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MORRIS DAY AND THE TIME
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECEMBER 29, 2016–JANUARY 11, 2017 17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
35 Legal Green in the
FEATURE
Silver State
20 Mr. Chang
36 Will You Stay or Will You Go?
Comes to Vegas
A comic preview of Momofuku in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
BY ANTHONY CURTIS
BY PJ PEREZ
37 Turning on the News
24 Save Room for Dessert
BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
Christina Tosi brings Milk Bar to the Strip. BY MARK ADAMS
Catherine Cortez Masto Swimming Against the Tide BY MICHAEL GREEN
30 Showing Our True Colors 38 Every Day Is a BY ZONEIL MAHARAJ Day to Celebrate
31 Ancho Reyes Verde BY XANIA WOODMAN
New Year, New Las Vegas BY DAVID G. SCHWARTZ
32 Holding Out for a Heroine BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
33 Downtown Cocktail
Room’s 10th Anniversary BY XANIA WOODMAN
BY MARISA FINETTI AND KIRK PETERSON
39 Saving Red Rock BY SHANNON MILLER
40 A Sonic Silver Lining BY ZONEIL MAHARAJ
41 Broadway, Baby BY GENEVIE DURANO PLUS: 24/7
Downtown 4.0 BY JAMES P. REZA
34 Creative Inspiration BY JESSIE O’BRIEN
ON THE FLIP SIDE Checking in on Las Vegas’ Former Nightlife Luminaries BY ROBERT SPUHLER
The Brightest Bulb on Fremont Street BY JASON R. LATHAM
NYE: Strip-Side Celebration BY ASHLEY MILES
NYE: In the ’Burbs BY JASON R. LATHAM
NYE: Downtown Countdown BY JESSIE O’BRIEN AND ZONEIL MAHARAJ
NYE: Culinary Happenings BY MARISA FINETTI
NYE: 2016’s Final Concerts BY MARK ADAMS
Seven More Nights BY IAN CARAMANZANA
MILK BAR’S BIRTHDAY CAKE
Photography KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger President Michael Skenandore Chief Financial Officer Sim Salzman Vice President, Marketing and Events Keith White Creative Director Sherwin Yumul Graphic Designer Javon Isaac Technical Director Herbert Akinyele Controller Jane Weigel
Letters and Story Ideas Comments@VegasSeven.com Advertising Sales@VegasSeven.com Distribution Distribution@VegasSeven.com
PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP Vegas Seven 701 Bridger Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-798-7000 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada. © 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.
Publisher
Michael Skenandore Editorial EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Melinda Sheckells MANAGING EDITOR
Genevie Durano SENIOR EDITOR, DINING, BEVERAGE & NIGHTLIFE
Xania Woodman ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Mark Adams SENIOR WRITER
Lissa Townsend Rodgers EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Shannon Miller EDITORIAL INTERNS
Sam Mendoza, Ashley Miles, Zauni Tanil, Ally Tatosian Contributing Editors Michael Green (Politics), David G. Schwartz (Gaming/Hospitality) Art CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Benjamin Ward SENIOR DESIGNER
Cierra Pedro STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Krystal Ramirez VegasSeven.com DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT
Zoneil Maharaj EDITOR, DTLV.COM
Jessie O’Brien DIGITAL PRODUCER & WRITER
Amber Sampson CONTRIBUTING WRITER, RUNREBS.COM
Tyler Bischoff Production/Distribution DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION
Marc Barrington ADVERTISING MANAGER
Jimmy Bearse Sales BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Christy Corda DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SALES
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TO DO
Lady Gaga plays the Encore Theater Dec. 30.
COLLIER SCHORR COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS
What to do around the clock in Las Vegas By Shannon Miller
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
15
TO DO
This page: Ronda Rousey. Opposite page: Joe Walsh
THURSDAY 29
Citizen Cope brings his satisfying mix
of rock and soul to Brooklyn Bowl. Sway to hits such as “Sideways” and the Eric Clapton–approved “Hands of the Saints.” 8:30 p.m., $35–$68, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
After 23 years of showing us that it’s still cool to swing, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hits The Orleans Showroom. 8 p.m., $20–$30, The Orleans Hotel & Casino, orleanscasino.com Texan and blue-collar comedian Ron White chews on a cigar and delivers jokes that got him two Grammy nominations. 10 p.m., $65–$89, The Mirage, mirage.com FRIDAY 30
Lady Gaga exhibited her talent for performing jazz standards on her Cheek to Cheek duet album with Tony Bennett. She takes the stage solo tonight at Wynn Las Vegas, putting her unique spin on jazz favorites with the backing of a live band. 9 p.m., $1,000–$1,500, Encore Theater, wynnlasvegas.com
MMA’s Ronda Rousey returns to the ring to take back the UFC women’s bantam-
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December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
weight crown from Amanda Nunes. 4 p.m., $80–$605, T-Mobile Arena, t-mobilearena.com Snoop Dogg shares Puff Puff Pass Tour Part 2 with us. Catch Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DJ Quik, Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound at The Joint. 7 p.m., $44–$255, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, hardrockhotel.com L.A. Guns brings its glam-rock ballads
How about ringing in the New Year with a hike and campfire? Valley of Fire State Park has you covered with a guided adventure on the scenic 1.25-mile White Domes Trail, with LED lights illuminating the trail’s section of a slot canyon. Sparkling cider and campfire provided. 10 p.m., meet at Valley of Fire visitor center, $8–$10 park entrance fee, parks.nv.gov Big Dog’s Brewing Company ushers
to Count’s Vamp’d. Don’t forget your Aqua Net. 9 p.m., $10–$15, 6750 W. Sahara Ave., vampdvegas.com/shows
in the New Year with dinner specials, live music and deals on pitchers, shots and growlers. 5 p.m, Big Dog’s Draft House, 4543 N. Rancho Dr., bigdogsbrews.com
SATURDAY 31
SUNDAY 1
98.5 KLUC hosts a family-friendly Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Town Square,
Shake off that hangover at Burly Q Revue burlesque and variety show with music by Johnny Zig and the Highlighters. 9 p.m., Double Down Saloon, doubledownsaloon.com
complete with a live DJ, inflatable slide, bounce houses, rock wall, face painting, balloon artists and a countdown to noon with a juice-box toast. 10 a.m.–1 p.m., mytownsquarelasvegas.com Let loose with Travis Barker as he DJs and drums down to midnight at Vanity. 9 p.m., $50–$75, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, hardrockhotel.com
Toast the New Year with complimentary Champagne and a special herb-crusted prime rib roast with horseradish mashed potatoes and winter vegetables at Della’s Kitchen. 6 a.m.–2 p.m., $38, delanolasvegas.com
