Vegas - 2015 - Issue 6 - October - Kaskade by Niche Media Holdings, LLC

men’s issue

Vegas Aces

5 local chefs heating up the city’s dining scene

Smoke up! Fall’s most inventive cocktails

PLUS gildo Zegna Giorgio Armani Madonna

KASkADE New album, new Vegas residency, same passion

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FRONT RUNNER

PIANO MEN

HARRY S. TRUMAN AND JIMMY DURANTE ARE AN UNEXPECTED DUO AT THE SANDS IN 1962. From Liberace to Elton John to John Legend, Las Vegas has welcomed all manner of famous piano men to its stages. But the most surprising keyboardplaying pair to share the spotlight might be former President Harry S. Truman and multitalented entertainer Jimmy Durante, who tickled the ivories together at the Sands Hotel in October 1962. In town for the 44th national convention of the American Legion, Truman—a World War I veteran—rallied the legionnaires around President Kennedy, urging their support of unilateral force against communist Cuba and cautioning the crowd, “Let us not lose our heads by being provoked into fits of hysteria, lest we lose sight of the real source of our peril.” Truman’s sojourn in Vegas would prove to be much more than an opportunity to back a foreign policy initiative, however, when he sat down next to Durante at the piano for an impromptu collaboration. It wasn’t the first time the music-loving politician had performed at the keys with a star by his side. When Truman played during an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington as vice president in 1945, actress Lauren Bacall made a surprise drop-in, picturesquely draping herself over

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

BY TESS EYRICH

the piano. Her stop at the club was intended to raise morale among the troops during World War II, and after some cajoling from her publicist, she and Truman posed for the photograph that would immortalize their meeting. Bacall and her husband, Humphrey Bogart, would become two of Truman’s most ardent political supporters—and that famous piano would break under the strain of all the women climbing atop it to recreate the image. Still, not everyone approved of the press-perfect stunt. Truman’s wife, Bess, encouraged her husband to put his public piano-playing on ice until after his time in office—a request he mostly honored. Having left the presidency nine years earlier, Truman apparently had the green light for his spontaneous duet in Vegas with “The Schnoz.” The musical matchup thrilled Las Vegans, as Durante was a beloved local character who often filmed episodes of his eponymous variety show on the Strip (there’s now a boulevard named after him on the east side of town). In true Vegas style, the city commemorated that unforgettable evening at the Sands with a collectible poker chip in 2005, part of the Las Vegas centennial celebration. V

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU (DURANTE); BY AP PHOTO (BACALL)

Music was Harry S. Truman’s first passion (he claimed that if he’d been a better pianist, he never would have become president), and he played whenever he could, dueting in Las Vegas with beloved entertainer Jimmy Durante in 1962 (LEFT), 17 years after sharing the stage with sultry actress Lauren Bacall (BELOW).

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contents

october 2015

on her: Blazer ($3,495), pants ($1,295), and belt ($305), Chloé. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3450; chloe.com. Beret, Louise Green ($48). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neiman marcus.com. Suede boots, Ralph Lauren Collection ($895). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0030; ralphlauren.com. on him: Jacket ($2,550) and scarf ($350), Bottega Veneta. The Shops at Crystals, 702-220-4751; bottegaveneta.com. Turtleneck, Gucci ($790). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-7333; gucci.com. Pants, Hermès ($1,000). Via Bellagio, 702-866-2629; hermes.com. Shoes, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,195). The Shops at Crystals, 702-527-7766; brunellocucinelli.com

10 // front runner 30 // from the

editor-in-Chief

32 // from the

publisher this issue Would not have been possible

36 // the list 61 // invited

14 vegasmagazine.com

photography by renÉ & radka

34 // ... Without Whom

MADISON AVE | RODEO DRIVE | LAS VEGAS | AVENTURA MALL

october 2015

Keith Urban performs at this year’s not-so-urban Route 91 Harvest Festival.

The Armani/Silos exhibition space in Milan.

style

culture

41 // The Measure of a Man

55 // she’s MaDonna

Sharp lines and precise tailoring have made Zegna a Vegas classic; now custom sportswear and a host of other developments are propelling the brand into the future.

The star with one name only brings her Rebel Heart tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for one night only.

44 // CheCkMaTe

Wesley Snipes takes a Vegas-style gamble on crime in NBC’s The Player.

Luxe textures meet sleek sophistication in this season’s most dapper evening accessories.

58 // CulTure spoTlighT

50 // sTyle spoTlighT Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2015 men’s collection pays tribute to London designer and artist Christopher Nemeth; J. Cole teams up with Bally on a shoe thing; DVF’s Secret Agent bag goes from day to night; Dior gets Sauvage with bergamot and Johnny Depp; and Pantone’s color of the year meets fall’s hottest accessories.

Madonna continues her reign as the queen of pop with a blockbuster Vegas concert.

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56 // gaMe on

52 // DiMensions in TiMe 3-D timepieces with bold shapes, hightech details, and a host of innovative complexities appeal to Vegas’s most modern men.

The RiSE Lantern Festival lights up the desert as artist Rebecca Pugh brings the desert to a rotunda, Nevada Ballet Theatre and Cirque du Soleil show off their Choreographers’ Showcase, and Las Vegas Village hosts the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a country-style buffet of country music.

photography by richard corkery/Ny daily News archive via getty images (madoNNa); Jim spellmaN/wireimage (UrbaN)

contents

4000 MILES FROM SWITZERLAND, A NEW GOLD STANDARD IN WATCHMAKING IS BEING BUILT BY HAND IN DETROIT.

TH E R U N W E LL F E AT U R I N G A B LU E D I A L W I T H R E M OT E S ECO N D H A N D S W E E P I N A S TA I N L ES S S T EEL C AS E , D E T R O I T- B U I LT A R GO N I T E 10 6 9 M OV EM EN T A N D A M ER I C A N - M A D E B R OW N L E AT H ER S T R A P. B U I LT TO L A S T A L I F E T I M E O R LO N G E R U N D E R T H E T E R MS A N D CO N D I T I O NS O F T H E S H I N O L A GUA R A N T E E .

TH E FO R U M S H O PS AT CAESAR S 702.732.8463 | TOURNEAU.COM

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october 2015

The Rose and Rye at Lago.

The star chefs who are redrawing Vegas’s neighborhoods.

69 // Fusion at its Finest The thrills continue at SushiSamba with the unveiling of new menu items. Plus: Carbone bring its mid-twentieth century, New York–style Italian American favor to Aria.

72 // small Plates, Big Flavor Vegas’s most forward-thinking chefs are transforming tapas-style dining.

74 // taste sPotlight Popcorn pops up on menus all over Vegas as M.E.N.U.S. raises funds for the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, Alain Ducasse’s highly anticipated Rivea opens its doors, Red Rock says “Salute!” with a new trattoria, and Palace Station’s Oyster Bar celebrates 20 years.

Spicy shrimp and bacon grits at Searsucker.

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76 // Fire and ice The heat is on at these six Vegas bars, where crafty mixologists are making magic with smoke, barrel aging, and earthy, aromatic spirits.

photography by shane mccauley (chefs); courtesy of mgm resorts InternatIonal (rose and rye, Insalata dI mare)

taste

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october 2015

Ryan Raddon—aka Kaskade—is taking Vegas’s EDM scene by storm.

Polo, Ermenegildo Zegna ($258). The Shops at Crystals, 702-891-8726; zegna.com. Trousers, Theory ($645). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com

features 78 // The KasKade effecT Recording artist and producer Kaskade says he’s just in it for the music—and with multiple Grammy noms, an unprecedented exclusive multiyear residency at Wynn, and a fan base numbering in the hundreds of thousands, his focus is paying off. By Phoebe Reilly Photography by Jeff Gale and Jeff Crawford Styling by Olwen Zarlengo

84 // deTour de force This season, fashion—like passion— careens between past and present.. Photography by René & Radka Styling by Giolliosa & Natalie Fuller

98 // armani, la forza After 40 years in the biz, Giorgio Armani builds a shrine to his indelible infuence on contemporary fashion and celebrates with two new signature collections. By Emily Backus

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photography by jeff gale and jeff crawford

92 // ace chefs

OYSTER PERPETUAL DAY-DATE II

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oyster perpetual and day-date are 速 trademarks.

contents

october 2015

haute property 105 // mEN’s dENs The newest custom domains for guys don’t resemble the room your dad annexed for his pool table.

108 // siR mix a lOT Designers, design afcionados, and fans seeking a glimpse of Thom Filicia converged at the Las Vegas Design Center on September 24 for a conversation moderated by Vegas editor-in-chief Andrea Bennett to beneft the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

110 // HauTE PROPERTy sPOTligHT

Christopher Guy’s revamped showroom at the Las Vegas Design Center. Plus: Great vintage fnds.

parting shot 112 // WHERE THE mEN aRE

ON THE COVER:

105

Men and their dens.

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Kaskade Photography by Jeff Gale and Jeff Crawford Styling by Olwen Zarlengo Sweater, A.P.C. ($220). apc.fr. T-shirt ($95) and trousers ($195), Vince. Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Shoes, Bally ($575). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above

photography by todd Witcher (pool table)

While popular culture and politics make masculinity a liability, in Las Vegas the old-school man’s man isn’t hard to fnd.

JOIN US ONLINE at vegasmagazine.com

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

HOW TO REFRESH YOUR HOME FOR FALL We tapped the experts to find out what home décor will make our spaces cozier for autumn.

photos

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

dine

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK AROUND VEGAS THIS SEASON New restaurant openings and revamped menus make the dining scene even more exciting this fall.

COME FOLLOW US

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KHONGKIT WIRIYACHAN (HOME); PATRICK GRAY/KABIK PHOTO GROUP (PHOTOS); STOCKPHOTOSLV (DINE)

SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS

速ROBERTOCOIN

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

JOSEF VANN Publisher and Vice President of Sales Account Director JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Account Executives VINCE DUROCHER, IRENA HALL Director of Event Marketing HALEE HARCZYNSKI Distribution Relations Manager JENNIFER PALMER Sales Assistant RUE MCBRIDE

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

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Art Director JUAN PARRA Designer AARON BELANDRES Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors MARIE BARBIER , JODIE LOVE, JENNIFER PAGAN, REBECCA SAHN Associate Photo Editor HALEY HAMBLIN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN FASHION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Managing Partner JANE GALE Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Chief Operating Officer MARIA BLONDEAUX Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Executive Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Copyright 2015 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Vegas magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Vegas magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at vegas@pubservice.com. To distribute Vegas at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net. Vegas magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC., a division of Greengale Publishing, LLC. vegas: 608 South 7th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 T: 702-990-2500 F: 702-990-2530 niche media holdings: 711 Third Avenue, Suite 501, New York, NY 10017 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003

26 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

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Carmen Steffens

EVERY GOOD STORY HAS A BACKSTORY. For instance, before he

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Striking a pose with Alia Sky at Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s 29th annual Black & White Party at The Joint at Hard Rock; celebrating the opening of the gorgeous new Wynn Collection with Wynn’s senior vice president of retail, Hedy Woodrow, who curated it; my friend Patrick Duffy and I toasted artist J.K. Russ, whose work graced our summer art cover; Kaskade snapped a quick photo with me at his cover shoot.

opened his new hotel in 2005, Steve Wynn had planned to name it Le Rêve (French for “the dream”) after the Picasso painting he owned. An agency he’d hired recommended that he brand it with his own last name. Not entirely convinced, he turned to friends like Steven Spielberg for a second opinion. “It’s not a bad name,” Wynn recalls Spielberg reminding him. “Your name isn’t Lose.” My appreciation of a good backstory was fully satisfied during the making of this issue of Vegas, since I was able to be behind the scenes more than usual. In our cover story, for instance, you see Kaskade meticulously swathed in gorgeous clothes and his own sangfroid. What you don’t see: our stylist, Olwen Zarlengo, hauling in approximately 800 items of clothing and shoes (exaggeration? Hard to say!). Nor do you see me chewing my fingernails to the quick as Kaskade spontaneously hopped onto a precipitous rail to use as a balance beam for the sake of a single shot. I’m told it’s considered poor form to let your cover star fall off a house. The relaxed shots of five groundbreaking chefs in our Vegas Aces feature belie

the fact that we asked them to meet us only hours after they ﬁnished their own dinner services. They gamely let us dress them up and then talk their ears off long before they would normally have had their morning coffee. Meanwhile, the uncomplaining staff at Glutton, where we shot the piece, dodged our cameras and clothing racks to set up for the day. Of course, complex logistics, planning, and snafu-busting go into producing every issue of Vegas. Behind every book are the people who set up shoots, map out the issue, keep us running on time, and make sure the magazines get where they’re supposed to go—many of whom could have a bright future in international diplomacy or hostage negotiation. And to them I give a big thank you. I hope you love the stories in Vegas as much as I love our backstory.

ANDREA BENNETT

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

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (WOODROW); RAY ALAMO (HARD ROCK, RUSS); JEFF GALE AND JEFF CRAWFORD (KASKADE)

LETTER from the Editor-in-Chief

INTRODUCING OUR DESIGNER SHOWCASE

Prepare to be dazzled... our all-new star-studded department features the best names in fne and fashion jewelry and watches

Free shipping with $99 purchase. Free returns by mail or in-store. U.S. only. Exclusions apply. Details at macys.com/freereturns Advertised merchandise may not be carried at your local Macy’s and selection may vary by store. 5080081

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letter from the Publisher

Our esteemed leader, Janie Gale, and me at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health on the eve of its news about teaming with UNLV in securing an $11.1 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence grant.

