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Vegas -- an ever-evolving microcosm with its very own kind
of solar system, neon luminescence, and special type of “heat.”
Just when you think that there couldn’t possibly be
any more mountains to climb or uncharted territory to explore,
Las Vegas pops up with another inaugural strain of casino
property, attraction, restaurant, show, retail center, nightlife
or technology in its effort to provide its visitors with everything
new under the sun. In fact, if you haven’t traveled
here in the last several years, you’ll find an entirely
different Strip atmosphere than you ever have in the past.
Everything revolves around constantly providing the biggest,
best and brightest in every aspect to ensure that visitors
can go where they’ve never gone before. So let us take
you to the leaders – the latest shining stars on the
city’s constantly changing skyline.
Welcome to Las Vegas’ new frontier.
Beam Us Up, Scotty
The sky is definitely the limit when it comes to some of the
city’s recent attractions. From the 315,000-watt Luxor
light beam that shoots into the atmosphere and can be seen
250 miles away to New York-New York’s Statue of Liberty,
Paris Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower, the Fountains at Bellagio
and the Stratosphere Tower (at 1149 feet tall, it is the highest
structure west of the Mississippi), the Wow factor is “high”
on the list.
There’s something in the air at Paris Las Vegas, namely
the above-mentioned 7-million-pound Eiffel Tower that hovers
50 stories above the Las Vegas Strip. The 540-foot-tall structure,
which is the hotel’s centerpiece, is an exact half-replica
of the one in Paris, France, and, offers a breathtaking panoramic
view of the city. There is no glass blocking your view –
you’re out in the open air, with only a fence separating
you from the elements. At night, soft lighting is provided
by a lighting system that was designed to the exact specifications
of the lighting that was added to the real Eiffel Tower for
its 100th anniversary in 1989. While three of the tower’s
four gigantic legs spring from the hotel’s 85,000-square-foot
casino, you can take a tour to the top at a cost of $9 per
adult.
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It may still be a desert out here, but thanks to attractions
like the Fountains at Bellagio, you can now go with the flow
and enjoy the spurt of free experiences at this hotel. Undoubtedly,
the 1,100 fountains are the real big shots of the Strip --
twice an hour (every 15 minutes at night), they shoot as high
as 240 feet into the air, choreographed to different styles
of music and artists. At just barely under 20 million gallons
and approximately 8.5 acres, Lake Bellagio is the largest
musical fountain system in the world.
Once inside the Bellagio, things continue to look up with
more spectacular sights. Above the 18-foot lobby ceiling is
master glass sculptor Dale Chihuly’s incredible Fiori
di Como, 2,000 hand-blown glass floral forms that comprise
the artist’s largest work to date. The rich, vibrant
colored petals are hanging in a three-dimensional sculpture
that is lit from behind.
Of course, filling tall orders for real live greenery in the
desert is the task of the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical
Gardens across the lobby. With a ceiling that rises up 50
feet, this one-of-a-kind Vegas attraction ensures that the
personality of the Bellagio changes five times a year as a
different theatrical presentation boasting different trees
and flowers arrives with each season – Fall, Christmas,
Chinese New Year, Spring and Summer.. Currently on display
through May 5 is an enchanting oversized Spring garden filled
with vibrant flowers and colorful butterflies amidst whimsical
scenes of a gardener at work. Such creations as an oversized
gardener’s trowel and massive ‘clay’ pots
each weigh between 500 and 2,000 pounds and contain tens of
thousands of individual plants and blooms.
You won’t want to miss the boat on this one even if
there is a small fee. The gondola ride at the Venetian’s
Grande Canal Shops takes you on a relaxing trip through the
canals of Venice, serenaded the entire time by a singing gondolier.
The hotel’s St. Mark’s Square, a replica of the
real one (without the pigeons, thank goodness), is also something
to see. It is surrounded by restaurants and charming shops
and there is entertainment a la Venice.
