailblazers, lawmakers, and community leaders gathered to discuss economic development,

from new medical schools to Project NEON, the state’s largest-ever infrastructure project. Keynote speaker Bill Foley, who has moved the publicly traded spinoff of his Fidelity National Financial title insurance company to Vegas, spoke about his plans to deliver a National Hockey League team to the city. The dinner adjourned around the same time as Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana, and performers from the self-described “twisted acrobatic fantasy universe” mingled with local dignitaries on their way to the valet in a perplexing and hilarious gridlock.

In other words, we’re just like Washington, DC, only better (and yes, I expect a call any moment from my friends at our Niche Media sister publication Capitol File). While Congress works to pass a spending bill, you can take control of your own dollars and gamble them right here. And make no mistake: If we wanted a Washington Monument, we would have built one by now. (Please see our Eiffel Tower and not one, but two Statues of Liberty.) Welcome to diversification, Vegasstyle. As always, we’ll do it our way.

ANDREA BENNETT

Follow me on Twitter at @andreabennett1 and on vegasmagazine.com.

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2 I was a halotherapy skeptic until I started visiting Salt Room LV . Get treatments or take a yoga class, but I love just sitting in the glowing room of Himalayan salt bricks, with a fine mist of salt pumped into the room. The lingering cough is subsiding, and it’s a great excuse to unplug.

3 Winter doesn’t mean my Saturday mornings at the Intuitive Forager Farmers Market in Downtown Summerlin have to end. On my list: blood oranges and other exotic citrus, Shinko pears, root vegetables, and lemony Buddha’s Hand.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDA Q PHOTOGRAPHY (DUFFY); RAY ALAMO (MCALLISTER, KASKADE); CRAIG ORKNEY (MARKET); COURTESY OF GUY SAVOY (SOUP)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: I celebrated Kaleidoscope–The Center’s 21st Annual Honorarium with Raymond Wilmer and Michael Shulman at Drai’s Beach

速ROBERTOCOIN

POIS MOI COLLECTION | robertocoin.com

letter from the Publisher

from left : At the Vegas Gives event, cosponsored by Vegas magazine, with Janet LaFevre, senior marketing manager for the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo and the Fashion Show mall; at the Grant A Gift Autism Foundation event with founder and CEO Lynda Tache and her son Grant.

Self-help author Gretchen Rubin’s sentiment comes to mind every year as the holidays approach.

We stretch every day, endeavoring to spend more time with family, visit more friends, conduct new business, and support community needs as the festive season turns up its tenor as we glide toward a new year tethering our heightened expectations to it.

Then one day, many years into this perfected regime, we catch ourselves refecting in a moment.

“Was that really 10 years ago?” Long days. Short years.

What do the winter months mean to you as you fow toward this season? Looking forward, will you slow down and quietly refect on the many moments over the year now gone as a new calendar emerges on the horizon? Or will you instead be captured by the rapture of fnishing out 2015 with the increased pace, the loud holiday cheer, and freworks? Happy New Year 2016!

Winter in Las Vegas offers something special for everyone, resident and visitor alike. You haven’t lived until you have rung in the new year in Las Vegas.

Come be a part of what is singularly Las Vegas but is

only manifested by the people traveling from every place in the world to take part. And while Las Vegas is best in class for entertainment and luxury, the city consistently dedicates these talents to building our community. The annual Vegas Gives event and Grant A Gift Autism Foundation dinner recently raised needed awareness and funds.

As you contemplate your coming days this winter season, plan a trip to Las Vegas, or a longer walk in the neighborhood if you live in our magical city. It’s worth the moments you will create, and these will be the moments to remember.

maureen schafer

Follow me on vegasmagazine.com.

36 vegasmagazine.com

photography by ray alamo (gives); hunter may (tache)

Long days. short years.

We perfect this watch by hand.

Even the parts that you can’t see.

A lthough you w i l l probably never act ual ly see most of

the fact that not all of these lav ishly f inished parts are

the levers, wheels, and springs in the L a nge Zeit werk

concealed. Fortunately, the sapphire-crystal back reveals

c a l i br e , L a nge’s m a s t er w at ch m a ker s me t ic u lou s l y

the fascinating interaction of quite a few of them. Treat

p er fe c t t hem by h a nd . A f ic ion ados w i l l appr e c i at e

you rsel f to a close-up look. w w w.alange-soehne.com

Sabin Orr A St. Louis area native and avid sports fan, Sabin Orr has been a professional photographer specializing in culinary advertising and editorial projects for nearly two decades. For this issue of Vegas, he shot our Taste section opener on indulgent holiday meals around town.

What do you enjoy about food photography? The thing I love most about photographing food is that while it doesn’t speak, it certainly has a life of its own. What’s the secret to a great shot? I approach every single composed dish or product I shoot with a fresh set of eyes. None are the same no matter how identical it appears to anything previous… that’s my excitement, my motivation. The next shoot is a new challenge and how do I make it better than my last shot. I fnd that aspect of my job incredibly inspirational. Are you excited for the holidays? My new favorite holiday of the year is now Thanksgiving since my son was born last year a couple days before it. Every year I now get to celebrate his birthday, watch football, eat countless great meals—whether home cooked or out on the town, spend quality time with family and friends, relax, and eat some more!

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Danielle Kelly

Sarah FelDberg TOvin lapan

Danielle Kelly is an artist and writer who has written for Las Vegas Weekly and Desert Companion, among others. Her work spans art criticism, art blogs, exhibition catalogs, and artist profles. A former director of the Neon Museum and current Executive Director of Surface Design Association, Kelly recently left Vegas after 14 years, but can’t quite shake the neon glow. For this issue she wrote about the Paradise Palms neighborhood for our Haute Property section. What are your favorite architectural styles? Nothing compares to Art Deco style, specifcally Streamline Moderne. The attention to detail and craftsmanship, quality construction and materials, extreme elegance, curvilinearity of design... it’s all evocative, breathtaking, and transportive. Besides Paradise Palms, what’s a great place to fnd great architecture? Main Street is a wonderful menagerie of signage and history, old and new commercial architecture and enterprises—it is always in a wonderful state of transition.

You’re an arts writer—what is your can’t-miss gallery in Vegas? I am a huge fan of the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV. But Las Vegas’s greatest art venue is the street.

Sarah Feldberg is an award-winning freelance writer and editor based in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and the former editor of Las Vegas Weekly. She has contributed to Condé Nast Traveler and BBC.com, among other publications. When she’s not working, she likes to run trails and think about what she’ll eat after. Bazaar Meats is for true carnivores: Are you a carnivore? Herbivore? I’m an omnivore. I don’t eat a lot of red meat, but when I do, I really enjoy it. What’s your biggest indulgence, holiday or otherwise?

What makes a great holiday meal? I love a good cheese. I’ve actually had my parents ship my favorite hard-to-fnd cheese from the East Coast. A great holiday meal is all about the company, but having a nice cheese board never hurts.

Do you have any fun holiday plans? My husband has been trying to recreate the biscuits from Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston for years. He keeps getting closer and closer, and I’m his offcial taste-tester.

Tovin Lapan, who wrote our Dish story on Vegas’s chocolate hot spots, is a freelance journalist based out of San Francisco and Las Vegas. He loves eating, but can’t sit still for more than two hours, especially with no promise of dessert. He often writes on food, Latin America, politics, and culture, and his work has appeared in Lucky Peach and Las Vegas Weekly.

Are you obsessed with chocolate? I’m a certifed chocoholic! I think fne chocolate is one of those foods, like coffee, wine, or cheese, that, thanks to its intricacies and variety of favor profles, can provide a meditative experience in which you focus on your senses, enjoy the moment, and forget some of life’s stresses. What are some of your favorite restaurants?

Off the Strip, I really like Yonaka, which serves up very inventive Japanese small plates, and features the Choco 10 Ways dessert—a chocolate lover’s dream. I fell in love with the amazing gelato from Desyreé Alberganti, who left Art of Flavors early in 2015, and I’m super excited to try out her new place, Gelatology, in the southwest valley.

photography by greg Kahn (Lapan)

…WiThOuT WhOm this issue would not have been possible // Winter 2015

LOOK FABULOUS. BE FRUGAL. VINCE THEORY FURL A TAHARI DIANE VON FURSTENBERG JOHN HARDY STUART WEITZMAN

LAS VEGAS NORTH PREMIUM OUTLETS LastCall.com/Studios

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The LisT Winter 2015

Gary Ackerman

Brian Moore

Matthew Bellamy

Robert Lane

Te Ann Lakeotes

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Vanessa Chamberlin Houssels

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design a n d technology.

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Style tastemaker After 30 years, founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana continue to lead the creative direction of iconic brand Dolce & Gabbana.

La DoLce Vita

photography Courtesy of DolCe & gabbana

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana celebrate three decades of fashion, femininity, and mediterranean flair. by bryn enny When Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana opened their design studio in Milan in the early ’80s, they placed a sign out front that read, simply: Dolce & Gabbana. Today, 30 years after debuting their frst collection, those two last names are known around the world, with wares spanning from leather goods to beauty products to jewelry.

“What makes us most proud is the fact that we have managed to create a very recognizable style,” says Gabbana, who originally studied graphic design before teaming up with Dolce, the son of a Sicilian tailor. “I’ll notice that a person might not even be wearing Dolce & Gabbana clothes, but their style is indeed Dolce & Gabbana.” continued on page 46

vegasmagazine.com 45

STYLE Tastemaker

BALLET BEAUTIFUL Dolce & Gabbana serves up the perfect accessories for the Black & White Ball.

Without a doubt, Dolce & Gabbana’s distinct DNA, paired with an unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship, has served to keep the brand both relevant and recognizable over the years. “We strive to create a personal, special, and intimate experience for our customers,” says Domenico Dolce. “Our level of quality and attention to detail has become synonymous with the brand.”

And this attention to detail—from infinitely exquisite embroideries to delicate lace accents—goes beyond the needle and thread. In 2013, the designers began

serving as creative directors for their ad campaigns, with Domenico behind the lens. “Becoming inspired, creating a sketch, deciding a mood or feeling, and then seeing it all come together when we personally shoot our campaign, it felt like things had come full circle,” he says of the experience.

As for the next 30 years? The duo’s aspirations are still rather simple, according to Dolce. “We just want to keep working, and to continue doing what we love and create—hopefully—beautiful things.” Molto bene. The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6614; dolcegabbana.com V

MAMMA MIA! A pair of ornately embellished headphones are this winter’s ultimate accessory.

Dolce & Gabbana has long had a relationship with the music industry.

The brand’s over-the-top style lends itself well to the pomp and

46

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

circumstance of the stage, so its no surprise the designers drew inspiration directly from the music world, and the technology surrounding it, when creating accessories for their Fall 2015 collection. Inspired by one of Dolce & Gabbana’s favorite muses, the Mamma, the brass and crystal crown headphones are a play on the traditional crown or

Black Daisy clutch ($4,295)

tiara, and pay tribute to the mother as “queen.” When paired with a specially-designed iPhone case, the headphones are the ultimate fashion accessory for a high-style woman in a high-tech world. No doubt Las Vegas’ many artists-in-residence, and fans of the brand, such as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Calvin Harris, would approve.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DOLCE & GABBANA

Looks from Dolce & Gabbana’s latest Fall/Winter collection.

Those planning on attending the Nevada Ballet Theatre Black & White Ball needn’t look much further than Dolce & Gabbana for a bit of outfit inspiration. The white Daisy clutch ($3,595) and black Daisy clutch ($4,295) add the perfect dash of personal flair (to the strict dress code, while the black pump with sequined toe ($1,095) with jeweled accents features a demure two-inch heel that’s perfect for dancing the night away in comfort. This year, the highly-anticipated event will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas on January 23rd, and actress Olivia Newton-John will be honored as “Woman of the Year.”

CALIBER RM 63-01 DIZZY HANDS

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Style Accessories

The New RomaNce

A new wAve of moody yet modern romAnce Arrives in lAs vegAs, creAting An over-the-top grAndeur perfectly fit for the holidAy seAson. photography by jeff crawford styling by faye power

All DresseD Up Delicate lace, moody metals, and rich embellishments add a striking splendor to holiday dressing.

Iridescent gown, Gucci ($12,500). Via Bellagio, 702-732-9300; gucci.com.

Square emerald ring ($595) and round mixed-metal ring ($345), Alexander McQueen.

Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3490; alexandermcqueen.com.

Petite Malle sequin clutch, Louis Vuitton ($6,600). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3492; louisvuitton.com

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1

2

PATchwork PerfecTion

All ThAT GliTTers Mixed metallic hues add a dose of the unexpected yet feel refreshingly nonchalant.

3

richly woven jacquards and antiqued metals blend the timeless with the timely.

4

heAvy DuTy

sTrikinG GolD

Brooding botanicals and sleek modern metals produce the perfect contrast.

Bold crystals and lush gilding give holiday accessories a new glow.

1. Handbag ($3,200) and bracelet ($2,075), Chanel. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3532; chanel.com. Platform sandal, Lanvin ($2,090). The Shops at Crystals, 702-982-0245; lanvin.com. 2. Dior Trianon low boot, Dior ($1,070). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3496; dior.com. Clutch, Rauwolf ($1,230). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com. Necklace, Bottega Veneta ($6,750). The Shops at Crystals, 702-220-4751; bottegaveneta.com. 3. Open-toe sandal, Dries Van Noten ($745). Barneys New York, see above. Bangles, Michael Kors Collection ($145– $245 each). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-869-0010; michaelkors.com. Clutch, Alexander McQueen ($1,795). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3490; alexandermcqueen.com. 4. Pump, Bottega Veneta ($1,980). see above. Clutch, Lizzie Fortunato ($505). lizziefortunato.com. Necklace, Oscar de la Renta ($890). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3487; oscardelarenta.com

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prop styling by sergio esteves; hair by deborah brider using kérastase paris crème de la crème at factory downtown; manicure by casandra lamar using dior vernis at factory downtown; model: veronica jacques of major model management. gray print fabric on model in opener and two stills: eskayel upholstery fabric in cocos-midnight, available at eskayel.com; wallpaper in all stills: vintage wallpaper, available at secondhandrose.com; tiles in all stills: moroccan cement tiles from mosaic house, available at mosaichse.com

Style Accessories

style, taste and Venice on a grand scale

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24-hour shopping line: 702.414.4500 • thegrandcanalshoppes.com

Style Spotlight Perfect pairs! “Young girls love to match their moms,” says Kevyn Wynn, who flled a void in the footwear industry by designing fancy matching Moroccaninspired slippers for her and her daughter, Zoe.

Fancy Footwork

Crowd pleaser Mondaine’s sleek lines and refned style come alive in its newest addition, a Helvetica No1 Regular Hand Winder, which offers a traditional look with easy-to-read numbers and a classic band. Mondaine is available only through the end of January in an exclusive stay at Tourneau, so shoppers should act now to grab one of the Swiss-made timepieces that boast modern functionality and are a ftting tribute to the 1950s.

Tourneau, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702732-8463; tourneau.com

Blinged out For a bit of extra sparkle this holiday season, look no further than Bulgari’s B.Cocktail Ring program—a personalization service that shoppers can use to customize high-jewelry cocktail rings, choosing from colorful gemstones like peridot and blue topaz, diamond accents, and crafted settings for a high-glam ring that suits every bauble need this season. The Shops at Crystals, 702-583-4747; bulgari.com

Customized yellow-gold, diamond, blue topaz, and mother-of-pearl B.Cocktail ring, Bulgari ($19,000–$71,000).

Elton John shows off his collaboration with Lalique benefting his AIDS organization. below: A red crystal heart up for auction.

Just in time for the holidays, evyn Wynn launches a new line of luxury slippers. by ramona saviss This winter, entrepreneur Kevyn Wynn introduces a line of slippers ($250–$295) that are cozy and chic. “I found that more than ever, I’m spending more time at home,” says the daughter of Steve Wynn. Inspired by a need to fnd functional yet fashionable inhome slippers, the LA-based designer, who used to design all the logo merchandise for her father’s hotels, sought to create her own. The result? “Cocktail slippers with leather soles that you could wear outside,” she says. The initial collection—handstitched in Italy—comes in seven different designs (from denim to foral embroidery) inspired by Wynn’s “feminine and vintage” personal style—and named for some important women in her life, including daughter Zoe (her design collaborator), mother Elaine, and sister Gillian. As for what’s next, Wynn adds, “All the men in my life are asking for men’s slippers!” Wynn LVNV and Encore Homestore, 702-770-7000; kevynwynn.com V

// what’s afoot //

Casadei ($795). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; casadei.com

52 vegasmagazine.com

haute step

Dolce & Gabbana ($795).

The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6614; dolcegabbana.com

going Crystal Clear

Helvetica No1 Regular Hand Winder, Mondaine ($995).

Music legend Elton John has teamed up with Lalique to create a series of limited-edition crystal pieces that will beneft the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF).

The Music is Love collection features a crystal angel ($1,800), red crystal heart ($1,800), and clear crystal heart ($1,200), as well as the Cire Perdue Angel that will be auctioned off with four other unique pieces at his annual Academy Awards soirée in Los Angeles on February 28. The Shops at Crystals, 702-507-2375; eltonjohnmusicislove.lalique.com

Lush veLvets & rich textures add a Luxe Look to winter’s pumps & sandaLs.

Gianvito Rossi ($670). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com

Jimmy Choo ($850). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-733-1802; jimmychoo.com

Tory Burch ($450). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-369-0541; toryburch.com

Givenchy ($1,350).

Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com

INTRODUCING BELLINA™ MODERN SPORT FOR HER. MOVADO.COM

©2015 movado group, inc.

KERRY WASHINGTON, ACCLAIMED ACTRESS.