TO DO
MONDAY 2
The American Society of Scenic Railway Artists Annual Juried Show presents
works in watercolor, ink, oil, pastel, acrylic and digital art from select nationwide artists. Explore how railroads connect us through time and across the country at the Springs Preserve. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., through Jan. 8, included with general admission ($5-$17), springspreserve.org
TUESDAY 3
The Broadway musical Fun Home opens at The Smith Center
tonight. Based on the graphic memoir by award-winning writer and illustrator Alison Bechdel, Fun Home explores childhood memories through a grown-up lens. 7:30 p.m., $29–$127, thesmithcenter.com
WEDNESDAY 4
It’s National Spaghetti Day! Celebrate with Slice of Vegas’ bottomless spaghetti bowls with your choice of sauce: marinara, spicy marinara or basil pesto. No sharing! 11 a.m.–11 p.m., $5, in Mandalay Bay, facebook.com/sliceofvegas
PHOTO BRANDON MAGNUS
THURSDAY 5
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke hits theaters across the Valley today for its 20th anniversary. Immerse yourself in the stunning visuals and storytelling of this beloved anime film. fathomevents.com FRIDAY 6
It’s Footloose Friday at Oddfellows. Bring your best move and love for ’80s music. 8 p.m., facebook.com/oddfellowslv Saturday Night Live vets Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey bring their sarcasm, improv and absurdity to The Foundry. 8:30 p.m., $49–$89, SLS Las Vegas, foundrylv.com SATURDAY 7
Known for hits such as “Clarity,” chart-topping spinner Zedd kicks off his residency at Omnia tonight. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, Caesars Palace, omnianightclub.com
SUNDAY 8
It’s time for the all-ages installment of Downtown Las Vegas’ Coloring Club, this time without the cocktails. Kids and adults can meet inside the Arts Factory for free coloring supplies. Feel free to BYO coloring sheets. 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., visit Downtown Las Vegas All Ages Coloring Club group page for event info MONDAY 9
Did you know that Gold Spike has a Sugar Shack right in its backyard? The Traveler XL Tiny Home holds everything you need in 344 square feet, including beds, couches, a full kitchen and bathroom—plus a picket fence–enclosed yard. $250 per night midweek, $1,000 per night Fri and Sat, oasisatgoldspike.com TUESDAY 10
Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant celebrates with $2.50 tacos for Taco Tuesday. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Downtown Summerlin, panchosrestaurant.com WEDNESDAY 11
Joe Walsh brings his brilliant riffs to the House of Blues for six nights. Walk the “Rocky Mountain Way” with one of rock and roll’s finest guitarists. 7 p.m., $100–$390, Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com/lasvegas
Looking for more stuff to do in Las Vegas? Check out vegasseven.com/calendar.
Comedian and actor Hannibal Buress of Comedy Central’s Broad City and The Eric Andre Show on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim drops into Fremont Country Club to serve up some laughs. 9 p.m., $31, fremontcountryclubvegas.com
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
17
A Very
New Year Legal Weed Momofuku Truth in Journalism Wonder Woman Foodie Holidays Conversations about Race Posthumous Albums Milk Bar Ancho Reyes Verde DCR’s 10th Anniversary The Smith Center’s Season Skill-Based Gaming A Response to Paid Parking Good Art Saving Red Rock Downtown 4.0 Catherine Cortez Masto
Here’s what Vegas Seven Is Looking Forward to in
2017 The lauded inventiveness of Momofuku Restaurant Group founder David Chang inspired Vegas Seven to get creative. Eschewing the typical magazine interview, we turned the visionary and his tale of opening a restaurant at The Cosmopolitan in early 2017 into a comic strip by Las Vegas artist Pj Perez. Turn the page for more!
Mr. Chang Goes to Vegas This all turned out so great.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Both Momofuku and Milk Bar are fantastic.
By Pj Perez you’ve done so much amazing stuFF over the years...
Thanks. I really aPPreciate it.
...opening restaurants around the globe, launching cool publications like Lucky Peach...
We’ve worked very hard to bring them here!
Momofuku opening night.
...it feels like coming to Las Vegas was inevitable.
Several Years Ago.
Ha! I gueSS so.
So what took so long?
I don’t know. I love this place.
it’s where I come to do nothing, to relax.
I’d hate to ruin that.
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December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
David, every time you come to town you stay at The Cosmopolitan. Well...
Well, obviously something changed.
Was there a phone call, an email?
You ever consider opening a restaurant here?
When did you decide to go all in?
I don’t remember exactly, but…
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
The not-too-distant past.
Sigh.
OKay, let’s do this.
I really do like what The Cosmopolitan is trying to do here.
And this is a great location.
it’s miSSing just one thing.
I think this place needs our food.
“You’re used to working in such small spaces. What did you think when you saw all that square footage at The Cosmopolitan? Did it scare you?”
“No, it was exciting! We wanted to tackle a big project, and this is definitely a maSSive undertaking.”
Would you say you’re bringing a concept to Vegas or creating a concept FOR Vegas?
We’ve got to get moving and get plaNNing!
it’s time to get to work.
“This isn’t like opening a restaurant in New York City. “it’s a new space … built just for us.
“When winter comes, I don’t have to woRRy about heat. I don’t have to woRRy about plumbing disasters!”
We want it to be both because there’s so much eBB and flow of people.
We’re going to have solo diners...
...hungover diners...
...large groups...
Both, really.
...gamblers, and everything in between.
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
21
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
“Things we haven’t been able to do before we might be able to do here.”
“Maybe instead of a chicken sandwich, we do chicken fingers!”
Uh, I don’t like either idea.
So the menu is still changing?
The menu is always in flux.
“Maybe even a bologna sandwich...
“...something that’s cast oFF because it’s so uncool.”
“I write out the menu on these huge sheets of legal paper.
“They’re all the same ideas, but this goes on and on and on…”
And then there’s Milk Bar.
But you should DEFiNiTELY have deSSert.
MMMMM!
it’s great, because you could start with deSSert and save diNNer. Or you can choose not to have deSSert at all.
22
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
it doesn’t matter. You should have freedom!