Close Encounters of a Different Species Kind
At one time, the notion of live fish in the arid Vegas climate
was one that didn’t hold water. But then along came
the Mirage with its ever-popular Dolphin Habitat and now Mandalay
Bay is echoing that success with Shark Reef, which has shown
its teeth by becoming the only Nevada wildlife organization
accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. The
90,560-square-foot facility is far from your typical aquarium,
however, in that it is a totally sensory experience designed
to transport you to an undersea world of amazing sights, sounds
and encounters. Taking you on a journey through an ancient
temple claimed by the sea are 14 exhibits displaying 100 aquatic
species, including 15 types of sharks. Crocodiles, stingrays,
jellyfish, sea turtles and piranhas also make Shark Reef their
home.
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Down the street, the Flamingo Las Vegas’ Wildlife Habitat
is really for the birds. In fact, the hotel belongs to the
Species Survival Program, affiliated with the American Zoos,
Parks and Aquariums association, which is striving to save
the “threatened” African penguin, which is one
step away from the “endangered” list. After comparing
the genetics of this species found in zoos around the world,
the program’s management group plans future generations
of African penguins with the goal of maintaining a genetically
diverse and strong population. The Flamingo now boasts 13
African penguins. Several other species of birds of a feather,
fish and water turtles reside here too, all under the care
of experts.
However, if it’s the eye of the white tiger you’d
rather see, head on over to Siegfried & Roy’s Secret
Garden at the Mirage. You’re guaranteed a roaring good
time.
A Giant Step For the Art of Mankind
Bellagio was the first casino on the Strip to give the one-time
alien notion of culture in Las Vegas the brush and bring high-quality
art to the city with the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. This
non-commercial venue is dedicated to presenting exhibitions
of paintings, sculpture and works on paper by the world’s
most influential artists. It usually brings in two exhibitions
a year, each for a period of six months, although the exhibit
coming in on May 25th, Picasso Ceramics, is scheduled to be
there a year. The recent Monet exhibition, which brought 1,000
visitors to the gallery every day, was extended three times
and, to date, remains the most successful exhibition ever
since the venue began its program in the fall of 2000. Being
presented now through May 11 is the Ansel Adams photographic
exhibition.
In 2001, another art odyssey began when the Guggenheim Hermitage
Museum opened at the Venetian. This Rem Koolhaas-designed
venue inaugurated an unprecedented partnership between the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York (which operates
it) and the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Because of this collaboration, the museum is able to present
a broad spectrum of exhibitions from these two permanent collections.
Exhibitions change every nine months and, in May, the Guggenheim
Hermitage will present its 10th one, “Treasures from
the Hermitage and Guggenheim Collections,” featuring
original works of art by Picasso, Cezanne, Monet and many
others.
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They Come For the Food
If you’re wondering what’s cooking on the Las
Vegas Strip, you don’t need to look any further than
the incredible upscale restaurant offerings inside the various
casinos. Las Vegas has been stirring the gourmet pot, raising
the steaks and every other kind of food imaginable, and has
become a genuine food mecca. It is the only place on the globe
where all the great chefs of the world, from Wolfgang Puck
to Emeril Lagasse, Hubert Keller, Michael Mina, Guy Savoy,
Bradley Ogden, Bobby Flay and many more, can all be found
in one city. And, in fact, statistics show that one of the
prime reasons visitors come to Las Vegas is for the plethora
of fine food offerings.
One of the hottest new places in Vegas is a PURE delight –
an innovative “sushi, Saki and socializing” restaurant
at T.I. (the new more adult incarnation of Treasure Island)
called the Social House, boasting a fluid artistic design
and an outside terrace. Known for nightlife venues such as
the mega-successful PURE nightclub at Caesars Palace and others,
this is PURE Management’s first restaurant venture,
You can enjoy dinner, late-night fare, cocktails, and the
social scene overlooking the Las Vegas Strip as well as the
Sirens of T.I. outdoor show below. Go fish, delighting in
the taste of sushi and eclectic Pan Asian cuisine that includes
Chef Joseph Elevado’s creations such as Citrus Peel
Miso Marinated Cod, or “meat” and greet over another
of his signature dishes, Snake River Farms Kobe Beef-Three
Ways-Carpaccio, Tatako and Tartar.
