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ON THE COVER
APR 19
TECH N9NE
6:30PM ALL AGES
APR 21 7:30PM 18+
JIMMY EAT WORLD
APR 23
NEW FOUND GLORY
6:00PM ALL AGES
APR 15
12PM - 3PM ALL AGES NO COVER
Read Vegas Seven right side up and then flip it over and start again with Seven Nights, featuring after-dark entertainment and the week’s nightlife happenings.
SWINGIN’ JITTERBUG SATURDAY WITH CHUCK E. BUMPS
THEY’VE GOT SPIRIT
APR 28
ROCKSTAR KARAOKE
10PM - 1AM ALL AGES NO COVER
MAY 6
10PM-1AM 18+ NO COVER
ROCK OUT WITH YOUR OWN LIVE BAND
NOW TAKING REQUESTS
APR 15
10PM | 21+
Pictured BARTENDER RYAN CLARK
DUELING PIANOS
GREG LOPEZ
10PM | 21+
APR 21
Photography ANTHONY MAIR
SEVEN NIGHTS
EXCEL
APR 22
10PM | 21+
HOUSEOFBLUES.COM/LASVEGAS @HOBLASVEGAS
Marshmello: The Man of Many Faces
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
APRIL 13–19, 2017 TO DO
11 24/7
What to do around the clock in Las Vegas.
32 Player One-Up
Is skills-based gaming the future of slot play? BY DAVID G. SCHWARTZ
BY SHANNON MILLER
12 A Barrel of Laughs
Crapshoot Comedy Festival adds to its all-star lineup. BY UNA LAMARCHE
14 Be True to Your (Old) School
SPACES & PLACES
35 Behind Level Up’s Murals
Meet the new gaming lounge’s team of artists. BY MISTI YANG
Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend throws it back. BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
CONVERSATIONS
The Deal
39 A Humble Headliner
Tax-day bonuses, loss rebates and viewing parties. BY ANTHONY CURTIS
FEATURE
16 They’ve Got Spirit
Our city’s bartenders have some great stories to tell—their own. BY XANIA V. WOODMAN
TASTE
23 Where’s the Beef?
With the Impossible Burger, it’s nowhere. BY GENEVIE DURANO
24 Tried and True
Hawthorn Grill elevates the American steakhouse. BY MARISA FINETTI
26 A Simple Eggsplanation
ANGELINAS ROOM PHOTO BY CIERRA PEDRO
Three techniques to cook the perfect protein.
Bastille’s Dan Smith on hip-hop, the band’s Twitter account and being cool. BY CAMILLE CANNON
40 Luck of the Irish
Johnny O’Donnell’s charmed life behind the bar. BY MISTI YANG
41 Ask a Native
Topless pools.
BY JAMES P. REZA
42 Lucky No. 7
What’s the bar where everyone knows your name? BY WENDOH STAFF
FLIP SIDE
Seven Nights What to do after dark. BY LARRY BRAVERMAN
BY DOREEN CHATFIELD
[Hear This] Marshmello Emojis
28 Small Bites
Toying with the emotions of the famously secret DJ.
Vegan ice cream, ratatouille and Angelina’s Room at Herbs & Rye.
BY SEVEN STAFF
BY DIANA EDELMAN, MARISA FINETTI, XANIA V. WOODMAN
[Eat Here] A New Kind of Dinner Theater
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Sake Rok emcee Jonnis brings energy and excitement to a Strip-side sushi outing.
31 Getting Scrimshaw to the Stands
A Vegas-spawned comic book series is among new titles headed for newsstands. BY PJ PEREZ
OUR SITES TO SEE
VegasSeven.com More Beer? Yes, Please! The state Senate will soon decide on a bill that will determine if Nevada brewpubs can double the amount of beer they produce. We break down the facts and find out what statewide brewers are saying.
DTLV.com A Look Inside the Learn Haus UNLV film department founder Hart Wegner shares his collection of literature, TV, movies and art with those who want to learn.
RunRebs.com UNLV Football Finally Has a Star Player It’s time to make Armani Rogers’ name known.
BY MISTI YANG
SpyOnVegas.com
[Games Bartenders Play] Icing
The Hookup Find upcoming events, see highlights from the hottest parties, meet the DJs and more.
Battling for the title of Ice King. BY XANIA V. WOODMAN PLUS: Sake Rok celebrates a year of Japanese-inspired cuisine.
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK Photography KRYSTAL RAMIREZ Pictured JONATHAN TANNIS, SAKE ROK’S EMCEE
Brian Bagwell, Director of Golf Course Maintenance, Golf Summerlin
To conserve water, just follow the signs. Water Hero Award recipient Golf Summerlin – consisting of Sun City golf courses of Eagle Crest, Palm Valley and Highland Falls – followed the signs. By converting 3.1 million square feet of turf to waterefficient landscaping, they’re saving 172 million gallons of water annually. To learn what you can do to save water, visit snwa.com/waterconservationcoalition
The SNWA is a not-for-profit water agency.
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
VEGAS SEVEN 701 Bridger Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-798-7000 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada. © 2017 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, DINING
Genevie Durano SENIOR EDITOR, LIFESTYLE
Jessi C. Acuña ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Mark Adams EDITOR AT LARGE
Lissa Townsend Rodgers EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Shannon Miller EDITORIAL INTERNS
Daphne-Jayne Corrales, Heather Peterson Senior Contributing Editor Xania V. Woodman (Beverage) 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 WEB EDITOR
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
Nicole Niazmand ACCOUNT MANAGER
Brittany Quintana, Mimi Tran ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Robyn Weiss DIRECTOR OF SALES, BILLBOARD DIVISION
John Tobin
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MAY 3 – 20
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TO DO
Tiger Army
SATURDAY 15
Bring lawn chairs and blankets to Aloha Shores Park for the Bishr Hijazi Arab Ensemble’s concert. Let the percussion, the unfamiliar tones of the oud and traditional dance carry you to the Middle East via classical and contemporary Arabic selections. 2 p.m., 7550 W. Sauer Dr., artslasvegas.org Sweat for a good cause: Life Time Athletic Summerlin hosts the annual Ride for a Reason, a four-hour indoor cycling relay to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Life Time Foundation. 8 a.m., 10721 W. Charleston Blvd., lifetimeride.stjude.org After 8 years off the radar, psychobilly band Tiger Army released a new album last year. Hear the group’s new tracks and some of their older stuff at House of Blues, with support from T.S.O.L. and Gamblers Mark. 6 p.m., $29, inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com/lasvegas
What to do around the clock in Las Vegas By Shannon Miller
THURSDAY 13
FRIDAY 14
Check out a lesser-known arts and crafts medium at the artists’ reception for Beads and Thread, which showcases decorative arts from all over the nation. 5–7 p.m., Las Vegas City Hall Chamber Gallery, 495 S. Main St., 702-229-6511
Celebrity Chef Mario Batali celebrates the 10th anniversaries of not one but two restaurants. Enjoy cocktails, charcuterie and other appetizers on the patio at Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria. Then follow the party to B&B Ristorante for a four-course meal that gives a nod to the establishment’s very first dishes. Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria reception 6 p.m., $50; B&B Ristorante dinner 7:30 p.m., $150; reception and dinner $175; inside The Venetian, venetian.com
Exene Cervenka of punk band X hosts a screening of Mayor of the Sunset Strip, a documentary on ’70s Los Angeles radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. The acclaimed film features interviews with David Bowie, Gwen Stefani and more. 9 p.m., Double Down Saloon, 4640 Paradise Rd., doubledownsaloon.com Tellur Fenner presents Edible & Medical Plants of Mojave Desert: Sky Islands, an interactive lecture on how to harvest and prepare edible plants in our biodiverse environs. 6:30–8:30 p.m., REI Boca Park, 710 S. Rampart Blvd., rei.com She helped find Nemo. Now she’s finding herself. Finding Dory screens at Downtown Container Park’s Family Movie Night. 7 p.m., downtowncontainerpark.com
University of Exeter’s famous all-male a cappella group Semi-Toned presents Sing Theory, a musical journey from the ’70s to the present day. 7:30 p.m., $12–$24, Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., artslasvegas.org Get down to the music of Johnny Cash at Count’s Vamp’d during the Cold Hard Cash Show, a rockabilly and country tribute to the music legend. 8 p.m., 6750 W. Sahara Ave., vampdvegas.com Gabriel Iglesias riles up the audience at The Mirage with impressions and anecdotes of living life in the fluffy lane. 10 p.m., $65–$77, mirage.com
The authors of the Thug Kitchen series stop by VegeNation, bringing lunch and dinner menus featuring recipes from their cookbooks. Through April 16, 11 a.m.–9 p.m., 616 E. Carson Ave., Suite 120, facebook.com/vegenationlv SUNDAY 16
La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway gets fancy for