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17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
With The Cosmopolitan’s Momofuku comes Milk Bar—and chef Christina Tosi is eager to unleash her imaginative delectables onto the Las Vegas Strip By Mark Adams
Photography Krystal Ramirez
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
“I’m waiting for the day
[when] I get the call: ‘Our whole lobby smells like chocolate chip cake. We need you to fix it,’” says Christina Tosi, musing on potentially aroma-bombing the first floor of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The veteran chef and baker is set to bring Milk Bar to Las Vegas in early 2017, on the hotel’s second-floor next to the bakery’s sister restaurant, Momofuku. It’s Tosi’s West Coast debut—up until now you could only get one of her inventive desserts (like the cereal milk softserve ice cream, coated with cornflakes) in New York City, where the concept originated, as well as in Toronto and Washington, D.C. While the passion in her eyes is clear when speaking of all the upcoming indulgences she’s about to offer Las Vegas, it seems she’s even more excited about opening a location on the Strip. Vegas Seven recently sat down with Tosi to talk menu items specific to Las Vegas, what inspired cereal milks and more. You’re bringing Milk Bar to Las Vegas. What will set this location apart from the others? Milk Bar Las Vegas will be the first time we’ve stretched our wings out West, which is superexciting. We just turned 8 years old [in] November. … We’re figuring out what Milk Bar is and what it means to people, and what it should mean to people. This is our first big jump. [Las Vegas is] a city that has a really big food scene where you have a crazy, excited, enthusiastic, captive audience. Will the Las Vegas menu differ in any way? Will there be Vegas-specific treats? When we open a store, it’s about being part of a city, a community. It’s about being something for the people. Right after opening is when the store starts to develop its own identity, and you start to understand what people love, what people are looking for that maybe we didn’t think about. What we have planned is a slightly different approach and menu to what we have [at] the Milk Bars [on the] East Coast. We’re going to have four different flavors of soft-serve at this Milk Bar, which is more than any other store. Usually we only have one machine and two flavors. To open, we’ll have cereal milk [and] sweet potato pie softserve, which is awesome and our
26
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
current holiday flavor. We will also have crack pie soft-serve, which is so naughty and fun and delicious, and then fruity cereal soft-serve. You’re also launching a brandnew menu item that won’t be in any of the other Milk Bars. They’re going to be called Milk Quakes. I was born in the Midwest and raised in Virginia; the custard stands and the ice cream store were part of my childhood, [along with] going to Baskin-Robbins or Dairy Queen. My mom grew up with dairy farmers all around, so frozen desserts [were] always the treat in our household. I was obsessed with Blizzards. We were thinking, “What would our take on a … Blizzard [be]? What would that look like?” It’s going to be a Milk Quake. We’re still testing what the [Milk Quake] will actually look like, but in my mind, there’s definitely a Strawberry and Corn Quake, [which] is cereal milk with pickled strawberry jam and corn cookie bits blitzed in. Cereal milk is such a fun and tasty concept. How did you conceptualize it? In 2006 [or] 2007, we were opening Momofuku. I was helping get the restaurant organized [and] was also trying to figure out the desserts for the menu. Our equipment provider had ordered the wrong freezer and I needed ice cream for a fried apple pie dessert that I had planned. It needed the ice cream to be a proper, composed dessert, and it was unclear whether or not the freezer was going to screw me over. I thought, “Alright, I’ll make a panna cotta.” I [needed] to flavor the milk [with] something and then set it. I tried probably a zillion different [flavors], and finally one night I was at a 24-hour bodega across the street from the Momofuku kitchen. … I was walking down the cereal aisle and I [thought], “What do you flavor milk with?” I was staring at all the cereal and was like, “This is either going to be a really good idea, or it’s going to be cheesy.” I was a very picky eater as a kid. My mom always [said], “[You’ve] got to drink your milk,” and she
would let me buy whatever flavor [of] cereal at the grocery [store] I wanted. She could pour as much milk over it as she wanted, [and] I had to bottoms-up. It’s funny how those things come full circle in a beautiful way. Las Vegas has become a major dining destination. How do you see the city in the bigger picture? [I’ll use] any excuse to spend a night here to wander around and see what’s opening up and see what’s on the menus. There are some incredible meals to be had, and for me, that was a driving force in making the decision to also bring Milk Bar to Las Vegas. The food scene isn’t just super-duper, high-end fine dining—though obviously you can get that in spades. It’s also everything else in between, in a fun way. Can you name a few places in Las Vegas where you like to eat or drink? Secret Pizza is always at the top of my list. I love going to China Poblano. It’s such an interesting and clever fusion. [José Andrés] plays both sides of both cuisines so true, in a lovely way. Have you been to Gordon [Ramsay]’s Fish & Chips? [Ramsay] is also my brother from another mother. The greatest British chef obviously knows how to do fish and chips, right? I love to go to Lotus of Siam, if I have the time and the patience. That’s a take-down meal off the Strip and also a little bit of an adventure. I’m superexcited to go to Taco Bell Cantina; I told the team I would not go without them. From a dessert perspective, on my team-building to-do list is to go to Serendipity 3 and get the $1,000 sundae. [It’s] something that we would [typically] never do and is not who we are, but [is] a really fun celebration. [Also], Carbone in Aria. We love Mario and everything that he and Mr. Torrisi do. Where I haven’t been that I really want to go is that old-school, hole-in-the-wall Italian joint that starts with a B—Battista’s. [And] being from the East Coast, we’re also obsessed with In-N-Out, so we always go there. High-end
meals, low-end meals. You can’t beat In-N-Out. You have two James Beard awards and one nomination under your belt. Vegas always seems to go unnoticed by the Foundation. Why do you think that is? I was thinking about this earlier. “When did Vegas put itself on the food map?” When the chef from Lotus of Siam won her regional award … that, for me, was like, “This is real.” The industry, in general, has made some huge strides in the past few years. Part of that is what the internet—what online food publications and what access to information—has become, especially around food, and just in general, people’s interest in food. I think that Vegas will continue to get more attention and gain more momentum. Are you working on any other projects in 2017? I’m hopefully [going] to tie up [my] third cookbook, which right now will be called Milk Bar Cakewalk. It’s going to be all about cake—bundt cakes, pound cakes, cupcakes, layer cakes, wedding cakes, tiered cakes, sheet cakes. The first Milk Bar cookbook was all about the cult recipes for Milk Bar, but we couldn’t cover everything in the span of 200 pages. I wanted to do a cookbook that was focused on something [else]. 7
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
CAN WE FINALLY GET ALONG? Now that Americans are revealing their true sentiments, let’s have an honest discussion on race in 2017 By Zoneil Maharaj
On a late Friday night in March in Wichita, Kansas, 23-year-old Khondoker Usama and a Latino friend were at a gas station when a guy on a motorcycle allegedly shouted, “Hey, you brown trash, you better go home.” The Washington Post reported that an altercation ensued, with the suspect punching and kicking Usama’s Latino friend while invoking our new president-elect: “Trump will take our country from you guys!” Fast-forward to November 9, the day following the presidential election: a Muslim woman was inside a parking garage at San Jose State University when someone quietly crept up behind her and yanked off her hijab, pulling it from atop her head and choking her in the process. Neither event was isolated, certainly not the latter. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported 701 incidents of hateful harassments between November 9 and 16—the week following the presidential election. This is 2016.