But if you want to be able to have your steak and eat Chef
Michael Mina’s, too, you’ll want to head over
to Mandalay Bay where you’ll find his latest restaurant,
StripSteak. Long known for his seafood venues, this is Mina’s
first-ever steakhouse. Offering two varieties of beef -- Certified
Angus Beef and American Kobe – and with two mesquite
wood-burning grills and six circulating slow-poaching chambers,
StripSteak boasts a signature slow-poaching method that enhances
flavor and temperature by cooking the meat for several hours
at a low temperature.
Mandalay Bay also boasts the new Fleur de Lys Restaurant,
Chef Hubert Keller’s celebrated San Francisco dining
destination that offers contemporary French cuisine. Not only
is each dish on the price-fixed or a la carte menus a work
of art but so is the restaurant itself. Designed in collaboration
with famed San Francisco decorator Stanlee Gatti, Keller has
created a venue with 30-foot walls of cultured stone and a
live floral sculpture of more than 3,000 fresh-cut roses arranged
into the shape of a giant leaf adorning the wall of the main
dining room.
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Another new venue to be added to the gourmet pot at Mandalay
Bay is MIX in Las Vegas, which offers contemporary classic
French and American cuisine with global accents. Some of Chef
de Cuisine Bruno Davaillon’s signature dishes include
Chicken with Black Truffle and Foie Gras, Roasted Maine Lobster
“au curry” and Mix Candy Bar. The entire main
dining room is lined with windows for a spectacular view of
Las Vegas. And ooh-la-la, the 24-foot chandelier – it’s
constructed of 15,000 hand-blown glass spheres made in Murano,
Italy, and is suspended from the ceiling in a 43-foot-diameter
circle that dares to touch the floor.
You can MIX it up or head over to Bellagio and FIX it up where
Andrew Sasson, whose Light Group nightlife properties Light,
Caramel and Mist have joined the hottest clubs in town, has
opened his first restaurant venture. FIX offers classic American
fare by Chef Brian Massie in a fun, high-energy atmosphere.
The menu focuses on simply prepared high-quality fish, meat
and poultry cooked to order on wood-burning grill. If you
need some comfort, however, try the fried mac and cheese.
Over in the new luxurious Spa Tower at the hotel, Sensi is
bringing dining drama to the table. The restaurant offers
four contemporary cuisines created on four separate “stages”
or open kitchens – Italian, Asian, Grilled and Seafood
Classics – drawn from the vast international experience
of Chef Martin Heierling. Every dish is prepared simply and
focuses on pure, balanced flavors. The blend of tastes, aromas
and restaurant design is intended to stimulate the senses,
hence the name Sensi (Italian meaning “senses”).
You might want to enjoy your just desserts, however, at Jean-Phillippe
Patisserie, also in the Bellagio Spa Tower, where imagination
and appetite meet in Las Vegas’ first true European–style
pastry shop. The award-wining pastry chef proves that life
IS a box of chocolates, not to mention ice cream and gelee,
cookies, cakes, crepes, salads, sandwiches and much more.
A first-of-its-kind 27-foot chocolate fountain circulates
two tons of dark, milk and white melted chocolate as you watch
and salivate.
Of course, if going over the top romantically is your thing,
the 11th-story Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris Las Vegas
is quite the chi-chi place to do it. The softly lit room with
its bar and lounge offers classic French fare and a waitstaff
that speaks both French and English. Floor-to-ceiling windows
provide an incredible view of the city at night. You can order
from a list of the finest wines and champagnes and can have
red roses waiting at your table by calling and ordering them
ahead of time from the restaurant’s reservationist..
For $45, you can also get an engraved memorabilia plate that
will preserve the memory of your evening forever if you order
it ahead of time.
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Another great restaurant at Paris is Mon Ami Gabi, serving
everything from soup to nuts with French flare. You have an
option of dining on an outdoor patio (with misters to keep
you cool in the summer) that provides a bird’s eye view
of people passing by on the Strip and the Fountains at Bellagio
show across the street.
Leave it to the Rio, however, to serve up an eatery in true
eclectic Las Vegas style – a new era of chic bowling
combined with a full-service restaurant and bar. Lucky Strike
opened in March, offering 10 lanes, a fun and varied menu,
and an energetic atmosphere designed to being out the inner
child in you.