Easter brunch, with dishes such as baked potato-loaded tots and gravy, ham and egg flatbread, veal short rib hash and more, served butler-style along with bottomless mimosas, sangria or sparkling wine. Bottomless cocktails 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., $28 kids, $59 adults, inside Wynn Las Vegas, lacavelv.com
Stayin’ Alive, the self-proclaimed No. 1 Bee Gees
tribute band (besides you on karaoke night), hits South Point with throwbacks to the disco era. 6:30 p.m., $25–$35, South Point Hotel Casino & Spa, southpointcasino.com
Hexx Kitchen + Bar offers an Easter dinner menu
by executive chef Matthew Piekarski featuring honey-glazed ham, warm parsley butter potatoes and roasted carrots. 4 p.m.–late, $22, inside Paris Las Vegas, hexxlasvegas.com MONDAY 17
Andre’s Bistro & Bar just launched its Express Power Lunch menu designed to get guests in and
out in less than 45 minutes. Choose from two salads or soup for an appetizer, and entree selections including ricotta gnocchi and golden trout amandine—all for $20. Add a dessert for $4.50, if you feel like you can scarf it down in time before you’re due back at your daily grind. Mon.–Fri., 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., 6115 S. Fort Apache Rd., andresbistroandbar.com
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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TO DO
24/7
Clark County Library’s Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou series screens The Philadelphia Story, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. 1 p.m., 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., lvccld.org If history repeats itself, we can anticipate the future by studying the past. In Fear City: New York’s Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics, Kim Phillips-Fein draws on never-before-used archives and interviews from 1970s New York City to examine the economic policies that led to and resulted in the city’s economic crisis at the time. The book hits stands today. Metropolitan Books, $32, us.macmillan.com WEDNESDAY 19
Electronic rock duo Phantogram plays Brooklyn Bowl, with support from Lido. 7:30 p.m., $30–$50, at The Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas After a brief hiatus, Monday Night Karaoke is back at The Bunkhouse Saloon. 10 p.m., 124 S. 11th St., bunkhousedowntown.com The Philadelphia Story
TUESDAY 18
UNLV assistant professor Jonathan Rhodes Lee kicks off Las Vegas Baroque Festival with a clarifying lecture: What Is “Baroque” About Baroque Music? If you already know everything about the genre, come back later in the week or during the weekend for performances, additional free lectures and a Baroque dance party. 7:30 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at UNLV, lasvegasbaroquefestival.com
A Barrel of Laughs Crapshoot Comedy Festival adds to its all-star lineup By Una LaMarche When it makes its debut on
May 18, the Crapshoot Comedy Festival will be the biggest comedy event ever to hit the streets of Downtown Las Vegas. Featuring 27 comics performing a collective 32 shows at several different venues over the course of three nights (don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of booze and no long division), it will achieve the rare honor of being something that’s never happened in Vegas before—and that’s just what its founders intended. “Vegas was really missing a true comedy festival,” says Paul Chamber-
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lain, who created Crapshoot with his wife, Kacky. “You’ve got the headliners on the Strip, but we’re bringing something different.” The husbandand-wife team also produced the Maui Comedy Festival in 2014 and longed to bring a similar destination comedy event to the mainland. As former Las Vegas residents, they knew that the Fremont East district, with its dense collection of bars and clubs, would make the perfect location. On March 31, Tig Notaro joined the Crapshoot roster (while the name of the festival implies risk, the Chamberlains seem to be stacking their deck with industry heavy-hitters). Fresh off her hit Amazon series One Mississippi, Notaro will perform in two all-female “Nasty Women” showcases at the Fremont Country Club on Saturday night that will benefit the ACLU. “As the tenor of the country has changed over the past year, we’ve seen the growth of comedy as a truth-teller and protector of [the] First Amendment,” says Chamberlain. “We want to support causes that
Cannabis travel and leisure agency The Travel Joint hosts
Rollerblaze, where DJs play for roller skaters making their
rounds in Gold Spike’s backyard. Better yet: no cover and free skates all night! 10 p.m., 217 Las Vegas Blvd., goldspike.com Thee Swank Bastards bring their mix of surf rock, Amer-
icana, rockabilly and experimental music to Beauty Bar. Melanie and the Midnite Marauders, the Bitters and Yosemite Slam open. 8 p.m., 517 E. Fremont St., beautybarlv.com 7
Looking for more stuff to do? Go to vegasseven.com/calendar.
matter to us.” And, yes, Nasty Women is a dig at the 45th president. Joining Notaro will be Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson of the Guys We F@#ked podcast, among others. Another new addition to the schedule is a local comedy showcase hosted by Chris Porter at Zappos Chambers on Friday. (Zappos is the festival’s inaugural sponsor, and the plaza in the Zappos headquarters will be a “party zone” throughout the event.) The Nevadan talent on display will include Jozalyn Sharp, Bobby Wayne Stauts and Brandon “Gooch” Hahn. Dave Attell will headline Thursday, also at Zappos Chambers, but fans coming to see him—or Notaro, or Bert Kreischer, who anchors the Friday lineup—will also have the opportunity to see dozens of other powerhouse comedians at shows with names like “NSFW in DTLV” and “Brains at the Beauty Bar.” “I mean, you can see Michelle Buteau and Aparna Nancherla for $20,” Chamberlain says, sounding starstruck. “We’re bringing talent
who have never played Vegas before. You’re being exposed to things you wouldn’t normally see.” 7
Crapshoot Comedy Festival May 18–20, times and prices vary, find the full lineup at crapshootcomedyfestival.com Pictured: Tig Notaro
TO DO
24/7
THE DEAL BY ANTHONY CURTIS
Be True to Your
(Old) School
Wanda Jackson
The Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend throws it back By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
The Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend is celebrating its 20th year of taking Sin City back in time,
if only for a few days. What began as a few hundred rockabilly aficionados hanging out in a showroom and the top deck of a parking garage at an off-Strip casino has turned into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, drawing hundreds of performers and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world. All aspects of rockabilly culture are represented, from the distinctive fashions (and if you didn’t bring any, heaven knows you can buy them—the vending at Viva is worth saving up for) to a massive car show that will drop the jaw of even the most jaded gearhead. Over the years, they’ve added bowling, burlesque, pool parties, dance lessons, meetups, mixers and even a few weddings. But music has always been the soul of Viva Las Vegas, from the DJs in the bar to rock legends such as the late Chuck Berry taking the main stage in years past. This year’s roster has plenty of big names, and it goes without saying that the petticoated ’n’ pomaded will hit the Tiki Pool Party and check out all of those sweet Caddies and Chevys at the car show. But with a lengthy lineup over four noon-to-sunup days, perhaps a few suggestions are in order … or you can check vivalasvegas.net for the full schedule. The Planet Rockers
This Nashville act opened on Morrissey’s U.S. tour back in the ’90s, and their groovy, gritty rockabilly carries a hint of garage. Thursday, 9:30 p.m. The Legends of Rockabilly
Heroes of the six-string share the stage. Larry Collins was part of pioneering rockabilly duo the Collins Kids and still plays his double-necked Mosrite guitar. Sonny Burgess began his career in dance halls during the 1950s and recorded for Sun Records. The show also features Jack Baymoore and Alton & Jimmy. Friday, 9:45 p.m. Bembol Rockers
Dig rockabilly’s global reach with the Bembol Rockers, bringing you slap bass and hollowbody guitar all the way from the Philippines. Friday, 10:45 p.m. The 24th Street Wailers
Canada’s 24th Street Wailers make a fearsome and joyous noise that is guaranteed to get your head nodding and your hips shaking. Saturday, noon; Sunday, 10:30 p.m.