Style time Honored

In RaRe FoRm Your watch has what in it? exceptional watches with unconventional elements appeal to las vegans who aren’t afraid to attract attention. by roberta naas photography by jeff crawford

Top watchmakers routinely employ precious gems or complex technology to raise the art of haute horology to new heights. But some daring brands go even further, incorporating truly unusual details into their dials, producing not only a state-of-the-art timepiece but a genuine conversation starter. These works of art are sure to be coveted by Las Vegas’s most discerning watch afcionados, particularly those with a taste for the unorthodox. For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to vegasmagazine.com/watches-and-jewelry. V

clockwise from top: From Corum,

this Heritage Peacock Feather Watch ($30,200) is crafted in 18k gold and features real peacock feathers—harvested from living members of nonendangered species—in a marquetry motif on the dial. The watch has a bezel set with diamonds as well as diamond accents and comes with an easy-to-change strap system and a second strap. Ca d’Oro Jewelers, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-696-0080; corum.ch

From Hublot, whose Big Bang timepieces are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, the Big Bang Jeans Steel 44mm watch ($16,000) uses material from genuine washed blue jeans for the strap and dial. The case is made of steel, while the movement is an HUB4100 self-winding chronograph with 42 hours of power reserve.

Wynn & Company Watches, 702-770-3520; hublot.com

54 vegasmagazine.com

styling by terry lewis

This Parmigiani Fleurier Pershing Tourbillon Samba Madeira watch ($248,000) is crafted in titanium and rose gold and features a dial with a “Gibson and Brazil” pattern (named for the guitar maker and the country whose fag’s colors adorn the face), a meticulously hand-worked mosaic of exotic painted woods. The watch has a 30-second tourbillon escapement within the 237-part manual-wind movement PF510.

Bellusso, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 888-209-3886; parmigiani.ch

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Private parlors further refine the experience, where our most discriminating guests will be granted access to a suite of eating and drinking amenities, unmatched access to curatives and other courtesies.

The Apothecary Shoppe is a grand undertaking, one that combines inspiration, craftsmanship and a high value on wellness to create a comfortable and consultative guest experience.

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Culture Hottest ticket

Midnight Moves

PhotograPhy by ChristoPher Polk/getty images for PCa

maroon 5 leads the Pack of suPerstars ringing in the new year on the striP. by tess eyrich

Every holiday is a cause for celebration in Vegas, but with its unadulterated glamour, cheeky optimism, and late-night decadence, New Year’s Eve just might be the holiday best suited to this city that never sleeps.

“I can’t think of a more appropriate place to be on New Year’s Eve than Vegas,” says Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine. “Every night is like New Year’s Eve here.” Hence, nearly six months ago he and his bandmates— lead singer Adam Levine, bassist Mickey Madden, keyboardists Jesse Carmichael and P.J. Morton, and drummer Matt Flynn— announced their plans to play two shows at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, December 30 and 31, making this the fourth consecutive year they’ve rung in the new year in Vegas.

The shows will be a ftting fnale to a banner year that opened with a live performance of their Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars” at the Academy Awards and continued with a massive tour across Europe, Asia, and Australia in support of their record-breaking ffth album, V. “It’s such a trip to be on the other side of the planet and have people singing back to us,” Valentine says.

Still, come New Year’s Eve, Vegas is their go-to destination, thanks in part to the city’s proximity to their base of Los Angeles.

“Celebrating in Vegas has become this awesome tradition,” Valentine says. “We’re able to get all our friends from Los Angeles to join us, and at the afterparty for last year’s show, David Copperfeld even came out with us.

That was a very Vegas moment—I don’t think we’ll ever forget it.” This year their entourage will include Valentine’s close friends in the LA-based indie pop band Phases, who are set to open both shows, but he’s quick to imply there’ll be even more surprises onstage. “Every New Year’s Eve, we’ve done something special,” he says. “Who knows?”

877-632-7400; ticketmaster.com continuEd on pagE 60

Maroon 5’s Jesse Carmichael and Adam Levine.

vegasmagazine.com 59

Culture Hottest ticket LoCaLs Know Best Vegas insiders share their tried-and-true tips for making the most of your night on the town.

— ARRIVE EARLY —

3. alesso: Swedish deejay-

ing superstar Alesso launches his brand-new residency at Wynn Las Vegas’s XS Nightclub with top billing at the indoor/outdoor playground’s holiday EDM extravaganza. Tickets are $100 for men, $50 for women.

702-770-0097; xslasvegas.com 4. TiësTo: The festivities

1 Take Five Because Maroon 5 isn’t the only Megawatt act kicking off 2016 in Vegas, here are fiVe More can’t Miss perforMers to catch on the strip this new year’s eVe. 1. Bruno Mars: The

Grammy Award–winning performer who christened the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea theater when it opened in 2013 returns to the venue for a single-night engagement with his eight-piece band, the Hooligans. Tickets start at $150. 800-745-3000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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4

“Instead of carrying around your usual purse, stash your ID, cash, and cards in a clear plastic case that’s small enough to ft inside a clutch or crossbody bag.”

Sophia Song Marketing Consultant, Saks Fifth Avenue

— STAY IN ONE PLACE —

“Dining at the same property as the nightclub makes for an easy transition from dinner to the club. Most clubs have deals with restaurants, so do your research and make reservations.”

Jon Opas Director of VIP Marketing, Hakkasan Group

DoDge the Chaos

5 5. niCki Minaj: Hardly a

beneath the main club’s pulsating chandelier. Tickets are $200 for men, $125 for women. 702-785-6200; omnianightclub.com

— DITCH THE BULKY BAG —

a calmer corner

2

2. Calvin Harris: The

newest hot spot to hit the Strip, Caesars Palace’s jewel-like Omnia Nightclub, hosts its frst New Year’s Eve affair, with top-earning Scottish DJ Calvin Harris at the helm to close out 2015

at MGM Grand’s sprawling nightclub Hakkasan include a headlining performance

by Dutch DJ Tiësto, who will deliver a special holiday edition of his massively popular Clublife party. Tickets are $150 for men, $75 for women.

702-891-3838; hakkasanlv.com

Cathy Tull Senior Vice President, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

stranger to the Vegas nightlife scene, the “Anaconda” rapper and her boyfriend, hip-hop star Meek Mill, take to the stage at Drai’s Nightclub, located atop The Cromwell, to end a marathon of a year on a high note.

702-777-3800; draislv.com

More into a civilized toast by candlelight than a midnight scream with 5,000 of your closest friends?

Book the late seating at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas (702-590-8888; mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas), whose six-course New Year’s Eve menu includes Maine lobster, sea bass with Alba white truffes, grilled fllet of beef, and Gagnaire’s Grand Dessert, with no fewer than 16 components. Guests can ring in the new year with Gagnaire at the private seating, or in the 23rd foor Mandarin Bar. A special in-room package includes Champagne and party favors—for toasting à deux.

If you’re still craving a little after-hours magic, head to the Great Gatsby-inspired black-tie gala at Hyde Bellagio (702-693-8700; hydebellagio.com), where Jazz Age entertainment is the order of the evening and the Champagne toast at midnight is just the party’s midpoint.

PhotograPhy by Kevin Mazur/getty iMages (Mars); DaviD becKer/WireiMage (alesso); Maarten De boer/bMa2015/getty iMages for DcP (harris); Jc olivera/WireiMage (MinaJ); Denise truscello/getty iMages (tiËsto)

3

“Road closures usually begin happening around 3 pm, so if you’re celebrating on the Strip, plan to arrive around noon for the easiest access to hotels.”

TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE VALLÉE DE JOUX. FOR MILLENNIA A HARSH, UNYIELDING ENVIRONMENT; AND SINCE 1875 THE HOME OF AUDEMARS PIGUET, IN THE VILLAGE OF LE BRASSUS . TH E E A RLY WATC H M A K E RS WE RE SHAPED HERE, IN AWE OF THE FORCE OF NATURE YET DRIVEN TO MASTER ITS MYSTERIES THROUGH THE COMPLEX MECHANICS OF THEIR CRAFT. STILL TODAY THIS PIONEERING SPIRIT INSPIRES US TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS OF FINE WATCHMAKING.

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Culture See, Hear!

Sinatra at a Century celebrating his 100th birthday, the most lavish tribute to Frank sinatra is the ticket oF the season. by john katsilometes Now Wynn is summoning Sinatra once more, in memory and legacy, for Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert. The show is set for December 2 at Encore Theatre and airs on CBS on December 6.

Produced by Ken Ehrlich and AEG Ehrlich Ventures, the Recording Academy, and CBS, the concert will feature tributes to one of Vegas’s favorite entertainers by Tony Bennett (a Sinatra contemporary and close friend), Garth Brooks, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, and Usher. The performers will be joined by a 30-piece orchestra under the direction

of Dave Loeb, the music director for Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers, and employing the arrangements of Sinatra’s hand-picked conductors: Nelson Riddle, Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins, and Quincy Jones. The Sinatra family has allowed the original charts to be used for this all-star show, the only televised marking of the 100th anniversary of Sinatra’s birth (December 12).

“Frank Sinatra is timeless,” Wynn said in the introduction to the book Sinatra 100 by Charles Pignone, one of the country’s leading Sinatra authorities. “He stood for intelligent music and arrangements, along with the ultimate in integrity, glamour, and class. That is his legacy. Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to his music. His recordings are the soundtrack to our lives.”

In putting this concert together, Wynn’s personal bond with Sinatra has undoubtedly been reinforced. From 2010 to 2011, Wynn presented the show Sinatra: Dance with Me, a series of dance numbers choreographed by Twyla Tharp with music by a live orchestra playing to Sinatra’s recorded voice. Some of the classics in that show will be heard again in the new concert, including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way,” and “That’s Life,” only this time with some of Sinatra’s musicians playing live. “The family has asked that we use musicians who played with Frank,” Loeb says. Those lucky enough to secure tickets will get to enjoy all of this and Sinatra, too— or at least his spirit. V

photography by DaviD reDfern/reDferns

In the 1980s, when Steve Wynn owned the Golden Nugget hotel-casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, he booked Frank Sinatra for a long run as their headliner. The duo’s cheeky commercials became classics and also solidifed their fast friendship. In one of the ads, Wynn strides through a suite at the Golden Nugget of Las Vegas, where he meets Sinatra and introduces himself. “I run this place,” he says. Whereupon the Chairman of the Board pushes a bill into the hotel owner’s hand and says, “Make sure I get enough towels.” Wynn’s tagline: “The Golden Nugget: All this and Frank Sinatra, too.”

62 vegasmagazine.com

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CULTURE Spotlight artfull

BREAKING POINT For Vegas-based artists Wendy Kveck, J.K. Russ, and Erin Stellmon, breaking up isn’t hard to do; it’s a form of self-expression. Whether it’s Kveck’s multifaceted paintings and sculptures or the cut-paper collages of Stellmon and Russ (who created the cover art for Vegas’s Summer 2015 issue), all three women specialize in disassembling their subjects before reorganizing them and putting them back together.

And beginning this month, they’ll unveil new work in “Break Ups & Tear Downs,” a collaborative exhibit at UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum. Through January 23, 2016.

Barrick Museum, 702-895-3381; unlv.edu/barrickmuseum

Liz the Source (2015), a collage by J.K. Russ, whose work is part of the exhibit “Break Ups & Tear Downs.”

IN FLEX

Here Comes the Son JOHN FOGERTY BRINGS AN EIGHT-SHOW RESIDENCY TO VENETIAN. BY TESS EYRICH “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain”—John Fogerty wrote and sang some of the most enduring songs of the late ’60s and early ’70s as the leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Now he’ll celebrate the music of that era with an eight-show residency at the Venetian Theatre, but first he gave us a behind-the-scenes preview of the show. Should we expect any surprises from your Vegas residency? “My fi rst date is actually Elvis’s birthday, so that should be interesting. I’m a huge Elvis fan, so I’m sure there’ll be some reverence paid to him.” Your set list focuses on 1969, the year CCR released three full-length albums. “Well, we’d had one little hit, ‘Suzie Q,’ and I was deathly afraid of ending up a one-hit wonder, so I got very, very busy. When you’re young, you have very focused vision on what you want. Or at least I sure did.” You recently published your autobiography, Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music. Any reflections on writing it? “After you read the whole story, you finally realize, because all these years have passed, why certain things were important—maybe a year later, or five years later, one event led to another. I hope I’ve filled in most of the events as best I could.

I really tried hard and wanted to do that.” January 8–23, 2016.

From $59.50. Venetian Theatre, 702-414-9000; venetian.com V

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MÖTLEY MAYHEM When Mötley Crüe takes the stage at MGM Grand Garden Arena, it will mark the last time the metal band’s four original members—vocalist Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx (SHOWN), and drummer Tommy Lee—perform together outside their hometown of Los Angeles, the concluding stop on their Final Tour. And what a send-off it’ll be: To help cap a three-and-a-half-decade career, the band has invested in a variety of overthe-top accessories, including a bass that shoots fire 30 feet, a spinning drum kit, and state-of-the-art pyrotechnics. Would you expect anything less from rock’s most notorious band?

December 27. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-531-3826; mgmgrand.com

The Las Vegas Philharmonic’s new Flex Passport program gives patrons the opportunity to purchase six seats for the symphony’s upcoming performances, in the orchestra, dress circle, or gallery B sections of the Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, all for a flat rate of $300. From there, it’s up to you to decide which shows you’d like to attend and how many seats you’d like to redeem—or give to a friend— for each one. Our advice? Reserve your Flex Passport now for the orchestra’s remaining six Reynolds Hall shows, including conductor Donato Cabrera’s interpretations of works by Rachmaninoff, Mozart, and George Gershwin. Reynolds Hall, Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 702-258-5438; lvphil.org

Conductor Donato Cabrera and the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE BARRICK MUSEUM (RUSS); LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC (CABRERA); BY KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE (SIXX); MYRIAM SANTOS (FOGERTY)

Fresh off NBC’s The Voice, rock legend John Fogerty lands in Vegas.

Culture Show and tell

What’s the Deal?

Jerry Seinfeld is a busy guy—getting coffee in cars with comedians— but he makes time for a chat in advance of his wildly popular show at caesars. By Joh atSilometeS

Let’s start with a question I almost hate to ask, because it is so obvious, but Seinfeld aired its fnal episode 16 years ago. How do you explain, today, its ongoing popularity?

You know, I have not watched an episode of the show since we did the commentary for the DVDs, what, 10 years ago I think. So I have not really revisited the series. But there was a very high integrity level that we brought to that show. The performances were great, the cast was great, the writing was great. It has stood the test of time for those reasons, I think.

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It seems that even the moments that are now dated have become part of the show’s appeal—the old phones, some of the fashions.

Yeah, it’s kind of becoming The Andy Griffth Show of its time.

What was the inspiration for the Web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee?”

I’ve spent a lot of time with comedians after shows, and thought it would be kind of fun for the audience to see what that’s like if you were to give it

a little structure. It’s a simple thing, showing that this is what I like to do, and who I like to talk to.

Was there ever a thought that you would do something else, like go bowling or shoot pool or something?

Funny, but no. It was always coffee.

Never anything else. As long as it was the same thing every time, and that just worked.

George Carlin was one of the comics who played Vegas a lot but

didn’t necessarily like Vegas audiences, because they were often talking during the show, maybe drunk and unruly. Have you had those issues at Caesars?

I don’t have that too often anymore, where I’m in front of a crowd that has had too much to drink. At this stage of the game, if you see me at Caesars you really want to be there.

If you have made it to Vegas, and you’ve been able to see the show at Caesars, you’re having a pretty great weekend. V

Photo by Rob Loud/Getty ImaGes foR stand uP foR a CuRe

When he was the star of his own hit TV series, Jerry Seinfeld reached several million viewers every week.

Today, he’s fne with 4,000 folks seated in a Las Vegas theater. “The idea that this is a theater that was very intimate but holds a lot of people is very good for me,” Seinfeld says as he returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on December 26 and 27 (thecolosseum.com). “I’m really liking it there. I have been playing it now for 10 years, so I must like it pretty well.”

RAISE YOUR GLASS. RAISE YOUR GAME. #EFFENVODKA Drink Responsibly. EFFEN® Vodka, 100% neutral spirits distilled from wheat grain, 40% alc./vol. (80 proof) © 2015 EFFEN Import Company, Deerfield, IL

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BELLAGIO GALLERY OF FINE ART BGFA brings Pablo Picasso to Las Vegas with their current exhibition, Picasso: Creatures and Creativity.

Tis holiday season, give the gift of Picasso with a selection of prints featuring more than 15 Picasso works of art, including images unique to this exhibition such as Woman with a Yellow Necklace.

Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.693.7871 | bellagio.com/bgfa

Pablo Picasso, Woman with a Yellow Necklace, 1946, Oil on canvas, 32 x 25 ½”, © 2015 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

“O™” BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL® AT BELLAGIO Enjoy “O” by Cirque du Soleil in pure luxury when you reserve seats in Bellagio’s “O” VIP Suites. Te private opera house-style suites include champagne or wine and a selection of gourmet treats.

Suites are available for early and late shows and make perfect gifts this holiday season.

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A love affair with French cuisine.

Now open.

Aria.com

invited

ElEctric EvE

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

EDM supErstar KasKade cElEbratEs HallowEEn—anD His Vegas MagazinE octobEr covEr—witH a spEcial HoliDay sEt at Xs nigHtclub.

In our October issue’s cover story, EDM heavyweight Kaskade reminisced about his very frst Vegas residency, a stint at the newly opened Encore Beach Club that began in the summer of 2010. This past Halloween, he returned to his home turf at Wynn Las Vegas to celebrate the holiday, and his Vegas magazine Men’s Issue cover, prior to a headlining set at XS Nightclub.