All the better to bowl you over with, my dears.
It’s
In the Stars
As
one top executive in the city recently declared, entertainment
is becoming increasingly important on the Las Vegas landscape.
While the hotels do strive to have something for everyone,
in some respects the scene is becoming a real circus, what
with the overabundance of Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the
Sun) shows already in the city and the recent announcement
of a new one with magician Chris Angel to open at the Luxor
in 2008. The new City Center will have an Elvis Cirque Show
as well when it opens in 2008.
Basically, every MGM Mirage property boasts a Cirque Show
– “O” at the Bellagio, “Mystere”
at T. I., “Zumanity” at New York-New York, “KA”
at MGM Grand (my personal favorite because it has a storyline
and incredible new technology) and “Love,” the
newest addition at the Mirage.
LOVE, the result of the fruits of the labors of Cirque du
Soleil in co-production with Apple Corps LTD, the Beatles’
company, captures the essence of love that John, Paul, George
and Ringo inspired during their amazing adventure together.
The show was actually born out of a personal friendship and
mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque
du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. In structure, the land of
the surreal meets “Get Back” to where you once
belonged -- the aura of the 60’s -- in a theater with
360-degree seating (the world’s most technologically
advanced), along with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, projection,
costumes, props, imagery and an odyssey of song characters
that come to life. Yesterday is brought to the fore by contemporary
dancing and acrobatics performed by a 60-member cast, all
set to the Beatles’ music.
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As for KA, it is a totally unprecedented experience –
even for its creators. When the show officially debuted at
the MGM Grand in February 2005, it was not only the most expensively
produced show in Las Vegas ($165 million) but also the most
technologically advanced. The fact alone that there is no
permanent stage has allowed KA to totally break new ground.
Rather, KA uses two main platforms and five others, all run
by hydraulics, to set the stage for its story that has duality
as its theme, illustrated by a combination of acrobatic performances,
martial arts, puppetry, multimedia and pyrotechnics. The main
stage, which runs on a gantry crane, houses something called
a sandcliff deck, and any way you turn it – and it goes
up, down, and all around -- audiences will see a spectacularly
different scene, be it sand, sea, mountains or snow. It all
serves to give the 72-member cast and production an ethereal
kind of lift on which to present high action.
Another new trend in entertainment has seen the arrival of
“the Great White Way” in Las Vegas. The first
long-running successful Broadway entry was “MAMMA MIA,”
which recently celebrated its fourth year at Mandalay Bay
and which will close in August 2008. This production is ABBA-cadabra
all the way. The weaving of 22 of the Swedish group ABBA’s
songs into a funny and infectious script about a mother and
her-soon-to-be wed daughter has proven to be pure magic and
has broken box office records wherever it has appeared in
the world as well as at Mandalay Bay.
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Then, last year, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom
of the Opera” debuted at the Venetian. Cutting it down
to 75 minutes didn’t hurt things a bit – the amazingly
talented cast still puts forth every song from the original
and the breathtaking $40-million custom-built theater, designed
to resemble the Opera Garnier in Paris, even features a one-ton
chandelier that is a total nightly “smash” –
literally.
In February of this year, the most honored show in Broadway
history, Mel Brooks’ musical comedy “The Producers”
opened at Paris Las Vegas. This production is as professional
and funny as it gets. The story of down-on-his-luck theatrical
producer Max Bialystock, and mousy accountant, Leo Bloom,
who raise money to produce an intentional flop called “Springtime
for Hitler” with the help of their flamboyant director
Roger DeBris, never seems to wear thin.
The newest of the Broadway additions is “Monty Python’s
SPAMALOT,” which opened at The Grail Theater at Wynn
Resorts in March. Written by Eric Idle, directed by Mike Nichols
and starring John O’Hurley, (“Seinfeld,”
“Dancing With the Stars” Ultimate Champion, “Family
Feud), this hilarious live spectacle tells the legendary tale
of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and their
search for the Holy Grail. Featuring lusty maidens, a killer
rabbit and dancing divas, it is the only show on the Strip
boasting a legless knight.