As the publisher of Vegas magazine and a longtime resident of Las Vegas, I’m often asked by clients and friends unfamiliar with the city about what it’s like to live and work here. The truth is, it’s truly a fabulous place. We’re two cities in one, really. There’s the small town of Las Vegas, inhabited by close to 2 million people, where it’s not entirely uncommon to run into someone you know every day of the week. Our town is philanthropic and connected; it’s a place where we really take care of one another. Then there’s the largerthan-life Las Vegas—primarily the Strip corridor—a world-class destination “inhabited” by 21 times more people per year than live here. The fun facts and tidbits are always the most interesting to people and tell the story so cogently, so here goes: We play host to 3,750 conventions annually. Twelve of the world’s 20 largest hotels are in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand has 18,000 doors. On any given night, the vault of one of the larger casinos is holding somewhere between $30 million and $60 million. Nevada is one of only seven US states that don’t have an income tax. McCarran is the ninth-busiest airport in the US. It would take someone 288 years to spend a night in every hotel room in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Strip is the brightest place on Earth and can be seen from space. Sixty thousand pounds of shrimp are consumed here daily, more than in the rest of the country combined. With almost 4,000 hotel rooms, the Bellagio has more rooms than the number of residents of Bellagio, Italy. We love our town and we love our magazine. We trust you do, too!

josef vann Follow me on Twitter at @josefvann and on vegasmagazine.com.

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C RA F T I NG E T E R N I T Y S I N C E 1 755 260 years of continuous history is reflected in the Harmony Collection. A new legacy has dawned.

HARMONY CH RO N O G R A P H

Geneva official watchmaking certification

Mikayla WhitMoRe photographer

JiM begley food writer The story on SushiSamba that opens our Taste section was written by Jim Begley, a local food and drink enthusiast who writes to defray his obscene restaurant spending. When he’s not dining his way through the valley, he enjoys spending time with his ever-supportive wife and his brood of canine and feline children. What are your thoughts on the current dining scene in Las Vegas? “It’s a great time to be a gourmand in Vegas, as the food scene develops into something special. Classically trained talent is taking root in neighborhood venues in a wave of immigration from fne-dining venues, while the Strip continues to produce some of the country’s best food. This trend has been ongoing the past couple of years but has hit a new high in 2015. I think the Las Vegas food scene is vastly overlooked and underestimated by outsiders. As a food writer, I have the opportunity to dine out more often than most, but sometimes even I take for granted the level of culinary expertise toiling away inside our glitzy casinos. Revisiting SushiSamba after a long hiatus makes you appreciate the venues most locals never brave the Strip to visit. But they should. For that matter, I should, too.”

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Mikayla Whitmore, who shot our SushiSamba story, is a Las Vegas–born and raised artist, whose solo residency “When the Night Comes,” at P3 Studio inside Cosmopolitan, runs November 11–December 6. What do you love about food photography? “I enjoy working with food because it never gives you attitude. Sure, the lettuce may wilt or the cookie may crumble, but it typically does not throw a tantrum. You can really dive in and mold it into what you want. There are no restrictions.” What’s unique about shooting in Las Vegas? “Vegas is constantly transforming and updating its façade, so there is always something new to shoot or something worth preserving—or idolizing. Often I fnd myself trying to document the history or soon-to-be-forgotten landmarks.” Tell us about your residency. “Through various projection sculptures, I will be focusing on how your memory corrupts over time and how you start to piece things together. It is free to the public and will have an interactive element.

// october 2015

Shane Mccauley

Phoebe Reilly

photographer

writer

Shane McCauley is a photographer and flmmaker living in New York City and Los Angeles. Born in the Pacifc Northwest and raised outside Philadelphia, he has photographed for retail clients (Adidas, Urban Outfitters), the country’s most pedigreed record companies (Downtown, Epic, Columbia, Universal Music Group), and a host of media outlets. He has published several books, notably 128 Beats per Minute (Rizzoli) and the Blow Your Head series (Picturebox), which chronicles youth culture and music. For this issue, he shot our chefcentered men’s feature, Vegas Aces. How did you enjoy your shoot with the Las Vegas chefs in our Vegas Aces men’s feature? “The shoot went well. I didn’t know any of the chefs when I got here, but I tried to familiarize myself as much as I could with them and their menus before the shoot. I suppose I’m a foodie. I read a lot of food magazines and journals, and I cook a lot myself.” Did you get to see much else of Vegas? “I like Downtown, where we did the shoot, and I usually hang out there when I’m in town. I like the Double Down Saloon.”

Phoebe Reilly is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles who visited Las Vegas for the very frst time to interview our cover star, Kaskade. Her work has appeared in New York magazine, Spin, Nylon, Rookie, and Los Angeles magazine and on RollingStone.com. How was your interview with Kaskade? “Hanging out with Kaskade was an ideal introduction to Vegas, where midnight is a reasonable time for the night to get started. Personally, I was worried he wouldn’t make it, because I watched him balance on the railing of a three-story house for the photo shoot without any worries about personal safety. Maybe that’s the kind of coordination that comes with clean living.” And you got to see him perform. “His set was propulsive. I could feel every drop in my tonsils.” Any special moments from the trip? “My favorite spot was Society Café at Encore. This is the center of the origin story—this is where Kaskade pitched the idea of DJ residencies to Wynn back in 2009. You might say that ended up being just a little successful. And the pretzel sticks are delicious.”

photography by andrea bennett (begley); Melanie WhitMore (WhitMore)

...Without WhoM this issue would not have been possible

the list October 2015

36â&#x20AC;&#x192; vegasmagazine.com

Dan Pettit

Hayes Swope

Mimmo Ferraro

Sidney Wilson

Rick Harrison

Armando Perez

Stephan Legrand

Ryan Marquardt

Andrew McMahon

Uri Vaknin

Andy Masi

Neil Young

Michael Bertetto

Brian Chapin

Bill Maher

Greg Costello

Travis Barker

Rick Springfield

David Wachs

Alain Ducasse

Nick Swardson

Bo Brinkman

Ken Langdon

Chris Hammond

Richard Hudock

Frank Marino

Sonny Barton

Mark Messina

Adam Gomes

Antioco Carrillo

Ray Alamo

Farid Matraki

Ross Mathews

Jeff Bradach

Alexis Bittar

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SEE WHERE GOOD TASTE TAKES YOU.

STYLE Tastemaker From wool to wireless: Gildo Zegna, thirdgeneration steward of his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake fashion house, has his eye on wearable tech.

The Measure of a Man

photography Courtesy of ermenegildo Zegna

sharp lines and precise tailoring have made Zegna a vegas classic; now custom sportswear and a host of other developments are propelling the brand into the future. by adrienne gaffney

The quest for novelty drives many brands, but Ermenegildo Zegna has maintained its devoted Las Vegas following by sticking to the precisely tailored elegance that arrived with the Rat Pack and became the menswear ideal emblematic of the Vegas good life. With Stefano Pilati as head of design for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, Zegna suits regularly spotted on A-list celebrities, and a slate of new products hitting stores, the centuryold company is entering this season as one of the most buzzed-about in fashion. continued on page 42

Vegasmagazine.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 41

STYLE Tastemaker **

FABRIC OF SOCIETY

BELOW:

The Shops at Crystals boutique offers the sporty-chic Z Zegna and other Zegna labels. RIGHT: While Zegna pioneers wearable technology, it also honors (and, every season, renews) its rich heritage of luxe knits, such as wool trousers and luscious sweaters.

As a master of European suiting, Zegna is a wholly natural fit for the cosmopolitan Las Vegas wardrobe. A highlight of its Fall collection is the Sleek lines and impeccable tailoring have made Zegna a redcarpet favorite for actors like Mark Ruffalo, Jon Hamm, and Steve Carell and sports stars such as Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Carmelo Anthony, and Nick Young. “What sets us apart is the quality and craftsmanship of Su Misura, our made-to-measure service, which offers men the ability to customize their look,” says Gildo Zegna, CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group. “Su Misura is increasingly popular with sports figures, given their athletic proportions, and also with actors who appreciate the creative ability to truly personalize their wardrobe.” While custom suits have long been the heart of its business, the company recently introduced its Made to Measure Casual Luxury line, making Zegna the first men’s brand to offer a full custom sportswear wardrobe. Among other developments exciting the designer is Z Zegna’s new Icon warmer jacket, which has an active heating panel that keeps it warm for up to 13 hours. Perfect for cool desert nights and for traveling, it was developed with transitioning between climates in mind. “Our brand has long been at the forefront of wearable technology,” says Zegna, “and the Icon warmer jacket from Z Zegna is the next evolution of our research and design

fabric Trofeo, an exquisite wool made from extralong ﬁbers. “Trofeo is a long-standing suiting

“ZEGNA HAS LONG BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY.” —GILDO ZEGNA innovation—a lightweight hybrid jacket that uses transformational technology in a wireless heating support system.” Zegna is proud to maintain the core design ethos developed by his grandfather (and company namesake) Ermenegildo. Trends come and go, but for a night in Las Vegas, there’s nothing like oldschool glamour. The Shops at Crystals, 702-891-8726; The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-474-4246; zegna.com V

staple using super-ﬁne Australian merino wool to create strength, resiliency, and softness in the fabric,” says Gildo Zegna. Among his favorite ensembles employing the fabric is the gray Trofeo windowpane suit, a classic number with a brown check pattern on a gray background, paired with

Light Fantastic A ﬁtting ode to the lights of Vegas, the most covetable addition to Zegna’s footwear line is a high-fashion sneaker sure to shake up your evening wardrobe. Enlivening a suit as a fresh dress-shoe alternative, the Techmerino Light sneaker follows in the tradition of Zegna’s luxe textiles. “Fabric innovation is a key focus for Zegna, using technology to drive function and high performance,” explains Gildo Zegna. “We use this fabric in the Techmerino Light sneakers to create a lightweight, highly comfortable shoe appropriate for all climates.” Cutting-edge design while keeping you light on your feet for every occasion? Say hello to a new classic.

new style for this season made with a luxe Arizona cotton. Zegna’s Avenue Flex shoe (ABOVE, $695), a deerskin derby tanned to achieve maximum ﬂexibility and comfort, rounds out the look.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

the blue Trofeo shirt, a

We perfect this watch by hand. Even the parts that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see.

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

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

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

concealed. Fortunately, the sapphire-crystal back reveals

c a l i br e , L a ngeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s m a s t er w at ch m a ker s me t ic u lou s l y

the fascinating interaction of quite a few of them. Treat

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

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

STYLE Accessories 007

Lavish accessories accent rich fabrics. on her: Dress, Valentino

($5,200). The Shops at Crystals, 702-737-7603; valentino.com. 18k white-gold and diamond Fontaine necklace, Chanel Fine Jewelry ($158,000). Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-5468; chanel.com. on him: Dinner jacket ($2,995), tuxedo shirt ($695), and bow tie ($155), Ralph Lauren. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0030; ralph lauren.com. Sterling silver Décor cuff links, Cartier ($395). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-418-3904; cartier.com. 18k white-gold Cellini Time self-winding mechanical-movement watch, Rolex ($15,200). Tourneau, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-862-2700; tourneau.com

CheCkmate

Luxe textures meet sLeek sophistication in this season’s most dapper evening accessories. photography by jeff crawford styling by connor childers

44 vegasmagazine.com

manicure by casandra lamar using dior vernis at factory downtown; models: phillip mayberry/major model management and anne peck/major model management

seen throughout: Sutton chess set, Ralph Lauren Home ($1,995). see above

STYLE Accessories 2

FoReveR ClassiC

Ring Bling

Stand the test of time with a vintage wristwatch.

Multiple cocktail rings make a chic statement.

timeless textuRe

DouBle attaCk

Rich, plush fabrics give way to a desired masculine edge.

Coordinated metals complete the look.

1. Dress, Boss ($1,995). Fashion Show, 702-792-0135; hugoboss.com. 18k white-gold and diamond Diva necklace, Bulgari ($35,300). The Shops at Crystals, 702-583-4747; bulgari.com. 18k white-gold diamond Knot ring, Roberto Coin ($11,400). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. White-gold and diamond Bois de Rose ring, Dior Fine Jewelry ($5,900). Via Bellagio, 702-731-1334; dior.com. White-gold and diamond Libellule double ring, Lalique ($28,500). The Shops at Crystals, 702-507-2375; lalique.com. 2. Jacket, Dolce & Gabbana ($3,975). The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6614; dolcegabbana.com. Shirt, Canali ($295). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-862-4447; canali.com. 18k Everose gold Cellini Prince rectangular-case watch, Rolex ($17,000). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-7328463; tourneau.com. 3. Jacket, Emporio Armani ($1,545). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-650-5200; armani.com. 45mm self-winding mechanical-collection timepiece, Bulova ($450). Macy’s, Fashion Show, 702-731-5111; macys.com. Broughton glass, Ralph Lauren Home ($95). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0030; ralphlaurenhome.com. 4. on him: Blazer, Ermenegildo Zegna Couture ($3,895). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-474-4246; zegna.com. Shirt, John Varvatos ($328). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-939-0922; johnvarvatos.com. Dressage L’heure Masquee watch, Hermès ($45,900). Via Bellagio, 702-866-2629; hermes.com. Cuff links, Salvatore Ferragamo ($250). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-933-9333; ferragamo.com. on her: 18k white-gold and diamond Franges Swing bracelet, Chanel Fine Jewelry ($222,000). Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-5468; chanel.com. Eros diamond ring, Lalique ($16,750). see above. White-gold and diamond Rose Dior Bagatelle ring, Dior Fine Jewelry (price on request). see above

46 vegasmagazine.com

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STYLE Style of Generosity William P. Lauder speaks with Estée Lauder employees in London in support of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.

WanT To GET invoLvEd? acT noW!

