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NEVADA BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS
Choreography by Jorden Morris
May 13 & 14, 2017 (702) 749-2000 NevadaBallet.org Dancer photos by Virginia Trudeau
ON THE COVER
MAY 17-28
AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH SANTANA
7:00PM 18+
MAY 18 7:30PM 18+
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.
ENANITOS VERDES
MAY 25
MARSHA AMBROSIUS & ERIC BENET
7:00PM 18+
THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD ISSUE
MAY 13
12PM - 3PM ALL AGES NO COVER
PAUL CHARLES BAND + A-Y-C-D MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARYS
MAY 20
STARTING AT 11:30AM
WITH CHUCK E. BUMPS
HOPPED UP CRAFT LIST TAKEOVER FT. SIERRA NEVADA
BEER INSPIRED FOOD ITEMS & BUILD YOUR OWN 4-PACKS
MAY 13
GREG LOPEZ
10PM | 21+
MAY 19
10PM | 21+
From dairy farms to beehives, how Nevada sources its food.
SWINGIN’ JITTERBUG SATURDAY
12PM - 3PM ALL AGES NO COVER
MAY 23
Original Artwork CIERRA PEDRO
NO REGRETS BRUNCH
SEVEN NIGHTS Jewel Nightclub at Aria Las Vegas Resort & Casino will celebrate its first anniversary during the weekend of May 19. Correction to the May 4, 2017, issue: The story Bevvies With the Brits on page 41 does not indicate that Raiding the Rock Vault started its run again at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on March 11.
BABY YU
MAY 20
10PM | 21+
HOUSEOFBLUES.COM/LASVEGAS @HOBLASVEGAS
GRAHAM FUNKE
702.632.7600
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAY 11–17, 2017 TO DO
13 24/7
What to do around the clock. BY SHANNON MILLER
16 Like Riding a Bike— Or a Motorcycle
Daniel Ash returns with Poptone. BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
17 No Pixie Dust Required Nevada Ballet Theatre caps its season with Peter Pan. BY MARK ADAMS
18 Not Like a Regular Mom
Five treatments to gift cool moms. BY JESSI C. ACUÑA PLUS: The
Deal
FEATURE
21 Veg Out
Produce beyond grocery aisles. BY DIANA EDELMAN
22 Moo-to-Market Journey
A Nevada dairy farm tracks its products from udder to ice cream. BY JESSIE O’BRIEN
26 Bee Story
Making honey is a sweet labor. BY MISTI YANG
28 Tall Tail
How seafood arrives to our plates. BY MARISA FINETTI
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
in Procure
Scott Irestone finds just the right ingredients for Wolfgang Puck. BY MISTI YANG
38 Is Dave Attell
Moving to Las Vegas?
The Crapshoot Comedy Festival headliner warms up to Sin City. BY UNA LAMARCHE PLUS: SJP,
Ask a Native, Lucky No. 7 SEVEN NIGHTS
What To Do After Dark
31 Rising Up From
Concerts, nightclubs, food and experiences.
Urban Seed sprouts fresh ideas.
BY JASON R. LATHAM
the Desert
BY DIANA EDELMAN
32 The Future Is Female
Girl Nation is here to empower young women. BY CAMILLE CANNON
Happy Birthday, Jewel
The Aria nightclub celebrates one year. BY NICOLE CORMIER
[Laugh Now] On the Daily
33 Almost, But Not
Trevor Noah pulls a double shift at The Mirage.
Social games and casino games.
BY ZONEIL MAHARAJ
Quite the Same
BY DAVID G. SCHWARTZ PHOTO BY EMILY WILSON
36 Putting the ‘Pro’
CONVERSATIONS
35 The Transformation of Matter
Changing lifestyles with a juice and coffee shop. BY JESSI C. ACUÑA
Tamara J. Wynne tends to her bees at the Research Center & Demonstration Orchard in North Las Vegas.
[Itinerary]
Saturday night at Tivoli Village. BY MISTI YANG
[Drink This] Glenfiddich IPA Cask Finish
OUR SITES TO SEE
VegasSeven.com Seen Around Town We share our city’s most notable celebrity visits of the week at vegasseven.com/seenaroundtown.
DTLV.com A Chain Reaction We asked an interesting Downtowner to introduce us to someone else in the community. From there, the chain kept going. Read the full story on DTLV.com.
RunRebs.com Predicting UNLV’s Starting Lineup Now that UNLV has a tremendous recruiting class signed, who will be the starting five?
SpyOnVegas.com
The Hookup Find upcoming events, see highlights from the hottest parties, meet the DJs and more.
Sip into sandal-weather Scotch with a subtle, hoppy finish. BY XANIA V. WOODMAN
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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CONTRIBUTING ARTIST
Emily Wilson PHOTOGRAPHER Wilson moved from New York City to Las Vegas in 2013 and was fascinated with the constant changes in Downtown Las Vegas. She began photographing building renovations, documenting the stories of small businesses, observing the surge in entrepreneurial ventures and capturing personal profiles. When she isn’t shooting photos for A-list clients including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Canon USA Inc., she and her family enjoy camping and exploring the desert. She finds much inspiration for her work in nature.
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
VEGAS SEVEN 701 Bridger Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-798-7000 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada. Š 2017 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Letters and Story Ideas Comments@VegasSeven.com Advertising Sales@VegasSeven.com Distribution Distribution@VegasSeven.com
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 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 Online 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 MANAGERS
Brittany Quintana, Mimi Tran ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Robyn Weiss DIRECTOR OF SALES, BILLBOARD DIVISION
John Tobin
CITRUS SUMMER SERIES ALWAYS FRESH. ALWAYS FUN. FREE WEEKLY ROOFTOP PARTIES
THURSDAY
GROOVE WITH US
FRIDAY
DANCE WITH US
SATURDAY
ROCK WITH US
SUNDAY
SALSA WITH US
Live Music. Fresh Cocktails. Swim Parties. No cover. Doors open at 7PM
TO DO
What to do around the clock in Las Vegas By Shannon Miller
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
THURSDAY 11
FRIDAY 12
Hello Kitty has a minimalist appeal, which makes
Happy hour has spread to the bar, lounge and patio at Hawthorn Grill, and the new eatery has expanded its menu offerings with Hand-Cut Mojito Fries served with roasted poblano aioli and Short Rib Flatbread. And because it’s Friday, enjoy live music by duo Kai and Peter. Happy hour 4–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., inside JW Marriott, 221 N. Rampart Blvd., hawthorngrilllv.com
PHOTO BY DANIEL SMITH/WARNER BROS.
her a prime subject to paint for those who don’t do so well with fine details. Do just that at The Bubblegum Gallery’s paint class. 5:30 p.m., $10, 1800 S. Industrial Rd., facebook.com/thebubblegumgallery When Olive Madison’s husband asks for a divorce, Florence Unger moves into her apartment and the drama unfolds. Catch Neil Simon’s female-focused version of his 1965 play, The Odd Couple, at Las Vegas Little Theatre. 8 p.m., $21–$24, 3920 Schiff Dr., lvlt.org Hailing from Phoenix, indie-jam quintet The Real Fits take the stage at Beauty Bar with support from local indie rockers Shayna Rain and We Are Pancakes. 8 p.m., free, 517 Fremont St., beautybarlv.com Carrie The Musical turns Stephen King’s grisly massmurder-by-telekinesis story into a stage comedy. 8 p.m., $27, Alios, 1217 S. Main St., majesticrepertory.com. Check out our review at vegasseven.com/carriethemusical.
