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vegas 2014 Issue 1 winter 2014
the business of
Britney britney spears
vegasmagazine.com
niche media holdings, llc
L U X U RY O F C O L L E C T I O N P R E M I E R W O R L D ’ S T H E 44
B R A N D S.
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F ront Runners Her face bruised and swollen, Jane Russell— ever the showbiz trouper—leaves the stage at her Vegas premiere.
The Las Vegas (Back) Story GLAMOROUS JANE RUSSELL ARRIVED AT HER LAS VEGAS FILM NOIR PREMIERE WITH A NOIRISH (AND BLEU-ISH) SECRET OF HER OWN. BY ANDREA BENNETT
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AP PHOTO
S
ome movies are nothing like real life; others can be startlingly reminiscent. Perhaps nobody knew this better than Hollywood star Jane Russell, whose film The Las Vegas Story premiered on Fremont Street on February 12, 1952. In the classic film noir, produced by Howard Hughes and Robert Sparks, Russell stars as Linda Rollins, the wife of an inveterate gambler and shady businessman (played by Vincent Price) who she suspects (rightly) is in financial and perhaps criminal trouble. The complicated plot twists involve Linda’s meeting with an old flame, the theft of her valuable necklace, the murder of a casino owner, and her kidnapping into the Nevada desert. But it turns out that trouble was something Russell herself knew plenty about. At the time, she was embroiled in a somewhat noirish situation of her own—as evidenced by the artfully concealed black eye she wore to the premiere. The evening before, Russell and her real-life husband, pro football player Robert Waterfield, had gotten into an epic dustup, during which Waterfield slugged the starlet in the face several times. RKO Pictures executives, loath to cancel the premiere, had Russell appear anyway, with a severely swollen and bruised face. A story was concocted for the press corps that the previous night a car door had swung into her face due to an intense windstorm. And while hi-def television and Twitter would have quickly debunked such a story today, in Russell’s case it would be a while before the truth came out, beginning with hints dropped in a Newsweek magazine article. Russell divorced Waterfield in 1968. V
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Winter 2014 40 Roll ’Em
Las Vegas is seeing a lot more action thanks to Trent Othick.
4 Front Runners 20 From the Publisher 22 …Without Whom This Issue Would Not Have Been Possible 25 Invited 34 The List
People 37 Vegas, Curated Las Vegas native Tarissa Tiberti left the city for a career in fine art, but she found her most important calling back home.
40 Roll ’Em Producer Trent Othick is making Vegas film production a go.
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42 Future Perfect Architecture professor Eric Weber shows how old-school skills—and a staff of 60 students—can build a house for the future.
46 Cheers to Charity Back Bar USA, the spirits marketing company headed by Tim Haughinberry and Flor Bernal, is a well of generosity for charities all over Las Vegas.
Culture 50 Lucky Sevens Blink and you’ll miss the lightning moves of sevens rugby, the sport whose world series tour is making its only US stop in Vegas in January.
52 Social Club Redux Rose. Rabbit. Lie. reinvents the formula for an evening out in Vegas by shattering it.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA VALLADARES
18 From the Editor-in-Chief
VEGASMAGAZINE.COM
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Winter 2014
68 His Place in the Sun
Pucci’s Peter Dundas brings his saturated spring looks to Las Vegas.
54 All in the Family Tradition meets up-to-the-minute detail at Las Vegas’s longest-running (29 years) family-owned and -operated Italian restaurant, Ferraro’s.
58 Simply Red Looking for the secret rooms in Las Vegas where deals are brokered and information is traded? There’s one thing they have in common: a river of marinara flows through them.
62 Italianate Cocktails Just because it ain’t authentic don’t mean it ain’t good, paisan. Plus: Las Vegas’s upscale Italian restaurant scene is undergoing a renaissance of sorts.
64 That’s Amore Paul Bartolotta may be one of the leading practitioners of alta cucina Italiana in the United States, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate a good Sunday sugo.
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Style 68 His Place in the Sun Creative Director Peter Dundas talks about what makes Pucci perfect for Las Vegas’s blazing desert days and Stripcentric nights.
70 Clean Cut Saint Laurent’s debut Diamond collection features the kind of clean, classic designs that local philanthropist Leora Blau appreciates most.
72 Optical Effects For Las Vegans eager for the next breakthrough in advanced skincare, there’s a new product from Dior formulated from exotic blooms and trompe l’oeil mineral powders that takes antiaging solutions in a new direction.
74 Off-Center Sensations Savvy Las Vegans are demanding the unusual design and fine craftsmanship of a spate of new regulator watches that give regular a run for its money.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTA PIAZZA
Taste
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Winter 2014
Features 78 Working Girl Eschewing another world tour for a two-year residency at Planet Hollywood, Britney Spears is ready for her close-up—one more time. By Heidi Mitchell
84 Everyone’s Man in Vegas If you must get into trouble in Las Vegas, David Chesnoff is the man to call when it’s time to lawyer up. By Michael Kaplan
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90 Paradise, Nevada Move over, Cal-a-Vie. The Las Vegas Strip has become one of the world’s most luxurious destination spas. By David Landsel
94 Power Strip Spring’s bright and bold accessories bring the neon skyline of Las Vegas to life. Photography by Ant Farm Styling by Alexandria Geisler
78 Working Girl
Britney is here—and she’s going to stay awhile.
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Winter 2014
101 Horse Sense
Las Vegas’s equestrian estates are a sure bet.
Haute Property 101 Horse Sense Former Vegas ranches that have been transformed into incredible equestrian estates don’t come on the market very often, but when they do, horse folk take note.
104 New Year, New View The Strip is getting nipped, tucked, and made over, with new retail venues up and down the boulevard, while plans are also in the works for a high-rise tower, a major art museum, and arenas galore.
The Guide 107 A World of Flavor The communal dining rituals of many cultures and a family’s personal travel diary come together under one Vegas roof at Crush Eat Drink Love.
108 Devour: Bakeries and sweets shops
Parting Shot 112 Go to Your Room The battle for your dollar is migrating from the gaming floor to your guest room.
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ON THE COVER: Britney Spears
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JPM STUDIOS
110 Excite: Winter activities
Photography by Randee St. Nicholas
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ANDREA BENNETT Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor NICOLE RUPERSBURG Managing Editor KAREN ROSE Art Director TIFFANI BARTON Photo Editor SETH OLENICK Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON Associate Fashion Editor ALEXANDRIA GEISLER Copy Editor DAVID FAIRHURST Research Editor MURAT OZTASKIN
JOSEF VANN Publisher and Vice President of Sales Account Executives VINCE DUROCHER, KACIE TURPENEN, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Director, Event Marketing HALEE HARCZYNSKI Assistant Distribution Manager JENNIFER PALMER Sales Assistant RUE MCBRIDE
NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS
ART AND PHOTO
Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Associate Art Directors ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI, ADRIANA GARCIA, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer JENNIFER LEDBURY Designers ELISSA ALSTER, GIL FONTIMAYOR Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors JODIE LOVE, JENNIFER PAGAN, REBECCA SAHN Associate Photo Editor KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER Photo Producer KIMBERLY RIORDAN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN
FASHION
Senior Fashion Editor LAUREN FINNEY Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO
COPY AND RESEARCH
Manager, Copy and Research WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors NICOLE LANCTOT, DALENE ROVENSTINE, JULIA STEINER Research Editors LESLIE ALEXANDER, JUDY DEYOUNG, AVA WILLIAMS
EDITORIAL OPERATIONS
Director, Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Editorial Relations Manager MATTHEW STEWART Online Managing Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editor APRIL WALLOGA Social Media and E-Newsletter Editor ANNA BEN YEHUDA Digital Media Developer MICHAEL KWAN Digital Media Specialist ANTHONY PEARSON Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KEN RIVADENEIRA, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, JOHN VILANOVA Associate Managing Editor/Beauty Coordinator KAITLIN CLARK Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS
ADVERTISING SALES
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing NORMAN M. MILLER Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, TIFFANY CAREY, CLAIRE CARLIN, KATHLEEN FLEMING, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, ELIZABETH MOORE, GRACE NAPOLITANO, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, VALERIE ROBLES, RAYLENE SALTHOUSE Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, LYNN CHAFFIER, MICHELLE CHALA, THOMAS CHILLEMI, MORGAN CLIFFORD, AMY DESILVA, JANELLE DRISCOLL, ALICIA DRY, DINA FRIEDMAN, SARAH HECKLER, VICTORIA HENRY, CAROLYN LANDES, SHAMBRY MCGEE, MARY RUEGG, LAUREN SHAPIRO, JIM SMITH, CAROLINE SNECKENBERG, TERA WASHBURN, GABRIELLA ZURROW National Sales Coordinator HOWARD COSTA Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, DANA BROCKWAY, EMILY BURDETT, CRISTINA CABIELLES, BRITTANY CORBETT, OLIVIA DAVIS, JAMIE HILDEBRANDT, DARA HIRSH, KELSEY MARRUJO, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, MARISA RANDALL
MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Vice President, Integrated Marketing EMILY MCLINTOCK Integrated Marketing Director ROBIN KEARSE Integrated Marketing Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Creative Services Director SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers CHRISTOPHER HARDGROVE, DANIELLE MORRIS Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, MELINDA JAGGER, JOANNA TUCKER Event Marketing Managers ANTHONY ANGELICO, CHRISTIAMILDA CORREA, LAURA MULLEN, LAUREN OLSON, CRISTINA PARRA Event Marketing Coordinator ANI GAFKA Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
Vice President, Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Positioning and Planning Director SALLY LYON Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Managers BARBARA SHALE, BLUE UYEDA Production Artists MARISSA MAHERAS, TARA MCCRILLIS Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD
ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, AND OPERATIONS
Director, Executive Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Executive Assistant ARLENE GONZALEZ Human Resources Director STEPHANIE MITCHELL Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Senior Director, Finance MICHELE EGAN Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Financial Analyst AUDREY CADY Credit and Collections Manager CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants CHRISTINA LESCAY, NATASHA WARREN Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Desktop Administrator ZACHARY CUMMO Infrastructure Administrator MOHAMMED HANNAN Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK (Los Angeles Confidential), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), ERIN LENTZ (Aspen Peak), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH THORP (Capitol File), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons)
PUBLISHERS
JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS DELONE (Capitol File), SUZANNE RUFFA DOLEN (Gotham), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue)
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR President and Chief Operating Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Copyright 2014 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 (Founder, Jason Binn), a company of The Greenspun Corporation. VEGAS: 2360 Corporate Circle, 3rd Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-990-2500 F: 702-990-2530 NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS: 100 Church Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10007 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003 THE GREENSPUN CORPORATION: 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-259-4023 F: 702-383-1089
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FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Publisher Joe Vann and I, along with Fox 5’s Jason Feinberg, recognized the contributions of our eight Vegas Gives honorees at an incredible party at the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo.
ABOVE: Shopping for a cause with Randy Char at J.Glenn in Boca Park, where a chunk of sales went right to After-School All-Stars. Susie Lee and Emily Goodman hosted. LEFT: With Mayor Carolyn Goodman at the costume competition I judged for Vegas’s most important holiday—Repeal Day, celebrating its 80th anniversary— at the Mob Museum, in the actual courtroom where the Kefauver hearings were held.
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As we were closing this issue, I had been entertaining bribes from friends near and far for my companion ticket to Britney Spears’s opening night. (Free anytime babysitting won.) I will admit that I really only became curious about Brit’s residency when I realized that she could draw more than 1,300 fans and reporters, traveling two hours by bus in the middle of the night, into the remote Nevada desert to catch a brief glimpse of her as she alighted from her helicopter, announced her new residency (at 4 AM), and flew away. British social anthropologist Jamie Tehrani recently offered an evolutionary explanation for celebrity worship, saying that it may be based in the unique human characteristic of prestige. “We still imitate what we can because our brains are programmed to associate prestige with adaptive behavior,” he wrote. “And because fame is the primary cue of prestige, the more attention celebrities get, the more they attract.” Last month (in a biting-the-hand-that-feeds moment), Alec Baldwin took to Twitter to predict US cultural destruction so long as our “celebrity scrutiny/diversion/obsession continues.” Perhaps that’s true, but in Las Vegas, celebrities also impact our economy in a very material way. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, in 2012 the average spending per visitor on Follow me on Twitter at shows was $42.89. That’s $1.7 billion. @andreabennett1 and on The Las Vegas analytics firm Applied vegasmagazine.com. Analysis takes this a step further: Every 1 million people who visit per year directly support 5,600 jobs (we welcomed nearly 40 million last year). You have only to look at what was dubbed the “Celine effect”—UNLV’s 2011 estimate (never revised) that Celine Dion’s return would be worth at least $114 million a year and thousands of jobs in a then very troubled economy. I say we cut ourselves a break. Enjoy a celeb-packed first issue of 2014. After all, it’s good for the economy, and you can’t fight evolution.
ANDREA BENNETT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (VEGAS GIVES, SMITH & WOLLENSKY)
I was so thrilled to share the same air as some of my local idols at Smith & Wollensky’s Green Carpet event, which honored the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
With our incredible Boston Common colleague Shannon Pastuszak, at Smith & Wollensky’s Green Carpet event.
My beautiful wife, Ilana, celebrated with us at our fifth annual Vegas Gives party.
ABOVE: International designer Todd-Avery Lenahan was the honoree at the 10th annual Hospy Awards at Wynn. LEFT: Andrea Bennett and I presented a well-deserved check to supplement Stella Roy’s win for Nevada Ballet Theatre at Vegas Gives.
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past year was a great one for Vegas magazine, as we celebrated our 10th anniversary and two of our largest issues in four years. Gracing our covers were stars like Penn & Teller, who have left an indelible mark on Las Vegas’s entertainment landscape for twenty years, plus Steve Carell and Kevin Kline—both of whom had Vegas-centric projects out at the very moment they appeared on our covers. Near and dear to my heart was Jimmy Kimmel, the local boy who “done good.” And of course, who could forget that gorgeous couple, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw? Still, it’s not our style to look through the rear view mirror, but rather to drive forward to continue to identify and celebrate those who make significant contributions in and to our city and those who are growing our community with exciting projects, Follow me on Twitter at hotels, casinos and venues that make Las @josefvann and on Vegas not only one of the world’s most vegasmagazine.com. incredible entertainment cities, but one of the best to call a home. What we already see through our windshield is making 2014 an incredible year to anticipate, indeed. For the first time since the dynamic launch of Cosmopolitan, we’re looking forward to new growth and beautifully considered projects on the Strip corridor, with SLS, the Cromwell, Delano, and the Linq all very close to opening. The High Roller has already made an indelible impression on our skyline. Housing and urban retail developments abound in Summerlin. Among American cities, few can boast this kind of growth, and the anticipation is palpable. In 2014, Vegas magazine looks forward to being your conduit for everything Vegas. Happy New Year!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (PASTUSZAK, VEGAS GIVES); ’LOS (LENAHAN)
Welcome to our first issue of 2014. The
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...WITHOUT WHOM THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WINTER 2014
Melissa Valladares Las Vegas native Melissa Valladares photographed Tarissa Tiberti, director of the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, and film producer Trent Othick for this issue of Vegas. Her work can also be seen in the magazines LA Confidential and Angeleno. This was your first time shooting for Vegas.
Representing Las Vegas and being able to show others how beautiful this city is is such a joy for me. Tarissa and Trent were both excited to be part of the issue. It turns out that Trent and I went to the same high school and have mutual friends. Las Vegas has a small-town feel to it even though it’s such a big city.
Rebecca Clifford-Cruz Rebecca Clifford-Cruz is the library services specialist for the Las Vegas Sun and Greenspun Media Group. In addition to conducting research, providing content, and serving as the custodian of records, she handles licensing and reprint requests from the public and is the liaison between the newsroom and professional journalism organizations. What do you find remarkable about Las Vegas photography? Las Vegas’s glitz, glam,
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Barbara Peck Barbara Peck penned our “Thought Leader” story on UNLV architecture professor Eric Weber and his team’s solar house of the future, on view at Springs Preserve. Did you get a lecture from Professor Weber? I kind of geeked out with some of my
questions, like when I asked him how the ductless heat pump system worked. [Sadly, his answer didn’t make it into the story.] Why is green building important? In places like Las Vegas, water is precious and the sun is relentless. This house focuses on new ways to conserve water and provide shade without wasting resources. And it does so using stylish designs that appeal to the general population.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILA NAVIDI/LAS VEGAS SUN (CLIFFORD-CRUZ); DAVID A. LAND (PECK)
Heidi Mitchell Former Town & Country Travel and Town & Country Weddings editor in chief Heidi Mitchell writes for numerous publications, including Vogue, Departures, and Travel + Leisure. She first met Britney Spears as an associate editor for Rolling Stone in the late ’90s. Are you Britney’s number-one fan? I’ve gone to a huge number of her shows. When I worked at Seventeen, she was a role model. She was tough but sweet, successful but seemed real, stylish but in her own way. What’s the best thing about a Britney show? It’s fun to step out of your comfort zone surrounded by people who don’t think you’re weird for loving pure pop. A Britney show is a ton of fun—and a great workout. She understands that she’s not just a singer, she’s a performer, and her fans love her for the spectacle. And that, she delivers.
and lights surrounded by nature’s beauty is a photographer’s paradise. It’s easy to capture a classic image or a shot that has emotional immediacy and lasting impact. What’s most rewarding about your job? My career is an outlet for my passion to conduct research.
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Invit ed
VEGAS’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS AND SMARTEST PARTIES
Right at Home IT WAS PLANET HOLLYWOOD INDEED AT THE STAR-STUDDED HOMEFRONT PREMIERE.