Actions Without Borders

cosmetics giant estée lauder is expanding the fight against breast cancer. in an exclusive interview, executive chairman william p. lauder explains how. by matt stewart This month, the Estée Lauder Companies launches its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, but this year the initiative is taking a decidedly activist tone. Indeed, its name could be considered deliberately provocative: “Every Action Counts. What’s Yours?” Invasive breast cancer will affect one in every eight women, an alarming figure that the Lauder Companies hopes to reduce through this campaign. Since its inception in 1992, it has raised more than $58 million to support global research, education, and medical services, with close to $46 million funding 185 medical research grants worldwide over the past 21 years through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Most of the money raised this year will support the BCRF. This year the focus shifts to social media. By posting on Instagram or tweeting using the hashtag #BCAstrength, the global community can spread the messages of support and

48 vegasmagazine.com

progress espoused by the initiative, which will culminate on World Cancer Day, February 4, 2016, with the unveiling of an international multimedia project based on this October campaign. (All actions submitted via BCAcampaign.com between October 1 and December 31 are eligible for inclusion.) Here, in an exclusive interview, William P. Lauder, executive chairman of the Estée Lauder Companies, shares his passion for the fight against breast cancer and explains how the globalizing power of social media can push that fight in our favor. What are your goals for the 2015 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign? We want to raise awareness beyond borders [by] inviting people worldwide to share in “Every Action Counts. What’s Yours?” We used to mainly focus on October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but we’ve extended our campaign year-round,

with an extra focus on October and February for World Cancer Day. How is the power of social media raising the bar? If you go back to the Ice Bucket Challenge, that campaign [to raise awareness of ALS] was powerful and driven by people’s desire to participate through social media. It made clear the [attention] that social media can bring to issues like breast cancer awareness, so we decided to harness that enthusiasm and sense of global community in this year’s campaign. The campaign has been funding the BCRF since 1992. What are some of the advances that this effort supports? The focus on funding research to find a cure is key. Research funded by the BCRF [is] now beginning to go into clinical trials and being put into clinical practice. If you look at the improved cure rates and diagnoses, it is very impressive. For many patients, breast cancer has become a bump in the road instead of being life-threatening. What has helped inspire you and evolve your role? I am passionate about the BCA Campaign and the Pink Ribbon campaign, which was started by my mother, Evelyn H. Lauder. [She] showed that we as a company could project a true soul to the consumer… [through] the energy and enthusiasm of our more than 40,000 employees around the world. V

Share the actions you’re taking in the fght against breast cancer at BCAcampaign.com or with the hashtag #BCAstrength on Twitter or Instagram, and for each unique post, the Estée Lauder Companies will donate $25 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, up to a maximum of $25,000. The goal: to fund as many as 500 hours of research. sHop THE CuRE

Macy’s (Fashion Show, 702-731-5111; macys.com), as well as BCAcampaign. com/pink-ribbon-products, carries Pink Ribbon products offered by many of the iconic brands of the Estée Lauder Companies, the sales of which help support the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. WAlk FoR WEllnEss

Red Rock Casino Resort (11011 W. Charleston Blvd.) will host the Making Strides of Las Vegas walk for breast cancer on Sunday, October 25, to beneft the American Cancer Society. makingstrideswalk.org

photography courtesy of the estÉe Lauder companies (Lauder); by patrick mcmuLLan (hurLey)

Lauder with Evelyn H. Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley at the event unveiling the 2010 campaign.

Join “EvERy ACTion CounTs. WHAT’s youRs?”

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STYLE Spotlight buzz

red ahead Pantone’s color of the year meets fall’s hottest accessories.

Sunglasses, Etro ($375). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; etro.com

FAIR HIKE

Document holder, Canali ($1,450). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-862-4447; canali.com

London Calling

Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2015 Men’s collection pays tribute to london designer and artist christopher neMeth. by lisa ferrandino Witty, rebellious artist and designer Christopher Nemeth was the childhood inspiration for Kim Jones, the men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, who has said the largely unsung design hero is (along with Vivienne Westwood) the most important designer to have come out of London. “He is Savile Row, he is the street, he is the club,” says Jones. “His designs defne London.” This year marks the ffth anniversary of Nemeth’s death, and Jones has chosen to pay homage to him this season in a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Nemeth’s family. Nemeth’s signature rope print can be seen in the new line’s ready-to-wear pieces as well as its shoes, watches, and other accessories. Look for cork-embossed cashmere, laser etchings on shearling, and other quirky but luxe details in a spot-on tribute. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3492; louisvuitton.com V

Roc Nation recording artist J. Cole has collaborated with Bally to create an exclusive pair of hiking boots, the JC Hiker (above, $795), and a backpack ($1,250) for today’s urban explorer. The rapper was inspired by a sojourn in Jamaica, where he went off the grid to investigate the modern world’s dependence on technology (which resulted in a short flm). While the boots are rooted in Bally’s history of constructing durable items for explorers like Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on the frst successful ascent of Mount Everest, they’re equally at home on city sidewalks. The Shops at Crystals, 702-732-7800; bally.com —julianne neuman

Lace-up shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo ($2,800). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-9339333; ferragamo.com

Pin brooches, Hermès ($210–$300 each). The Shops at Crystals, 702-893-8900; hermes.com

Belt, Ermenegildo Zegna ($360). The Shops at Crystals, 702-8918726; zegna.com

// scent-sation! //

TOTES CLUTCH

A bag that easily transitions from day to night is a must in Las Vegas. This season, shoppers on the Strip will be coveting DVF’s aptly named Secret Agent bag ($398), a tote that comes with a detachable clutch, in fabrics like tweed and leather, letting your sunny Vegas day turn into a clandestine mission by night with one swift zip. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-879-2692; dvf.com

BERGAMOT JUSTE

Between the Ionian Sea and the foothills of Italy’s Aspromonte mountains is where François Demachy, the head fragrance creator at the House of Dior, sought the Calabrian bergamot orange, whose zesty essential oil provides the signature note for Dior’s new scent, Sauvage. Actor Johnny Depp, in his frst venture as a fragrance spokesperson, is the face of Sauvage. Chosen for the intensity with which he inhabits his roles, Depp is the perfect emblem for this uncompromising fragrance. Via Bellagio, 702-731-1334; dior.com

50 VEgASMAgAzINE.CoM

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No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. No statement should be relied upon except as expressly set forth in the Nevada Public Offering Statement. This is neither an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of offers to buy, any condominium units in those states where such offers or solicitations cannot be made. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. Pricing and locations of units are subject to change without notice. Views and locations of units within the project are not guaranteed and the buyer is responsible forinspecting the unit and its location before signing any agreement with respect thereto. Any square footage numbers are approximate. © DK Ogden LLC Unauthorized use of the images, artist renderings, plans or other depictions of the project or units is strictly prohibited.

STYLE Time Honored

Dimensions in Time

3-D timepieces with bolD shapes, high-tech Details, anD a host of innovative complexities appeal to vegas’s most moDern men. by roberta naas PhotograPhy by Jeff Crawford

clockwise from top: A magnificent feat of technology and beauty, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia watch ($540,000) is powered by the exclusive manual-wind caliber JCAM10, consisting of 365 parts and featuring four orbiting satellites. Rotating and circling the dial every 60 seconds are the moon, made with a 288-facet diamond, and the Earth, a blue titanium globe. The constantly whirling tourbillon escapement

52 vegasmagazine.com

orbits the dial as well, completing a full revolution every 20 minutes, while a fourth arm displays the hours and minutes. This 50mm watch is crafted in gold with a rich blue aventurine dial and a sapphire crystal dome. Wynn & Company Watches, Wynn Las Vegas, 702770-3520; jacobandco.com With a dial placed on the side of the timepiece for optimal

viewing while driving, the Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Super Sport watch ($285,000) is a three-dimensional mechanical masterpiece inspired by the engine of the luxury automobile. The hand-wound PF 372 movement—containing 333 parts and 40 jewels and providing 10 days of power reserve—is meticulously finished and displays the hour, minutes, and power reserve level through six indi-

vidual antireflective sapphire crystals. Ca’d’Oro, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-696-0080; parmigiani.ch Offering a multidimensional layered dial and an oversize date indicator, this Richard Mille RM 029 Automatic watch ($100,000) is crafted in 18k 5N red gold. The skeletonized movement, RMAS7, took more than 10 months to create, as the brand sought to

achieve the delicate balance between carving away metal and maintaining strength and durability. The movement features a baseplate, bridges, and balance cock constructed of titanium and treated with Titalyt; titanium rotor arms; a rotor weight segment of white gold; shock resistance courtesy of Incabloc; and ceramic ball bearings. The Shops at Crystals, 702-588-7272; richardmille.com

Styling by terry lewiS

Thanks to microtechnology, high-precision cutting machines, and the endless creativity of watch manufacturers, we’ve entered an exciting era of three-dimensional timepieces. Not only has new technology allowed for unprecedented leaps in design and construction, but the willingness of watch brands to partner with innovators outside their industry is pushing ingenuity even further. In addition to watchmakers, the research and development teams at luxury houses include engineers and scientists, such as expert metallurgists. And now top watch brands are also turning to universities, the aerospace and automotive industries, and other specialists, all in an effort to relegate the expression “It can’t be done” to the dust bin of history. For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to vegasmagazine.com/watches-and-jewelry. V

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CULTURE See, Hear! A scene from NBC’s The Player. below: Twenty-three years after telling us to always bet on black, Wesley Snipes is still a gambling man.

Game On

A law enforcement officer is suddenly whisked away from his job and ushered into the high-roller Vegas penthouse suite of a mysterious man and woman representing an even more mysterious organization. The man explains that he is the pit boss for a worldwide group of wealthy patrons who bet on exceptionally trained people to stop crime. If the officer accepts their offer to work for them, he will be the player—and all bets will be on him. That’s the premise of Wesley Snipes’s new series, The Player, in which he stars as the pit boss running the higheststakes game in town, with Philip Winchester (of Strike Back) as his pawn—er, player. Snipes has portrayed his share of action good guys and bad, but his Mr. Johnson is a bit more complicated. The actor also shares the spotlight with Las Vegas itself, where the series is based. In fact, tourists enjoying the Fremont Street Experience may have recently spotted a scantily clad Winchester brandishing a gun while filming a pivotal scene for the first episode. In the pilot alone, look for an aerial view of a Cirque du Soleil performance, cameos by Treasure Island and Encore, and even a high-speed chase outside Mandalay Bay. Vegas checked in with Snipes to ask about shooting the new show.

56 vegasmagazine.com

by diedre johnson

This is your first TV series. What is this schedule like for you? [We’re] shooting eight-day weeks, and literally while we’re shooting, they hand us the script for the next episode. While they’re doing postproduction on the last episode, sometimes the second unit is still working on the previous episode. So it’s fast. Very, very fast. [That’s] a great recipe for mediocrity or producing a mediocre product, and a great challenge to the artist to preserve quality under the time constraints. Your costar Charity Wakefield came to Vegas for research and won at blackjack. Would you say the show’s plot is like a game? Oh, yes. Mr. Johnson is three, four, five moves ahead of everybody else, or at least he thinks so. The cool thing is that this is multilevel chess, because all three characters have their own agenda. Cassandra [Wakefield] has her agenda. The player has his agenda—he’s playing on one level. And of course Mr. Johnson. Then you have the agendas of the global house as a whole—the wealthy who helped create the system, which we don’t know about. I hope we have enough intrigue to keep the ladies coming back. The Player airs Thursday nights at 10 pm on NBC. nbc.com/the-player V

photography by Maarten de boer/getty IMages (portraIt); courtesy of nbcu (The Player)

Wesley snipes takes a Vegas-style gamble on crime in nbc’s The Player.

TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE VALLﾃ右 DE JOUX. FOR MILLENNIA A HARSH, UNYIELDING ENVIRONMENT; AND SINCE 1875 THE HOME OF AUDEMARS PIGUET, IN THE VILLAGE OF LE BRASSUS. THE EARLY WATCHMAKERS WERE SHAPED HERE, IN AWE OF THE FORCE OF NATURE YET DRIVEN TO MASTER ITS MYSTERIES THROUGH THE COMPLEX MECHANICS OF THEIR CRAFT. STILL TODAY THIS PIONEERING SPIRIT INSPIRES US TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS OF FINE WATCHMAKING.

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artfull

DESERT DAZE

Uprising

great outdoors

Rise LanteRn FestivaL lights it up in the heart of the Mojave Desert. by tess eyrich Staging an elaborate festival based on Thai tradition in the middle of the Mojave Desert may seem like an unusual concept. But the thousands of spectators who attended the debut of RiSE last fall can attest that when strangers come together to support a common goal, the release of more than 20,000 flame-lit paper lanterns into the crisp night sky looks as magical here as it does a world away. Representing the hopes and dreams of the people who launch them, the lanterns this year will light up a new location, the Moapa River Indian Reservation, but the change of scenery isn’t the only upgrade. According to festival cofounder Dan Hill, guests can also expect live musicians, gourmet food trucks, and a greater focus on sustainability. “We started with a really clear vision of creating something that was very inclusive and hopeful and optimistic,” he says. “We’ve been really excited and honored to see that vision come to life and see so many people come and share their own stories.” October 10. Moapa River Reservation; risefestival.com

Discover the striking work of multimedia artist Rebecca Pugh, a 2015 graduate of UNLV’s master of fine arts program in studio art, who is currently exhibiting five original pieces in the Clark County Government Center’s Rotunda Gallery. Noted for her method of transforming used everyday objects into unconventional art materials, Pugh has created a series of textured desert landscapes by covering strips of old bed linen with acrylic paint, then layering them over hand-built wood frames. Through November 13. Rotunda Gallery at the Clark County Government Center, 702-455-0000; clarkcountynv.gov

CulTuRE ClASh What happens when the state’s premier ballet company meets the most recordshattering theatrical producer ever to hit the Strip? Taking place inside Treasure Island’s Mystère Theatre, the eighth annual Choreographers’ Showcase, a collaboration entirely conceived and choreographed by performers from Nevada Ballet Theatre and Cirque du Soleil, marries classical ballet with contemporary dance and acrobatics. The result is a one-of-a-kind show that also serves as the unoffcial kickoff to NBT’s 2015– 2016 season, which includes, among other performances, next month’s celebration of all things George Balanchine (November 7–8) and a very special Valentine’s Day presentation of Cinderella (February 13–14). October 11 and 18. Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, 702-243-2623; nevadaballet.org

above: Pugh’s Seventy-Five x

Thirty-Nine (2015).