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Los Straitjackets
The instrumentals of Los Straitjackets swing, surf and skronk with the force of a multipleguitar attack. The band gets bonus points for their Mexican wrestling masks. Saturday, 7 p.m. Wanda Jackson
If rock ’n’ roll has a first lady, it’s Wanda Jackson, who’s been wowing crowds since she was Elvis’ sweetheart back in the ’50s. Her fringe still shakes, her guitar still twangs, and she still can blow your top with “Fujiyama Mama.” Saturday, 9 p.m. The Stars of Rock ’n’ Roll Show
Do a little bopping, a little strolling and a little slow dancing with the lush, classic doo-wop sounds of the Cleftones and Otis Williams & the Charms, as well as the house-rocking tunes of Jimmy Cavallo and Gene Summers. Sunday, 8 p.m. 7
Tax-Day Bonuses, Loss Rebates and UFC Viewing DID YOU LAND A TAX REFUND THIS year? If yes, there are several ways to tack on a few bonus dollars if you don’t mind cashing your check at a casino, as several offer incentives. New to the party this year and featuring the best deal overall is Downtown Grand, where you’ll get 5 percent of the amount of your refund check in slot free play up to a maximum of $100. You’ll also be entered into a drawing for $5,000 on April 15 at 9 p.m. (you must be present to win). El Cortez is also offering 5 percent in free play, but the maximum is only $50. Based on previous years, more tax-day deals are likely to turn up at Cannery, Eastside Cannery, Silverton, both Arizona Charlie’s, Ellis Island, Lucky Club, Silver Nugget, Rampart, Club Fortune, the Plaza and Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Westgate Las Vegas has instituted a $100 rebate-on-loss deal for new players’ club members. According to the rules, the rebate is distributed in slot free play via a letter that indicates the dates for redemption. That’s not much to go on, but it shouldn’t be a problem for locals to meet the timetable. Speaking of loss rebates, I wrote recently about the $50 reimbursement at Mr. G’s Pub & Grub on Desert Inn Road, but didn’t mention its daily video poker happy hours from midnight to 4 a.m., 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 5–7 p.m., during which a 4-of-akind in 5s through Kings gets a spin on the bonus wheel. This is an excellent perk that drops the house edge below 1 percent. There are also deals for non-gamblers. Show a players club card at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur or Boulder to get a 2-for-1 buffet on Tuesdays. Wednesday is “Country Night” at Ravello Lounge in M Resort, with select drinks free for women from 6–7 p.m. Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand is running a 50 percent off promo that’s restricted to locals: Book over the phone or at the ticket window, as this deal is not available online. On the negative side, Las Vegas’ best Bloody Mary deal is now a little less so: The price of the Sunday Marys at Irene’s on Spring Mountain Road has been raised 50 cents to $2.50. Originally only $1, this is still a bloody good play. For UFC and some boxing pay-perview events, you can usually undercut the cable fee by watching at a bar or casino viewing party, where admission usually runs $10–$50. The current best deal is at the Déjà Vu Showgirls gentlemen’s club, where entry is $10 for locals ($20 for out-of-state) when you drive there yourself and includes free pizza, as well as domestic beers, wine and well drinks from 6–10 p.m. It’s a good atmosphere, with the dancers leaving the customers alone to watch until the fights are over. 7 Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and lasvegasadvisor.com.
AMPLIFY
YOUR SUMMER!
200 S. 3rd Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 800.745.3000 Get your tickets now at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center Box Office or ticketmaster.com.
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rom their places across the wood (or marble, or concrete), bartenders listen to us, accompany us through life's celebrations and council us through its heartbreaks. To borrow from Napoleon’s supposed quote about Champagne, they are essential in both victory and defeat. With a few flicks of their wrists, bartenders deftly apply such remedies as may be appropriate to the situation at hand—a bubbly toast, brooding tipple, hasty shot, or a well-timed glass of water. And for the mind, they dispense distilled wisdom. But what about their lives, their stories? While you're imbibing, your bartender might be squaring off with health issues, legal challenges or good 'ol Mother Nature just to have the privilege of serving you that vodka martini, "extra dirty, with three olives." What if, just this once, we gave the bartenders the floor?
By Xania V. Woodman Photography Anthony Mair
we tu r n th e tab les o n th e pass i o nate , pe rs eve r i n g m e n an d wo m e n wh o to i l b e h i n d th e sti ck an d h ear th e i r sto r i es fo r a chan g e
A TIMELINE OF THE CLARK FAMILY’S AMERICAN JOURNEY 2012 December: Clark receives a job offer from Rock ’n’ Rita’s inside Circus Circus.
b u i ld i n g a
Home RYAN CLARK loves flair bartending. He has 13 years of experience and 11 flair competition wins to his name. He also adores and respects classic cocktails and the study of mixology; he’s been incredibly successful at that as well, narrowly coming in second in Vegas Seven’s 2016 Best Bartender Competition. Living in Las Vegas and working at Vince Neil’s Tatuado (formerly Rock ’n’ Rita’s) inside Circus Circus allows him to pursue both passions. A Canadian citizen, Clark had little trouble getting work visas in the flair heyday. But since the recession, and with the rise of mixology, sponsorship dollars have dwindled. Clark’s journey to enter, work legally and now remain permanently in the U.S. has been an all-consuming fight for himself, his wife, Nova, and their son, Galen, now 18, to maintain the life they’ve built in Las Vegas. Clark estimates he has spent $8,000 with his current Los Angeles law firm, $3,000 for the initial firm in Canada in 2013, another $1,000 or so in filing fees and, soon, another $2,000 for his green card application. “These numbers aren’t so bad, but keep in mind,” Clark says, “while here on the visa, I am the only one able to work, and only where I am currently listed on my visa. I have had four or five other places that want to hire me, but those companies won’t sponsor a visa. Nova and Galen are under [my visa], so they only have the right to go to school, but no right to work. This will change with the permanent residency. “It’s about creating a better opportunity for myself, Nova and Galen. Having the freedom to live in the U.S. just opens endless doors for all of us and creates so many different futures.”
2013 January: Attorney hired to start an O-1 visa petition (“Person of Extraordinary Ability”). March: Petition filed. June: USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security] requests more information. October: Visa approved; Clark drives 22 hours to Las Vegas to begin work, leaving his family in Canada. For the first six months, Clark and Nova take turns traveling back and forth each month. 2015 February: The Clark family drives a 26-foot U-Haul (Clark: “That almost breaks down!”) in a two-day move to Las Vegas. March: Clark joins the Las Vegas chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, enters its Shake It Up Competition and starts getting involved in the local bartending community. July: Clark wins his first mixology competition, as well as a trip to Puerto Rico, in the Don Q Piña Colada Challenge. August: His three-year visa renewal approaching—and having made Las Vegas his home— Clark hires another lawyer to get started on his EB-1 Permanent Resident (a.k.a. green card) application. 2016 April: Renewal filed, but late; Clark misses weeks of work while waiting on approval. May: Three-year visa renewal approved; the green card application process begins with the gathering of reference letters and documentation. “It’s difficult to ask for people’s time— some a second and third time.” Clark says. “I just hate to ask things of people, but this is just what needs to be done.” June: Attorney leaves the firm; a temp fills in while Clark awaits references. August: New attorney leaves the firm as well; more waiting. October: The second new attorney gets up to speed just before the holidays interrupt the process. “Part of my circumstance is that what I do as a flair bartender is not ‘normal’ and falls under the entertainment category for visas. So each time I get a new lawyer, I need to have a lengthy discussion of my specific case, how to approach it and how they can help.” 2017 January: Start over again. “Once filed, it should take about six months with current wait times to get an initial answer. Sometimes you can get approved initially, or we may get a request for more evidence,” Clark says. “There are also no guarantees; each case is on an individual basis, and it really can depend on the adjudicator you happen to get.”
s e e ki n g
Balance TRICIA MCLEOD was 23 years old and bartending at a popular cabaret in upstate New York when she was expecting her second child. Well into her third trimester, McLeod was having difficulty finishing her shift because of excruciating pain in her lower back and pelvis, but naturally, she chalked it up to being pregnant and on her feet 10 hours a night. But that’s not all that was going on.