Take a dip in the Hideaway Pool at Topgolf, which launched its summer season last week. While you’re there, check out Sublime tribute band Doin’ Time at The Toyota Yard. 8 p.m., free, 4627 Koval Ln., topgolf.com/us/las-vegas Guy Ritchie (director of the recent Sherlock Holmes franchise) interprets a 16th-century tale in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, starring Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam. Don’t expect this one to pass the Bechdel test; do expect to see how Arthur claims his destiny. Times, ticket prices and theaters vary, fandango.com
Sin City Opera performs satirical comedy The Star
(L’Etoile), in which King Ouf learns that his usual birthday gift (an execution) might have repercussions. Catch the production, featuring music by 19th-century French composer Emmanuel Chabrier, at Winchester Cultural Center. 7 p.m., $16, 3130 S. McLeod Dr., facebook.com/sincityopera
Enjoy short samples of original fiction, poetry and nonfiction by local writers at this month’s The Writer’s Block Expo. 7 p.m., free, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org SATURDAY 13
The Dillinger’s sixth annual Block Party features a sweet music lineup including garage rockers Same Sex Mary and surf-rock drummer vet Sandy Nelson. The event also features a beer-drinking contest, vendors, food trucks and, of course, the beloved Boulder City restaurant’s extensive menu. 3:30 p.m.–midnight, 1224 Arizona St., Boulder City, thedillinger.com
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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TO DO
24/7
Vegas Roots (left) and Vegas Indoor Skydiving
hosts a listening party for their double-album release of Carry On, Carrion. Hang out in the taproom and get your album signed. 6 p.m., 7350 Eastgate Rd., crafthausbrewery.com Where my Cumberbitches at? Season 4 of Sherlock is finally here! Binge on it starting today. Netflix.com
In Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong, Eric Barker Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio and Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids play acoustic sets at The Bunkhouse Saloon tonight. 9 p.m., $12–$15, 124 S. 11th St., bunkhousedowntown.com
mignon and lobster with béarnaise glaçage, plus complimentary Bellinis for all moms. Brunch 11 a.m.–3 p.m., inside Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, reservations recommended 702-797-7311
Author Everett Louis Overstreet leads in-depth discussions on topics such as racism’s impact on the African-American family and much more at the Black Lives lecture and book signing. 3 p.m., books $15, West Las Vegas Arts Center Community Gallery, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., artslasvegas.org
Vegas Indoor Skydiving offers its (maybe-not-sothoughtfully-named) M.I.L.F. special for Mothers I’d Like to Fly. Mom or grandma “fly” free today when you purchase one ticket. 9:45 a.m.–8 p.m., ticket prices vary, 200 Convention Center Dr., vegasindoorskydiving.com
Vegas Roots Community Garden puts on its biweekly Marketplace Festival. Locals are invited
to sell their wares, enjoy live music, do yoga and, of course, buy fresh veggies. 9 a.m.–2 p.m., 715 N. Tonopah Dr., vegasroots.org
Flowers are a Mother’s Day necessity, right? Instead of splurging on a bouquet, bring mom to the Spring Mountains. The park service is hosts a Mother’s Day Hike, where attendees can see the beautiful white flowers of the yerba mansa plant. 9 a.m., $7–$9 vehicle entry fee, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, parks.nv.gov
SUNDAY 14
Celebrate Mother’s Day at Salute Trattoria Italiana, which offers special brunch menu selections such as orange-scented ricotta pancakes and filet
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explains why valedictorians rarely become millionaires and what can be learned from gangsters, pirates and serial killers. $27, harpercollins.com
Is there a special, pregnant woman in your life? Treat her to a 50-minute Mother-To-Be Massage, designed specifically to improve circulation and ease sore muscles for women in their second and third trimesters. 6 a.m.–7 p.m., $140–$145, The Spa at Green Valley Ranch, gvrspa.com WEDNESDAY 17
The retro-inspired Down & Derby roller-disco party hits Gold Spike tonight, which means free entry and rentals. Resident DJ Shr3d and special guest Beatnick provide the background music for your skating. 10 p.m., goldspike.com San Diego-based reggae-rock band Through the Roots jams at Brooklyn Bowl. 8 p.m., $12–$15, at The
MONDAY 15
Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
It’s Vinyl Monday at Crafthaus Brewery, and local indie-pop quartet The Big Friendly Corporation
Looking for more stuff to do? Go to vegasseven.com/calendar.
VEGAS ROOTS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ; INDOOR SKYDIVING COURTESY OF VEGAS INDOOR SKYDIVING
TUESDAY 16
TO DO
THE DEAL BY ANTHONY CURTIS
No Pixie Dust Required Nevada Ballet Theatre caps its season with Peter Pan—and it’s sure to be one marvelous spectacle
O
ver the past year, Nevada Ballet Theatre has delighted audiences with some of the most well-known productions of standard ballet repertoire. The local troupe caused attendees to swoon with Sleeping Beauty, transported them to the Christmas fantasyland of The Nutcracker and gracefully wrenched hearts during Swan Lake. Fittingly, the company is finishing its 2016– 2017 season with another story ballet. But while the previously mentioned works all premiered in the late 1800s, the troupe’s season closer didn’t grace a stage until the 21st century. Even though it’s a modern production that’s not from the standard ballet canon, audiences at The Smith Center still should be able to follow the production’s narrative, as the company says farewell this year with a classic tale: Peter Pan. With the ballet being such a new work, we dug deep to find out more details about the anticipated production. —Mark Adams
Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Peter Pan May 13, 7:30 p.m.; May 14, 2 p.m.; $29–$139, The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com
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First performed: In 2006, by Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. After its initial run, Peter Pan was the company’s biggest box-office hit. Choreographed by: Alberta-born Jorden Morris, who began his ballet career with RWB, where he eventually rose in the ranks to principal dancer. And the Canadian ballet’s Peter Pan box-office hit? It’s only been surpassed by Morris’ Moulin Rouge—The Ballet. Set to: A fantastic roster of works, all by British composers. And why wouldn’t it be? A Scotsman, Peter Pan novelist J.M. Barrie also hailed from the U.K. Attendees can look forward to listening to tunes by Sir Benjamin Britten, Eric Coates, Sir Edward Elgar, Ron Goodwin and Montague Phillips. Production history: Prior to NBT’s staging, Morris’ Peter Pan will have only been performed by three other ballet companies. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Rhode Island’s Festival Ballet Providence have also presented the work. What to expect: A full-length ballet in two acts. The work adapts Barrie’s famous story about the adventures of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and the Darling siblings as they encounter Neverland fixtures such as Captain Hook, Tiger Lily and one extremely well-known crocodile. And as NBT is partnering with flying effects firm Flying by Foy for what’s sure to be an awe-inspiring spectacle, Tinkerbell’s pixie dust will be only for show. 7
The ‘Dawg’ Is Back, Among Other Deals in May WHERE WOULD YOU GO FOR A BUFFET if
price wasn’t an object? Bellagio? The Cosmopolitan? Wynn Las Vegas? All three are awesome, but if you chose Wynn and you don’t mind playing for your supper, there’s a neat little comp play at your disposal. New members signing up for the Wynn/ Encore Red Card get two free buffets after earning 750 points on machine play in their first three days. That works out to $1,125 coin-in on reel slots and $4,500–$11,250 on video poker, depending on how good the schedule is. True video-poker experts can get $100 worth of buffets for about a $30 expected loss on this deal. But even if you’re not an expert (or if you play slots), it’s still a reasonable maneuver if playing these amounts is within your normal gambling budget. For low rollers, there’s a similar opportunity at the Lucky Dragon, where every day in May earning 10 points ($100 coin-in) gets an $8 meal credit at the noodle and snack bar Bao Now. The best video-poker game at all denominations here is 9/5 Jacks or Better, returning 98.45 percent, so the expected loss for experts is less than $2 to get $8 in food. You can do it once per day. A couple years ago, the Porchlight Grille on Desert Inn Road at Durango Drive famously served an awesome Bloody Mary that came with a filet and a lobster tail in the drink. The concoction came to be called The Dawg That Bit Ya and was offered only one day per month until it was discontinued. Other bars have since created similar versions, but none have ever been quite as good. Now, The Dawg is back! The creator of the Porchlight Bloody Mary has moved to Brooksy’s Bar& Grill on West Flamingo Road, where this meal in a glass is served on Thursday nights. It costs $25, but it’s a surf and turf that comes with a shrimp, a Slim Jim, bacon and peppers, plus a premium-vodka Bloody Mary. And don’t expect it, but it’s not out of the question that “good” players will be comped. The first of the free Downtown Rocks summer concert series at the Fremont Street Experience features Theory of a Deadman on May 26. This year’s lineup has some big names (especially if you like dinosaur rock), including Fuel, Marcy Playground, Ann Wilson of Heart, Rick Springfield and Collective Soul. In the “bad news/good news” category, Clark County sales tax has been increased from 8.15 percent to 8.25 percent. Don’t worry, for a $7 drink where tax isn’t built in, that raises the price from $7.57 to $7.58. We can all get used to that. I have a couple of amendments to last week’s pool list: M Resort’s DayDream Pool requires that women wear pasties, so it’s not completely topless, and locals get free admittance to SLS’ Foxtail Pool Monday–Friday. 7 Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
