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08
Picnic in the Alley moves to GreenGale Farms, London’s Fat Dog brings techno-punk to Swan Dive and more happening this week.
14 ENTERTAINING
Tips for getting your game on at home, or take it outside with our roudup of trivia nights.
28 NEWS
Short-term rental operators and Airbnb have mounted a legal battle against Clark County regulations.
32 ART
a
a
Living Here examines Asian diasporas through artistic expression at Marjorie Barrick Museum.
36 NIGHTLIFE
The Arts District’s first sports bar, the Stadium, launches just in time for football season.
40 FOOD & DRINK
The brilliant Filipino pop-up Istorya returns with reinventions of Spanish colonial food.
With a new coach, refreshed roster and shift in leadership, the Raiders are ready to make moves this season.
Istorya courtesy/Alex Cinco; Red 40 Zen MSG Rock Garden courtesy/Marjorie Barrick Museum by Krystal Ramirez
Eri King’s “Red 40 Zen MSG Rock Garden” at Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art
Pancit pusit at Istorya pop-up at Sa ron
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. (10) celebrates with center Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) after scoring
touchdown during
mock game at Allegiant Stadium, (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY SEP 4
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. MINNESOTA LYNX
7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
FILM: UNSUNG
7 p.m., West Las Vegas Library, eventbrite.com
BIG BLUES BENDER
FRIDAY SEP 5
8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, axs.com.
8 p.m., & 9/6,
EAGLES /6, Sphere, ticketmaster.com.
OTTMAR LIEBERT & LUNA NEGRA
8 p.m., the Railhead, ticketmaster.com.
FIRST FRIDAY
BRUNO MARS 9 p.m., & 9/6, Dolby Live,
ticketmaster.com.
5 p.m., Arts District, flv.org
With The Teskey Brothers, Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, The Mavericks, Tab Benoit, more, thru 9/7, times vary, Westgate, bigbluesbender.com.
HIATUS KAIYOTE
7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
JESSICA MANALO
GENERATION DECLINE
6:30 p.m., Goodman Plaza at Las Vegas Civic Center, lasvegasnevada.gov.
With with Tremens, Terror Attack, The Brown Sound, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm. DO IT ALL (Courtesy)
ROB THOMAS STRAIGHT NO CHASER 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall,
SIN CITY BURLESQUE FESTIVAL 7 p.m., & 9/6, the Space, thespacelv.com
With A Great Big World, Lucky, 8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com. thesmithcenter.com.
JERRY SEINFELD 8 p.m., & 9/6, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
CHARLES D With Carlos Arteaga, InTheDark & Lex Marvelous, 10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us
UNLV FOOTBALL VS. UCLA 5 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, unlvtickets.com
PICNIC IN THE ALLEY Las Vegas has no shortage of womenled ventures, and many of the Valley’s standout creations, whether in food, music or craft, come from female minds. Picnic in the Alley is an annual celebration highlighting more than 20 of these businesses, giving the community a chance to sample, shop and connect with local talent. Set at GreenGale Farms on Elkhorn Road, the event offers a festive evening of discovery, conversation and support. A portion of proceeds benefits the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, a local nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap through education and opportunity.
6:30 p.m., $150, GreenGale Farms, picnicinthealley.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez DO IT ALL
S U P E R G U I D E
Courtesy
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY SEP 7
MONDAY SEP 8
FAT DOG
London-based technopunk band Fat Dog is one of the latest dance-inducing acts you need in your life. This five-person project is known for a live show that grabs audiences by the ankles and drags them into a frenzy; if you’re not jumping, you’re at least thumping along to their revved-up fusion of hard EDM and punk rock. On paper, it sounds absurd. Audibly, it’s all bark. Fitting, then, that their debut studio album is titled WOOF. Released in 2024, the nine-track record is described by frontman Joe Love as “screaming-into-a-pillow music.” Fun, chaotic, impossible to ignore, but you’ll just have to see it for yourself. 8 p.m., $15+, Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.
–Gabriela Rodriguez
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. CHICAGO SKY
6 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
FRANK WALKER
11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com
OMNOM
11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com
JOBELLE YONELY
MICHELLE JOHNSON
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
SUMPP & WOODY
ERIC EATON
7 p.m., Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy.com.
MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com.
1 p.m., the Bootlegger, bootleggerlasvegas.com.
EXHIBIT: GRACE BY MICHELLE PATRICK
Thru 10/5, times vary, Whitney Library, thelibrarydistrict.org
EXHIBIT: FINDING BEAUTY WHERE WE ARE BY MEGAN OETTINGER Thru 10/19, times vary, Spring Valley Library, thelibrarydistrict.org
HAGGUS
With Anguish Cry, Brain Decay, Mechanical Regurgitation, Mersa, 6 p.m., the Doom Tomb, dice.fm.
WORLD TENNIS ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP 5:30 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.
CODY KO 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
TWENTY SIX 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com
DO IT ALL
ENTERTAINING
Tips for turning your house into the ultimate game night arena
LEVEL UP GAMES
There’s no better way to strengthen friendships and test the limits of your competitive spirit than a game night. Whether it’s an evening of laughter, frustration or unexpected victories, the right game can turn any gathering into a battle of wits, luck and laughs. But the key to making sure everyone leaves with more than triumph and a smile? Creating the right environment, curating the right games and knowing when to call it quits. Here’s a few tips on how you can host and execute one to remember.
MAKE SPACE.
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
CONSIDER YOUR GROUP AND CHOOSE THE RIGHT GAMES.