Fresh off his fight, the Chicago-raised musician raced from the airport to the resort that raised him to the status of Strip icon more than fve years ago, and then, showing no signs of slowing down, he playfully signed glossy copies of his Vegas cover, posed for photographs, and mingled with costumed fans. When it was time to start the show, though, the hit-making DJ made a beeline for the booth, proving to the crowd of thousands exactly why Wynn kicked off 2015 by booking him for an unprecedented exclusive multiyear residency.

vegasmagazine.com 71

INVITED

Trina Larmony and James Gisclair

David Moscow, Jonathan Shecter, James Shecter, Matt Urfirer, Chambers Loomis, and Nick Bendell Leta Rose and Sophia Song

KASKADE MEETAND-GREET VEGAS MAGAZINE FÊTED October Men’s Issue cover star Kaskade with an exclusive reception before his headlining performance at XS Nightclub on Halloween night. Before the show, the event’s VIP attendees enjoyed cocktails and an intimate dinner at Andrea’s at Encore, followed by a meet-and-greet session with the acclaimed DJ.

Kaskade and Sean Christie

Shahn and Jeff Douglas

Aileen Mendoza and Tiffany Quinones

Jason Urso and John Pallante Park House’s pool deck

Alex Acuna

Ryan Misaresh and Christine Snedden

VEGAS MAGAZINE AND the Park House luxury residences welcomed locals to an open house on the Summerlin building’s resort-style patio. Guests of the sunset reception sampled a variety of cocktails, courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka, while touring the building’s contemporary condominiums and amenities, which include a clubhouse with its own full-scale game room, theater, and rooftop sundeck.

Karen Diamond and Gary Anthony

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Chantal Denard and Heidi Holly

Gianni Sammarco

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

PARK HOUSE COCKTAIL RECEPTION

“I never thought that having cancer would teach me humility, compassion and gratitude.”

Miriam Trejo Survivor

Exceptional cancer treatment; that’s why Miriam chose Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), but what she also received is what we call the Mother Standard® of care. It’s a philosophy in which we wrap our arms around patients like Miriam, not only providing cutting-edge treatment options but unconditional support and unwavering respect… just like we would if she were our own mother, wife, sister or friend.

It’s personal. Because we believe that when we hold fast to this standard of care – coupled with exceptional medical treatment - we not only give patients a fghting chance, we become part of their fght. And that teaches us humility, compassion and gratitude as well.

For more information about CTCA®, please call 888-214-9488 or go to cancercenter.com.

©2015 Rising Tide.

INVITED Lipstick-kiss fortune readings

Laiyla Bass, Robert Reitman, and Chantal Azamian

Suzy Stabile and Sarina Semeraro

NARS X STEVEN KLEIN HOLIDAY COLLECTION LAUNCH

Monique Allen and Peter Joachim

VEGAS MAGAZINE JOINED Nars at The Forum Shops at Caesars in celebrating the launch of Fantascene, the beauty brand’s new holiday collaboration with photographer Steven Klein. Attendees indulged in complimentary makeup services and lipstick-kiss fortune readings, sipped Moët & Chandon Champagne, and sampled miniature Sprinkles cupcakes while browsing the limited-edition collection of ultrapigmented lip colors, eye shadows, and blushes.

The Fantascene collection by Nars

Camile Tanner and Alba Hall

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Sean Snell and Shadia Taylor

Ainsley Felton and Annie Waggoner

Kristin Block and Rebecca Ray

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

Vandana Bhalla and Jeannine Loewy

INVITED

Tom Dietz and Lauren Cahlan

Rick Moore, Megan Chandler, and David Turnbull

Lisa Lewis, Jeff Frerichs, and Felicia Borla

VEGAS GIVES

Christina Sapone and Alexa Paglia

TOASTING EIGHT LOCAL women whose charitable contributions make our city a better place, Vegas magazine presented its annual Vegas Gives fundraiser at the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo. Guests of the celebration enjoyed a drawing featuring luxury items from retailers such as Diane von Furstenberg and Saks Fifth Avenue, cocktails made with Elit by Stoli vodka, and hors d’oeuvres from Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. Capping off the festivities, the evening’s emcees, Vegas Editor-in-Chief Andrea Bennett and MORE show cohost Sean McAllister, named Nevada Ballet Theatre cofounder Nancy Houssels the fundraiser’s winner, a title she accepted with the support of fellow honorees Mauricia M.M. Baca, Kristin Conte, Marilyn Larson, Paula Lawrence, Cari Marshall, Gigi Shaukat, and Rachel Smith.

Georgette and Justin Cohen

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Tiger Todd, Ruby Wertz, Leila Pazargadi, Bart Patterson, Elaina Bhattacharyya, Diana Marmino, and Elena Abolentsezva

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

Jim Vallela, Sean McAllister, and Shane Warner

// style spotlight //

GIVING IN STYLE PROVING THAT PHILANTHROPY CAN GO HAND IN HAND WITH FASHION, THE WOMEN OF VEGAS GIVES WERE AMONG THE EVENING’S BEST-DRESSED ATTENDEES.

Jennifer Dolan, Gabriel Torres, Christopher White, and Michelle Dimaya

Jon Schwalb

Wendee Johns, Judy Machabee, and Liz LaMonica Sandra Green, Gigi Shaukat, and Jodie Sacco

Larry Smith and Ardi Najmabadi

Jessica Marshall, Bradford Beardall, and Kate Tom

Christine Maddela and Rachel Smith

Tiffany Pellegrini and Julie Clark

Kinsey Kampfer, Helene Pearl-Zurlo, and Freddy Maynez

Stella Roy, Cynthia Gregory, Terane Comito, and Nancy Houssels

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 77

INVITED // style spotlight //

KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOR FALL MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN FULL FORCE IN VEGAS, BUT THE KICK OFF YOUR HEELS LUNCHEON’S SARTORIAL STUNNERS ARRIVED OUTFITTED Edwina Registre, Ericka Aviles, and Shana Dahan

IN BRILLIANT SHADES OF SPRING-FRIENDLY COLOR.

Roselyn Poon, Kathleen Ray, and Cindy Parker

KICK OFF YOUR HEELS LUNCHEON AS PART OF the PGA Tour’s Shriners

Hospitals for Children Open, TPC Summerlin welcomed more than 350 women to the fifth annual Kick Off Your Heels luncheon. Hosted by Kim Wagner of Wake Up with the Wagners, the elegant afternoon affair featured refreshments, an auction, and a keynote speech by restaurateur Elizabeth Blau, all in support of Shriners International’s nonprofit network of 22 dedicated children’s hospitals around the country.

Chelsea Austin and Amelia Soto

Cheryl Cook and Elizabeth Engle Kim Wagner and Emily Jillette

The fifth annual Kick Off Your Heels luncheon

Linzy Turner and Kim Becker

78 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Melanie Devries, Antonia Genov, Cindy Pino, and Christie Moeller

Tanya Murray and Dulcinea Rongavilla

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

Tamany Silvestri and Heather DiChiaro

JULY 3, 2015 – JANUARY 10, 2016

Tickets and information 702.693.7871

|

bellagio.com/bgfa

Pablo Picasso, Woman with a Chignon and a Yellow Hat, Oil on Canvas, June 1962, 36 x 28 ¾” © Estate of Pablo Picasso, Paris/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York.

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TasTe

Holiday Hedonism, Vegas-style

Dining in Las Vegas is extraVagant any time of year, but During the hoLiDays, our tempLes of gastronomic DeLight reaLLy puLL out aLL the stops —anD stoppers. by john curtas

In Las Vegas, creating a holiday environment all year-round is our specialty. But during our winter holidays (when, granted, you might have to look for snow in the Bellagio Conservatory rather than outside), the city’s best restaurants stage the ultimate in over-the-top dining—featuring très luxe products from around the globe brought in to satisfy gourmands looking to dress up, dine out, and drink it all in, the Vegas way.

As the French invented both the modern restaurant and Champagne, you can be assured a holiday meal at Joël Robuchon (MGM Grand, 702-891-7925; mgmgrand.com) will be second to none. James Beard Award–winning Executive

photography by Sabin orr

continued on paGe 84

Le Cirque puts an upscale spin on egg salad.

vegasmagazine.com 83

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clockwise from top:

Florentine porterhouse from Carnevino; Colors of Caviar from Guy Savoy; Peking duck from Wing Lei.

“prime aged, brobdingnagian cuts of beef are about as bacchanalian as you can get.”

bone-in rib eye, that claims to be for two on the menu, but is more than enough for four. “Holiday time is my favorite time of the year,” says Executive Chef Nicole Brisson, “and we love it when large parties come in and share everything from pastas to steak, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes we do only at Christmastime.” Those pastas are some of the best in the business, and shaving a boatload of truffes over them (at a price) is a tradition here that has few equals in the Italian food world.

In the end, though, the holidays are all about tradition, and no top-fight restaurant in Las Vegas has more of it than Le Cirque (Bellagio,

702-693-8100; lecirque.com). For 17 years, the Christmas tree has gone up in the same corner, the bar has been draped with lights, and the food has been over-the-top magnifcent. In what has become one of the toughest tickets in town, the service staff waltzes among the 65 festive seats, helping revelers create memories both seasonal and gastronomic. Executive Chef Wilfried Bergerhausen’s gold-crusted quail, rabbit “symphony,” special truffe tasting menu, and melting chocolate “bomb” are built upon the premise that too much of a good thing is impossible. Which, of course, is just the way it should be. V

photography courtesy of carnevino (florentine porterhouse); caesars (caviar); Jeff green (peking Duck)

Chef Claude Le-Tohic is a truffe snob of the best kind, and by Christmas Day, his menu is usually festooned with the fnest black truffes. “After about mid-December, the white truffes start declining in quality,” he explains. “That’s when we start using truffes noires, which are much better when cooked.

Many of our customers request them over the holidays.” Thus can you fnd these gorgeous fungi adorning everything from a mousseline served with a semi-soft boiled egg with Comté cheese to a white onion tart with smoked bacon that proves the rest of the world has nothing on the French when it comes to crafting an umami bomb.

Likewise, Restaurant Guy Savoy (Caesars Palace, 702-731-7286; guysavoy.com) top toque Mathieu Chartron is a member of this exclusive club that can demand and procure the best ingredients. Whether you opt for Savoy’s “Signature” or “Innovation” menu, expect Chartron to shower you with every possible luxury ingredient. Savoy’s desserts (from the fondant to the petits fours) are justifably famous, as is his Colors of Caviar dish (a diminutive glass layered with caviar crème fraîche, caviar vinaigrette, haricot vert purée, Russian golden osetra caviar, and warm sabayon).

Dramatically, a gorgeous pumpkin soup is served right from the giant gourd as it’s wheeled around the room. Let Head Sommelier Phil Park guide you through one of the great wine lists of the world (with quite a few bargains for such an elite address) and you’ll wine and dine the most festive way of all, which is, of course, the France-meetsVegas way.

Ringing in the New Year by feasting on the Robuchon or Savoy bread and cheese carts may seem like the perfect way to pack on a few holiday pounds, but Executive Chef Ming Yu’s Wing Lei (Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-7000; wynnlasvegas.com) is equally lavish. Well-heeled Asian families—and others in the know—reserve well in advance for the dim sum cornucopia served only between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Afcionados of these little bites “from the heart” will swoon over Yu’s epicurean uptake on such standards as har gow (crystal skin shrimp dumplings) and shumai dumplings, barbecue pork buns, and those delightful little custard pastries known as don tot. The restaurant—one of the world’s prettiest even when it isn’t the holiday season—bustles with white-gloved butlers delivering all of these goodies to your table.

There are even master sushi chefs on hand for seafood lovers, and an imperial Peking duck carved to order. It’s a genuine winter solstice bacchanalia.

Prime, aged, Brobdingnagian cuts of beef and great red wine are as about as bacchanalian as you can get, and Carnevino (Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-789-4141; carnevino.com) is where Christmas carnivores gather to share a classic Florentine porterhouse, or a dry-aged,

Sustainable in mind, delicious on the palate.

OPENING DECEMBER 2015 | BELLAGIO.COM | 702.693.8800

TasTe Best eats

just offal

José Andrés’s paean to the carnivorous features a meat bar and chrome crocodile heads as décor.

how bazaar

A yeAr After the opening of Bazaar Meat, itS chef, JoSé AndréS, celebrAteS the SeASon with Some clASSicS—And Soon-to-be clASSicS— At one of the moSt decAdent reStAurAntS on the Strip. By sarah feldBerg The frst thing you notice as you enter Bazaar Meat are the pigs. Pale and delicate, they hang from their hind quarters in a brightly lit display case. Their creamy skin arcs down to a dainty snout dangling just over a patch of fake grass.

They are darling, these sweet little suckling pigs—and terribly delicious.

The pigs are something of a coup for chef José Andrés’s SLS meat emporium. After years of working to import the three- or four-week-old pata negra Iberian suckling pigs—the same animals used to make the prized jamón hanging above the charcuterie bar—Andrés received his frst shipment of 50 this fall, just around the time of Bazaar Meat’s frst anniversary. “It is huge,” he says. “It has been many years working on this.”

Slow-cooked in a wood-burning oven until the meat is meltingly tender and the skin crackles, the pigs are served by the quarter or, with 24-hours notice, whole—a decadent centerpiece for a family-style holiday feast.

But man cannot live on swine alone, so the menu boasts nearly 100 different items to be mixed and matched into your ideal meal: steak tartare prepared tableside, caviar fights, updated Reubens on tiny torpedoes of cheese-flled bread, fresh oysters swathed in applewood smoke and traditional Spanish blood sausage topped with fresh uni come together in a deeply funky surf and turf.

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The menu refers to the bluefn tuna belly steak and grilled lobster dishes as “meat from the sea,” because, as Andrés says, “Meat is everything. A carrot is good meat. A scallop is good meat.” And speaking of good meat: Bazaar recently received certifcation to serve Japanese A5 Kobe, the reigning king of the beef world. Order the Kobe eye of the rib—$110 for 4 ounces—and your lusciously marbled and unspeakably juicy steak comes with an authentication ticket, including the animal’s lineage and nose print.

“What I’m giving is the true essence of the goodness of the earth that we celebrate, one meat at a time,” says Andrés. “That’s what we do at Bazaar Meat different than anybody else. And it’s not easy, but because we have good ingredients, I think that we’re achieving some level of success.” It certainly feels that way inside the Philippe Starck–designed dining room, where chrome crocodile heads watch steaks sear over open fames and tableside carts turn dinner into a show. The food may be refned, but the atmosphere is more playful than proper, like an exceedingly cool dinner party where your host serves some of the most sought-after ingredients on the planet.

And if Andrés has his way, you’ll soon fnd lambs on his list of ungettable gets. “We’re working on it,” the chef says.

“A true baby lamb, it changes your life forever.” SLS Las Vegas; 855-761-7757; slslasvegas.com V

Sacred, profane, and perfectly Bazaar.

José Andrés doesn’t care if you order the tortilla Sacromonte at his SLS “meathouse.” He didn’t put the dish—a rustic, Spanish-style omelet topped with kidneys, sweetbreads and bone marrow—on the menu for you.

“This is the kind of thing I put on the menu for myself and my buddies,” he says.

Which is precisely the reason you should order it. With a soft egg on top, sweet caramelized onions, and perfectly cooked offal, the dish is a rich, decadent nod to the Gypsy neighborhood of Sacromonte, in Granada, and an entry-level introduction to offal that manages to make all the scary bits gloriously meaty and delicious.

Andrés loves the dish so much, he even featured it on the NBC show Hannibal, for which he served as culinary consultant.

But seriously, don’t order it.

José doesn’t care.

photography by ryan forbes (meat bar, crocodiles); Jill paider (tortilla sacromonte)

José’s tortilla sacromonte

TasTe The Dish

As if vegAs didn’t AlreAdy hAve enough sweet temptAtions, gourmet ArtisAnAl chocolAtes Are the city’s newest indulgence. by tovin lapan Artisanal chocolate makers are popping up around Vegas, coaxing out the natural, nuanced favors of cocoa beans from around the world. Here are fve artisanal chocolate treats you should let melt in your mouth as soon as possible.

Single-origin ChoColate barS

Before launching Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions (Paris Las Vegas, 702-3315551; hexxlasvegas.com), chefs Matthew Silverman and Matthew Piekarski traveled the world choosing growers and beans for the fve singleorigin dark chocolate bars they would make in their open kitchen. Their new

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methods avoid emulsifers, using nothing but cocoa and organic coconut palm sugar.

The Madagascar bar has the highest percentage of cocoa, and the naturally sweet bean produces strong citrus notes.

Hexx offers free chocolate tastings and tours.

Double Sea-Salt ChoColate Caramel

French chef Jean-Marie Auboine made stops at the Fountainbleu in Miami and Bellagio before striking out on his own to open Jean-Marie Auboine

Fortunato no. 4

At JinJu Chocolates (Container Park, 702-348-9407; jinjuchocolates.com), Jin Caldwell is one of a handful of chocolatiers with access to the Nacional cocoa bean from the Marañon Canyon in Peru. The rare Fortunato No. 4 was only recently rediscovered. The beans

are slow-roasted, preserving the natural fruity, foral, and nutty favors. Caldwell crafts small chocolate disks, mixing them with favors like honey and raspberry, but the pure Fortunato No. 4 bar allows the famous bean to shine.

ChoColate-DippeD CanDieD orangeS

Megan Romano’s bakery, Chocolate & Spice (7293 W. Sahara Ave., 702-527-7772; chocolatenspice.com), has been a local favorite since opening in 2012. The shop offers cakes, pastries, and fne chocolate treats, including her unique chocolate-covered citrus. Dipping candied oranges in a dark chocolate couverture from the Brazilian chocolate company Sicao lets the chocolate’s own citrus profle blend seamlessly with the oranges, and the contrast with the citrus allows the natural favors of the dark chocolate to stand out.