While it’s great to see name talent in some of these
productions, it’s also wonderful to see big names in
their own shows back on the Strip as well.
Until Caesars Palace opened its $95-milion Colosseum theater
with Celine Dion starring in “A New Day” in March
2003, you would have been hard-pressed to find a continuous
flow of major names anywhere on the Strip but the MGM Grand,
which has always presented stars such as David Copperfield,
Howie Mandel, Tom Jones and others in its Hollywood Theater.
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Now Caesars has Celine (through the end of the year—Bette
Midler starts a two-year contract in Fvbruary 2008), Elton
John and Jerry Seinfeld while other names such as Barry Manilow
(Las Vegas Hilton), Toni Braxton (Flamingo), George Wallace
(Flamingo), Rita Rudner (Harrah’s), Wayne Newton (currently
appearing at Harrah’s through July 7), Carrot Top (Luxor),
Louie Anderson (Excalibur) all have their own shows in the
major hotels. Pamela Anderson is appearing with magician Hans
Klok in a magic spectacular that opened in June at Planet
Hollywood.
The Luxor recently presented a Celebrity Spotlight Series,
with such acts as Liza Minelli; Earth, Wind and Fire; Olivia
Newton John; The Go-Go’s and lots more.. Roseanne Barr
also appeared at the hotel for six weeks, through the end
of April. And the Venetian, which also boasts two other showrooms,
one starring Blue Man Group and the other, impressionist Gordie
Brown, is instituting headliner performances following Brown’s
early show. The first act to be signed is comedian Wayne Brady,
who will appear through July 1 and possibly longer.
The concert scene is one that has also grown in the past few
years, with every major touring act appearing in huge arenas
at the hotels, such as the MGM Grand Garden and Mandalay Bay
Events Center. Mandalay Bay, by the way, also has a Summer
Concert Series on the Beach out by its sandy beach/pool area
that offers big name bands and acts.
In this city that caters to every taste and is now stacking
shows afternoon, evening, and late night, it’s a must
to see the one surviving true Las Vegas spectacular –
“Jubilee!” at Bally’s. This show has legs
– both cast-wise and literally. Created by the late
Donn Arden, who is credited with bringing the first showgirl
to the Las Vegas Strip, the extravaganza opened in 1981 and
has been updated several times, most recently for its 25th
anniversary last year. With elaborate sets, a cast of about
86 and spectacular costumes created by Bob Mackie and Pete
Menefee, “Jubilee!” has never lost its kick.
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Things That Go Bump in the Night
Nightlife in the “neon jungle” has also evolved
greatly over the last few years. In some of the city’s
hottest places, it’s raining men and women in untold
numbers. Tabu at MGM Grand was the first ultra-lounge to open
in the city – now every hotel property has a nightclub,
an ultra-lounge or another kind of specialty lounge or bar
and sometimes all three simultaneously. Inside, the air in
Las Vegas is no longer “dry” and if you’re
anxious for a UFO (unannounced but familiar object of adoration)
sighting, these are the places to be.
Besides giving people a chance to meet and enjoy beverages,
social interaction, music and/or dancing, many of these venues
also give you a chance to rub elbows with celebrities from
every entertainment and sports medium. PURE at Caesars Palace,
named by E! Entertainment network in 2005 as the #1 Hotspot
in the Nation, and TAO at the Venetian are two places where
you’re sure to do some star-gazing. (Jet?)
At TAO, the 40,000-square foot “Asian City,” at
the Venetian, sublime delights, both culinary and cultural,
can be found on many different levels. This four-story $20-million
venue houses a restaurant, lounge, nightclub and banquet facilities,
all under the watchful eye of Tao’s signature 70-foot
Buddha. The menu, a combination of culinary flavors and components
from China, Japan and Thailand, was developed by Executive
Chef Sam Haze, also responsible for the culinary success of
the New York City venue. As for the nightlife options, the
lounge is an ideal gathering spot for cocktails and conversation
while the 10,000-square-foot nightclub provides a high-energy
DJ-driven atmosphere.
