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$5
A N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’
LasVegasAdvisor
August
2019
Vol. 36
Issue 8
THE BRONX
WANDERERS
Street-corner
crooners light up
The LINQ …
pg. 8
ALL SHOOK UP
Vegas fades two
earthquakes and a
grasshopper invasion
… pg. 1
RESORT FEES
Are they on
the way out? …
pg. 1
NEW POKER
CHAMP
‘Old’ guy beats
the kids …
pg. 10
BAR BONUSES
Keep an eye on the
machines …
pg. 11
CASINOS Local (702)
• 2019 LVA MEMBER REWARDS • Toll Free Numbers
(800) (^844) (†855) ( 866) (*877) (**888)
††
Local Toll Free
Aliante Casino+Hotel+Spa.........692-7777.............477-7627*
ACCOMMODATIONS DRINKS
Aria.............................................590-7111.............359-7757††
2-For-1 Room (El Cortez) Free Drink Brewers, Kixx, or Havana Bar (Boulder Station); 3 Free Rounds Arizona Charlie’s Boulder...........951-5800.............362-4040
(Ellis Island); Free Margarita (Sunset Station) Arizona Charlie’s Decatur...........258-5200.............342-2695
BUFFETS Bally’s.........................................739-4111.............603-4390*
Bellagio.......................................693-7111.............987-7111**
2-For-1 Buffet: (Aliante Casino+Hotel, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, Arizona SHOWS Binion’s.......................................382-1600.............937-6537
Charlie’s Decatur, Cannery, Fremont, Main Street Station; 2-For-1 Buffet 2-For-1 Hypnosis Unleashed (Binion’s); 2-For-1 or 50% off one Righteous Boulder Station...........................432-7777.............683-7777
or 50% off one (Boulder Station, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, Gold Brothers (Harrah’s); 25% Off Carrot Top (Luxor); Drink-minimum Mac Caesars Palace..........................731-7110.............227-5938††
Coast, Green Valley Ranch, Orleans, Palace Station, Palms, Rampart, Red King (Harrah’s) California....................................385-1222.............634-6505
Rock Resort, Sam’s Town, Santa Fe Station, Silverton, Suncoast, Sunset For additional show discounts, check our Printable Rewards Cannery......................................507-5700.............999-4899††
Station, Texas Station; 2-For-1 World Famous Gospel Brunch (House of and show codes at LasVegasAdvisor.com. Casino Royale............................737-3500.............854-7666
Circus Circus..............................734-0410.............634-3450
Blues at Mandalay Bay); 25% Off Buffet (Rio)
Cosmopolitan.............................698-7100.............551-7772*
RIDES/ATTRACTIONS Cromwell, The............................777-3777.............426-2766^
DINING 2-For-1 Tower Ride Ticke ts (Stratosphere); $4 Off Admission Mob Museum; the D...........................................388-2400.............274-5825
Downtown Grand.......................719-5100.............384-7263†
2-For-1 Menu Item: (Big Dog’s, Siegel’s 1941 (El Cortez), Fat Choy (Eureka 40% Off Admission to Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Treasure Island);
Eastside Cannery.......................507-5700.............999-4899††
Casino); 2-For-1 Menu Item or 50% off one: Club Café (Club Fortune); 30% Off Real Bodies (Bally’s); 25% Off SlotZilla Zip Line (Fremont Street El Cortez.....................................385-5200.............634-6703
2-For-1 Entrée: Fuego (Fiesta Henderson), Market Street Café (California), Experience); Massage Special at NV SPA (El Cortez); Couples Massage Ellis Island...................................733-8901.............800-8000
Sarah’s Kitchen (Klondike Sunset), House of Blues Rest. & Bar (House of Special at NV SPA (El Cortez); Hoover Dam Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); Encore........................................770-7100.............321-9966*
Blues at Mandalay Bay), Sterling Spoon Café (Silver Sevens), Pub 365 Grand Canyon South Rim Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); Grand Canyon Excalibur.....................................597-7777.............937-7777
(Tuscany); 2-For-1 Entrée or 50% off one: Freedom Beat (Downtown West Rim Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); 1 Free Game of Bowling at Strike Fiesta Henderson.......................558-7000.............899-7770**
Fiesta Rancho............................631-7000.............731-7333
Grand), The Café (Ellis Island), Emerald Grille (Emerald Island), Lucy’s Zone (Sunset Station)
Flamingo.....................................733-3111.............732-2111
Bar & Grill (Lucky Club), The Wrangler (Silver Nugget), Skyline Restaurant Four Queens...............................385-4011.............634-6045
(Skyline); 2-For-1 Lunch or Dinner Entrée: Magnolia’s (Four Queens); GAMBLING Fremont......................................385-3232.............634-6182
2-For-1 Coney Dog (the D); 2-For-1 BBQ Plate (Ellis Island); 2-For-1 Burger $25 Matchplay: (the D), (Golden Gate), (Plaza); $10 Matchplay: (Aliante), Gold Coast.................................367-7111.............331-5334
in Le Burger Brasserie (Paris); 25% Off Bill: Top of Binion’s Steakhouse (Arizona Charlie’s Boulder), (Arizona Charlie’s Decatur), (California),
Golden Gate...............................385-1906.............426-1906
(Binion’s), Wingin’it Wings & More (Fiesta Rancho), Hooters Restaurant Golden Nugget...........................385-7111.............468-4438^
(Downtown Grand), (Ellis Island), (Fremont), (Gold Coast), (Jerry’s Green Valley Ranch....................617-7777.............782-9487††
and Saloon (Hooters); $30 Off Dining: Charcoal Room (Palace Station); Nugget), (Lucky Club), (Main Street Station), (Orleans), (Silver Nugget), Hard Rock Hotel.........................693-5000.............473-7625
$25 Off Dining: Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse (Sunset Station), Señor Frog’s (Skyline); $10 Slot Matchplay: (Gold Coast), (Hooters), (Orleans), (Sam’s Harrah’s......................................369-5000.............392-9002
(Treasure Island); $10 Off Dining: b.B.d’s or Boathouse (Palace Station), Town); $10-$1,000 Slot Free-Play (El Cortez); $10-$100 Slot Free-Play Hooters.......................................739-9000.............584-6687††
Wild Grill or Brewer’s Café (Wildfire); $5 Off Dining: Grand Café (Texas (Ellis Island); $5-$100 Slot Free-Play Bonus: (the D), (Golden Gate); Klondike Sunset.........................826-3866
Station), Beaumont’s Southern Kitchen (Texas Station); $4 Off Entrée: $10 Slot Free-Play: (Binion’s), (Four Queens), (Jerry’s Nugget), (Plaza),
LINQ, The...............................................................328-1888††
Guadalajara (Boulder Station), Pasta Cucina (Sunset Station) Longhorn....................................435-9170.............800-8000
(Rampart); $20 Bonus for Slot Play (Klondike Sunset); $10 Bonus for Slot Luxor..........................................262-4000.............288-1000
Play: (Cannery), (Club Fortune), (Eastside Cannery), (Eureka); $15 Bonus, M Resort.....................................797-1000.............673-7678*
DINING—“LOCAL CORNER” 4-of-a-kind, 25¢ machines (Big Dog’s); 2-1 Payoff on first Blackjack up to Main Street Station.....................387-1896.............713-8933
Comped Menu Item at G.O.A.T Bar & Grill; Comped Steak Special at $25 bet: (Golden Gate), (Silver Sevens); Push on 22 at Blackjack up to Mandalay Bay.............................632-7777.............632-7800*