TO DO
“I’M NOT LIKE A REGULAR MOM, I’M A COOL MOM” Some parents are too hip for their own good. Here are five treatments to gift even the edgiest of matriarchs this Mother’s Day By Jessi C. Acuña
FOR THE MOM WHO DRINKS LIKE A REAL HOUSEWIFE
Whether she’s committed to her Pinot Grigio like Ramona Singer or she’s more of an anything-in-a-glass Lisa Vanderpump type, this Mom understands the meaning of a liquid diet. And what better way to keep her hydrated than with an IV treatment. The Royal Flush from Reviv IV Wellness Spa helps replenish minerals and vitamins as well as deliver an energy boost. Because let’s face it, if Mom drinks as many glasses of wine as she throws, she’s going to need those extra electrolytes. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., inside MGM Grand Las Vegas; and 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Sun.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–midnight Fri.–Sat., $249 (locals discount available), inside Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and The Palazzo, revivme.com FOR THE MOM WHO KNOWS HER WAY AROUND A FESTIVAL
Coachella? Check. Burning Man? Attends every year. Electric Daisy Carnival? Who else is going to chaperone the kids! All that inhaled festival dust and debris builds up, and this mom needs some relief. The Salt Room LV is just the place to get it. Forty five-minute Halotherapy sessions take place in the salt cave, which is composed of walls and floors covered with Himalayan salt. Known for its respiratory and skin healing properties, the salt is also dispersed into the space by a halogenerator. So all Mom needs to do is relax on the zero gravity chair and breathe. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sun., $35, 1958 Village Center Cir., Suite 7, saltroomlv.com
FOR THE MOM WHO IS CONSTANTLY MISTAKEN FOR HER DAUGHTER’S SISTER
Is it genetics, or an assist from the facial gods? Who cares—this Mom deserves a face that’s as smooth as the baby bottoms she once cared for. And thanks to a multimillion-dollar upgrade last summer, The Spa at Red Rock by Well & Being now includes the Lancer Glow facials—sought out by some of Hollywood’s biggest names—for the ultimate skin-care treatment. The Lancer Method Facial With Oxygen is 50 minutes of Dr. Harold Lancer’s three-step process: polish, cleanse, nourish. With his namesake product line used throughout the treatment, this Mom will outshine anyone in the room. 6 a.m.–8 p.m., starting at $190, inside Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa and The Spa at Green Valley Ranch, rr-spa.com and gvrspa.com FOR THE MOM WHO NEEDS A BREAK FROM HER YOGA PANTS
Any opportunity to wear workout gear is not to be missed—spin class, Pilates, brunch. Looking fit during motherhood is serious business, so when it’s actually time to rest and recover, this mom wants to shut off completely. That’s where NV Float Therapy comes in. NV Float offers flotation therapy—a sensory-deprivation experience accomplished by floating on saltwater—in a small room as opposed to a tiny tank like the other locales in town. This ensures Mom comfortably gets the full benefits, such as reduced joint pain and increased oxygen flow. But it’s really the hour of being unplugged—and away from the kids—she’s after. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., starting at $65, 2291 S. Fort Apache Rd., Suite 106, nvfloat.com
FOR THE MOM WHO IS ZEN’D OUT
Clockwise from top: Amy Poehler in Mean Girls, salt cave at Salt Room LV, entrance to flotation room at NV Float Therapy, The Spa at Red Rock by Well & Being lobby.
Eyes on the back of her head aren’t enough for this mom. No, she’s on another frequency, guided through life by her intuition. So a regular massage won’t do. She needs the Shirodhara Ritual at Spa Aquae to help activate her higher consciousness. Deep-breathing exercises and a neck and shoulder massage lead up to a 20-minute warm-oil drip on the third eye—the point on the forehead between the eyebrows that’s known for power and wisdom in Hinduism. A scalp and full-body massage finish out the 80-minute treatment to keep Mom’s energy balanced. 8 a.m.–7 p.m., open daily, $235 (locals discount available), inside JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa, marriott.com/hotels/travel/lasjw
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TO DO
By Lissa Townsend Rodgers Photography Paul Rae Projections Cloaking.US
Like Riding A Bike —or A Motorcycle Daniel Ash returns to the road with Poptone Even if you don’t
know Daniel Ash, you know his style. The British guitarist started out as a member of Bauhaus, the band often credited with creating goth as a genre; Ash’s skittering, distorted guitar has influenced players from Radiohead to Soundgarden. From the dark glam of Bauhaus to the avant-pop of Tones on Tail to the jacked-up rock of Love and Rockets, Ash has created a catalog of memorable songs—some of which have been heard in films from the ’80s highstyle vampire flick The Hunger to this year’s Power Rangers reboot. He and bandmate Kevin Haskins have now reunited and returned with Poptone, playing songs from the duo’s three previous bands—and maybe a surprise or two. Ash spoke to Vegas Seven about getting back on the road, his songwriting inspirations and how Weetabix nearly stopped it all. What inspired you to tour again? I really didn’t think I’d ever do this again. I was very jaded with the whole idea of playing live. But I woke up at four in the morning with my computer headphones around my neck and I had this revelation—suddenly, it was extremely appealing to me and the obvious thing to do. I can’t explain it any more than that. I just had a complete turnaround. You and Kevin Haskins have played together since you were teenagers. Now his daughter is in the band. I [thought] about getting the band together and Kevin was the obvious choice. And then finding out that his daughter plays bass. ... To cut a long story short, she got the job. Diva is playing the bass lines exactly like what’s on the record. That’s what people want to hear; they don’t want Poptone to hear May 12, 8 p.m., $27–$30, self-inBrooklyn Bowl at dulgent The Linq Promenade, versions brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas of songs. There are From left: Diva, Kevin times when Haskins and Daniel Ash we’ll go
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off—we’ll trip out and go somewhere else with a track—there are tracks that lend themselves to that. Essentially, I like to get it to sound as close to the record as possible. Did you imagine all those years ago that playing guitar would be your ticket out of the ordinary world? Well, I fell in love with [being] what I call a guitar gypsy—getting out of doing a boring 9-to-5 job and just going into a world of complete escapism ... from the mundane. The electric guitar was to get me that freedom—just like motorcycles. I fantasized and thought about it all the time. I could never really get my head around the idea of having a 9-to-5 job. I went to art school for four years and I went to one interview, for [cereal company] Weetabix. I was getting really nervous because there were 200 applicants and I made it into the last 10. I was really freaking out because I thought that I might get the job. My dad was all excited, thinking, “He’s going to get a job! He’s going to get a job!” Anyway, I didn’t get the job, and I remember driving away from the Weetabix factory, looking in the rearview mirror of the car, seeing the word Weetabix and thinking, “I’m never going to have to look at that again.” Then I went back to playing around with the guitar. You’re a big motorcycle aficionado—you’ve written songs about them and featured them in videos. When did you fall in love with bikes? Falling in love with bikes—that’s in your DNA. My dad and my older brother were scooter guys,
but I always thought Lambrettas and Vespas were like hair dryers. My older brother, he was a Mod in England, way back, but his best friend was a rocker—which you weren’t supposed to have if you were a Mod. But [his friend] had a 650 BSA Thunderbolt, and that was the first motorcycle I ever went on the back of. I was about 12. It went from naught to 65 in about half a second and I was hooked and terrified at the same time from that moment. As far back as I can remember, the look of the Harley-Davidson engine was always completely fascinating … also, English bikes like Triumph, BSA, Nortons. It’s the same with electric guitars from when I was about 10—aesthetically, I just love staring at them. Then, getting on the bike, the main thrill is the sense of freedom and power. Some people like climbing mountains, some like going for a walk, some people like doing 95 miles an hour on a motorcycle, whatever.