A
Kate Bosworth
dazzling Kate Bosworth hit the red carpet—sparkling in a Vegas-appropriate Fendi dress covered with Swarovski crystals, plus shiny silver Christian Louboutin shoes—for the world premiere of her new movie Homefront on November 20 at Planet Hollywood. The blingy outfit stood in stark contrast to Bosworth’s character in the movie, the antagonistic, meth-addicted wife of a retired DEA agent (played by Jason Statham). All of the film’s principals, save screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, were in attendance. Statham and fellow cast members James Franco, Winona Ryder, Izabela Vidovic, and Omar Benson Miller walked the massive carpet, along with Strip celebrities Holly Madison, Véronic DiCaire, Jeff Beacher, Jaymes Vaughan, James Davis, and UFC star Randy Couture.
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INVITED Angela Quick, Melissa Warren, Stella Roy, Phillip Hooper, Jenn Kratchowill, Wendy Plaster, and Terane Comito
Richard and Wendy Plaster
Chris Saldana and Dayna Roselli
Tiffany Pellegrini and Julie Clark
Jonathon Gudai and Alex Epstein 10 Cane rum (liquor sponsor) & Voss water
Vegas Gives
Jason Feinberg
Heather Caravella, Heather Dichiaro, and Julie Downs
Lauren Probyn and Kristin Conte
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS
Kelly Yaeger, Nancy Houssels, and Terane Comito
Human Nature
Vegas magazine and the Grand Canal Shoppes hosted the fifth annual Vegas Gives, honoring eight local women who strive to make a difference in the community. This year’s honorees were Gina Gavan, Stella Roy, Francine Sanchez, Judy Cebulko, Denise Valdez, Rose McKinney-James, Amy Rossetti, and Linda Richardson. A who’s who of Las Vegas came out to celebrate the women and support their respective charities. Guests enjoyed an intimate performance by Human Nature, hors d’oeuvres provided by Tao Asian Bistro, Voss water, and specialty cocktails provided by 10 Cane rum. The event, emceed by Jason Feinberg, raised more than $60,000 for eight local charities. The 2013 honorees
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INVITED Chantal Salizar and Richard Cabrera
Belinda Sinni Ric Alicia Pa Karen Licea and Pamela Cornejo
Lauren Brown, Lisa Isola, Angela DeLaney, and Hannah Fluitt
The Hospy Awards Roger Thomas and Elaine Wynn
NEWH Las Vegas, the hospitality industry network, hosted a spectacular evening on November 16 at Wynn to present the 10th annual Hospy Awards. Todd-Avery Lenahan was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Luke Jackson and Brittany Swingley
Sara Yoder with Tom and Nancy Yoder
Ariana Martinez, Lindsay Benninger, Kelsey Proctor, and Breanna Hinz
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS
Max Milverstedt, Eric Johnson, and Zach Heinrich
Wendy Kunkle and Fraser Seifert
Kemo Sabe Grand Opening 28
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Vegas magazine celebrated the grand opening of Kemo Sabe at the Forum Shops on November 16. Guests shopped the boutique’s wide selection of Western hats, boots, belts, buckles, and more.
Michelle Morocco and Lindsey Jackson
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INVITED
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS (VAN CLEEF)
Belinda Feeney, Sinni Richardson, and Alicia Paqualotto
Marilyn Comiskey
Bentley Handbag Launch Party
The Bentley Handbag launch party, hosted by Towbin Motorcars, Jesika Towbin-Mansour, and Carolynn Towbin, featured a variety of colorful handbags and wallets from the luxury automobile brand. This was the first launch party on the West Coast for the company’s new line of accessories.
Phyllis Schwartz, Carolynn Towbin, and Valdean Kourteas
Geraldine Joiner and Candace Spann
Susie Kimball and Rick Moore
Karin Sporn and Leora Blau Debbie Strimling and Emma Schaner
Robert and Sheryl Goldstein
Van Cleef & Arpels Opening
Ziva and Ezra Bekhor
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Dashenka Giraldo
Van Cleef & Arpels celebrated the grand opening of its new boutique at the Forum Shops with Karin Sporn and Leora Blau, board members of The Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while viewing the enchanting collections of jewels and timepieces from the brand’s Paris atelier.
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1/13/14 2:19 PM
INVITED Celine Paulus and Angela Doris
Alaina Alexandria, Francesco Lafranconi, and Gwen Chappell Norm Nhaisi and Josef Wagner
Greg an
Anna Hersel and Rich Diaz
Ian Kohovtek, Ian Staller, and Dan Shaktdr
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Luncheon Diageo Reserve Brands and Southern Wine & Spirits hosted an exclusive dining experience, featuring Johnnie Walker Blue Label, on November 20 at Picasso, inside Bellagio.
Randy Hendrickson and James Lucas Art Wolfe
Trevor Peterson and Carla Corambao
Joy and Kim Dorfman
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS
Tabitha Tindale
Rotella Gallery’s Human Canvas 30
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Tony Carnevale, Carol Epps, and Bailey Hicks
Photography enthusiasts attended the opening of Human Canvas, a dramatic new series from Art Wolfe at Rotella Gallery. At the intimate event, Wolfe offered the stories behind his latest works.
1/10/14 4:32 PM
INVITED Dr. Kate Zhong, Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, and Joe Hollis
Greg and Chrissy Gronau
Dawn Russi, Shelly Gitomer, and Kelly Sawyer Bud and Kristin McLarty with Justin Schmiedel and Gina Sinclair
Chuck and Julie Salerno with Michael Severino Michael Feighery
Karen Camp and Tim Wood
Smith & Wollensky Green Carpet Event Smith & Wollensky hosted a Green Carpet event to honor Keep Memory Alive and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Michael Feighery, president of Smith & Wollensky, presented the organizations with a check for $25,000, raised during the 53rd annual Wine Week. Mike Weber, Laura Firtz, and Carolyn Hanna
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS
Ray and Susan McIver
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Lucy Palacios and De Salazar
Donna Wilburn and Stephanie Scott
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INVITED Karissa Putvin and Judy Owen
George Tsolis and Marie Villa
Rhonda and Andrew Thomas Sarah Anthonis and Lance Horton Amit Dev Handa and Clifford W. Atkinson
Mandarin Watch Event Stashi Endorf and Shannon Candelaria
Mandarin Oriental and watch expert Amit Dev Handa hosted an exclusive consultation on luxury timepieces, featuring Champagne and hors d’oeuvres, in the posh Mandarin Executive Suite.
Muki Bolton and Brenda Bougue
Heidi Vater and Suzanne Wray
Andrea Ramsey and Natasha Spinella
Nan Fusco Trunk Show 32
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Annemarie Jones and Kimberlee Hyp
Whitney duBoef and Annemarie Jones hosted an afternoon of holiday shopping benefiting the Discovery Children’s Museum. Guests shopped Nan Fusco’s line of handcrafted jewelry from Laguna Beach.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS
Nan Fusco and Whitney duBoef
1/10/14 4:33 PM
INVITED
Zar Zaganeh and Kamran Zand Angie Tina and Dave Tina Jr. Amber Moore, Randy Char, and Linda Naw
Kamran Zand and Olga McDowell
AREAA Induction Ball for Randy Char
On November 9, the Asian Real Estate Association of America held a black-tie inaugural ball at the Four Seasons Hotel. National AREAA Chairman Jim Park extended gratitude to Sherwin Escanuela, the outgoing president of AREAA Las Vegas, and inaugurated Randy Char, senior vice president of One Queensridge, as the new president. Prominent members of the real estate community toasted them both with Perrier-Jouët Champagne. The event also raised awareness for Jillian’s Army and St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Sherwin and Marcie Escanuela
Pernod Ricard provided luxe libations.
Maya Ostapenko, Farid Matraki, and Laura Meda
Cheryl Prater, Valerie Mac, and Amy Hanley
Bernard Barbilla
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ALAMO
Ryan Beyer, Randy Char, and Ricci Lopez
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One Queensridge Place Holiday Party On December 6, One Queensridge Place hosted a luxurious holiday party. Encore Esplanade’s Piaget presented its watch complication trunk show, valued at more than $8 million. Cosmopolitan’s Stitched offered a demonstration of its custom suit program and introduced its dapper Boardwalk Empire–inspired Twenties Collection. Fine cigars were hand-rolled, courtesy of cigar lounge La Casa, while guests enjoyed tastes from The Capital Grille, sips of Perrier-Jouët, and Absolut Elyx cocktails.
Adam Vesely, Lauren Blaney, and Eric Blasek VEGASMAGAZINE.COM
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1/13/14 2:19 PM
T he List winter 2014
Nehme E. Abouzeid
Virginia Christenson
Deirdre Clemente
Melissa Arias
David Gersh
Debrae Little
Reyna Nebeker
Adam Vesely
Art Korapin
Ella Stimpson
Susie KimballÂ
Federica Parruccini
Betty Hsu
Tawnya Christian
Rezwan Manji
Matthew Carfagnini
Zita Sims
Lance Mielke
Joan Jungblut
Alaina Alexander
Claude Baruk
Jason Cheney
Kim Amato
Rob Oseland
Tiffany Jones
Ashley Tomlin
Jessica Debreceni
Samantha Solich
Kristine Lingle Griffith
Luke Bryan
Graham Knuttel
Betsy Peters
Rossi Ralenkotter
Miranda Cohen
Nicole R. Tilley
Trace Adkins
Anna Hersel
Ezra Bekhor
James Randall
Cristine Lefkowitz Jensen
Holly Peters
Hillary Frei
Christopher Chandler
Elliot B. Karp
Larry Rudolph
Bruce Spotleson
Danica Patrick
Cory Lloyd
Lisa Beckley
Jen Taler
Michelle Puckli
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F O R T I C K E T S , P L E A S E V I S I T A N Y V E N E T I A N O R PA L A Z Z O T I C K E T O F F I C E O R C A L L 8 6 6 . 6 4 1 . 74 6 9 W W W. V E N E T I A N . C O M
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Superlatives PEOPLE, CULTURE, TASTE, STYLE
POWER STRIP
Vegas, Curated LAS VEGAS NATIVE TARISSA TIBERTI LEFT FOR A CAREER IN FINE ART, AND FOUND HER MOST IMPORTANT CALLING BACK HOME.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA VALLADARES
BY KRISTEN PETERSON
L
eaving Las Vegas was something that Tarissa Tiberti had planned. Coming back, she thought, wouldn’t be in the cards. Having grown up in a well-established Las Vegas family (her grandfather founded J.A. Tiberti Construction Company), she left in 1994 to pursue an education and career in art, earning an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, working as a gallery assistant in New York, and becoming an accomplished artist in her own right.
But Tiberti’s art—mostly richly ornamental and architectural two- and three-dimensional works— has been on the back burner ever since she got a call six years ago from another Vegas native, Michele Quinn, who was working on CityCenter’s $40 million art collection and curating for the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. “Michele called and said, ‘I don’t have a show for you. I have a job for you,’” Tiberti recalls. continued on page 38
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POWER STRIP Eric Shiner, director of the Andy Warhol Museum, with Tiberti at the “Warhol Out West” VIP opening at the Bellagio Gallery in February 2013.
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VIEW FROM THE GALLERY Tarissa Tiberti’s Vegas. *on the landscape “I really like the desert. I love the juxtaposition of the desert and the Vegas skyline at night.”
*the art of the table “We love Cafe Chloe. It is by far the best Italian food in town. Chef Piero Broglia is from Rome, and he knows what he’s doing.”
*favorite artists “It changes from day to day. Mainly it’s work by contemporary artists, but I’m the person who has to look at earlier periods to see their influences. I like Anish Kapoor. I like architectural pieces. I like Roxy Paine, Olafur Eliasson, Rachel Whiteread, Tara Donovan.”
*this evolving city “The history of this place is fun, and fun to think about. I miss old Vegas, but I also like the new projects.”
*on creating art “I’m not putting it out of my mind, because I still think like an artist. I still have projects I want to work on.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BELLAGIO GALLERY OF FINE ART (SHINER); MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON (PAINTING)
continued from page 37 Paper Ball, the organization that had been operating the Bellagio Gallery, was leaving and someone was needed to direct the day-to-day operations. “I told my roommate in New York that I’d be back. She said, ‘You’re not coming back.’” The roommate was correct. With her hometown upping its art-world ante, “I knew I could help make a difference in a city I grew up in,” Tiberti says. “I could get further by being here than being there and doing the same thing.” Fast-forward to today, and Tiberti is presenting the most important art coming into the Valley, including the pieces in the recent exhibit “Warhol Out West,” a collection from the Andy Warhol Museum that connects the renowned New York Pop artist with the American West, and the upcoming “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,” a show that Tiberti pared down to accommodate the Strip’s unique audience. “You get every type of person,” she says of the broad range of visitors hitting Las Vegas Boulevard daily. “We have 2,500 square feet and need to catch people in 2.5 days,” the average length of a stay in Vegas. Reaching a wide variety of people is something Tiberti has become quite skilled at. For 2011’s “Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form,” she combined works from MGM Resorts’ fine-art collection with pieces from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art—which allowed for some once-in-a-lifetime juxtapositions, such as an André Derain portrait next to one by Yoshitomo Nara, two artists who had created those Mrs. Duffee Seated works at the same age but in different time periods, cultures, and countries. With the on a Striped Sofa, following exhibit, “A Sense of Place: Landscapes from Monet to Hockney,” Tiberti took Reading (1876) by Mary Cassatt, from a similar approach. Both shows fulfilled the public’s desire to see masterworks, while the Bellagio also suggesting how artists of different eras and movements approached similar subGallery’s upcoming jects. Mixed in were gems by lesser-known artists working in new media, so visitors “Painting Women: Works from the who attended to see a Picasso were also pleasantly surprised by a video installation. Museum of Fine Tiberti knows that names like Picasso, Monet, and Warhol are key to reaching a Arts, Boston.” general audience, which makes “Painting Women” a more unusual endeavor for the Bellagio Gallery. While Georgia O’Keeffe and Mary Cassatt might be familiar to art-world neophytes, artists such as Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun (the portrait painter to Marie Antoinette) are not. The exhibition, spanning the years 1860 –1950, features women both as professional artists and as subjects, some of whom, Tiberti says, “went from one side of the canvas to the other.” As the only space on the Strip presenting exhibits of this caliber, Bellagio remains committed to fine art, as does Tiberti, who is busy working on the two shows that will follow “Painting Women.” That means tracking down pieces not already headed elsewhere and available for loan. “There are challenges in trying to get what you want,” she says. “And you also have everybody else’s opinion.” With a smile, she adds, “It’s tough, but it’s a good tough.” “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” will open February 14 and run until October 27. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 702-6937871; bellagio.com V
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STYLE, TASTE AND VENICE ON A GRAND SCALE
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DESERT PATROL
He may look like a star on a Hollywood backlot, but from his Downtown perch, Trent Othick is luring movies to Vegas.
Othick, 41, a down-to-earth Las Vegas native, is tall and talkative, with movie-star looks. We’re in his Los Angeles satellite office, lined with posters of his productions, as he periodically takes calls from veteran screenwriters like George Gallo (Midnight Run) and Othick’s partner Michael Corrente, who produced the Farrelly brothers movie Outside Providence. Last year the Nevada Legislature passed tax incentives for films that shoot in the state, expanding opportunities for the movie business locally. Othick, whose Neil LaBute – Neighborhood directed film Some Velvet Morning opened in hangout: “I occasionally have December to stellar reviews, is currently in business meetings talks with Las Vegas resident Nicolas Cage, at Red Rock Hotel Ethan Hawke, and other big stars to produce & Casino, but it movies here. He already has at least a coumight also involve ple of Nevada-based projects coming this watching Monday Night Football.” year, including “a noir film that will make Alternate ominous use of the desert,” he says. hangout: “Any As a matter of fact, Othick is tight with baseball diamond, Downtown mogul Tony Hsieh, whose Silver soccer field, or State Production Services helps movie projbasketball gym ects develop from the ground up. It was where one of my three kids is cofounded by former Othick employee playing.” Christopher Ramirez, and they may soon help build a little village of creative offices for the city’s film players. Othick lives in Las Vegas with his wife and three kids, but he was also born and raised here, the son of a professional gambler. “So the risky field of entertainment and independent film is essentially a straight job for me,” he jokes. He got his start after dropping out of Whittier Law School and meeting industry people in LA, including director Jesse Dylan (Kicking and Screaming), Bob Dylan’s son. Othick’s father-in-law, film and television director Robert Lieberman, helped him get his first meeting with reality-show impresario Mark Burnett, who cocreated The Casino. Today, Othick’s Nevada-based company, GO Productions—which counts casino operator John Gaughan, a childhood friend, as a partner—does repeat business with producers of successful films like The Hurt Locker and Don Jon and has numerous Las Vegas backers. “Vegas has always had a relationship with Hollywood,” says Othick. “With this tax incentive, we can see a studio being built here. The future for making films in Vegas is finally as bright as the lights on the Strip.” V
Roll ’Em PRODUCER TRENT OTHICK IS MAKING VEGAS FILM PRODUCTION A GO. BY ADAM BAER
“O
ur city is the place that you think about movie people partying, on and off the screen,” says Las Vegas –based producer Trent Othick, who brought A Bronx Tale to Broadway and Venetian and produced the reality show The Casino, about the Golden Nugget. “Now Vegas is going to be the place where we can actually make films, not just shoot for a day to do casino exteriors.”
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA VALLADARES
INSIGHT
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LAS VEGAS - FASHION SHOW MALL - 702.696.0008 RASUSHI.COM
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THOUGHT LEADER
LEFT:
UNLV’s Eric Weber is modeling how desert dwellers can live more comfortably and sustainably. BELOW: Employing plants that flourish in the desert eliminates the need for irrigation.