// don’t miss //

GONE COUNTRY

if you need further proof of country music’s supremacy in vegas, one of the genre’s biggest parties takes place this month at Las vegas village, across from Luxor. now in its second year, the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival celebrates country music’s reigning superstars—this year’s lineup is headed by Lady antebellum, Florida georgia Line, Tim mcgraw (far left), and Keith Urban (left)—while also shining a spotlight on younger charttoppers, like Thomas Rhett and gloriana, and up-and-comers, who will be featured on the festival’s next from nashville stage. October 2–4. Las Vegas Village; rt91harvest.com V

58 vegasmagazine.com

photography courtesy of rise festival llc (rise); by checko salgado/focalchrome (pugh); virginia trudeau (choreographers); kevin mazur/Wireimage (mcgraW); richard gabriel ford/Wireimage (urban)

CULTURE Spotlight

“I wanted a hospital recognized for excellence in treating breast cancer, and I found one.” Joy Parrott Stage 3 Breast Cancer Patient Goodyear, Arizona

Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), in suburban Phoenix, is the frst hospital in Arizona to be recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers for excellence in breast cancer treatment. In fact, CTCA® met or exceeded all 27 standards for accreditation. The care model at CTCA provides each patient with individualized treatment options, innovative procedures and a team of breast cancer experts, all dedicated to empowering patients like Joy. “I always felt confdent CTCA was the right place. There’s just so much hope within those walls.” If you or a loved one has cancer, call 888-214-9488 or visit cancercenter.com.

14200 West Celebrate Life Way • Goodyear, Arizona 85338No No case is typical. You should not expect to experience these results.

Rediscover Authentic Italian BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY HOLIDAY BASKETS, ITALIAN COOKIES AND GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE LATE NIGHT OPEN BY POPULAR DEMAND 11PM – 2AM DAILY MUSIC NIGHTLY FOR DINNER AND LATE NIGHT

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Osso Buco • Homemade Pasta • Prime Natural Steaks • Fresh Seafood FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CALL 702.364.5300 4480 PARADISE ROAD ACROSS FROM THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO FERRAROSLASVEGAS.COM

3 YEARS

BEST ITALIAN

InvIted

A NEW CELINE

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DENISE TRUSCELLO

After A yeArlong hiAtus, the Queen of lAs VegAs reclAims her throne Atop the colosseum’s stAge.

Celine Dion

Celine Dion didn’t invent the Las Vegas residency, but in her 12 years of headlining at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum, she has certainly brought the concept into a new era of unmatched decadence. Returning to the stage this past August after a year away from it, Dion premiered an entirely reworked show that’s light-years away from A New Day…, the glitzy production she unveiled for Vegas audiences in 2003. The backup dancers and Cirque du Soleil acrobats have been replaced with a live orchestra— perhaps the most fitting complement to Dion’s soaring vocals, unless you count her brand-new custom wardrobe from the designers behind Atelier Versace, Schiaparelli, Elie Saab, and Mugler—and technologically assisted duets with a string of iconic performers, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Bee Gees, who join the singer in video and holographic form. After more than a decade on the Strip, Dion’s gravitational pull remains unprecedented, but like all of the best things in Vegas, the spectacle that she’s created never stops evolving.

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INVITED

Angela Carney and Lily Tran

Ronald Smith with Audrey and Phillip Barcio

ART OF THE CITY

Randy Char with LaiPing and Robert Rippee

Robyn and Kurt Ouchida

VEGAS MAGAZINE FÊTED Las Vegas–based collage artist J.K. Russ, designer of the Summer issue’s Art of the City cover, with an evening reception inside the Cosmopolitan’s P3 Studio Loft. As one of the culminating events of Niche Media’s title-wide Art of the City initiative, which spotlights emerging artists in nine major cities, the celebration included an exhibition of original works by Russ, one of P3 Studio’s former artists-in-residence, as well as a showing of handmade jewelry by Dee Berkley, food from D.O.C.G. Enoteca and Estiatorio Milos, and beverages courtesy of Evian, Sauza 901 Tequila, and Skinnygirl Wine. Proceeds from the event benefited the Nevada Museum of Art.

Lee Medick and Benson Riseman

Bracelets courtesy of Dee Berkley

Krystal Ramirez and J.K. Russ

Izabel Martirosyan and Ani Davidian

Marianne Tanada and H.L. Greenberg

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Collages by J.K. Russ

Suzie Stabile and Joe Lacorazza

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO (MINGLE); COURTESY OF AL POWERS (WYNN)

Lia Yulianti

Leslie Miller with Sarah and Rich Robledo

Suzanne Handler and Renee McCormick

Jon Conroy and Annie Waggoner Lauren Tongco and Sarah Florio

MINGLE THURSDAYS AT T-BONES CHOPHOUSE VEGAS MAGAZINE AND STAR 107.9

joined T-Bones Chophouse at Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa for a special edition of Mingle Thursdays, a weekly event that invites local tastemakers and industry

Kory Kaplan, Jessica Marshall, and Michael Horvath

professionals to kick off the weekend a day early. Guests socialized on the restaurant’s patio while partaking of craft beers and specialty cocktails, gourmet small plates, and a variety of giveaways. Trina Larmony and Alexandria Pearl

Naeem Kham and Nick Manghum David Steen, Eduardo Garcia, and Raymond Wilmer

Rob and Sheryl Goldstein

Anita Arancibia and Gianno Buonaguro

Patrick Heitkam with Henry and Dawn Cutrona

WYNN COLLECTION GRAND OPENING WYNN LAS VEGAS TOASTED the launch of Wynn

Collection, a 7,000-square-foot luxury boutique on the resort’s Fairway Esplanade, with an invitation-only cocktail reception. Attendees such as womenswear designer Naeem Khan and Samuel Ku, creative director of AG Jeans, browsed the shop’s one-of-a-kind selection of apparel, footwear, and accessories while enjoying access to exclusive pieces, like custom Judith Leiber clutches and Tom Ford’s entire line of cosmetics and fragrances. Phil and Carrie Cooper with Jerry and Debra McKenna

Hedy Woodrow and Samuel Ku

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 63

INVITED // dressed to thrill //

COSTUMED REVELRY SARTORIAL CREATIVITY REIGNED SUPREME AT AID FOR AIDS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA’S 2015 BLACK & WHITE PARTY. Emily Jillette, Zar Zanganeh, and Jill Villanueva

Rocco Gotti and Marek Bute

Mindy Tatti

Geri Engel, LeAndra Guesman, Janel Iglesias, and Tommie Guesman

Ross Mathews

Robyn Stewart and Jessica Neuenburg Maria Gara

Sharon Owens and Katie Murdock

BLACK & WHITE PARTY

Christine Javier and Chris White Teresa Kae and Josh Huslig

the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for the 29th annual Black & White Party, the nonprofit organization’s largest fundraising event of the year. Hosted by TV personality Ross Mathews and featuring performances by entertainers such as Pia Zadora, Maren Wade, the Perry Twins, and DJ Axis, the over-the-top costume party transformed The Joint into a steampunk-style hangout, complete with an on-site wedding chapel. Melody Sweets and Albert Cadabra

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO

AID FOR AIDS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA returned to

GREAT ATMOSPHERE. EVEN BETTER STEAKS.

Dine at the steakhouse named best in Las Vegas by the Review-Journal. The best aged steaks in the city and the freshest seafood are charcoal-grilled to your satisfaction. Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contemporary atmosphere offers exceptional views and our hospitality will exceed your expectations.

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12300 Las Vegas Blvd. South at St. Rose Parkway Near I-15 | For reservations 702.797.1000 | www.theMresort.com

INVITED

Wilson Masache and Philip Horowitz Watches by Breguet

Elizabeth Lannier, Julie DeLorenzo, and Jenny Sacco

Nicole Robinson and Dani Reeves

BREGUET IN-STORE EVENT LUXURY SWISS WATCHMAKER BREGUET hosted an elegant in-store event at Wynn & Company Watches on the Wynn Esplanade. After being welcomed into the store by two greeters dressed in Marie Antoinette– style period costumes, guests browsed a selection of the

brand’s handcrafted timepieces, including rare models from Reine de Naples, a limited-edition collection inspired by an early bracelet watch that AbrahamLouis Breguet created for Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister Caroline during her reign as Queen of Naples. Diego D’Arkos and Paulina Peniche

Mary Sue Milliken

Rachel Smith and Hugh Acheson

TOP CHEF MASTERS REUNION DINNER IN THE SPIRIT OF SUMMER , Top Chef Masters alumni Hugh Acheson, Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, and Rick Moonen reunited for an outdoor dine-around on the patio of Feniger and Milliken’s restaurant Border Grill, inside Mandalay Bay. The one-night-only extravaganza featured fresh sangrias and cocktails courtesy of mixology pro Tony Abou-Ganim; multiple gourmet food stations, where the chefs served dishes such as Southern-style New York strip steak and lamb tacos; and a panel discussion moderated by Rachel Smith of Fox5 Las Vegas. Rick Moonen and Roni Fields-Moonen

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Vegetable ceviche by Mary Sue Milliken Susan Feniger

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAY ALAMO (BREGUET); COURTESY OF BIGTOM PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP CHEF)

Tony Abou-Ganim

tAStE SushiSamba’s duo of osetra caviars, served with chimichurri rice crisps, black sesame rice crisps, and plantain chips.

Fusion at its Finest

The Thrills conTinue aT SuShiSamba wiTh The unveiling of new menu iTems. by jim begley photography by mikayla whitmore

Reinvention. It’s a hallmark of the Las Vegas Strip, as restaurateurs are forever searching for the next hot concept to entice visitors. But for successful restaurants, reinvention doesn’t necessarily mean a complete overhaul. Instead, it’s usually enough to tweak the menu that brought them success in the frst place. At SushiSamba at the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, Executive Chef Joel Versola and regional corporate sushi chef John Um have recently added a spate of new menu items worth seeking out. According to Um, the new menu is simply a continuation of the restaurant’s pioneering ways. “Our unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cuisine is always evolving,” he says, “which gives us the opportunity to explore uncharted territory in the culinary world.” While SushiSamba’s combination of Latin American and Far Eastern ingredients and favors may seem like fusion gone mad, it refects an

authentic food culture, born of the waves of Asian immigrants who found their way to South America throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Since opening in 2008, SushiSamba has transported diners to Carnaval. Brightly painted murals cover the walls, while television screens deliver a constant stream of foreign videos—a festive backdrop for free-fowing drinks, like the guava juice–based Nina Fresa, the refreshing Chucumber (with cucumber and elderfower), and the citrus-forward Lemon Samurai. But don’t let the mirth fool you. Um and Versola are doing some serious cooking in the sushi and samba kitchens, respectively. SushiSamba favorites like the intensely favored A5 Wagyu gyoza and the buttery sea bass anticuchos continue to delight, while the crispy Hokkaido scallop remains a destination dish. And the cooking becomes interactive with the ishiyaki course, in which diners lightly sear Wagyu continued on page 70

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taste beef on superheated stones delivered to the table. But Um and Versola’s new seasonal offerings are destined to become fan favorites as well. Wasabi is a sushi staple, but the fresh grated wasabi tasting at SushiSamba is unlike any you’ve ever had. A trio of fresh wasabis—a mildly citric yuzu-infused version, an umami-laden miso rendition, and plain—is a welcome departure from the ubiquitous neon-green, powder-derived wasabi at all-you-can-eat sushi joints. Each is so clean and refreshing, you’ll fnd yourself eating it straight long after you’ve devoured your sashimi. The salmon ceviche mixes salmon with red onion, jalapeño slices, and grapes, fnished with a sweet and citric grape-yuzu sauce and creamy coconut milk in a dish hinting of heat. Similarly, in SushiSamba’s salmon tiradito—a traditional Peruvian dish that refects the Japanese infuence on that country’s cuisine—salmon sashimi slices are bathed in a sharp garlic ponzu and adorned with garlic chips and citron honey gelée. Each bite hints of sweetness and

Maine lobster is the star of the Samba Strip roll.

citrus without obscuring the seafood favor. The more traditional Samba Strip roll swaddles Maine lobster, mango, and avocado in soy paper and decorates it with beet root juice–marinated lotus root chips for a fash of color and texture. The dish is fnished with aji honey truffe sauce, with the South American chili pepper contributing a hint of heat. But if you’re looking to roll in style, SushiSamba now offers a duo of osetra caviars: traditional and the nuttier imperial. Served with a mother-of-pearl spoon, the sturgeon roe comes with a trio of nontraditional accompaniments: chimichurri rice crisps, black sesame rice crisps, and plantain chips. So much more exciting than the standard blinis. From the samba kitchen, the crispy egg wraps a soft poached egg in shredded phyllo reminiscent of a bird’s nest. Perched atop asparagus and slightly sweet kabocha (Japanese squash) gnocchi, it’s fnished with earthy black truffe, sweet onion purée, and an umami-laden truffe soy reduction. The intricate dish is a reminder of the expertise required to seamlessly weave textures and favors, which Um and Versola do so well. In a city whose restaurant turnover is constant, SushiSamba’s party is just getting started. Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-6070700; sushisamba.com V

Carbone’s double lamb chops. inset: Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick, and Rich Torrisi.

new classic

lavish, midcentury italian-american new york dining is reborn at carbone. oh captain, your captain. when dining at aria’s hotly anticipated carbone, he will make sure your evening is as grand as you want it to be. and that’s just what major Food group’s partners envisioned when they launched the original in new york’s greenwich village in 2013. the elevated italian-american classics on the menu

The crispy egg small plate has a nest of asparagus, shiitake, fresh truffle, and kabocha gnocchi.

are of course a huge part of the draw—and indeed, carbone is home to probably the most perfect tortellini you’ve ever had, as well as the meatiest, juiciest pork chop with peppers. but the idea started with three guys— mario carbone, rich torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick—wanting to create a specific kind of lavish dining experience. it was one that resonated instantly with new york diners (torrisi and carbone’s sterling reputation from the smash torrisi italian specialties didn’t hurt) and is easily transferable to vegas: old-school luxurious ambience; white linen tablecloths; just the right level of attentive, personal service; and the best, updated versions of rat Pack–era dishes. snagging a reservation at the original location remains a challenge, but the vegasification of carbone means a space three times the size, which should help. in an age when prices seem directly proportional to the number of ingredients in a dish, a simple, upscale red-sauce italian restaurant turns the dining experience on end. sure, the immense veal parmigiana (it resembles a personal-size pizza when brought to the table, and the server—snappily outfitted by Zac Posen— divides it into four sections with, yes, a pizza cutter) is as instagram-worthy as it gets, but you’re having too good a time to snap a pic. that’s okay—it’s a good excuse to come back, as if you needed one. and don’t worry: when you do return, your captain will remember your name. 877-230-2742; aria.com —karen rose

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photography courtesy of carbone (lamb chops, carbone team)

One taste of SushiSamba’s grilled meats and you’ll be saying domo arigato to Mr. Robata.