You recently came out with an album, Stripped, where you sort of reimagined some of your old songs. Is it tough to come up with a new take? Some of those tracks were difficult to cover because they were fully realized to begin with. So, trying to do modern interpretations was a bit of a challenge—[for] some of those tracks, I was taking four or five weeks to come up with a new version that I thought was valid. “An American Dream” was an example. It took like five weeks to finally realize that I should do a reggae version. Do you get ideas for songs while riding? I do get a lot of ideas while riding. I always used to have a little Victor [recorder] in my pocket. And if I got an idea for a vocal melody or a lyric, I would pull over on the side of the road on the bike and then record into the little Victor [recorder] ... I should start doing that again now, because I’m in a band again … I better get some ideas together. 7
Food for Thought Much has been made of the term "locavore"—which loosely means a person who mostly consumes locally grown food—in the media. Sometimes it’s misunderstood and even playfully mocked (we’re looking at you, Portlandia), but at its heart, it simply means eating sustainably. There are myriad ways we can do that in Nevada, beyond the usual chain grocery stores whose produce is trucked in from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. In this patch of desert we call home, there is so much abundance, from dairy and honey to locally grown vegetables at farmers markets and community gardens. And, despite Las Vegas being hundreds of miles from a major body of water, thanks to creative chefs on the Strip and elsewhere who source sustainably from fishermen the world over, seafood is a star here. We’ve reached a point, hopefully, in which this way of eating is no longer a novelty or a fad, but simply a way of life. And that’s a good thing for us and for the planet.
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Veg Out T
By Diana Edelman
FIND SUSTAINABLE FOOD BEYOND THE GROCERY AISLES
Get Fresh Photography Krystal Ramirez
he Dirty Dozen isn’t just a movie from the late 1960s. Today, the “dirty dozen” has a far heavier meaning attached to it and refers instead to a list of 12 fruits and vegetables laden with pesticides: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, peaches, celery, grapes, pears, cherries, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and potatoes. According to Environmental Working Group’s 2017 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, a single sample of strawberries turned up about eight different pesticides. How can you avoid this? Grow your own or buy local. And while the desert seems like an unlikely place to grow anything other than cacti, life blooms here. Just pop your head into a farmers market on any given day and find a plethora of greens that didn’t travel from other states or even other countries to get here. According to Kerry Clasby, founder of Intuitive Forager and curator of Downtown3rd farmers market, there are a few things that are important to know before buying produce to determine if it’s toxic. “When talking to a farmer, ask what they use for weed control and pest control, and what they are using to feed plants and fertilize the soil,” she advises. Downtown3rd is a good place to start for sustainable food. The vendors and products are handpicked by Clasby, a farmer–turned–produce curator who travels to 150 farms each week and supplies many of the celebrity chefs (and others) in town with chemical-free, local or regionally grown organic produce. Open Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., it isn’t just a hub for produce; it also features artisanal food items. The goal of the market is to help smaller farmers get their products out to the public. Clasby and her team work to make sure permits are secured and people are buying. One of the vendors at Downtown3rd is urban farmer Roman Garay of Sin City Farms (Instagram: @sincityfarming), who showcases his homegrown, fast-growing greens (60 days from seed to harvest) every week. Currently supplying locals and restaurants Downtown, his goal is to introduce people to a healthier lifestyle via chemical-free fruits and vegetables. “I want people to get the nutrition they need from locally grown produce,” he says. “It’s a big thing for me to have people get more of the vitamins from cancer-fighting greens.” There’s also the Tomato Lady, Leslie Doyle of Sweet Tomato Test Garden, who sells at the market, as well as at her farm (5910 Sheila Ave.). A veteran gardener, she is quick to remind people you most definitely can grow tomatoes in the desert, and she runs classes to teach locals how to grow their own produce. “When I first moved here 30 years ago, people said you can’t grow anything in the desert,” she says. “It’s gone from that to my telling everybody you can grow everything here. In the last 10 to 15 years since I’ve been teaching, [sustainable food] has really come alive.” 7
some of the best options for local produce Gilcrease Orchard spans 60 acres and offers everything from garden greens to butters to fruits. 7800 N. Tenaya Way, thegilcreaseorchard.org Vegas Roots Community Garden lets you grow your own produce in 5-by-10 plots. 715 N. Tonopah Drive, vegasroots.org Downtown3rd Farmers Market offers organic produce, artisanal foods and more. Fridays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., 201 N. Third St. fresh52 Farmers’ & Artisan Markets can be found in numerous locations weekly, selling local and regional produce, artisanal goods and crafts, as well as featuring food vendors. Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., Saturdays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; Sansone Park Place, 9500 S. Eastern Ave., Sundays, 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; Inspirada, 2000 Via Firenze, May 13 and 27, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; fresh52.com Henderson Farmers Markets feature dozens of vendors from California and local farms, as well as fresh-baked breads and pastries, coffee and more. 240 S. Water St., Thursdays, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; 200 S. Green Valley Pkwy., Fridays, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; hendersonfarmersmarketnv.com
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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By JESSIE O’BRIEN
Photography EMILY WILSON
A Nevada dairy farm tracks its products from udder to ice cream
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There are a total of 1,100 animals at Sand Hill Dairy, but only 500 are used for milking. It takes about two years for to ready a calf for the process.
day is almost over when most of us are taking the last sip of our sacrilegious soy lattes. He wakes up at 2 a.m. almost every morning (Sundays he sleeps in until 3) to milk 500 cows at his farm, Sand Hill Dairy, in Fallon, Nevada. Located about 60 miles east of Reno, Alves’ dairy farm is the only one in the state that has a fluid milk processing room on-site, producing whole and chocolate milk, as well as two types of cheeses (queso fresco and mozzarella). “[Processors] never see a cow. And most dairy farmers never see the processing end of it,” he says. “We can trace our products all the way from cow-to-market.” That’s the story New York transplant and photographer Emily Wilson tells in her photo essay Desert Abundance, in which she tracks Alves’ milk from the udder all the way to the (now-shuttered) Art of Flavors gelato shop. While Alves no longer delivers fresh whole milk to Art of Flavors, he is pushing to get Sand Hill products into retail locations and delivers to carriers such as the local Fallon Safeway, the Peppermill Casino and, to Alves’ surprise, coffee shops such as Coffeebar in Reno, where skim-drinking patrons are SOL. “I didn’t know going in how much milk was used in a latte. I’m a black-coffee guy,” he says. Coffeebar has fresh whole milk delivered three times a week. Baristas there have to shake the product before pouring it into the frothing pitcher because Sand Hill milk is nonhomogenized. “That’s where you get the old-fashioned look,” Alves says. “The cream will rise to the top.” Most milk is homogenized, with the fat blended into the product for appearance. Homogenization can cause lactose intolerance in some people because the process breaks down an enzyme that helps us digest milk, Alves says. Sand Hill also uses the lowest level of processing, called low-temperature batch pasteurization, to keep the original vitamins and enzymes intact, creating a richer flavor. “I get a lot of old-timers [who] say it’s the milk they grew up [drinking],” he says. 7
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Dairy farmer Isidro Alves is passionate about his cattle. Photographer Emily Wilson notes how he pats each cow individually as he passes them in the pasture. She says his respect for the animals is clear.
Alves grew up around cows. His parents emigrated from Portugal’s Azores Islands, and the first jobs they took in the United States were on a dairy farm. Alves sold bull semen for artificial insemination for about 10 years before starting his own farm in 2003 and processing products in 2012.
Sand HIll yields about 5,000 gallons of milk per day—about 10 gallons from each cow. Ten percent of the milk is used for Sand Hill products, and the rest is sold to third-party processors.
Alves dropping off a delivery to a customer.
Alves distributes Sand Hill products himself. The small team includes his wife, his two sons and eight employees — five on the farm and three on the processing side.
Alves currently makes whole and chocolate milk, which he says garners him the most friends. He is currently working on a new flavor.
Because Sand Hill milk is non-homogenized, the products have a shorter shelf life than common dairy products. The milk lasts about 16 days and the cheese around 28.