Know your crowd. A mix of games is the sweet spot. Sure, you can’t go wrong with classics like Uno, charades, or Cards Against Humanity, but throw in something unexpected. In true Vegas fashion, don’t skimp on blackjack or poker. Gauge the vibe, though. Some nights, people want to dive deep into a strategy game like Catan or Risk, and other nights, folks just want to goof o with a round of Pictionary or Telestrations. Flexibility is everything so read the room and let the game ow.
KNOW THE RULES.
When it comes to game night, your living room is about to transform into a battle room, so give it the space it deserves. Regardless of the size of your home, you’ve got to clear the area for both game play and socializing. Seating is king and people hold court over their designated chair like it’s a throne, so be sure to have plenty of comfy options to choose from. Tables need to be free of clutter to make way for dice rolls, cards and snacks. Lighting’s important too—dim enough to set the vibe, bright enough to see those cards.
Nothing kills momentum faster than fumbling through the instructions mid-game, especially when people are already a few drinks in. Be sure you’ve studied the rules yourself, and if necessary, prep a short, punchy explanation of how things work or have a rule summary ready to pass around to players. The quicker everyone knows how to play, the quicker the fun starts.
START SIMPLY AND EASE INTO IT.
Whatever you do, don’t start the night with a round of Monopoly. It’s a sure way to backtrack the night’s peak. Instead, kick things o with something light and fast paced, like Jenga or 21. This gets the energy owing, and no one’s too bogged down by complex rules. After a round of high energy fun, you can throw in a heavier game, one that requires focus and will make everyone channel their inner mastermind. As the night winds down, Twister is your secret weapon to revive everyone’s energy for one last laugh.
Shutterstock/photo illustration
McMullan’s trivia (photo by Wade Vandervort)
TAKE IT OUTSIDE WITH TRIVIA NIGHTS
MCMULLAN’S IRISH PUB
With the atmosphere of a real Irish pub, McMullan’s invites you to tuck into seven rounds of trivia including a music round, picture round and double-point final round. If your team has the luck of the Irish, they’ll be rewarded with a $100 bar tab first-place prize and for second place, a $50 tab. 4650 W. Tropicana Ave. #110, Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
THE COMPOSERS ROOM
Comedian Phil Kolter hosts Trivia Lite, which consists of six rounds designed to not hurt your head. There’s a picture round, an audio round and a “confidence round” where
you can get double points on your sturdiest answers. The Composers Room gives away a variety of show tickets during the game, along with gift card prizes for first and second place. 953 E. Sahara Ave. #E1A, Mondays, 7 p.m.
HUDL BREWING COMPANY
METRO PIZZA
Both Metro Pizza’s Northwest and Green Valley locations have weekly trivia. First place gets a $100 gift certificate to the restaurant, second place gets a $25 cert and for the creative minds, best team name gets a free large pizza. There’s a special halftime game where teams can win extra prizes by answering questions correctly and spinning a giant wheel. 6720 Sky Pointe Drive, Tuesdays, 6 p.m.; 1420 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Wednesdays, 6 p.m.
NAKED CITY PIZZA AND OFFICE BAR
Comedian Steven Roberts hosts six rounds of trivia at the pizza joint, bar and liquor store. You’ll be up against Naked City and O ce Bar sta , who play as a team. A round of drinks goes to whoever can beat them. First place wins a $50 tab and second place wins a $25 tab. The funniest team name gets a free round of shots. 4608 Paradise Road, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
REBAR AND DAVY’S
JIVE TURKEY
Eat This Comedy’s Jason Harris hosts six rounds of trivia, each with a di erent theme. There’s always a music round that involves naming songs based on a common genre, so players can sing their hearts out. First place wins a $50 bar tab and second wins a $25 tab. Get there early for Jive Turkey’s happy hour, which ends at 7. 608 S. Maryland Parkway # 160, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
KHOURY’S FINE WINE & SPIRITS
ReBar and the connected Davy’s have been hosting weekly trivia since 2017 and consider themselves the longest running trivia night Downtown. What might be better than the firstprize $50 gift card and secondplace $25 gift card is the $3 mystery beers and shots. 1225
S. Main St. & 1221 S. Main St., Mondays, 7 p.m.
SLATER’S 50/50
Buy yourself a drink and you’re in! Robot Brain Events hosts six rounds of 10 questions at HUDL. First and second place winners get gift cards, and the team that places second-to-last wins a four-pack of craft beers. Outside food is welcome. 1327 S. Main St. #100, Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Come as competitors, leave as friends. That’s what happens after getting through seven rounds of trivia at Khoury’s. Rounds one and two consist of general knowledge and current events, and there are picture and audio rounds. First-place winners receive a $50 bar tab. 9915 S. Eastern Ave. #110, Wednesdays, 6 p.m.
It’s double the fun at Slater’s 50/50, with both the Lake Mead Boulevard and Silverado Ranch locations hosting weekly trivia nights. It’s seven rounds with 10 questions each and a final trivia question—all written and run in-house—with di erent levels of discounts on your bill if you place. 7511 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Tuesdays, 7 p.m.; 467 E. Silverado Ranch Blvd., Wednesdays, 7 p.m. –Shannon Miller
BY CASE KEEFER
Las Vegas enters a new era with coach Pete Carroll, minority owner Tom Brady among those forging the path
The surroundings stayed the same, but the proceedings were entirely di erent.
The Las Vegas Raiders have annually held an open-to-the-public, mid-training camp practice or two at Allegiant Stadium in an e ort to drum up interest going into the season. In the past, the team has typically run through obligatory drills at less than full speed while a couple star players address the crowd.
That wasn’t a good enough plan for new Raiders coach Pete Carroll this year. He decided to stage a “mock game” pitting the rst-string o ense and second-string defense in white jerseys against the second-team o ense and rst-team defense in black jerseys.