E C N E I EXPER

G N I N I D E D M I P 7 W 5 Y T R AY E D P I R O F R AY AP D N O M EACH T A S U MEN K C O R M $5 E THE O T R S F A T N L CATIO SPECIA O L G N PATI PARTICI

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11011 W ES T CHA RLES TO N B LV D LA S V EG A S , NV 89135 RE D ROC K .SC LV.C OM | 702.797.7777

taste Cuiscene Don’t Miss

Three top under-the-radar tapas spots to try.

Aníse Tapas & Grill

(3100 S. Durango Dr., 702-586-4088; anisetapas.com) A glatt kosher tapas bar with Moroccan and Mediterranean flavors in Vegas? Believe it, then taste it: panko-crusted matzo balls with Sriracha mayo, avocado empanadillas, and tuna tartare with black sesame and wasabi aioli. Aníse might be the next big thing.

Small Plates, Big Flavor

On and Off the Strip, VegaS’S mOSt fOrward-thinking chefS are tranSfOrming tapaS-Style dining. by brock radke The small-plates dining trend is no longer just a trend; it’s simply the way we want to eat now. Inspired by traditional Spanish tapas, chefs across the country began adjusting their menus and presentations years ago so diners could create their own shareable meals by selecting several small, more affordable dishes, and everyone soon discovered that eating this way is about as fun as it gets. Today small plates are as ubiquitous on menus as pizza, sushi, and tacos. Now Vegas chefs are thinking outside the box when it comes to small plates. Legendary fine-dining chef Julian Serrano has already done his native Spain proud with the tapas at his namesake restaurant at Aria, but recently he doubled down with Lago (Bellagio, 866-259-7111; bellagio.com), where luscious Italian dishes, like zucchiniprovolone pizzettes, short rib cannelloni, and broiled langoustines, pack huge flavor in a small package. Celeb chef Brian Malarkey’s snacks at Searsucker (Caesars Palace, 702-866-1800; searsucker.com) run the gamut from bone marrow with bourbon glaze to spicy shrimp with bacon grits. In Downtown’s hip dining district, chef Bradley Manchester’s Glutton (616 E.

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Carson Ave., 702-366-0623; gluttonlv.com) offers plates so rich and robust (think pickled mushroom poutine and sweetbreads done Buffalo-style with whipped blue cheese), a single just-right portion is all you can handle. Around the corner at Radio City Pizzeria (508 Fremont St., 702-9825055; radiocitypizza.com), a full-scale menu makeover by chef Sean Collins has introduced vibrant veggie dishes, like rosemary potatoes with onion ash and caperberries and warm beets with bitter greens and whipped mascarpone. And in Chinatown, where izakaya (the Japanese version of Spanish tapas bars) have always been popular, several Asian fusion small-plates eateries have popped up, making it difficult to choose where to go first. Try Inyo Asian Variety Restaurant (6000 W. Spring Mountain Road #1, 702-2480588; inyolv.com), where former Blue Ribbon and Little Buddha chef Gregg Fortunato is cooking a variety of delectable bites, like whole squid with garlic soy butter, roasted black cod with sweet miso, and black tiger prawn red curry. If your mouth is already watering, don’t forget to bring along a friend—the more plates, the merrier. V

(2620 Regatta Dr., 702-925-8333; isabelasvegas.com) Former Bar +Bistro chef Beni Velazquez is cooking uncensored in Desert Shores, and his Latin seafood palace offers an assortment of tasty tapas, like garlic shrimp mofongo, lobster salad sliders, and Baja stone crab cakes with honey mojo mayo.

Moko Asian Bistro

(6350 W. Charleston Blvd. #120, 702-489-4995; mokolasvegas.com) Moko does Korean fusion cuisine in ways you’ve never encountered. Head to the west side and sample smoked mackerel pasta with kimchi, yogurt and sake– marinated spicy chicken thighs, and 10-hour braised Berkshire pork belly lacquered in soy sauce and black raspberry sea salt.

Beef tartare with pickled radish and beer mustard at Searsucker.

photography by peter harasty (beef tartare); Inyo asIan VarIety (cod)

Inyo Asian Variety Restaurant’s roasted black cod.

Isabela’s Seafood, Tapas & Grill

TASTE Spotlight star chef

HOMME AGAIN

Hop on Popped

THE LATEST CRAZE POPPING UP ON VEGAS MENUS IS SIMPLY A-MAIZE-ING. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN Long relegated to movie-snack status, popcorn is emerging as a newly luxurious appetizer and even dessert, thanks to some innovative Vegas chefs. Hearthstone Grill (Red Rock Casino Resort, 702-797-7777; hearthstonelv.com) adds shaved trufﬂes to its popcorn appetizer for blasts of umami bliss. The everinnovative José Andrés at Bazaar Meat (SLS Las Vegas, 855-761-7757; slslasvegas.com) takes sweet corn, dresses it up with chile paqui, mayonnaise, and popcorn powder, and makes the dish so mind-blowing that one guest requested a dusting of popcorn powder on her dessert. Glutton (616 E. Carson Ave., 702-366-0623; gluttonlv.com) pairs sweet and salty in popcorn ice cream proﬁteroles. The whole thing is topped off with salted caramel sauce and caramel corn to add a savory snap. The folks at Therapy (518 E. Fremont St., 702-912-1622; therapylv.com), meanwhile, pull off a decadent combination of fat chunks of candied bacon sprinkled among freshly popped corn in a generously sized basket served for the table. V

ON THE M.E.N.U.S.

Grab your calendars: Friday, October 9, marks the 14th annual M.E.N.U.S. (Mentoring & Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students) dine-around event, beneﬁting the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentorship opportunities to Clark County students in need. The Beach at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 702-932-5098; ecﬂv.org

PALACE STATION’S OYSTER BAR BY THE NUMBERS

20 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Years in business as of this month: Open:

1.5 hours: Average wait for a table Number of tables: 18

702-367-2411; palacestationsclv.com

// debut //

Summerlin Salute!

Red Rock Casino Resort has been quietly undergoing a $35 million reinvestment and revamp, and it shows. This month brings the opening of the final piece of the puzzle in the form of Salute, an Italian restaurant with a novel concept: a massive antipasto bar. Salute is the first venture of Andy Masi’s new Clique Hospitality. Over the last decade, Masi and his company Light Group, which he cofounded (and sold to Hakkasan earlier this year), have been the force behind some of Vegas’s most influential restaurants, nightclubs, and lounges. 702-797-7777; redrock.sclv.com

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS WESSLING (POPCORN); PIERRE MONETTA (DUCASSE); COURTESY OF STATION CASINOS (OYSTERS)

trend report

It was a cruel summer after legendary chef Alain Ducasse’s Mix closed in June, but now devotees of the multiple Michelinstarred icon can once again ascend to the top of the Delano Las Vegas for a true culinary adventure in one of the most sparkling settings on the Strip. “Rivea will bring the soul of the French and Italian Rivieras to Las Vegas,” says Ducasse. “Its seductive atmosphere and menu will make guests feel as though they’ve been transported to those endless summers in the South of France.” 702-632-5400; delanolasvegas.com

taste Imbibe Mandalay Bay, Rx Boiler Room (702-632-9900; mandalaybay.com), offers an antidote in the form of its Smoked Whiskey and Cola, which marries the bar’s house-made cola syrup—a feather-light blend of citrus zest, lavender, ginger, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar—and Fever-Tree soda water with George Dickel whiskey that’s smoked on-site using cherrywood chips. The concoction arrives in a glass skull filled with plumes of smoke and garnished with two brandy-saturated cherries.

The Smoke Missing Mirrors cocktail from Sage at Aria.

HEAT WAVE: DOUBLE HELIX WINE & WHIS EY LOUNGE

Even though Double Helix Wine & Whiskey Lounge (702-473-5415; doublehelixwine.com) specializes in drinks made with the famous brown liquor, this under-the-radar watering hole in Town Square has debuted a drink so fiery it requires a disclaimer. Enter the Burning Man, a combination of deceptively refreshing cucumber and basil juices that gets its heat from sliced jalapeño and Mestizo mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico. The finished product carries enough of a bite that the bartender will alert you to its power before mixing it—a warning that’s sure to excite rather than deter the most ambitious of drinkers. SMO

THE HEAT IS ON AT THESE SIX VEGAS BARS, WHERE CRAFTY MIXOLOGISTS ARE MAKING MAGIC WITH SMOKE, BARREL AGING, AND EARTHY, AROMATIC SPIRITS LIKE WHISKEY AND MEZCAL. by tess eyrich CHERRIES ON TOP: LAGO

The word has spread about Lago (866-259-7111; bellagio.com), Julian Serrano’s new outpost overlooking Bellagio’s fountains, but what you may not know is that the Italian restaurant has assembled a one-of-a-kind cocktail program, whose every drink is paired with its own complex garnish. The Rose and Rye’s pièce de résistance is a sprinkling of maraschino cherries that have been handsmoked to complement the rich flavors of Bulleit rye whiskey, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and bittersweet Aperol. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a dash of rose petal syrup, meanwhile, give the drink a welcome hint of sweetness. SUGAR AND SPICE: JALEO

At Cosmopolitan, the menu at Jose Andrés’s Jaleo (702-698-7950; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com) features a

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kicked-up take on the traditional Blood and Sand called the Sangre y Fuego. The beverage’s base of mezcal (instead of Scotch), Cherry Heering, and Spanish vermouth is aged in five-gallon bourbon barrels. “This creates harmony between the three spirits, and the wood softens the edges,” says David Oseas, Jaleo’s general manager. In place of orange juice, bartenders add the restaurant’s sweet, house-made sangrita to the aged mixture for a fresh, slightly spicy overall taste. “There’s never a bad time for this drink,” Oseas adds, “but it matches best with our grilled dishes.” SMOOTH OPERATOR: RX BOILER ROOM

As anyone who’s ever ordered a traditional whiskey and Coke knows, the soda’s syrupy sweetness can overpower even the strongest of spirits. Rick Moonen’s steampunk-inspired hangout inside

FLAMING HOT: MERCADITO

At Red Rock’s Mercadito (702-979-3609; redrock.sclv.com), the restaurant’s sig-nature Big Nose Goes to Mexico cocktail gets a full-blown torching upon being served. A blend of blanco and reposado tequilas, dark rum, almond syrup, and guava purée, the drink is something of a cross between a margarita and a mai tai, with a flaming rum float tacked on for added flair. After pouring the ingredients into a salt-rimmed Collins glass, bartenders fill half a lime with 151proof rum and ignite the flammable booze with a long match, resulting in the kind of woodsy flavor that can only be achieved by actually setting something on fire. V

photography courtesy of MgM resorts InternatIonal

Fire and Ice

SCREEN: SAGE

With the masterful Craig Schoettler at its helm as property mixologist, Aria has reached new heights of cocktail creativity in its on-site restaurants, and Sage (877-230-2742; aria.com) is no exception. For the cognac-based Smoke Missing Mirrors cocktail, Schoettler’s team employed everything from PolyScience’s handheld smoking gun to wood chips in the quest to reach the desired level of smokiness, eventually deciding to torch a bourbon barrel stave, then “rinse” the inside of the glass with the smoke that rises off the stave. “The aroma is like nothing we’ve been able to replicate other than in this fashion,” says Schoettler. “Campfire, toasted marshmallow, honeyed vanilla—a very unique smoky aroma.”

L I F E I S A C O M B I N AT I O N O F M A G I C & P A S TA - F E D E R I CO F E L L I N I

NOW SERVING NIGHTLY SALUTEVEGAS.COM

@SALUTEVEGAS

TH E

KASKADE EFFECT

RECORDING ARTIST AND PRODUCER KASKADE SAYS HE’S JUST IN IT FOR THE MUSIC— AND WITH MULTIPLE GRAMMY NOMS, AN UNPRECEDENTED EXCLUSIVE MULTIYEAR RESIDENCY AT WYNN, AND A FAN BASE NUMBERING IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, HIS FOCUS IS PAYING OFF. BY PHOEBE REILLY PHOTOGRAPHY BY jEff gaLE and jEff cRawfORd

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opposite page:

Coat ($1,695) and turtleneck sweater ($595), Bally. The Shops at Crystals, 702-732-7800; bally.com. Trousers, Emporio Armani ($495). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com this page: Coat, Rag & Bone ($1,195). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Blazer ($545) and trousers ($225), Theory. Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neiman marcus.com. Shirt, Ermenegildo Zegna ($345). The Shops at Crystals, 702-891-8726; zegna.com. Tie, John Varvatos ($148). Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-6370; johnvarvatos.com. Shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo ($695). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above

“In entertainment, there’s a lot of extracurricular activities that go on. [But] for me, this scene begins and ends with the music.”