The process from cow to packaging takes about half a day, and the products can be delivered the next day. “The cows are literally milked on one side of the wall, and all of our pasteurization is done on the other side of the wall,� Alves says.
The Research Center & Demonstration Orchard has five hives, housing hundreds of European honeybees and producing about 150 pounds of honey. The sweet stuff is harvested once a year in the fall. Bees are a critical part of the orchard because of pollination, according to research associate Tamara J. Wynne (pictured). Photos by Emily Wilson (Instagram: @ewphoto. Facebook: @emwilsonphoto)
By MISTI YANG
Photography EMILY WILSON
Bee Story Making honey is a sweet labor of love
In the book A Short History of the Honey Bee, beekeeper E. ReadickerHenderson implores: “Forget the wine snobs who tell you that what they drink is the essence of the country. Honey is more than that: It is the truest distillation of the landscape. …” ReadickerHenderson collected honey from all over the world, including a jar from Croatia “that tasted like smoke.” What about a jar from Las Vegas? Tamara J. Wynne knows local honey. She works as a research associate at the Research Center & Demonstration Orchard in North Las Vegas tending to 650 fruit trees, around 200 grapevines and five beehives. Wynne studied plant science in upstate New York (at Cornell University) and remarks that “the honey is way sweeter here because it’s so dry. There is not a lot of water in it.” The flavor is also infused with the essence of flowers unique to the region. Honeybees imbibe the nectar of flowers as they go about their work of pollination, and that distinctive nectar is the base ingredient for honey. Local honey can differ from store-bought honey for a variety of reasons. “If you buy ‘honey’ in the store, it may not necessarily be honey,” Wynne says. It could be corn syrup or be heavily watered down. It could also be produced by bees drinking sugar water, not the nutritious nectar of plants. Even some local beekeepers use sugar water as a supplement. “The nutritional content may not be the same,” Wynne says. So be sure to ask your beekeeper what they’re feeding their bees. Sugar instead of nectar could undermine the nutritional content of honey and diminish its health benefits. Although Wynne shares that many of her regular honey buyers swear local honey has cured their seasonal allergies, scientific studies do not support the claim. But studies have shown that the
antioxidants in honey can decrease your risk of heart disease and cancer. Honey also kills bacteria, which is why some people apply it to small wounds. The main way honeybees help us out is by pollinating flowers— one-third of our daily diet depends on bee pollination—but it is the sweetness of honey that most likely inspired humans to start keeping bees. Before manufactured beehives, people tracked wild hives, and once discovered, they could claim ownership and legally defend the hive from poachers. Today, anyone can keep bees in their backyard. Wynne, who learned beekeeping at Cornell and on the job, also draws knowledge from The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook. She shares that advances in beekeeping have made it easier. For example, the recently invented Flow Hive beehive kit makes collecting honey as easy as tapping a keg, maybe easier. “You just turn the crank, and the honey comes right out the hive,” she says. Wynne harvests the honey at the Demonstration Orchard in the fall, and it sells out quickly, so you can’t purchase any now. However, the beehives at the Demonstration Orchard are not the only local honey producers. A quick internet search reveals a list of producers, from backyard cultivators to larger operations including Pahrump Honey Company and Annsley Naturals Southwest. Some offer their fare online, and many make appearances at farmers markets. 7
Studies have shown that the antioxidants in honey can decrease your risk of heart disease and cancer.
To find out when honey is available at the Demonstration Orchard (4600 Horse Dr., North Las Vegas), sign up for its newsletter by emailing Wynne at wynnet@unce.unr.edu or by visiting in person. The orchard is open to the public from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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Tall Tail
From ocean to desert, how our seafood arrives to our plates By Marisa Fine t ti
Photography Krystal Ramirez
We humans like seafood. Feasting on crustaceans, bivalves and fish has long been a way of life. But being near the coastline isn’t requisite for savoring a maritime experience these days. In the middle of the desert, Las Vegas delivers a seafood feast, relying on skilled fishermen from all parts of the globe to reel in the beloved flavors of the ocean. Here is where to get the best of the deep blue sea. ESTIATORIO MILOS
COSTA DI MARE
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas
Mark LoRusso crafts a luxurious menu with hard-to-find breeds of fish and shellfish from all around the Italian coastline. Costa di Mare enlists 75 fishermen to deliver the freshest seafood several times per week. Seafood travel and preparation falls within a 48–72 hour window from catch to plate. The concept is line-caught fish—no nets, and completely sustainable. “It’s paramount to us that we showcase just how beautiful and fresh these products are,” LoRusso says. “For instance, there’s the Cicala di Mare, a big flat, prehistoric lobster whose flesh is even more refined than a lobster. They react to pollution, so they live in only pristine waters. The Italian government restricts their catch to a two-and-a-half-month season. So when July hits, they’re done!” Costa di Mare also boasts a live crustacean program, claiming it is the only restaurant in the U.S. that maintains live langoustine in an environment they can thrive in. LoRusso was recently at the famed James Beard House, and he's re-created that menu at Costa Di Mare, featuring a crudo plate of cuttlefish, prawns, purple snapper and Sicilian amberjack; butter-poached Imperial langoustine with spring peas; Ligurian grilled octopus with crispy potatoes and olive oil–poached fennel; line-caught turbot from the Venetian coast with butter-poached leeks and Osetra caviar; and red mullet from Sardinia with risotto, mussels and bottarga (salted-cured mullet roe).
HERRINGBONE Aria
Chef Geno Bernardo, an East Coast native, was once a fisherman. And as fishermen do, Herringbone follows the season with its seafood menu. Herringbone’s classic dishes include tuna poke with Maui onions, shoyu and toasted macadamia nuts, and the Dinghy—a selection of oysters, Alaskan king crab, Maine lobster and jumbo shrimp. Oysters—sourced from Virginia, Maine, Baja California and coastal Canada—are the gems at Herringbone. Try Canadian Pink Moons, Washington’s Little Hoodlum or Capitol Oysters. Discovering such a selection will tempt you to exclaim, “Oh, shucks!”
SEN OF JAPAN
8480 W. Desert Inn Rd. In the vast ocean, one might say we leave it up to the line to bring in the jewels from the deep blue. In Japanese dining, omakase would be analogous to this—diners leave it up to the chef to prepare a series of small, delicious dishes comprising pristine cuts of fish from the day’s freshest selections. Chefs and owners Hiro Nakano and Shinji Shichiri deliver an experience that lures the adventurous to come back for more, as no two omakase experiences are the same. Offerings may include sashimi salad of four different fishes presented with garlic olive oil and capers; poached lobster from Maine with spicy lemongrass dressing and sun-dried beets topped with micro arugula and cherry tomatoes; Alaskan black cod soy topped with foie gras, flash-fried shishito pepper, wasabi aioli and crushed red peppercorns; and assorted nigiri ranging from bluefin tuna from Spain, fresh scallop with spicy lime dressing and lightly seared Tasmanian ocean trout with fresh garlic spicy ponzu. These delicacies look almost too pretty to eat, but savoring the gifts of the chef is the honorable thing to do. Fish is brought into Sen of Japan six days a week from all over the world and is never frozen.
Costas Spiliadis’ restaurants demonstrate a great commitment to serving the freshest fish with the help of close relations with fishermen who work the seas around the Greek islands. The dining experience at Milos begins with a tour of the fish-market offerings that are flown in seven days a week from Greece. They are kept on ice in an attractive display until selected for a table. The quality and type of fish vary from day to day, depending on the season. The Barbouni (red mullet) is best served pan-fried with Kytherian sea salt and fresh Greek oregano. Lithrini (Spanish sea bream) enjoys the best preparation as a whole-fish sashimi, served with a different preparation on each side. Not to be missed is Greek Lavraki (Mediterranean sea bass), steamed and crusted with sea salt. The captains serve it tableside with Santorini capers, Ladolemono (Greek vinaigrette) and chopped parsley.