Jackson’s Bar; Comped Lunch or Dinner at Sporting Life Bar; $25 Off $25 (the D); 100-Coin Video Poker Bonus: (Sagos Ft. Apache), (Sagos Mandarin Oriental.......................590-8881.............881-9578**
MGM Grand................................891-1111.............929-1111
Dining at Rosati’s; 2-For-1 Entrée at Treasures Gentlemen’s Club; 2-For-1 Spring Mtn.); Wheel of Cash Spin (Emerald Island); Bingo Bonus (Plaza)
Mirage........................................791-7111.............627-6667
Menu Item at Sagos Ft. Apache; 2-For-1 Burger or Philly (Home Plate); New York-New York...................740-6969.............693-6763
Pizza Upgrade at Naked City Pizza Shop *The 2019 LVA Member Rewards book is available ONLY Orleans.......................................365-7111.............675-3267
with a paid one-year subscription to the Palace Station............................367-2411.............634-3101
Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. No exceptions. Palazzo.......................................607-7777.............263-3001††
Palms..........................................942-7777.............942-7770††
Paris...........................................946-7000.............266-5687**
Park MGM..................................730-7777.............311-8999
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS: Planet Hollywood.......................785-5555.............919-7472††
Plaza...........................................386-2110.............634-6575
FULL MEMBERSHIP: Includes 12 monthly issues of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, mailed first-class; the Rampart .....................................507-5900.............869-8777*
LVA Member Rewards book; plus 365 days of complete access to our website: www.LasVegasAdvisor.com. Red Rock Resort........................797-7777.............767-7773††
Rio..............................................252-7777.............746-7482*
U.S. Membership $50 Sam’s Town................................456-7777.............634-6371
(Includes shipping of newsletter. Member Rewards book is shipped at an additional $3.50, Santa Fe Station.........................658-4900.............767-7771††
or can be picked up at our office any day after the first business day of the year.) Silver Sevens..............................733-7000.............640-9777
Canadian Membership $60us Silverton.....................................263-7777.............588-7711
Slots A Fun.................................734-0410.............354-1232
Overseas Membership $70us
SLS Las Vegas...........................737-2111.............761-7757†
(Includes shipping of newsletter. Member Rewards book is shipped at an additional $5us to Canada,
Stratosphere...............................380-7777.............998-6937
$7us to Overseas, or can be picked up at our office any day after the first business day of the year.)
South Point.................................796-7111.............791-7626††
Suncoast....................................636-7111.............677-7111*
ONLINE MEMBERSHIP: Includes 365 days of complete access to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com, the LVA Sunset Station............................547-7777.............786-7389**
Member Rewards book for only $37us.* (Member Rewards books can be picked up at the LVA office or shipped Texas Station..............................631-1000.............654-8888
to your home via coupon service for $3.50 to a U.S. address; $5us to Canadian and $7us to Overseas addresses.) Treasure Island (TI).....................894-7111.............944-7444
Tropicana...................................739-2222.............634-4000
SINGLE ISSUE: Call to order—$5us hard copy (First-class postage included. Current issue unless otherwise Tuscany......................................893-8933.............887-2261*
specified. Member Rewards book is not included.) Vdara..........................................590-2767.............745-7767††
Venetian......................................414-1000.............883-6423*
* The LVA Member Rewards book is available ONLY with a paid one-year subscription to the Las Vegas Advisor Westin Lake Las Vegas..............567-6000.............563-9792††
newsletter. No exceptions. Restricted to one per person and two per household, per year. Westin Las Vegas.......................836-5900.............937-8461
Westgate Las Vegas...................732-5111.............732-7117
Wild Wild West (Days Inn)..........740-0000.............777-1514
To Order Your LVA Call: 1-800-244-2224 Wildfire.......................................648-3801
Las Vegas Advisor • 3665 Procyon Street • Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Wynn Las Vegas.........................770-7000.............770-7077*
August 2019 A N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’ $5
LasVegasAdvisor
News and World Report ranked Nevada’s transportation
COUPONOMY infrastructure number one in the nation. The state’s
by Anthony Curtis bridge quality placed number two overall and road
reliability came in at number 16. Many of Nevada’s
roads and bridges are relatively new, so they’ve been
Apocalyptic Vegas built from scratch to withstand seismic events, accord-
ing to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The
DOT inspects Nevada’s 1,900 bridges every two years
“Did you feel that?” a friend asked. at a minimum and as soon as possible for those within a
I didn’t feel anything. But when I looked up from the 50-mile radius of an earthquake of 5.0 or more.
table at a meeting I was attending, the dangling light Nevada isn’t earthquake-proof; nowhere in earth-
fixture was swaying. quake country is or can be. But as I conveyed to Derek
Earthquake? In Las Vegas? Stevens, Nevada is solid. n
Heck, yeah! On July 4, Vegas was shaken by a
6.4-magnitude earthquake whose epicenter was about
60 miles northwest of Barstow, California, 150 miles due
west of Las Vegas. We get a fair number of earthquakes
Grasshoppers Next
in these parts, but very few of them are palpable (about
one per decade), and this one was bigger than those Following the earthquakes came grasshoppers. Mil-
that rang the Richter bell in 2001 and 2015, so it was lions of them. In a strange occurrence, even for Vegas,
major news. swarms of pallid-winged grasshoppers descended on the
One day later, it happened again and the second city at the end of last month. They gathered on the Strip,
one was stronger, in the 6.9 range. This time I was in drawn by the lights on the marquees (the Luxor beam
the dome of Oscar’s Steakhouse at the Plaza. Things was a prime attraction). So pronounced was the swarm,
rattled a bit inside the dome, but the real evidence was it reportedly showed up on weather-radar screens.
across the street at the construction site of Circa, where There was no connection between the grasshoppers
the giant main crane was gently moving to and fro and and the earthquakes. The latter was an unusually intense
street lights were noticeably swinging. When the quake northerly migration (due to a wet winter and spring) that
stopped quaking, everything had remained in place. happened to roll through Las Vegas this year. Said one
After dinner I walked over to the D, where I ran into entomologist, “They don’t carry any diseases, they don’t
Circa owner Derek Stevens. “Where were you when it bite, they’re not even one of the species that we con-
happened?” he asked. sider a problem.”