Carroll demanded full e ort out of his players, though they did not tackle to the ground, and appealed to fans to take in the event. Approximately 18,000 showed up on short notice, and the buzz was palpable with seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady watching from the sidelines.
The players ran out of the home tunnel to “The Autumn Wind” instrumental as usual, but the roar was louder with sights like Carroll jogging on the sidelines and playing catch with his trademark pair of white gloves.
“The new Raiders are here,” superstar
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith looks to throw against the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game on August 16 at Allegiant Stadium.
(AP Photo/Je Lewis)
edge rusher Maxx Crosby announced right before the mock game began. “It’s 2025 now. We’re ready to show up and hit somebody in the mouth.”
Crosby remains the face of the roster, but everything else has changed in the nine months since the Silver and Black last took the eld.
The 28-year-old who signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension this o season—temporarily record terms for a non-quarterback—has been hardened by the weight of expectations and the consequences of falling short of them in the NFL. Now on his fth coach in his seven-year career, Crosby has long grown frustrated with questions about what makes each of them di erent and reticent to share anything of substance.
But the vibe of the mock game got to him; he couldn’t deny a refreshed feeling for the franchise.
Carroll is the architect of the transformation. The future Hall of Famer will be the oldest coach in NFL history by the time of the Raiders’ second game this season when he turns 74 years old, but he hasn’t let age slow his zest.
Many wondered if Carroll would ever get another job in the NFL after the Seattle Seahawks forced him to step down following 14 seasons two years ago, but he was determined and kept pursuing opportunities. And he wasn’t doing it with the intention of helping a team go through a long rebuild; winning was the only thing on Carroll’s mind.
“I’ve been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something, you know,” Carroll said at the outset of training camp. “I mean, what are my expectations? We are going to win a bunch, and I don’t care who hears it. It doesn’t matter to me. It ain’t about what anybody hears. It’s about what we do.”
None of Carroll’s Las Vegas predecessors ever made that bold of a proclamation. Sure, they talked about returning the Raiders to glory by winning another Super Bowl but also hit the trite talking points
of doing it gradually and building something sustainable over time.
Ten wins looks like a high bar for a team that went 4-13 in 2024, its worst campaign out of ve seasons since moving to Las Vegas. The Raiders have only won 10 games twice in the last 22 seasons, the span in which they hold the NFL’s second-longest streak without a playo win.
Carroll has hit the 10-victory benchmark nine times in his NFL career—not to mention seven times in nine years during his dominant college football run at USC from 2001-2009—and gotten to nine wins on four other occasions.
He’s implemented the same principles in Las Vegas that resulted in championships in Seattle and USC, and the reminders are everywhere. At the player’s entrance of the team facility in Henderson, for example, Carroll had “Always Compete” spelled out in bold, block letters to serve as a subtle reminder of his daily expectation.
“He’s super energetic,” said quarterback Geno Smith, who also played for Carroll in Seattle. “I don’t know how he does it, but like the guy wakes up, it seems like he just pops out of bed. He’s just red up as soon as he wakes up. He brings the juice every single day. When you have a leader like that at the helm, you have no choice but to fall in line.”
Carroll empowered Smith, whom he advocated for the Raiders to acquire via trade for a third-round pick and extend with a two-year, $85.5 million pact, and Crosby to lead the way and set the standard for their teammates at the start of training camp. He’s raved about the way they’ve executed the task.
Other stars who have emerged at the forefront in exhibiting Carroll’s philosophy include the Raiders’ last two rst-round picks, tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty. Bowers has drawn praise from Carroll for the hard-working, unassuming attitude he carries into every day, while Jeanty’s hard-running style is a natural t with what the coach is trying to instill.
HE BRINGS THE JUICE EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHEN YOU HAVE A LEADER LIKE THAT AT THE HELM, YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FALL IN LINE.”
–Geno Smith, Raiders quarterback, on head coach Pete Carroll
Carroll has also assembled quite possibly the most veteran-laden linebacking corps in the NFL, including a pair of Super Bowl champions in Elandon Roberts (Patriots) and Devin White (Buccaneers). He’s also reassigned his former Seattle star safety Jamal Adams to the position while also signing longtime Bengal linebacker Germaine Pratt, who sealed the Raiders’ loss in their last playo appearance with a goal-line interception in 2021.
That group has come to embody the spirit of this year’s Raiders, but the team’s radical shift started months before they were brought on board. The roots of this year’s change in direction can be traced back to early last season when the NFL owners met in Atlanta and approved Brady as a minority owner of the Raiders.
Majority owner Mark Davis was never overly meddlesome like some of his peers but, burned by years of poor performance on the eld, he wanted to take an even more hands-o approach going forward.
He leaned heavily on Brady and a group of other new minority owners, which also includes former Raider standout Richard Seymour and several venture capitalists, for this o season’s coaching search. The group momentarily thought they could land the prize of this year’s coaching cycle in Ben Johnson, but he ultimately chose Chicago over Las Vegas. Carroll was the clear next choice, hired shortly after Brady reunited with former University of Michigan teammate and Tampa Bay Buccaneer executive John Spytek by bringing him on as the Raiders’ general manager.
Carroll’s exuberance for the chance to work with Brady may have been no small in uencing factor.
“We’re going to lean on Tom as much as we can for his insights,” Carroll said at his introductory news conference. “He’s that unique.”
Brady is mostly staying in the background with the Raiders—he hasn’t spoken to media about joining the team—to ful ll the terms of his con ict-of-interest agreement to maintain his job as a Fox color commentator. But he’s briefed regularly and been around on occasion including for the mock game and the Raiders’ lone home preseason matchup, a 22-19 loss to the 49ers.