RM SEAFOOD Mandalay Bay
Chef Rick Moonen is the consummate advocate of a healthy ocean and responsible eating. His guests enjoy thoughtfully prepared seafood, whole fish, sushi and a wide selection of eco-friendly options flown in six days a week that illustrate his commitment to sustainable seafood. The restaurant uses anywhere from five to 10 different species each day. For example, Amberjack comes from Hawaii, Icelandic cod is line-caught from European waters, and white gulf shrimp comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Moonen encourages seafood lovers to eat lower on the food chain (think anchovies and sardines) and to try fish they might not have heard of before. A good one to start with is the Boquerones—marinated Spanish anchovies with tomato relish, olive tapenade, baby spinach and a hard-boiled egg, served with grilled bread. Other signature seafood dishes include charred Spanish octopus and dashi-poached True North salmon farm-raised in the Gulf of Maine, with leek orzo, baby bok choy and miso butter sauce. 7
Opposite page: The seafood offerings at Estiatorio Milos. This page: True North salmon at RM Seafood
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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SOCIAL INFLUENCE
PHOTO COURTESY OF URBAN SEED INC.
I
URBAN SEED IS SPROUTING FRESH IDEAS ABOUT LOCAL FOOD By Diana Edelman
Rising
Up
t was less than a year ago that Las Vegas was introduced to Urban Seed, an urbanfarming concept that seemed—at best— far-fetched in the desert. But Urban Seed has planted roots, literally and figuratively, since. “We wanted to make sure we spent a lot of time educating chefs, partners and the community about our capabilities and the way we are growing food,” says Rachel Wenman, a co-founder and vice president of Urban Seed. The company aims to be a sustainable-food provider in the industry, ensuring the chef community receives only the best produce. While building its facilities are underway this spring, Urban Seed is working to get its message to the public by planning tastings to introduce people to the food grown using hybrid aeroponics, the process of growing plants vertically in a fog environment. With 42,000 square feet of grow space, Urban Seed believes its model can yield the highest crop per square foot in the industry and change the way Las Vegas grows and consumes produce. Construction on the first two (of six) boutique greenhouses located on a patch of land on Wynn Road has begun. Urban Seed expects to produce more than 25 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, radishes, peppers, beets, basil, mint and more. It’s working with seed distributors that are non-GMO, pesticide-free and chemical-free. Eventually, the goal is to use its own homegrown seeds. As the temperature heats up, Wenman expects good things as the first large-scale farm producing fruits and vegetables in Las Vegas takes shape. “What’s been really neat as a native Nevadan has been to watch the culinary community and the whole Las Vegas community come together, seeing how obsessed and hungry they are for fresh food,” she says. “The response from chefs and the community has been overwhelmingly positive, motivating and inspiring.” To date, Urban Seed has secured major partnerships, including plans to provide its first harvest to spots such as Mina Group restaurants, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group restaurants, Top of the World, DW Bistro, Border Grill and off-Strip restaurants including the soon-to-open Sparrow + Wolf. The company has also been busy with the launch of Urban Seed Foundation, which focuses on working with community partners to relieve hunger needs and food deserts in Nevada. 7
From the Desert
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SOCIAL INFLUENCE
DO GOOD
T
he statistics about self-esteem are not pretty for young women. The National Institute on Media and Family reports that by age 13, more than half of girls are “unhappy with their bodies,” and that surges to 78 percent by age 17. According to a 2008 report commissioned by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund, 75 percent of girls with low self-esteem admit to “engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking or disordered eating.” Here in Las Vegas, Dr. Carli Snyder is trying to do something about those numbers. A certified clinical psychologist with a private practice, she has spent the past two decades studying women’s health issues, with an emphasis on the challenges of adolescence. She’s also the founder of Girl Nation, a local organization for young girls grades 2-8. “High school is where it gets scary. Pressures are much more intense,” Snyder says. “It’s important that we have girls coming together earlier and solidifying their self-esteem.” Since 2015, Snyder has developed Girl Nation workshops including “What I Wish I Knew Going Into High School.” These events are full of activities such as art projects, yoga and preparing healthy snacks to build self-worth beyond physical appearance. At these workshops, Snyder is joined by Girl Nation ambassadors, young women high school age or older who serve as mentors to the younger participants. “Parents can say things till they’re blue in the face, but when a young girl hears it from her peers, it makes an impact.” One such ambassador is 18-year-old high school senior Sarah
The Future Is Female Girl Nation is here to empower young womenl
Paglini, who says her involvement in Girl Nation has inspired her to become a clinical psychologist like Dr. Snyder. “At the beginning of each workshop, we give every girl a fun question to answer. I remember one girl who was asked to name one thing she loved about herself. She immediately broke down crying because she said she couldn’t find anything. Every girl started complimenting her on something,” Paglini says. An all-girl setting is important to Snyder, a mother of three boys. “It creates a powerful place where the girls can come together and connect.” She limits each workshop to about 13 participants—“Small enough so they each get time to share, but big enough so that they can hear each other’s stories. They realize how similar they are.” Above all, Snyder says she wants each girl to have fun. “It’s a day to celebrate how great it is to be a girl.” 7
By Camille Cannon
Girl Nation Girl Nation workshop for fifth and sixth grade girls: May 21, 1–5 p.m. and “What I Wish I Knew Going Into High School” workshop: June 4, 1–5 p.m., Belly Bliss, 5761 S. Fort Apache Rd., $150, itsgirlnation.com
SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Coming to Bellagio I
n an episode of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, realized during one particularly forlorn moment, that she could’ve put a down payment on her apartment for what she had spent on shoes. And in a case of real life turning out way better than television, a similar major shoe obsession has actually proved exceptionally lucrative for Parker, who will open her first west coast SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker boutique at Bellagio this summer. This is the actress, producer and designer’s second collaboration with MGM Resorts, after launching a shop in December at MGM National Harbor in Maryland. SJP was founded in 2014 by Parker and partner George Malkemus III, the CEO of Carrie’s most coveted brand, Manolo Blahnik. Their goal was to create timeless pieces with exceptional quality at a fair price point. Shoes and
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purses range from $250 to $400. Not only will the Las Vegas store carry her signature footwear and bag line, but also the American-made SJP LBD, otherwise known as the little black dress, which debuted last fall. Parker in a statement said the partnership with MGM Resorts was unparalleled and that “it feels like a dream to be able to do it twice in less than 12 months.” The boutique is replacing La Scarpa, which will close this month, in the Promenade retail corridor. MGM’s relationship with Parker began in April 2015, when she partnered with Zappos Couture on a two-day pop-up shop inside The Shops at Crystals, formerly owned by the hospitality leader. Bellagio president Randy Morton also said in a statement that he is “honored Ms. Parker and her team chose the Bellagio to debut SJP on the West Coast.” –Judy Stone
GREEN FELT JOURNAL
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Almost, But Not Quite the Same At the intersection of social games and casino games
By David G. Schwartz
I
nternational Game Technology recently announced exigencies. Caesars was undergoing bankruptcy restructhat it is selling its social gaming division, Double turing at the time, and the massive sale price was undoubtDown Interactive, for $825 million. The sale could ofedly a consideration; if the company could have shed a few fer a glimpse into how casinos will be working with soof its casinos at a similar premium, it may well have done cial games in the future. so. Similarly, IGT is expected to use the proceeds from the First, these kinds of transactions have a long history in Double Down sale to pay down debt. the casino business. Both manufacturers and operators What’s more, IGT is planning to continue to partner with constantly buy, operate and sell subsidiaries, sometimes Double Down. Under new owners DoubleU Games, Double in only tangentially related fields. In the ’70s and early Down will license titles from IGT’s casino game portfolio, ’80s, Caesars World, the parent company of Caesars Palcreating a regular revenue stream for the slot manufacturace from 1969 to 1994, acquired and operated the Ontel er. So in the short term, IGT gets both a respectable infuCorporation, a producer of microprocessors and data tersion of cash and a long-term source of income. minals, and Online Distributed Processing Corporation, There are two ways to spin these sales; either the casino a software maker. Ramada Inns Inc., which bought the companies didn’t see the long-term upside in continuing to Tropicana in 1979, owned a string of hospitals. Resorts Inown these subsidiaries and wanted to unload them now, or ternational, which opened Atlantic City’s first legal casino other companies saw enough upside to pay a premium for in 1978, owned both an amphibious airline (which transported Floridians to its Bahamas casino) and Intertel, a corporate and government security agency that included Howard Hughes and the Shah of Iran most of the attempts by casinos to diversify outside of their among its clients. So a casino gaming provider buying a social gaming provider isn’t exactly a stretch. core hospitality and gaming functions were short-lived IGT is no stranger to dabbling. In the late ’80s, the company operated casinos in Nevada, Iowa and Missouri; it sold those interests and a Nevada slot route in 1992. (Slot machines in multiple locations such as bars, supermarkets and convenience stores are run by compathem. Judging by the healthy profit both companies made nies that own route operations.) on