The new Beatles Revolution Lounge at the Mirage is a place
where people can “come together” in a sensory
psychedelic environment. This is Cirque du Soleil’s
first nightclub experience and things are literally bouncing
off the tables – such as the self-expression of guests
inspired by the graffiti at Abbey Road. The electronic surface
of the interactive VIP tables uses infrared technology not
used anywhere else in the world for you to create tabletop
artwork that is projected onto the central diamond-shaped
column in the ultra-lounge. Words and thoughts of the Beatles
on the walls, architectural expressions of their songs, an
Abbey Road Bar and music from the Beatles to today complete
the picture.
Stripping Vegas down to the bare essentials and offering a
throwback to the golden days of the city is the purpose of
Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce at the new Mandalay Place in
Mandalay Bay. Here, the one-time art form of striptease is
redefined within a venue that brings to mind an old-school,
back-alley club as sexy, trained professional dancers perform
to the sultry sounds of a jazz trio.
If you’re looking for another way to quench your thirst,
the Teatro Bar at the MGM Grand offers you a chance to put
your money where your mouth is with the city's most exclusive
cocktail, the $2,200 High Limit Kir Royale, a rare blend of
Louis Roederer "Cristal" Rose Champagne, 140-year-old
Hardy Perfection Cognac, limited-edition Grand Marnier Cent
Cinquantenaire and fresh raspberries. And after your cocktail
is made, the unused portion of the bottle of Louis Roederer
"Cristal" Rose Champagne is served to you along
with it. Take us to your “liter.”
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Well Worth the Trek
The newest casino in Las Vegas, which opened in April 2006,
is a Wynn-win situation. One of most luxurious properties
on the Strip, Wynn Las Vegas’ recreational opportunities
include serving up morning or afternoon “tee”
– there’s an 18-hole golf course on property,
designed by Tom Fazio and the hotel’s owner, Steve Wynn.
Or if you’d rather drive something with doors, Wynn
Las Vegas even boasts Nevada’s only factory-authorized
Ferrari and Maserati dealership where you cannot only purchase
one of these beauties but can just walk through and admire
their craftsmanship.
Of course, one always has to eat and the hotel’s 22
food and beverage outlets offer meals planned and prepared
by master chefs who are all in residence at the hotel. They
include David Walzog, Alessandro Stratta, Grant MacPherson,
Mesamichi Isizawa, Philippe Rispoli, Richard Chen, Paul Bartolotta,
Daniel Boulud and, Hisham Johari.
Shopping is another area at Wynn that provides limitless hours
of enjoyment. The Wynn Esplanade is a cornucopia of international
boutiques, including Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Judith Lieber,
Oscar de la Renta and several more. If you prefer your entertainment
sitting down, however, besides “Spamalot,” Wynn
presents “Le Reve,” (The Dream) created by legendary
director Franco Dragone, who brought to Las Vegas “O”
and “Mystere” as creative director for Cirque
du Soleil before creating his own company. Wynn recently bought
the rights from Dragone for $16 million, closed the show for
a month and renovated it. It reopened on April 8.
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The Empire Strikes Back
The most famous name in the worldwide gaming galaxy is Caesars
Palace, a brand that has been on the Las Vegas scene since
1966. But with a true “Et tu, Brute” spirit, this
Greece-themed property has kept pace with the newer hotels
in town to ensure that all roads still lead to Rome.
To that avail, Caesars has renovated and expanded its Roman
empire, building new towers and expansions and ultimately
ending up with new award-winning restaurants and chefs, entertainment,
nightlife and shopping, keeping it at the fore of the Strip.
The new restaurants include Restaurant Guy Savoy, Bradley
Ogden, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and Rao. Restaurant Guy
Savoy offers an artful contemporary French menu from the Michelin
three-star chef. The restaurant is run by Guy’s son,
Franck (Franck’s wife handles the banquets and catering)
and Guy flies over every couple of months. The ambiance and
beauty of the restaurant is a duplicate of the famed Restaurant
Guy Savoy in Paris and without a doubt, the 75-seat venue,
which opened last May, is one of the priciest restaurants
in Las Vegas – Savoy’s signature Artichoke with
Black Truffle Soup is $68 and the tab goes up to $290 for
a menu served for the entire table. Every item has been created
by Guy Savoy, whose trademark is freshness and simplicity
of cuisine, and, with few exceptions (such as the soup), the
entire menu changes seasonally.