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Kaskade onstage at XS.

photography by danny mahoney (xs)

Kaskade’s route to the DJ booth is unconventional—in more ways than one. For starters, he can’t pass unrecognized through the 8,000 revelers gathered here at the Wynn nightclub XS, even though unrecognized is exactly how DJs usually pass. (Did you know what Calvin Harris looked like before he started dating Taylor Swift?) Dressed in a crisp short-sleeved blue shirt, rolled-up jeans, and sneakers, Kaskade, 44, could be mistaken for any preppy partier more than a decade younger—except that in order to get to XS, you’ll have to pass multiple billboards featuring his likeness, all of them looming large over the Strip, advertising his two-year residency here. Thus, his procession unfolds like the tracking shot through the Copacabana in Goodfellas. We wind our way down the casino’s expansive corridors lined with vibrant red carpet. A shortcut through a dark empty restaurant leads to the outdoor Encore Beach Club, where Kaskade will play a pool party the following afternoon. As he walks past the backslapping bachelors and scantily clad bachelorettes who’ve arrived tonight to party and hear music from his new album, Automatic (Warner Bros. Records/Arkade), and his eight previous albums, arms stretch across the velvet rope to snap a quick picture. A security guard whose stony visage says “Don’t mess with me” keeps us moving. It’s 1:20 am. Many in attendance are already wobbly. Kaskade, on the other hand, is completely sober. Not just now—always. Which brings us to the other way Kaskade defes convention. He will spend at least two nights every week for the next two years traveling from his home in Pacifc Palisades, California, where he lives with his wife and three young children, to Sin City to play electronic dance music, a catchall term for everything from techno to dubstep. It’s a genre that alarmists the world over link to the illicit drug Ecstasy, yet Kaskade won’t take so much as a sip of beer. “Sure, there’s a lot of extracurricular activities that go on,” he says on our ride from the photo shoot to the hotel. “In entertainment, there’s a level of this, no matter what you’re doing. I live my life; they live theirs. For me, this scene begins and ends with the music.” And, truth be told, tonight’s bacchanal is nothing that young Ryan Raddon could have envisioned for himself back in Chicago, long before he became Kaskade, when he frst started messing around on some turntables a friend had stolen. (“He will go unnamed,” Kaskade says.) At the time, back in the late ’80s, house music was synonymous with the Windy City, and a teenage Raddon would take the train from his home in Northbrook, Illinois, to a

16-and-over club called Medusa’s in Wrigleyville to listen to it. “I was like, What is this?” he recalls. “Oh, cool, you can go to Gramophone [Records] down the street and buy it? Then we would go over to my friend’s mom’s house, and I was like, Oh, this is how you segue and match records.” It would be another few years before the dust settled on the grunge movement and electronic music rode its frst big wave of popularity, with artists like the Chemical Brothers, Moby, and the Prodigy enjoying a brief ubiquity. During this time, Raddon bounced around, frst to Provo, Utah, to attend Brigham Young University, then to New York, before returning to Salt Lake City to enroll in the University of Utah. By then he had his own set of (legitimately purchased) turntables and a collection of records that numbered in the hundreds. “There was a club called Club Manhattan,” he says. “I just went to the owner and asked, ‘What’s your slowest night?’” The following Monday, the entrepreneurial undergrad enlisted his friends to pack the club, a completely anachronistic Art Deco basement joint that had likely never seen anything remotely resembling a rave. “It was a hobby,” Kaskade says with a shrug. That gig lasted fve years. In 2000, he moved to San Francisco with his future wife, Naomi, a fellow snowboarder he had met in college. Techno and its sibling electronic styles were once again losing ground to rock bands like the Strokes and the White Stripes. “I think the reason it didn’t really stick back then is because the sound and the art hadn’t really incubated,” Kaskade says. “It wasn’t totally ready.”

Bomber jacket, Canali ($1,575). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-862-4447; canali.com. Shirt, Z Zegna ($398). The Shops at Crystals, 702-8918726; zegna.com. Jeans, Rag & Bone ($195). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com

Polo, Ermenegildo Zegna ($258). The Shops at Crystals, 702-891-8726; zegna.com. Trousers, Theory ($645). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neimanmarcus.com opposite page: Jacket, Dsquared ($1,390). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neiman marcus.com. Sweater, A.P.C. ($220). apc.fr. T-shirt ($95) and trousers ($195), Vince. Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks. com. Shoes, Bally ($575). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above

Styling by Olwen Zarlengo Styling assistance by Dana Thomas Grooming by Iryna Pume Location: 2794 La Bella Court, Henderson. Listed for sale by Kristen Routh-Silberman and Jill Landess, Synergy Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty

Seeking out local pockets of interest, he worked in record stores and as an A&R rep for a label, all the while experimenting with and releasing his own music. Instead of relying on samples, he created elaborate soundscapes— dreamy, seductive beats accompanied by vocals from friends, cousins of friends, and basically anyone who was willing. “My career really mirrors what’s been happening with electronic music in general,” Kaskade says. “As it’s gotten bigger, I rose with it.” The frst major turning point was the Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles in 2009, when about twice the expected number of festival attendees showed up. “I’m up there playing my music, something I wrote sitting in a basement three years ago, broke, eating Top Ramen, and 90,000 people are singing along with me on the chorus,” he says. “Like, this has fnally matured so that it’s more than just city kids. The bridge-and-tunnel kids found out about this. It was exhilarating.” Around the same time, Wynn approached him about playing a couple of summer dates at its then newly opened clubs. But Kaskade had another idea: He wanted to import from Ibiza the idea of the DJ residency. (Until then, Vegas residencies were reserved for mainstream pop acts, like Cher or Rod Stewart.) So he and Sean Christie, a managing partner at Encore Beach Club, sat at the back of the resort’s Society Café coming up with plans. “We were fully throwing it against the wall—like, Is this going to work?” Kaskade recalls. “And we were kind of rubbing our hands, like, Yeah, I think people are ready to hear electronic music in Vegas.” On Memorial Day 2010, Kaskade made his way—not as stealthily as he did tonight—through a crowd of 5,000 people to a rinky-dink booth in the middle of the club, while thousands more lined up to get in. “That will forever go down in my mind as like, Okay, my life’s different. Everything’s changed from this moment on.” What started as an off-the-cuff pitch soon turned into a full-blown industry. Today, most of the best-known names in the business have Vegas residencies—Skrillex, Diplo, Avicii, David Guetta. Reputable sources estimate that some of them command salaries of at least $250,000— per gig. Rival hotels constantly try to poach talent to keep up with the craze. “There’s a competitive nature there because we’re trying to differentiate

ourselves,” Kaskade explains. “But everyone’s really pretty cool to one another for the most part.” For a while, Wynn lost Kaskade to the nearby Cosmopolitan, which makes nights like this all the more special: This is his triumphant return. Not only that, but the hotel recently completed a $10 million renovation to create a more immersive experience. A decade ago, these performances didn’t approach the pyrotechnic heights they now reach, with a giant LED screen behind the booth projecting colorful, mesmerizing images of celestial orbs and focks of birds, while fames shoot from the rafters with every drop—the part of the song where the DJ drops the bass back into the track and the crowd goes absolutely wild as the vibrations rattle their tonsils. It’s one of Kaskade’s favorite moments of his sets, which can last from two to four hours. “Ten years ago,” he says, “you lit a sparkler at a club and people were ripping their faces off.” Does this spectacle eliminate the need for additional recreational enhancements? “It works for me, and I’m drinking a Fiji water.” V

“We were kind of rubbing our hands, like, Yeah, I think people are ready to hear electronic music in Vegas.”

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Detour de FORCE

THIS SEASON, FASHION—LIKE PASSION—CAREENS BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT. photography by RENÉ & RADKA styling by Giolliosa fuller and natalie fuller

on him: Turtleneck, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,625). The Shops at Crystals, 702-5277766; brunellocucinelli.com. on her: Coat ($3,900) and dress (price on request), Chanel. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3532; chanel.com. Oxford booties, Ralph Lauren Collection ($850). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0030; ralphlauren.com

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this page: Sweater, Zac Posen ($890). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Skirt, Sportmax ($495). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above opposite page: Blazer ($3,495), pants ($1,295), and belt ($305), Chloé. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3450; chloe.com. Beret, Louise Green ($48). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neiman marcus.com. Suede boots, Ralph Lauren Collection ($895). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0030; ralphlauren.com. on him: Jacket ($2,550) and scarf ($350), Bottega Veneta. The Shops at Crystals, 702-220-4751; bottegaveneta.com. Turtleneck, Gucci ($790). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-7333; gucci.com. Pants, Hermès ($1,000). Via Bellagio, 702-866-2629; hermes.com. Shoes, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,195). The Shops at Crystals, 702-527-7766; brunellocucinelli.com on her:

beauté throughout: Leonor Greyl Baume Boise de Rose ($49). Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 702-862-2525; nordstrom.com. Kérastase VIP Volume in Powder ($37). The Spa at Encore, Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-4772; kerastase-usa.com. Dior Diorskin Nude Cosmopolite ($45), Diorshow Pro Liner in Pro Black ($32), 5 Couleurs Designer Palette in Taupe Design ($62), and Rouge Dior in Nouvelle Femme ($35). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com

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88â&#x20AC;&#x192; vegasmagazine.com

opposite page: Jacket, HermĂ¨s ($2,775). Via Bellagio, 702-866-2629; hermes.com. Button-up ($495) and pants ($840), Brunello Cucinelli. The Shops at Crystals, 702-527-7766; brunellocucinelli.com. Shirt, Vince ($85). Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 702-862-2525; vince.com. Hat, Louise Green ($255). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-7313636; neimanmarcus.com this page:

Top ($2,725), turtleneck ($1,525), skirt ($3,800), and boots ($2,325), HermĂ¨s. Via Bellagio, 702-866-2629; hermes.com

opposite page: Jacket, blouse, and skirt (prices on request), Louis Vuitton. The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-6262; louisvuitton.com this page:

Taylor Coat, Brunello Cuccinelli ($3,920). The Shops at Crystals, 702-527-7766; brunellocucinelli.com. Turtleneck, Canali ($2,080). Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-862-4447; canali.com. Pants, Dolce & Gabbana ($745). The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6615; dolcegabbana.com Photography by René & Radka at Art Department Styling by Giolliosa and Natalie Fuller/ SisterStyling Hair by Christian Marc at Forward Artists Makeup by Samuel Paul at Forward Artists using Dior Models: Linda Nyvltova with LA Models and Daniel Dorr with Principal LA Production by Art Department Photo assistance by Jonny Marlow

vegasmagazine.com 91

standing, from left:

Daniel Krohmer, Daniel Ontiveros, and Howard Choi. seated, from left: David Clawson and Bradley Manchester.

Ace chefs

A movement is afoot, changing the cultural landscape of Las Vegas. And it’s being driven in the most delightful way—right to your stomach—by enterprising local chefs like Howard CHoi, david Clawson, daniel ontiveros, daniel KroHmer, and Bradley manCHester. by john curtas photography by shane mccauley There is a revolution going on in Las Vegas. As revolutions go, it’s a quiet one. But unlike most social upheavals, there is nary a bitter pill to swallow. This revolution is chef-driven, but not by celebrity chefs. Its pioneers are fercely independent souls who have cut the cord and abandoned the safety net of the Strip to boldly go where precious few chefs have gone before: straight into the heart of the suburbs and Downtown Las Vegas. In the process, they’re redrawing neighborhoods around the Las Vegas Valley. when you ask these trailblazers why they made the bold, almost unprecedented move of opening a small, personal, chef-driven restaurant in the neighborhoods, their reasons are remarkably similar. Howard Choi: I learned a lot from working seven years on the Strip, most notably with Rick Moonen at RM Seafood, and wanted people to enjoy good, Strip-quality dining and ingredients without having to drive down there

92 vegasmagazine.com

for it. Until I worked [on the Strip], I had never really had the chance to work with really good chefs, but once I did, it really sparked my interest and gave me inspiration to open my own place. Daniel Ontiveros: I wanted to show people they didn’t have to go to the hotels to experience good quality product. There was a huge change I saw coming when Glutton, Carson Kitchen, and Le Thai all opened Downtown. I just wanted to be part of the boom and become part of the food community and help change the way Las Vegas eats. Bradley Manchester: My whole background was running multiple concepts in huge, busy hotel operations with large staffs [most recently as executive chef at Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock Resort], so I was ready for a change. I have lived in larger cities like Chicago and Houston and fell in love with the whole dining concept where you could just walk down the street and get really good things to eat. I knew Vegas was on the cusp of that sort of revolution, and I really wanted to be a part of it. On the

Shirt, Giorgio Armani ($275). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Jeans, Vince ($225). Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 702-862-2525; nordstrom.com. Tie, Eton ($145). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE

HOWARD CHOI

Chef-owner, Fish N Bowl (7225 S. Durango Dr., 702-7393474; fishnbowlvegas.com) Former gig: Sushi chef at RM Seafood Specialty: Mighty ﬁne ﬁsh— Japanese-American style Fun fact: Gets excited when you clean your plate

ON ONTIVEROS: Jacket ($1,395)

and shirt ($250), Canali. Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-862-4447; canali.com. Tie, Salvatore Ferragamo ($190). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-0251; ferragamo.com. Pocket square, Brioni ($190). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com

ON MANCHESTER (OPPOSITE PAGE): Shirt, Burberry ($295). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com

DANIEL ONTIVEROS

Executive chef, Therapy (518 E. Fremont St., 702-9121622; therapylv.com)

Former gig: Top toque at Comme Ă&#x2021;a in Cosmopolitan Specialty: Updated American bistro fare Fun fact: Enjoys seducing guests with raw beef and pig ears

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Bradley Manchester Chef-owner, Glutton (616 E. Carson Ave., 702-3660623; gluttonlv.com) Former gig: Ran Red Rock Resorts’ and Cosmopolitan’s many food venues Specialty: Wood-fred proteins, a better burger Fun fact: Can make sweetbreads taste like Bufalo wings

Strip, every day you have tourists who come in and out, and you never see the same people again. Here we have people who come in three, four times a week and shake my hand and ask, “How’s it going?” I wanted to create that feel of what other cities have in Las Vegas and wanted to bring that to my restaurant. Even the two chefs who hadn’t worked for one of Vegas’s mega-hotel-casinos knew that change was in the wind and wanted to be part of it. David Clawson: I had been cooking in Vail, Colorado, for seven years at my own restaurant and was semiretired. We would go out to eat in Henderson two to three times a week and generally be very unhappy with the choices and how we were spending our money. This went on for about a year before I decided to open my own place. From my time in Colorado, I could defnitely see that people were looking for quality products they weren’t getting here. Daniel Krohmer: I had never worked on the Strip and never really had any interest in working on the Strip and serving tourists—not that I have anything against tourists, but I wanted to get to know my customers, learn their faces, and teach them about new products, fsh, and seafood, and get them to try something new, and get them to know me. That’s one of the reasons we have an open kitchen. It sounds like all of you were ready for a career change, but how did you know there were customers out there ready to make the

move away from brand-name restaurants to something smaller and more personal? Krohmer: I serve a lot of people who work on the Strip—people who know good food and want it in a nonpretentious environment. They want to be able to relax, kick back, and enjoy themselves. Folks who work for Robuchon and other Michelin-starred restaurants, who know all the details of great dining, come to my restaurant but don’t need all the rhetoric in order to have a good time. Clawson: I knew [from my Colorado restaurant] they didn’t want to pay $60 for composed plates, and that really drove my small-plate concept. With that, I could still use quality products and charge under $20 per plate for my food. By reducing the portion, I could afford to sell the plates for less. My recipes and plates were ones that had been signature dishes in other places I had worked, and I quickly found that people loved them here as well. Manchester: From the outset, we decided to cook good raw materials and put our spin and creativity on them, and so far it’s been well-received. Downtown is starting a new revolution in dining out in Las Vegas, and for us it’s all about doing the food we want to do. Are customers more sophisticated now than they were fve years ago? Choi: Yes. Everyone’s using a smartphone, which makes it easier to locate new restaurants and good food. Seventy-fve percent of my customers are under 40 years old; they’re younger families with one or two children. With so many other sushi restaurants, you don’t taste any rice, you don’t taste any