CoCoa truFFle

Winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the highest award for pastry chefs, Jean Philipe Maury moved his Las Vegas production facility and 110-member team from Bellagio into a 6,000-square-foot kitchen at Aria when it opened in 2009, and branches of Jean Philipe Patisserie (702-590-7227; jpchocolates.com) can be found at both resorts. The Bellagio shop is known for its chocolate fountain, the world’s largest, but the refned, expertly crafted chocolates are the real showstoppers. V

photography courtesy of chocolate & spice (oranges); by anthony Mair (hexx)

Hot for CHoColate

Chocolatier (4780 W. Harmon Ave., 702-222-0535; jmauboinechocolates.com). His signature chocolate caramels have garnered national attention for their soft, mild caramel center. The simple double sea-salt caramel combines caramel with a rich, smooth coating made from 65 percent Putumayo dark chocolate and a generous dash of sea salt.

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Taste Food for Thought

from left: Rivea Salad with tuna,

Let the Skyfall

Don’t mourn the loss of Alain Ducasse’s Mix, celebrate its rebirth as Skyfall Lounge and elegant French Riviera-inspired Rivea. by brock radke The transformation of The Hotel at Mandalay Bay into Delano Las Vegas was one of the major Strip developments of 2014, but for those who have watched the metamorphosis closely, it was incomplete until superchef Alain Ducasse unveiled Rivea restaurant and Skyfall Lounge this season, his stylish update of the former Mix space perched on the 64th floor of the gleaming gold hotel tower.

Rivea is not an experimental concept, but rather a proven gem in the Michelin-decorated chef’s arsenal.

A celebration of Mediterranean cuisine and the relaxing, sun-drenched vibes of the French Riviera, Rivea has operated in Saint-Tropez and London for years.

But Ducasse’s Las Vegas interpretation—designed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku and anchored in the kitchen by veteran chef Bruno Riou—is as transporting an experience as you’ll find anywhere on the Strip.

It begins in Skyfall, where warm, rich, royal tones of purple, red, and gold amplify the beautiful desert sunsets we’ve always admired from this lofty position. There are even cocktails crafted specifically for the twilight hours, like the Sierra Aperitivo, made with Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, Champagne, and

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refreshing Aperol granita. The Champagne bubble glass installation hanging from the ceiling remains from the previous design—it’s too incredible to lose— but the other elements in the dining room are fresh and crisp. The dramatic mahogany banquettes and tables featuring subtle accents of red, yellow, and sparkling turquoise recall maritime leisure, boosted by the new “Wave Wall” composed of hundreds of pieces of glass that leave you feeling like you’re on a yacht cruising calm waters.

The view from the Skyfall Lounge at Rivea to the south and west of the Strip is stunning.

Rivea’s cuisine, too, is the ambrosia of vacation, artfully composed of many small plates to allow for sharing, light eating, and maximum pleasure.

Supreme steaks and main courses such as lobster with purple artichokes, rack of Colorado lamb with herb pesto, and roasted duck breast with a classic, sharp bigarade sauce await for those looking for larger portions. Among the standouts: eggplant caviar, the Old World dish vitello tonnato (cold sliced veal with a creamy sauce), and tomato and basil tigelle, an ancient Italian peasant bread in the midst of a resurgence these days. Leave it to Ducasse to introduce Vegas to flavors and foods we didn’t know we should be dreaming about.

Rounding out the menu are peerless side dishes like tiny spelt and vegetables cooked in a Dutch oven, baked John Dory fish (a true Riviera dish). and desserts such as a traditional zuccotto—a semi-frozen masterpiece combining cake, ice cream, and plenty of brandy. If you can make it out without giving in to the temptation of a nightcap at Skyfall, here’s to you.

But why would you want to leave? 702-632-7888; delanolasvegas.com V

photography courtesy of mgm resorts international (dining room; skyfall lounge); pierre monetta (crispy socca)

quail egg, anchovies, tomatoes, and olives inside the Crispy Socca, a chickpea-flour pancake; the restaurant’s airy dining room.

TasTe Cheers Good NeiGhbors The progressive practices of the Nolet Distillery are enhancing the family’s hometown of Schiedam.

Early 1980s: Carl Sr. incorporates air purifcation

into the exhaust system of the company’s coal-fred still to help improve the air quality in Schiedam.

2005: The 141-foot-tall De Nolet windmill

(left), which is actually a wind turbine, is completed, providing 20 percent of the distillery’s power while refecting Schiedam’s heritage.

THE SPICE TRADER Las Vegas toasts the Nolet Distillery’s 325th anniversary with the Spice Trader, a cocktail created by Mariena Mercer, lead mixologist at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan.

1

oz. Ketel One vodka

1 oz. coconut rooibos tea syrup 10 pink peppercorns oz. lemon juice 2 torn kaffr lime leaves Splash of ginger beer 2 dashes aromatic bitters Shake the frst fve ingredients together and strain over ice, then top with ginger beer and aromatic bitters and stir. Garnish with kaffr lime leaf and star anise.

ToasTing TradiTion As it celebrAtes 325 yeArs As A distiller of fine spirits, including Ketel one VodKA, the nolet family is stAying grounded in trAdition while looKing squArely into the future. by matt stewart Today the Nolet family is best known as the maker of the enormously popular vodka Ketel One. But for 11 generations the Nolets have been distilling fine spirits in the Dutch town of Schiedam, close to Rotterdam. Schiedam was already a major spirits center (noted mainly for Jenever or “Holland gin”) when Joanness Nolet founded his distillery there in 1691. In the three centuries since, the family has built the business into a force to be reckoned with in the global spirits market, with distribution in over 90 countries. “The very definition of craft is something we have been doing for hundreds of years,” says Carl Nolet Jr. “Though, at 325 years old, we are a relative newcomer in Schiedam.”

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The Nolet family has faced countless challenges over the years. In the 19th century, the development of the column still allowed for increased production of purer neutral spirits, leading to a price war that wiped out many of the distilleries in Schiedam. The Nolet Distillery not only survived, but it employed the technology to create better, purer-tasting spirits than ever before. During the Nazi invasion, the distillery was all but shut down, so Carl Jr.’s grandfather Paulus turned the property into a safe haven for Jews, hiding them in a secret nook over his office. Nolet was one of a handful of Schiedam distilleries able to survive in a postwar Europe left in physical and economic tatters. In the early ’80s, 10th-generation distiller Carolus Nolet, known in the family as Carl Sr., made the strategic decision to expand into the burgeoning premium vodka market in the US. “I knew I would have to spend 100 percent of my efforts on saving the family business,” he recalls.

After several years of experimenting with his greatgrandfather’s recipe for wheat-based vodka, Carl Sr. realized that the cleanest, crispest taste resulted from combining the heavier spirits from Distilleer Ketel 1, the distillery’s oldest coal-fired copper still, with the lighter product from the column still—and Ketel One was born. In 1983, Carl Sr. brought the vodka to the US, partnering with the best establishments and most noted bartenders to build interest by word of mouth. His sons, Carl Jr. and Bob, joined him to expand Ketel One’s presence, armed with their father’s mantra, “Don’t oversell; find people who want to try it.” This strategy helped Ketel One achieve stratospheric growth, in 2002 reaching 1 million cases sold in a year.

Other milestones followed: the introduction of Ketel One Citroen in 2000 and Ketel One Oranje in 2010; the formation of a partnership in 2008 with the global distributor Diageo; and Drinks International’s recognition of Ketel One as the best-selling vodka and most trending vodka in 2015.

As the Nolets prepare to celebrate the 325th anniversary of their distillery, Carl Sr. and his sons take pride in their continued stewardship of the family enterprise. “It is our duty,” says Bob, “to leave both the business and the town of Schiedam healthy and to build the future.” V

photography by KENt MILLEr (cocKtaIL); courtEsy of NoLEt faMILy DIstILLEry (WINDMILL)

2007: To minimize heavy truck traffc in town, the Nolet family constructs the only privately operated tunnel in the Netherlands to connect the distillery with their fully automated distribution center on the opposite bank of the Buitensluis Canal.

T A H W T .

S D U E J R E D R O N I A T P A C E TH

eg a s.

V e g a Vi nt York. w e N c h ool Ol d s . u isi ne c n a i tal less I e m i T

TasTe spotlight Ultimo’s Grand Banquet is set for December 18.

Restaurateur/actor/interior designer Michael Chow is the son of an opera star and brother of a Bond girl.

chow time imbibe

the biggest names in chefdom come together for ultimo, a spectacular annual event at venetian.

The third annual Ultimo at Venetian (December 17–20) promises lavish feasts presented by celebrity chefs and worldrenowned winemakers. Inspired by the four elements (earth, air, fre, and water), Ultimo’s events include an earth-inspired dinner by chefs Jerome Bocuse and Gavin Kaysen featuring wild game and Urbani truffes for 200 guests; the Grand Banquet, starting with a Krug Champagne, truffes, and caviar reception and ending with a heavenly meal by Thomas Keller and Grant Aschatz; a foating luncheon featuring seafood and Prosecco on the Grand Canal; and a full-on feast of steak, fsh, and a full-size pig roast on an open fame, served on a romantic outdoor piazza. Plus, don’t miss the Bocuse D’Or Team USA 2017 qualifying event, the world’s most prestigious gastronomic competition. venetianlasvegas.com

harvest season

This New Year’s Eve, beer fans can pop a bottle of bubbly brewed just for them. Bosteels Deus Brut Des Flandres is brewed in Belgium, then transferred to France where it gets the full Champagne treatment.

Find it at craft beer bar Pkwy Tavern (9820 W. Flamingo Road, 702-2435329; pkwytavern.com).

Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone Las Vegas features a can’t-miss oyster happy hour.

ocean’s bounty

farm-totable

Bellagio’s newest addition to its culinary lineup is Harvest by Roy Ellamar. The chef, a staunch advocate of local agriculture and sustainably produced proteins, offers heritage foods such as Becker Lane porchetta (shown) and dishes like ancient grain risotto made with foraged mushrooms. bellagio.com

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the champ of beers

Beer for Champagne fans.

Chef/founder Brian Malarkey’s acclaimed ocean-totable concept Herringbone spreads its beachy-chic roots from its native California to Aria Las Vegas this winter. The venue will feature both indoor and outdoor seating and live music. Its inventive dishes include skate wing schnitzel with spaetzle, sea beans, hen of the woods mushrooms, and mustard jus; and ahi tartare with sambal, ginger, pickled carrots, black garlic, and taro. herringbone eats.com; arialasvegas.com

photography courtesy of mgm resorts international (harvest); courtesy of caesars palace (chow); by marie buck (herringbone oysters); mike pawlenty (malarkey)

Ultimate Luxury

Set in a multilevel space overlooking the picturesque Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas’s brand-new Mr. Chow restaurant (with locations in London, Beverly Hills, Miami, and New York, among others) was designed by the mister himself, Michael Chow, whose design credits include boutiques for Giorgio Armani. The Asian menu includes green prawns, hand-pulled noodles, and Peking duck—there’s also a very Vegas-friendly Champagne trolley. 702-731-7110; mrchow.com; caesars.com

™

AN OCEAN OF EMOTION WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY FRANCO DRAGONE

Get ready for a flood of feelings. Inspired by water’s pure form, “O” is an intensely moving tribute to beauty. Mixing acrobatics and aquatics, the show is a surreal expression of the many virtues of water: soothing, poetic, transformative—it’s all here.

TICKETS AT CIRQUEDUSOLEIL.COM/O OR AT 888.488.7111 FOR GROUPS OF 12 OR MORE, CALL 877.826.0255

PERFORMING EXCLUSIVELY AT

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Diva Las

vegas

The hardest-working woman in showbiz, Jennifer Lopez, is moving to Vegas for one of the most anticipated residencies in years. Naturally, she’s offering all she has.

photography by ManageMent+artists+syndication

by MARK ELLWOOD

J

ennifer Lopez is deep in the auditioning process for her new Las Vegas residency, All I Have. She’s whittling through hundreds of hopefuls keen to join the dance troupe, and when it comes to assessing them, Lopez is a no-nonsense critic. “I started as a dancer, so I have an eye for it. I’ve done it my whole life,” she shrugs. Before her breakout as a booty-shaking Fly Girl on In Living Color, Lopez was a backup dancer in Janet Jackson videos and for New Kids on the Block at the 1991 American Music Awards.

(In 2015, she returned to the same show, albeit as the headlining host.) Such experience has given Jennifer a pro’s perspective on those rooms full of hopefuls. “Sometimes other people—the music department or my management—might like a person, but I’m, like, ‘Oh, they’re a little bit weak in this part; there’s not enough technique.’”

It’s an approach her former dance teacher, Phil Black, would recognize. Black also schooled Madonna and John Travolta, but he has said proudly that then-budding star Lopez was a more memorable pupil than either the Material Girl or Tony Manero. Lopez, he explained, worked harder than anyone in a very competitive environment. She chuckles at the mention of one of her former mentors. “It’s always been my approach to performing, to work, to everything I do in life: I give it all I have,” she says. “That’s why it’s the name of my show.”

Jen (her team never calls her J.Lo) is the latest pop diva to take up residency in Las Vegas: An initial batch of 20 shows begins on January 20, 2016, at Planet Hollywood’s Axis Theater, and the stint runs through early summer. The spectacle she is planning is likely to eclipse the recent residencies of two other megastars: Britney Spears, who offered only a Piece of Me, and Mariah Carey, who, through February 21, promises to take audiences ...To Infnity. “I want it to be a high-energy, Bronx kind of block party,” Lopez says, her New York twang still intact, “The most exciting shows make you dance, and scream, and jump up and down.

I want people to really let loose.” She expects her eventual onstage team to have more than just impressive footwork. “They’re bringing the story to life,” Lopez says, “so they’re an integral part of the show, acting a little bit, even.”

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A residency in Vegas wasn’t part of Lopez’s longterm plan; it surfaced only after the entertainer performed at a sold-out show at the Colosseum on New Year’s Eve 2014. A show on the Strip, she realized, was a refreshing change from the usual arenas and stadium shows. “It’s a much more intimate experience, and it’s about real performers,” she says, citing Vegas legends Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. “Not everybody can really do that.” A residency differs from a conventional tour in other ways, too: the sets, for example.

Shipping a show across the world, she says, is costly and constricting: “All your creative ideas get pared back, little by little, because it gets very expensive to put everything on a boat to China or Australia.

In Vegas, though, you’re in one place, so I get to dream—the ideas I have [for sets] can come to life in a way they never have before. That’s why some of the best shows are in Vegas.”

There are certain challenges in performing here, though: The dry desert air, combined with ubiquitous air-conditioning, can be punishing on a singer’s vocal cords. Workaholic Dolly Parton famously agreed to a weeklong set of shows in 1981

“in vegas i get to dream. the ideas i have come to life in a way they never have before.”

photography by ana Carballosa (performanCe), peter Kramer/nbC (ShadeS of Blue)

“I want [the show] to be a high-energy, Bronx kind of block party,” Jennifer Lopez says. “The most exciting shows make you dance, and scream, and jump up and down.” below: Lopez on the set of Shades of Blue with fellow actor Dayo Okeniyi. bottom: Lopez with castmates Sarah Jeffery, Ray Liotta, and Lolita Davidovich.

for a then-record fee of $350,000, only to suffer an attack of “Vegas Throat” on night one; she didn’t sing a note for the rest of the week. “I’ve run into that trouble in Vegas before,” Lopez says, wryly.

“It’s super dry, so you have to take care of yourself and have tons of humidifers.” (Maybe Celine Dion will let her borrow the $2 million system she apparently bought to help protect her voice against the same problem.)

Lopez promises to perform the songs fans expect, though she’s planning to keep the set list fluid, adding fan-favorite album cuts or songs she’s long loved herself. “I want the show to be always changing, so it’s a unique experience every time—one night a Selena song, and another maybe something by Diana Ross.” She plans to take inspiration, too, from whatever she’s humming in the kitchen at home; right now, that’s ballads by Sam Smith: “That song Lay Me Down? I really, really love it.”

Nowhere can Lopez more indulge her inner showgirl than with the costumes for All I Have— after all, this is a woman who has an entire drawer at home devoted to yellow diamonds and who relishes fipping through fashion magazines and marking up the pages that have outfts she wants to try, calling it “my favorite thing to do.” And she’s working with her longtime secret weapon, styling team Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn, on a Vegas-worthy wardrobe. To that end, she’s calling on the same roster of designers that has kept her red carpet-ready over the past few years: Balmain, Zuhair Murad and, of course, Versace.

It was Donatella Versace who gave Lopez her frst global pop-culture moment: the unforgettable slash-fronted, green palm-print dress the performer wore to the 2000 Grammys as the date of her then-boyfriend, Diddy. Lopez still has that dress at home, but she says it won’t make an appearance during her Vegas shows. “Oh, I still have it, but we’re going to do all kinds of new stuff—I redid the Versace dress for my Bronx homecoming show [in 2014], so I don’t think I’ll repeat myself.”

Planning her new costumes, though, is clearly one of her favorite parts of prepping for the Vegas residency. “It’s like a fantasy,” she coos.

“When you think of Diana Ross, Cher, or Barbra Streisand, it’s their costumes that became their signature.” Indeed, Lopez has cited Streisand as an icon before, calling her “classic, timeless” and acknowledging that she would gladly model her career on the Oscar winner’s. Will she channel Babs in Vegas—maybe a head wrap, or two?

She takes a deep breath, then exhales: “Oh, I’m

just looking to do the best Jennifer Lopez show anyone has ever seen.”

She also continues to multitask, remaining on TV while her residency continues, including judging the fnal season of American Idol, her job on and off for fve seasons. Calling herself “a great fan” of Idol’s sister show, So You Think You Can Dance, Lopez will welcome the most recent winner of that Fox series, 19-year old Gaby Diaz, to her Vegas troupe for a few shows. Would a 19-year old Lopez have auditioned for either show? “I don’t know, American Idol, maybe,” she says. That long-running singing competition clearly resonates with her, though, as she recalls her favorite moment of each season: the finale. “When the winner is announced, and you see that person’s dream come true, it’s such a human thing,” she says. “I still remember [season 11 winner] Phillip Phillips’ face. But I have mixed feelings about it ending—it’s a big celebration, but it’s melancholy at the same time. But something else will come up.”