“In November of that year, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. But the pain didn’t go away like it did after my first child, so I made an appointment to see my doctor, and that’s when all the testing began. As time went on, I began to fall a lot; my left leg would go numb and down I would go. All [of] the imaging tests were normal. Things got a whole lot worse over the course of the next eight years. [After the birth of my third child,] I could no longer walk, so I decided to retire from bartending. I was going to sell real estate in Florida. Turns out, a veteran bartender who is fluent in sarcasm wasn’t very good at selling real estate. “I reached my breaking point when I went 13 days without being able to move or care for my children. I went back to the doctor and told him, ‘I need you to figure this out, or find someone who can. Because if this is going to be my life, I don’t want it—I would rather die.’ At that time I was taking four painkillers, two muscle relaxers and 12 Advil a day. I had been through four rounds of physical therapy, which only made it worse, and was told I would have to go on a morphine pump. I asked the doctor, ‘What happens when that no longer works? Why can’t we find the problem and fix it rather than just keep pushing pain meds?’ That’s when he sent me to the Mayo Clinic. I didn’t know it at the time, but my appointment was with the director of medicine, so I was sent straight to the top. Within 30 minutes I had a diagnosis. “When a woman goes through pregnancy, her body releases a hormone called relaxin to help prepare for the main event. After delivery, hormones and joints go back to normal—mine didn’t. When my body released that hormone, it awoke the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome [a disorder of the connective tissue] that was lying dormant within my DNA. My condition is rare and very often misdiagnosed. I had a sacroiliac joint fusion to stabilize my pelvis three months after being diagnosed, and within six months of surgery, had weaned myself off the narcotic pain meds. I often refer to my surgery date as ‘the first day of the rest of my life.’ Today I am back behind the stick, doing what I love and making the most of every single day.” Following her surgery, McLeod, now 35, attended the Bar Management program at the Crescent School of Gaming & Bartending in Las Vegas. Finding that the Valley’s dry climate aided her recovery, she’s stayed, and regularly returns to Florida to spend time with her children. Today, a couple of Advil and a hot bath are all she needs to recover from her shifts at Topgolf.
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Cancer Flair Flair fi g hti n g
with
Tucson native MIKE GUZMÁN, 28, was barbacking in 2007 at a country club in a small city in Arizona when he saw a documentary on the Travel Channel about Las Vegas’ annual Legends of Bartending flair bartending competition (which concluded in 2011), and “immediately, I knew that was what I was meant to do,” he says. Two years later, as soon as Guzmán turned 21, he decided to move to Denver to finish school and bartend. But another plan was already underway. “The night before I was scheduled to move, I found a lump in my neck. The next morning, I went to the ER to find out what it was. The doctor came in and told me it could be two things: valley fever [a respiratory fungal infection] or cancer. This news didn’t stop me from moving; I left that day and headed to Colorado. A few days after I moved and got settled in, I went back to the doctor. This time blood tests were done and things didn’t look great. They scheduled a biopsy and it revealed what I feared: cancer. It was worse than we had expected. It had spread to my lungs, liver and bones, and I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. I started intense chemotherapy and radiation almost immediately. Obviously, with this kind of diagnosis, work became the last thing on my mind, but I still had to continue. I got a job at a TGI Friday’s, thanks to my passion to do flair. I was immediately hooked on practicing and preparing for my first competition. “Despite how weak, nauseated and lethargic chemo made me feel, I found the drive to practice almost every day so I could be the best behind the bar. I did my first competition at TGI Friday’s in 2009, only months into a long chemo treatment. The crowd was energetic and alive, and I loved being the entertainment. I knew that this was my calling. So I practiced day in and day out—so much so that my doctors were surprised how few side effects I felt. I would do chemo on Thursday morning and be back to work on Friday; I had more energy [than] others my age on the same treatment. The physical nature of flair bartending helped keep not only my body healthier, but my mind and spirit were set on both beating cancer and being an amazing flair bartender. “I finished my treatments in June 2010, and about that time I went to my first professional flair bartending competition. Since then, I’ve competed in dozens of competitions all over North America and Europe. With the event bartending company I helped start, 5280 Flair out of Denver, I’ve run some of the biggest competitions in the U.S., and I’ve met more amazing people than I can count.” Now in remission for seven years, Guzmán has lived in Las Vegas for three years and works at Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar in The Linq. He still actively competes, most recently at the Shake It Up Competition at the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show in March.
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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VIVA LAS VEGANS
TASTE
Shot on location at PIONEER SALOON 310 W. Spring St., Goodsprings, pioneersaloon. info. Visit vegasseven.com for more on this historic bar, opened in 1913, and its storied past.
TTwo wo wo r ki n g fo r
You’ve seen it on menus and on signs in bathrooms: "Drinking wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can cause birth defects." WENDY HODGES, a mixologist at Fusion Mixology Bar in The Palazzo, found out she was pregnant with her third child in the summer of 2010. With her career-military husband, Mike, away for weeks at a time on training missions, Hodges had to continue working as long as possible and she could not consume any hard alcohol in the line of duty. So what’s a highly creative mixologist to do? If you’re Hodges, you just use your nose! Without being able to taste, how did you create cocktail recipes while pregnant? My sense of smell was actually enhanced, I don’t know why. Sweet smells such as vanilla and caramel—if I nose spirits now, I can barely pick those out. But when I was pregnant, I could pick out oak, leather and all those different notes. They were intensified. Did you have to give up on the cocktail competition circuit? No! I did the Whiskey for Women Cocktail Divas competition and created my Maker’s 46 cocktail, Gilded Hooch, strictly by nose. [I came in] fourth place.
Caption goes here
Do you have to recreate that by-the-nose experience for your guests nightly at Fusion? Our bar is known for creating drinks on the fly, and our guests expect that unique experience. Some will sit there all day, wanting something different every single round. … They will give me a parameter, and I have to throw all kinds of things together. If I did the mixer first [I tasted it], but once I added alcohol, it was strictly based on my nose. What other challenges do pregnant bartenders face? Well, mostly just having to squat down to get things on the lower shelves and being on your feet for eight hours. You’ve got all that extra weight from the baby, so your ankles and feet swell. My biggest issue was rude people blowing smoke in my face when they could obviously see that I was pregnant. How did your male colleagues react? My coworkers were awesome. As a matter of fact, whenever somebody was smoking, they’d be like, “Wendy, go sit down on the other side of the bar.” And they would serve them. I worked with some really awesome guys. Emilio Tiburcio and Greg Black were like, “Don’t you smoke around our baby!” Wendy and Mike’s daughter, Olivia Mackenzie, turned 6 in March. What advice does Hodges have for bartenders thinking of starting a family? Read the entire interview at vegasseven.com/bartenderwendyhodges.
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Chance taki n g a
Herbs & Rye barback LOUIS PRZYDZIAL is preparing to take the next step … and it’s a doozy. The 22-year-old Las Vegas native is about to embark on his training as a bartender at the award-winning high-volume cocktail bar and steakhouse with the aim of achieving bartender status by the end of 2017. Heading into it, Przydzial has a lot going for him, including a potent cocktail of chutzpah, perseverance and grit. Anyone who has encountered the young man there or at his previous jobs as a busser at Palace Station and Central (now Café Americano) inside Caesars Palace recalls Przydzial’s upbeat, seemingly innate sense of hospitality. “At Herbs, you build from the beginning: You start as a barback, and then once you’ve perfected it, you can start moving on to everything else. I’m very excited just to be beginning that process,” he says. “I’m currently studying our cocktails on flash cards—all 48 of them—and reading The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan,” he says. There’s just one thing: Przydzial can barely reach the far side of the bar, and much of the back bar is out of range as well. In his words, Przydzial is short-statured, but his colossal personality belies his 5 feet, so the topic rarely comes up, let alone gets in his way. Junior varsity and later varsity wrestling, snowboarding, basketball—Przydzial did it all. “You learn to adapt,” he says. “It makes you a lot faster—even the rebounded basketball, if the big guys miss it and it hits the floor … who’s the first one to get to it?” While Przydzial’s father stands more than 6 feet tall, Przydzial takes after his 4-foot-5-inch mother. No matter: He makes it work, scaling the back bar with ease to crush 550-plus covers right alongside his coworkers. “Somebody is always right there if I do need help, but most of the time they know that I’m going to find a way,” he says. A self-proclaimed reformed class clown, Przydzial credits his maturity to the unwavering support network he has in his parents, his older brother, Michael, and his Herbs & Rye comrades, owner Nectaly Mendoza and bar manager Adam O’Donnell. “Nectaly told me, ‘Do not rush success.’ I’m always [asking] him about making cocktails, and what books should I be reading, and he always says, ‘Do your studying, do what you have to do and you will earn your way.’” Perhaps no one is a bigger fan of Przydzial, however, than Michael, eight years Przydzial’s senior and a beverage program specialist at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “An individual’s personality and their ability to care for their guests are two of the most important aspects of bartending. Louis has always had those traits, and they will propel him as far as he would like in the profession of bartending,” Michael says. “Our parents would tell me all the time that I was an example he would look up to and learn from, but I’ve definitely learned from and looked up to him just as much.” As for bartending as a profession, “I’m not sure how far I want to take it,” Przydzial says. “I’m learning the base of the bartending industry. That’s my plan, to start here, develop and perfect craft cocktails, and then becoming an owner would be an unbelievable thought.” Where does Przydzial get his drive? “My parents know that [Herbs & Rye] is a tough spot for somebody my size to work at. But if I complete this task ahead of me, I know how happy it will make them. That’s what pushes me every day.” 7
Swing by for
golf action
all season long
Twin Peaks Henderson 9510 S. Eastern Ave, #100 Las Vegas, NV 89123 (702) 564-1280
Twin Peaks Las Vegas Strip 3717 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Ste. 285 Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 795-8946
ONE BITE
TASTE
t h s e ’ e B r e e ef h ? W With the Impossible Burger, nowhere. And that’s a good thing.