their sales, the truth is likely in the middle, leaning toSome of the companies IGT has acquired since include ward the latter. Anchor Gaming, Acres Gaming, WagerWorks, Venture CatDo the Caesars and IGT de-acquisitions mean that social alyst Incorporated and Cyberview Technology. These five gaming and casino gaming are not converging as rapidly as very different companies had one thing in common: They was once thought? Probably. Although there are commonspecialized in software- or hardware-related to IGT’s core alities between the two, there are also significant differinterest—slot machines and gaming management systems. ences, the most of which is that no one plays social games Double Down Interactive was a similarly aligned compato win money, while people gamble with the aim of doing ny. In 2012, when IGT paid about $500 million to acquire it, just that. So while they may look the same, what works for Double Down offered slot and poker games on Facebook. one may not suit the other. Players couldn’t win money in DoubleDown Casino, but Looking back on history, most of the attempts by casithey could pass time and have fun—and those two things nos to diversify outside of their core hospitality and gamwere apparently enough to make it a leading Facebook game. ing functions were short-lived. Likewise, gaming manuIGT’s acquisition signaled a desire to move into the popfacturers have had their greatest successes in focusing on ular social games arena, as did Caesars Entertainment’s gaming equipment as well as the systems that help manage 2011 purchase of Playtika, a social gaming company known that equipment and those who play it. As products close to, for its Bingo Blitz and Slotomania games. The convergence but not exactly gambling continue to appear, expect to see of social games and casino games seemed to be a match casino operators and manufacturers jump into—and out made in heaven. of—some new spaces. 7 But that match seems less happy now. Caesars sold PlayDavid G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research. tika last year for a reported $4.4 billion, and IGT’s sale of Double Down seems to indicate that casino game providers and social games don’t mix as well as was once thought. But these transactions may be less about fit than fiscal
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May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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The Transformation of Matter Brendan Hancock brings change to the city through his juice and coffee shop By Jessi C. Acuña Photography Krystal Ramirez
House of Alchemy, a juice
and coffee shop located on the west side of town, has already amassed a large, dedicated following in four months. This is without marketing and minimal social media. Owner Brendan Hancock, 33, officially moved to Las Vegas only 16 months ago after spending time traveling back and forth with his wife between here—she’s a native—and Perth, Australia. After 11 years in the construction business and a lifestyle dedicated to holistic living, the father of three is transforming the city’s perception of what a juice/ coffee shop should be. Here are the highlights of his recent interview with Vegas Seven.
House of Alchemy 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat. & Sun., 4245 S. Grand Canyon Dr., facebook.com/ houseofalchemylv
“When I was 28, I had a life-changing experience. When you’re in a bad place, you start to analyze what you’re doing wrong. It was always known to me that diet is key, but I did not realize how it was affecting me—overstimulating my mind to the point where I was losing control of it. All the bad food choices got the better of me, and then I crashed. I didn’t know what was going on. “Juicing, along with a more holistic approach to training [like yoga], helped repair and get me back on top in a quick way. Juicing was a way to get the nutrients I needed to clean things out and make my body reach a point of homeostasis. It was so effective that I knew it was something that everyone had to experience. “When I first came [to Las Vegas], I saw a huge opportunity for healthy food and a concept to bring people together: a coffee shop. That was something always in the back of my mind, and when [my wife and I] decided to come back [from Australia], I saw that The Juice Standard
had done their juices really well and broke new ground. They’ve done the hard work, and now we’re just here to help top it off and promote this aspect of health. “In opening this place, my intention was to help clean people up, give people an education—‘If you’re feeling a certain way, this may be better for you.’ You can still have your pizza, but once you become conscious of the impact it’s having on your body, you may want to have something else. A lot of people aren’t ready to take ownership of how they feel. For those people, cleaning up their diet helps massively. “The name speaks for itself. It’s the chemical transformation of the body. That’s what we’re about, how we transform. The place is inviting. It’s very organic in nature—literally, we have plants everywhere. You feel good when you come in, along with [having] good products. They’re a little different than the usual [juices]— some subtle changes to what people have done in the past. “People come because they want to get something out of it—more energy, get rid of soreness, lose weight. Juice gets criticized because it’s not a one-size-fits-all [solution]. The individual has to be ready to make changes, and the product will help with those changes. “I love coffee, but it can overstimulate you as well. It’s not necessarily the coffee; it’s the crap that everyone puts in it, feeding bacteria that causes problems in the mind and in the body. Coffee, for me, is a conversation; it’s a meeting place. It’s a bridging tool to get people in so they can sit down and enjoy themselves and then explore our menu, which is more oxygen-rich.” 7
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CONVERSATIONS
By Misti Yang Photography Jeff Green
Putting the ‘Pro’ in Procure When it comes to local ingredients, Scott Irestone knows where to look Radishes. Rhubarb. Rosemary.
These are only three of a long list of fruits, vegetables and herbs that Scott Irestone, director of procurement for Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, grows in his personal garden in Las Vegas. “When we have baked sweet potatoes, I just walk outside and snip off some chives,” he says, and he notes that mint grows like crazy. The homegrown produce is apropos for the man who is tasked with shopping for the ingredients to support Puck’s vision of featuring local, seasonal ingredients. When he started as a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Irestone planned on becoming a math teacher. While in his junior year of college, he left to follow his love of cooking and attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. “I just walked in and was like, ‘I’m going to do that,” Irestone says. He completed culinary school and was hired for an internship at Spago here in Las Vegas. Upon finishing, he became a full-time Wolfgang Puck employee, working in the back of the house. That was more than 20 years ago. During his time with Wolfgang Puck, Irestone has been a kitchen manager and sous chef at Postrio, an executive chef at Chinois, and he helped open 20.21 in Minnesota. When asked what it took to become the director of procurement, he’s frank: “Most chefs don’t want to do the business part of [restaurants].” Overseeing the shopping list for Wolfgang Puck requires business acumen. Not only is Irestone seeking out the best seasonal ingredients, but he is also managing the logistics and a budget, which sometimes requires creativity. For example, a couple of years ago, he was working on a party for 400 people, and duck breasts were a featured dish. “The duck breasts just never made it on the plane,” Irestone remembers. “We found some veal to serve that night.” As the seeker of the groceries, Irestone also is charged with finding local producers whenever possible. “One of the things that Wolfgang says is, ‘If we support local, local will support us.’ I just heard him say it at the governor’s black-tie event to a couple hundred people. It’s really important to him,” Irestone says. But sourcing locally grown ingredients in the desert can be tough. “We probably serve 4,000 people a day, and not everyone [can accommodate] that volume.” Still, Irestone takes advantage of what is available. He worked with Blue Oasis Pure Shrimp, a local shrimp farm, before the operation shuttered, and when a chef comes to him with an ingredient request, he tries to think of what’s nearby. “Let’s say they want a specialty cheese. We have three companies here that are local that we deal with for our cheese program,” he says. Irestone has purchased from Las Vegas Herbs, China Ranch Dates and Annsley Naturals Southwest, which supplies honey, but perhaps his biggest partner in produce is Olsen Farms. You won’t see the farm mentioned on a menu, but the Pahrump grower supplies microgreens for all six Wolfgang Puck restaurants in Las Vegas. “If we want something new, he’ll grow it for us. It just takes a month,” Irestone says. When you ask him if he thinks people are crazy to believe that the desert can support eating locally, Irestone retorts: “Absolutely not—it’s going to be work.” He thinks that Gilcrease Orchard and farmers markets already provide good resources for folks who want to adopt a locavore diet, and he is hopeful that Urban Seed, a new indoor aeroponic urban farm in town, will provide more local options for chefs. He only has one concern about the farm: “I am just curious if I can get a Spago garden.” 7
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May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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CONVERSATIONS
DAVE ATTELL IS MOVING TO LAS VEGAS Well, maybe—first he’ll see how headlining Crapshoot Comedy Festival goes
hat I like about Vegas is it’s a 24-hour town and I’m a late guy,” says Dave Attell. Fans of the prolific 52-year-old comedian, who’s headlining the Crapshoot Comedy Festival with a set at Zappos Chambers on May 18, know that “late guy” is a bit of an understatement. Ever since the 2001 debut of his Comedy Central show, Insomniac With Dave Attell, the hardworking club comic (read: not a movie star, and he literally played the homeless guy in Trainwreck) has been known as much for his after-hours carousing as for his dark and dirty, perfectly timed jokes. Attell doesn’t drink anymore, but he’s still an insomniac. He just spends the wee hours of the morning a little differently these days. “I used to come to Vegas for the party, then it was for the gambling and strip clubs,” he says. “Now it’s really for the food.” The infamously gutter-brained and utterly beloved Attell sounded off for Vegas Seven on the unexpected joys of bombing a set, the camaraderie of the comedy world and why he won’t get political.