Future Perfect E
ric Weber can recall the moment his career goal was set. Growing up in an Air Force family, he had lived all over the US. But when his father was posted to the Spanish island of Minorca, Weber, then a sixth grader, realized the power of architecture. “On my way to school, I passed the stone church in the town square just as the bells were ringing,” he says. “That’s when it hit me: I wanted to make buildings.” While it was ancient architecture that first inspired him, Weber has earned acclaim for his key role in creating a house of the future: DesertSol, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s entry in Solar Decathlon 2013. This international competition, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, challenges universities to innovate and build a solar-powered home that’s costeffective, energy-efficient, and attractive. After being invited to join UNLV’s School of Architecture as a visiting professor in 2010,
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Weber quickly made his mark by spearheading the school’s bid to enter the Solar Decathlon, a laborious process that ended up taking two years. “Each university had to submit a 30-page technical proposal, demonstrating that they had the organizational capability to complete the project,” he explains. He tasked the fourth-year design students with conceptualizing the proposal over the course of several weeks, with their schemes reviewed by faculty, local architects, and fellow students. In February 2012, Weber’s careful work paid off: UNLV was awarded one of 20 coveted spots in the competition’s final judging. By then an assistant professor, Weber was named principal investigator. UNLV’s proposal was for a 750-square-foot desert vacation home whose solar panels allow it to function entirely off the electrical grid. The project team of about 60 students, most in continued on page 44
“I’d be happy to live in the DesertSol house year-round.” —ERIC WEBER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM DECKER (WEBER); AARON MAYES/UNLV PHOTO SERVICES (DESERTSOL)
UNLV ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR ERIC WEBER SHOWS HOW OLD-SCHOOL SKILLS—AND A STAFF OF 60 STUDENTS—CAN BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE FUTURE. BY BARBARA PECK
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Vdara.com Live the M life at this MGM Resorts International速 Destination
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continued from page 42 architecture and engineering, operated under Weber’s watchful eye. “It was a difficult balancing act,” he says, “since I had to make sure the house would meet all the applicable rules, safety codes, and accessibility regulations without undermining the key concepts.” The house’s exterior, featuring weathered wood and rusted metal panels, recalls the look of an old Mojave Desert mining town. The interior is sleek, comfortable, and functional. A glassedin deck separates the living area from the sleeping quarters, and a rock garden surrounds the home. Precious rainwater is collected for a cooling fountain. Once the plans were set, Weber supervised the construction of DesertSol on UNLV’s Paradise Campus. He led independent-study courses to help students develop some of the house’s specialized components, such as a fabric acoustic wall and a teak shelving unit. By September, the house was ready to be dismantled into its two main modules and trucked to the competition site in Irvine, California. There it was reassembled and furnished with student-built pieces, plus energyconserving appliances and fixtures. The landscaping included creosote bushes, barrel cacti, and other hardy plants native to the Mojave. When the judging was over, DesertSol had surpassed all expectations, earning a close second place overall and first place in market appeal. “We were the youngest architecture school competing,” says Weber with pride. “I joked that the winning Austrian team had a 400year head start.” The 44-year-old has always been comfortable rolling up his sleeves. When his father started a small construction company in Tucson, Arizona, Weber toiled alongside his dad. Following a stint in the Marine Corps, he studied architecture at Arizona State, then took jobs at several Phoenix architecture firms. “I managed the construction of every project I worked on,” he says, “so when UNLV was looking for someone to kick-start its design-build program, I had the right background. As it turned out, I was the only member of the Solar Decathlon team—faculty or otherwise—with extensive building experience.” Weber believes that today’s cultural shift away from tool use makes design-build projects especially crucial: “When I was a kid we had shop class; we learned how to make stuff. Now shop has been replaced by computer class, and many students have never handled tools.” Working on a construction site increases one’s awareness, he
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adds, so “when a student is doing construction drawings, they might think, Will there be enough clearance for somebody to get a wrench on that nut?” UNLV students have high praise for their mentor’s skills. “He was a great motivator,” says Heather Holmstrom, who worked on competition logistics, “and his attention to detail really raised the level of craftsmanship.” Nathan Weber (no relation), who designed DesertSol’s distinctive perforated steel shades featuring laser-cut images of mesquite trees, says, “Professor Weber always encouraged us to come up with our own ideas, but he also kept pushing us in the right direction.” While Weber and his wife have a house in Phoenix and a condo in Vegas, he says, “I’d be happy to live in the DesertSol house year-round. I love being in the desert, hiking in Red Rock and the Valley of Fire.” His next design-build project is still under wraps, but he hints that it will expand on lessons learned from the Solar Decathlon. Meanwhile, DesertSol will open in February for public tours in its permanent home at the Springs Preserve. “This house will be a catalyst for people to think about how they live in the desert,” Weber says. “Its techniques can be applied to virtually any building project.” V
TOP: The interior features high-efficiency appliances and a radiant floor system. ABOVE: At its send-off event, the UNLV team received $100,000 from the NV Energy Foundation.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON MAYES/UNLV PHOTO SERVICES (INTERIOR); GABE CLETO (SEND-OFF)
THOUGHT LEADER
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SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY
Cheers to Charity I
n Las Vegas, it’s not unreasonable to claim that plenty of plans that seemed like a good idea at the time were fueled by alcohol. But for Back Bar USA, spirits are powering much more clear-eyed thinking. That’s because the company’s president, Tim Haughinberry, and its CFO, Flor Bernal, spend much of their time giving away the bar—for good causes. It started out casually, with friends calling Haughinberry for advice or help with their favorite causes. But soon the requests were coming in daily, and he needed to develop a strategy for handling the company’s philanthropic pursuits. At first that simply meant donating alcoholic beverages, but now Back Bar USA is partnering with other organizations to develop
and market charitable events. Back Bar USA’s philanthropic ethos was born in Haughinberry’s upbringing in California. “I grew up in a family that always worked with charities,” he says. “My brother has Down syndrome, and we always participated in that community.” Haughinberry moved to Vegas in 1987 to attend UNLV, which formed the foundation for his deep love for the city. After graduating, he found a kindred spirit in Bernal, whom he first met at Southern Wine & Spirits. So impressed was he with the accountant’s work that he asked her to join him continued on page 48
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONA SHIELD PAYNE
BACK BAR USA, THE SPIRITS MARKETING COMPANY HEADED BY TIM HAUGHINBERRY AND FLOR BERNAL, IS A WELL OF GENEROSITY FOR CHARITIES ALL OVER LAS VEGAS. BY ELENA JACOB
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SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY
Charity Regist er OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE.
NCMEC CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
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Details: January 9, Tournament Players Club Las Vegas; missingkids.com
CHEFS FOR KIDS 5K RUN/FUN WALK Event: To support its efforts to eliminate malnutrition and hunger in children through education and provided meals, Chefs for Kids presents its annual 5K Run/Fun Walk. All participants will receive a long-sleeved CFK Race T-shirt, a goodie bag, and a pancake breakfast.
Details: January 18, Wayne Bunker Family Park; chefsforkids.org
BLACK & WHITE BALL
Event: The Nevada Ballet Theatre presents its 30th annual Black & White Ball and honors its 2014 Woman of the Year, Florence Henderson (LEFT), on her 80th birthday. Guests will mingle with local celebrities, humanitarians, motivational speakers, and arts supporters at this Cartier-sponsored event. Details: January 25, Aria Resort & Casino; nevadaballet.com
LAPS FOR CHARITY
Event: Fulfill your need for speed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway by driving your dream car or motorcycle at 75 mph while helping a great cause. All proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, which has been funding children’s organizations in Southern Nevada since 1982. Details: January 26, Las Vegas Motor Speedway; lasvegas. speedwaycharities.org
THE COLOR RUN
Event: Founded in 2012 to promote health and happiness, the Color Run welcomes runners and walkers for the “happiest 5K on the planet.” The money raised will go to more than 80 local and national charities. Details: February 22, South Las Vegas Boulevard; thecolorrun.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONA SHIELD PAYNE (DRINKS); ANDY KROPA/GETTY IMAGES (O’HURLEY); JASON MERRITT/GETTY IMAGES (HENDERSON); ASHLEY PON/GETTY IMAGES (COLOR RUN)
continued from page 46 in his own business venture, and they’ve been collaborating on projects ever since. It was also at Southern Wine & Spirits that Haughinberry met Larry Ruvo, who inspired him to go into business for himself. Ruvo’s public-minded philosophy matched Haughinberry’s own and contributes to the spirit of Back Bar USA. Bernal worked full-time to put herself through TOP: Bernal and college, which made her sensitive to the hardHaughinberry at the 2013 Back Bar ships of students struggling to get by—and deeply holiday party with grateful to everyone who helped her get to where the UNLV Star of Nevada marching she is today. “Las Vegas has given me everything band. ABOVE: I have,” she says. “We just want to keep making it A Jura Patron bartender at a 2013 a better community and paying it forward.” MENUS event. Back Bar USA is currently facilitating beverage sponsorship for a fundraiser for MENUS (Mentoring and Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students), a program of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation. “When we learned all their fundraising goes to scholarships in the state of Nevada, we couldn’t pass it up,” says Haughinberry. As UNLV grads, he and Bernal are devoted to helping the school blossom. In November the company sponsored the UNLV Foundation dinner, which honors those who have donated more than $1 million to the university. The duo are bringing events to campus rather than to other venues so that prospective students and their families can see all that the university has to offer. One of Haughinberry’s favorite events to work on, though, is Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s Black & White Party. “I am a past board member of AFAN, and this one is a little selfish,” he says. “It may be the best party this town throws, and we don’t want to miss out on it!” Back Bar USA is also continuing to look for new opportunities to get involved in local causes, including The Center, which supports Nevada’s gay and lesbian community. Haughinberry and Bernal are excited by the possibilities. “We’re not just giving alcohol and looking away,” says Haughinberry. “We’re very hands-on. We are, after all, representing the organization.… We own every angle of our events.” While Vegas can seem like a city of transients, Haughinberry and Bernal say they feel it’s as warm and close-knit as a family—and companies like Back Bar USA are contributing to that homey atmosphere. Says Haughinberry, “You really need to focus on what you believe in and what you feel makes an impact to your community, your business, and your heart.” V
Event: For the 15th year in a row, celebrities (including host John O’Hurley, pictured) play a fun and challenging 18 holes of golf to raise funds for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in this event sponsored by Canon.
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Painting Women
Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston February 14 – October 26, 2014
Tickets and information 702.693.7871 • bellagio.com/bgfa Left image: Gretchen Woodman Rogers, Woman in a Fur Hat, Gift of Miss Anne Winslow, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Right image: Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, Portrait of a Young Woman, Robert Dawson Evans Collection, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADLEY KANARIS/GETTY IMAGES
The world’s best sevens rugby squads will try to slow down Carlin Isles (in white) and Team USA in Vegas.
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HOTTEST TICKET
Lucky Sevens BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS THE LIGHTNING MOVES OF SEVENS RUGBY, THE SPORT WHOSE WORLD SERIES TOUR IS MAKING ITS ONLY US STOP IN VEGAS IN JANUARY. BY ABBY TEGNELIA
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head of its Olympic debut in 2016, sevens rugby—also known as rugby sevens, the even more lightning-swift offspring of the already fast-paced rugby—is sweeping into Vegas on the only US stop of the HSBC Sevens World Series. And it’s a perfect match: This traveling sevens competition brings with it days of events, including golf and poker tournaments, plus live music and an international crowd looking for fun. “Sevens is a cooler version of rugby,” says Dan Lyle, executive vice president of United World Sports, which runs the tour. “It’s Olympics meets Mardi Gras.” The nine-city tour descends on Vegas January 24 –26, the fourth stop of a true world series that started in Australia last October, concludes in England in May, and features 16 teams representing nations around the world. Local pregame events include a Team USA pep rally with the players, head coach, and cheerleaders at Miracle Mile Shops on January 22. More than 380 million people are expected to tune in when the games air live on NBC and the NBC Sports Network. If you plan on being among the spectators streaming into Sam Boyd Stadium to catch the action in person, don’t dillydally. Sevens matches are only 15 minutes long: two seven-minute halves with a oneminute break. The game is fast—very fast—and features hard-core football-style tackling, despite the lack of padding on the players. There’s also fast scoring, with only seven players per team instead of rugby’s 15 (hence the name) on a field 70 feet wider than an American football field—so when a player breaks free, he gets to run like the wind. It’s not unusual for teams to score more than 40 points per game. “Our players play hard, just like Vegas does,” says Lyle, who played on the US team for 10 years and has been involved with this tournament since day one. Much newer to the sport is a player to keep your eye on: the US team’s Carlin Isles, touted as “the fastest man in rugby.” If he continues to play as he did in his debut last year, Isles may well land in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Sevens rugby was added to the Olympic lineup for its lively reputation and its ability to bring many countries together in one day of play, says Lyle. “The Olympics were looking for a youthful, festival-based sport to add.” The nature of sevens rugby explains the festival part: Because a new game starts every 22 minutes, fans from many countries are at the stadium at the same time. “Watch your team, go have a drink, and then come back,” Lyle says, adding that many fans come in costume. “You can see your team multiple times in a day.” But cheering our home team will be only part of the fun at this six-day event. Weekend Premier Lounge tickets ($695) include pitchside seating, player meet-andgreets, plus lunch and bar service in a special lounge. At the stadium, 45 vendors and 12 international food trucks will serve fish and chips, Thai food, samosas, and much more—including, of course, beers of the world. “It’s a big production,” says Lyle. “There’s a whole crew behind the scenes, knocking on players’ dressing-room doors, getting the crowd into it, up on the stage. There’s always so much going on. It’s entertainment.” The HSBC Sevens World Series’s Las Vegas matches take place January 24–26 at Sam Boyd Stadium, with additional events January 21–23. For tickets, visit usasevens.com. V
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HOTTEST TICKET
Social Club Redux ROSE. RABBIT. LIE. REINVENTS THE FORMULA FOR AN EVENING OUT IN VEGAS BY SHATTERING IT. BY ANDREA BENNETT
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there are the whirling dervishes. The entertainment adheres to only one rule: Cosmopolitan’s “right side of wrong” credo, says Mollison. “What you want is no rules—within the boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior,” he adds with a laugh. Gone is pedestrian bottle service, declares David Alan Bernahl, whose Coastal Luxury Management has reconceptualized the civilized amenity for a new age. Punch bowls and cocktails on tap join a sophisticated Champagne program, and tableside mixologists pour drinks over giant ice cubes. Walls fold upon themselves or disappear into banquettes as the evening progresses. During dinner, “you might hear laughter coming from the ballroom,” says Bernahl, but not see the room until the dessert course (whose otherworldly offerings include a chocolate “dirt”-filled terrarium blooming with herbs and carrot ice cream). Finally, the cavernous space opens up entirely, to cinematic effect. Think of the moment in The Aviator when Leonardo DiCaprio enters the Tropicana in Havana. Says Unwin, “I want one o’clock in the morning to look like this.” Cosmopolitan, 877-667-0585; roserabbitlie.com V
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE (TWINS)
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ost regular Vegas visitors have their trip planning down to a science. Do it right and the night will include some combination of hot new restaurant, show, and nightclub. But while you’re virtually guaranteed to find something novel each time you come to Vegas—the shelf life of a nightclub here being somewhat shorter than in most other cities—the formula can be “prescriptive,” says John Unwin, CEO of Cosmopolitan. His remedy: Propel the romance of the traditional supper club into the future. In planning the new club Rose. Rabbit. Lie.—where the revelry accelerates to full-tilt over the course of an evening—the team mantra was “1920 meets 2019.” At any time during the evening, the following might be happening in one of 10 rooms (including a ballroom, a study, and a hall of curiosities designed by renowned “anarchitects” AvroKO): Diners feast on a dramatic king crab for eight (claws fanned to great effect); rare Champagnes cascade down an almost 500-coupe tower; twins from LA hop from a communal dining table to a rotating stage in a modern version of the 1930s and ’40s flash dancing duo the Nicholas Brothers; and a kitchen emerges from a backlit, wall-size Hieronymous Bosch painting. Unwin suggests imagining Club Babalu meets The Ed Sullivan Show meets Circus Maximus. The few-holds-barred entertainment—masterminded by Spiegelworld’s Ross Mollison (of Absinthe fame)—brings together 40 artists from around the globe. One group offers flickers of elements from The Jackie Gleason Show’s June Taylor Dancers but reinterprets them into an entirely new genre. One dancer balances a Calder-like structure on her head; a burlesque dancer does a striptease—in reverse. Oh, and
TOP:
Dancing twins evoke musicals of the 1930s and ’40s. ABOVE: A tower of Champagne provides bubbly for all. RIGHT: A showgirl from 1920, or maybe 2019.