For Lopez, that something is another TV show, Shades of Blue, a crime drama for NBC, and her frst gig headlining a network series. Produced by Idol host Ryan Seacrest, and costarring Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) and Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos), Shades of Blue is scheduled for midseason 2016.

In it, Lopez plays a single mom who works as an FBI agent in New York City and struggles with the morals of her job. “It’s set in the world of cops,” she says, “but it’s really about human nature—how we’re always riding a line of what’s right and what’s wrong, that slippery slope.”

Once she finishes shooting in a few weeks, she’ll dedicate herself to prepping for All I Have.

Lopez will, doubtlessly, be scoping out the competition—though she’s already seen “Britney, Shania [Twain], Celine, and all the Cirque [du Soleil] shows,” and she’ll relish the chance to indulge at Vegas’s luxury boutiques.

Lopez doesn’t drink, and has said she has long left behind the late-night partying for which she was known in her Diddy-and-Versace era.

Gambling isn’t a passion, either, though her Vegas stint will be especially appealing to one member of the family, her retired-schoolteacher mother, Guadalupe, who indulges in the slots in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Since Mom’s such a fan of gambling, she’ll be one of the frst to come here to check out the new show, right, Jen? “Even if she weren’t, she would still come and see me,” Lopez says, laughing, before pausing and adding, “Well, I like to think.” The rest of us will be right beside Guadalupe. For tickets, visit caesars.com. V

vegasmagazine.com 101

“It’s always been my approach to performIng, to work, to everythIng I do In lIfe: I gIve It all I have.”

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beautĂŠ: KĂŠrastase

Mousse Bouffante (150ml for $37), V.I.P. Volume In Powder Dry Volumizing and Texturizing Spray (250ml for $37), and Laque Couture hairspray (250ml for $36). Globe Salon, 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., #130, 702-938-4247; kerastaseusa.com. Tom Ford Bronzing Powder in Terra ($95), Cheek Color in Savage ($60), Eye Color Quad in Cocoa Mirage ($80), and Lip Color in Sable Smoke ($52).

Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com

The Back Room is the power lunch spot for international billionaires looking to buy eight-figure properties at One57.

viva

4hours!

8

IN THE ERA OF ACRONYMS, EMOJIS, AND 140 CHARACTERS-OR-LESS COMES TURBO-CHARGED TRAVEL: THE METICULOUSLY PLANNED, LIGHTNING-FAST VACATION, SPIKED WITH SNAPPY INDULGENCES, INTENSE ENJOYMENT, AND NOW-OR-NEVER EXPERIENCES THAT GIVE YOU THE FEEL OF THE PLACE, FAST! WITH NO TIME TO SPARE—IT’S THE FESTIVE SEASON, AFTER ALL—NICHE MEDIA'S EXPERT LOCAL EDITORSIN-CHIEF HAVE CURATED THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WHAT TO DO, SEE, AND EAT IN 48 FABULOUS HOURS IN AMERICA’S MOST EXCITING CITIES.

BILLIONAIRE'S NY

Favorites of the city’s most successful denizens (and those who aspire to be).

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC LAIGNEL (BACCARAT HOTEL); WILLIAM PERUGINI (HELICOPTER); COURTESY OF PARK HYATT NEW YORK (BACK ROOM, FALLING). OPPOSITE PAGE: PATRICK MESSINA

New York is home to more billionaires than any other city on the planet—a whopping 78 men and women who can claim a 10-figure net worth. Even the world’s richest man—Bill Gates—keeps a pied-à-terre here, at Trump World Tower. So where do the city’s ultimate one-percenters like to dine, shop, and experience New York at its finest? Check out our suggestions below.

POWER BREAKFAST

TIME OUT

Make like a boldfacer and snag a window seat at The Regency Bar & Grill (212-339-4050; regencybarandgrill.com), a power-crowd favorite owned by the billionaire Tisch family.

Tory Burch, one of the city’s few female billionaires, likes to meet friends for coffee and artful cappuccinos at Bottega del Vino (212-223-3028; bottega delvinonyc.com) and for pretty sweet treats at Ladurée on Madison Avenue (646-558-3157; laduree.com).

The Back Room (212-897-2188; thebackroomone57.com) is the go-to canteen for international gazillionaires buying eight-figure properties at One57. Try the modern delectables like beet risotto and kale Caesar salad.

hours in

NYC

LIVING RICH

ULTIMATE BUSINESS LUNCH

48

Burch a stylish billionaire, holiday shops at cult favorites Kitsuné (212-481-6010; kitsune.fr) and Opening Ceremony (212-219-2688; openingceremony.us), both known for cutting-edge brands.

EXPERIENCE

ASK THE EXPERT REGENA FALLING, CHIEF CONCIERGE OF THE PARK HYATT NEW YORK—ANCHORED IN POWER TOWER One57—CURATES AN IMPECCABLE WEEKEND.

For VVIP New York moments, CAA Premium Experience (877-599-1765; caapremium.com) can plan everything from a theater evening with a Broadway actor (and post-show visits with cast members) to cooking classes with one of the city’s celebrity chefs.

Day 1 (evening): A driver will whisk you to Marea (mareanyc.com) or Eleven Madison Park (elevenmadison park.com) to sample the

COLLECT Gagosian galleries (gagosian.com) on the Upper East Side (212744-2313) and in Chelsea (212-741-1111) are perennial meccas for one-tenth-of-onepercenters broadening their art collections.

BUY For a sumptuous, pampered retail splurge, head to Bergdorf Goodman (212-872-8757; bergdorfgoodman.com) and enlist a personal shopper to take you through this fabled designer emporium. Aerin Lauder, like

exclusive tasting menus, then take you to a VIP table at one of the city’s hottest clubs, like Provocateur (provocateur ny.com) or 1 Oak (1oaknyc

GOOD SPORTS

.com). Day 2: First enjoy

Take in the action at the city’s newest sporting arena, Barclays Center, in a glam private suite (which can be rented on a nightly or seasonal basis). Loft suites are just 26 rows from all the action on the court. For Islanders suites, call 844-33-ISLES; for Nets suites, 855-NETS-TIX; barclayscenter.com.

breakfast in bed, then have a bespoke wardrobe consultation from Barneys New York (barneys.com) or Brioni (brioni.com), or a lesson on the world’s best diamonds from Jacob & Co. (jacobandco.com). In the afternoon we’ll arrange for a guide to take you to the city’s top galleries. After a light

INSIDER’S SUNDAY DINNER

supper, you’ll have tickets for an incredible performance

Billionaires who like comfort food, Italian style, head to the Upper East Side and dine at Sette Mezzo (212-4720400), which serves almost as a clubhouse for the likes of Leonard Lauder, the Newhouses, and Henry Kravis.

CRYSTAL PALACE Order a signature cocktail, like the Hemingway Daiquiri, in the Grand Salon in the Baccarat Hotel (212-790-8800; baccarathotels.com), a luxe lounge lit by a huge Baccarat chandelier.

at Carnegie Hall (carnegie hall.org). The post-performance cocktail party is an exclusive one—in your suite, where handcrafted cocktails will be designed just for you and The ultimate 48 hours in New York could include a private helicopter tour of the city, cocktails at the Baccarat Hotel (INSET LEFT), and lunch at The Back Room at The Park Hyatt (INSET RIGHT).

your guests. Day 3: Enjoy a Champagne brunch followed by a wine tasting focused on how to enhance your cellar.

Then take a helicopter tour of the city, before a car whisks you to Teterboro Airport for a private jet out of the city.

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48

hours in

COOL AND CULTURE

PHILADELPHIA FINDING PHILLY

WHIRLWIND WEEKEND The birthplace of America is no longer just a hot spot for history buffs thanks to the city’s acclaimed dining, shopping, and cultural destinations.

From Independence Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia held the world’s attention during Pope Francis’s two-day visit in September. But it’s the miles in between those iconic landmarks where the heart and soul of Philadelphia can be found: on a bench in one of many bustling city parks, outside a theater on the Avenue of the Arts, or strolling by the shops and restaurants that line Walnut Street.

ROMAN HOLIDAY

HAUTE HAPPY HOUR

THAT’S THE TICKET

Modeled after Rome’s Pantheon and originally home to a bank, The Ritz-Carlton (215-523-8000; ritzcarlton.com) melds history with luxe hotel amenities. The grand Rotunda lobby bar entertains a mix of guests and locals alike for cocktails and bites.

Book the stately Penthouse Suite for unparalleled views of City Hall across the street.

While the main dining room at Volvér (215-670-2302; philadelphia.volver restaurant.com) is a study in pristine plates and sublime service, its plush bar is a hidden gem. Sample one of Volvér’s signature cocktails—the basil chili smash and Nero Manhattan are exemplary sips— alongside a revamped menu that includes shrimp toast and ham tartines.

The epicenter of arts and culture in Philadelphia is the Kimmel Center (215-6702300; kimmelcenter.org).

The grande dame of South Broad Street presides over an exhaustive calendar at venues across Center City, from Opera Philadelphia at the historic Academy of Music to The Philadelphia Orchestra in Kimmel’s own Verizon Hall.

BOUTIQUE CHIC King of Prussia Mall (610265-5794; simon.com), the largest retail property on the East Coast, is set to unveil 50 more stores next fall. In the meantime, there’s more than enough Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Salvatore Ferragamo to keep you happy. Call on KOP’s personal shopping service (ext. 212) to take you on a dizzying retail tour.

FRAME OF MIND The ultimate way to experience the more than 3,000 masterpieces at the Barnes Foundation (215-278-7200; barnes foundation.org)—including one of the world’s most notable collections of French Impressionist paintings—is with a private docent tour.

Share your interests, like exploring Picasso’s many works, and the Barnes plans your hour-long tour accordingly.

HIGHER GROUND The new One Liberty Observation Deck (215-561-3325; philly fromthetop.com) takes the visitor experience from the streets to the skies.

The 57th-floor attraction, from the design team behind the 360 Chicago observatory, promises panoramic views of Philadelphia, interactive features, and city-inspired art installations.

GREAT ESCAPE The Rittenhouse Spa & Club—Hair by Paul Labrecque (215-790-2500; therittenhousespaclub.com) is an utterly relaxing urban retreat. Step up your skincare with the Vitamin C facial or the 30-minute Express facial (perfect for travelers). For the ultimate body treatment, two therapists perform a finely orchestrated massage during The Quartet.

STEAK A CLAIM Known for more than a decade for its $100 wagyu beef cheesesteak, Barclay Prime (215-732-7560; barclayprime.com) on Rittenhouse Square is home to a bounty of bubbly, hefty prime cuts, and an assortment of caviar. After dinner, stop by the lounge, the coolest “library” you will ever have the pleasure of sipping a gin martini in.

For a haute happy hour, head to Volvér for exquisite cocktails.

What are the top things to do this winter? Blue Cross RiverRink, Waterfront Winterfest at Penn’s Landing (delawareriverwaterfront .com), and the Dilworth Park ice-skating rink at City Hall (ccdparks.org/ dilworth-park). Where should a first-time visitor to Philly go? The historic attractions in Old City like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (visit philly.com), shopping on Walnut and Chestnut Streets, the museum district on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (parkwaymuseumsdistrict philadelphia.org), and exploring Fairmount Park (phila.gov/parksand recreation). Any hidden city gems? A great way to experience Philly is to get out of Center City and visit the neighborhoods, from East Passyunk Avenue in South Philly and University City across the Schuylkill River to the west, to Fishtown/Port Richmond and Manayunk.

Dining is a big part of the Philly experience. There are just too many innovative, creative restaurants to list here. And there’s always Reading Terminal Market (readingterminalmarket.org) for lots of options under one roof.

PHOTOGR¥APHY BY CHRIS WARDE-JONES (NUTTER); DANIEL KRIEGER (VOLVÉR). OPPOSITE PAGE: COURTESY OF NBC (KINNEY); LEIGH LOFTUS (FIRST BITES); JOHN FAIER (SOLARISE)

MAYOR MICHAEL A. NUTTER’S TOP DESTINATIONS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE WEEKEND OF CULTURE.

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hip happenings

Chicago

Heat Wave From groundbreaking theater to one of the year’s hottest new restaurants, eight ways to turn up the temps this winter in the Windy City.

The wind may be howling down Michigan Avenue, but winter in Chicago is no time to hibernate. The season is set to be sizzling-hot, abuzz with anticipated cultural events and new destinations for fashion, dining, imbibing, and more. If you have 48 hours to spare, get a taste of the excitement with these essential winter experiences.

Eye-Popping Art

Japanese Chic

Closed for nearly nine months, the contemporary galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago (312443-3600; artic.edu) reopen with a bang, unveiling the largest gift in the institute’s history: 44 iconic works ranging from Warhol’s Liz #3 (below) to Jasper Johns’s Target with Four Faces. Opens December 13

There’s fashion for days and lines out the door at the Mag Mile’s latest style flagship, as Japanese retailer Uniqlo (uniqlo.com) marks its Midwest debut with a jaw-dropping 60,000square-foot emporium—its second largest in the US.

Game On

Restaurateurs Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz bet big on the Fulton Market district with Japanese stunner Momotaro. Now they’re doubling down with Swift & Sons (312-733-9420; swiftandsons chicago.com), a hugely anticipated steakhouse helmed by rising star chef Chris Pandel.

Soak It In Sit back, relax, and enjoy a rustic indulgence in the heart of the city at NoMI Spa (312-335-1234; parkchicago.hyatt.com), where for 90 minutes guests can unwind with a body polish and massage featuring Farmhouse Fresh’s festively decadent Bourbon Bubbler, complete with brown sugar and Kentucky whiskey. $200

Drink Me The ultimate winter cocktail is the Hearthstone at new Andersonville mixology hot spot Elixir (773-654-1751; elixir andersonville.com), where whiz kid Vlad Novikov combines bourbon, nocino liqueur, curaçao, and two kinds of bitters to come up with something dark, nutty, and dangerously drinkable.

Raising the Steaks

Says Artistic Director Nathan Allen, “There will be nothing else like it—it’s like a crazy hauntedhouse ride.” January 21–March 27

Jump into the action at The Last Defender (773-769-3832; thehousetheatre.com), an interactive stage collaboration between the award-winning House Theatre and some of Chicago’s top game designers.

Taste Sensations Attending an event on an empty stomach may seem unorthodox, but at First Bites Bash (above; choosechicago. com/things-to-do/dining/ first-bites-bash) it’s essential.

The kickoff to Chicago Restaurant Week features plates from more than 50 premier restaurants, all served up in the grand surroundings of Union Station. January 21

Go Natural Four years after a hailstorm devastated Garfield Park Conservatory (312-746-5100; garfieldconservatory.org), the century-old West Side institution is shining again with “Solarise: A Sea of All Colors,” an interactive exhibit drawing on the relationship between plants and light to explore a see-it-to-believe-it spectrum of color. On view through September 2016

The interactive exhibit “Solarise” ushers in a new era at Garfield Park Conservatory.

inside chicago Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney shares his ultimate buzzy Windy City weekend.

Ice age: The Blackhawks have been killing it. Our stages are close to United Center, so anytime I get the chance, Eamonn Walker, Jesse Spencer, and I will go. In the 2013 season, I caught maybe 20 games. The Blackhawks were on a run, and we all thought we were good-luck charms. Go-to restaurant: The Monkey’s Paw (themonkeyspaw chicago.com)—great bar, great food, great kitchen.

I like tough-to-find neighborhood joints. Secret spot: Lagunitas (lagunitas .com) has a huge brewery, but unbeknownst to a lot of people, there’s a bar in there. It’s like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for a beer aficionado. Can’t-miss show: TJ & Dave at The iO Theater (312-929-2401; ioimprov.com).

They do this improv show, and it’s just amazing. Pizza preference: I’m a Pizano’s Pizza (pizanoschicago.com) guy. I like their thin-crust, which is kind of sacrilege for any Chicagoan. Mustsee spot: If my mom comes to town, I like to go to The Signature Room (signatureroom.com) at the 95th. You can see forever, and especially in winter, it’s beautiful with the festive lights.

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rooM service

DC

Whether you’re checking in or just passing by, Washington’s luxury hotels are destinations in themselves.

As a mecca for men and women of influence, DC has set a new standard for luxury, and its hotels are offering some of the best in the city. Stay in one, and make a weekend of visiting the others.

Top-line dining, art, spas, and nightlife are at your fingertips in Washington’s finest lodgings.

A LiterAry trAdition The historic Hay-Adams (202-638-6600; hayadams .com) hosts an Author Series, in which guests (of the hotel and the city) are invited to join acclaimed writers for cocktails and conversation.

Thinking about making the Hay-Adams your trip’s home base? Splurge on the Federal Suite—its private balcony overlooks the White House— perfect for a nightcap.

experience also includes access to a 24-hour fitness center, steam rooms, and saunas.

MAgnifique Wine And cheeSe The Sofitel (202-730-8800; sofitel.com) offers wine and cheese pairings daily beginning at 11 am, featuring a selection of French and domestic cheeses. Enhance your knowledge of French culture and gastronomy.

treats paired with cocktails or Champagne, and a wide selection of herbal, green, white, and black teas.

five-StAr fAre Plume (202-448-3227; plumedc.com) at The Jefferson Hotel is the only Forbes five-star restaurant in Washington. Its menus are inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello, and the wine program has received Wine Spectator’s “Best of” Award of Excellence.

in a sultry, martini-sipping setting—it’s the perfect evening out on the town.

Winter WonderLAnd Ready for a nightcap? Enjoy drinks alfresco—even in the snow! Kimpton’s Poste Moderne Brasserie (202783-6060; postebrasserie .com) invites you to embrace fresh air year-round in its Winter Lounge, with fire pits (with s’more-making kits!), heaters, and piping-hot cocktails to keep you warm.

