Las Vegas Restaurants

WORDS BY BETHAN RYDER

FEATURE VEGAS DINING: CHIC CHOW

Las Vegas gambles on designer dining.

Mix

Brash, flash and full of cash—that’s Vegas. This neon city founded on mobster money lures in and dazzles 35.5 million visitors a year. The fastest-growing metropolis in the country, it boasts more hotel rooms than any other US city. And in case you hadn’t noticed, it recently celebrated its 100th birthday with a party that included the cutting of the world’s biggest birthday cake (58,500kg) and the wedding of 100 couples. Now that’s Vegas!

It wasn’t until the post-war ’40s that the seeds of the kitsch, blinking spectacle that we love today were sown. It was then that a string of casino-hotels opened along a stretch of road that became “the Strip,” heralding the transition of this desert oasis into a glitzy resort and gambling mecca.

Shibuya

Bugsy Siegel’s The Flamingo opened in 1947, the North African-themed Sahara and notorious Sands followed in 1952 and the Mississippi paddle-steamer-style Showboat two years later. Next came the high-rise European-flavored Riviera in 1955 and Dunes, an “Arabian Nights” affair. Owners attempted to out-shine each other in exoticism, glamour and never-seen-before theatrics. During the ’70s, the legalization of gambling in Atlantic City made Las Vegas up the ante in order to maintain its pole position, and the decade became the era of the “mega-resort” casino.

Then followed something of a seedy low, until 1989 when entrepreneur Steve Wynn opened the $700-million Mirage hotel and casino, starring Siegfried and Roy with their tigers and a 54-foot-high volcano. Chicago-based designer Jordan Mozer says: “When Wynn opened the Mirage, it was the first new hotel in 15 years, and everyone told him he was mad. He said he was going to charge for rooms, instead of giving them away like they used to. And, he also said, ‘I’m going to have real restaurants and entertainment like in the old days.’ They thought he was crazy, but he really showed people that you could make money there.” The copycats followed suit, and a slew of novelty, extreme-themed casino hotels followed, including the medieval castle-themed Excalibur, the Egyptian-style Luxor and New York-New York. Tourism boomed with the number of visitors doubling throughout the decade, and Las Vegas was once again back in business.

Canter’s Deli

Now it’s 2005, and Las Vegas is reinventing itself once again. Theming is falling out of favor, and stylishly designed restaurants, often featuring stellar chefs, are becoming the hot selling point. For the first time in the city’s history, the revenue gained from support venues (hotels, restaurants, shows, bars and shops) is threatening to exceed gaming revenues. Again, commentators say it’s down to Wynn. And this latest, more sophisticated reincarnation can be traced back to the 1998 birth of his opulent $1.6-billion Mediterranean-style Bellagio. Wynn was the visionary who back then commissioned the likes of award-winning designers Tony Chi, Adam D Tihany and Jeffrey Beers to create his restaurant interiors.

Gaming expert and editor of Casino International Glyn Thomas believes this emphasis on quality has more longevity for tourism: “Repeat visitors aren’t interested in whether a casino is themed on Excalibur’s Castle. They want quality, which is why people always go back to places like the Bellagio—it’s possibly the best place in Las Vegas.” In 2000, Wynn sold the Bellagio to MGM Grand Inc., and this year he made his comeback with the $2.7-billion Wynn Las Vegas.

Nectar

For the past six years, the rest of Sin City’s major hoteliers have been luring major international chefs and designers in an attempt to cash in on the new discerning audience. Relatively recent, thoroughly cosmopolitan arrivals include: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s decadent Alain Ducasse outpost Mix (by French designer Patrick Jouin); MGM Grand’s Japanese restaurant Shibuya (by Canadian crew Yabu Pushelberg); Bellagio and Treasure Island’s Nectar and Canter’s Deli, respectively (both by Jordan Mozer); Fix at the Bellagio (by German firm Graft); and, Sensi, also at the Bellagio (from Tokyo designers Super Potato).

Thomas Willemeit of Graft calls Las Vegas an “urban laboratory” that has always been a place of experimentation.