Daniel Krohmer

Chef-owner, Other Mama (3655 S. Durango Dr., 702-4638382; othermamalv.com) Former gig: Spent fve years as sous/sushi chef at Morimoto in Philadelphia Specialty: Raw seafood, incredible cocktails Fun fact: Trained in sushi and kaiseki in Japan

fsh. We want to bring out the favor of the main ingredient. People right now are getting used to it, and I’m hoping to teach them. Krohmer: I think we’re blessed here. Unlike Salt Lake City or some other midsize city, we can totally piggyback on the stuff that’s coming in to the Strip. All the great lobsters and oysters and caviar that are brought in by these quality boutique companies that are on their way to the Strip—I can call them and say, “Hey, on your way there, can I get 10 pounds of your matsutake mushroom?” People still look at my [oyster] bar and say, “Oysters in the desert? That just sounds weird,” and I say to them, “It’s 2015—this stuff isn’t coming here by horse and carriage.” Ontiveros: It was nerve-racking to leave the Strip and come downtown. When we looked there, we saw lots of pizza and burgers, and the fact that we’ve added things like steak tartare, pig ears, and braised oxtail to the menu shows we’re trying to educate diners. I just had a group of girls come in and try the pig ears, and now they come back to the restaurant every week just for the pig ears, something they never thought they’d love. Clawson: A lot of my customers are professionals on the Strip—hotel executives and people associated with the hospitality industry. From salt to pepper to soda, I try to bring the top-of-the-line products to my customers to impress them, and in a lot of cases they haven’t had them before, so their expectations have been exceeded—from their usual Diet Pepsi, or better sea salt than they’re used to. What stops Vegas from having more chef-driven restaurants like yours?

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Choi: I’ve been here 13 years, and the sad fact is many people in Vegas are still looking for a lot of food for a very little amount of money. The other side of that is that people think that if your ingredients are off the Strip, they must be cheap or not any good. It’s up to us to show the customers that the food can be just as good and the experience of eating in a chef-owned restaurant even better. Krohmer: Right now I have slices on my hands, I’m starting to get arthritis, I have back pains, I have all kinds of issues at 35 years old, but I know I have an expiration date. I’m not trying to get rich from this restaurant. I want to make a salary hopefully comparable to what I might be making with a Strip job. I want to provide jobs for my friends. I want to listen to the music I want to listen to when I work. I want to close if it’s my girlfriend’s birthday, and if my mom’s in town, I want to be able to leave early. What needs to happen for Vegas to continue to evolve as a food town? Ontiveros: In many ways, it’s already happening. We’re coming together as a community of chefs, supporting each other and making Las Vegas a much better place to go out to eat. Clawson: Now people can go to a smaller restaurant where they can look and see the chef standing there at the stove and giving that personal touch to the plates… and really experience a chef-driven restaurant. Choi: I just want to show my food to the people and see how they enjoy my food. When I see them fnish their plates, then I see that they’re happy and I am happy. V

ON KROHMER (OPPOSITE PAGE):

Sweater, Z Zegna ($395). The Shops at Crystals, 702-8918726; zegna.com. Jeans, Rag & Bone ($210). Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 702-862-2525; nordstrom.com. Belt, Ermenegildo Zegna ($275). SEE ABOVE ON CLAWSON: Blazer, Canali

($1,590). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Shirt, Salvatore Ferragamo ($400). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-9339333; ferragamo.com GROOMER: Andi Miller

Shot on location at Glutton

DAVID CLAWSON Chef-owner, David Clawson Restaurant (2840 Bicentennial Pkwy., Henderson, 702-466-2190; david-clawson.com) Former gig: Retired to Las Vegas after decades in top kitchens from coast to coast Specialty: Impeccable products, small plates, always at the stoves Fun fact: Couldn’t ﬁnd an eatery he loved in Henderson, so he opened his own

ARMANI, AFTER 40 YEARS IN THE BIZ, GIORGIO ARMANI BUILDS A SHRINE TO HIS INDELIBLE INFLUENCE ON CONTEMPORARY FASHION AND CELEBRATES WITH TWO NEW SIGNATURE COLLECTIONS. BY EMILY BACKUS 98

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

For Harold Koda, the word that sums up Giorgio Armani’s early work is “sprezzatura”— a term that comes from Baldassare Castiglione’s 1528 Renaissance tome The Book of the Courtier, meaning “a certain nonchalance,” the ability to “ display an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions, making it appear almost without any thought.”

far as the eye can see,

opposite page: Giorgio Armani as photographed by Robert Krieger in the 1980s. above, from top: The second-floor Color Schemes gallery in the Armani/Silos exhibition space; a velvet tunic from Armani’s Fall 2011 collection printed with the designer’s likeness, in the space’s entrance gallery.

Armani/Silos, Giorgio Armani’s new permanent exhibition space in Milan, is full of slim, beautiful women. Many are professional models, and all are dressed in revealing haute fashions: a semitransparent, flesh-colored jumpsuit with a plunging backline; a crystal-studded, tight-bodiced, full-skirted black tulle cocktail dress…. The occasion is a party, in late April, honoring the Italian designer and what may be his biggest year to date: the 40th anniversary of his eponymous fashion house, the grand opening of Armani/Silos, and a new collection whose name could denote Armani’s aesthetic influence in the fashion world today: the New Normal. At a certain point, a phalanx of dark-suited men enters the party. Embedded deep within his imposing entourage, Leonardo DiCaprio strides through with a serious expression. His beard and long hair, gathered in a knot at his nape, make the actor stand out among both the other male guests, who adhere to a near-militaristic aesthetic rigor, and the sirens dressed to the nines. The meticulously directed celebration welcomed other A-list devotees of Armani: Tom Cruise, Glenn Close, and Cate Blanchett were all in attendance, much of their night spent posing for throngs of photographers packed behind metal barriers. Other longtime enthusiasts of both the man and the brand, among them Sophia Loren, Tina Turner, and Lauren Hutton, also attended a catwalk roundup of Armani’s 10-year foray into haute couture, featuring more than 90 looks and 11 themes. A party the night before at Armani’s members-only Milan club, Privé, was deejayed by Boy George. But while the festivities were meant as a celebration, they also held a retrospective spirit, honoring Armani’s indelible influence on haute couture over the past four decades. The designer has described his role in fashion as a “scenographer, director, interpreter, and costume designer of contemporary reality.” As a child he dreamed of becoming a film director. Appropriately, his long, close ties to the entertainment industry, first forged by dressing Richard Gere in the 1980 film American Gigolo, have become a major channel of cultural influence. “All the events that positively affected my career took place at the same time, without being calculated or planned. I met American Gigolo director Paul Schrader quite by accident,” Armani told Vegas in an exclusive interview. “A fun fact is that the clothes worn by Richard Gere in the film were not designed specifically for him—they were from a collection. You could find them in boutiques once the film was released.” “American Gigolo had Richard Gere as its star, but Armani’s clothes were the real unsung protagonist,” says Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. “There are scenes of Gere just luxuriating in fabulous clothes, simply pulling clothes out of the closet and laying them out, [scenes] that don’t advance the plot.” It’s a testament to the sex appeal the designer imbued not only into his menswear but menswear in general. “Starting with the wardrobe of [Gere’s] character, Julian Kay,” says Steele, “Armani showed audiences a dignified alternative to antiestablishment fashion excesses such as flared pants, winglike lapels, and highwaisted polyester suits. [He showed] escape, too, from the stiff tailoring of traditional suits typical of Savile Row. Instead, Armani’s designs doled out sexy, easy elegance in less structured garments that flowed over the body in a sensual, flattering way.” “[Armani] not only relaxed the suit; he made it a sexier garment,” agrees Harold Koda, curator-in-charge of

Scenes from the 40th-anniversary party: (from left) Glenn Close, Giorgio Armani, and Lauren Hutton; Armani with Sophia Loren; Tina Turner and Hilary Swank; Cate Blanchett, Loren, Leonardo DiCaprio, Swank, Pierce Brosnan, and Zhang Ziyi sit front-row at the fashion show; Tom Cruise.

the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and cocurator of the landmark Giorgio Armani retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in 2000. For Armani, “textiles are as important as the cut,” says Koda, but adjusting proportions—the breadth of a jacket’s shoulders, the width of its lapels—is “where he plays master at revisiting codes of menswear.” “I [have always been] interested in breaking old dress codes,” says the 81-year-old designer. A 40thanniversary capsule tuxedo collection highlights Armani’s deftness at simultaneously subverting and respecting those codes. The tuxedos come in three fits that seem aimed at a trifecta of personalities: classic, dégagé (meaning relaxed or casual in French), and innovative. Men in the last category can enjoy traditional black suits woven with subtle patterns, like dégradé (colors gradually shaded instead of clearly demarcated) polka dots or camouflage. The palette has also been expanded beyond traditional black to vintage midnight blue—popular at the turn of the 20th century, according to Koda—while the bow ties feature micropatterns. “The tuxedo is a very particular outfit: Its look can’t be completely revolutionized, so updating it is a very delicate operation,” says Armani, who adds that the woven designs “create a surprising blurred effect.” For Armani, it’s not so much about revolutionizing formalwear itself, but changing its perception. The designer has said numerous times that his greatest achievement in fashion has been seducing men back to embracing the suit: “I am very proud to have convinced men that a tailored suit is not a costume but a garment that can make you feel stylish and comfortable at the same time.” The designer’s new line of contemporary classic womenswear, called New Normal, which was created for the fashion house’s 40th anniversary and introduced to Armani boutiques in June, operates on the same principles. “New Normal is the very essence of my work: classic and contemporary at the same time, definitely timeless,” says Armani. “It focuses on people, not on clothes.” “I think that now more than ever, with the proliferation of passing fads, women need some more clarity

on how to dress, something that is not dogmatic and that they can personalize according to their own taste,” he adds. “I condensed it into a wardrobe of perfectly tailored, timeless pieces that are easy to wear and interpret every day.” The New Normal collection focuses on daywear in fluid and sleek cuts crafted from refined fabrics. It places Armani’s iconic trouser suit, made in various shapes, materials, and fits, at its center. The collection also has crossover pieces for evening, like a trench coat in black velvet and a satin top, and includes shoes and bags in precious materials like crocodile and sophisticated hues such as cognac, dark green, and ice. Its DNA is entirely Armani—a fidelity to classic elegance and simple forms, all interpreted through his inimitable eye.

“[Giorgio Armani] not only relaxed the suit; he made it a sexier garment.” —harold koda 100 vegasmagazine.com

he afternoon before the celeb-studded party, Armani/Silos had a much more calm and reverent feel. Between the flocks of guests, Armani’s soft, genteel, sophisticated daywear— in the designer’s signature “greige” color, plus other luminous neutrals—fitted onto ghostlike mannequins, stood out in subtle but powerful contrast to the massive, minimalist, raw cement walls on the space’s ground floor. Among the collections were a number of exemplars of the fluid, flattering trousered power suit that has empowered a generation of women to stand shoulder to shoulder with men in the workplace without sacrificing elegance or femininity. The yin-yang pairing of these outfits exalts the gentle androgyny of the women’s clothes and the sensual masculinity of the men’s, but also the consistency of the designer’s methods across gender lines—his play on clean, traditional dressing codes by tweaking proportions as well as combining textures, colors, and patterns in soft, light, noble materials. Armani himself doesn’t underestimate the significance of the work. “My revolution, if we want to call it that, has always moved in two directions,” he says. “On the one hand, I tried to lighten lines and structures. On the other, I renewed materials and introduced a soft and

from left: A look

from Giorgio Armani’s New Normal collection; from the men’s evening capsule collection.

cozy kind of rigor.” It’s a legacy now cataloged with a similar kind of rigor throughout Armani/Silos. The soaring five-story space, built in a former industrial granary, houses 600 ready-to-wear outfits reaching back to 1980 and 200 accessories, as well as a digital archive of Armani’s designs. In line with its exhibitlike purpose, the outfits are grouped by theme rather than chronology. “I designed Armani/Silos by combining its original purpose—a storage silo—with my personal idea of creating an exhibition space that was not a museum,” Armani explains. “The Silos [are] a container in which I have collected my work of the last 40 years. Evoking the concept of food, which [is necessary] for life, I conceived it as a living space, where scholars and enthusiasts could analyze and reconstruct the way I work, hoping that my example will inspire more stories of success in the future.” The second floor is populated with exotic, non-Western styles—especially in eveningwear—that borrow from the Far East and Africa: collarless Punjabi shirts, Pakistani tunics, African kaftans, Chinese cheongsam-style dresses, Japanese kimono jackets, sarong pants from Southeast Asia. The third floor takes visitors through Armani’s varied and vivid palette, far beyond his famous “noncolors.” The clothing on the last floor, called “light,” explores his use of whites and light reflection. “Armani/Silos is beautiful because it is absolutely not rhetorical,” says Piero Lissoni, a renowned furniture designer who attended the opening. “You feel real energy through the strength of the architecture and the strength of the culture of Armani’s work. It is a super-condensed history of [his] day-to-day world for the last 40 years.” It is also a synthesis and testimony to the endurance of Armani’s work, as is the New Normal womenswear line. “I have always spoken to and was chosen by people who share my vision for a sophisticated, understated style,” says Armani. “I think that we are currently being overloaded with visual stimuli and that fashion has become excessive. Having a dressing norm is an expression of dignity. It helps you focus on what really matters.” That is, elegance, comfort, sophistication, an honoring of past, present, and future equally. In essence, the Armani philosophy. Giorgio Armani, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-9047741; Via Bellagio, 702-893-8327; giorgioarmani.com V

Tie One On Vegas men—and Vegas visitors —accessorize to the max. “Las Vegas is quite unique in that, at any given time, the majority of male clientele shopping, dining, and drinking will be tourists,” says fashion aficionado Olwen Zarlengo, resident fashion stylist and costume designer at the nightclub Light in Mandalay Bay. “With regard to Armani Collezioni, the novelty outerwear and jackets are popular—we are jacketcrazy here. Sports coats are popular over dress pants and jeans. Las Vegans will wear this look to dinner, a show, and for casual business attire. Tux jackets, shirts, and bow ties over jeans are also a popular trend on red carpets here. It’s common to see men being more adventurous with accessories: bow ties, pocket squares, and scarves with suiting—popping color and patterns. A few years ago, this was unheard of.”