“I was looking directly over your construction site.” In true Las Vegas fashion, savvy marketers seized
“Really? How’d we do?” the opportunity. Downtown’s Evel Pie unveiled the
“Solid as a rock.” Çanyon Hopper, a pizza made with goat cheese, aru-
That pretty much describes the rest of Las Vegas as gula, chorizo, and a “sprinkling of seasoned Mexican
well. A number of sporting events, including two NBA grasshoppers” ($5.50 a slice). “Hoppy Hours” popped
Summer League games at Thomas & Mack and Cox up and grasshoppers—those of the crème de menthe
Pavilion, the Las Vegas Aces game at Mandalay Bay variety—were suddenly the featured cocktail in several
Events Center, and the World Series of Poker at the Rio bars. The chefs at El Dorado Cantina, which has long
were called off in progress during the second quake, but had sautéed grasshoppers (chapulines) on the menu,
neither damage nor injuries were reported. were running around with harvesting nets (just kidding
As it turns out, Nevada’s propensity for experienc- on that one).
ing (small) earthquakes and its proximity to California’s Earthquakes. Grasshoppers. What’s next? More
bigger faults has manifested in a high state of prepared- resort fees? n
ness. A recent study of earthquake readiness by US continued on next page
AUGUST 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 1Couponomy continued … soon be worth your time to check the website periodi-
cally for new additions. For now, Balboa’s spicy sausage
and fresh mushroom pizza sounds pretty darn good—
Ganging Up on Resort Fees especially for free. n
Sometimes things just snowball. In June, I wrote
about the pressure on resort fees stemming from the
Blackjack Insiders
online travel agencies (OTAs) wanting a cut of the action.
Now, new pressure is coming from state agencies. Sports betting is currently the rage and we have
Last month, the attorney general of Washington, several books on beating the bookies in development at
D.C., singled out Marriott Corporation in a “Complaint Huntington Press. In the interim, however, blackjack has
for Violations of the Consumer Protection Procedures been our focus. Our next book, The 21st-Century Card
Act.” The lawsuit accuses Marriott of deliberately hid- Counter—The Pros’ Approach to Beating Today’s Black-
ing the bottom-line price of hotel rooms from consum- jack, is about to go to the printer. We’ll tell you about it
ers. The first line of the Introduction to the Complaint is, next issue and there’s more information in the pre-pub
“This is a straight-forward price deception case.” The offer on the wrap.
AG argues that Marriott should be forced to advertise Our current book is The Blackjack Insiders—How
the total price of rooms up front, like the airlines have Two Pit Bosses Beat the Casinos at Their Own Game.
to do for tickets; he’s also asking Marriott to provide It’s the story of a pit supervisor and a shift boss at a
refunds to D.C. guests who “have been harmed by this Mesquite casino who teamed up to attack blackjack
policy.” tables across the country. It’s instructional in its insider
A couple weeks later, the attorney general of look at how the casinos deal with perceived good play-
Nebraska sued Hilton Hotels Corporation, accusing the ers; the author and his partner often knew exactly what
company of doing the same thing as Marriott. the bosses were doing and why. But it’s also a fun read
Incredibly, Marriott’s CEO said something to the that conveys a first-hand account of what it’s like to take
effect that he believes resort fees are here to stay. Huh? on the casinos in a professional capacity. Following is an
For one thing, they’re not staying anywhere if the courts excerpt.
rule against them. But even if they don’t, it seems there’s
just too much backlash from too many directions for When Mark called, saying we needed to meet, we were
resort fees to survive. As I’ve pointed out before, the in the same area. He was leaving the Rio and I was across the
abolishment of resort fees won’t really mean savings street at the Palms, where we arranged to meet in the food court.
for customers, since the fees will just become part of It was unusual that Mark wanted to meet like that and my curios-
a room’s base price. But it will still make everyone feel ity was piqued.
better. n When I saw Mark at a table by himself in the food court, he
looked paranoid and shaken. “What happened?”
“I had an incident at Rio. I won’t be going back there any
BOGO Pizza time soon.” He was talking quickly.
Slower this time, I asked, “What incident?”
“I was playing, not noticing any heat at all. Then it hit me
Don’t worry, it’s not grasshopper pizza. We’ve just that an unusual number of security guards were around the pit.
posted a new Printable Reward coupon at LasVegasAd- I got a bad feeling and started cramming all my chips into my
visor.com for a buy-one-get-one at Balboa Pizza, a cool pocket, without coloring up. Right then, someone tapped me on
pizzeria/bar in the District at Green Valley Ranch. This is the shoulder. When I turned to look, two gigantic guards were
an exclusive LVA offer for a whole pie. standing behind me. The guy closest to me asked for my ID. I
It’s a good deal, but the greater significance of this asked why. He said they needed to check my age. I wasn’t pre-
news is that we’re revving up our Printable Rewards,
which are deals we secure outside of the Member LAS VEGAS 3665 Procyon Street • Las Vegas, NV 89103
ADVISOR
(702) 252-0655 • (702) 252-0675 Fax
Rewards Book during the course of the year that can be e-mail: editor@LasVegasAdvisor.com • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com
accessed online and printed out for redemption. Actu- Publisher: Anthony Curtis Customer Service: Nicole Watchus
Senior Editor: Deke Castleman Shipping & Receiving: Scotch Henderson
ally, by the time you read this, a second offer will prob- Accounting: John Leitner Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob
ably be up for the new Flights restaurant in the Miracle Production Manager: Laurie Cabot Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause,
Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. And we’re in the pro- Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott
Research Assistant: Brenda Stewart Cover Image: Elizabeth Jane Hunt
cess of negotiating two others.
LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian;
We’ve started and stopped on Printable Rewards in $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings
the past, so I don’t want to overhype this, but it should are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2019
2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • AUGUST 2019pared for that answer, so I got it out and held it out for him to
see. He snatched it out of my hand, told me I needed to go with Las Vegas’ Top Ten Values
them, and started talking into his radio. I said, ‘Hey, I didn’t say
you could take it! Give it back.’ He told me I could never come 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99
back there again; if I did, they’d arrest me. I heard him start to 2. Buffet • Palace Station • Daily • $9.99-$16.99
relay my information through the radio, so I ripped my license 3. Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98
out of his hand and ran off. They chased me at first, yelling for 4. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25
me to stop, but I was pretty close to the door and hauled ass out- 5. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1
side. My car is still there. I ran here.” 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • Daily • $2.25
“Whoa!” 7. Breakfast • Club Fortune • Daily • $1.99/$2.99
“Yeah. Of course, they have no grounds to arrest me. I’m
8. $1 Blackjack • Hooters • 24 hours • $1.20
not sure why he said that. If they’d trespassed me, maybe, but
9. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99
I took off before they could. Still, I don’t think I’ll be welcome
back anytime soon. You’ll have to cash these out or play them 10. No Resort Fee • Four Queens • Daily • $39 and up
for me.” He started pulling green $25 chips out of his pocket,
spreading them all over the table, about $1,250 in all. The Ellis Island complete steak dinner moves
I couldn’t help but laugh. “What the hell am I going to do back into the #1 spot after making room last
with fifty green chips?” month for the traditional acknowledgment of July’s
“Find the big security guy, tell him I sent you, and that I ex- ultra-low room rates. Served 24/7 in the Café, get
pect full payment. And call him a fat ass while you’re at it.” the $7.99 price by playing at least $5 in any slot
Bringing us back to reality, I said, “Or maybe I should just machine with your club card inserted, then down-
take them to the cage and cash them out.” loading the required discount coupon from an EI
kiosk. If you don’t want to play, you can get it for
See the wrap for information on ordering The Black- $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by downloading a
jack Insiders. n coupon from the kiosk that’s available to everyone
with a club card. The Feast Buffet at Palace Station
(#2) is our choice for Las Vegas’ best buffet when
considering the combination of quality and price; get
the listed prices by showing a Boarding Pass card.
NEWS Get a ticket to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show
and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the players club
booth (#3). The hot dogs at South Point (#4) are sold
Sahara—The $150 million renovation at the Sahara from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they
is moving into full gear. The transformation in the casino close down the cart around 5 pm. Michelob and
is noticeable, with the former maze-like layout converted Michelob Light are $1 at the Stage Door slot house
to more traditional travel paths. The restaurant line-up on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#5); a ¼-pound
is being revamped, the check-in area is being relocated hot dog and a Michelob is $3. The Skyline shrimp
from the back to the front of the resort, the center bar cocktail (#6) is available 24/7 at the main bar. The
has been completely removed, and a new high-limit Club Fortune breakfast (#7) served in the Club Café
gaming area is about to debut. is bacon or sausage & eggs for $1.99 weekdays
The STRAT—Joining the upgrade parade, The from 6 to 11 am and ham & eggs for $2.99 on week-
STRAT is in the midst of a $140 million renovation of the ends during the same hours. Hooters’ $1-minimum
property. Targeted areas are the casino floor, includ- blackjack game (#8) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay
ing an upgraded sports book; restaurants; and rooms. even money on bets of $1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost
Recently completed was an extensive remodel of the is your expected loss for one hour of play at these
tower’s indoor-outdoor observation deck on the 108th stakes. Everything on the lunch menu is $4.99 at
and 109th floors. Ocean One (#9) in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet
Binion’s—The 81-room boutique Apache Hotel at Hollywood; lunch hours are 11:30 am to 4 pm daily.
Binion’s has opened. The rooms feature vintage ’30s’ The Four Queens takes the #10 spot as the last
furnishings, hardwood floors, and stained-glass win- major casino still not charging a resort fee. For more
dows; a new front desk is in the old lobby to check in on the state of resort fees, see Couponomy.
guests. A quick survey of rates reveals weekdays for $99
and weekends for $199 (and so far no resort fee). points at the casino. The TI brand will remain. It’s Radis-
Treasure Island—Treasure Island will join Radisson son’s first property on the Las Vegas Strip.
Hotel Group’s system before the end of this year, allow- MGM Grand—The MGM Grand Conference Center
ing Radisson Rewards members to earn and redeem continued on next page
AUGUST 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3News continued … more valuable as retail space. The new owner described
the Strip as “one of the best retail streets in the nation.”
Tropicana Avenue—A $10.5 million five-mile
has completed its $130 million expansion. The 250,000 upgrade of East Tropicana Avenue between Maryland
square feet of additional space gives the MGM facility Parkway and Boulder Highway has been announced.
850,000 square feet and brings MRI’s combined space Work will begin in mid-August and be completed in
at MGM, MBay, Aria, and Park MGM to 4 million square August 2020. Construction will take place weekdays
feet, more than all the space in Manhattan combined. from 6 am to 4 pm.
Wynn Las Vegas—Thought to be gone forever Florida—Part of a $1.5 billion expansion of the Sem-
when it was closed in 2017 to make way for the later- inole Hard Rock Hollywood is the world’s only guitar-
aborted Paradise Park project, the 130-acre Wynn Golf shaped building. The 450-foot hotel tower designed to
Course will reopen in October. The greens fees haven’t resemble back-to-back guitars has 638 rooms, including
been announced, but were as high as $500 per round swim-up suites and villas partially submerged in water,
before the course closed. which include butler service and private pools, and a
Moulin Rouge—It’s hard to get too excited about 12,000-square-foot bar is on the rooftop. Fronting the
new Moulin Rouge announcements, since so many pro- tower are 14 restaurants, retail, a comedy club, a 7,000-
posals have come and gone. However, there’s another seat Hard Rock Live theater, a 41,000-square-foot spa,
on the table, this one for a $1.6 billion mixed-use devel- a convention center, and a 10-acre water park with a
opment that would include a casino, two hotels, several lagoon-style pool and lazy river. The hotel-casino is set
entertainment venues, convention space, retail, and resi- to open on October 24.
dential. That pretty much checks off all the boxes. The Macau—Wynn Resorts has announced a $2 billion
first step, though, is for the developer to deposit the $9.5 expansion of its Wynn Palace in Macau. Construction
million purchase price for the property. will begin in 2021 with a grand opening scheduled for
Delta Hotel—Work has begun on Delta Hotel by 2024. Wynn Resorts is also in the process of upgrading
Marriott at the corner of Flamingo and Valley View, just its Wynn Macau to the tune of $125 million; that project
east of the Palms. The 284-room hotel will be part of will be completed by the end of this year.
the 8.5-acre mixed-use property that includes a luxury Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was
apartment complex, along with retail and restaurants. down 6.0% in May compared to the same month last
The hotel is slated for completion in late 2021. year. It was the fifth consecutive monthly decline and
Hawaiian Marketplace—A New York-based the year’s biggest. The Strip win was down 11.1%, while
investment firm has bought a 9.5-acre Strip parcel that downtown was up again, +2.8%. The win from sports
included the defunct Hawaiian Marketplace for $172 mil- betting saw a reversal from recent strong showings,
lion ($18.1 million per acre). According to a press release, dropping a big 45%.