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The ’90s were a generally fun, innocent period of my life—G.I. Joe action figures, Darkwing Duck after school, Battletoads on NES, Soul for Real’s “Candy Rain” on the radio. Elementary school wasn’t all tetherball and marbles, though. As a brown kid growing up during that time, I was an outsider. The only representation of my people on television was the cartoon Kwik-EMart proprietor on The Simpsons. Despite the fact that a majority of my classmates were also minorities and immigrants, I still was called Apu, Saddam and Aladdin. (Don’t cry for me; I talked my fair share of shit back. Also: Yo mama got a titty on her forehead and we call her Cyclops. Come at me!) Then came 9/11. We were no longer cartoon characters with funny accents. Anyone brown, regardless of religion or origin, was perceived as a threat. I got hit with the Osama/terrorist jokes, and I’m a Hindu Indian born in Fiji, which is more than 8,000 miles away from Afghanistan. But if you’re hating on people because of their skin color, I don’t expect you to know a whole lot about the planet. No one knew anything about us or personally knew anyone harmed by us, but insisted we’d be the death of them. Hate crimes shot up. Balbir Singh Sodhi of Mesa, Arizona, was killed simply because he wore a turban. Nevermind that he was Sikh and not Muslim—hatred has never aimed for accuracy. Fifteen years later, I thought we were inching our way out of rough waters. There were still 49 people murdered at an Orlando gay nightclub in June by American-born Omar Mateen, Dylann Roof killed nine black parishioners in Charleston last year and Wade Michael Page slayed six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in 2012—and The Big Bang Theory is still on-air portraying Indians as goofy nerds who talk funny. But there had to be some social progress made, right? Some minorities have slowly been normalized. Aziz Ansari played a guy named Tom on national television. We have an American prime time sitcom about an Asian family. Black lives finally matt—uh, wait. Never mind—black folks can’t even matter without stirring opposition. Sure, the nation was divided long before Trump shouted astoundingly ignorant statements from a podium, but his rhetoric has emboldened supremacists and racists. Similar to the way Obama’s election gave hope to blacks and minorities, Trump is a symbol for the newly emerged “alt-right.” I’m not a political expert (odds are neither are you, so keep that in mind as you warm up your Twitter
fingers), and this isn’t meant to be a political column or a Trump slam piece, but we all know what we’ve all heard—hate-spewing and pussy-grabbin’. I don’t believe that everyone who voted for Trump thinks all Mexicans are rapists or that all Muslims should be placed in a Nazi-like registry. Some folks just want their tax breaks and factory jobs. But by extension, his supporters—which were not the majority of American voters—are, at the very least, saying, “I’m totally cool with all of this.” At the worst, though, they’re committing vile acts of hate. Throughout the 2016 election cycle and especially during its aftermath, Americans started to show their red, radically white and blue patriotism—people are no longer afraid to speak their minds, and white nationalists are coming out of the shadows. That might actually be a good thing, though, as we’ve swept issues of racism under the rug for far too long. For the past eight years, America has paraded President Barack Obama around like their token black friend. As if to say, ‘I have a black president. See, I’m not racist!’ But this is not and has never been a post-racial America. That’s apparent now more than ever. The topic has now eclipsed the collective asses of the Kardashians to become a major part of the national dialogue. As we step into the New Year, it’s time we put everything on the table and try to make some lemonade out of lemons. I’m looking forward to having an open, honest conversation. We can’t make progress if we don’t confront our issues, so fire away. Let’s step out of our bubbles and engage with one another. Tell us why you’re afraid. Tell us why you want us gone. Help us understand one another. Explain to me what a casserole is. Let’s collectively self-reflect and think about why we feel the way we feel. I’m not suggesting eradicating racism is as simple as talking it out, or that something so complex can or ever will be decimated, but with the topic suffocatingly prevalent and with such a divisive leader entering office, it’s time we the people get in front of it. Otherwise there will be more fighting, more unrest and more swastikas spray-painted on playgrounds. Empathy and equality shouldn’t be preposterous tasks, but haven’t been attained for centuries. In 2017, I hope we can get a little bit closer to it. 7
ANCHO REYES VERDE ARRIVES IN NEVADA When Ancho Reyes launched in 2014, demand for the sweet and spicy pepper liqueur exceeded its initial limited release. “Ancho Reyes was very clever,” says Charlotte Voisey, director of brand advocacy for William Grant & Sons, which owns Ancho Reyes. “It came at a time when the spicy cocktail trend was emerging, and the biggest challenge with using spice in cocktails is consistency.” From the makers of Milagro Tequila and Iván Saldaña from Montelobos Mezcal, 80-proof Ancho Reyes immediately brought consistency to that trend. Bartenders latched on and haven’t let go since. Three years later, it’s time for a new expression. Ancho Reyes Verde (anchoreyes.com) relies upon the young, green Poblano pepper, which, when left on the vine, becomes the dark, dusky ancho of the original formula. Despite being made from the same pepper in two different stages of its life, they offer two entirely different flavor profiles. “The Verde is more like blanco tequila, whereas the original would be more like añejo. [In both,] you can really taste the chili,” Voisey says.
You can also taste the terroir. As a brand, Ancho Reyes celebrates the heritage of the Puebla region of Mexico. “Jalisco has tequila, Oaxaca has mezcal. Puebla is deserving of its own representation,” Voisey says. On the nose, the Verde offers savory aromas of plump green pepper flesh and fresh, chunky green salsa. On the palate, the attack is assertive and warming. Mid-palate, the sweet element hits home, deep and satisfying. And to round out the experience, the finish is all Las Vegas—a dry heat. “I like to use Ancho Reyes Verde with lighter spirits such as gin, vodka, pisco, cachaça and blanco tequila,” Voisey says. She appreciates the “healthy tension” she finds between Hendrick’s Gin’s cooling cucumber nature and the Verde’s underlying heat. And if you have a heavy pouring hand, she advises that any citrus application would be an ideal match. Ancho Reyes Verde launched in New York in the fall, and will roll out to the rest of the country in 2017, retailing for about $32. –Xania Woodman
NEW YEAR, NEW LAS VEGAS
By David G. Schwartz
ANCHO REYES VERDE BY AL AIN HAIN; DANGER ARENA BY TOM BRIGLIA/PHOTOGRAPHICS
What changes will 2017 bring to Las Vegas gaming and hospitality?
Danger Arena’s first skill-based video gaming machines launched at Harrah’s Atlantic City.