The other new minority owners might be making just as big of an impact. Teams are capped at how much they can spend on their roster by NFL rules, but there’s no limit in terms of sta and support.
The Raiders have exed with the new capital in both categories.
Carroll poached veteran coach Chip Kelly away from Ohio State, where he won a national championship last season, by making him the highest-paid o ensive coordinator in NFL history at $6 million per year. Spytek beefed up his personnel sta with Brandon Hunt, who was considered instrumental in helping build last year’s Super Bowl-winning roster in Philadelphia.
Las Vegas has also invested more in areas like sports science and analytics to catch up with the rest of the league.
“I was always kind of an eyetest guy,” said assistant general manager Brian Stark, another new hire. “But there’s so much information available, and it’s so much more e ciently evaluated. The applications for it are almost endless. We’ve got a great team upstairs and they go through so much information that it would take us days to do, and they do it in minutes and really re ne the presentation.”
Many of Las Vegas’ roster moves have hinted at this new, more analytical bent. Spytek
refused to overpay free agents and let a slew of players like linebacker Robert Spillane, safety Tre’von Moehrig, cornerback Nate Hobbs and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson walk when they drew o ers that far exceeded their production.
In the NFL Draft, he went with a more modern approach of trading down aggressively and taking high-ceiling prospects. The Raiders already appear to be reaping the benets with three rookies claiming starting spots immediately— Jeanty, third-round cornerback Darien Porter and fourth-round receiver Dont’e Thornton.
Three others are virtually guaranteed rotational roles—second-round receiver Jack Bech, fth-round defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway and sixth-round defensive tackle J.J. Pegues.
“We came in here with Coach Carroll,” Bech said. “We’re his rst draft class, and we take a lot of pride in that. We take a lot of pride in being a Raider.”
A lot of pride was on display throughout the mock game. Smith led a scoring drive inside three minutes to take a lead, throwing a touchdown pass and running in a two-point conversion himself, but Crosby’s black team answered to win 38-36.
One key play came in the rst half when Crosby strip-sacked backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell and returned the fumble 70 yards for a touchdown. For all of Crosby’s accolades, scoring is something he’s never done in an NFL game.
This could be the year that changes. Carroll and crew anticipate breaking ground on a lot of new territory.
“We’ve been meshing together as a team, building the culture, building who we are and our identity on a daily basis,” Crosby said.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll during the mock game at Allegiant Stadium on August 2. (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
Week 1: At New England Patriots
Sunday, September 7, 10 a.m., CBS
Current Line: Patriots -3
New England went on an o season spending spree with new coach Mike Vrabel in place, and it included a slew of former Las Vegas players including linebacker Robert Spillane, edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and wide receiver Mack Hollins.
Week 2: Vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Monday, September 15, 7 p.m., ESPN
Current Line: Chargers -3
The Raiders were swept in six games against AFC West opponents for the first time in a decade last year and will try to break that streak here with the most winnable of this year’s six showdowns.
Week 3: At Washington Commanders
Sunday, September 21, 10 a.m., Fox
Current Line: Commanders -7.5
The Raiders were smitten with current Commanders quarterback/reigning NFL O ensive Rookie of the Year
Jayden Daniels going into the 2024 NFL Draft, but couldn’t secure a trade-up to select him.
A CLOSER LOOK AT EVERY GAME ON THE RAIDERS’ SCHEDULE
BY CASE KEEFER
Week 4: Vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday, September 28, 1:25 p.m., CBS
Current Line: Bears -1.5
The Bears have served the Raiders humbling upsets in the only two meetings between the franchises since the latter moved to Las Vegas, in 2021 and 2023.
Week 5: At Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, October 5, 10 a.m., Fox
Current Line: Colts -1.5
Former UNLV quarterback Shane Steichen’s job might be at risk as he enters his third season as the Colts’ head coach, so this might be one game he can ill-a ord to lose.
Week 6: Vs. Tennessee Titans
Sunday, October 12, 1:05 p.m., Fox
Current Line: Raiders -3
Rookie quarterbacks typically struggle on the road to start their careers, and this will be first overall pick Cam Ward’s third straight away game with the Titans.
Week 7: At Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, October 19, 10 a.m., CBS
Current Line: Chiefs -9.5
Retribution will be on the Raiders’ minds when they travel to Arrowhead after being in position to shock the three-time defending AFC champions last Thanksgiving in the venue before botching a snap in the final seconds.
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, November 2, 1:05 p.m., Fox
Current Line: Raiders -1.5
A recent The Athletic report indicated Las Vegas wanted new Jacksonville coach Liam Coen for its own opening this o season after missing out on Ben Johnson, but the former Buccaneers o ensive coordinator preferred the Jaguars and declined an interview.
Week 10: At Denver Broncos
Thursday, November 6, 5:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Current Line: Broncos -6.5
Second-year Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix had a breakout performance at home against the Raiders last year, throwing for 273 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-19 win.
Week 13: At Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday, November 30, 1:25 p.m., CBS
Current Line: Chargers -6.5
The Raiders have now lost six straight at SoFi Stadium between games against the Chargers and Rams after winning their debut in the $6 billion venue against the Chargers in 2020.
Week 14: Vs. Denver Broncos
Sunday, December 7, 1:05 p.m., CBS
Current Line: Broncos -3.5
An intriguing matchup to watch in the second game between the divisional rivals could be Las Vegas star tight end Brock Bowers lining up against Broncos shutdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Week 15: At Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, December 14, 10 a.m., Fox
Current Line: Eagles -10.5
Philadelphia and Las Vegas struck an unforeseen trade early in training camp, with the former sending depth defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV out in exchange for previous starting cornerback Jakorian Bennett.