Most-wanted staycation: Just down the road in Middleburg, Virginia, at the Salamander Resort & Spa (salamanderresort.com).

Favorite hotel restaurant: Art and Soul (jdvhotels.com/ restaurants/the-liaisoncapitol-hill/art-and-soul) in the Liaison on Capitol Hill.

Try the pork belly confit and grits! Best hotel bar: Without a doubt POV’s rooftop lounge at the W Hotel (wwashingtondc.com/pov), with its incredible views of the White House and The National Mall. Favorite hotel spa: The Four Seasons Spa (fourseasons.com/ washington/spa) in Georgetown. The spa is a tranquil haven in the middle of the city. Most beautiful lobby: The Willard InterContinental (washington. intercontinental.com).

The stately 1850 hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue has a majestic lobby featuring columns and gilded ceilings.

An evening of JAzz With its Jazz Legends series, the iconic St. Regis (202638-2626, stregiswashington dc.com) transports guests to a Prohibition-era speakeasy featuring performances by local and national musicians

Better Brunch The Blue Duck Tavern (202419-6755; blueducktavern .com) in the Park Hyatt offers something for everyone at brunch—from Chesapeake Bay jumbo lump crab cakes to chicken biscuits.

Staying at the Park Hyatt?

Take an exclusive peek at artwork from The Phillips Collection without leaving the hotel. Through the end of 2015, reproduction photographs from the “American Moments” exhibit will be on view on the mezzanine, with more pieces coming in 2016.

Afternoon teA The Empress Lounge (202-787-6140; mandarin oriental.com/washington) at The Mandarin Oriental offers an updated take on the classic afternoon tea.

Overlooking the gardens, guests can enjoy savory sandwiches and sweet

A ritzy SpA After brunch, indulge in a hedonistic retreat at the Day Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner (703-7443924; ritzcarlton.com). At this oasis for relaxing and revitalizing, therapies use natural ingredients, including avocado, brown sugar, seaweed, and Dead Sea salts. Every guest’s wellness

dc insider NBC WashiNgtoN’s Angie goFF dishes oN her favorite WashiNgtoNarea hauNts.

Feast on macarons and Champagne for a taste of French gastronomy at The Sofitel.

photography By SoFItEL WaShINgtoN DC. oppoSItE pagE: CourtESy oF LouIS VuIttoN (akhoB); tom DoNoghuE (SILVEStrI); aL poWErS/poWErS ImagEry (omNIa)

Hotel Hopping

nonStop nightlife!

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Las Vegas life begins after sunset Daylight in Vegas is for spa recovery sessions and disco naps. Here it’s all about what you can do when the sun goes down.

There are few certainties in the world’s favorite gaming playground. Some things, however, are guaranteed: There will always be a fabulous new restaurant to try or a hot new club to jockey your way into, and, should the need arise to buy fine jewelry or a handbag at midnight, someone will be happy to accommodate you.

meet the miDnight iDol Take in the Vegas sunset at Casa de Shenandoah (702-547-4811; casadeshenandoah.com), Wayne Newton’s 52-acre ranch. It has barns for his Arabian horses, a mansion with secret passageways, an exotic-animal farm, Rolls-Royces formerly owned by Steve McQueen and Liberace, and Franklin Roosevelt’s own desk. You can even take a tour with Newton himself (for a reservation, e-mail MrLV@ casadeshenandoah.com).

is taking on a new identity. Now a hybrid private gaming room and lounge with private bottle service, Lavo is still serving elevated Italian comfort food (wagyu meatballs!), but now it will bring dinner right to your gaming table.

JoURney to pARiS Michael Mina’s beautiful new Bardot Brasserie at the Aria Resort & Casino (877-230-2742; aria.com) elevates French fare— for instance, onion soup studded with braised oxtail and bubbling with aged Gruyère is covered in Perigord truffles. The gold lettering stenciled on the windows, the Laguiole cutlery, and the zinc bar make this one of the most transporting restaurants in Vegas.

Swept AwAy by Celine Celine Dion has performed nearly 1,000 times in the Colosseum (866-320-9763; thecolosseum .com), and she puts on one of the most spectacular shows on the Strip. In August she started a performance run that continues through June 2016. Yes, your heart will go on.

ClUb of the moment Omnia (702-785-6200; omnianightclub.com) takes the place of the old Pure in Caesars Palace, offering a massive showcase for celebrity DJs like

Up all night SeBaStien SilVeStri, VP of food and beVerage at Venetian and Palazzo, shares his Vegas faVorites.

light Up The Louis Vuitton store in The Shops at Crystals is filled with every Vuitton item you can imagine, but its best-kept secret is a permanent installation by light artist James Turrell called Akhob (702-730-3150; theshops atcrystals.com). Visitors stand in a light-filled room whose colors continuously change, creating a meditative sanctuary on the Strip.

RomAnCe A DAte with lAte-night JewelS

Dine on the lAke Bellagio, the Lake Como–themed Italianate hotel, has been newly invigorated by chef Julian Serrano’s modern restaurant Lago (702-693-7111; bellagio.com), where diners can enjoy tapasstyle Mediterranean-inflected dishes, such as pristine crudo and an exceptional red-wine risotto.

Design by Munge Leung celebrates early-20th-century Italian futurism, and the new outdoor patio offers dining next to the famous fountains.

Afrojack, Calvin Harris (pictured), and Armin van Buuren. Modeled after a European opera house, the four-story room is surrounded by mezzanine-level private booths.

Some high-carat pieces will never make it to the front counter at Van Cleef & Arpels (702-5606556; vancleefarpels.com) in The Shops at Crystals, where spendy shoppers are invited to a luxurious back room to sip Champagne and see some of the house’s rarest items. The store is open until midnight on weekends.

James Turrell’s installation Akhob is the best-kept secret in the Louis Vuitton store at The Shops at Crystals.

Best secret place in Vegas: The Thomas Keller restaurant Bouchon (venetian.com) is a hike to get to, but when you sit on the patio overlooking the garden, you’re transported right to Yountville. Best overthe-top date: The world’s greatest chefs come to Vegas December 17–20 for a weekend called Ultimo (venetian.com/ ultimo). The signature event is The Grand Banquet—dinner at a spectacular table that spans the entire Grand Colonnade.

Civilized cocktail: My favorite bar outside Venetian and Palazzo is the Mandarin Bar (mandarinoriental.com/las vegas/fine-dining/mandarinbar). It’s chic, sophisticated, has an excellent bar program, a nice selection of wine by the glass, amazing service— and that view! What should no one miss in 48 hours in Vegas? There is no ultimate weekend in Vegas without gaming and nightlife. I suggest some gambling in the new Lavo Casino Club (lavolv.com/casino-club) at Venetian, then on to Marquee (marqueelasvegas.com) at the Cosmopolitan, and finish in the early morning at XS (xslasvegas.com) at Encore.

A bit of eveRything Once a restaurant/nightclub, Lavo (702-791-1800; lavolv.com)

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MusIc Lover's pArADIse

Austin

inside austin

the beat goes on This independent city honors its rich musical legacy by moving to its own unforgettable rhythm, night and day.

Top-notch venues, South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, and Waterloo Records are why Austin is called the “Live-Music Capital of the World.”

But the beat goes far beyond the music: It is simply everywhere, from the Whole Foods flagship to the city’s thriving food, cocktail, and hotel scene. A weekend here is good for the soul.

TURNTABLE FOR TWO

MUSIC HISTORY

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Come to the tucked-away bistro Justine’s Brasserie (512-385-2900; justines 1937.com) for chef Casey Wilcox’s seductive take on French classics; stay for cocktails and a scene that revolves around an impressive vinyl collection. Special events attract musicians like Richard Hell, Sonny Rhodes, and Jello Biafra, and its New Year’s Eve extravaganza is debauchery at its finest.

The 1960s and the legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson live on after 2012’s multimilliondollar upgrade to the LBJ Presidential Library (512721-0200; lbjlibrary.org) in the heart of the University of Texas campus. Through January 10, 2016, explore The Beatles’ impact on America at the impressive “Ladies and Gentlemen…

The Beatles!” exhibit.

Summon your inner Red Headed Stranger and rent an original Willie Nelson & the Family Band tour bus from Vintage Innovations (512-524-1390; vintage innovations.net). For about $2,500 a day, you can rent the 1983 Silver Eagle, named after Nelson’s 1985 album Me & Paul. The bus, whose interior has been preserved, holds up to 20 people.

CITY LIMITS AND BEYOND

GUITAR TOWN

ROCK HEAVEN Named after the patron saint of music, the luxury boutique Hotel Saint Cecilia (512-852-2400; hotel saintcecilia.com) features Rega turntables and Geneva sound systems in every room, with albums and rock bios available for checkout.

Concierge programs include a private vintage vinyl shopping service courtesy of Breakaway Records and a guitar loan from Gibson.

LYRICAL COCKTAILS Geraldine’s (877-202-2191; hotelvanzandt.com), the restaurant at the new Hotel Van Zandt (which is named after beloved singersongwriter Townes Van Zandt), pays its respects to musicians with a top-notch bar program created by Jennifer Keyser. To get into the spirit, order Willie’s Cup, a playful spin on the mint julep, made with hempseed milk. The hotel also features live music nightly.

Experience live music as it should be at ACL Live at the Moody Theater (512225-7999; acl-live.com), the home to tapings of Austin City Limits as well as more than 100 concerts a year.

The highlight is always Willie Nelson’s New Year’s shows, which the country legend recently expanded to three nights. For the ultimate experience, book a package through the adjoining W Austin hotel.

Founded by Bill Collings, Austin-based Collings Guitars (512-288-7776; collingsguitars.com) is one of the most respected manufacturers of guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles in the world; the instruments are still mostly handcrafted.

See where the magic happens during tours of the 2,700-square-foot facility, offered only on Fridays; reservations are required.

SPIN SOME TUNES Owner Kim Dowling moved to Austin from New York in part because of the music scene, so it’s no wonder her downtown spin studio, Ride Indoor Cycling (512-322-5252; rideindoorcycling.com), is centered around the slogan “Ride. Rock. Repeat.”

Classes, featuring top-ofthe-line Schwinn AC Sport bikes, often fill up early, so book your bike online.

Music mecca Austin has live shows galore, plus museums, memorabilia, and tributes all over town.

My favorite way to kick off the weekend: 3 pm happy hour at Clark’s Oyster Bar (clarksoysterbar.com) for oysters and rosé. I could spend hours in: The dressing rooms at Found (found austin.com), which feature a doorbell to order Champagne.

I love the boutique’s selection of designers. When I want to recharge: I spend the day at Lake Austin Spa (lake austin.com) reading a book in a hammock by the river after my treatments. At the stroke of midnight, you might find me: At C-Boy’s Heart & Soul (cboysheartnsoul.com), the rhythm-and-blues joint with a great vibe and cool people.

My music venue of choice: If you’re invited to an event at historic Arlyn Studios (arlyn studios.com), don’t turn it down. A night here is always one for the books. The most beautiful spot in Austin is: Mount Bonnell at sunset, where you see it all: the vast Texas sky, rolling green hills, and the water. Don’t leave Austin without: Eating a breakfast taco. My favorite is from Tacodeli (tacodeli.com)— tacos for breakfast are genius.

photography by Jason tk; illustration Feather / eyeem by tk / getty images (musician); mossphoto (hickey). opposite page: allan Zepeda (raFanelli); eric levin (yvonne’s)

LIsA HIckey—who furnishes the ViP areas at music festiVals through her comPany, the Panacea collection—reVeals her ideal weekend.

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lOVe iS in THe air

Boston

ULTIMATE ROMANCE Love is all around the Hub of the Universe, and it’s looking quite sexy.

Take one of the most historically rich cities in the country, mix in a thoroughly modern spirit, then top it all off with exponential luxury, and you are in for the craziest, sexiest 48 hours of your life. Now go on, indulge, Boston-style.

Do not DiSturb

art of SeDuction

XV Beacon (617-670-1500; xvbeacon.com) blends Brahmin history with world-class luxe for a love temperature that’s piping hot. Special treat: Every Boston Common magazine guest will receive a signature box of chocolate truffles.

There’s nothing like artistic passion to ignite the flames of romance, so why not go gallery hopping? First stop: the DTR Modern Galleries (617-424-9700; dtrmodern.com) to see the Damien Hirst series “I Love You,” featuring Hirst’s iconic butterflies

enclosed in a heart. Then stroll to Galerie d’Orsay (617-2668001; galerie-dorsay.com) for the Salvador Dali collection and Martin Lawrence Galleries (617369-4800; martinlawrence.com) to view modern masters.

Shopping Spree Jimmy Choo stilettos for her, a Louis Vuitton briefcase for him: Browse the boutiques at Copley Place (617-262-6600; simon.com/ mall/copley-place), where virtually every global luxury brand can be found. Enjoy VIP access with a personal shopper.

Date night The century-old culinary establishment Locke-Ober is

reborn as the modern supper club Yvonne’s (617-267-0047; yvonnesboston.com). Its library bar is a perfect romantic nook, with cozy dining tables and lounge seating beside the historic fireplace. Special treat: Enjoy an off-the-menu Boston Common cocktail throughout January.

the Dance of Love Boston Ballet (617-942-6398; bostonballet.org) prides itself on excelling in both the classics and modern-as-it-gets dance.

“I believe art feeds our soul,” says Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “So what better way to spend a date?”

heavenLy brunch Snuggle into the front-window banquette at Puritan & Company (617-615-6195; puritancambridge.com).

Start your meal with the divine Church cocktail, mixed with gin, aperol, and lemon, then tuck into a sirloin steak and eggs topped with hollandaise sauce.

Main EvEnts Boston’s golden host, Bryan rafanelli—who produced chelsea clinton’s wedding—curates your perfect romantic itinerary.

pairS, pLeaSe

Dream date spot: Deuxave (deuxave.com). The wine collection is awardwinning, and the room is intimate yet never crowded. Most romantic stroll: A walking tour along Commonwealth Avenue after dark. Start at Arlington Street. If there is snow on the ground, lie down with your mate and make a snow angel— and be sure to look up.

Thousands of white lights adorn the trees from December to February.

For a scene straight out of Norman Rockwell, head to the Frog Pond (617-635-2120; bostonfrogpond.com) skating rink at the Boston Common.

“We have marriage proposals here every season,” says general manager John Schaub. Warm up with a steamy hot cocoa when you say the code words: “Boston Common magazine.”

Weekend outing: An afternoon at the Harvard Art Museums (harvard artmuseums.org). Gaze at the drawings of John Singer Sargent in the preservation lab in an incredible glass box.

Standing in the Renzo Piano building is a treat in itself.

There are many intimate, quiet places to make out... among the masters.

afternoon DeLight

The sexy new supper club Yvonne’s is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner date.

For a sensual retreat, the Green Tangerine Spa & Salon (617-585-6498; greentangerine spa.com) offers Drops of Jupiter: the Ultimate Urban Boston Experience, exclusively for Boston Common readers. Begin with a 50-minute couples treatment that includes a full-body massage and aromatherapy.

Continue with a 50-minute facial, followed by couple’s hairstyling.

Special treat: complimentary Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, body products, and hair products.

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up all niGht

MiaMi

From Brickell to South Beach, in Miami the day begins when the sun goes down and then just keeps on going.

Miami is a city that loves to celebrate, and it doesn’t let a little thing like sleep stand in its way. A quick trip to town can offer a full 48 hours of activity should one so desire. While the fun often begins in the evening, it doesn’t necessarily ever have to end.

BAR HOP Lines form around the block at Bodega (305-704-2145; bodegasouthbeach.com), the Alton Road–adjacent lounge with a secret entrance and taco stand.

The party can start with Mexican food and end eight hours later with bottles of vodka—or vice versa, depending on your mood.

LIV IT UP For the biggest DJs and wildest party crowds, LIV (305-674-4680; livnightclub.com) at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach is the go-to destination. You can sip Champagne and dance under falling confetti on the lavish dance floor, while top spinners like Tiesto or Zedd are working just steps away.

must-see for any vacationer.

Private tables next to the DJ booth or near a recognizable celebrity can run over $100,000 on special occasions. But any view of Calvin Harris at 4 am is sure to be a good one.

24-E11EVEN In a category all by itself, the “showclub” E11even (305-829-2911; 11miami .com) is where the party literally never stops. You can stumble in at 5 am to find it packed with people

dancing, or just watch the in-house talent perform their moves—often including an acrobat dangling from the ceiling.

SOUTH BEACH CLASSIC Delano South Beach (305-672-2000; morgans hotelgroup.com/delano/ delano-south-beach) offers unparalleled attractions, including the Delano Beach Club’s weekend daytime poolside parties. Relax on the sophisticated deck, sipping exquisite cocktails in a private cabana, or lounge by the infinity pool until sunset. After dark, head to FDR, the Delano’s nightclub, and dance the night away.

NEW IN TOWN Amidst the colorful buildings in the Art Deco District is the

recently renovated Nautilus, A Sixty Hotel (305-5035700; sixtyhotel.com/hotel/ nautilus). You can unwind by the heated saltwater pool at the Cabana Club during the day, dine at the stunning Driftwood Room in the evening, and enjoy sublime libations in the Lobby Bar before a night on the town.

TO THE NORTH Hyde Beach Kitchen + Cocktails (954-699-0901; sbe.com/restaurants/ locations/hyde-beachkitchen-cocktails) in Hallandale Beach offers the perfect dining experience for those who are heading up north but still crave a taste of South Beach. This oceanside destination serves heavenly cuisine and cocktails.

AN INTIMATE AFFAIR Though the quarters are close at Wall (305-9383130; wallmiami.com), the celebrity-studded lounge packs a mean nightlife punch. With some of Miami’s sexiest dance parties and performances, Wall is an intimate spot where you can let loose with friends and rub elbows with A-listers.

SOUTH OF FIFTH SOUNDS With its world-famous DJs, Story (305-538-2424; storymiami.com) is a

How to Spin it Grammy-winninG, miamibased dJ CedRiC GeRvais selects the best of miami’s niGhtlife scene.