Having gotten through a year that has seen the first postrecession casino opening and the birth of paid parking on the Strip, 2017 will likely bring even more change. The year ahead will see many shifts in gaming and hospitality in Las Vegas. Starting with the Strip, there is a chance that the New Year could spur movement on the three parcels of land that continue to remind us that the boom years are not back. Fontainebleau’s rumored sale and eventual demolition or completion might happen; Resorts World Las Vegas might start ramping up; and we should find out whether Alon Las Vegas is able to secure a new funding partner now that Crown Resorts has pulled out. If not, that project could end before it begins. Monte Carlo will continue its transformation into Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas; that won’t be final until 2018, but the work to retool the hotel will intensify. Park Theater—a greatly enlarged venue on the site where the Lance Burton Theater once stood—opened on December 17. Tropicana Las Vegas, under the ownership of Penn National Gaming, has big—but still unspecified—changes ahead in the year, beyond the planned opening of celebrity chef Robert Irvine’s new restaurant. Other resorts are shuffling dining and entertain-
ment options, as well—Wynn Las Vegas will open a new Strip-front shopping plaza later in 2017. Downtown is waiting to see what Greg and Derek Stevens will do with the former Las Vegas Club site. The combined footprint that the owners of The D Hotel and Golden Gate have acquired gives them the potential to create something that could profoundly change Fremont Street. While it will still take years for design and construction to be completed, an announcement of the plans for the property may jump-start other nearby projects, as rival operators strive to keep up with the Stevens brothers. With the California Hotel and Casino’s renovation done, this could be time for a major project at another Boyd Gaming Downtown stalwart: Fremont. Off the Strip, Palace Station is going to unveil a new bingo hall and casino facade, and its younger cousin, Sunset Station, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Within casinos, this should be the year that skill-based gaming finally arrives in Las Vegas. Caesars Entertainment rolled out GameCo Inc.’s Danger Arena slot in Atlantic City in November; it makes sense that the game, which allows players to win money based on their aptitude at blasting “Danger Bots,” will show up in Las Vegas sooner rather than later. Danger Arena and other machines like it seek to blend the winning potential of a slot machine with the gameplay of a video game, an attempt by casinos to appeal to the elusive but apparently much coveted millennial market. Another innovation that is designed to appeal to millennials, e-sports (competitive video-game play, often tournament-style with cash prizes), is expanding its Las Vegas footprint. The Downtown Grand has been offering e-sports tournaments for over a year, and the off-Strip Silver Sevens recently followed suit. Other properties will likely expand their inventory for gamers, as major tournaments continue to be staged. One new reality of the Strip that likely won’t appeal to millennials—or anyone else outside of Uber and Lyft drivers—is the tightening grip of paid parking on the Boulevard. As of now, MGM, Wynn Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment and The Cosmopolitan will solidify varying paid-parking programs throughout the year. Some exempt locals (for now), but absent a major consumer backlash, 2017 will be the year that we wave goodbye to a longtime perk. 7
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17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
Holding Out for a … Heroine ‘Wonder Woman’ is the superhero flick we’ve (actually) been waiting for By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
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The only thing more played out than superhero movies is talking about how played out superhero movies are. Batman’s had 10 flicks, Superman’s had seven, and it seems every dude in tights who’s drifted through a Marvel or DC frame has had his shot at a franchise. But not Wonder Woman. Oh, they’ve been talking about it since the freaking Carter administration, and everyone from Sandra Bullock (um, OK) to Megan Fox (um, no) has been pitched for the role. For decades, Wonder Woman’s millions of fans have been forced to make do with animated kids’ shows and DVDs of the legendary ’70s TV series, which starred Lynda Carter whooping Nazi ass in hot pants and a bustier. But in 2017, we will finally see the Amazon princess on the big screen. Helming the film is Patty Jenkins, who directed Charlize Theron to an Oscar for portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster and has long dreamed of making a movie about the heroine. Playing the lead is Gal Gadot, whose pre–Wonder Woman résumé is mostly modeling gigs and a few girlfriend roles—but she did train in the Israeli army before scoring Jaguar and Gucci contracts, and managed to come out of her Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice cameo looking more impressive than her (admittedly tool-y) costars. Wonder Woman will be set during World War I, which at least spares us the same anonymous CGI Gotham/ Metropolis we see destroyed in every superhero flick. The trailer promises us Wonder Woman blocking bullets with her bracelets on the battlefield and taking out German soldiers with her broadsword, but also moments of our heroine trying on her post-Victorian petticoats and musing, “How could a woman possibly fight in this.” This June, Wonder Woman will show us how. 7
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
Cheers to 10 Years Downtown Cocktail Room celebrates a decade of drinkslinging in DTLV
DOWNTOWN
4.0
By Xania Woodman Photography Krystal Ramirez Woodman family legend has it that when I completed my first decade on Earth, I announced—to all my relatives’ great amusement—that I was at last turning “the big oneoh!” No doubt many knowing glances were exchanged, and I expect the case will be the same when longtime patrons of Downtown Cocktail Room (111 Las Vegas Blvd. South, downtowncocktailroom.com), who have laughed, celebrated and commiserated together for a decade, will join owners Michael and Jennifer Cornthwaite to commemorate the chic boîte’s 10-year anniversary. Little has changed since DCR opened its steel trick door on January 27, 2007, shocking the neighborhood with its sophisticated cocktail menus, swanky candlelit vibe and attractive clientele. Loyal regulars will get another pleasant surprise the first week of 2017 when they can be among the first to experience the transition of the former backroom “Speakeasy” into Mike Morey’s Sip ’n’ Tip, a new, delightfully lowbrow beer-and-whiskey concept meant to complement DCR’s distinctive highbrow experience. The Sip ’n’ Tip will celebrate its grand opening during DCR’s 10-year anniversary at the end of the month. “It’s always fun to see familiar faces and reminisce about the past,” Michael says. “In this case, we get to celebrate the last 10 years as well as the next 10, 20 or 30!” 7
Welcoming another year of change for the city’s urban core By James P. Reza 2016 was an odd year for Downtown. Several years of somewhat overbearing hype about our urban redevelopment had cooled. Some businesses (GrassRoots) shut down, others (Pawn Plaza) stalled, while some were abandoned entirely. Meanwhile, suburban development celebrated a postrecession surge, particularly in the southwest. Downtown, it might have seemed, was on the downturn. In reality, it was a subdued moment before a fullvolume 2017, especially in the Arts District. Toward the end of 2016, several new off-Fremont storefronts quietly opened (Vesta Coffee Roasters, Cornish Pasty Co., Greens & Proteins and ReBar), while new apartments, offices and retail were planned, permitted or fully constructed. Get ready for market-rate dwellings, microapartments and ground-up projects like The Venice (17,000 square feet of completed retail and offices on California Street), the new Arts District Plaza (on Main north of Charleston) and The Charleston (21,000 square feet of restaurant and office space under construction at Charleston and Casino Center boulevards). Meanwhile, more openings are in the works, including DW Bistro’s Downtown expansion and a rumored Symphony Park location of locals favorite Sambalatte. Main Street is getting a total makeover, going to oneway traffic flow with wider sidewalks and more street parking. And other infrastructure improvements are underway, including the installation of twin-head LED streetlamps to provide better lighting. On the real estate front, whispers indicate that big name old-guard Las Vegas investors are buying up parcels. This all points to a maturing Downtown. If you want to see the emergence of version 4.0, pay attention in 2017! 7
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CREATIVE INSPIRATION
Art is good when everything else is bad
By Jessie O’Brien Photography Cierra Pedro