Week 16: At Houston Texans
Sunday, December 21, 1:25 p.m., CBS
Current Line: Texans -4.5
Week 11: Vs. Dallas Cowboys
Monday, November 17, 5:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC
Current Line: Cowboys -1.5
Dallas is one of three teams left in the NFL that has never played in Allegiant Stadium, along with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.
Week 12: Vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday, November 23, 1:05 p.m., CBS
Current Line: Raiders -3.5
Las Vegas was frequently linked to Cleveland’s polarizing fifth-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the murmurs turned out to be unsubstantiated.
Maxx Crosby says he likes catching a glimpse of the other best edge rushers in the league when the Raiders encounter them, and he should have the opportunity here with rising Texans’ third-year star Will Anderson Jr.
Week 17: Vs. New York Giants
Date, time and television TBD
Current Line: Raiders -2.5
It feels like forever ago, but the tenure of previous Raiders coach Antonio Pierce opened with a resounding 30-6 win over the Giants on November 5, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium.
Week 18: Vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Time, date and television TBD
Current Line: Chiefs -6
Las Vegas is 0-5 against archrival Kansas City at Allegiant Stadium, and that doesn’t sit well with anyone associated with the Silver and Black.
Four breakout candidates who could establish themselves as franchise centerpieces going forward
BY CASE KEEFER
Edge rusher might be the biggest position of strength on the Raiders’ roster, at least defensively, despite the two starters both being overlooked to start their NFL careers.
Neither Maxx Crosby nor Malcolm Koonce were considered can’t-miss prospects coming out of the lowly Mid-American Conference in college. Crosby notoriously fell to the fourth round of the 2019 draft out of Eastern Michigan, while Koonce went in the third round two years later out of Buffalo.
But Crosby stood out the moment he got on the field, while Koonce had a breakout campaign in this third season.
Organizations must expect to hit on their first-round draft selections, but a real edge can be found when they discover franchise cornerstones later on.
Here are four players who could emerge as staples for coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek to build around going forward this season.
Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson
Eighth year left tackle Kolton Miller, who signed a three-year, $66 million extension this offseason, has long been the leader of the Raiders’ offensive line, but he may need an heir apparent.
Powers-Johnson, a second-round pick in 2024 out of Oregon, looks like the strongest candidate. Some believed Powers-Johnson shouldn’t have slipped out of the first round, and he showed why in spurts of his rookie season by playing with power and an edge that fans say exemplifies the Raider way.
He had something of a rocky training camp this year, though. Powers-Johnson, who won the Rimington Award as college football’s top center two years ago, wanted to shift to the position permanently this season, but Carroll and staff preferred him at guard.
Former undrafted free agent Jordan Meredith will now man the middle of the line with Powers-Johnson playing in between him and second-year right tackle D.J. Glaze.
Wide receiver
Dont’e Thornton
Las Vegas believes it found a steal in the fourth round of this year’s draft with the 6-foot-5, 205-pound burner out of Tennessee.
Thornton blew away all expectations from the minute he arrived at rookie minicamp and claimed a surprise starting spot right away. Most scouted Thornton as an athletically tantalizing player who needed more seasoning, but his route-running and hands have been better than forecasted.
Few players in the league can match up with his 4.3-second 40-yard dash time, and his ability to use that speed has matched well with quarterback Geno Smith’s touch throwing deep passes.
Thornton capped the preseason by making a contested catch in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown on a throw from Smith.
Cornerback
Darien Porter
Porter is Thornton’s equivalent on the defensive side of the ball.
Few labeled the Iowa State graduate as a Day 1 starter going into this year’s draft, but Carroll saw something in Porter and pushed for the Raiders to draft him in the third round.
The coach immediately likened him to his most famed former cornerback pupil with the Seahawks, Richard Sherman.
Porter is a converted receiver measuring at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, making him a nightmare physical matchup for those who line up against him, especially with his 4.3-second 40-yard dash speed.
Porter had some ups and downs throughout training camp but made as many splash plays as anyone in the secondary aside from prized free agent signing safety Jeremy Chinn. Carroll has a strong record in developing young defensive backs, and Porter is his newest project.
Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu
The Raiders have a hole in the middle of their defensive line following the release of Christian Wilkins less than a year and a half after signing him to a four-year, $110 million contract. Centennial High graduate Laulu looks to be the likeliest to fill it.
Las Vegas claimed Laulu o waivers from the Indianapolis Colts at the end of last year’s training camp and quickly expressed optimism about the rookie seventh-round draft pick.
By the end of the year with Wilkins sidelined, Laulu was wreaking havoc on opposing o ensive lines at the top of the interior rotation. He stuck around the Raiders’ headquarters all o season, and the new coaching sta took notice of his diligence to improve.
Laulu could become a fan favorite as one of two locals—alongside Bishop Gorman High cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly—slated to play prominent roles on the Raiders’ defense this year.
HOW TO
GETTOTHE GAME
FROM THE STRIP
If this is your rst Raiders game in Las Vegas, you might not know the best way to get to Allegiant Stadium is to walk there from the south Strip. Hacienda Avenue, between the Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts, is shut down between Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) and the stadium so fans can walk on the bridge over Interstate 15. It’s less than a mile, about 15 minutes.
If your hotel or starting point is farther north along the Strip—and you don’t want to use a taxi or rideshare— the Deuce bus runs all night with 57 stops along Las Vegas Boulevard, including Mandalay Bay. A 24-hour pass ($8) is available on the rideRTC app.