“miami beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in america, so sit on the sand on ocean drive.”

—cedric gervais Miami’s nonstop nightclubs are as alluring as the city’s gorgeous beaches.

Fun dinner before a night out: Drunken Dragon (drunkendragon-hub.com).

It’s a very cool spot in a strip mall, and you don’t really see it from the outside. You walk in and the energy is incredible. Best way to experience the Miami club scene: On a Friday night, Story (storymiami.com) is the best. Saturday night, if you really want to go for it, you should stop at LIV (livnight club.com) and end up at ClubSpace (clubspace.com) for the full Miami experience. They bring international talent every week. Best place to watch the sunrise after a long set: Miami Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in America, so sit on the sand on Ocean Drive.

Recovery the next day: A liquid IV at VitaSquad (vitasquad.com), and then end up at the beach at the W South Beach hotel (wsouthbeach.com) and just relax.

photography by knape/getty tk; illustration images by tk (cocktail). opposite page: courtesy oF the grammy museum; Danielle karagannis (clark Jr.) alan silFen (richie)

MIDNIGHT RAMBLERS

GRAmmy-TAsTIc!

Just in time for the 58th annual Grammy Awards, these top Hollywood haunts should be high on your bucket list for any musicthemed LA itinerary.

Calling all music fans! Forget the cheesy double-decker buses or the tourist trap that’s Hollywood Boulevard—spot celebs and live like a rock star with a musical LA tour de force that will have you singing sweet melodies. Check off these rocking spots from your Los Angeles to-do list for a 48 hours you’ll want to play on repeat.

Check in at the Sunset Marquis (310-657-1333; sunset marquis.com) hotel, West Hollywood’s super-private celebrity hot spot, where Steven Tyler, Matthew McConaughey, and other stars escape for a little R&R—rock ’n’ roll, that is.

Located just off the Sunset Strip, the hotel features a spa with specialty massages for musicians and the Morrison Hotel Gallery, which showcases fine-art music photography.

Ji. Using special frequencies and sounds, the class brings guests to a blissful state, healing muscles and organs, and relieving stress. February 12, 8:30–10 pm

scout for talent The Hotel Café (hotel cafe.com), located in the heart of Hollywood, is known for breaking up-and-coming artists in the industry with secret concerts, intimate showcases, and a jam-packed schedule of performances (five shows a night, seven nights a week).

grab the mic If all the touring makes you want to sing your own tunes, belt it out at Blind Dragon (310-2747500; blinddragonla.com) in West Hollywood. Show off your Mariah Carey–esque vocal range (in your own private room, of course) at this upscale karaoke

backstage pass Head to the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live (213-765-6800; grammy museum.org), Downtown’s shrine to the music awards.

Be sure to catch the exhibits “Sinatra: An American Icon,” which comes to a close on Grammy weekend, and “On the Red Carpet,” a display of unforgettable Grammy outfits.

the tune-up Do like a local and kick off your high-octane Grammy weekend with a Soundbath at The Springs (213-223-6226; thesprings la.com). This oh-so-Zen space features a sound-healing class led by electronic artist Torkom

hours in

Los AngeLes

HItsvIlle l.A.

paparazzi-proof

48

Gary Clark Jr. at an in-store show at Amoeba Music. inset, left: The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live.

bar, and party it up with table service alongside LA’s A+-list.

living legend Ditch the paparazzi at Staples Center on Grammy night (February 15) and grab a nightcap at nearby Clifton’s Cabinet of Curiosities (213-6271673; cliftonsla.com), formerly LA institution Clifton’s Cafeteria.

After being closed for five years, this revived, revamped cafeteria and lounge—which dates back to 1935—keeps the cool party going (and the sips flowing) until 2 am.

music man On the eve Of his 2016 MusiCares award, Megastar LIoneL RIcHIe gives us the 411 On hOw tO enjOy graMMy seasOn.

rock all night Stop by The Viper Room (310358-1881; viperroom.com) in West Hollywood for a late-night, heart-pumping performance.

This recently relaunched LA classic (celebrating its 21st anniversary this winter) has seen the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Courtney Love take its legendary stage.

musical gift Before leaving town, pick up a few souvenirs from the renowned Amoeba Music (323-245-6400; amoeba.com) on Sunset Boulevard. The megastore features a matchless selection of records, CDs, DVDs, and even cassettes, including rare collectible items, as well as in-store performances by on-the-rise local talent. V

Tell us about your mustvisit places in LA. Tower Bar (sunsettowerhotel.com). It’s a hideout—no paparazzi.

Last time I was there, I ran into Simply Red. And, of course, I go to Madeo (310-859-4903) for great Italian food, and Cut (fourseasons.com/beverly wilshire) is always great.

Chateau Marmont (chateau marmont.com) has never changed. If you want to see the up-and-coming, that’s where you go. [For music] I go to Motown [Records] studios to get “the jelly”—if you will. Where is your favorite LA venue to perform and hear great music? I started out at The Forum (fabulousforum.com), and it’s come back around again.

I’ve gone to concerts there, and I cannot wait to play at the new Forum! The venue is just spectacular—that’s like my living room, as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t look like you’re slowing down anytime soon with a Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood coming up.

I’ve always had the Italianracecar-driver mentality: Whatever is behind me doesn’t count; it’s always what’s next. I love what I do.

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GREEN is the new LAC BLACK

the Queen of Egypt to Queen Bey. Now they’re capturing the market, too, with increased demand and boundary-pushing designs that bring emeralds’ ancient allure to modern collectors.

L

by ROBERTA NAAS

egend has it that an emerald placed under the tongue can endow a person with the ability to see the future. Another ancient belief is that an emerald protects its wearer from evil spirits and spells. The gem’s vivid green color has sparked the imagination for centuries, and its allure remains as powerful today.

In the recent must-read New York Times best seller Luckiest Girl Alive, the emerald engagement ring worn by the protagonist—an über-glamorous magazine editor—represents the perfect life she aspires to. And the 2015 Grammy Awards saw no less a luminary than Beyoncé rocking 80 carat emerald and diamond earrings on the red carpet.

Queen Bey is just the greatest and latest star to adorn herself with emeralds, a trend that was kicked into overdrive by Angelina Jolie when she wore dramatic emerald drop earrings to the 2009 Academy Awards. Since then, a slew of celebs, including Taylor Swift and Emma Stone, have embraced the craze for emeralds, the likes of which we haven’t seen since 1953, when JFK presented an emerald engagement ring to Jacqueline Bouvier.

This renewed obsession with emeralds is increasing demand for the gem and yielding an abundance of new designs in the fine-jewelry market. “Now more than ever before, the world is paying attention to color in jewelry,” says Melvyn Kirtley, chief gemologist at Tiffany & Co. “Color allows more individuality when complementing a wardrobe, and as people become more educated about emeralds, they want to own these enchanting stones.”

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In response to this heightened interest, top players in the jewelry and gemstone industry, as well as private and government-owned emerald mining companies, gathered in Colombia in October for the first International Emerald Symposium. Experts from the major emerald-producing countries—Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, Russia, Afghanistan, Madagascar, and Pakistan—came together to discuss the many facets of mining and marketing, with a focus on how to modernize production, set uniform standards worldwide, and provide consumers with more information.

FROM THE GROUND UP Emeralds were born in the earth’s crust 500 million years ago, in a process initiated by the tremendous heat and pressure created by the movement of tectonic plates. Most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, and Zambia, with the rough stones in each region having a slightly different coloration, depending on the amount of chromium, vanadium, and iron in the crystal. According to the Gemological Institute of America, experts differ on how green a stone must be to be called an emerald rather than a less-valuable beryl, but the consensus is that an emerald is saturated with color—a deep, verdant green—while a beryl is lighter.

The pricing of emeralds is largely a function of supply and demand—and their supply has always been quite limited, due to the rarity of beryllium, an essential component of emeralds’ molecular structure. In fact, emeralds are rarer than diamonds. “But in the past few years, with the emerald mining in

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD; STYLING BY FAYE POWER; MANICURE BY MICHELLE MATTHEWS USING DIOR VERNIS; MODEL: BELLA / PARTS MODELS NYC

Emeralds have captured the imagination of fine jewelry lovers from

18k white-gold Cento Diamond Frizzante and emerald necklace and 18k yellow- and white-gold Cento diamond and emerald cocktail ring, Roberto Coin (prices on request). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. 13.67 carat emerald and 14.80 carat diamond Infnity bracelet, 2.33 carat emerald and 7.77 carat diamond Graff Butterfy watch, and 4.07 carat emerald-cut emerald ring with 1.05 carat heart-shaped diamond shoulders, Graff (prices on request). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3494; graffdiamonds.com.

Platinum emerald and diamond three-stone ring ($130,000) and platinum diamond and emerald single-row ring ($210,000), Tiffany & Co. The Shops at Crystals, 702-545-9090; tiffany.com. Top, Salvatore Ferragamo ($3,650). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-933-9333; ferragamo.com. Skirt, Lanvin ($1,890). The Shops at Crystals, 702-982-0245; lanvin.com

The four C’s—color, cut, clarity, and carat weight—have long been the standards for quality when it comes to diamonds, but how do they apply to emeralds? The experts weigh in.

GARDEN OF STONES

COLOR

Due to their rarity and richness of color, emeralds have for centuries been valued as one of the “big three” colored gems, along with rubies and sapphires. “Emeralds have an extraordinary history,” says Barguirdjian. Cleopatra was said to be enamored of them, and the Russian crown jewels included a number of remarkable specimens, in terms of both size and quality. “All of the best jewelry collections, like Elizabeth Taylor’s, have had spectacular emeralds in them,” Barguirdjian adds. “For customers building a jewelry collection today, the emerald is a must.” Many leading jewelry houses with a long history of using emeralds, such as Bulgari, Cartier, Graff Diamonds, Harry Winston, and Van Cleef & Arpels, are answering consumers’ growing demand for green by incorporating these vivid treasures into their collections in exciting new ways.

Graff, for example, has introduced extraordinary pieces featuring carved emeralds. The art of carving an emerald (as opposed to cutting it in facets) is centuries old, with notable examples from antiquity fetching steep prices at auction today. Graff was fortunate enough to acquire some of these one-of-a-kind stones and has set them into captivating new jewelry pieces, including a brooch that can be separated into two smaller brooches or worn as a pendant. “These are exquisite pieces,” says Barguirdjian, noting that they’re “for the woman who is building a top-quality jewelry collection. Those who really understand the beauty of the art will want these special pieces.”

“The beauty of a carved emerald is to enhance the color and hide the jardin,” says Gary Roskin, executive director of the International Colored Gemstone Association, referring to irregularities in color, known as inclusions (or jardin), which are more common in emeralds than in other precious gems due to their composition. “Emerald is the only gemstone where inclusions are described in a way to make them more appealing: ‘le jardin,’ French for ‘the garden.’” Indeed, inclusions can be considered an aspect of an emerald’s allure, as with the exotic trapiche emeralds that Tiffany & Co. recently featured in its Blue Book, which catalogues the brand’s most spectacular jewels each year.

Trapiche emeralds have inclusions that extend from the center in six lines, creating a starlike effect.

“Each inclusion is different,” says Kirtley. “They are part of the natural beauty of an emerald’s being.”

While many of today’s emeralds continue to appear in classic settings with diamonds, some designers are pushing boundaries, offering modern motifs not typically associated with the emerald, in order to attract edgier customers. Such is the case with Italian designer Roberto Coin, who is releasing dramatic new designs in 2016. “The emerald now can be considered a very fashionable stone, in addition to its historical and natural high value,” says Coin. “Green is the color of the year.” V

“Emeralds are unique in color and almost seem dimensional. You want green that you can dive right into—that mesmerizes you. That means a vivid, saturated, grassygreen color.”

—Melvyn Kirtley, Chief Gemologist, Tiffany & Co.

FROM MINE TO MARKET

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ASK THE EXPERTS

Africa, we’re seeing a little bit stronger production,” says Henri Barguirdjian, president and CEO of Graff Diamonds USA. “That has helped spur the trend.” He notes that the stone’s rarity naturally elevates its status.

While the industry’s fragmented nature makes accurate statistics about colored gems difficult to come by, experts estimate that more than 20 percent of retail jewelry sales today involves colored stones, compared to less than 10 percent five years ago, with the price for emeralds increasing by 10 to 20 percent over the same period.

MINING & PROCESSING Emeralds are mined, often using hand tools, then cleaned, weighed, and sorted according to color and clarity.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

SALE OF ROUGH GEMS Rough emeralds are sold through invitationonly auctions to cutters, gem experts, and other professionals, or via private sales to individual buyers.

CUTTING AND POLISHING Expert cutters inspect rough emeralds to determine the shape and size to be expected from each stone. After cutting, the emeralds are sent to polishers to be buffed and finished.

What to look for when buying an emerald.

CUT “Certain gems lend themselves to special cuts, but emeralds are always most beautiful in classic cuts, such as an emerald or cushion cut, which are faceted and extraordinary. But shape is a personal choice.”

—Henri Barguirdjian, President and CEO, Graff Diamonds USA

“Inclusions [variations in color] in an emerald are natural.

They are there because of the very structure of the stone, like a fingerprint of nature. We call the inclusions ‘gardens,’ and a beautiful garden is what makes each emerald unique.”

—Douglas Hucker, CEO, American Gem Trade Association

ORIGIN “The challenge is to explain why some localities are more important than others. Traditionally, [when certain] localities are favored over others, it is simply because the finest-color emeralds have traditionally come from there. But there is no guarantee that just because your emerald comes from a specific place that it’s of the finest quality or color.”

—Gary Roskin, Executive Director, International Colored Gemstone Association

SALE OF POLISHED GEMS Finished emeralds are offered for sale to jewelry houses, designers, and loose-stone suppliers.

SETTING After evaluating the emeralds’ color, cut, and size to determine the proper design, jewelers set the stones and create finished jewelry pieces.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN FISK (FIRST AND FOURTH IMAGES); ROBERTA NAAS (SECOND AND THIRD IMAGES)

CLARITY

GEM TRENDS 1. 18k white-gold 31.28 carat emerald and 7.52 carat diamond High Jewelry collection earrings, Chopard. chopard.com 2. 18k white-gold emerald and diamond Arcata necklace from the Bals de Légende collection, Van Cleef & Arpels. vancleefarpels.com

1.

3. 18k white-gold emerald and diamond Cento Frizzante Diamond necklace, Roberto Coin. robertocoin.com 2.

4. Platinum 25.91 carat emerald and 137.09 carat diamond Red Carpet Collection bracelet, Chopard. chopard.com 5. 18k yellow-gold and platinum emerald and diamond Cluster earrings from The Incredibles Collection, Harry Winston. harrywinston.com

7.

3.

6. 18k rose-gold 7.26 carat cushion-cut emerald Extremely Piaget ring, Piaget. piaget.com 7. 18k white-gold diamond, emerald, and tourmaline Piaget Mediterranean Garden earrings, Piaget. piaget.com

6.

4.

8. 18k gold and platinum emerald-cut emerald and diamond drop earrings, Tiffany & Co. tiffany.com

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9. 18k white-gold diamond and emerald High Jewelry necklace, Bulgari. bulgari.com

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10. 18k white-gold emerald, diamond, and turquoise Piaget Asmara ring from the Secrets & Lights collection, Piaget. piaget.com

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11. Platinum emerald and diamond rings, Tiffany & Co. tiffany.com

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12. 18k white-gold 7.99 carat emerald and 2.92 carat diamond Red Carpet Collection earrings, Chopard. chopard.com 16.

15.

14.

13. 146.65 carat carved emerald and 42.94 carat diamond double brooch with transferable mechanism, Graff. graffdiamonds.com 14. Titanium 26.01 carat emerald Red Carpet Collection earrings, Chopard. chopard.com 15. 146.65 carat carved emerald and 42.94 carat diamond double brooch with transferable mechanism, Graff. graffdiamonds.com

13.

16. Platinum, emerald, blue sapphire, and turquoise Extremely Piaget ring, Piaget. piaget.com

MARKET Major jewelry houses sell their creations in their own boutiques, while independent designers and smaller jewelers sell them through retail partners, with the emeralds finally making their public debut in display cases as finished works of art.

17.

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17. 18k white-gold diamond and emerald High Jewelry necklace, Bulgari. bulgari.com 18. 18k white- and yellow-gold 4.48 carat emerald and white and yellow diamond Gateau d’ Amour ring from the Peau d’Âne collection, Van Cleef & Arpels. vancleefarpels.com Prices are available upon request.

supplies emeralds to top jewelry brands; a school in Zambia built by the company; a Fabergé emerald ring; the region’s first maternity hospital, also built by the company.

SOURCE CODE As responsible sourcing becomes a hot topic with global industries, Gemfields makes strides with safety and quality issues and community building at its Kagem emerald mine. BY ROBERTA NAAS When I step off the plane in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, I’m struck by the stunning terrain of this landlocked country, which includes plateaus, grassy hills, and green valleys studded with waterfalls and tributaries of the Zambezi River, all of it home to an incredible range of wildlife. The area is also rich with copper, the country’s major export. But since the London-based company Gemfields—which supplies some of the most recognizable and respected names in fine jewelry, such as Tiffany & Co. and Fabergé—began operating Zambia’s Kagem emerald mine in 2008, emeralds have become an increasingly important feature of the country’s landscape and economy.

The Kagem mine compound has the buzz of a small city, with quarters for workers and supervisors, dining facilities, gemstone washing and sorting stations, and the formidable security gates leading to the mine itself. As I peer into the pit mine from high above, the sprawling work area looks like a movie set, with trucks hauling tons of earth and rock to the pit’s edges until the stratum where the emeralds formed half a billion years ago is uncovered and handwork takes over. Emeralds are surprisingly brittle, so once the mine workers reach the layer of earth that cradles them, they use pickaxes, hand tools, and their bare

118 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

hands to carefully break away the black rock until a shimmer of green appears. While I watch, a miner removes a piece of shale, and inside is the most stunning raw emerald I have ever seen. Being one of the first people to touch something 500 million years old, to have the rock crumble away in your hands as you get a closer look at the green it protects, takes your breath away.