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Haute ProPerty

Men’s Dens

photography by t.r. Witcher

The newesT cusTom domains for guys don’T resemble The room your dad annexed for his pool Table. by t.r. witcher Let’s be honest: The term “man cave” doesn’t have a high-class ring. It’s either a garage turned greasy workshop or a beat-up Barcalounger, dim lights, video games, and the smell of cheap beer and sweat. In other words, not a place any modern man would want to be caught in. But that’s not to say gentlemen don’t appreciate having a room that offers a refuge from their busy lives. Realtor Andi Ahart (andiahart.com) says men are increasingly searching for raw spaces they can transform. “I fnd that they’re just looking for the space because they want to make it their own,” she says, “whether it’s a third-car garage to convert or a full-on casita.” These new male-oriented spaces—let’s call them men’s dens— aren’t about hiding from the world. They’re about self-expression and celebrating what makes a man feel like he’s part of the world. The den in Gavin Maloof’s Southern Highlands mansion sits across a lavish stairwell from a home theater. Around 600 square feet, the room is stately without being stuffy. One wall is lined with signed guitars from bands such as Panic! at the Disco and Creed. On the same continued on page 106

The stately but not stuffy men’s den in Gavin Maloof’s home features an ornate pool table and a walk-in bar.

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HAute propertY // gadgets //

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wall is a fat-panel screen connected to a housewide media server that can dial up 24 terabytes of music and movies at the touch of a button. Nearby is a signed LeBron James jersey. The den also features a plush walkin bar. A circular bar table frames one side of the space; at the other is a gorgeous pool table with carved accents. The room is painted a shade of purple that echoes the color of the Sacramento Kings, the basketball franchise the Maloof family owned for more than a decade. Hand-carved wooden details lend the space elegance, and much of its handsome but casual energy comes from the deepbrown hand-scraped hardwood foors.

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On the ceiling, fat walnut boards help dampen noise. But if this all sounds too dark, just turn to the far wall, which opens onto a sunken outdoor patio that flls the room with warm light. The nearly 16,000-square-foot home of a sports-loving businessman—listed by Shapiro & Sher Group for $9.5 million (lasvegasfnehomes.com)—on the shore of Anthem Country Club’s lake features a basement recreation space with a full bar, home theater, and pool table. But the real men’s den is the full-size Olympic volleyball court and regulation NBA half-court, with a ceiling of steel and diagonally intersecting wood beams and a foor hand-laid in foating parquet, just like

an NBA court. Best of all: The court has a curving glass-walled seating area, so friends can pull up a chair, have a bite or a drink, and take in the action courtside. Realtor Ivan Sher reveals that this ultimate male domain has a backstory: Located in a detached building that also features a massage room, a bedroom, and a fourcar garage, the room was built by the current owners as a kind of elaborate privacy screen. “The home itself was exposed on one side to the neighbors.” In Mountain’s Edge, Tom Blanchard’s den is not only a doit-yourself tour de force; it’s also a reimagining of what we want from such a space. The den that Blanchard converted is located just off his home’s entry and flled with musical equipment that he has salvaged and repurposed as an artistic expression of his life’s story. Drums hang from the walls—a reminder of the Detroit native’s days playing drums in a rock band—with artwork honoring rock ’n’ roll legends like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix painted on the drumheads. The drums are backlit with multicolored LED lights that can be controlled from his iPad, allowing him to create different moods. Resting on tables that Blanchard built from reclaimed wood are old guitar amps whose interiors he gutted, turning them into small liquor

Tom Blanchard and partner Heath Richards started TBone Art Company a few years ago to repurpose unused household items. Sure, they can whip up a cabinet for your bourbon collection from an old guitar amp, but even better, bring them your most eccentric ideas and see what magic they can conjure for you. “All the pieces have stories,” says Richards. “We want to bring those stories to life.” TBone Art Company, 702-340-2699; tboneartco.com

AV Club You don’t have to own a sports franchise to enjoy high-end media throughout your home. The Kaleidescape Alto ($2,495) can store up to 100 Blu-ray –quality (or 600 standard-quality) movies, all downloadable from a cloud-based server. HP Media Group, 702-897-8990; hpmediagroup.com

cabinets. For a lover of music and cocktails, it’s the perfect combination. Blanchard notes—and this is undoubtedly the key to the rehabilitation of the man cave as a respectable space—that he created the room as a place where his wife and young daughter would want to spend time. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he says. “This is a refection of everything that made Daddy happy and everything that made him who he is.” V

photography courtesy of shapiro & sher (basketball); by heath richards/tboNe art co. (blaNchard, amp)

The ultimate men’s den includes a regulation NBA half-court. below: Tom Blanchard’s rock ’n’ roll fantasy den.

Haute property one on one

Sir Mix a Lot

Designers, Design aficionaDos, anD fans of Thom Filicia convergeD at the Las vegas Design center Last month for a conversation moDerateD by Vegas eDitor-in-chief anDrea bennett.

How did you land Queer eye? I was in my Soho offce, and my dog, Paco, had been in the offce the whole

day. It was early Friday evening and a lot of people were leaving, and our elevator got stuck between foors. To calm down some of the panicking women, I said that hot fremen would come save us, but my dog might have an accident. The girls were like, “What do you do?” I exchanged numbers with one, and soon I was getting a call about this new show. Our topic for the evening is “Decorating from Top to Bottom.” What does that mean to you? [It’s] all about making a space that’s holistic—that has a sense of soul and is rooted in the situation it’s in. In broad strokes, decorating right now is about creating a beautiful balance between modern and timeless, and embracing the idea that there are no rules. It’s about doing what visually makes sense: mixing and matching the rare and the everyday, shiny and matte. Design is much more about communication than ever.

The Thom Filicia Home Collection has partnered with everyone from Bosch to Safavieh to Kohler. Do you approach product design the same way as decorating? [As a team] we’re so hypersensitive to what’s going on in our business that often what we’re interested in becomes part of the social fabric nine months later. We’re always making sure we’re connecting, whether it’s [designing Architectural Digest’s] AD Oasis at Art Basel or doing outdoor lounges for airports. We’re even doing our frst private plane right now. What else are you working on? We’re doing a beautiful Georgian house in New York that’s a clean, fresh take on the interior, and at the same time a progressive, modern Beverly Hills house that we’re cooling down, as well as a really modern house outside Denver. We’re acclimating to different styles, and that’s the approach that’s so current. V

clockwise from left: Filicia’s book American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat; a residence at Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Caicos Islands; a living room in Greenwich, Connecticut; items from the TF Home Collection include the Katherine cocktail table for Vanguard, the Crouse storage console for Vanguard, and the Urban Landscape artwork for Soicher Marin. top: Filicia.

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InsIght

Favorite vegas building: “The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. It’s such an architectural gem right in Downtown’s center.”

vegas go-to restaurants: “Estiatorio Milos [in Cosmopolitan] and Lago [in Bellagio]. That natural light!”

Casino you’d make over: “The Golden Nugget. I’d love to go old-school with an amazing modern Rat Pack look.”

photography by Nick JohNsoN (grace bay club); Zach Desart (greeNwich); aZusa MillioN (Filicia)

Since Thom Filicia launched his design frm, Thom Filicia Inc., in 1998, he has designed outdoor lounges for Delta Airlines at Hartsfeld-Jackson International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport; an eco-friendly apartment in the Riverhouse, Manhattan’s frst LEEDcertifed green condo tower; guest rooms and the new residences at the Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and interiors for clients such as Tina Fey and Jennifer Lopez. But some of his most ardent fans knew him frst as the interior design expert on the Emmy Award–winning show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where he was charged with transforming the living spaces of some particularly challenging clients. thomflicia.com

HAUTE PROPERTY Spotlight

Overlapping ovals with pearl center ($2,705).

SHOW AND TELL

INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER CHRISTOPHER GUY HARRISON’S RETHOUGHT VEGAS SHOWROOM MAY JUST MAKE YOU WANT TO CHECK IN AND STAY AWHILE. BY T.R. WITCHER British designer Christopher Guy Harrison began his career designing mirrors, before building the luxury furnishings empire Christopher Guy, whose pieces have graced Venetian, Caesars Palace, and Wynn and appeared in movies such as Ocean’s 13 and Casino Royale. Earlier this year, the company decided to revamp its popular showroom at the Las Vegas Design Center, which is open to consumers year-round. The only question was whether to add on or rebuild. “We agreed that for us to put our best foot forward, let’s just rebuild the whole thing,” says Jon Spurlock, the brand’s visual director.

// go retro //

The open layout was scrapped in favor of an intimate experience, with an entryway you might expect in an exclusive boutique hotel. The emphasis is on old-school hospitality: Small galleries flank an “infinity hallway,” bookended by mirrors and lit with chandeliers by the Czech designer Lasvit. Naturally, you’ll want to come for the furnishings—bold, sumptuous, and elegant—but the showroom is an attraction all its own. As Spurlock puts it, “You enter a site, a scent, a sound, and a feeling that’s just uniquely ours.” Las Vegas Design Center, 495 S. Grand Central Pkwy., 702-476-5511; christopherguy.com V

SOFA REDUX

LAS VEGAS HAS ITS midcentury furnishing treasures, but you’ll need to know where to look. This 1950s Midcentury Modern sofa (RIGHT, comes with a love seat) by Folke Ohlsson for Dux ($4,500) came from a local estate and was reupholstered in luxe white tweed. It has the clean design integrity of the era, but the angled lines (and that gorgeously impractical color!) create a softer silhouette. Retro Vegas, 1131 S. Main St., 702-384-2700; retro-vegas.com

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STARRING ROLE Las Vegas is all about getting ready for your close-up, even if your lighting only looks like it came from a movie set. Park the Modrest L803 Modern Photo Light ﬂoor lamp ($680) in a corner to give your entertaining spaces a little cinematic glam. We found this gem at the hidden treasure Boho Furniture Gallery, a must for eclectic home décor. 7650 Dean Martin Dr., 702-354-1224; bohofurnituregallery.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RETRO VEGAS (SOFA); CHRISTOPHER GUY (PORTRAIT)

Epée hand-beaten copper mirror crafted in overhanging sun rays ($5,186).

PARTING SHOT

Where the Men Are

Old-schOOl masculinity may be a liability elsewhere, but in las Vegas, the man’s man isn’t hard tO find. by scott dickensheets in the old days didn’t prevent Horseshoe magnate Benny Binion from being embraced as an avuncular dad fgure (and founding the World Series of Poker). On this side of the law—sometimes—there was former sheriff Ralph Lamb, who was never afraid to manhandle a perp and became a legend. Today, la vida macho continues unabated, whether it’s US District Judge James Mahan, who wears his shoulder-holstered gun in his chambers, or the hundreds of professional and amateur mixed martial artists who train in Vegas, keeping the musk factor high. You will have spotted the common threads here: an unshakable sense of self, the cheerful banishment of internal confict, an appealing authenticity. Lucky for you, fella, Vegas will gladly democratize this manly mojo for anyone with a Y chromosome and a desire to free his pent-up machismo. However henpecked

you are back in Turducken Falls, for the duration of a Vegas vacation, you can chomp cigars, swill booze, speak from your gut, and swagger like Conan (the barbarian, of course, not the talk-show host), and no one will ask you to check your privilege at the door. You can walk with the giants. When the view from your man cave is of a world confused over trigger warnings, allfemale Ghostbusters remakes, and the cultural politics of dad bod, the directness of a Las Vegas bender probably seems revivifying. Whether all this unbridled manliness is a good thing, well, obviously that’s been subject to debate since the frst Cro-Magnon dragged his mate into a cave. When it comes to Vegas, perhaps it’s enough to hope that three days of raconteuring serves as a safety valve that helps keep your lid on back home. So live it up, big guy. Just don’t call anyone a “broad.” You’re no Oscar Goodman. V

illustration by daniel o’leary

Oscar Goodman—now, that guy’s a man. At least in an old-school, boisterously impolitic sense that predates “mansplaining.” From his unrepentant embrace of gin, showgirls, and his mob-lawyer past to the selfassured way he advocates snipping the thumbs from taggers, there’s nothing “socially constructed,” as the gender theorists and Twitter intellectuals might say, about the former mayor’s masculinity. All around us, pop culture and politics may be engaged in a rolling redefnition of manhood, whether it’s Don Draper’s hippie-dippy denouement or Rick Perry (a Texan, for goodness’ sake!) ditching his boots and donning glasses in a calculated bid to look more presidential. Feminist thinkers can chip away at the patriarchy and its perks, but Oscar still uses the term “broads”—not entirely ironically and not at all apologetically. And if it weren’t for term-limit laws, he’d still be the king of Las Vegas. However paleo that may seem from the outside, it’s more or less the norm for this place. Sin City loves a man’s man, even if—especially if—he’s a rascal. Sure, Bugsy Siegel was, despite Warren Beatty’s enshrinement effort, too crass to transcend his mob persona and become an icon of respected Vegas manhood. But Moe Dalitz wasn’t. He was a gangster, but he spread the philanthropic dollars and laundered himself into a beloved city father; he was once named Humanitarian of the Year. And whacking a few Texans

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