You can also use the Las Vegas Monorail ($5.50 single ride or $13.45 for 24 hours), which has several casino stops along the east side of the Strip including MGM Grand, closest to the bridge.
GO BY CAR
If you’re driving, plan your parking in advance; Allegiant doesn’t have much onsite parking but the SpotHero app will conveniently guide you to your chosen lot or spot near the
game. Other options include MGM Resorts and ParkMobile (mgmresorts.parkmobile.io/ allegiant-stadium) and Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com). Set out early so you can navigate stadium road closures.
If you’re taking rideshare, plan that ahead of time as well, and be aware the pick-up and drop-o location is in Lot N north of the stadium. Taxis and general drop-o are located at a dedicated area west of the stadium near Diablo Drive and Procyon Street.
TAKE A SHUTTLE
The M Ride (mride.com) o ers round-trip travel in a luxury motor coach bus for $55, with pick-up spots at the Linq Promenade just east of the Strip, Westgate Las Vegas, the Palms and Garage Mahal at Circa Resort in Downtown. But the RTC Game Day Express (rtcsnv.com/ways-totravel/game-day-express) can’t be beat: It’s a $4 round-trip ticket to the stadium by bus from six locations around the Valley, including Station Casinos sites, the M Resort and Aliante Casino. –Brock Radke
(AP Photo)
IN THE NEWS
THE STRIP
DRAI’S NIGHTCLUB TO CLOSE ROOFTOP LOCATION AT CROMWELL
After more than 10 years atop The Cromwell Las Vegas, Drai’s Nightclub is moving back to its original basement location at the center Las Vegas Strip property this fall.
The move represents a generational shift, with Dustin Drai taking leadership from his father Victor, who helped pioneer bottle service in the resort corridor and helped create other notable venues such as Tryst and XS at Wynn Las Vegas.
When Victor Drai opened Drai’s as a restaurant in 1997—in the basement of what was then the Barbary Coast—he knew he had a gorgeous space in a prime location. It was just a matter of what to do with it after dinner service ended.
Drai’s pioneered the late-night lounge, keeping revelers enticed into the wee hours with glamorous, exclusive vibes. Its influence would
weigh heavily on the Las Vegas nightlife industry. It expanded with the rooftop nightclub and beach club in 2014 and maintained an afterhours spot in the basement.
Over the past 10 years, Drai’s Nightclub has welcomed millions of guests, many of whom were there for residencies from the likes of Fabolous, French Montana and Big Sean.
“The past 10 years on the rooftop have been nothing short of legendary,” Victor Drai said in a statement. “This is not only the end of an era, but also the end of something that will never be able to be re-created. We could not be prouder of what we’ve accomplished.”
The new venue will operate five nights weekly, featuring multiple music genres across different rooms, according to the news
$16.4M
release. Dustin Drai emphasized the shift toward intimacy over spectacle.
“Drai’s has always been about innovation and energy,” he said in a statement. “We started small, scaled big, and now we’re going back to what made the brand special in the first place—connection. The future of nightlife isn’t about the biggest room or the biggest artist. It’s about the people you’re with, the room you’re in and the feeling you get when it all comes together.”
The rooftop location will permanently close following Halloween weekend celebrations October 31-November 2, with Sunday serving as the industry closing party.
The space will continue as a private event venue and is set to reopen as a resort-style pool in summer 2026.
–Staff
“I don’t think there’s anyone at the negotiating table that disagrees over the magnitude of the problem. … What’s challenging is how can we all move forward together with a really complex set of laws … and ensure the viability of the 40 million people that rely on the Colorado River.”
–Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of resources at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, at Rep. Susie Lee’s water summit on August 28. The seven states that utilize the river water must finalize new rules on how to manage the river by October 2026.
That’s the cost of the new Historic Westside Education and Training Center. City of Las Vegas and College of Southern Nevada officials held a ribbon cutting for the yearslong collaborative project on August 27. The center was partially funded by a U.S. Economic Development Adminstration grant and is set to become a hub for workforce education in the underserved neighborhood.
TEAM SPIRIT Vegas Knight Hawks players signed posters and celebrated their Indoor Football League National Championship win at the M Resort in Henderson on August 28.
(Photo by Wade Vandervort)
Local short-term rental operators and Airbnb mount legal battle with Clark County over “excessive” regulations
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
Hawaii residents Sam and Lisa Hankins return to their three-bedroom, single-family home in Paradise roughly four times a year to upgrade it or use it as a gathering place for family members from across the county. They plan to split their time between there and Oahu after they retire.
To supplement their income in the interim, the couple initially planned to operate it as a short-term rental via the popular hosting platform Airbnb. But the route toward securing a license from Clark County has proven far more difficult than expected.
“We went through all of the steps to go through the application process, and it was quite arduous and
complicated,” Lisa Hankins says. “But we were ultimately denied because of our proximity to somebody who already had one in our neighborhood.”
Her frustration is one result of a three-year legal battle that has left hundreds of prospective Airbnb owners without the means to secure a license to legally operate their short-term rentals, which the county defines as a “unit or room within a residential unit that is made available for rent for thirty consecutive days or less.” The Hankins’ mission to combat the “absurd” county rule that establishes a 1,000-foot minimum between licensed short-term rentals led them to join forces with Airbnb and the 1,200-member Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association (GLVSTRA) this summer
to file a federal lawsuit against Clark County.
The pending litigation alleges that many of the county’s policies—including “excessive” regulations and fines, a cap on the total number of licenses and lottery selection system for awarding them—violate constitutional rights guaranteed under the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth and 14th Amendments. In an August 20 email, a Clark County spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.