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What made you say yes to Crapshoot? Vegas has never had its own major comedy festival before. You never want to pass up a trip to Vegas, especially if someone else is paying. During the Rat Pack days—legendary shows with Sammy Davis and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra—everybody looks back like, “Yeah, man, [those were] the glory days of Vegas, when it was dirty and not so family-friendly.” That’s why Vegas is a cool place for a fest. You’ve performed all over the country. What’s different about a Vegas crowd? If you can get the locals to come see you, you’re really doing something great. I don’t live in Vegas, so going to see a magician is a big deal. But [for locals], they live right next to one, you know? Or a lion tamer. Those are the kinds of things they deal with day to day. To be honest, they usually have a great sense of humor. They’re a little raucous and rambunctious, and I’m pretty good with that kind of crowd. They usually like [entertainment] a little bit more dark, a little bit more real, than the fantastical stuff. I’m no Cirque du Soleil.
By Una LaMarche Have you hung out with any other Crapshoot comics? I know Brad Williams is on the [lineup] with me, and I love Brad. He’s a great guy and a great comic. There are very few comics who are both cool onstage and off, and he definitely is one. When you’re a headliner, you’re on the road all the time alone, usually, so it’s cool when you get to work with other comics and watch them go on. I’m the name there, the old-hat comic, but I want the newer comics to definitely rock it out and make this a recurring festival. You often get described as a “comedian’s comedian.” Do you like that description? It seems like a huge compliment. That’s nice to say. I don’t particularly think I’m that good—that I’m any better than most of the people out there. But I do take it to the next level in terms of bombing. I know that whenever I’m really doing a rough [set], there are always a bunch of comics in the back of the room enjoying the flame-out, as we call it. You rarely do political jokes. Do you think that will change during this presidential administration? Whatever I say, I try [to] make it funny. If it is political, it has to be way funnier. It’s almost like when you do a really terrible dirty joke, it has to still be funnier so people go, “Oh, that was horrible, but it was hilarious.” I think there are a lot of comics who are good at [political comedy] and other ones who are hit-andmiss. At the end of the day, it’s cool that they’re up there, fighting and speaking their personal truth and all that kind of stuff. But for me, I really do think that unless I can make it into a joke, I’m not gonna talk about it. What’s next for you? I’m actually thinking of moving to Vegas. I’m old enough now that I can handle it. When I was younger I probably couldn’t have handled all the temptation. Now, I think I can get my Hoveround chair and just go out and find a slot machine I like and let it happen. 7
Crapshoot Comedy Festival May 18–20, times and prices vary, Downtown Las Vegas, crapshootcomedyfestival.com
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May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
ASK A NATIVE
CONVERSATIONS
A New Way South Is there any reason motorists will stop in Boulder City once the bypass is complete?
THE DILLINGER INTERIOR AND FOOD COURTESY OF THE DILLINGER; BEER DRINKING CONTEST AND ONLOOKERS BY NOEL CALIZO; STREET FESTIVAL CROWDS BY TSVETELINA STEFANOVA.
By James P. Reza
Clockwise from top left: interior of The Dillinger Food and Drinkery; Block Party crowd; The Dillinger Burger
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ast week’s mention of Boulder City as my favorite Vegas suburb raised the question of what might happen to the town once the Interstate 11 bypass is completed in late 2018. That bypass will eventually become part of a new interstate highway between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Drivers wanting to avoid hundreds of miles of challenging two-lane travel between those two cities must currently go through Flagstaff, itself an upand-coming Route 66 college town enjoying (or suffering, depending on one’s position) a downtown revival. It’s an interesting question, especially since the interstate highway system is noted as having killed many small American towns that thrived when the highway ran through them instead of bypassing them. Thanks to its thus-far-unavoidable presence on the direct route to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, Boulder City has developed quite an array of local businesses along its main drag (U.S. Route 93), from restaurants to vintage stores to outdoor outfitters. Yet despite that commercial success (or perhaps because of it), some vocal residents of growth-averse Boulder City were successful in preventing a direct I-11
off-ramp to the town from being built. By 2019, not only will semitrucks be able to avoid the crawling 25-mph delay through Boulder City, but speeding interstate motorists will have to make a deliberate decision to slow down, exit and visit. Having (much) less traffic passing through might improve the immediate quality of life for nearby residents, but one wonders about the negative impact on the town’s still-developing character as a way station for outdoor enthusiasts. One thing is certain: The town will have to work to attract visitors in ways it hasn’t had to before. As far as the question raised, I’ll give you three reasons (among many) to stop in Boulder City: Boulder Dam Brewing Company, Milo’s Cellar and The Dillinger. All are locally owned restaurants with outdoor dining; the last hosts an annual block party that features a local live music lineup that rivals any in Downtown Las Vegas. This year’s party happens on May 13. Have a question or comment about Las Vegas past, present or future? Send them to askanative@ vegasseven.com
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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CONVERSATIONS
LUCKY NO. 7
We asked the WENDOH Media staff:
What’s your favorite locally sourced product?
“The Writer’s Block has zines by local artists for sale by the cash register. When I stop by to pick them up, I make sure to pet the in-shop bunny and drop a quarter in the homemade haiku bear.” –Shannon Miller, editorial assistant
“Lovelady Brewing Company’s 9th Island pineapple sour. Brewed with pineapple puree, this beer is pleasantly tart but still quite refreshing and easy-drinking—perfect for this time of year. In my eyes, the Henderson operation can do/brew no wrong, but this selection is a masterpiece.” –Mark Adams, arts & entertainment editor
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“Art! Juan Muniz is by far my favorite local artist in Vegas. Not only does he produce fabulous street art and canvas creations, but he now has a clothing line.” –Brittany Quintana, account manager
“I love the locally made sausages by John Mull’s Meats—served on locally made Great Buns Bakery pretzel rolls—at ReBar on Main Street. They come with a pickle spear, and you can add all the typical toppings, but better still, each purchase helps to feed a Southern Nevadan in need.” –Xania Woodman, senior contributing editor
“I’m a big fan of Tenaya Creek Brewery. Not only has it put Las Vegas on the national map when it comes to craft beer brewing, but it has recommitted to the city by refurbishing a decades-old building into a fantastic new brewery and brewpub in a part of Downtown that needs the attention. I’d prefer it was named Las Vegas Creek Brewing, but I’ll take what I can get!” –James P. Reza, Ask a Native columnist
“The pick-your-own veggies at Gilcrease Orchard. It’s a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. After picking your produce, you can treat yourself with cider doughnuts.” –Genevie Durano, managing editor, dining
“Right now it’s all about Sorelle Garden Salad Dressing from the Las Vegas Farmers Market in Summerlin. It’s light on ingredients and heavy on flavor—a perfect fit for a vegetable salad.” –Jessi C. Acuña, senior editor, lifestyle
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
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