The Kagem mine produces roughly 25 percent of the world’s supply of emeralds. That’s approximately 30 million carats of emerald and beryl (the mineral of which emerald is a variety) each year. Just a fraction of that yield—about 5 percent—becomes top-quality finished emeralds.

When Gemfields took over operation of the 35-year-old Kagem mine (it owns 75 percent, with the Zambian government owning the rest), the company invested some $60 million in cleanup and safety efforts. According to CEO Ian Harebottle, the goal from the start was to make Kagem a top emerald producer while also establishing a new benchmark for responsible mining practices. “We brought in geology specialists, mining specialists, and sustainability experts,” he says. “We cleaned up the area and proposed a plan to not only make the mine profitable, which is important to the

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN FISK (SCHOOL, HOSPITAL); PETER LINDBERGH (KUNIS); SHUTTERSTOCK (LOOSE STONES); OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN FISK

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Gemfields

government and the country, but also to set standards for emerald grading, for environmental replenishment, and for ethical, transparent mining.”

(It’s a point of pride for Gemfields that no major reportable injury has occurred at the Kagem mine since the company took over.)

To achieve these goals, Gemfields had a threeprong strategy. First was to make a capital investment substantial enough to achieve its lofty ambitions. Second was to develop a grading system for rough stones, with the aim of total transparency about the quality of gems going to market. And third was to make a long-term commitment to ethical and sustainable mining practices.

The Gemfields grading system is the first of its kind in Zambia, where most emerald mining had previously been undertaken by a patchwork of small companies without uniform standards for quality. “By properly sorting and grading rough stones before they’re cut, we help the cutters and polishers in their buying process,” says Harebottle, whose goal is to increase consumer confidence in ethically sourced emeralds. “They can be confident about what they’re getting when they buy their lots at auction.”

To follow through on its commitment to corporate responsibility, Gemfields is working with local organizations on a variety of initiatives. These include building the region’s first maternity hospital; constructing and supporting local elementary and secondary schools, including the area’s first high school; launching a sustainable-farming project to feed local families; and investing in reforestation.

In addition, Gemfields has developed an exit strategy for its mining operations that emphasizes environmental sustainability. In the future, when it closes the Kagem mine (after the supply of emeralds is exhausted), the company plans to convert the deep pits into lakes stocked with fish. “Biodiversity is just as important as social responsibility and transparency,” Harebottle says. “The key is to commit to doing more than you are required and to constantly reassess.”

Gemfields’ initiatives come at a time when ethical sourcing and corporate responsibility are buzzwords in many global industries, from agriculture to fossil fuels. “When you’re a large company, you’re under the spotlight,” Harebottle says. “This means we have to do more.” In other words, Gemfields’ focus on ethical emeralds is right on trend.

clockwise from top left: Emeralds at the Kagem mine in Zambia are sourced from huge open pits; because emeralds are so brittle, hand tools are used to remove them from the surrounding rock; raw emeralds; a worker at the Kagem mine.

Henderson’s newest

luxury community

for contemporary living

(866)584-5845 www.elysianatthedistrict.com 2 1 5 1 V i l l a g e Wa l k D r i v e | H e n d e r s o n , N e va d a 8 9 0 1 2

Haute ProPerty

Paradise Found

photography by Dave Cornoyer

As buyers snAp up Mid-Mod treAsures, they’re finding soMe of the best in the strip-side pArAdise pAlMs neighborhood—courtesy of soMe of the Architects who gAve pAlM springs its iconic look. by danielle elly

For residents of Las Vegas’s inner-east-side Paradise Palms, the seemingly endless swell of attention for their neighborhood is perfectly justified. The community’s space-age swank is in high demand, synonymous as it is with the romanticized heyday of the city. But while Paradise Palmers know they’ve lucked out to have secured architectural treasures (some at bargain prices), the reasons for their passionate dedication are a bit more complex. For one, in a city that quickly sprawled from its original center, their neighborhood has been lived in and loved much longer than any planned tract development.

And the sense of community is strong. continued on page 122

3546 Pueblo Way is a perfect example of what Midcentury Modern living is in Vegas.

vegasmagazine.com 121

clockwise from top left: Paradise Palms residents have included both Debbie Reynolds and Sonny Liston; Caesars executive Ash Resnik (the property also served as the fcticious home of Sam Rothstein in the flm Casino); Johnny Carson and Joe Louis; and Tonni Kalash, trumpeter for the Tijuana Brass.

“Countless notable nevadans, politiCians, and Casino exeCutives live here.

We have lots of history.”—dave Cornoyer It’s hard to overstate the visual allure of a Paradise Palms home. Developed in the early 1960s as the frst master-planned community in Southern Nevada by Las Vegas legend Irwin Molasky and his Paradise Development group, the neighborhood owes its visual aesthetic largely to iconic architectural frm Palmer & Krisel. “Paradise Palms,” according to Nevada Preservation Foundation (nevadapreservation.org) Executive Director Heidi Swank, “emerged directly out of California Modernism.” Distinctive elements of midcentury design dominate Paradise Palms as much as Palm Springs or San Diego, areas heavily infuenced by the vision of lead architect William Krisel. Floor-to-ceiling glass, decorative breeze and shadow block, clerestory windows, wide-open spaces, fuid indoor/outdoor integration: All are indicative of a style deeply rooted in the desire to be utterly modern. By working with homebuilders and developers in designing mass-produced housing made of readily available industrial materials, Dan Palmer and Krisel

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were perhaps the most modern of their peers. This was the atomic age, when optimism for the future collided with popular culture.

This translated into an architecture that elevated the quality of life for its residents. Time spent in any of these homes reveals a space that seamlessly brings the spare, bright desert landscape indoors while drawing residents to playful outdoor swimming pools, intimate courtyards, and dramatic canopies to shield the sun.

Krisel isn’t the only architect associated with Paradise Palms, and part of the neighborhood’s curbside appeal is that no two homes look alike.

Desert Inn architect Hugh Taylor designed a number of homes, as did many others. Paradise Palms resident of 14 years and City of Las Vegas planner Dave Cornoyer is drawn to the idiosyncratic streetscapes.

“There’s a wonderful mixture of decorative stonework on façades and chimneys, and then there’s fun, funky details that add character.” This giddy collage of styles and roofines is part of what makes

the neighborhood so visually unique.

Paradise Palms’ legendary status as a haven for celebrities also makes it extra sexy. Space-age musician Esquivel and pop singer Bobby Darin have called Paradise Palms home. Johnny Carson and Joe Louis both lived in the same house (at different times) on Seminole Circle. Members of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, the Ink Spots, and Primus have all resided on its thoroughfares. And, of course, former resident Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal lends some mobster street cred. “Countless notable Nevadans, politicians, and casino executives live here,” notes Cornoyer. “We have lots of history here, and bragging rights, something you don’t get with most other neighborhoods.”

If it’s the architecture and history that draw residents, it is their neighbors who keep them there. “It’s not just a collection of houses—it was always planned to be a community of neighbors,” Cornoyer explains.

“The Stardust Championship Golf Course and Country Club was at the heart of the neighborhood; there was a private park with its own activities director and there was a community newspaper.” Today, Las Vegas National Golf Club (lasvegasnational.com) continues to be a center of activity. “On any given day, you’ll fnd a neighbor helping another out with a renovation project, another one watching someone’s house while the owner is on vacation,” says six-year resident Denise Heximer.

People are working hard to preserve the neighborhood they love by looking to communities like Palm Springs for inspiration. According to Swank, “Palm Springs is a great example of how historic preservation can bring significant economic and social value to a community.” Swank and the Nevada Preservation Foundation have worked in recent years with a group of residents to name the original portion of the Paradise Palms as Clark County’s frst Historic Neighborhood, gathering support for naming it to the County Register for Historic Places and collaborating with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Offce to research the community’s architectural history.

Realtor and NPF board member Jack Levine (bellavegashomes.com) only sees the neighborhood’s popularity continuing to rise. Buyers who love the architecture and history “want the feeling of space and openness that really was an invention of the modern era,” and while some want a restored home, many are eager to do the renovation work themselves. Fully restored homes in the California Modern style like those at 3539 Pueblo Way, with its rock-face detailing and peak-topped clerestory windows, or the ultramodern ranch at 1428 Pawnee Drive have been very popular, according to Levine. “Homes that are ripe for a redesign are more plentiful,” such 3240 Seneca Drive, with its clean lines and vaulted ceiling, which he recently listed. “Now that there’s momentum—lots of the homes already occupied by fans of modernism—Paradise Palms is attracting other like-minded people, and the popularity continues to grow.” V

photography by Kevin bowman (carson, resniK home); Dave cornoyer (reynolDs, Kalash)

Haute ProPerty

HAUTE PROPERTY Spotlight // IN RE:STORE //

color burst

GO POP

profile

FOR AMUSESPOT OWNERS HUGH FOGEL AND CARRIE SHEERIN, LIFESTYLE DESIGN KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. BY TESS EYRICH Hugh Fogel and Carrie Sheerin don’t want to tell you how to live, or how to design your home. The creative director and CEO, respectively, behind the Henderson concept boutique Amusespot eschew passing trends and all-too-familiar buzzwords, instead preferring to guide clients toward pieces that’ll enhance their everyday lives while subtly recalling the high-design standards of the past. A case in point: Ask Fogel how he’d outfit a home in Paradise Palms, and he’s more apt to tell you how he’d use it. “If I lived in one of those houses,” he remarks, “I’d throw a damn party.” Built at the height of the city’s glitzy heyday, homes like the ones in Paradise Palms, Vogel contends, were social hubs where people unwound after long days spent working in what was then a relatively undeveloped desert town. Accents geared toward entertaining, like Amusespot’s retro-meets-mod Marshall bluetooth speaker, moody pendant lights by Tom Dixon, barware by Vegas cocktail guru Tony Abou-Ganim and a statement-making assortment of vintage glassware, would find themselves right at home in such an environment—as would the shop’s collection of retro cufflinks that appear straight out of the Swinging Sixties. 2550 Anthem Village Dr., Ste. 120, 702-8578212; amusespot.com V

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Architectural designer Yanina Umanzor looks to “contemporary colors that still speak to the era” to refresh and accentuate her Paradise Palms home.

MAKE MINE MID-MOD When architectural designer and project manager Yanina Umanzor began house hunting, the Paradise Palms neighborhood was a frontrunner. The alluring variety of midcentury modern marvels combined with a strong sense of history and community gives the neighborhood a “great personality that is not easy to find in Las Vegas.”

Umanzor and her boyfriend, fellow architectural designer, Ryan Allord, are personally restoring their midcentury home. The hands-on restoration has inspired “a fond connection to the history and uniqueness” of the home and a fresh appreciation for the design’s contemporary relevance. Born in Honduras and raised in Las Vegas, Umanzor is endlessly inspired by the city’s unique history and rich architectural typology. Her advice for those tackling their own restoration? “Be respectful to the house and its history. Many features can be salvaged and restored with a lot of love and patience.”—DANIELLE KELLY

GREAT DANES

Danish Modern is the perfect go-to for elegant midcentury furniture and fixtures.

Seeking the perfect table for eight? Look no further than Main Street’s Retro Vegas. This vintage Danish Modern set showcases a teak table by Svend Aage Madsen. The Juliane chairs were designed by Johannes Andersen and manufactured by Vamo Sonderborg. All were purchased in Denmark in 1959 and shipped to the US in 1960. The ultimate mid-mod conversation piece. Retro Vegas, 1131 S. Main St., 702-384-2700; retro-vegas.com—DANIELLE KELLY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN HAINER (AMUSESPOT); COURTESY OF PATINA (CHANDELIER, CHAIRS); RETRO VEGAS (DANISH MODERN)

Retro Renegades

Downtown Las Vegas’s Patina offers bold, one-of-a-kind pieces of the vintage variety. A pair of walnut lounge chairs upholstered in vibrant red, designer unknown, integrate key midcentury design elements: bright colors, sleek geometry, functionality, and sexy simplicity. For the boldest of statements, try a 1950s triple chandelier pendant (ABOVE) from Murano, Italy. This slightly kitschy and undeniably luminous candy-colored, hand-blown caged art glass lighting fixture in pink is simply one of a kind. Patina, 1300 S. Main St., Ste. 140, 702-776-6222; patinadecorlv.com —DANIELLE KELLY

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NOT TO BE MISSED EVENTS • HAPPENINGS • PROMOTIONS

OGDEN

BULOVA DIAMONDS

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Your backyard playground at The Ogden Las Vegas is unlike any other in the city with the best restaurants, coffee shops, bars and nightlife steps from your front door. This 21-story high rise offers residences from 815 to 2,044 square feet, priced from $229K to $629k.

Classic. Modern. Exquisite. A collection crafted with hand-set diamonds, feminine details and luxe designs to match every woman’s personal style. Established on Maiden Lane in New York City in 1875 with a passion for artistry and innovation, Bulova has become a leader in diamond timepieces.

Tuck yourself away from the high energy within Vegas’ most intimate spa setting. As the first ESPA branded spa in Las Vegas, ESPA at Vdara is a truly special escape. Enjoy a full day of pampering in the convenience of our ideal location.

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Visit Vdara.com to escape today.

Available at Macy’s

HANDMADE COWBOY BOOT TRUNK SHOWS Pinto Ranch brings two handmade boot trunk shows to Las Vegas this rodeo and holiday season! Don’t miss the finest boots made in Texas from Stallion on December 4th and 5th and Lucchese Classics on December 11th and 12th. Choose from the largest handmade boot inventory in the U.S. for a holiday gift with “no waiting” or consult with brand reps to order your dream pair of boots.

Pinto Ranch Fine Western Wear Fashion Show Mall, Lower Level 702-228-3400 | pintoranch.com

CRYSTALS

ONE LAS VEGAS

The Shops at Crystals is an exquisite 500,000-sqfoot luxury shopping experience on the Las Vegas Strip. Crystals houses the largest Louis Vuitton in North America as well as the flagships for Prada, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Ermenegildo Zegna.

Additionally, Crystals features 25 unique to Vegas brands including Tom Ford, Celine and Dolce & Gabbana and oversized shops for Hermes, Dior, Cartier and Fendi to name a few.

Evelyn Connors is Lifestyle Director at One Las Vegas, a luxury twin-tower condominium offering a lifestyle evocative of the city’s famed resorts. As chief social planner, Evelyn connects residents in fun and engaging activities of all kinds. Residences from 831 to 2,857 square feet, priced from the low $200s to a penthouse priced at $1.1 million.

Visit www.theshopsatcrystals.com

Info at theonelv.com

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Daniel Negreanu, for PETA

Living Las vegas

CosmetiC enChantment A Trip Behind The SceneS AT MadaMe Tussauds reveAlS SurpriSing TruThS ABouT The divAS Who hAve cAlled lAS vegAS home. by Tess eyrich

A

s 2015 draws to a close, it’s safe to say this was the year of the diva in Las Vegas. In the past 12 months alone, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, and Celine Dion, among others, have taken the stage on the Strip. But if you missed your chance to see them live, there’s one place you can always catch them in residence: Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.

During a recent visit to the Grand Canal Shoppes museum, we found Dion’s $300,000 fgure undergoing routine maintenance, which in this case means a fresh coat of oil-paint makeup and some hair spray. She looked nearly as fawless in wax as she did in the “My Heart Will Go On” music video—and there’s a reason why.

“It wouldn’t be very fattering to ‘age’ the women,” explains Cole Kouvaris, the Vegas museum’s marketing manager. “I don’t think they’d take very kindly to it.” Instead, the Tussauds team constructs what Kouvaris calls “moment in time” fgures of certain (usually female) celebrities; in Vegas, for example, guests encounter Miley Cyrus straddling a wrecking ball—a fgure that will remain even as she ages. In fact, here it’s the men who get the most fre128 vegasmagazine.com

quent cosmetic enhancements, courtesy of the museum’s studio artists. And while some updates are only minor—like “contouring” Channing Tatum’s face with paint to refect subtle weight fuctuations or darkening Matthew McConaughey’s hair—others require a substantial amount of elbow grease.

Figures who are undergoing more invasive work are booked for stays in Club Tussauds, whose current guests include Cameron Diaz and Will Smith.

“We’ve had a Ben Affeck fgure for years now,” Kouvaris says, “but we thought it wasn’t truly representing how he looks anymore.” In addition to carving crow’s feet into Affeck’s face, artists applied a sprinkling of gray hairs to his scalp, a painstaking three-week process that involved heating the wax ever so slightly, then inserting each new strand individually with a sewing needle.

Meanwhile, just a few steps away, the fgures of honorary Las Vegan Britney Spears and future headliner Jennifer Lopez (who’s starting her own Planet Hollywood residency in January) have remained remarkably untouched by time, save for a costume change or two over the years, Kouvaris tells us. It turns out that in the world of Madame Tussauds, the divas are the lowestmaintenance stars of all. madametussauds.com V

photography by brad swonetz

No expensive rhinoplasty necessary for this version of Celine Dion, just some hair spray and a fresh coat of paint.

TAKE CONTROL. LOSE CONTROL. INTRODUCING AUDACIOUS MASCARA EVERY LAYER MULTIPLIES. AMPLIFIES. MESMERIZES. DARIA STROKOUS IN AUDACIOUS MASCARA. PHOTOGRAPHED

BY FRANÇOIS NARS. NARS BOUTIQUE – THE FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS NARSCOSMETICS.COM

Slim d’Hermès watch in steel set with diamonds, smooth sapphire blue alligator strap.

SLIM D’HERMÈS, PURIT Y IN MOTION

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