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THIS ISSUE: RED SAUCE JOINTS
All in the Family TRADITION MEETS UP-TOTHE-MINUTE DETAIL AT LAS VEGAS’S LONGEST-RUNNING (29 YEARS) FAMILY-OWNED AND -OPERATED ITALIAN RESTAURANT, FERRARO’S. BY BROCK RADKE
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They’re all smiles now, but it wasn’t always so. Today Mimmo (LEFT) heads the kitchen, while Gino curates the acclaimed wine list.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE
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hink about all the things you want from a classic Italian restaurant. Maybe there are red and white tablecloths with a bottle of Chianti on each table, or maybe it’s a little more modern—sleek and sophisticated but with a welcoming warmth. Perhaps you dream of rich red sauce drenching pasta or veal parmigiana, or maybe you crave dishes with lighter, more contemporary notes. It must be tricky for restaurants to balance old expectations with new, tradition with creativity. At Ferraro’s, it comes naturally. Hospitality and deeply satisfying cooking are simply in the family blood. Gino Ferraro, a native of Calabria, in southern Italy, opened the restaurant in 1985, but two years prior he was operating a wholesale Italian food company, which he spun into a small deli and pizza shop with just four tables. “We had products from all over the world,” he says. “But it was a little ahead of its time. The idea was always to do a restaurant and make it successful with the help of the family.” Gino’s son Mimmo was just 7 years old when Ferraro’s opened on Las Vegas’s West Side, and although Mimmo wouldn’t choose to make the kitchen his career until attending culinary school in San Francisco 13 years later, he was already building a foundation. “I started very young in all aspects, from the front door to busing tables to running food to working the hot continued on page 56
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TASTE
continued from page 54 line,” he says. “Cooking was easy. It came so natural. It’s hard to learn what really goes with what, what spices go with that sauce or this fish, but it was something I just understood. I had a big head start before I went to culinary school.” Located for years at West Flamingo Road and Jones Boulevard—an inconvenient cab ride away from the Strip— Ferraro’s was one of the rare restaurants to be considered a true locals’ favorite while also succeeding in drawing hungry tourists away from Las Vegas Boulevard. In 2003, after completing his culinary education—which included several long trips to Italy—Mimmo took the reins in —GINO FERRARO the kitchen of Ferraro’s, allowing his father to focus on tending to customers and building one of the most respected Italian-wine cellars in the country. Balancing chef Mimmo’s enthusiastic energy with Gino’s time-tested ways was sometimes challenging. “We did butt heads, many times,” says Gino. “I’m a very traditional person and he’s a new generation. But in the end we came up with a solution to do the best thing for the restaurant, which is a little bit of old and a little bit of new.” The result of this new equation is an emphasis on maintaining Gino’s high standards for service and cuisine while also incorporating some new dishes—including the brightly flavored Carpaccio Torcello, thin slices of raw beef rolled around a shaved Parmesan, arugula, and truffle oil salad, and Pappardelle Mimmo, wide pasta with fresh scallops, lobster, and asparagus in a butter/sage/truffle sauce. “People come here for consistency,” says Mimmo. “They know they can order anything on the menu and it’s going to be as good as what they had the last time. Today we’re just
“Julia Roberts has come many times and says ours is the best gnocchi she’s had in her life.”
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Osso buco served with farro.
OSSO GOOD! When the Vegas dining scene was in its infancy, Ferraro’s quickly established itself as a standard-bearer. Its decadent osso buco, a thick veal shank braised in a bold red-wine reduction, became the go-to dish, a perfect complement to fresh, rustic house-made pastas. “We have one regular customer who’s been coming for more than 20 years, and he’s never had anything but the osso buco,” Gino says. “I’ve asked him, ‘Please, can you order something else?’ He just looks at me and says, ‘Why?’”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE (DINING ROOM); ISAAC BREKKEN (PAPPARDELLE, OSSO BUCO)
ABOVE: In addition to its homey main dining room, Ferraro’s offers a full bar, a large patio, and live music five nights a week. LEFT: Pappardelle Mimmo
as known for homemade pasta and bread, rabbit, and tripe as we are for the osso buco.” Another new twist is the Chef Mimmo Experience, in which diners place their decisions in the chef’s hands and he customizes a special menu for the table. “They leave very happy,” he says. In 2010, the Ferraro’s experience was further elevated when the restaurant moved from West Flamingo to Paradise Road, just east of the Strip. The new space is much larger—more room for live music, a bar and patio always packed for happy hour, and Gino’s exquisite wine collection—and accommodates many more Vegas visitors. But some things will never change: Once you’re a regular, you’re always a regular. And Mimmo is particularly proud that Ferraro’s is likely the only restaurant in town where the namesake is “both at the front door and in the kitchen, every night.” That consistency translates into lots of visits from countless noteworthy city residents and guests. “We’ve had thousands of celebrities visit, and so many prominent locals,” says Gino. “Julia Roberts has come many times and says ours is the best gnocchi Bolognese she’s had in her life. Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, all the performers who have been in Las Vegas for years, like Gordie Brown, Clint Holmes, Frank Marino, on and on.” Gino’s favorite? Probably Anthony Quinn, he says. “He had an aura about him that no one else could possess.” “We don’t relax,” Gino adds. “We’re hands-on, and that’s important, that the people who originated this concept are the people who are staying on top of it. The food will never change from what it is. No one can come and change that. We don’t change and we don’t Americanize the food, and if people don’t like it, we don’t get insulted, because we understand that their palate is not up to our standard of food.” 4480 Paradise Road, 702-364-5300; ferraroslasvegas.com V
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Simply Red LOOKING FOR THE SECRET ROOMS IN LAS VEGAS WHERE DEALS ARE BROKERED AND INFORMATION IS TRADED? THERE’S ONE THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON: A RIVER OF MARINARA FLOWS THROUGH THEM. BY JOHN KATSILOMETES
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of the famous, powerful, and influential. There was the night an entrepreneur named Dana White sat in Piero’s with members of the local Fertitta family (which founded the Station Casinos resort chain) to assemble a deal that would lead to the Fertittas’ ownership of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And the night a decade ago when Freddie and Evan Glusman gazed around their Piero’s dining room and started calculating how much wealth and power was represented. “We had Frank Fertitta, Warren Buffett, Kirk Kerkorian, Lee Iacocca, Frank Fahrenkopf [president of the American Gaming Association and former chairman of the Republican National Committee], all in the restaurant at the same time,” Glusman recalls. “And they were not at the same table. They were all just here, randomly, one night.” Also random was the recent night when Magic Johnson sat at one table and Michael Douglas at another. Or Jerry Lewis in a corner booth and across the room Rich Little, watching a cabaret show hosted by Pia Zadora. These restaurantgoers might or might not live in Las Vegas, or might or might not engage in what would be deemed reputable practices. As continued on page 60
The longevity of Piero’s is matched only by that of its fiercely loyal clientele.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE (PIERO’S); SETH OLENICK (LADLE)
s journalists and football fans around the country wondered whom the San Diego Chargers would hire as their new head coach, the owners of the restaurant Piero’s in Las Vegas had the scoop. “We knew several days before it was announced that Mike McCoy would take over for Norv Turner,” says Evan Glusman, operating partner of Piero’s and son of restaurant founder Freddie Glusman. “We were pretty sure of it.” Why would the proprietors of an Italian eatery sitting inconspicuously just east of the Strip be so well informed about the future of an NFL franchise? “Alex Spanos, the owner of the Chargers, is in here every time he’s in town,” says Glusman, whose restaurant, famously featured in the 1995 film Casino, opened in 1982. “We kept seeing him in here meeting with one guy in particular.” One Mr. McCoy, as it turned out. Deals are made, relationships are cemented, and news unfolds (eventually) at throwback Italian restaurants throughout Las Vegas. Such long-standing late-night haunts as Bootlegger Bistro, Battista’s Hole in the Wall (known for its strolling accordionist of more than 30 years, Gordy Jaffe), Casa di Amore, and Capo’s Italian Steakhouse are havens for chummy gatherings
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The famous
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ABOVE: The walls of Battista’s Hole in the Wall hold 43 years’ worth of memories. RIGHT: Bootlegger owner, and star performer, Lorraine Hunt-Bono with husband Dennis Bono.
GOING OLD-SCHOOL BOOTLEGGER ITALIAN BISTRO 7700 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-736-4939; bootleggerlasvegas.com CAPO’S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE 5675 W. Sahara Ave., 702-3642276; caposrestaurant.com ITALIAN AMERICAN CLUB 2333 E. Sahara Ave., 702-4573866; iacvegas.com
PIERO’S 355 Convention Center Dr., 702369-2305; pieroscuisine.com SALVATORE’S 9090 Alta Dr., 702-636-7111; suncoastcasino.com BATTISTA’S HOLE IN THE WALL 4041 Audrie St., 702-732-1424; battistaslasvegas.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE (PIERO’S)
osso buco continued from page 58 at Piero’s. recently as 2005, in a scene seemingly out of a gangster movie, a pair of retired New York City detectives were converged upon by federal agents after sitting down for dinner at Piero’s. “They were actually mob hit men,” says Glusman, referring to ex-cops Louis Eppolito (he was the one with the .45 tucked in his waistband) and Stephen Caracappa. “These were Italian guys, Mafia guys in an Italian restaurant with an Italian feel.” Former Nevada lieutenant governor Lorraine Hunt-Bono, owner of Bootlegger, has been a Las Vegan since the 1940s; her mother, Maria, created the restaurant’s original recipes. Also a singer, she is half of one of the city’s more celebrated couples, married to venerable Vegas vocalist Dennis Bono, host of The Dennis Bono Show at South Point Showroom and simulcast throughout the Southwest. “This is what I do for relaxation and recreation,” she once said. “If presidents can play golf, I can sing.” There is a comfortable, even womblike feel to these haunts that makes their customers—famous or infamous—feel at home. At Capo’s one night several years ago, a small cluster of Vegas lounge entertainers arrived for a postshow dinner. In the room was a woman dressed regally in a black sequined dress. She was Antoinette Giancana, who at the time was meeting covertly with casino officials about a planned mob attraction to be staged at the Tropicana. One of the entertainers, exposing his naïveté, asked the daughter of notorious Chicago mob overlord Sam Giancana if her life had ever been threatened. “You should know not to ask me that,” Giancana coolly replied. The restaurant favored by former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman each New Year’s Eve is an Italian joint, too. It’s Salvatore’s at the Suncoast, in the northwest Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin, far away from the Strip. Goodman has long been a friend of Salvatore’s operator Bob Harry and his former partner Jim Girard, from their days as owners of the Tap House sports bar and the restaurant Fellini’s on West Charleston Boulevard (Fellini’s is now located at the Stratosphere hotel-casino). Girard is currently helping to revive the Italian American Club on East Sahara Avenue, with bocce tournaments outside, classic crooners inside, and the aroma of red sauce wafting from the kitchen. “I think all walks of life love the Italian feel, the old-school feeling we have here,” says Glusman, explaining the appeal of the city’s Italian heritage. “The food is great; the stories are authentic. We don’t lie about who we are, and we don’t have to adapt to any trends. People want to see it, and want to be part of it.” V
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10/19/12 5:03 PM
TASTE OF THE TOWN
SOME LIKE IT HAUTE Las Vegas’s Italian restaurant scene is in the midst of a renaissance. James Beard Award–winning chef Shawn McClain is well-known for his thoughtful New American cooking at Aria’s Sage, but these days he’s bringing a fair bit of buzz to the City Center property with his new Five50, a high-end pizzeria (named for the temperature at which pizza can be considered cooked to perfection) that puts a smart spin on the classic East Coast styles of pie, pairing them with a selection of upscale small plates (arialasvegas.com). In the Detroit area, the Andiamo name is synonymous with Italian cuisine. Now Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse is bringing a taste of Italy, Motor City–style, to Downtown’s The D, with crisp Caesar salads prepared tableside, 30-day aged steaks, and house-made pastas and breads. One of the country’s best and most authentic Italian restaurants, Wynn’s Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, reopened in December after a renovation, bringing a brighter, more convivial, more accessible feel to the space. Also increased rather impressively was the restaurant’s already jaw-dropping selection of exotic fish (wynnlasvegas.com). Entering the ring in April is Food Network star Giada de Laurentiis’s Giada, a 12,000-square-foot temple to fresh and lively haute Italian (giadadelaurentiis.com). The restaurant will be located in the brand-new Cromwell, the former Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, currently undergoing a Agnolotti at complete renovation. Andiamo.
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Sicilian Lemon Drop at Carmine’s.
Italianate Cocktails JUST BECAUSE IT AIN’T AUTHENTIC DON’T MEAN IT AIN’T GOOD, PAISAN. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON
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n the 1996 film Big Night, two Italian brothers in the 1950s run a failing New Jersey restaurant that aims for motherland authenticity. When a diner loutishly asks, “There are no meatballs with the spaghetti?” Secondo (Stanley Tucci) calmly responds, “No, sometimes spaghetti likes to be alone,” then tries to prevent the fuming chef, his brother Primo (Tony Shalhoub), from talking to the philistine. Red sauce joints may be more classic American than authentic Italian, but that doesn’t mean they can’t serve up amazing food. Like the cuisine, some of the cocktails at Las Vegas pasta spots evoke the spirit of Italy even if they’re not commonly served in Milan or Naples. At the cavernous new Carmine’s at The Forum Shops at Caesars (carminesnyc. com), you’ll consume massive portions of rigatoni “country style,” penne alla vodka, and linguini with clam sauce. The cocktail menu complements the restaurant’s joyous mood with tasty, irreverent drinks like the Sicilian Lemon Drop (Absolut Citron vodka, limoncello, lemon juice, Chambord, and myrtle berry) and the Sinatra’s Iced Tea (rye, Martini Bianco vermouth, maraschino cherry liqueur, and lemon juice). The emphasis here is on enjoying the moment, so it’s okay that you’re not sipping more-authentic Italian standards like a Negroni or an Aperol spritz (although they’re available as well). Over at chef Scott Conant’s wine bar D.O.C.G. Enoteca, in Cosmopolitan (scottconant.com), the mood is more refined and the menu is more contemporary Italian. But you can still opt out of the extensive, well-curated wine list for a variety of signature cocktails with names more evocative of Little Italy than the Amalfi Coast. Accompany grilled octopus (served with chickpeas and tomatoes) with a Sicilian Sunset (Tito’s vodka, Aperol, limoncello, orange juice, and Grand Marnier foam), or pair a Neapolitan pizza Margherita with a Roman Goddess (St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Hendrick’s gin, lemon juice, and mint). Seeking even more bada-bing? The stylish B&B Ristorante, in Venetian (bandbristorante.com), lightens the mood with a classic Venetian Spritz (Aperol, Prosecco, an orange wedge, and an olive). And Buca di Beppo, a red-check-tablecloth spot inside Excalibur (bucadibeppo.com), offers an Italian Primo Margarita (Patrón Silver tequila, Disaronno amaretto, Cointreau, orange juice, and fresh sour mix). Oh yeah, and it serves spaghetti and meatballs. V
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ON THE TOWN
LET’S MEET Where: Casa di Amore, 2850 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-433-4967; casadiamore.com What: Fried calamari, clams, veal francese, gypsy pasta
FAR LEFT: Bartolotta whets his appetite by inspecting the warm garlic bread. ABOVE: The ambience at Casa di Amore is loudly and proudly Italian-American. LEFT: “Fruits of the sea” are a specialty here, including these succulent clams.
That’s Amore PAUL BARTOLOTTA MAY BE ONE OF THE LEADING PRACTITIONERS OF ALTA CUCINA ITALIANA IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN HE CAN’T APPRECIATE A GOOD SUNDAY SUGO. BY ANDY WANG PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCKY WENZEL
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aul Bartolotta has been elevating Italian food into the foremost cuisine in America for 25 years. After extensive training in top kitchens all over Italy and France, he took his knowledge to San Domenico in New York and Spiaggia in Chicago, where his refined approach turned those restaurants into fine-dining destinations as thrilling as any of the French haute cuisine places that dominated at the time. Since 2005, the chef has dazzled diners at Wynn’s simultaneously spectacular and simple Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, where his imported, otherwise impossibleto-find seafood, including the world’s most famous langoustines, is the star. The fish is prepared simply, but one bite of any pasta dish reminds you there’s a master chef (with two James Beard Awards) bringing you the authentic tastes of Italy. As steadfastly Italian as his food, Bartolotta grew
up in Milwaukee, where he also owns a sprawling restaurant empire with his siblings. During an off-Strip dinner at the loudly and proudly ItalianAmerican spot Casa di Amore, which serves one-pound pasta bowls and blankets the table with spaghetti, fettuccine, and veal, Bartolotta goes back to the beginning. The waiter, Tony, recommends steamed clams to start and brings them with hot homemade bread. “Dip it in the clam broth,” he says. Bartolotta digs into the clams. Did I see that this place is open until 5 in the morning? Yeah, I can imagine eating here at, like, 3 AM. You’re darn right. It’s, like, 3 in the morning and you want something ribsticking. That’s here. continued on page 66
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ON THE TOWN TOP: Nightly live music sets the mood. MIDDLE: Bartolotta gets animated discussing the importance of preserving authentic Italian-American flavors. BOTTOM LEFT: Gypsy pasta with a spicy marinara sauce and fried shrimp. BOTTOM RIGHT: A full bar offers an array of tempting cocktails.