plans include razing the existing buildings and opening Visitation was up 1.7% following two months of
“a new flagship retail, entertainment, and dining experi- declines. Airline traffic was up 5.3% and set a new
ence.” The parcel was purchased in the early 2000s record of 4.59 million passengers, surpassing the pre-
for an Elvis Presley-themed casino, but is now deemed vious record of 4.44 million set in October 2018. Las
Vegas’ reported available room inventory in May was
148,909 with a 90.8% occupancy rate. n
50 Years for Westgate
Westgate Las Vegas celebrated its 50th anniversary last Sports Betting Scorecard
month. When it opened as the International in 1969, it had
the most hotel rooms (1,500), the largest casino (30,000 New York and Arkansas booked their first legal
square feet), and was the tallest building (30 floors) in Ne- sports wagers and Illinois, New Hampshire, and North
vada. Barbra Streisand opened the 2,000-seat theater, Peggy Carolina passed laws to legalize sports betting last
Lee opened the lounge, and Benihana of Tokyo was one of month. While the New York news sounds significant, it’s
the restaurants. Hilton acquired the megaresort in 1971 and really not, since wagering is restricted to four upstate
added 1,500 rooms in 1973 and another 390 rooms were casinos and mobile betting isn’t allowed. Hence, the
tacked on in 1981, making the Las Vegas Hilton the largest huge New York City market will continue to cross over
hotel in the world at the time (with 3,174); it was the largest into New Jersey to play.
in Las Vegas for 16 years, until the Flamingo Hilton surpassed That dynamic had a lot to do with New Jersey’s
it with 3,500. The property became LVH Las Vegas Hotel and betting handle exceeding Nevada’s for the first time in
Casino in 2012, then the Westgate in 2014. The International May. New Jersey booked $318.9 million in sports bets to
was built by Kirk Kerkorian for $60 million. Nevada’s $317.4 million; however, a big portion of Jer-
4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • AUGUST 2019sey’s betting came from promotional free-play. for each. The prix fixe at Mesa Grill is $55 (there’s also a
Follow the progress of sports betting legalization lunch for $30), Old Homestead is $55, Rao’s is $74, and
across the country and track developments as they Gordon Ramsay is $80. There’s also a prix fixe in Mar-
occur via our blog and map at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n torano’s at Paris for $49. n
Vanderpump Cocktail Garden
DINING
Lisa Vanderpump first emerged as an unlikely media
darling on the Bravo reality series, “The Real House-
Most Expensive Eats wives of Beverly Hills.” A spinoff, “Vanderpump Rules,”
stars the British restaurateur and her staff at SUR res-
taurant in West Hollywood. A number of episodes have
The San Francisco Chronicle recently published a followed the staff to Las Vegas, where what happens
list of the “craziest fanciest high-rollers-only meals” in here ends up on Bravo in an endless rerun loop. So it
Las Vegas on its website, SFGate.com. While we can was no big surprise when Caesars Palace announced
say with confidence that it isn’t exhaustive—missing, for Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, which opened a few
example, is the $1,000 filet mignon covered with gold months ago.
leaf and served with caviar and Krug Grande Cuvee Brut The Cocktail Lounge is carved out of the slot floor in
Champagne in Mr Chow at Caesars Palace and the $100 front of the main entrance to the Forum Shops. It’s done
sandwich at Ike’s (see “Dining Notes”)—it’s an interest- up in Vanderpump’s uber-trendy English-country-garden
ing list that drives home the point that you can spend a décor, with a wrought-iron fence surrounding faux trees
lot of money in Vegas’ big-time restaurants. and plastic horticulture, opulent chandeliers over every
Leading the list are the 12-ounce A5 Kobe steak in table, and family photos adorning one of the walls.
Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio ($720), the seven-course There’s a perpetual line at the gate and you’re seated,
Japanese A5 Wagyu dinner in Red Plate at the Cosmo- even at the bar, by three-piece-suited hosts. This seat-
politan ($688), the Krug’s Chef’s Table dinner in Restau- ing ritual is one of the reasons for the lines. Of course, if
rant Guy Savoy at Caesars ($650), the Buddha Jumps you’re a fan of Lisa’s and the show and are just dying to
Over the Wall Soup (Japanese abalone, sea cucumber, make this scene, you won’t mind waiting (otherwise, you
and other expensive ingredients, $498) in Red Plate, and will!).
the degustation menu in Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand The bar serves expensive frou-frou cocktails with
($445). The list also highlights Bazaar Meat at the Sahara cutesy names (Vanderpink Margarita, Please Her Cae-
(caviar flight, $350), Jean George Steakhouse at Aria sar, Cold-Blooded, Rome Is Burning) and small plates,
(42-ounce Wagyu tomahawk, $265), Bavette’s at Park such as tuna and
MGM (seafood tower, $210), Morimoto at MGM Grand Grilled steak skewers at Vanderpump salmon tartare,
(54-ounce tomahawk ribeye, $170), Zuma at Cosmo smoked eggplant
(premium omakase, $168), NoMad Restaurant at Park crostini, stuffed
MGM (32-ounce 80-day dry-aged rib eye, $150), Mott 32 olives and bacon-
at the Venetian (Japanese A5 Kobe beef, $148), and the wrapped dates, and
comparatively wimpy SW Steahouse at the Wynn (toma- lots of desserts (all
hawk chop, $130) and 24-ounce bone-in rib eye for two, $14-$19). We tried
$110) in Aureole at Mandalay Bay. the grilled steak
We’ll be reviewing all these meals when the Foun- skewers on a rec-
tains at Bellagio freeze over. n ommendation from
the bartender; it was
a full six ounces of
Cheaper Eats filet mignon and
good enough not
to complain about.