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Bradley Ogden, which received the James Beard Foundation Award
in 2004 for Best New Restaurant, is known for farm-fresh American
cuisine. The award-winning chef whose talented culinary staff
includes his son, Bryan, only serves the best wild and organic
ingredients on a menu that changes daily. Bobby Flay, an award-winning
chef, book author and TV personality whose Mesa Grill was
named among “the 50 hottest restaurants in the nation”
by Bon Appetit magazine in 2005, has brought the vibrant Southwestern
cuisine of his nationally acclaimed Mesa Grill in New York
City to Caesars. This is his fist restaurant outside of New
York and while many dishes remain the same, some have been
created just for the hotel.
The newest food offering to come to the property is Rao’s,
a 110-year-old 10-table Italian restaurant from East Harlem
New York. Widely acclaimed for its authentic southern Neapolitan
Italian cooking and home-style family ambiance, this is the
restaurant’s only location outside of New York. Four
generations of the Rao family have been creating this cuisine
since 1896 and they pride themselves on using fresh high-quality
ingredients, such as certified San Marano plum tomatoes from
Italy.
Entertainment-wise, Caesars has been experiencing “a
new day.” In its new 4,100-plus-seat Colosseum, which
encompasses 171, 235 square feet and boasts a stage that has
a 120-foot-wide by 44-foot-high proscenium arch, Celine Dion
has been starring in “A New Day” 40 weeks a year.
The unique spectacle of song, theater, dance and state-of-the-art
technology, created by Franco Dragone, features the largest
indoor LED screen in North America, on which scenes and images
are projected, and a cast of 60 dancers and acrobats, dramatic
lighting and stage sets and surround-sound. Each of the songs
that Dion sings in the show evokes a different visual experience.
When Dion is not performing, Elton John takes over with his
exclusive-to-Caesars show, “The Red Piano,” another
spectacular that makes use of all the extraordinary assets
of the stage and venue. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld also performs
at the Colosseum a couple times a year and other stars have
made rare appearances, such as Gloria Estefan.
But entertainment at Caesars now extends to the nightlife
scene, with PURE nightclub, which opened in 2005, being called
the first true nightlife destination in the city. The two-level
36,000-square-foot nightclub offers three distinct experiences,
each with its own DJ, music and sexy slant. Boasting a discerning
upscale clientele, three bars, oversized bed seating and VIP
area overlooking a luminous dance floor, PURE is also home
to the Pussycat Dolls Lounge, a separate venue that embodies
the Dolls’ sexy and glamorous image. The Dolls perform
seven nights a week and in February 2007, Caesars also instituted
the Pussycat Dolls Casino, inspired by the queens of burlesque,
song and dance.
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Before or after you play among the “stars,” you
can go to the moon where shopping is concerned. The Forum
Shops, the highest yielding shopping venue in the country,
added a three-level 175,000-foot expansion in 2004,and brought
in 60 new upscale specialty retail tenants. This new wing
is the first to have an entrance on the Strip. New stores
include Donald J. Pliner, Elie Tahari, Carolina Herrera, Harry
Winston, Nanette Lepore and Sony Style. Among the new restaurants
are Boa Steakhouse,. Il Mulino New York and Joe’s Seafood,
Prime Steak and Stone Crab.
Make sure that you come back and relax at Caesars new Qua
Spa. At the end of the day, you will have known what it really
means to have been “here,” having stepped into
the moment in this ultimate spa experience. With the timeless
and transforming touch of water being its overriding artistic
theme and with Qua meaning “here” in Latin, the
venue offers patrons a chance to release their stress and
fatigue and enjoy a steady stream of the latest state-of-the-art
signature amenities, including Roman Baths that embody the
new concept of “social spa-ing,” amidst luxurious
Old World charm.
So there you have it – a trip around the planet on gossamer
wings. No matter what kind of spin you put on it, Las Vegas
is definitely a world of its own.
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ADDITIONAL
ARTICLES
BY
BOBBIE KATZ
HERE |
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The
Arrival: Best of the New Las Vegas