continued from page 64 How did your lifelong relationship with food start? I was born of a Sicilian father and an Austrian mom. The dominant gene in the household was definitely the Italian one. It was about family, respect, and food. It was about faith, religion. On Saturday mornings my dad would say, “Come on, son, let’s go down to the East Side.” Brady Street was our Little Italy area, with Glorioso’s market and the Italian fish markets and Sciortino’s bakery. Saturday afternoon I’d go play with my friends like a typical American kid—football, baseball, basketball. But by four o’clock, there was a big cowbell my mother would ring, and all the kids in the neighborhood would come. There would be a table covered with ham and Sciortino’s rolls and salami and cheese, and things like periwinkle snails we would pick out with needles. Tony brings red wine and the main courses: veal francese and spicy gypsy pasta with shrimp. On Sunday morning, my dad would have this big kettle of sauce, and he would put the meatballs in and be like, “Okay, time to go to church.” And we would all rush off to Mass. After Mass we would come home, and the whole game was who could finish the meal with a white shirt. Food is a vital part of the Italian-American experience. The Italians didn’t come to America to become American. They left because there was extreme poverty. They had no interest in being American, hence they created their own little communities that even to this day are known as Little Italys. They got here, there were no fresh herbs, they didn’t have any of their seafood, but they had flavors they were looking for, and they invented Italian-American food. Some Italian restaurants here don’t use any Italian ingredients. If you make a mockery and a joke out of the Italian-American culture and evolution, I have a gigantic issue with that. If some non-Italian makes “goombah chicken” on his menu, that enrages me. However, those like Casa di Amore that make an honest effort to maintain or re-create the flavor of the Italian-American experience and how it evolved, I think that’s great. The ingeniousness of the Italian-American is making Italian food with non-Italian ingredients. Food in Italy is a lot different. I ate meatballs once in eight years I lived in Italy, and they were little veal meatballs served with braised leeks, pecorino cheese, and a really spicy dollop of tomato paste. Bartolotta is impressed by the Monday night crowd. “Mondays can be busier than a Friday or Saturday here,” Tony says, “because we have half price on wine.” You and your family in Milwaukee recently had a meatball contest. We did a little bit of estate planning and big-picture thinking. To create some levity, I think my sister Maria came up with the idea to do a meatball competition. Teddy, my brother-in-law, is from Brooklyn and his mom’s
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“The ingeniousness is making Italian food with nonItalian ingredients.” —PAUL BARTOLOTTA
name is Rosalie, so he made Rosalie’s meatballs. My sister Felicia made her recollection of meatballs. My brother Joe had his version, with sausage. I had this taste memory of my dad’s. I was so happy with my meatballs. I came in second place. Teddy, by the way, burned my sauce and my meatballs. What was in your meatball? One-third pork, two-thirds beef, lots of Romano cheese, a small amount of Parmigiano, eggs, a boatload of garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper. I sautéed them in olive oil like my dad. My sister froze some of them; she thawed them out a couple weeks ago and called me to say, “My God, they taste just like Dad’s. I can’t believe you didn’t win.” I said, “Yeah, because your f---ing husband scorched my sauce—he sabotaged me!” V
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TASTEMAKER
His Place in the Sun CREATIVE DIRECTOR PETER DUNDAS TALKS ABOUT WHAT MAKES PUCCI PERFECT FOR LAS VEGAS’S BLAZING DESERT DAYS AND STRIP-CENTRIC NIGHTS. BY LAURIE BROOKINS
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ertain collections seem tailor-made for the highwattage glam that permeates every corner of Strip nightlife: notice-me clothes that combine color or pattern with body-con sex appeal and perhaps a touch of sophisticated shine—an irresistible blend, ideal for entrance-making at Marquee or XS. For Peter Dundas, Emilio Pucci’s creative director, mixing these elements is all in a day’s work. Dundas celebrated his fifth anniversary at Pucci’s helm in October and acknowledges that the success of his Vegas-friendly designs is rooted in his sense of modernity combined with the DNA of the storied Italian label. “I call it being respectfully disrespectful,” he says. “I’m here
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTA PIAZZA (DUNDAS); MONICA FEUDI/FEUDIE GUAINERI (RUNWAY)
Pucci’s Shops at Crystals boutique.
because I love what the brand stands for, but I also want to take it forward and break some of those codes, and in doing so give it some edge. You have to embrace certain aspects while abandoning others and looking for new solutions—that’s the responsibility of any creative director.” Historically, Pucci is a brand born out of two ideas: skiing and swimming. Emilio Pucci was passionate about the former and first garnered attention for the skiwear he designed for a friend. The Florence-born designer initially chose Capri as the home of his fledgling business, and it was on that posh island that his iconic prints— equal parts graphic and brightly toned—began to take shape. Those saturated colors and prints seem just as effortless and at home under the Vegas sun. Indeed, it’s no accident that, of the label’s seven US boutiques, two are located in Las Vegas, at the Forum Shops at Caesars and the Shops at Crystals. With his Resort collection currently in stores and Spring set to arrive this month, Dundas points to a sense of relaxed escapism, mixed with the requisite flavors of Pucci glamour, as a common theme woven between the two. “I was definitely thinking about warm summer nights and what you would wear for that,” he says. Resort “is also about feeling great and looking sexy and wearing really easy pieces. And there’s definitely a flow between Resort and Spring, and buyers seem really happy about that continuation. Each season you take on this sort of obsession, and sometimes they naturally continue and sometimes they don’t, but in this case you feel an ease and relationship between both collections.”
Resort’s bright tones transition nicely into the poppy primary colors seen in spring, in bold red or blue jumpsuits or the slither of a scubainfluenced evening gown. And it’s his liberal use of black throughout the Spring collection—a sort of rocker-chic vibe he says was inspired by his work with performers like Rita Ora and Beyoncé, no strangers to the Strip themselves—that will no doubt also attract those seeking such clubcentric looks as his embroidered miniskirts or sheer, slim, black-on-black pants beaded in a signature Pucci graphic print. Ultimately, Dundas says, it’s the overarching optimism contained in those famous Pucci prints, and his ongoing and often adventurous interpretations of them, that not only continues to inspire him, but also makes the label a perfect look for Las Vegas. “Pucci is a sunny brand and a sunny house, even in its mind-set; it’s a happy house that makes you feel good, and women really respond to that,” he says. “And I think I respond to that as well. This isn’t a brand that’s about plunging into the darkness of your mind—quite the contrary. It’s almost like working with things that are therapeutic and provoke positive emotions. If color puts you in a good mood, then Pucci is the perfect place to work, isn’t it? Every day I have a smile on my face.” The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-7357731; The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-9671; emiliopucci.com V
“Pucci is a happy house that makes you feel good, and women really respond to that.” —PETER DUNDAS
Pink stretch double-face dress (LEFT) and aqua print stretch bra top and charmeuse silk skirt, from the Resort 2014 collection.
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WISH LIST
TO-DO
List
Look chic from head to toe by adding a pair of Tory Burch’s glossy metallic slingbacks to your ensemble. They’ll be available at the designer’s relocated Forum Shops boutique when it opens in February. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702369-3459; toryburch.com
18k gold bracelet from Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane ($9,550).
If you’re searching for the perfect suit, stop by the Grand Canal Shoppes, where Suitsupply has just opened a new boutique. The Amsterdam label’s first Las Vegas location offers off-the-rack suiting, dress shirts, and made-tomeasure services. Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-8293090; suitsupply.com Invest in an elegant handbag this season, like Dolce & Gabbana’s brand-new Sofia tote, available at its Crystals boutique. Offered in shades such as mandarin, black, and gold, the ultrasophisticated accessory features a polished gold closure and removable shoulder strap. The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6614; dolcegabbana.com
Clean Cut SAINT LAURENT’S DEBUT DIAMOND COLLECTION FEATURES THE KIND OF CLEAN, CLASSIC DESIGNS THAT LAS VEGAS PHILANTHROPIST LEORA BLAU APPRECIATES MOST. BY ALEXANDRIA GEISLER
“A
great piece of jewelry should make you feel extra special when you put it on,” says Las Vegas jewelry lover Leora Blau, such as the gold and onyx “Sweet 16” ring she received from her parents and still wears today. “It should complete your look, not take away from it.” That maxim explains her proclivity for elegant, timeless designs. Debuting this season, Saint Laurent’s first-ever finejewelry collection offers sleek bangles and rings that ref lect Blau’s classic fashion sense. “Saint Laurent represents a designer who had brilliant style,” she says. “I have a pair of the brand’s black pumps and a leopard Cabas bag that I love, but I appreciate the clean lines of the new Diamond collection. The pieces are incredibly versatile.” In white and yellow 18k gold, the minimalist designs feature brilliant-cut white diamonds and simple engravings of the house emblem. Blau’s favorite design is the diamondstudded open bangle, which she would pair with her white Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra bracelet and a diamond bangle. “Together,” she says, “the —LEORA BLAU three would look fabulous.” The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-9984; ysl.com V
“Saint Laurent represents a designer who had a brilliant style.” Dolce & Gabbana’s Sofia tote in mandarin ($2,895). 70
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Optical Effects FOR LAS VEGANS EAGER FOR THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGH IN ADVANCED SKINCARE, THERE’S A NEW PRODUCT THAT TAKES ANTIAGING SOLUTIONS IN A NEW DIRECTION. BY CATHERINE SABINO
“A
fter women, flowers are the divine creation,” said Christian Dior, who used them to inspire his fabrics and collections. The legacy of Dior’s flower passion may be the reason his couture house is likely the only one with its own gardens—eight flower plots scattered around the world, whose locations were chosen, as if by a discriminating vintner, for the quality of the terroir. But rather than for fashion inspiration, the rare exotic flowers grown in these gardens provide active ingredients for the company’s line of fragrances, skincare, and cosmetics. The extracts from two recent discoveries, Langosa and Opilia, harvested in Madagascar and Burkina Faso, respectively, form the basis of Dior’s new skincare product Dreamskin, the natural extracts from one (Langosa) added for antiaging benefits, the other (Opilia) to help correct the skin’s color imperfections. It’s unusual for a skin product to be both corrector and wrinkle treatment. But antiaging skincare, perennially a white-hot product category, had to evolve from just treating wrinkles: With countless varieties of filler injections, there are many ways to get quick, good results. Recent studies showed consumers wanting products that mitigate aging’s other side effects—uneven texture and pigmentation, for example— as much as those that minimize wrinkles. Brigid Noe, director of Formulation Laboratories for Dior, says developing a product that corrects tone and wrinkles was no easy task: “Usually formulas must
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contain a significant amount of powders and pigments for immediate, visible color imperfection results. But those with a lot of pigments don’t always allow for deep absorption.” Noe and her team tried hundreds of combinations, while studying how facial skin absorbs and reflects light. Under the microscope, facial skin, like a Pointillist painting, appears as a collection of small colored dots, which should result in an uneven surface appearance. But the epidermal cell structure is unique in the way it reorganizes how light interacts with it. Edouard Mauvais-Jarvis, scientific director for Dior, says that it acts as a natural optical filter with diffusion properties that help to even out color and texture. “But aging impacts cells that act as filters,” he says. For their new product, scientists sought to mimic how healthy filters work by adding special mineral powders found in Japan—one with mica platelets, another with silica particles—to the flower extract formula. The powders tested well for their light diffusion properties, minimizing redness and other age-caused textural imperfections. What’s interesting about Dreamskin is that it appears creamy pink (from the color-correcting mineral powders) but applies transparently. It is designed to be worn during the day, or under makeup. Quite a clever bit of trompe l’oeil and the latest wearable magic from Dior. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-6072; dior.com. Call the store in advance to experience Dreamskin with a complimentary Dior Institut Express Facial. V
SETTING THE TONE Dior scientists cite uneven texture as skin’s main age giveaway. Las Vegas dermatologist Douglas Fife says the local climate is the main perpetrator. “Intense sunlight and the extremely dry climate are the two main environmental factors that lead to uneven tone and discoloration,” says Fife, who is fellowship-trained in Mohs micrographic surgery. “Sunlight does the most damage—leading to uneven coloration, skin thinning, and wrinkles.” He notes that the arid climate’s drying effect can cause cracks and weaken the skin’s natural protective barrier. “These cracks allow irritants and allergens to get through the skin and cause redness and inflammation, which in some individuals turns to brown discoloration.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR (MODEL, FLOWERS, SERUM); BY SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (STRIP); ANDREY BAYDA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (SIGN)
YOU, EVEN BETTER
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CRISS ANGEL Believe will be dark 1/5/2014 - 1/31/2014. Zarkana will be dark 1/1/2014 - 1/30/2014. Subject to availability. Management reserves all rights. The trademarks Cirque du Soleil, Sun logo, “O”, KÀ, Mystère, Zumanity, The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil, Zarkana are trademarks owned by Cirque du Soleil and used under license. The trademarks CRISS ANGEL Believe and Believe are owned by Criss Angel and used under license. The trademark LOVE is owned by The Cirque Apple Creation Partnership and used under license. Michael Jackson ONE is a trademark owned by Cirque Jackson I.P., LLC
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Off-Center Sensations SAVVY LAS VEGANS ARE DEMANDING THE UNUSUAL DESIGN AND FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF A SPATE OF NEW REGULATOR WATCHES THAT GIVE REGULAR A RUN FOR ITS MONEY. BY ROBERTA NAAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD
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the unique look of a regulator timepiece, like our Senator Chronometer Regulator, makes it a big seller in a town where the outstanding and unusual have always been in high demand.” Regulator watches boast a long history, having first been used in the 17th century to regulate (or compare and calibrate) the rates of standard continued on page 76 A complex instrument, this Ressence Type 3 ($34,600) holds several patented technologies and features rotating hour, minute, second, day, and date indications. The orbs on the dial are immersed in fluid, making them appear as if they are displayed directly on the sapphire crystal. Radiance, Aria Resort & Casino, 702-590-8725; ressence.com
FROM LEFT:
From Bulgari, this 43mm Octo watch ($60,000) is crafted in 18k rose gold and features a separate retrograde minutes indication and a jump hour aperture. The Shops at Crystals, 702-583-4747; bulgari.com
STYLING BY TERRY LEWIS
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s Las Vegas men set their sights on the style and heritage of traditional watchmaking, the “what’s old is new again” philosophy continues to inspire these makers to create precision timepieces with unusual, reinterpreted concepts. Such is the case with regulator (régulateur in French) dial watches. In a regulator watch, the hour and minute hands rotate around separate dials, rather than the same dial as in a conventional watch. Generally, a regulator has a small subdial to indicate the hours, while the long hand moves around the main dial to mark the minutes (many also have another small subdial to indicate the seconds). Each time readout typically operates via separate gears and pinions. “Regulator timepieces are increasingly popular with our clients in Las Vegas,” says Dieter Pachner, vice president of sales at Glashütte Original. “The combination of the finest in German watchmaking wrapped in
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E E R F S W O H S TLY H G I N
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continued from page 74 single-dial pocket watches and clocks, which were considered less precise than those with separately pinioned time indications. Today the vintage off-center design has become a coveted look among watch lovers, especially fans of avant-garde style. “The popularity of regulator watches among knowledgeable watch consumers goes above and beyond the intriguing look of the off-center dial,” says Stacie Orloff, president of Bell & Ross, the Americas. “In fact, these watches have rich roots in precision and history, and that is what makes them inviting to so many watch lovers.” V
From Glashütte Original, this Senator Chronometer Regulator ($31,500) houses a mechanical movement and is made in Germany. Tourbillon, The Shops at Crystals, 702-597-0284; glashuette-original.com
FROM LEFT:
From Breguet, this Classique Complicated Regulateur watch ($117,700), with automatic movement, also features a tourbillon escapement and engine-turned dial. Tourbillon, The Shops at Crystals, 702-597-0284; breguet.com This Bell & Ross WW1 Régulateur ($22,000) is crafted in 18k pink gold and houses an automatic Dubois Depraz movement, with hours at 12, a central minute hand, and a seconds counter at 6. It is made in a limited edition of 99 pieces. Horologio Fine Watches, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-733-0016; bellross.com
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ESCHEWING ANOTHER WORLD TOUR FOR A TWO-YEAR RESIDENCY AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD, BRITNEY SPEARS IS READY FOR HER CLOSE-UP— ONE MORE TIME. BY HEIDI MITCHELL VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 79
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Britney revving up the crowd at a Good Morning America taping.
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TOP:
Spears performing at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MIDDLE: At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. BOTTOM: Accepting the award for best pop video at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in LA.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX MORSE/GETTY IMAGES (GMA); ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES FOR ABC (BILLBOARD); FRANK MICELOTTA/IMAGEDIRECT (2001 VMAS); KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES (2011 VMAS)
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first met 17-year-old Britney Spears backstage at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom in 1999. I was a young Rolling Stone reporter and she was beginning the tour for her first studio album, …Baby One More Time. She was sweet, charming, and—surrounded by handlers—completely inaccessible. One year later, we met again when I had become the entertainment editor at Seventeen magazine. By then she was an even more unimaginably huge star, but as sweet and unassuming as ever, with the infectious confidence of a child performer whose every move was calculated by the grownups around her. When I left Rolling Stone for Seventeen, everyone thought I was crazy. But it was the best way to meet Britney: The 17-year-old reader follows the same stars, only without a trace of irony. Britney was loved. Almost 15 years later, Britney Spears—multiplatinum recording artist, fragrance tycoon, Madonna kisser, tabloid staple, mom, and now artist-inresidence at Planet Hollywood—still dazzles me with the energy and innocence of a high school cheerleader. Life for Britney is markedly different now. On a typical day, she drops off her two sons at school, heads over to a dance studio for five hours of rehearsal, picks up the kids, then drives home in time to cook dinner. “It’s a grueling schedule,” she admits. It might seem that taking on a two-year commitment to perform some 50 shows per year would add even more strain to an already packed schedule, but the singer imagines that life during her run of Britney: Piece of Me will be—as much as it can be for someone who has sold 100 million albums—rather ordinary. “I think I’ll be able to live a normal life with my kids,” Spears says from her home in Los Angeles with a tinge of optimism in her teenagersweet voice. “I will have some nights where I’ll come back to LA after the show and some when I’ll stay over in Las Vegas.” One activity she’ll be certain to squeeze in during those overnights: pampering. “They have the best spas in Las Vegas—oxygen facials at every one!” No doubt she’ll earn those spa visits. For the 90-minute show, Caesars Entertainment has built a 4,600-seat venue that it’s touting as the largest indoor immersive projection theater in the world. More than 60 projectors display images across a planetarium-like 280 degrees. A large dance floor has been placed in front of the stage and its runway, so Spears can highkick all the way into the crowd. VIP tables in front receive bottle service from waitresses in Britney costumes (red latex jumpsuits from the video for “Oops!…I Did It Again,” Catholic schoolgirl uniforms with pig tails from “…Baby One More Time”), but there isn’t a bad seat in the house. “We wanted to create a Vegas vibe, to encourage people to get up and dance,” says Kurt Melien, vice president and head of entertainment for Caesars Entertainment. “This is not your father’s theater.” Spears’s residency is part of a master plan by Caesars Entertainment to align itself with the tastes of today’s Vegas visitors, whose average age fell from 50 in 2009 to 44.8 in 2012. For that youth movement you can thank the international obsession with EDM (for those above the mean, that’s electronic dance music, which prevails in most local nightclubs), the upgraded restaurants and shopping venues, and the renewed emphasis on the nongaming activities that 20-somethings (and younger) arrive in droves to experience. “When we think of our portfolio of content, we look to mirror that demographic shift,” says Melien. “You have plenty of fans who loved Britney in 1998 with ‘…Baby One More Time,’ and there are people who loved her albums that followed. So you have a wide range,
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from 20 to 45. A lot of folks who have this memory of the ’90s, they now have kids, and all of them are our core audience.” So instead of the 30-year-old Bally’s showgirl revue Jubilee!, we’re now getting choreographer Frank Gatson Jr.’s updated version. No more old-lady dance shows; now there’s Absinthe, an adultthemed, burlesque-style circus—with tons of laughs. “All this is going to make a massive impact on Vegas,” says Melien. Although Caesars won’t comment specifically on the production’s cost, the benefit to Britney is a guaranteed $310,000 per show, while selling out the arena would bring Caesars about $500,000 per night. A gamble, perhaps, but if you’re going to come back, and you’re Britney, you do it in grand style.