On the other side of the coin, prix fixe (fixed price) With a Heineken and tax, the bill came to $27.60, and
menus often provide a good way to sample a high-end darned if we can’t now say we did the Vanderpump. As
restaurant at a reasonable price and Caesars Palace has an aside, when we asked the bartender if he had goat-
introduced summer dinner specials at a few of its top cheese balls (a fixture at SUR), he didn’t miss a beat,
restaurants. These meals are typically three courses— replying, “No! I always walk this way.” Nice! n
appetizer, entrée, and dessert—with a couple of choices continued on page 8
AUGUST 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS
AUGUST 8/18 • George Clinton & Parliament 8/31 • Brian Wilson and The Zombies
8/4–9/1 • Matt Goss • Mirage • $18–$88 Funkadelic • Brooklyn Bowl • Hard Rock • $39.50–$195
8/4–9/7 • Def Leppard $49.50–$69 8/31 • Collective Zoo Block Party • LV
Planet Hollywood • $48–$249 8/20 • Kacey Musgraves Events Center • $36.70/$55.05
8/9 • Leonid & Friends: Music of Cosmo • $115–$250 8/31 • Led Zepagain
Chicago • Orleans • $19–$34 8/21 • Pure Noise Tour Suncoast • $19.95
8/9 • Rick Derringer Hard Rock • $20/$38 8/31 • MJ déjà vu: Michael Jackson
Golden Nugget • $29–$99 8/21–8/24 • Jackson Browne Tribute • Cannery • $19/$26
8/9–8/10 • Lionel Richie Venetian • $63–$326 8/31 • Paulette the Great Impression
Wynn LV • $69.50–$356.50 8/21–9/1 • Classic Cher Silverton • $29/$44
8/9–8/11 • Tony Orlando Park MGM • $90–$362 8/31 • Roger Clyne & The Peacemak-
South Point • $50–$60 8/23 • BJ Thomas ers • Brooklyn Bowl • $30/$35
8/10 • AFAN’s Black & White Party Golden Nugget • $29–$109 8/31–9/1 • Ali Wong
Hard Rock • $35–$1,000 8/23 • Laughing All the Way Wynn LV • $59.50–$149.50
8/10 • Billy Bob Thornton Orleans • $71/$89 SEPTEMBER
Red Rock Resort • $39–$63 8/23–8/24 • Folk Legacy Trio 9/1 • Claudia Oshry
8/10 • JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. South Point • $20–$30 Mirage • $29.99–$105
MBay • $39.50–$69.50 8/23–8/31 • Lady Antebellum 9/1 • Katchafire
8/10 • Lonestar Palms • $32–$275 Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$27
Sunset Station • $20–$40 8/23–12/7 • George Strait 9/1 • Martin Nievera and Pops Fer-
8/10 • Long Run: Eagles Tribute T-Mobile • $50–$550 nandez • M Resort • $33–$108
Suncoast • $19.95/$22.94 8/24 • Boz Scaggs • Green Valley 9/1 • Night of Soul All White Party
8/10 • Moby Dicks: Led Zeppelin Trib- Ranch • $39–$137 Silverton • $45/$65
ute • Cannery • $19.95/$22.94 8/24 • Chris D’Ella 9/1 • Papa Roach • Downtown LV
8/10 • Theo Von • Mirage • $50–$70 Mirage • $43.59/$54.49 Events Center • $129–$299
8/11 • PRETTYMUCH: FOMO Tour 8/24 • Deon Cole • Orleans • $34–$44 9/1 • Russell Peters
Palms • $31–$250 8/24 • GOAPELE • Rio • $23–$72 Palms • $36–$128
8/13–8/17 • Paula Abdul 8/24 • Hot August Nights: 9/1–9/23 • Daniel Emmet
Flamingo LV • $69–$199 Rob Garrett’s Tribute Caesars Palace • $59/$79
8/14–8/24 • Diana Ross Suncoast • $19/$24 9/3–9/14 • Bruno Mars
Wynn LV • $60.50–$301 8/24 • Iration w/Pepper and Katastro Park MGM • $171–$1,100
8/14–8/31 • Def Leppard MBay • $37/$82 9/5–9/15 • Dionne Warwick
Planet Hollywood • $48–$249 8/25 • Harlem Globetrotters Caesars Palace • $125/$150
8/15–8/29 • Frankie Moreno Orleans • $20–$98 9/5–9/19 • Frankie Moreno
South Point • $20–$30 8/25 • Pete Davidson South Point • $20–$30
8/16 • Fortunate Son & Evil Waze Mirage • $39.99/$49.99 9/6 • Bill Burr • Cosmo • $49–$169
Cannery • $19/$24 8/25 • Shonen Knife 9/6 • Buckinghams
8/16 • Lynyrd Skynyrd Hard Rock • $16/$25 Golden Nugget • $29–$99
T-Mobile • $39.50–$250 8/25–8/26 • Daniel Emmet 9/6 • Farruko • Palms • $36–$118
8/16 • Young the Giant/Fitz and The Caesars Palace • $59/$79 9/6 • Richard Cheese & Lounge
Tantrums • LV Events Center • 8/26 • Veil of Maya w/Gideon and Against the Machine
$22–$63 Hawk • Hard Rock • $18/$35 Red Rock Resort • $35–$60
8/16–8/17 • James Darren 8/28 • Morgan Heritage 9/6 • Scott Stapp of Creed
South Point • $20–$30 Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 Brooklyn Bowl • $30/$35
8/16–8/17 • Mary J. Blige 8/30 • Brian Setzer 9/6–9/7 • Elton John
Hard Rock • $41–$225 Green Valley Ranch • $35–$65 T-Mobile • $59.50–$249.50
8/16–8/17 • Ron White • Mirage • $68–$88 8/30 • Danny Duncan 9/6–9/8 • Letterman
8/16–8/18 • PSYCHO LV Hard Rock • $27 South Point • $35–$45
MBay • $99–$499 8/30 • Lisa Lisa, Trinere, Connie, 9/6–10/12 • Bill Maher • Mirage • $65–$104
8/17 • Chris Young Nocera • Brooklyn Bowl • 9/7 • Arch Allies
MGM Grand • $45–$159 $40–$60 Aliante Casino • $25–$35
8/17 • CSN Express & Kelly Sheehan 8/30 • Lita Ford 9/7 • Blackberry Smoke
Cannery • $19/$24 Golden Nugget • $29–$109 Brooklyn Bowl • $27/$30
8/17 • December 63: Frankie Valli & 8/30–8/31 • George Lopez 9/7 • Lost 80’s Live
the Four Seasons Tribute Mirage • $65–$87 LV Events Center • $23–$145
Suncoast • $16–$24 8/30–8/31 • Rebelution • MBay • $36–$122 9/7 • Manhattans
8/17 • JOYRYDE: Brave World Tour 8/30–8/31 • Winehouse Experience Orleans • $19–$39
LV Events Center • $30/$35 Rio • $23/$33 9/7 • Whispers w/The Emotions
8/17 • Vegas McGraw: Tim McGraw 8/30–9/1 • Air Supply • Orleans • $41–$61 Cannery • $29–$79
Tribute • Aliante Casino • 8/30–9/1 • Bob Anderson 9/7–9/8 • Duran Duran
$20/$25 South Point • $25–$35 Cosmo • $87–$799
6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • AUGUST 2019ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS
9/8 • Heart w/Joan Jett & The Black- 9/15 • Doobie Brothers SHOW NOTES
hearts • Palms • $55–$367 Palms • $49.95–$269.95
9/8–9/29 • Carlos Santana 9/15 • Marc Anthony • Little Miss Nasty has opened at the Rio;
MBay • $99–$374 Planet Hollywood • $110–$300 tickets are $52.66/$64.56.