Southern Nevada’s foray into the debate began when Clark County started accepting applicants for the first batch of licenses in 2022. Officials proceeded to spend the next two years wading through more than 1,300 entries before issuing an initial trio of licenses in August 2024. Clark
‘AIRBNB
County says that number has risen to 194 in the last year—including just six new licenses awarded since early May—while 323 more are still being processed.
Advocates like the Hankinses and GLVSTRA founder Jackie Flores tell the Weekly the slow rollout amounts to what they see as a concentrated effort by the county to minimize Las Vegas’ short-term rental market and infringe on local property rights in favor of the influential resort industry.
“Clark County officials were supposed to make this legal years ago,” Flores says, referring to a 2021 state law requiring Clark County to implement a short-term rental licensing system for its unincorporated zones by 2022.
“On the surface, it looked like
‘AIRBNB
they were doing it, but once you got into the details of the ordinance, they made the requirements so cumbersome that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to qualify,” Flores adds.
The new regulations prevent would-be operators like the Hankinses from obtaining a license if their property lies too close to an existing licensed property, with a similar prohibition also in place for any within 2,500 feet of a resort. They also cap the number of licenses to no more than 1% of unincorporated residences. (That cap was 2,940 in 2024.) Fines for unlicensed rentals range from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000, according to county code.
Flores estimates that more than 10,000 illegal short-term rentals
are now scattered throughout the region as a result. And while she notes that GLVSTRA is specifically seeking a legal route to relief, she also sympathizes with the many local operators who are still “operating in the shadows.” According to Clark County, enforcement agents have handed down more than 1,900 administrative citations in the last year.
These ongoing legal tensions have yielded victories and setbacks for both sides. Most recently, on August 6, a District Court judge ruled in favor of 84-year-old Leslie Doyle and the GLVSTRA after Doyle was denied a license on a provision that required her home to be connected to the municipal sewer system, rather than the septic tank system she has in place.
OR BUST’
“The judge ruled that it is an arbitrary requirement and also a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. We were very happy with that,” Flores says.
As the GLVSTRA keeps an eye out for updates on that case and the federal lawsuit that’s still awaiting an initial action, members have also worked with Airbnb on a joint emergency injunction request that asked the U.S. District Court of Nevada to block the county’s “unconstitutional enforcement” practices before the county could move forward with requiring hosting platforms to remove unlicensed listings by September 1. Following a hearing on August 22, the plaintiffs received a written ruling in their favor on August 28.
“While today’s decision is a win, the fight against Clark County’s short-term rental restriction is far from over. In Nevada and across the country, we will continue to stand up for hosts and their constitutional property rights,” an Airbnb representative wrote in an email following the decision.
For the Hankins family, the federal filing remains paramount. To this day, they say, the neighbor who “knocked” them out of the licensure process isn’t even operating a short-term rental.
“If you strategically find people who have a license but aren’t operating—not to say that [Clark County] is doing that—you effectively eliminate anybody else within a 1,000-foot radius of their home,” Lisa Hankins says. “If you think about it, that is an effective way to take out a whole group of people.”
For now, they’ll maintain their pivot to long-term rentals to stay above the law, even though Sam Hankins says that means they’re “losing money every month,” and because they rent for long periods of time, they can’t as easily access the home to attend to a growing list of renovations.
“Before the county had its ordinance, we had no complaints, warnings or fines. We employ local workers to help fix it up, and we also get along wonderfully with all of our neighbors,” Sam Hankins says. “Ideally, I’d just like [Clark County] to start over with the rules, because they were flawed from the very beginning.”
+Summer is coming to an end, and as with every season change, it’s bittersweet. For those who lament the changing season, there’s one specific factor that may tip the scales in fall’s favor: Football is back. Professional and college football seasons are hitting primetime schedules, which means so are game-day get-togethers and sports betting. And this football season—whether you’re a local in Las Vegas cheering on the Raiders, a tourist rooting for your own hometown heroes, or a college sports fan supporting your alma mater—Resorts World is the place to be. The Las Vegas Strip reo is a no-brainer destination for sports fans, with a wide array of venues available to enjoy a game.
REDTAIL
With more than two dozen screens, massive video walls and an atmosphere that brings every game to life, Redtail is idyllic for football fans. Enjoy game-day classics like wings, burgers and brews while you catch every play. From kickoff to the final whistle, Redtail is where football fans want to find themselves all season long.
Hours: 5 p.m. to late, Monday, Thursday, Friday; 9 a.m. to late, Saturday and Sunday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
DAWG HOUSE SALOON AND SPORTSBOOK
Step into the heart of the action at Dawg House Saloon and Sportsbook. This 15,000-squarefoot hotspot combines free live entertainment, sports betting and all your favorite comfort foods. Fuel your game day with food platters priced up to $275, stacked with crowd-pleasing classics like hot wings, tater tots and cheese curds. And don’t fret when football takes a break, because that’s when the stage heats up with live performances from some of country music’s brightest rising stars, including Graham Nancarrow, Kyle Austin and Austin Skinner/
Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday
EIGHT CIGAR LOUNGE
Sports meet splendor at Eight Cigar Lounge, where true fans, cigar aficionados and celebrity athletes gather to watch the game in style. As part of the seasonlong Silver & Black Pride promo, guests can enter to win Raiders home game tickets by attending away game watch parties. Plus, earn bonus entries with every Modelo or Corona bucket purchased during the game. Once the final whistle blows, a winner is drawn—and the winner must be present to claim the prize. With plush seating, big screens, unbeatable specials (including $6 Coronas and Modelos, $8 Monday Night Football menu) and a premium cigar selection, Eight is the ultimate luxury football experience in Las Vegas.