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iece of Me is the pièce de résistance of this entertainment revival, which is fitting, as Spears is experiencing something of a renaissance herself. It’s been seven years since the star shaved her head and suffered a rather public meltdown (she has called it her “rocky moment”). Since then, she hasn’t exactly lived in an attic full of cobwebs, but her life in the spotlight has had its dark side: rehab, divorce, conservatorship. By performing on a Las Vegas stage for two years, Spears has the opportunity to prove—night after night, to detractors and fans alike—not only that this “bitch” still got it, but that she’s grown into a woman who can take control of her life and her world on her own terms. “When I’m being a mom, I’m mom all the way. I’m worried all the time, and always thinking about what we should be doing and should not be doing,” she says. “But when I’m onstage, it’s like my therapy time. I get to be this person that I’m really not. It’s a way to get out of my own head and have some fun.” To get the audience into the Britney Zone, director Baz Halpin (whose production company, Silent House, designed Taylor Swift’s Red Tour and Pink’s The Truth About Love Tour) is pulling every trick he can from his magician’s sleeves. “The beauty of this show is that it’s Britney past, present, and future,” he says. “She performs 21 hits from her entire career, but we’ve left it fluid enough that over the course of the residency, as tracks are released from her new album, Britney Jean, new songs will be added. That was the key. So if you come in December and come back in July, you’ll have a different show.” The 400-foot-wide screen allows Halpin to create worlds representing various eras in Spears’s 15-year career. “The experience is completely immersive,” he says. “I don’t want to give too much away, but some of the worlds are what the fans have never seen before and some are familiar. We’re paying homage to Britney’s history, so you’ll recognize it, but much will be unexpected.” What you can expect: snow, water, rain, and lots of dancing. “Britney told me that every time she does a show, she really wants to bring it,” says Halpin. “In this stage, the fans feel like they’re in the show with Britney, with a party vibe—15 dancers and hints and
moments and flavors from throughout her incredible career.” Everyone, it seems, wants to see Spears make a splashy comeback, even those who may not be longtime fans. “There is a phenomenon called a parasocial relationship, where you’ve seen someone enough that you think you know them,” explains Pamela Rutledge, PhD, director of the Media Psychology Research Center. “The human brain processes facial features at a primitive level, and seeing those images a lot, we feel close to this person without realizing it.” We’ve “known” Spears since she was a squeaky-clean kid on The All New Mickey Mouse Club. Then she was the Princess of Pop. Then a sex goddess kissing Madonna. We watched her marry, divorce, marry, have kids, divorce, grow up, fall down. “She has proven herself to be human,” says Rutledge. “And now she is on the redemption part of her story. This is an opportunity for her to show everyone, Yes, I really can sing, I really can perform. It’s a way of her redeeming both her career and her character.” And who doesn’t love a redemption story? The demand for tickets to Piece of Me has been greater than even Caesars’ Melien had hoped. And once the general admission seats are gone, a special VIP concierge line will still be available—something unprecedented for Ticketmaster. “This will ensure that fans can get tickets,” says Melien. “You can buy frontrow seats. You can buy meet-and-greets. We wanted the show to feel exclusive, so we set aside some packages for this special concierge line.” Las Vegas native Jordan Miller, who runs one of the only Britney-approved fan websites, BreatheHeavy.com, says that many of his 90,000 daily unique visitors are disappointed that Spears won’t be coming to their towns, but some will instead visit her at Planet Hollywood. The 25-year-old blogger points out that Spears is the youngest artist to take up a Vegas residency and that in doing so she is inspiring others. (Rumor has it Adele is considering a long Vegas run in the near future.) He hopes that event coordinators help Spears’s fans under 21 find stimulating things to do during the rest of their Las Vegas stays. No doubt the theater will be filled with hardcore fans and Spears’s fellow celebrities—like Will.i.am, who produced Britney Jean and deejays frequently in Las Vegas—each time the curtain goes up, but at the time of our interview, the idea of opening night was giving this pop princess butterflies, even after a life lived in the tabloids. “I’ll be really nervous on the first night,” she says with a laugh. “I’m older, obviously, and I think I’m probably a little bit wiser, but I’m way less fearless. I can’t wait for the first night to be over and move on to the next show.” If her announcement of the residency via helicopter in the Nevada desert on Good Morning America is any indicator, expect a spectacle—and perhaps even the unabashed, unironic fan love she inspired as a teen. “At the heart of it all, I want there to be enough dance,” she says. “I want there to be enough singing. And I want it to be magical.” V
“We’re paying homage to Britney’s history.” —DIRECTOR BAZ HALPIN
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If you’re a celebrity in hot water, this is the profile you want to see by your side. OPPOSITE, TOP ROW: Bruno Mars, Lindsay Lohan, Nate Dogg. MIDDLE ROW: Vince Neil, Paris Hilton, Suge Knight. BOTTOM ROW: Mike Tyson, Scott Weiland
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IF YOU MUST GET INTO TROUBLE IN LAS VEGAS, DAVID CHESNOFF IS THE MAN TO CALL WHEN IT’S TIME TO LAWYER UP. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN
EVERYONE’S MAN IN VEGAS
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The signed memorabilia filling David Chesnoff’s office is evidence of his many satisfied clients, from a pop princess to a former heavyweight champ.
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IT’S 3 AM IN LAS VEGAS. WHATEVER THE DAY OF THE WEEK, IT’S A SURE BET THAT SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, IS GETTING INTO TROUBLE. Maybe it’s drugs or assault or drunk driving. It could be an altercation in a casino or a misunderstanding with a prostitute inside a fancy hotel suite. If it’s the right person in the wrong spot, then you can wager your last dollar on one thing: David Chesnoff will receive a phone call and rouse himself from a deep sleep. He’ll get dressed, slip behind the wheel of his Dodge pickup truck, and race to the scene. That might be preceded by phone calls, to a casino’s attorney or a prosecutor or maybe an investigator who should start taking statements before anyone else does. As everyone from Bruno Mars to former HBO chairman Chris Albrecht can tell you, if you must get into trouble in Las Vegas, be sure to have Chesnoff on speed dial. For more than 30 years, he has been a go-to lawyer for all manner of wiseguys, outlaws, rule breakers, drug dealers, rock stars, and marquee celebrities who like to push the limits. Now Chesnoff, a partner in the firm Chesnoff & Schonfeld, has decided to open up on a long, colorful, storied career. A bear of a man, with pushed-back hair, Coke-bottle glasses, and a forthright demeanor, he is dressed down in jeans and a long-sleeved Harley T-shirt on the afternoon when we meet in his large, memorabilia-filled office—with signed photos of satisfied clients and friends as varied as Hells Angel Sonny Barger and Britney Spears. Approaching 60, living comfortably on a multiacre horse property with his wife, Diane, and moving easily through the highest levels of Vegas society, Chesnoff nonetheless still has sharp elbows. His ability to assess a situation remains second to none. He first hit town in 1980, a recent graduate of Suffolk University Law School in Boston, standing six feet tall and weighing 145 pounds. He had already served a brief stint with a large firm in Texas, and he arrived just at the right moment—the tail end of the days before everything went corporate. Many major organized-crime cases went down in Vegas during the early ’80s, and Chesnoff experienced his share of them. Starting out under attorney Dominic Gentile, Chesnoff quickly found himself placed on cases with attorney (and future mayor) Oscar Goodman. “It was a 24/7 city,” says Chesnoff. “There was lots of action, guys from back East mixing with Western cowboys, and I got comped everywhere I went. I was eating at Dome of the Sea, the Sultan’s Table, Villa d’Este. That’s when I started not being 145 pounds.” Thriving on the vibrancy of Vegas, Chesnoff found his place among the schemers and dreamers and geniuses the city has always attracted. “Nobody treated me like a grown-up yet. I was the kid who everybody called Chessie. I was like a rookie who played for the Yankees. Early on, I got introduced to Morris Shenker. He had been Jimmy Hoffa’s lawyer and part owner of the Dunes”—purchased with money from the Teamsters union’s pension fund. “He was in trouble with the feds, on a major bankruptcy fraud case, and I eventually became his lawyer. When Mr. Shenker
died, he was still under indictment, and I called the prosecutors to get the case dismissed. They wanted proof of his death before they would dismiss. That tells you how intensely they were after him.” Shenker directed a lot of business to Chesnoff, and before he knew it he was representing some of the most notorious people in America. There was Wayne Matecki, a reputed enforcer and alleged member of the Hole in the Wall Gang (they got their name because they robbed jewelry stores and the like by entering through walls and ceilings), and he worked on cases involving Tony “The Ant” Spilotro, the inspiration for Joe Pesci’s wildly violent character in Casino. Stories have circulated about Spilotro terrorizing businesspeople with shakedowns and organizing cheating rings against poker players. It leaves me wondering if Chesnoff was intimidated by The Ant. “I knew him, and he was not scary at all, not to me,” says
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC ITA
CHESNOFF FOUND HIS PLACE AMONG THE SCHEMERS AND DREAMERS AND GENIUSES. Chesnoff, who recalls celebrating Thanksgivings and a birthday at Villa d’Este, where Spilotro was a frequent presence. “He was very intelligent and a gentleman. I knew him personally and professionally, and he accepted me even though I was young and new to Vegas.” There was no trouble collecting from criminal clients? “I got paid up front. And if somebody stiffed me, I chalked it up.” When Jimmy Chagra, reputed to be one of the world’s leading marijuana kingpins, found himself in trouble, he turned to Oscar Goodman, and Chesnoff worked with parties involved in the case. At the time, Chagra was notorious for his sky-high gambling. He would walk onto the Las Vegas Country Club golf course carrying shopping bags full of cash and compete in matches in which putts could be worth half a million dollars. Rumor had it that Chagra was intentionally, and publicly, burning through his money, trying to establish himself as a high-stakes gambler in order to lay tracks for a money-laundering gambit. But Chesnoff doesn’t believe that was the case. “He was a huge gambler who had access to large sums of money,” he says, “I am confident that he wanted to win his bets.” Although Chesnoff worked hard for seemingly dodgy characters, he managed to have some fun with them as well: “I once went to a party at Caesars Palace. I want to say it was in the Rain Man suite, but it was definitely in a suite like it. It was a wild party, with women and partying and people carrying on. I like to describe it as a cross between Scarface and The Hangover.” Chesnoff is quick to mention, though, that he didn’t spend much time socializing with his clients: “Guys would have their
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Chesnoff with his client Alistair Overeem, a UFC fighter who tested positive for high testosterone levels, before the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2012. Overeem was suspended for nine months.
wild parties, they’d invite me, and I’d tell them that I couldn’t go, in case everyone gets in trouble and you all need me. In truth, I was working extraordinary hours.” It’s a work ethic that resulted in bravura closing statements and countless cases won. Clients embraced him because he found innovative ways to prove them innocent. His reputation grew exponentially. Through it all, however, didn’t he realize that many of the people he represented were actually guilty of what they were accused of? “Except when you win,” Chesnoff says. “Then they’re not guilty.” He hesitates for a beat, then adds, “I believe in our system. When somebody notorious gets protected, that is how it should be, and it protects everybody. When things are corrupt and rules are not applied, that’s when I see the country in trouble.”
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s Las Vegas evolved, so did Chesnoff. The mob was driven out of town and his practice changed. He got involved in cases arising from major marijuana, hashish, and cocaine seizures. “Vegas was a hub for drug [deliveries] because it’s a 24-hour city, there’s a lot of money in town, and you can get to a lot of places from here,” says Chesnoff, who explains that the nature of the business made for some weirdly humorous scenarios. In one cocaine case, he says, “some of the drugs were in a small casino-hotel called the Continental, which is no longer there, and they busted the airplane coming in. I represented a guy involved in that case for a long time and didn’t even know his real name. Now he’s out of jail and living in Colombia.” He also represented poker pro Mike “The Mouth” Matusow on a drug charge. “Mike was in deep trouble,” Chesnoff says. “He wound up going from facing state prison time to a very short sentence in the jail downtown”— where Matusow still managed to lose a six-figure sum by placing sports bets with bookies on the outside. “His whole life would have been unfairly different if I hadn’t been able to convince the court that this was really aberrant behavior on his part and that he really wasn’t a drug dealer.” Chesnoff established himself as a favorite of poker stars, advising Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and the late Chip Reese, among others. When Jamie Gold won the World Series of Poker in 2006, there was a dispute with a card-playing TV producer who claimed to have been promised half of Gold’s winnings; Chesnoff went to bat for the producer and the suit was eventually settled. After poker great Phil Ivey enlisted Chesnoff to represent him in his 2009 divorce, the line at the hold’em tables was that Ivey had hired the Phil Ivey of attorneys. These days, every casino boss in town has Chesnoff flagged on his iPhone. “I get calls from casino executives to help big customers of theirs, and it isn’t to help because they want to see the guys go away,” he says. “Casino management understands that people are in Vegas and things will happen.” Such was the case when he received a middle-of-the-night wake-up regarding a high roller from Hawaii who had just been arrested in a casino
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for overdue markers around town. “I got to see the guy in jail, I got him out, and we got him put on electronic monitoring in one of the hotel’s gorgeous suites with a butler,” Chesnoff recalls. “Eventually I got the case dismissed and he was back in action.” I half-joke that it sounds like a whale’s dream come true, but Chesnoff isn’t laughing when he responds. “The casino executive wanted to keep the customer, but there was also an open-mindedness that just because you get accused of something, that doesn’t mean you did it. That attitude comes from the fact that, historically, casinos had people involved with them who were on the edge. A lot of people who make up the original community of Las Vegas understand the perils of closed-mindedness, whether they’re Jewish or Italian or Latter-day Saints.” Reinvented beyond the wildest dreams of the city’s great pioneers, by the start of the 21st century, Las Vegas was a magnet for young Hollywood, superstar athletes, some of the prettiest girls on the planet, and the wellheeled trendsetters who gravitate to that universe. For Chesnoff, it’s only been good for business. He had already made a name for himself among LA attorneys via a series of high-profile cases there—a courtroom artist’s rendering of Chesnoff and controversial rap magnate Suge Knight hangs in the lobby of the US District Court in Los Angeles—and he was an obvious person for celebrities to call when they got jammed up in Vegas. As for Knight—the alleged former Bloods gang member whom Chesnoff kept out of jail after the state charged him with battery in 2008—the attorney maintains a favorable view. “The whole world has an opinion on Suge Knight, but I don’t have that opinion,” Chesnoff says, adding that he remembers Knight from his days as a defensive end with the UNLV football team. “I recall being in Miami for the Super Bowl, and Suge was in town with Snoop Dogg. He called to ask me to get him a table for 15 at The Palm on the night before the Super Bowl. I managed to do it, but he canceled and still asked me to get seven steaks and seven lobsters to go. He and his guys ate in the car, but he wouldn’t stiff the place. He and I never had an issue. Part of that is because I always kept my word to him. He’s an amazing guy.” But didn’t Knight once hang somebody by his ankles out an office building window? “I never believed that story. It’s like an urban legend. So said his attorney.”