9/10 • CAKE and Ben Folds 9/18 • Mountain Goats
Hard Rock • $40–$174 Brooklyn Bowl • $26/$30 • Cherry Boom Boom opens at Hooters
9/11 • Xavier Rudd 9/18–9/21 • Smokey Robinson Aug. 15; tickets are $55.54/$66.40.
Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$28 Wynn LV • $59.50–$199.50 • Ticket prices for Mystére at Treasure
9/12–9/18 • Cesar Millan 9/18–9/30 • Rod Stewart Island have been decreased from
MGM Grand • $56–$261 Caesars Palace • $49–$234 $103.61-$164.65 to $76.36-$118.60.
9/13 • Banda MS 9/19 • Machine performs Pink Floyd
Planet Hollywood • $72–$458 Brooklyn Bowl • $20/$25 • The lowest priced tickets for Potted
9/13 • Café Tacvba • MBay • $42/$82 9/20 • Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Potter–The Unauthorized Harry Experi-
9/13 • Cat & Nat • Planet Hollywood Golden Nugget • $39–$129 ence at Bally’s have been increased from
• $31/$45/$55 9/20 • Kathleen Madigan $54.84 to $102.44.
9/13 • Daddy Yankee Mirage • $33–$55 • Ticket prices for Thunder From Down
Cosmo • $49–$249 9/20 • Los Angeles Azules Under at Excalibur have been increased
9/13 • David Crosby & the Sky Trails MBay • $50/$87 from $63.04-$73.94 to $63.04-$101.19.
Band • Red Rock Resort • 9/20–9/21 • Jeffery Osborne & Peabo
$20–$50 Bryson • Orleans • $63–$103 • Ticket prices for The Australian Bee Gees
9/13 • Eric Clapton 9/20–9/22 • Crystal Gayle Show at Excalibur have been changed
T-Mobile • $99–$500 South Point • $45–$55 from $68-50-$84.85 to $64.14-$96.84.
9/13 • Felipe Esparza • TI • $43–$59 9/20–9/28 • Christina Aguilera • Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
9/13 • Iron Maiden Planet Hollywood • $60–$226
Hideaway has closed at the Mirage.
MGM Grand • $49.50–$125 9/21 • 10,000 Maniacs
9/13 • Last In Line Cannery • $29–$49 • lusión Mental has closed at Paris.
Golden Nugget • $29–$99 9/21 • Gerald Albright
9/13 • Marco Antonio Solis Aliante Casino • $35–$65
MBay • $96–$389 9/21 • Iliza • Mirage • $32/$43
9/13 • OneRepublic 9/21 • La La Brooks
Palms • $55–$183 Suncoast • $19–$32
9/13 • Three Lock Box: Sammy 9/21–9/28 • Aerosmith
Hagar Tribute • Cannery • $20 Park MGM • $68–$821
9/13–9/14 • Gabriel Iglesias 9/27 • Banda El Recodo and Mar-
Mirage • $65–$98 iachi Vargas de Tecalitlan •
9/13–9/15 • Good Vibrations: Beach Boys Cosmo • $95–$145
Celebration • South Point • 9/27 • Greta Van Fleet
$20–$30 Hard Rock • $39.50
9/13–9/16 • Luis Miguel 9/27 • Jefferson Starship
Caesars Palace • $84–$364 Golden Nugget • $39–$109
9/14 • Enrique Iglesias 9/27 • We Are Two Different People •
Caesars Palace • $73–$550 Brooklyn Bowl • $30–$39.50
9/14 • Gloria Trevi 9/27–9/28 • Daniel Tosh
Planet Hollywood • $36–$321 Mirage • $65–$104
9/14 • Maluma • MBay • $65–$756 9/27–9/28 • Jerry Seinfeld • Caesars
9/14 • Maná Palace • $82.50–$165
MGM Grand • $188–$412 9/27–9/29 • Frankie Avalon
9/14 • Pancho Barraza South Point • $45–$55
Cosmo • $53–$153 9/27–10/5 • Eagles
9/14 • Queen Nation: Queen Tribute MGM Grand • $321–$1,421
Cannery • $19/$24 9/28 • Chris Tucker
9/14 • REIK • Palms • $41–$137 Wynn LV • $59.95–$139.95
9/14 • Serpentine Fire: Earth, Wind, 9/28 • Marianas Trench
& Fire Tribute • Suncoast • Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$30
$19/$22 9/28 • Patty Smyth and Scandal
9/14 • Women In Me: Country Tribute Cannery • $23–$40
Green Valley Ranch • $19 9/28 • Peter Frampton
9/15 • Alejandro Fernandez Red Rock Resort • $40–$95
MBay • $109–$299 9/28 • Social Distortion & Flogging
9/15 • Alejandra Guzmán Molly • Downtown LV Events See inside wrap for “Weather,”
MBay • $55/$114 Center • $36/$143 “Room Rates,” and “Key Dates.”
AUGUST 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7Dining continued … Spring Mountain, but there’s also good reason to eat
at Irene’s Gaming Lounge at 6125 W. Tropicana. You’d
expect the same menu, but it’s completely different on
Jerry’s Nugget Gambler’s Sub Trop, where the specialty is Mexican fare. Tortilla soup is
one of our comparison benchmarks, so we’ve tried a lot
of them and this is one of our favorites. A full bowl, pre-
Of the two dining options at Jerry’s Nugget, the cof- pared in a rich red broth with ample chicken pieces and
fee shop is considered the play most of the time, but topped with crisp tortilla chips, is $4.99 and available 10
there’s also a good snack bar next to the sports book. am-10 pm daily.
We like the Gambler’s Italian Sub that’s a little less Poke—Perhaps
meat-and-cheese heavy in favor of lots of fresh lettuce, you haven’t noticed,
tomatoes, and onions. It’s a big sandwich for just $7.89 but there’s a whole
and you don’t have to take the time for table service. lotta poke goin’ on in
Just order and go. The homemade soups are also good Vegas. The problem
for $4 and they box securely for take-out. n is it’s usually mushed
up in a burrito or
topped with some
Specialties strange mayonnaise
concoction. Hawaiian
Style Poke at Spring Single-selection poke bowl
Crispy Chicken Sandwich—This thing’s just crazy. Mountain and Wynn
The biggest chicken sandwich we’ve ever seen is served sells authentic mixes of the raw-fish salad that you can
at Magoo’s Bar at get either in small portions or make a meal of with a
Flamingo & Buffalo. poke bowl that comes with rice. Get one selection of fish
No joke. The chicken for $10.95 or two selections in a bigger bowl for $14.95.