“Vegas has changed a lot in the past 15 years. First, it tried to get rid of its trashy image by targeting families, then the event business (with concerts, boxing and shows) was pushed to attract all kinds of people. About 10 years ago, Vegas discovered another group—design-oriented consumers. Since then, the city has been coming up with high-end design in its interiors. That creates more and more interest in art and architecture. Even the Guggenheim opened two different exhibition spaces in The Venetian. Other casinos have followed with art galleries.”

Mix

Top US architect and designer Jeffrey Beers is also well acquainted with Vegas, having created over a dozen restaurants and bars here. “Las Vegas came about from cowboys sitting around a table playing 3-card and 5-card poker in a saloon; its roots weren’t in baccarat like European casinos,” he says. “So, until recently, there hasn’t really been a nod to a design sensibility. In fact, quite the opposite—it’s been about keeping the guests focused on the activity of gambling only. But the opportunity, now that they’re starting to recognize it, is that if you start to view Las Vegas as a fashion or lifestyle statement, people will flock to it.”

Food and beverage director of the MGM Grand, Stephen Judge, is particularly proud of recent developments. “Las Vegas is a playground for adults. It’s the hospitality and tourism capital of the world. Whatever you can get in New York or Tokyo, you can get here in terms of restaurants,” he says. “We’re undergoing something of a revolution in restaurants at the MGM Grand. In 2001, we opened Nobhill, designed by Tony Chi. Next came the Chinese restaurant Pearl, also by Chi. Then Fiamma by Yabu Pushelberg and now Shibuya, which, within six months of opening, stole the title of ‘Best Japanese in Las Vegas’ from Nobu.” It’s also worth noting that the MGM Grand boasts Wallpaper* magazine’s “best designed bar of the year,” the über-luxurious Teatro Euro Bar by Adam D Tihany and architect Leo A Daly.

In Las Vegas, evolution is constantly driven by competition. As Judge says, “You have to keep reinventing yourself. If you stand still, you’re going to be left behind.” MGM Grand’s latest scene-stealing coup is tempting the acclaimed “chef of the century” Joël Robuchon to open not one, but two ventures—a fine dining restaurant and a sequel to his Paris venture, L’Atelier.

One of the most beautiful new restaurants is Mix, located on the top floor of Mandalay Bay’s all-suite tower, THEhotel. Probably Jouin’s most inspired creation to date (he’s created Ducasse’s restaurants in St Tropez, New York and Paris), the futuristic silver and white dining room is decorated by 13,000 hand-blown Murano glass “bubbles.”

Meanwhile, the neighboring bar is dark, red and moody, and features a VIP mezzanine “eyrie” sprouting up from the oval bar, encircled by a red lacquer branch-like enclosure. Jouin says it’s been an incredible success. “It’s different because it’s not even linked to a casino, so it brings something new,” he says. “Also, it has a fantastic Blade Runner view of the city and desert, because it’s on top of a tower.”

These designer restaurants definitely signal a new direction in Las Vegas. The sophisticated venues rival anything in New York, Paris or London. As Mozer wisely says: “Design is really marketing. You can’t think of it as an art form. I mean if you think about it, really, Michelangelo was marketing Christianity. And now that consumers are more attuned to design, casino developers are realizing it’s a way to distinguish themselves from the competition. They used to have Gap; now they have Gucci. They used to have $10 per head pizza kitchens; now they’ve gone gourmet.”

Judging by recent developments—notably THEhotel, Kelly Wearstler’s high-roller suite at the Hard Rock Hotel and Tony Chi’s Skylofts at the MGM Grand—hotel accommodation could soon be getting a design makeover too. Also on the horizon is the much-hyped George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Rande Gerber project, Las Ramblas, a $3-billion hotel, apartment and casino complex on a pedestrian promenade that will evoke Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas boulevard. Designers involved include Philippe Starck and Arquitectonica. Private real estate developers Related Las Vegas are behind the project. Chairman Jorge Perez says: “We are bringing together a dream list of architects, designers, entertainers and purveyors of lifestyle to create an environment that combines sophistication, class and glamour.” Sounds like Vegas is on a roll.

AirTran Airways provides daily, low-fare flights to Las Vegas. Visit www.AirTran.com for more details.

Remember you can get great deals on car rentals with AirTran Airways partner Hertz. Find out more at www.AirTran.com

© Thomas Duval
© Eric Laignel