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Chesnoff with Terrance K. Watanabe, charged with owing $14.7 million to Caesars Palace and Rio, in 2009. RIGHT: With Paris Hilton, who pled guilty to drug possession, in 2010.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS/LAS VEGAS SUN (OVEREEM); STEVE MARCUS/LAS VEGAS SUN (WATANABE); LAS VEGAS SUN (HILTON)
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After Christian Slater’s wife was accused of bottling him at the Hard Rock, Slater’s agent called Chesnoff to help out. For the record: “Christian’s wife was delightful.” Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil benefited from Chesnoff’s legal skills in a series of situations involving alcohol and driving, mostly. “Vince is a great guy,” says Chesnoff. After master illusionist David Copperfield was accused of sexual assault, Chesnoff and his investigators found people who would impugn the woman’s allegations. “In my opinion, this girl was not to be believed,” Chesnoff says. “For months at a time, I did nothing but work on this. We went to where this girl was from; we were with people who met her; we were everywhere. I believe that David was 100 percent innocent and saw that the impact of this investigation could unfairly derail the most successful entertainment career on the Strip.” No charges were ever brought against Copperfield, due in part, colleagues say, to Chesnoff’s work on the case. When, in 2010, Paris Hilton was caught with a small amount of cocaine in her purse, she knew to reach out to Chesnoff. “Paris was nervous,” the lawyer recalls. “It’s frightening to get arrested. But she was reasonable, did her community service, and took it seriously. Paris is sophisticated and she realized that the gaming authorities were very serious about problems taking place inside the casinos’ nightclubs.” While Hilton avoided jail time, the attorney who prosecuted her was busted while buying cocaine two years later and Chesnoff received an unexpected windfall of positive exposure. Clark County District Attorney David Roger was running for reelection against Don Chairez, who aired a commercial showing that Chesnoff had donated $10,000 to Roger’s campaign in 2009, followed by a shot of Chesnoff leading Hilton out of the courthouse, having escaped a jail sentence. “They played ‘Waltzing Matilda,’ like I had walked her out of it,” Chesnoff says with some amusement. “Chairez lost the election, and it turned out to be $300,000 in free advertising for me.”
Less of a stroll was getting Mike Tyson sprung from a 2006 DUI charge in Arizona. “I said, ‘Mike, here’s the deal. The sheriff and DA want to put you back in prison for serious time. The only way it will work is if you listen to me.’” Tyson did listen and went through the necessary rehab and counseling. “We got Mike into a position where he got probation instead of prison.” “I love that man. He turned my life around,” Tyson says of Chesnoff. “Every lawyer was talking to me about doing time. David put in the work and really cared. Working with David was like training for a fight. He put together a team and we put our feet to the pedal. We did all the work. I did so much community service without being told to. I went to rehab. David got me cleaned up and I was not the guy who got arrested. He gave me life
“JUST BECAUSE YOU GET ACCUSED OF SOMETHING, THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU DID IT.” skills. If I got seven years then, I would have been finished. There would have been nothing for me. I am very grateful that he is in my life.” Clearly, Chesnoff enjoys riding in like the cavalry. He sees it as his duty to preserve the rights of the good, the bad, and the ugly. And he’s gone from representing the Spilotros and Mateckis of the world to the Tysons and the Hiltons, where the gray areas can be even grayer. But he insists that one thing remains constant in Vegas—and it’s among the most valuable assets he brings to combustible situations. “The nature of the connections you need is still the same,” says Chesnoff, looking happy about that. “No matter who you’re dealing with, you go right to the top. Everything happens at the top in Las Vegas.” V
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The Spa at Wynn.
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Paradise, Nevada Move over, Cal-a-Vie. The Las Vegas Strip has become one of the world’s most luxurious destination spas. BY DAVID LANDSEL
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n the hushed refuge of a little parlor lined with dark latticework and ornate paintings, visitors are greeted with a prayerful bow, and street shoes are whisked away on a tray. You might pad into a private suite, where a Vivienne Tam cheongsam– clad therapist will massage diamond dust – infused mud into your weary body using magnetic tools, or you might take part in a rhythmic, interactive Thai massage or be worked over among warm jade stones. Or you might just decide that your body is calling for something else, because what you have booked is the most luxurious thing imaginable: time. Eight f loors above the (mostly) organized chaos of the Las Vegas Strip, in Mandarin Oriental, one of the most meditative of all spa experiences plucks you straight out of reality and into Shanghai in the 1930s for a completely custom treatment created à la minute. An elevator ride away from the high-stakes action at Encore Las Vegas, spa guests are led through a guided meditation, taking in the healing powers of
mindful deep breathing. At first glance, mindfulness and Las Vegas may not seem to go hand in hand, but the Bodhi Massage and Visualization—offered in the opulent, pan-Eastern surroundings of Encore’s 61,000-square-foot spa—is just one more of the many indulgent treatments attracting visitors who are regarding the Strip exclusively as an enormous, and enormously diverse, spa destination. Spa-going today is a far cry not only from the 1970s, when rubdowns were offered to weary card players, but from more recent years as well, when spas were something of an afterthought for keeping bored ladies occupied while the men were where they should be—at the tables. “There’s so much more diversity and innovation,” says Mia Kyricos, chief brand officer of SpaFinder Wellness, who obsessively tracks spa trends in Vegas and around the world. “Las Vegas is way beyond the usual massage.” Spas are big business here. The city is home to some of the world’s largest and most luxurious facilities— several of them more than 100,000 square feet. There are now nearly 50 destination spas in the city
HAVE IT ALL DELIVERED If true luxury is never having to leave your suite, spa treatments are just one of the many things that Vegas will bring to your front door. Most Strip spas offer in-room massage, but resorts like Encore really go the distance, delivering a 90-minute Nalu Lomi Lomi body treatment for $355. At Bellagio, a 120-minute traditional massage can be had for $380 ($390 on weekends), but they’ll deliver it elsewhere as well—for instance, a poolside cabana (80 minutes for $240). Even properties less synonymous with luxury are in on the act. The spa Glow at Tropicana, for instance, will happily deliver any massage on its menu—although for double the price.
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Canyon Ranch at the Venetian.
Sahra at Cosmopolitan.
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In a destination synonymous with high-energy fun, it may be difficult to envision a truly restful spa getaway, but an elite group of lodging options offer just that. At Cosmopolitan, Terrace One Bedroom suites feature deep soaking tubs and offer views of the hypnotic fountain show at Bellagio. Book a room in the West Tower, which shares an elevator bank with the spa. At Aria, coveted Corner Suites have lavish bath facilities that include jetted tubs with Strip views. Fans of the mind-bogglingly ornate Eastern décor in the spa at Encore will find the exclusive Tower Suites at Encore appealing for the same reason, while guests of the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons get the ultimate spa amenity: never having to set foot in a casino on their way to their hotels’ respective award-winning spa facilities. Likewise, guests of Qua Baths & Spa who book rooms in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace can remain in a casino-free bubble for their entire stay.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS (SAHRA); COURTESY OF THE VENETIAN (CANYON RANCH); COURTESY OF CAESARS PALACE (QUA)
THE ULTIMATE ADDRESSES
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Qua Baths at Caesars Palace.
THE MOST LUXURIOUS TREATMENTS A floral foot bath leads off the elegant Nagomi Ritual, the flagship offering on the new Nobu Hotel menu, available at the Qua Baths at Caesars Palace. It also employs Thai, Balinese, and Shiatsu massage techniques and finishes with Carboxitherapy, a carbon dioxide–infused facial treatment ($400, 90 minutes). Exclusive to Sahra, the new Decadent.
alone, many lavished with award after award. Although hotel-casinos generally don’t disclose their spa revenue, says Scott Russell, senior research manager at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the spa industry in Vegas is a burgeoning part of the “entertainment” category, which in the last decade has eclipsed gaming in earnings. No one understands unabashed luxury quite like the Las Vegas hotel-casino-resort. From Sahra, Cosmopolitan’s 43,000-squarefoot pleasure palace, with its sensuous hammam experience, to the newly renovated spa at Wynn, better than ever since a $99 million reimagining of its guest rooms and suites just five years after it opened, each new spa is expected to outdo the last, much like the resorts they call home. If you must be caught in a game of one-upmanship, this is where you’ll want to do it. For instance, you can breathe in the therapeutic air in backlit, salt brick –lined shio rooms or hover in the infinity-edge balcony pool that joins the men’s and women’s sides in the Spa & Salon at Aria. You can spend all day cycling through the vast array of water features in the Caligulaworthy facilities at Caesars’ immense Qua Baths or recline under a domed canopy in Canyon
Youth. Glow. treatment incorporates three popular spa technologies—the HydraFacial for exfoliation, the revolutionary NuFace Microcurrent wrinkle remover, and a methodical infusion of antiaging ingredients delivered through hyperbaric oxygen ($435, 80 minutes). Suggesting that diamonds may be not only a girl’s best friend but also her spine’s, Trump International offers
Ranch SpaClub at Venetian and Palazzo, where water movements reflected overhead simulate breaking waves. Mandarin Oriental’s otherworldly hammam chamber, in which you’ll lie on a heated marble motherstone, is illuminated by blue stars. There’s incentive to make your visit a communal experience: The Bridal Suite
Gemstone Spa Treatments that use oils infused with the healing benefits of diamonds or other precious stones ($250, 90 minutes). And declaring that the only thing better than a massage is two massages simultaneously, Wynn’s Four Hands Massage features a duo of therapists working in tandem to break down any last shred of stress ($600, 80 minutes).
a one-of-a-kind luxury spa destination. “In the last couple of years, the discussion has been on prevention and wellness,” says Ella Stimpson, spa director at Encore and Wynn, “and people are taking a real interest in preventing their illnesses in the first place, not just treating them.” That’s why, for example, the Bodhi treatment can be found on Encore’s spa menu. But the offerings at other spas are even more surprising. There’s AquaStretch, a program created at UNLV to address pain management, available at the spa at Bellagio, and the Healthy Feet program at Canyon Ranch, overseen by celebrity podiatrist Glenn Copeland and renowned for its advanced leg and foot therapies. Reviv at MGM Grand offers revitalizing booster treatments administered by a trained medical staff, while upstairs the resort’s Stay Well Rooms and Suites— healthy-living spaces designed with the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Deepak Chopra—feature vitamin C – infused showers, wake-up light therapies, healthy room-service menus, and a dozen other rare amenities. While we were still adjusting to the notion of coming to Vegas to unwind at a spa, the Strip, it seems, turned into the one-of-a-kind, four-milelong, luxury destination spa of our dreams. V
No one understands unabashed luxury quite like the Las Vegas hotel-casino-resort. at Canyon Ranch accommodates bridal parties with spa and salon treatments, plus in-suite food and beverage service. Or get away from everyone and book a spa penthouse at Sahra with its own steam room, side-by-side hydrotherapy tubs, a wet bar, and a living room. But beyond pure luxury, Las Vegas has taken a subtle but deliberate turn in a new and serious direction, incorporating the ever-growing wellness trend into the spa experience, a move that all but sews up the city’s very promising future as
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Flashing Lights Shine in the Bellagio’s bright yellow rays. Dark yellow and black suede heel, Pierre Hardy ($1,395). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com. Gradient box bag, Dior ($6,400). Via Bellagio, 702-731-1334; dior.com. Yellow jacquard and leather sandal, Nicholas Kirkwood ($895). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3543; nicholaskirkwood.com. Dune bracelet, Hermès ($295). The Shops at Crystals, 702-893-8900; hermes.com
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Power Strip SPRING'S BRIGHT AND BOLD ACCESSORIES BRING THE NEON SKYLINE OF LAS VEGAS TO LIFE. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANT FARM PHOTOGRAPHY | STYLING BY MIAKO KATOH
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Flaming Hot Echo the crimson bulbs of the iconic “Las Vegas” sign. Flap bag, Chanel ($3,900). Via Bellagio, 702-765-5505; chanel.com. Red inferno mule heel, Gianvito Rossi ($995). gianvitorossi.com. Embellished Saffiano leather bracelet, Prada ($1,650). The Shops at Crystals, 702-740-3000; prada.com
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Electric Orange Channel the amber glow of Paris Las Vegas. Clutch in pink shiny leather, Gucci ($1,290). The Shops at Crystals, 702-730-1946; gucci.com. Odyssey heel, Alejandro Ingelmo ($1,525). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com. Cuff, Missoni ($620). missoni.com
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Strikingly Bright
Fuchsia accents mirror the Luxor’s bright purple peak. Heel, Alexandre Birman ($695). alexandrebirman.com. Pink embellished bijou minaudière, Nina Ricci ($2,790). Available at sloanhall.com
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Emerald Isle Embrace MGM’s reflective green sheen. Bicolored brass bag, Vionnet ($2,190). vionnet.com. Green heel, Emporio Armani ($695). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-650-5200; armani.com. Metallic leaf jacquard classic flap bag, J. Mendel (price on request). Similar styles available at barneys.com
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ONE-NIGHT-ONLY PERFORMANCE
MARCH 21, 2014 7:30 PM IMAGINED BY
“Cirque du Soleil benefit was one magical night to remember” – Robin Leach, Las Vegas Sun – March 2013
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Presented at The Michael Jackson One Theatre at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas
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This compound at 6860 West Rome Boulevard comes complete with three barns and an orchard.
Haute Property NEWS, STARS, AND TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE
Horse Sense FORMER VEGAS RANCHES THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO INCREDIBLE EQUESTRIAN ESTATES DON’T COME ON THE MARKET VERY OFTEN, BUT WHEN THEY DO, HORSE FOLK TAKE NOTE.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SHAPIRO & SHER
BY TONY ILLIA
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efore the neon lights and imported palms arrived, Las Vegas was a ranch town, settled by entrepreneurial farmers who consolidated the plots left by the Mormon pioneers of the 1850s. When Vegas became a stop on a new railroad line in 1905, lots began selling—in a scenario similar to that of the boom years of the early 2000s—to wealthy speculators from Los Angeles. But Las Vegas’s grand ranches, now mostly in the northwest part of the city, never disappeared. These highly desirable plots of land, many away from the public eye, occasionally come up for sale. And with the city’s resurgence as a rodeo and equestrian hot spot, many of them have received spectacular upgrades—into tony equestrian estates.
You need only look at major events like the National Finals Rodeo, held annually in Vegas, to understand the draw. NFR brings such tremendous revenue to MGM Resorts each December that the Mirage redecorates its race and sports book for the tens of thousands of rodeo visitors. Michael Gaughan, owner of the South Point hotel-casino, went a step further, building a permanent 4,600-seat, 1,200-stall equestrian center, with 100,000 more square feet to come in 2014. The following year, Las Vegas will also host the Fédération Equestre Internationale World Cup Finals, an Olympic-qualifying event, which brought more than $20 million in nongaming revenue to the city the last time it was held here, in 2009. continued on page 102
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HAUTE PROPERTY
“[Acquiring] a world-class equestrian estate is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity.” —DALE THORNBURGH
dressage, remodeled the original house and added a 20,000-squarefoot riding arena. A horse trainer manages the dressage-rated estate, which boards horses in its 29 stalls. “I’ve been the gentleman proprietor of the ranch,” Cooper says with a laugh (he and fiancée Carrie Carter-Henderson are now building a property in the Ridges), noting that the estate “really needs someone who is a devoted equestrian.” The compound, at 6860 West Rome Boulevard, is listed for $3,875,000. “Phil Cooper’s estate is like a different part of the world. It’s an incredible retreat,” says Ivan Sher of Shapiro & Sher Group at Prudential, the listing realtor (lasvegasfinehomes.com). “There is a great demand for equestrian estates, but only a few exist throughout the Valley. And they seldom come to market.” Only a dozen and a half or so genuine equestrian estates exist in Southern Nevada, say local real estate experts, and their rare availability makes them highly sought after. That’s why the Tom Ford Ranch will be sold at auction on January 17. The lushly landscaped 11-acre compound, at 3910 East Russell Road in the southwest Valley, consists of a 9,000-square-foot brick house with a grotto-style pool and 12 manicured pastures. Originally constructed by Tom Ford, owner of Ford Contracting (which built Luxor, Caesars Palace, and Venetian), the ranch
The 36-acre estate at 6629 South Pecos Road—Wayne Newton’s former Casa de Shenandoah—features a main residence (ABOVE LEFT), seven additional homes, plus a stable (ABOVE) with 53 stalls, an equestrian pool, and acres of pastures and corrals.
will be sold by New York City –based Concierge Auctions with Dale Thornburgh of Synergy Sotheby’s International Realty (synergysir.com). “A world-class equestrian estate built to exacting specifications is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an equestrian respite,” says Thornburgh. “To assemble this much property this close to the Las Vegas Strip—it’s something that would not be possible to create again.” But Thornburgh has an even more over-thetop equestrian estate available near the Strip: Wayne Newton’s famed Casa de Shenandoah. The spectacular 36-acre compound, at 6629 South Pecos Road, consists of a 3,747-squarefoot main residence and seven additional homes, plus a stable with 53 stalls as well as offices, tack rooms, an equestrian pool, and acres of pastures and corrals. Once slated to become a museum, the estate—complete with a zoo, tennis court, and car museum—is listed for sale at $48 million, down from the original asking price of $70 million. A Vegas bargain, indeed. V
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JPM STUDIOS
continued from page 101 “The horse industry contributes approximately $40 billion to the gross domestic product of our country’s economy,” says Robin Compagno, an equestrian-property specialist for Luxury Homes of Las Vegas (luxuryhomes oflasvegas.com). “Las Vegas is a popular tax haven for the wealthy, attracting a huge number of horse owners in recent years and fueling sumptuous equestrian estates.” MGM executive Phil Cooper’s estate, for example, features a single-story, 6,063-squarefoot brick residence, with five bedrooms, five baths, a wine cellar, a game room, an exercise gym, and a full wet bar, as well as an outdoor pool and spa deck, a putting green, and more. The tree-filled compound has three barns, including a climate-controlled main barn. There are also two large tack rooms, a round pen, and a dressing locker room, plus an orchard, a hay barn, a workshop, and indoor/outdoor wash racks. Cooper’s property had been part of the historic Gilcrease Ranch, which at one time exceeded 1,500 acres but was slowly sold off, giving new owners water rights for farming the fertile soil that had settled there from mountain runoff. “When I moved in there about 10 years ago,” says Cooper, “there was a house on five acres and it was all pasture, with a horse and a llama that roamed it.” He and his former wife, an expert in the European riding discipline of
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REAL ESTATE NEWS
New Year, New View n case you’ve already shopped everywhere on the Strip, a bonanza of new Strip-front retail developments is on the way. Tropicana is adding a two-level, 275,000-square-foot enclosed mall atop its 50,000-square-foot casino (tropicanalv.com). The project is slated to break ground this spring, with completion expected in 2015. Not to be outdone, Treasure Island’s new three-story, 46,200-square-foot shopping center (treasureisland.com), across from Fashion Show mall, will sprawl over 19.5 acres. Retail plans are also shaping up at New York-New York as part of MGM Resorts’ $100 million Strip-front makeover (mgmresorts.com), which will create a parklike shopping and restaurant promenade. The famed Brooklyn Bridge will serve as the entryway to an improved Nine Fine Irishmen restaurant that will spill onto Las Vegas Boulevard. But it’s the ABOVE: The Marriott’s Grand Chateau will project’s two-story Hershey’s Chocolate become even World—complete with a 70-foot-tall rep- grander this summer. RIGHT: The 18b Arts lica of a milk chocolate bar—that’s getting District will get a lift the most attention. Chocoholics will be from a planned museum of modern able to top off their sugar rush with frozen art, breaking ground custard from a nearby Shake Shack, the later this year. chain’s first Western US outpost. Strip shopping fatigue? There are more retail opportunities on the way in Summerlin, too. EHB Companies, the folks behind One Queensridge and Tivoli Village, is building a snappy new 18-acre shopping complex called Sahara Center, anchored by T.J. Maxx, Stein Mart, Sprouts Farmers Market, and HomeGoods. Plus, six buildings will house stand-alone restaurants and pubs. Soon towering over the Strip… The construction of a third tower at the Marriott’s Grand Chateau (marriott.com) marks the time-share resort’s third phase since opening in 2005. The 37-story tower—adding 233 villas, for a total of 643 units—is scheduled to open this summer. A second pool with a pair of whirlpool spas will be added to the fifth floor, as well as a lobby lounge, a billiards room, and a guest marketplace. “The building represents the first ground-up vertical construction on the Las Vegas Strip since 2008,” notes
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LEFT:
Shake Shack is opening at New York– New York. BELOW: The first rendering of AEG and MGM’s muchanticipated arena.