If you’ve been on the fence about adopting a more plant-based diet because you just can’t see yourself giving up a big, juicy burger, well, now you don’t have to. The Impossible Burger is here, and, true to its name, it looks, smells, bleeds, cooks and tastes just like ground beef, but is made entirely from plant-based ingredients such as wheat, potatoes and coconut oil. In development since 2011, it uses 75 percent less water, generates 87 percent fewer greenhouse gases and requires 95 percent less land than its bovine counterpart. The Impossible Burger provides a comparable amount of iron to conventional beef without the cholesterol, and it’s made without hormones of antibiotics. Previously only available in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York (it debuted last summer at David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi in NYC), the Impossible Burger will be at Andrea’s in Encore at Wynn Las Vegas (wynnlasvegas. com) starting April 14 in three iterations, including sliders with kimchee (pictured), Thai crispy rice cups and Ma Po Tofu meatballs. That’s news carnivores and herbivores alike can moo-n over.
By Genevie Durano Photography Aubrie Pick
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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Tried and True Hawthorn Grill elevates the classic American steakhouse By Marisa Finetti
Photography By Krystal Ramirez
G
orgeous renovations, attentive service and a menu that celebrates modern American classics are at the heart of Hawthorn Grill. Situated inside the JW Marriott in Summerlin, Hawthorn was once the Carmel Room, which then became Ceres, until consultants Blau + Associates took westside dining to the next level. A resort hallway leads guests to Hawthorn Grill, passing a private dining room and an impressive 1,100-bottle wall of wine. Once inside, a hip and spacious bar provides a convivial vibe for after-work and pre-dinner libations, along with an adjoining grand living room for conversation and lounging. The dining room is spacious, and it’s where executive chef Joseph Swan, formerly of Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas, showcases his ability to strike a balance of classic steakhouse and modern American fare.
The Setting
Imagine a contemporary alpine lodge in which dark-walnut A-frame beams and cozy dining nooks await guests with hearty appetites. Hawthorn Grill provides an escape from the daily bustle with a nature-driven setting: 180 degrees of windows overlooking the outdoors provide views of rushing waterfalls, streams and mature pines and palms. There are five distinct patios for cocktails and dining that feature three fire pits, which simultaneously impart calmness and invigoration. Inside, modern spherical light fixtures made of metal, wood and shimmering crystal prisms add energy to the room.
The Chef
The menu is reflective of Hawthorn Grill’s timeless surroundings, with Swan’s commitment to upscale flavor and sustainable approach to the traditional steakhouse. He draws his inspiration from “the constant opportunity to inherit with the profession—there is always something to learn, improve upon and challenge yourself with.” As a child, when other kids were making PB&Js, Midwestern boy-next-door Swan was cooking alongside his grandmother. His official start in the food world began at the famed New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. Over the years he has spent time with chefs including Michael Symon and Alex Stratta. Swan claims that his formula for success starts with respect. “A workforce that is willing to communicate their opinions, ideas and techniques will always be more successful than forcing your team into working only the way you see it.”
The Menu
Swan puts his spin on each dish by offering a bit of the unexpected, whether it’s the celery root puree under the crab cake or the generous slice of grilled bacon on the BLT wedge salad. To fully explore the chef and his team’s culinary expression, try the beef carpaccio with shaved fennel, crispy capers, pine nuts and Parmesan; roasted beets and burrata served with prosciutto, toasted pistachios and arugula; and the onion soup, made with veal stock and topped with a cheesy brioche crouton for a sweet and savory flavor profile. The prime short rib is a decadent option—slow-braised and set on top of parsnip puree, roasted brussels sprouts and crispy shallots. Or go for the simply grilled, such as the chili-rubbed Kurobuta pork chop. Sides are served separately and are a boon for those seeking comfort food with just a touch of finesse, from mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin and mojito fries to roasted broccolini. To accompany it all, there are 35 wines by the glass from which to choose. Better yet, order a bottle (or two) for the table. Classic and signature cocktails entice any palate that’s open to exploration, from the salted caramel martini to the honey and bourbon French 75. Very early birds are rewarded at Hawthorn Grill. Morning and brunch gatherings provide hearty sustenance for any day and a perfect setting to take in the natural surroundings. Get the gears going with jelly doughnut pancakes, cage-free egg dishes and specialties such as confit chicken hash, and steak and eggs.
Sweet Endings
When the aromas of freshly baked goods fill the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort Pastry Kitchen, it’s a good bet that executive pastry chef Jeremy Choo is the culprit. For Hawthorn Grill, he delivers s’mores churros—handcrafted toasted vanilla marshmallows that accompany warm cinnamon-sugar churros, served with milk chocolate ganache. (The chocolate is Valrhona, natch.) “Multiple textures with different temperatures are going on in the dessert,” Choo says. “That’s why it is one of my favorite desserts. Plus, fried churros! Who can say no to that?” You’ve come this far—no need to stop there. The banana split sundae is made with house-made vanilla ice cream, brûlée bananas, dark chocolate ganache, raspberry meringue sticks and crunchy peanut brittle. There’s also an apple tart tatin made with caramelized Granny Smith apples on an almond puff pastry. Served warm with salty caramel sauce, candied almonds and vanilla ice cream, it’s a classic way to end a meal. 7
Clockwise from top left: Slow-braised prime short rib; BLT wedge salad; grilled Kurobuta pork chop; ahi tuna poke; cauliflower au gratin; roasted beets and burrata
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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TASTE
COOK@HOME
By Doreen Chatfield
Illustrations Cierra Pedro
A Simple
Eggsplanation THREE TECHNIQUES ON HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT PROTEIN Which came first—the chicken or the egg? As a chef, I would have to say the egg. A most versatile ingredient if there ever was one, you can bake, fry, poach, coddle, scramble and boil it. A perfect protein by itself that’s good anytime of the day, it’s also an integral part of baked goods, serving as a binder for the other ingredients. But how do you cook an egg so you can maximize its flavor potential? Here are three ways:
1 Tbsp
Poaching is one technique that most home cooks are intimidated by, but it’s quite easy.
The first thing you need is a pot that can hold at least six inches of water. Bring water to a simmer without boiling, then add a tablespoon of white vinegar. Crack the egg and put it in a small bowl, then slowly slide the egg into the water. You will see the whites forming around the yolk. Depending on your preferred doneness, it will take between 5–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the egg. Place it on top of a burger, potatoes or even a salad—it makes a fantastic dressing. Try it:
Oeufs Benedict at Bouchon in The Venetian
If scrambled is more your speed, the most important tools to have are a nonstick pan and a high-heat spatula. Place the nonstick pan on low heat. Scramble three eggs in a bowl, making sure the yolks and the whites are well combined. When the pan is warm, add 4 tablespoons of butter. Yes, it’s a lot of butter, but butter and eggs together is a recipe for magic. Let the butter melt slowly, but don’t let it turn brown. Add the egg slowly and keep stirring with the spatula. The trick to perfect scrambled eggs is cooking low and slow to achieve that creamy texture. Right before it’s done, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Try it: Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken With Maple Reduction (and scrambled eggs) at Hash House a Go Go in The Linq Hotel & Casino
Perhaps the most versatile iteration is the fried egg, which goes well on just about anything, from a simple piece of toast to a burger. The secret is, once again, a good nonstick pan. On medium heat, add a teaspoon of oil or simply spray the pan. Crack that egg and drop it like it’s hot. As you watch the whites taking form, you will hear the sizzle and the crackle. The way to tell the egg is ready to be flipped is when it easily slides around the pan. So with a flick of your wrist, flip that egg and cook it to your desired doneness. Try it: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich at Eggslut in The Cosmopolitan
Doreen Chatfield is a classically educated chef who received her training at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She is a personal chef and caterer, and is currently the dietary director at Valley Hospital.