patty dwarfs the bun The $10.95er will make two meals. n
and is topped with
cheese, lettuce, and
tomato. It comes with
a pickle and fries or
Dining Notes
slaw for $10 (add $1
if you get it to go). Buffet Updates—After one month, the price of the
Magoo’s has good Friday lobster buffet at Silverton has been raised by $2 to
food all around, but $39.99 ($37.99 when you show a players card). Use our
the monster crispy Member Rewards offer for a 2-for-1. Prices are up $1 for
chicken sandwich is breakfast ($19.99) and $3 for dinner ($32.99) and Sunday
the highlight here. brunch at the Mirage. Prices are up $1 for Champagne
Crudité—Not many restaurants serve a crudité (a brunch ($29.99) and $3 for dinner ($34.99) at the Rio.
starter basket of fresh vegetables and dip), but it’s still Dollar Oysters—The $1 raw oyster special in the
part of dinner at Pamplemousse le Restaurant. Whereas Oyster Bar at the Hard Rock (LVA 4/19) now runs on
you usually dip a few carrot sticks as an appetizer, here Tuesdays and Thursdays. Must purchase a beverage
you can turn it into a whole fresh-vegetable salad. It’s and show a players card.
the perfect start to AYCE Sushi—Rikki Tiki Sushi at Westgate Las
a dinner of French Vegas has all-you-can-eat sushi for $28.88 that includes
cuisine (we had wild one sake.
boar and scallops Ceviche—The price of our pick for the best ceviche
for entrées on our in town at Peru Chicken (LVA 5/16) has gone up $2 to
last visit). See a full $12.95. The excellent rotisserie whole chicken is $17.50,
review of this classic just $1 more than when we first reviewed it in 2014
French restaurant in $100 Sandwich—Getting into the spirit of Las
LVA 8/15. Vegas, the new Ike’s Love & Sandwiches at the Fash-
Chicken Tortilla ion Show Mall offers a “high-roller” menu unique to the
Soup—We’ve writ- 70-store chain. Along with two $69 sandwiches, the
ten often about the $100 Howard Hughes is two pounds of American wagyu
kitchen at Irene’s roast beef, brisket, prime rib, and duck bacon, topped
Crudité at Pamplemousse Cocktail Lounge on with a truffle sauce. n
8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • AUGUST 2019Openings/Closings from his Italian-American Bronx neighborhood; over the
years, they were replaced by Vinny’s two sons, drummer
Nicky and singer and multi-instrumentalist Vin A., along
La Cave at the Wynn has completed a million-plus- with three of their friends from high school. As classic-
dollar expansion, doubling in size, enhancing its garden rock cover bands go, it’s hard to imagine a tighter or
lounge, and adding new small plates and 100 wines to more polished and entertaining sextet.
its already-extensive list, including 50 selections by the The pre-show on large screens surrounding the
glass. stage sets the scene with clips from TV, movies, and
Ambra Italian Kitchen & Bar has opened at MGM music videos from the ’60s and ’70s, until the band
Grand in the space that was formerly Fiamma. The res- stomps onstage and bangs out “The Wanderer.” Then
taurant joins the “hidden-room” trend with an adjacent Vinny launches into the narration that provides the back-
bar area (see Entertainment). ground and fills the space between songs. Though at
108 Eats by James Trees has opened on the obser- times there are a few too many spoken words, from the
vation deck at The STRAT. first note of the next song, the needle hits the red zone
Freshii, a Canadian-based healthy-fast-food chain, on the energy meter: a five-song Four Seasons medley;
has opened its first Las Vegas location at the Palms. It’s Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”; some
open 24 hours and joins McDonald’s, Panda Express, Neil Diamond and Stray Cats; and Eric Burdon’s “We
Earl of Sandwich, the Coffee Bean, and Chronic Tacos in Gotta Get out of This Place” and Creedence Clearwater
the food court. Revival’s “Fortunate Son” (with screen scenes from Viet-
Water Grill has opened in the Forum Shops at Cae- nam). The show switches eras in order to give the boys
sars in the spot where Spago used to be. The menu spe- their due with “Uptown Funk” (Vin A. doing a killer Bruno
cializes in oysters (16 varieties) and the décor features Mars), then flashes back to a Vinny duet with a screen
a chandelier made from 14,000 oyster shells. There are Elvis and his gospel choir on a couple of tunes. Add in
four Water Grills in southern California and one in Dallas. some Queen, Beatles, and a little more Four Seasons
Chosun Hwaro and Nara Teppan have opened and by the time the show is over, you feel like you grew
in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood in the up on Arthur Avenue and shared a Bronx street corner
space that was formerly Todai Sushi. The “grandiose” with this bunch.
13,000-square-foot 485-seat restaurant is being touted There’s really not a bad seat and at the Sunday 4 pm
as the “largest Korean BBQ in Nevada.” It’s the latest show we attended, the usher asked us if we wanted to
in a chain of more than 150 of the brand’s restaurants move closer from the cheap seats. The Wanderers spent
located in Korea and 50 more throughout Asia; this one a couple years in the intimate Windows Showroom at
is its first U.S. location. Bally’s before moving into the larger Mat Franco Theater
Hello Kitty Café, serving mostly desserts and drinks, at The LINQ, where they’ve apparently cranked up the
has opened in the Park outside of T-Mobile Arena. volume, so if you don’t want your ears ringing for hours
Valencia Gold, a fast-serve build-your-own paella after the show, take some precaution (in other words,
restaurant, has opened at 7960 S. Rainbow. n earplugs). n
Drive-In Movies
ENTERTAINMENT
If all goes according to plan, Las Vegas will have its
second drive-in by the end of this summer. Burger51,
The Bronx Wanderers a combo drive-in-movie theater and drive-thru burger
joint, is in the early stages of construction at 101 N.
Decatur Blvd. a block north of the Decatur-US 95 inter-
The LINQ change. It’s the brainchild of the proprietor of the Heart
Mon., Tues., Fri. 9:15 pm; Wed.-Thurs. 8 pm; Sun. 4 pm Attack Grill downtown and according to VegasEater.
$64.98/$84.99/$94.98/$114.99 com, it’s “designed with a sci-fi futuristic dystopian
theme and 1950s’ retro style, where customers will place
The Bronx Wanderers is the name of a colossal their orders at the drive-thru, then park to watch vintage
six-piece band, fronted by 61-year-old Vinny Adinolfi, a horror and science-fiction films on the outdoor movie
longtime producer for Columbia Records whose dream screen.” Burger51 will join the West Wind Drive-in Movie
had always been to be a bandleader on the Las Vegas Theater located at 4150 W. Carey Ave. near N. Rancho
Strip. After being downsized out of his job when Sony Drive just south of the North Las Vegas Airport, which
bought out Columbia, he started a band with musicians opened in 1964. n continued on next page
AUGUST 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9You can also read