Travis Burton, regional vice president of Tutor Perini Building Corporation, the contractor and the firm behind CityCenter. A museum of modern art planned for Downtown Las Vegas could be a cultural game changer for the city, bereft of such an institution since the short-lived Guggenheim Hermitage Las Vegas, inside Venetian, closed in 2008 and the Las Vegas Art Museum shuttered in 2009. The Vegas-based Assemblage Studio is the architect for the $29 million visual arts complex (assemblagestudio.com), which will have two rectangular steel- and glass-sheathed spaces stacked atop one another in the heart of the city’s 18b Arts District. The project’s developers, a nonprofit group of community leaders, hope to break ground before the end of the year. AEG and MGM Resorts recently let loose details of a $350 million as-yet-unnamed indoor events arena planned for the Strip between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo resorts (mgmresorts.com; aegworldwide.com). The 20,000seat venue will anchor a $100 million open-air entertainment promenade linking the properties between Las Vegas Boulevard and Frank Sinatra Drive. The project architect, Populous, the firm responsible for Coors Field in Denver, has produced a stunning design, with an expansive glass and LED video overlay, sweeping balconies, an outdoor performance stage, and a 145-foot-tall elliptical façade. “The design ensures we will create a truly striking entertainment venue representing the color, drama, and excitement of the city,” says lead arena designer Brad Clark. The structure will include practical amenities, too, like a perforated aluminum screen to provide outdoor shade and wind protection. Construction is set to begin next summer and end in spring 2016. Meanwhile, UNLV alum and former NBA player Jackie Robinson is proposing a $1.3 billion, privately funded 22,000-seat arena between the under-construction SLS hotel and the defunct Fontainebleau, tentatively called the All Net Arena and Resort. It would be the second largest NBA venue. A new football arena at UNLV is also being pondered, as part of the campus’s revitalization. V
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES (SHAKE SHACK); COURTESY OF THE LAS VEGAS SUN (ARTS DISTRICT); AEG WORLDWIDE (ARENA); RICHARD BRIAN/LAS VEGAS SUN (MARRIOTT)
THE STRIP IS GETTING NIPPED, TUCKED, AND MADE OVER, WITH NEW RETAIL VENUES UP AND DOWN THE BOULEVARD, WHILE PLANS ARE ALSO IN THE WORKS FOR A HIGH-RISE TOWER, A MAJOR ART MUSEUM, AND ARENAS GALORE. BY TONY ILLIA
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GET PAMPERED AND GO GLAM WITH THE SPA AND SALON AT RED ROCK Looking to glam it up? Enjoy a VIP spa and salon experience with a visit to Jean Marc Levy, creative master stylist for The Spa and Salon at Red Rock. Having trained in France and worked with everyone from French royalty to celebrities, Jean Marc Levy is still at the epicenter of style and fashion and applies that to his clients’ hairstyles with a focus on personal style, leaving his clients feeling beautiful and confident. Reserve your next style with Jean Marc Levy today; call The Salon at Red Rock at 702.797.7878
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Guide
BEST OF VEGAS
THIS ISSUE THE VERY BEST OF devour: bakeries excite: winter activities
A World of Flavor THE COMMUNAL DINING RITUALS OF MANY CULTURES AND A FAMILY’S PERSONAL TRAVEL DIARY COME TOGETHER UNDER ONE VEGAS ROOF AT CRUSH EAT DRINK LOVE. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN BROWN
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here are many things to like about Crush Eat Drink Love, Michael and Jenna Morton’s new, modern yet rustic-looking shared-plate restaurant at the MGM Grand. But it’s easy to see what Michael cherishes the most: a wood-burning oven that glows brightly in the open kitchen. “I wanted one of these when I started La Cave,” he says, referring to his elevated wine bar at Wynn Las Vegas. “But it got turned down. Steve Wynn’s villa is right behind the restaurant and there was a concern that he’d be bothered by the scent of smoke.” Using logs of wood to help churn out a pitch-perfect assortment of pizzas, Crush’s cooking crew puts the oven to good use. The varied menu—with standout dishes including octopus ceviche, gnocchi with braised short rib and pea purée, and California sea bass accompanied by kale and tomato— was inspired by the Mortons’ extensive travels around the world. For example, one entrée, littleneck clams in chili and coconut broth, stems
from beach dining in Thailand, while the veal Bolognese owes its existence to a Roman holiday. “We love the concept of expressing our travel experiences through food,” says Michael, adding that nonedible inspirations have also made landfall in Vegas. He’s talking about a pair of large, Old World–looking doors adorned with the ancient poem The Epic of Gilgamesh, replicas of a portal muse in São Paulo. An artificially lit skylight running the length of the restaurant feels at least a little bit Mediterranean. Just as traveling is best done with someone you love—or at least can relate to—the Mortons believe the same applies to dining. Hence the couple’s shared-plate concept. “There’s a coming together that happens when everybody shares the food,” says Michael. “It’s something to talk about, and a communal sense of enjoyment unfolds.” Plus, you don’t spend your meal longing for a taste of that luscious-looking tomahawk rib eye at the opposite end of the table. MGM Grand, 702-891-3222; mgmgrand.com/restaurants V
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GUIDE devour Awaken childhood memories with Retro Bakery’s Milk & Cookies cupcake.
Sweets for Your Sweet LAS VEGAS ABOUNDS WITH PLACES TO INDULGE YOUR LOVED ONE—ON VALENTINE’S DAY OR ANY DAY. BY DAVID LANDSEL
Thomas Keller’s iconic Napa Valley pâtisserie has become a Las Vegas icon as well, with not one but three locations inside Venetian, serving everything from confections to delectable pain au chocolat to reinterpreted childhood favorites such as the Nutter Butter and the Oreo-esque T.K.O. Cookie. Venetian, 702-414-6203; bouchonbakery.com
Chocolate & Spice For some of the best baked goods in Vegas right now, take a trip down West Sahara, where Megan Romano, former pastry chef at Aureole, has been making serious noise with her desserts and delicate chocolate truffles. Start things off, however, with the excellent chocolate chip cookies. 7293 W. Sahara Ave., Stes. 8 and 9, 702-527-7772; chocolatenspice.com
The Cookie Bar This family-run operation opened its first retail location in December, but it’s been serving up booze-laden bites at community events like First Friday for years. Treat your sweet with the brown sugar –based Cinnamon Cider cookie bar, enhanced with cinnamon schnapps, or the coconut rum– infused Piña Colada cookie, with a creamy pineapple filling and coconut flakes. Virgin varieties include the Cupid’s Kiss: raspberry sugar cookie cups with raspberry white
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chocolate frosting and white chocolate chips. 3455 E. Flamingo Road, 702335-9307; thecookiebarlv.com
Freed’s Bakery This gleaming South Las Vegas shop may look new, but the Freed’s name has been synonymous with tastiness in the city for more than 50 years, and it’s still a Fried family operation. The bakery makes more than 2,500 wedding cakes a year, but we go for a taste of classic New York: linzer tarts, rainbow cookies, black and whites, delectable rugelach, and creamy, crunchy cannoli. 9815 S. Eastern Ave., 702-4567762; freedsbakery.com
iced with vanilla buttercream dipped in butterscotch ganache— is worth the journey. 7785 N. Durango Dr., Ste. 130, 702-586-3740; retrobakerylv.com
Suzuya Pastries and Crepes Tucked away in a strip mall in the city’s Southwest, this gem boasts delicate Asian-inspired desserts that are a slightly-less-sweet breath of fresh air for pastry lovers seeking a change of pace. Try the green tea shortcake, the elegant yuzu panna cotta, or the many-layered mille crêpe cake. 7225 S. Durango Dr., 702-432-1990; suzuyapastriesandcrepes.com
Patisserie Manon
Sweets Raku
Sweet-toothed Summerlinites have been finding all sorts of excuses to visit Jean-Paul and Rachel Layden’s pretty little pâtisserie since it opened in late 2010. A pastry case full of “Are we in Paris?” must-haves—including rich but delicate éclairs and colorful little macarons—is the shop’s centerpiece. 8751 W. Charleston Blvd., Ste. 110, 702-586-2666; patisseriemanon.com
This chic annex to the notable robata Aburiya Raku is Japan to the hilt, a bright, white, pocketsize bistro serving an innovative $19 prix-fixe dessert, featuring intricate creations bookended by gorgeous starters and petits fours. Wine pairings are also available. 5040 W. Spring Mountain Road, Ste. 3, 702-290-7181
Retro Bakery The cupcake craze may have calmed a bit, but Kari and Brian Haskell’s Centennial Hills cupcakery remains one of the Valley’s best spots for those little cakes piled high with rich frosting. The Hop Scotch—vanilla cake
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
LET’S GET BAKED Pastry chef Megan Romano whips up wonderful at Chocolate & Spice.
If you were going to eat one thing in your pastry case right now, what would it be? A delicious warm chocolate chip cookie with salted caramel ice cream! What was the first thing you ever baked? I spent time with my mom in the kitchen making simple things like apple crisp, peach Melba, and cookies. We baked and shipped Christmas packages of fudge, caramel popcorn, peanut brittle, and Christmas cookies each year.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES TANKSLEY (RETRO BAKERY); RAFAEL LIZARRAGA (ROMANO)
Bouchon Bakery
One of the Strip’s most poorly kept secrets is this civilized bar hiding in plain sight for shoppers in need of a quick pick-me-up. Pull up a chair: The Las Vegas location of the Chicago-based chocolatier serves rich, steamy hot chocolate and coffee. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702836-9866; vosgeschocolate.com V Chocolate takes the cake at Chocolate & Spice.
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GUIDE excite Not far from the Strip, a winter playground awaits at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort.
Fire and Ice HERE’S WHERE TO HEAT THINGS UP (OR COOL THEM DOWN) AROUND TOWN THIS WINTER. BY DAVID LANDSEL
Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort It does snow in Vegas, believe it or not; you just have to drive a little way from the Strip to see it. Barely an hour from the city’s neon canyons, you can strap on your gear and shred some powder at this popular resort with a base elevation of 8,510 feet—higher than many favorite Western ski resorts. 6725 Lee Canyon Road, 702-3852754; skilasvegas.com
Minus5 Ice Lounge Despite its frigid temperature, this Mandalay Place bar is hot. Everything—the walls, the bar, the sculptures, the seats, even the glasses—is handcrafted from ice imported from Canada. But don’t worry about bundling up: Guests are offered insulated jackets and gloves to keep warm. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7714; minus5experience.com
Mt. Charleston Lodge Driving up from the desert into a pine- and snow-filled winter wonderland is half the fun of a visit to Mt. Charleston Lodge, located high atop Kyle Canyon in a setting that could double for the High Sierras. Cap off your adventure with an ice-cold draft beer by the blazing circular fireplace at the center of the popular bar and restaurant. Watch your intake, though—the lodge is located more than 7,700 feet above sea level. 5375 Kyle Canyon Road, 702-8725408; mtcharlestonlodge.com
Palms Place This luxury destination-withina-destination at the fashionable Palms resort invites settling in and staying awhile. Ask for one of the suites with a fireplace, for cozying up on the chilliest winter evenings. 4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-942-7777; palms.com
Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge
Red Square
This coffee shop and lounge is a classic Vegas throwback, all neon and pink (and neon pink), featuring sunken lounge areas around crackling fire pits. Order a traditional cocktail—a Singapore sling, perhaps—and taste nightlife as it used to be. 2985 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-7354177; peppermilllasvegas.com
Nightlife venues fall in and out of fashion, but this Russian-themed vodka bar at Mandalay Bay has stayed cool, literally. At the heart of the experience is the bar’s now world-famous vodka vault. Buy a bottle or a shot, slip into a (faux) fur coat, get in there and be cool—23 degrees Fahrenheit, to be precise. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7407; redsquarelasvegas.com
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SoBe Ice Arena
Chilly? Pull up a chair next to one of the glowing fire pits at this seductive lounge inside the Four Seasons Hotel, then order the Fireside S’mores. Pastry chef Jean-Luc Daul pairs his graham cracker cookies with vanilla marshmallow and milk chocolate squares for an elegant upgrade to your childhood memories. Four Seasons Hotel, 702-6325275; fourseasons.com/lasvegas
Fiesta Rancho may look like just another gaudy casino resort, but it’s also a year-round destination for ice-skating enthusiasts, boasting an NHL-regulation rink that hosts local league play as well as public skating and lessons. Get into a cool groove on Friday and Saturday nights with the rink’s DJ Skate Nights. 2400 N. Rancho Dr., 702-6317000; fiestarancho.sclv.com V
FROZEN ZONE Red Square’s Louis Aceves keeps it cool in the bar’s famous vodka vault. Is Lenin’s head really in there? What’s it doing? Yes, it is! We have it encased and use it as a platform to do your favorite vodka shots off of. Do you have to be a member to step inside the vault? Not at all. You just have to be able to bear the cold and buy shots or bottles to do in the vault. What’s your favorite vodka and what’s the perfect way to drink it? Beluga Gold Line Russian vodka, made with pure water from Siberian artesian wells. I prefer it iced, shaken, strained, and served straight up in a martini glass.
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Parting Shot Go to Your Room THE BATTLE FOR YOUR DOLLAR IS MIGRATING FROM THE GAMING FLOOR TO YOUR GUEST ROOM. BY SCOTT DICKENSHEETS
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O’LEARY
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here was a time when going to Vegas meant going out. Your grandparents belted on the swank clothes, palmed a twenty to a showroom maître d’, and stayed late at the tables. Your parents oohed at the faux volcanoes and white tigers and took in a show. You, perhaps, have kicked it in a bottle-serviced nightclub, dropped a bundle in a celebrity restaurant, and attended a bachelorette weekend you only hazily remember. Each era has offered its own version of Vegas’s one true product—the trophy experience— but however different they were in style, volume, and the price of the booze, they had something in common: a public dimension. You got out there, role-playing different versions of yourself amid crowds of people doing the same. Unless you were on the lam, you certainly didn’t come to Sin City to hole up. Until now, that is. For some, the new Strip is about staying in—with style. Maybe you’re a celebrity who wants to do Vegas without the gossip-column titters; maybe you’re just a dry-goods mogul from Boise happy to drop four figures a night for your own private Idaho. Whatever your story, savvy hoteliers are making it ever more tempting to stay in your suite. If you’re ensconced in the new Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace—perhaps in the 1,950-square-foot Sake Suite or a five-bedroom penthouse—you’ve got a media room, a billiard table, and space for plenty of friends. Best of all: When you’re peckish, in-room sushi awaits your summons downstairs for an on-call chef. The Sky Villas at Aria are “private estates” and come with 24-hour butler service—a more common amenity in luxe Vegas than you might imagine. A villa at Mirage offers a backyard with a pool, hot tub, bar, and putting green, perfect for a weekend of in-room entertaining. The redesigned two-floor bungalows of the Tropicana hearken back to the 1960s, when Rat Pack stars would hole up for weeks—only now they have dedicated massage rooms to further eliminate reasons to leave. As a development, luxury hominess isn’t entirely unexpected. For a few years, casinos have been relying less and less on our poor impulse control at the tables; gambling is no longer their main source of revenue. Instead, they’ve made vital new profit centers out of what used to be loss leaders: Coffee shops became celebrity restaurants, gift stores became shopping esplanades, and entertainment became Cirque du Soleil. That’s helped Vegas maintain its lead in the experience economy, even as gambling has spread across civilization, and even into Florida. It was only a matter of time until someone in the marketing department thought, Hey, maybe we can extract more profit from those rooms…. Indeed, it might not be long until you can dial up a small troupe of in-room Cirque acrobats—as long as you can afford it. V
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