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SMALL BITES
Scooped!
Room for History
Herbs & Rye looks to the past to prepare for the future
As the nation’s reigning Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar, Herbs & Rye has the virtue of consistency nailed—it has to when the staff is blazing through a stack of tickets on a wild Saturday night. Now an important artifact has been returned to its rightful place on the property. Owner Nectaly Mendoza has rechristened the smaller dining room Angelina’s Room. Long before Herbs & Rye opened in 2009, and preceding all previous incarnations as a Mexican restaurant or fried-clam joint, 3713 West Sahara Avenue was known as The Venetian. From 1955 to 2003, owners Lou and Angelina “Angie” Ruvo (yes, those Ruvos!) operated the old-school red-sauce Italian restaurant. As the story goes, Lou installed a beautiful stained glass sign reading “Angelina’s Room” in the doorway from which Angie would
The “Beauty” of this Ratatouille Traditional ratatouille is the epitome of Provençal stews, in which seasonal vegetables are cooked separately and then combined, seasoned and finished with aromatics. The version at Beauty & Essex (in The Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com) is in the nouvelle cuisine camp. Also known as confit byaldi, the dish is a play on the Turkish imam bayildi, or stuffed eggplant. A sofrito (the base sauce) is made with zucchini, squash, Japanese eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices, which generously lines a casserole dish. Sliced vegetables are tiled in a spiral design, covered with a cartouche (parchment paper) and baked for an hour. Cooling overnight allows the vegetables to marinate in their juices, concentrating the flavor. The ratatouille is served hot, garnished with micro basil, Maldon salt, cracked black pepper and balsamic vinaigrette (for a touch of acidity). Ego, the food critic in the classic Pixar film Ratatouille, would be pleased. –Marisa Finetti
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Jones Blvd., 6446 N. Durango Dr., perfectscooplv.com), which offers a variety of sugary deliciousness (cotton candy–topped boba, anyone?), is known among the plant-based/lactose intolerant community for its vegan offerings. It serves up nine flavors of the good stuff—ranging from the traditional chocolate and vanilla to pistachio and white chocolate peanut butter—using vegan-friendly almond milk. The ice cream shop recently expanded and now has a home in Centennial Hills, across from the vegan fast-food drive-thru VegeWay. Plant-based dinner and dessert? We’ll take a double helping. –Diana Edelman
ANGELINA’S ROOM AND ICE CREAM BY CIERRA PEDRO; RATATOUILLE BY ANTHONY LOMAYESVA
The Perfect Scoop (7377 S.
stand and keep an eye on business. In December, Mendoza welcomed Angie, now 93, and her son, Southern Wine & Spirits co-founder Larry Ruvo, for her first visit to Herbs & Rye. Mendoza told Angie he had commissioned a replica of the sign he had seen in old photos of the place. Moved to tears, Mendoza says, Larry instead insisted that Herbs & Rye have the original sign, which Larry had kept safe all these years. Angie quickly pointed out her spot between the bar and her dining room, so it’s above that doorway that Mendoza has installed the original sign. Furthermore, Mendoza intends to have a mural of the original Venetian menu art painted on the wall. “It took us years to get [Angie] in here,” Mendoza laughs. In addition to Angelina’s Room, Mendoza says Herbs’ famous flocked red walls will get some love in the form of framed photos of people from both sides of the bar. “Herbs & Rye will be dedicated to the people who have made it successful,” Mendoza says. And don’t be surprised if you see the man shopping for real estate—Mendoza states that he is aggressively seeking expansion for the little bar that could … and did. –Xania V. Woodman
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
COMICS,
JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS BOUGHT THEM A Vegas-spawned series is headed to the newsstand By Pj Perez
B
ack in the day, comic book fans could easily get their fix by rolling up to a spinner rack in a supermarket, pharmacy or bookstore and dropping a few quarters for 32 pages of colorful pulp adventure. However, starting in the mid-1990s, monthly comics disappeared from newsstands. These days, they’re mostly only available in specialty stores and on web- and mobile-based apps.
Independent comic publisher Alterna Comics is bucking that trend. The New Hampshire-based company will begin distributing low-cost ($1.50 versus the average $4 or $5) newsprint versions of their top series to newsstands this summer. One of those titles is Scrimshaw, the post-apocalyptic, high-seas adventure that Las Vegas-based writer Eric Borden produces with artist Dave Mims. “It’s so awesome that someone could go in with $1.50 and get my comic book,” Borden says. Despite “money being tight as a kid,” he remembers spending what little scratch he could gather on favorites like Green Lantern and The New Mutants at the Circle K convenience store near his house. Borden—who’s also a screenwriter and author—has written a few other comics, but Scrimshaw is his first series to see wide distribution. He connected with Alterna publisher Peter Simeti through Twitter while Scrimshaw was still in development in late 2015, and shortly after debuting the comic at Silicon Valley Comic Con the following March, Borden locked in a two-year distribution deal. “It’s a compelling read, and I appreciate the fact that there’s a ton of metaphor and imagination to it,” says Simeti. “A lot of stories are very literal nowadays, even in the realm of comic book fiction. Scrimshaw is a great, character-driven story.” The first three issues of Scrimshaw have already been released digitally, with a graphic novel collection of that material being released in May. The first newsprint edition of the single issues will hit comic stores in June and newsstands a few months later. To help fund the production of these upcoming print versions (Alterna creators pay for their own printing, which maximizes their share of profits), Borden launched a $4,400 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. As of this writing, the campaign has raised around one third of the funding goal, but Borden’s not concerned. “We want to hit our number because it allows us to do more,” he says, “but we’re going to write the check no matter what. We’re prepared to go all the way because we feel like there’s going to be a pretty good welcome. I’ve already scheduled my first two signings at Barnes & Noble.” 7
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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SOCIAL INFLUENCE
GREEN FELT JOURNAL
Player One Up Is skill-based gaming really the future of slot play?
By David G. Schwartz
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April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
Y
ou might have missed it, but Nevada’s gaming industry just passed a milestone. The first skillbased slot machines debuted in late March at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and they provide a window into one possible future of casino gambling worldwide. Machine manufacturers and casinos are keen on extending the range of what a “slot machine” is and does because slots have not rebounded from the recession. Not adjusting for inflation, since 2007 the Nevada slot win is down 15 percent. Some of that is due to the general sluggishness of gambling in postrecession Nevada—at the same time nongaming spending is at its highest level ever—but slot machines have lagged behind tables and other games, which have shrunk only 6 percent since 2007. They still bring in considerable money (raking in more than $7 billion last year) but not the revenue they once did. Some are afraid that younger potential gamblers are not attracted to slot machines like their parents were. There are two schools of thought in the industry: One believes that millennials will age into enjoying traditional slots as much as older patrons. The other feels that, in order to appeal to millennials, casinos will have to offer something more engaging and exciting than one-armed bandits, which, despite their flashy bonus rounds and immersive graphics, offer little variety in play: push and spin, push and spin, push and spin. This is where skill-based games come in. Fixtures at the Global Gaming Expo for at least the past three years, they purport to combine the money making potential of traditional slots, the challenge of video games and the playability of social games. The first skill game approved for an American casino floor, GameCo’s Danger Arena, debuted in October at Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City properties. Now Caesars is introducing the next generation of gaming to Las Vegas in the form of Gamblit Gaming’s Cannonbeard’s Treasure and Gamblit Poker, which premiered at Planet Hollywood late last month. So what’s it like playing the games? I decided to give them a try. Some background: I’m a Generation Xer who couldn’t be less interested in playing slot machines but spends too many hours a week playing video games. In other words, for the metaphorical lions of skill gaming, I should be the equivalent of an antelope with a bad leg wearing a sausage-and-gravy tuxedo. On a recent Tuesday morning, I headed over to Planet Hollywood to give the games a shot.