Artistic minds light up when life is disrupted and uncertain. Like a blind man’s supersonic hearing, or alcohol sales during a recession, art is at its best when everything else is at its worst. Shitty circumstances might be a prerequisite for anything worth a second glance or closer listen—just look to the evolution of art and music throughout the 20th century. Disillusioned artists during World War I started to create anti-art such as Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” urinal, and Dadaism paved the road to Surrealism. Arthur Miller responded to McCarthyism in the 1950s with The Crucible, using the Salem witch trials as an allegory for the second Red Scare—and the
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script remains one of the most performed plays today. Similarly, Ray Bradbury’s contempt for government overreach during the McCarthy era, his disdain for the rising forms of radio and T V, and the looming threat of nuclear destruction throughout the Cold War inspired Fahrenheit 451. Maya Angelou wrote about her experiences with rape and racism in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which was released after the civil rights movement (19541968). Around the same time, the counterculture crusade protesting the Vietnam War and advocating for minority inclusion gave us Bob Dylan’s revolutionary “Blowin’ in the Wind” and Jimi Hendrix’s screaming “Star SpangledBanner,” which was followed by punk rock’s rejection of mainstream excesses in the early ’80s. All of this art sprouted from a compost of rotten matter. But for every Game of Thrones, there’s a 90 Day Fiancé. Uninspired art may have all the right lines, colors, shapes and shadows, but it’s a flash in the pan—if it makes any flash at all. Tattoo art that was bold on skin lost its daring when
transferred onto hats and shirts. Recycled stencil work, portraits of celebrities and cutesy unicorns and cats often hang on gallery walls. Superhero movies, remakes, sequels, prequels and spinoffs fill movie theater marquees. Generic DJs are playing beats by the numbers. For much of the past five years, art, for the most part, has been bland. A default of being human is to create when we don’t know what else to do. When artists and musicians create out of boredom, they paint pretty pictures and write formulaic music for the masses. But when they create because they don’t know what else they can do, they make a statement. After a rough 2016, we’ve already seen a few quick reactions to the bullshit of the past 12 months: Beyoncé and her troupe of beret-wearing, Afro-rocking dance queens exhibited their black pride in front of millions on CBS during Super Bowl 50, a day after the release of her “Formation” video where the unambiguous message, “Stop shooting us,” pans across the screen. A “30 Days, 30 Songs” playlist was released on Spotify, leading up to the presidential
election with contributions by Open Mike Eagle, R.E.M. and other artists offering their insight and concern on the current state of America. Westworld challenged audiences with existential questions on the nature of reality. Locally, a small group of actors performed a short piece on life with a Trump presidency during December First Friday’s $2 10-minute plays, and artist Gear Duran painted a Standing Rock– inspired mural after becoming fed up with violent headlines. And equal to the artist’s desire to create something meaningful is the observer’s desire to digest it. A painting might look nice but inspires only a Facebook “like.” A song might sound OK but only moves one enough to tap a toe. That’s no longer satisfying. But if next year means taking a step backward, it also means art will jump forward. That’s something we can all look forward to. 7
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
Let’s Light Up Legal green across the Silver State By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
Photography Krystal Ramirez
The local cannabis aficionado’s favorite time isn’t 4:20 anymore: Now, it’s January 1, 2017. On that date, it will become legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana in Nevada, thanks to the passage of Question 2 this November. Of course, you won’t be able to do the full-tilt Ralph Steadman boogie down the Las Vegas Strip as soon as the clock strikes midnight: Public consumption is prohibited, and that includes casino hotel rooms. And while you can have it, the state has yet to hammer out precisely how you’ll get it. But once the details are delineated, it’s going to roll out big. Colorado saw an uptick in tourism, and we’ll likely see an even bigger one, as conventions expand and events spring up. New businesses, from local startups to out-of-state franchises, are moving in; billions of dollars will create thousands of jobs, from CEOs to security guards. Will Las Vegas become the American Amsterdam, as some claim? It remains to be seen. But one thing that is certain: Sin City is about to open up one hell of a new buffet. 7
17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
Will You Stay or Will You Go? With more properties jumping on the paid-parking bandwagon, locals will either fall in line or take a stand By Anthony Curtis
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“That’ll be $9, please.” “Sorry, you’ll have to play another hundred.” “The room’s only $27, but it’s $60 with the resort fee and tax.” Get ready for these types of responses connected with parking, asking for a comped drink while gambling or booking a hotel room in 2017. If that’s not enough, get a load of the “processing” and “facility” charges on some show tickets. Or assess (if you can) the amount of vodka in your screwdriver. To say that the Las Vegas status quo has been turned on its head might be an early contender for understatement of the New Year. It most certainly looks upside down to me! My regular column in this magazine is called “The Deal,” so no, I’m not looking forward to these developments in 2017. Instead, I’m interested in seeing how customers, particularly locals, react to the incessant squeezing by the casinos, particularly those on the Strip. Will they just eat the changes? Or will they vote with their feet and walk away? Of course, room rates don’t matter that much when you live here, but parking and drinking comps do. Free parking and free drinks have always constituted the first and most accessible level of casino comping, and comps are an important factor in bestowing entitlement, a powerful incentive that encourages gamblers to risk their hard-earned dough. It doesn’t take much of a nudge to persuade “gamers” to play, but taking away base-level comps will open their minds to considering alternatives. Will these customers migrate to casinos that continue to give them something back? I’m looking forward to finding out. In reality, the drink situation is far from dire. Everything I’ve seen so far indicates that players who “deserve” drinks will continue to get them. In my audits of the monitoring systems at the bars, I’ve yet to encounter a situation where the drink-comp criterion wasn’t reached easily and for a marginal amount of play, especially for the beer and well-drinks crowd. That may change, but it’s not an imminent concern. Parking is a different story. MGM Resorts International opened the floodgates in June, and most of the big boys are following suit—paid parking of some type will soon be in place at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan and Caesars Entertainment casinos. I keep hearing that Downtown has been charging for a long time, but there’s a big difference. When you park Downtown, there are multiple ways to validate your ticket and get the fee refunded. In the old days, we used to call it “playing for parking,”
when it was customary to sit down at a blackjack table at the end of a night, play a few hands and present the ticket to a pit boss for validation. Sometimes—like when you got stuck at the table—parking could get expensive (go figure!). The point is, the Downtown model gives legitimate customers an avenue for avoiding the additional fee; the Strip model does not. So far, local outrage has resulted in a stay of execution—scan a Nevada driver’s license and the parking charge is waived. But the official word was that the exemption would remain in place only through the end of 2016, at which time the policy would be reviewed. Well, 2016 is over and evidence suggests the exemption won’t be extended (Caesars won’t be exempting when its system launches, so the others likely won’t, either). It’s not like there aren’t plenty of alternatives for casino patrons. I’ve explained why the Downtown parking situation is more palatable, and I don’t think we’ll see barriers and meters in the garages at Station Casinos, Boyd Gaming or other locals joints anytime soon. The best non-casino bars can be a reasonable substitute, not to mention the competition up the street (The Venetian and The Palazzo have yet to announce a paid-parking plan) and right around the corner (Hooters is promoting its free parking by offering a free beer for tweeting a message out). If the local public takes a stand, things might revert, at least to some degree. If it doesn’t, then the casinos will be proven to have made a savvy business decision. I can’t wait to find out which it will be. 7
I’m interested in seeing how customers, particularly locals, react to the incessant squeezing by the casinos. Will they just eat the changes? Or will they vote with their feet and walk away?
Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
TURNING ON THE NEWS WILL THE FOURTH ESTATE STAY STRONG OR SELL OUT? Journalists used to be seen as heroes: Bright, brave and ballsy souls who dug up the truth and flung it in the face of power. But this year, many journalists became the target of contempt, whether they were on the side of reporting the verified truth or one of those posing as reporters, making a quick buck off of making stuff up. It’s no coincidence that it was also in 2016 that the Oxford Dictionaries declared “posttruth” the word of the year: If people aren’t being told what they want to hear, or given a confirmation of what they already believe, the vast majority simply want to shoot the messenger. Making matters worse is the slew of “fake news” sites on the internet and the distressing number of people who think a meme generated by a Macedonian teenager has the same (or more) value as a story from The New York Times. A Gallup poll conducted in September indicated that only around a third of Americans trust the media. The media is a favorite focus for the Twitter rages of President-elect Donald Trump, who has yet to hold a press conference and has been known to pull credentials from news outlets—such as The Washington Post—that he feels are not treating him gently enough. He’s shrugged off allegations of Vladimir Putin’s assassination of reporters; journalists who cover Trump have already become used to threats against themselves and their families from his supporters. It’s one reason some reporters may find their pens dulled. Another is one even more easily understood: Trump pulled ratings and clicks during his run for president, and those equal money. (CNN is on track this year to collect $1 billion in profit, according to The New York Times.) Thus, we also have reporters going to off-the-record meetings at the President-elect’s Trump Tower, attended by journalists from organizations including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Fox Business Network, NBC, ABC and CBS. Yet there are positive signs. Vanity Fair saw web traffic and new subscriptions soar after Trump blasted the publication as having “poor numbers.” The magazine’s editor Graydon Carter has been a Trump nemesis since he coined the descriptor “short-fingered vulgarian” at Spy magazine in the ’80s and shows no sign of letting up. Locally, veteran journalist John Ralston will launch The Nevada Independent next year, a nonprofit publication that will “cover politics, policy, government and business.” George Washington once said that “freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government: When this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins.” Some will fight to keep it standing, some will slowly back away, but the onus rests on every single one of us to clear the brush of untruths if our democracy is to survive. –Lissa Townsend Rodgers
swimming against the tide catherine cortez masto 's real opportunity to make a difference By Michael Green When thomas jefferson arrived in paris as U.S. minister in
1784, the French foreign minister said, “It is you who replace Dr. Franklin?” Jefferson replied, “No one can replace him, Sir; I am only his successor.” Not that Harry Reid and Catherine Cortez Masto are in that league. With Reid’s retirement as Senate Democratic leader, Cortez Masto can’t be expected to replace him. What will be worth watching is how she succeeds him, and what role she plays in her party and in the Senate. As a junior senator in the minority party, she won’t have Reid’s power. Her committee assignments give her the chance to watch out for Nevada interests. They include Energy and Natural Resources (hello, Yucca Mountain); Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs (which state led the nation in the dubious category of home foreclosures during the recession?); and the Special Committee on Aging (senior citizens vote, they’re growing in number in Nevada, and they may be nervous about what Republicans plan for Social Security and Medicare). Senate newcomers traditionally are supposed to be “workhorses” instead of “show horses.” They do the difficult work that senior senators have the right to avoid. Cortez Masto has a strong administrative background as a former assistant county manager and as Governor Bob Miller’s chief of staff. She should have no trouble adapting to Capitol it will be worth Hill folkways. More crucially, she has a distinction: the watching how first Latina U.S. senator. As a woman, she may cortez masto become part of an informal group of women senators who have worked together on issues, succeeds reid, regardless of party. She becomes one of four and what role she Hispanics in the Senate. Two of the others are Republicans (Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz). plays in her party The other, Robert Menendez, was indicted and in the senate. on corruption charges and comes from New Jersey—not exactly a Hispanic stronghold. But Nevada is, and, since it went Democratic while Republicans took over the White House and retained control of Congress, Cortez Masto could play an even bigger role than just being the first Latina senator. Don’t forget Donald Trump’s references to Mexican rapists, “bad hombres” and a wall. And while national Democratic leaders are conscious that their party fared poorly in the Rust Belt, the West Coast and the Mountain West went Democratic or are trending that way, and Hispanics played a significant part in that change. Cortez Masto might be part of important outreach efforts to women and Hispanics. Democrats could take advantage of that opportunity—and so could she. 7 Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.
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EVERY DAY IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE OUR TOP PICKS FOR FOOD-AND-BEVERAGE–RELATED HOLIDAYS By Marisa Finetti and Kirk Peterson
One of us eats up national food holidays, the other doesn’t give a flying fig. It’s understandable, as the official status of these celebrations is as arbitrary as the dates they’re assigned. The vast majority, of course, are associated with sales and raising awareness by prodding consumers to eat more marzipan, Peking duck, corn chips, glazed doughnuts, lobster Thermidor—not all on the same day, thank goodness. Such food holidays started at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the earliest ingredient-related moments was National Apple Week, which was first observed in October 1904. And some of these fake holidays are properly official. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan actually took time to make delicious proclamations with congressional backing: Ike pushed for walnut appreciation, while Reagan declared a national day for ice cream. Then along came John-Bryan Hopkins, food writer and founder of Foodimentary.com, who added to those already established. So there we have it. It’s the beginning of a new calendar year, and here we decide on the food and beverage milestones we are most looking forward to. FEBRUARY 1 AND MARCH 24: NATIONAL CAKE POP DAY Amazingly enough, the cake pop lobby is powerful enough to have two national observance days. We’ll start at Starbucks with a few cake pops and cups of black coffee. Then we’ll head to Wonderland Bakery at Downtown Summerlin to try the ice cream cone cake pop, which comes in a waffle cone and topped with a fondant cherry. JULY 6: NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN DAY Fried chicken is obviously one of the greatest foods ever and perhaps the pinnacle of chickenbased dishes. We’ll be setting aside the entire day to pay this culinary marvel the respect it deserves. Breakfast at Lo-Lo’s Chicken &
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Waffles followed by a quick nap. Then off to lunch at M&M Soul Food Cafe and maybe another nap. A light midday snack at either Popeye’s or Church’s may also be in order, but not KFC. Dinner will be at Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken inside Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq. JULY 14: NATIONAL HOT DOG DAY Las Vegas’ hot dog game is strong. Cheffini’s Downtown is as good as it gets—and it’s hard to beat the Classic with jalapeños, shredded mozzarella cheese and crushed potato chips. Buldogis on Fort Apache Road provides a delicious Asian fusion take on gourmet hot dogs with banh mi and bulgogi offerings. We can’t forget about Hollywood transplant Pink’s Hot Dogs in the Miracle Mile Shops for its dogs with bacon and guacamole—two of our favorite toppings. And for the chili dog, we’ll head to the first non-NYC outpost of Papaya King, located across the street from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Photography Jon Estrada
AUGUST 25: NATIONAL WHISKEY SOUR DAY A proper whiskey sour is one of our favorite drinks, and with August 25 falling on a Friday this year, there is no better time to pay homage to this classic cocktail than with a good old-fashioned bar crawl. Start at Downtown Cocktail Room with the classic version: bourbon, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup shaken and served over ice. Then move on to the appropriately
named Improved Whiskey Sour at Velveteen Rabbit, its flavor augmented by egg whites and a cleverly applied Angostura bitters stencil. Finish up at Herbs & Rye with a Ward 8, a delicious variation on a whiskey sour using rye whiskey, lemon and orange juices, and grenadine, which sadly does not have its own national holiday— at least not yet. 7
JULY 27: NATIONAL SCOTCH DAY Nothing says summertime like a nice glass of Scotch, right? Clearly whoever chose this particular date had consumed their fair share of Scotch already. This year we’ll celebrate by circulating a petition to move National Scotch Day to a more Scotch-friendly month … AUGUST 8: NATIONAL FROZEN CUSTARD DAY Now this is an appropriate day to celebrate the cold treat! At sunset we will gather in a parking lot at the corner of Oakey and Las Vegas boulevards to worship at the church of frozen custard: Luv-it Frozen Custard, serving our city since 1973 and still the best in town. We’ll have a Western (topped with hot fudge, caramel and pecans) and a Scotch Jimmie (finished with butterscotch, sliced bananas and jimmies, a type of sprinkle).