The three Gamblit games are easy to find, just off the main table games area and adjacent to a bubble craps game that had a few players. “Play video games, win cash!” advertised a poster nearby. “The future of gaming is here.” The future, perhaps, was slow in coming this morning— no one was on the skill games. I circled around a Gamblit Poker game, completely unsure of what to expect, and put in a $20 bill, though I could not find a slot for my Total Rewards card. I hit “Bet: $2” and hoped for the best. “You’re in!” An animation box popped up, announcing, “Please wait for others to bet …” And that was the rub. I waited a few minutes for a new friend to magically appear, then hit the “call staff” button. An extremely polite staff member confirmed that, yes, I had to wait for another human being to join in before I could try the game. Seeing no likely candidates in the area, I cashed out. End result of my first real-life encounter with the future of gaming: I broke even—and gained a new perspective on alienation. There are few people more isolated than someone in a casino with the cash and desire to gamble who can’t find someone to enable that gambling. It could be that, as a kid who grew up in video arcades (Spaceport at the Shore Mall and Playcade on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, specifically), I’m conditioned to equate “skill gaming” with pitting my quarters against a game rather than betting against other people. Maybe the fact that I didn’t come to “skill game” with a friend in tow just means that I don’t get it. No new game is going to entice everyone, but skill games, as my experience showed me, are a step away from traditional slot machines, which try to be as playable as possible to as many people as possible. Maybe appealing more selectively is one way to move ahead. In that case, I really did come face-to-face with the future of gaming at Planet Hollywood. 7 David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.
®
SPACES & PLACES
Meet the Artists Behind Level Up’s Murals It took a village to complete Level Up gaming lounge’s colorful canvas. Get to know the faces behind it By Misti Yang Photography Krystal Ramirez
“You’re going to do 58 cat portraits in three days?” That was the question muralist and tattoo-shop
owner Austin Spencer asked when artist Casey Weldon arrived to paint at Level Up, MGM Grand’s new interactive gaming lounge. Spencer was hired to coordinate a team of 13 artists to complete 16 murals in 10 days. “When the doors opened, I was still picking up paint off the floor, and some of the walls were still wet,” Spencer says. If you’re familiar with the Las Vegas tattoo scene, then you may know Spencer as the owner of Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery. But recently, when he’s not tattooing, Spencer’s been returning to his street-art roots. For the Level Up project, he decided to hire mostly local artists to paint the 12,000-square-foot bar and lounge featuring everything from pool to Giant Pac-Man. (Only Weldon came from out of town, but even he used to live here.) “It became evident very quickly that the walls and numerous pillars provided blank canvases for artists to create something spectacular and befitting of the space,” says James Algate, vice president of entertainment for Hakkasan Group. The Level Up design team gave the crew free reign. “They were not looking for painters to apply a predetermined graphic. They wanted the artists to bring their own unique styles to life on the walls,” says Das Frank, a tattoo artist at Studio 21 who Spencer brought onboard. Ultimately, it was up to Spencer to coordinate, inspire and avert disaster. He submitted proposed renderings from each of the artists to the design team. At first, the team wasn’t convinced that Weldon’s cats would be the right fit, but once painting started, executives were texting Spencer pictures of cats in hopes of having them featured. “They’d ask, ‘Do you think he can fit this one in for my daughter?’” Spencer says. Other experimental motifs, like Earl Funk’s possessed doughnuts, were Spencer’s brainstorm. According to Spencer, Funk was hesitant: “I pitched him the idea and he was like, ‘Why would I want to paint doughnuts?’ and I said, ‘Because doughnuts are awesome.’”
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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SPACES & PLACES
LEVEL UP PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR
Spencer also helped less experienced artists supersize their work. Kristina Collantes has created graphics for The New Yorker and The Flaming Lips, but she had never worked on a mural. Spencer advised her to keep things simple and use a limited color palette for her trippy skeleton-and-bees motif. Another illustrator new to murals was Tyson Taumaoe. Spencer brought him in when another artist backed out at the last minute. Spencer hired Kiwi Burt, an artist he discovered on Instagram, to help Taumaoe with his blackand-white cowgirl caricature. When a photo booth arrived, Burt was able to make his mark. “I wanted Kiwi to be able to do some of his own things, and the photobooth was ugly as can be. So we stripped all the stickers off it and he went to town,” Spencer says. The lineup features plenty of experienced artists as well. Spencer Olsen, a regular exhibitor at art shows, employed a forced-perspective technique for his “We Gettin’ Wavy” pillar. Las Vegas urban artist Snipt used wheatpaste, a common adhesive for street art, on his pillar featuring a giant guy in Kiss face paint. And full-time illustrator KD Matheson came in and knocked out his tiki pillar with ease, according to Spencer. Even with pros, it was a supreme balancing act both logistically and artistically. Artists whose works are more detailed, such as Travis Jackson, were assigned smaller spaces because Spencer knew their pieces would take longer to complete. When considering the composition as a whole, Spencer strove for contrast. A black-and-white classic tattoo pillar by Studio 21’s J. Swarm and a Hawaiian-print T. Rex by painter JW Caldwell were positioned as counterpoints to Spencer’s “loud and obnoxious” (his words) work, which was a collaboration with Studio 21 artist Mike Biggs. “We put in some 13-hour days, and it was amazing how well Austin and I worked together,” Biggs says. The artists share stories about late nights and early mornings, but they also talk about how inspiring it was to work alongside peers. “There are local artists here that are super-talented, so I was excited about giving them the recognition that they deserve,” Spencer says. When you visit Level Up, it feels good to know these are Vegas’ colors. It feels good for Spencer, too: “Now I am motivated to paint the world.” 7
Previous page: Spencer in front of Casey Weldon’s mural. This page: Spencer with Caldwell’s dinosaur work. Below: Level Up interior. 11–4 a.m. daily leveluplv.com Instagram: @leveluplv Check out College Night, Tuesday 9 p.m.–close, featuring $5 drink specials (with student ID), beer pong, arcade games and a live DJ.
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CONVERSATIONS
I
t’s been four years since alt-pop band Bastille shot to international ubiquity on the strength of their hypnotizing single “Pompeii,” and frontman Dan Smith still doesn’t think of himself as a rock star. “I’m the least coolest person I know,” he says. After all, he’d spent the afternoon axe-throwing (check out his Instagram) and sound-checking in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, where the band kicked off its 30-city Wild World North American tour—named after their recent album, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Smith also told us his all-time favorite album is The Score by Fugees, so we’re really not buying how “uncool” he is. We got to the bottom of things to discuss hiphop, FOMO and why Smith won’t let his record label touch his Twitter account, all before Bastille plays The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan on April 14. The band has a history of nodding to hip-hop culture in its music: incorporating samples and releasing mixtapes and remixes. What impact did hip-hop have on you growing up? My
older sister is a huge hip-hop fan. Growing up, she was always listening to artists like Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest, Jurassic 5, Biggie [Smalls] and 2Pac. I think hip-hop music has always been at the forefront of production and innovation. It’s also really innovative in the way [artists] choose to release music. The heritage of mixtape culture in hip-hop and the way so much of the music cleverly reuses and reinterprets other genres, samples, hooks and melodies—that brings something completely new. I’ve always found [the genre] really fascinating and brilliant.
Did you ever think of making hip-hop music?
There are production elements in our music that look to hip-hop. Songs like “Way Beyond” and “Bad Blood.” If we stripped [my vocals] off the tracks, some of them
could work quite well for rappers. I can be so excited about one of our beats and think it’s the coolest thing in the world, but as soon as I start warbling all over it, it immediately becomes something very different. How is it that you run the band’s Instagram and Twitter accounts (@bastilledan)? When
we started out, @bastille was taken, so I just said, “Well, I’m running it, so it will be @bastilledan,” and I still run it. All of the guys have their own accounts, but they were like, “Fuck that! I’m not going to have Bastille attached to it.” I guess it’s funny because my entire social media life is filtered through the band. That’s cool, though. It gives fans a better sense of your personality. Some artists’ accounts are obviously run by a third party. Yeah, and as a fan
of other bands, I think it’s lame when it becomes a PR outfit. It’s interesting to me because there is someone at our record label who would love to have their hands on my Twitter account. They happen to be a very nice person, and I do some stuff for them. Every now and then, they’ll say, “Please, can you mention that you have an album out.” I’m like, “OK.” But I want to keep our accounts fun and
creative. I like to post mainly about music that I’m enjoying and film that I’m watching, and focus less on the mundanities of my life. You’ve said before that you experience FOMO (fear of missing out) while on tour. How is that?
My friends and I have this weird reverse thing where I’m always super jealous of them and they turn around to me and say, “You’re traveling and you’re playing shows. Don’t be an idiot!” But I’m really lucky to have quite a tight group of friends. Knowing that they’re doing stuff and going to parties and hanging out, there’s an element of, “Oh, I wish I was there!” But I also feel incredibly lucky to do music as a job. So every time I start to complain, they say, “Shut up!” Which is completely fair. 7 Bastille with Mondo Cozmo April 14, 7 p.m., $25–$30, The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com Pictured: Bastille, with Dan Smith on far left.
A Most Humble Headliner By Camille Cannon
Bastille’s Dan Smith isn’t very cool, according to him
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
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CONVERSATIONS
Luck
of the
Irish
Johnny O’Donnell’s charmed life behind the bar By Misti Yang Photography Krystal Ramirez
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ASK A NATIVE
“Hi, I’m Johnny.”
It’s a phrase that Johnny O’Donnell utters hundreds of times every night from behind the bar. With one hand ready for a firm shake and the other serving up a cocktail, O’Donnell has been making friends and drinks in Las Vegas since he started bartending for The Palm Restaurant in The Forum Shops at Caesars in 1996. Today, he is a partner with Michael and Jenna Morton in Morton Group’s restaurant ventures, including La Comida Downtown, where he is often behind the bar. For O’Donnell, who was recognized as Bartender of the Year by the Nevada Restaurant Association in 2010, everything he’s accomplished thus far is the result of having fun. “I’m not a mixologist,” he says. “I’m a funologist.” True to his self-proclaimed title, when I meet him in the bar at La Comida, the first thing O’Donnell says is, “Let’s have some fun here,” as he whips up a margarita. This devotion to good times could spring from his Irish genes. O’Donnell was born and raised in Ireland. When he was 10, his parents moved the family from Dublin to the country and purchased a local pub, which they renamed O’Donnell’s. “I was cleaning the bar every morning before school and maybe taking a sip of Guinness, but only on Fridays,” he jokes. After selling the pub, his parents bought a wholesale fish operation, giving O’Donnell another taste of the restaurant business. But his first experience with gratuities was as an altar boy working weddings and funerals. Inspired by the good times he had meeting people and earning tips, he ended up attending the Dublin College of Catering and majoring in hospitality management. In the ’80s, O’Donnell managed restaurants in London before following his parents and siblings to New York in the early ’90s. After a couple of years in New York, a friend became a manager at The Palm at Caesars and hired him as a lunchtime bartender. He first met Michael Morton when he became a bartender at N9NE Steakhouse at Palms Casino Resort in 2002. In May 2013, they partnered to open La Comida, and now, O’Donnell is involved with the bar operations of every Morton Group restaurant. But, the relationship is not all about margins and bottom lines: “We’re a family, too,” he says. As a bartender, O’Donnell’s approach is motivated by his desire to create a memorable experience for every person who sits down on that stool. He sends ride-sharing services to people’s front doors to drive them out for a night of drinks. He even plays matchmaker. “I’ve received several wedding invitations from people I introduced to each other,” he says. O’Donnell appreciates creative cocktails and fresh ingredients. At La Comida, he recommends the blood orange or spicy cucumber margarita, but he also doesn’t mind keeping things simple. He’s inspired by his own take on a night of drinking, or what he calls a “horses for courses” philosophy. It means keeping true to the venue. “When I’m at Atomic, I will order a whiskey drink,” he says. If he’s having a steak, he orders a vodka martini and some wine, but when he’s at Rí Rá (which he certifies as a legitimate Irish pub), there are no martinis, only pints of Guinness, Irish jigs and the occasional Thin Lizzy karaoke. “Whiskey in the Jar” is his song, apropos for a bartender. Foremost, O’Donnell is the bartender that will remember your name and your stories. And, he will share his stories, too. He may pull up the video of him having a drink with fellow Irelander Conor McGregor or of him driving a big white van in the motorcade for President Obama or even of him singing with “Pat” from Train. He marvels at how good Las Vegas has been to him: “When I was waking up as a kid at 4 a.m. in the morning, freezing in my bed in Ireland, I never thought I’d end up here. It’s pretty good for an Irish kid, right?” 7
O’Donnell’s life outside the bar is just as full. He is active in charitable organizations including After-School AllStars and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
By James P. Reza
What’s the story with topless resort pools in Las Vegas? The gulf between the Sin City of the past and the resort city of today is fairly wide. In 1988, about 17 million people visited Las Vegas. That year, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal’s name was placed into the state’s notorious Black Book, effectively ending the era of mob influence in Las Vegas. The next year, the opening of The Mirage ushered in new Vegas, and while the family-friendly experiment that followed was largely a failure, today’s Las Vegas is far more welcoming to families (and foodies) than before. Now hosting almost 43 million annual visitors, it has to be. Although Las Vegas has replaced showgirls with clowns and lust with gluttony, adult experiences aren’t extinct. There are, by my count, nine “toptional” pools in Las Vegas, ten if you include the non-resort pool at the off-Strip Sapphire gentlemen’s club. These can be roughly categorized as either “day life” pools or European-style pools, with the latter offering a more relaxed sunbathing experience than the more lively daylife scene. But don’t confuse these toptional daylife pools with weekend day clubs: Despite the similarities and the skimpy attire, weekend day clubs are another animal altogether… and not a topless one. For subdued topless sunbathing, the Venus pool at Caesars Palace and the European pools at Wynn and Encore offer supremely sophisticated experiences. However, you’ll need to book a stay, as they are guest-only pools. All others on the list qualify as daylife pools: Typically, these are not restricted to hotel guests, skew to a younger demographic and usually feature DJs. They include the long-running Bare Pool (The Mirage), Moorea Beach Club (Mandalay Bay) and the Radius Pool and Wet Lounge (Stratosphere). The day club at Marquee (The Cosmopolitan) is toptional Monday through Thursday only, and at and Tao Beach (The Venetian) Monday through Wednesday. Off-Strip offers a few alternatives. The Artisan Hotel Boutique boasts that it has “Las Vegas’ most sensual topless pool,” if that’s your scene. Meanwhile, both the daylife pool at Daydream pool club at M Resort and the Sapphire pool hedge their bets by permitting pasties. With hotter temperatures fast approaching, note that you must be 21 to visit the pools and advance reservations are strongly suggested. Have a question or comment about Las Vegas past, present or future? Send them to askanative@ vegasseven.com
CONVERSATIONS
LUCKY NO. 7
We asked the WENDOH Media staff:
What is the bar “where everybody knows your name?”
SETTEBELLO AT THE DISTRICT. My friends and I often meet there for Neapolitan-style Margherita pizzas and $5 Mule Mondays that always hit the spot. —Shannon Miller, editorial assistant Professionally, there are many. But the one where I’m personally happiest to hear my name ring out is from the front-door-facing service well at HERBS & RYE from whomever might be working it that night. —Xania Woodman, senior contributing editor
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DONUT BAR! —Adam Christopher Smith, Life Is Beautiful production coordinator
REBAR! Very personable staff. Owner [Derek Stonebarger] is always there meeting and greeting. —Kristina Kassimatis, marketing coordinator People used to know me at bars, but now I drink anonymously. —Jessie O’Brien, editor, DTLV.com
MARQUEE NIGHTCLUB where my husband works. It’s the main way we can see each other on the weekends. —Nicole Niazmand, director of digital sales
One of the best reasons for moving to my current residence was its proximity to KHOURY’S FINE WINE & SPIRITS, a liquor store in Silverado Ranch. After two years of weekly visits, I’m now familiar with both the staff and devoted regulars. Tap takeovers on Wednesday nights and impromptu weekend bottle shares with then-strangers definitely aided that development. —Mark Adams, arts & entertainment editor
Photography Jenna Dosch
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