Go eat a Buldogis Angry Dog on July 14.
Preserving Red Rock
A recent lawsuit will determine the fate of Blue Diamond Hill By Shannon Miller Photography Danielle Kwasniowski
If you’re a local, you know Red Rock Canyon. Even if you never have visited the national conservation area, you recognize its unmistakable silhouette and hues visible from Interstate 95 and other parts of the Valley. Each year, 2 million people visit the area, where locals looking to escape their urban environments can immerse themselves in raw nature and desert ecology. Since 2011, landowner and developer Gypsum Resources has proceeded with county-approved plans to build more than 5,000 homes at Blue Diamond Hill just outside the conservation area. Construction stalled due to the U.S. Bureau of Land Reclamation’s short-lived interest in acquiring Blue Diamond Hill. And in the process, the approved plan to develop the land could have expired as well. Now the county, Gypsum and Save Red Rock, a coalition that has opposed construction at Blue Diamond Hill, will haggle it out in court. A recent lawsuit lists Gypsum and Save Red Rock as defendants. The filing asks a judge to clarify whether the county needs to reevaluate Gypsum’s development plans. Save Red Rock’s attorney Justin Jones told KNPR that the lawsuit is an attempt to silence the coalition. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. As of now, a County Commission meeting is set for February 7, according to Save Red Rock, but they say that date might change. In the meantime, visit saveredrock.com to find out how you can make your voice heard in deciding the future of one of Las Vegas’ favorite recreational spaces. 7
December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
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17 THINGS WE ARE EXCITED FOR IN 2017
Sonic Afterlife All our music heroes are dead—let’s raid their vaults By Zoneil Maharaj From Prince and David Bowie to Leonard Cohen and Merle Haggard (and Blowfly—let’s never forget Blowfly), 2016 might have seen the largest pool of inductees into the Dead Rock Stars Club ever. And judging by the music gods’ wrath, they’ll probably snatch up a few more icons in the next two days for good measure. (I’m knocking on wood that it doesn’t actually happen … but if the committee’s inquiring, might I suggest Kanye West?) If there is a sonic silver lining to the tragedies of 2016, it’s that history has proven that after we’re done crying our sad little eyes out to “Space Oddity,” we’re going to be blessed with some phenomenal posthumous releases of Janis Joplin’s Pearl/ Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death proportions. Who knows what these greats have hidden in their vaults? While Bowie’s Blackstar was very much a goodbye letter (”Look up here, I’m in heaven,” the Starman sang on “Lazarus”), he reportedly has unheard material spanning his entire career that he planned to release. Newsweek reported back If there’s a sonic in January that Bowie has enough to satiate fans for years to come, and silver lining to the that the first release will arrive in 2017. Let’s hope that’s true. tragedies of 2016, Hip-hop heads can look forward to a new album from Phife Dawg. As it’s that history if hearing the Five-Foot Assassin on A Tribe Called Quest’s final record, has proven that We Got It From Here ... Thank You 4 Your Service, wasn’t an audible treat, after we’re done his wife announced in November that a new solo record from the self-procrying our sad little claimed “funky diabetic” is due out in early 2017. Tell your mother, tell your eyes out to “Space father, send a telegram. We know that Prince hopped Oddity,” we’re going in the studio with Kendrick Lamar during the To Pimp a Butterfly to be blessed with sessions, but no recordings came to fruition. Still, there’s gotta be some some phenomenal secret, unexpected collaborations in the elusive Purple One’s unreleased posthumous archives. I’d go so far as to swim to the bottom of Lake Minnetonka to releases . fetch ’em. While I’m excited to hear what’s to come, I know money-grubbing record labels may try to force posthumous releases on us. Remember when Bad Boy put out Duets with a Biggie and Korn collaboration? Hopefully they don’t bastardize any legacies with something as atrocious as that. 7
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December 29, 2016 -Janua r y 1 1, 2017 vegasseven.com
the smith center promises a cultural cure to the malaise of 2016
I think we can all agree that 2016 was a wrenching one for politics, regardless of which side of the aisle you stand. I’m curing my postelection fatigue in the Art Deco comfort of The Smith Center, starting with the touring production of Fun Home, the Tony Award-winning musical adapted from Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel. The venue’s Broadway Las Vegas series in the first half of the year promises to be a balm for the soul, with Motown The Musical, Finding Neverland, Matilda The Musical, An American in Paris and The Phantom of the Opera on the lineup. “We have some wonderful surprises in store for Valley residents, including our fifth anniversary concert, the return of acclaimed author and speaker David Sedaris, the spectacular new touring production of The Phantom of the Opera, [and] an electrifying live dance show called Move Beyond starring Dancing With the Stars siblings Julianne and Derek Hough,” says Myron G. Martin, CEO and president of The Smith Center. While I’m excited about a new production of Phantom (could the show be upping its chandelier game after seeing The Cosmopolitan’s?), what I’m most eager for is the date announcement for Hamilton, which will make a stop at The Smith Center as part of the venue’s 2017–2018 Broadway series. Because while 2020 may seem forever away, we have to remind ourselves—in ways big and small, by voting in local and midterm elections, in song—what America is all about. 7
By Genevie Durano Photography Krystal Ramirez
broadway, baby
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