Hours: Daily, noon to late
CREATED AND
PRESENTED
BY RESORTS WORLD
GATSBY’S COCKTAIL LOUNGE
Sports enthusiasts, partygoers and fans looking to create memories that last well beyond the final play should check out Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge. Watch every play on the space’s big-screen TVs, sip on themed drinks and indulge in specialty bites. Additionally, take advantage of drink specials every Monday, Thursday and Sunday night—$8 Coronas and Modelos, $40 buckets of six, $12 Tito’s or Casamigos shots, $50 Bloody Mary pitchers, and $300 bottles of Tito’s or Casamigos. Visit the Gatsby’s website to book a lavishly unforgettable experience and lock in your spot for the most epic gameday experience in Las Vegas.
Hours: Daily, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
CULTURAL CONVERSATION
Barrick Museum’s Living Here exhibit examines Asian identity, memory and belonging through multimedia work
ENDLESS QUINDO MILLER
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
When we think about where we come from, we often imagine a straight line—homeland to here, origin to destination. But in reality, it’s less linear. Living Here, now at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, shows that the truth is more layered.
The multimedia exhibit brings together 26 artists from East and Southeast Asian diasporas, all weaving personal experiences into a shared conversation about movement, belonging and cultural inheritance.
There’s no single way to talk about diaspora, and Living Here doesn’t try to force one narrative. Instead, the show lingers in the specifics and allows the media to speak.
Quindo Miller’s interactive in-
stallation greets you before you see it. “Endless” seeps in like a familiar neighbor. In an awkwardly comforting karaoke backdrop, Cher’s “Believe” collides with America’s “A Horse With No Name” in a playful nod to the popular Asian family pastime.
LIVING HERE
Thru December 20, Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free. Opening reception September 5, 5 p.m. Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, unlv.edu
“I took the idea of disrupting the museum,” says Miller. “I wanted to maintain the interactiveness and make karaoke a part of the main feature [where] you become the star or something when you’re singing and absorbed in your own world, but [also] sharing it with the public.”
Behind the flashing words, there’s an on-screen visual component
made up of reels of an older version of Vegas that were taken by Miller’s family from the ’90s through the 2000s. That grainy nostalgia is deliberate. It collapses time. Miller’s memories, your memories and our scattered timelines all swirl in the glow of late-night living room performance.
Behind the karaoke altar hang framed wood veneers salvaged from Miller’s grandmother’s house in Guam after Typhoon Mawar in 2023. Titled “Homeland,” the pieces were painted pink and Mod Podged by Miller’s mother with magazine clippings from the ’90s, then rearranged and framed by the artist.
Eri King’s “Red 40 Zen MSG Rock
Garden” offers a meditative piece with a fiery social critique. At first glance, it looks like a classic Japanese karesansui, or zen garden. But upon closer inspection, the gravel isn’t gravel—it’s pulverized Flamin’ Hot Cheetos raked into mesmerizing concentric circles while the rocks, sculpted from MSG, protrude upward.
“I was thinking about ... what is consumption,” King says. “The zen garden was a form of recognizing an Eastern practice and Eastern aesthetic that talks about healing or transcendence, whereas junk food for me was representing the body or capitalism.”
The piece, from King’s larger body of work Healthy People Are Bad for Capitalism, is both cheeky and sincere. The MSG rocks, she explains, are meant to “cleanse and purify the air from the chemical Red 40.” It’s a poetic contradiction, one that acknowledges toxicity in the culture while still finding beauty in the act of survival.
The pieces in Living Here refuse to flatten identity. These artworks don’t try to resolve the tension between past and present, East and West, belonging and displacement. Instead, they show how culture moves through time.
“The mediums are all unique and have their own identities, which is beautiful. As a collective whole, I feel like... an artwork can definitely stand on its [own]. But when you juxtapose them next to each other, they start to speak to each other,” King says.
Included in the collection are oil paintings by Ian Racoma, a ceramic piece by Stephanie H. Shih and an acrylic painting on textile by Jeanne F. Jalandoni.
There’s a rhythm that emerges, colors echoing across the gallery, themes folding into one another. Nothing feels isolated. Everything is an active conversation.
All photos courtesy Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art (Photographs by Krystal Ramirez)
LEFT MAKE DO: PART TWO ELIZA O. BARRIOS
LEFT BOWL IAN RACOMA
RED 40 ZEN MSG ROCK GARDEN ERI KING
THREE DAYS. TWO BLOCKS. ONE NEW TRADITION.
Oktoberfest Downtown Las Vegas Announces 2025
Debut on Fremont Street. Join us for a 3-day, 2-block street takeover on September 19-21, 2025. Witness the first ever closed end-to-end bier hall on Fremont Street East, Las Vegas Blvd through 7th.
Free to enter. $10 wristband required to purchase and consume alcohol. If you buy your pass now your first bier is on us*
*OktoberfestDTLV will decide when this offer ends.
BIER FOOD
Fremont Street will be lined with bier booths, serving Samuel Adams brews. Biermarks serve as your festival currency. Purchase Biermarks ahead of Oktoberfest weekend to save money, skip the lines, and get your wristband for free.
BIERMARKS
1 Biermark = 1 pint
2 Biermark = 1 stein refill
3 Biermark = 1 empty commemorative stein
5 Biermark = 1 full commemorative stein
You also have access to special Biermark-only menus inside participating venues along Fremont Street.
Oktoberfest DTLV will be serving Wolfgang Puck German menu across 10 booths. Celebrate sweet and savory with schnitzel, brats, apple strudel, Bavarian desserts, and more.
GAMES
Participate in various Bavarian competitions, wagers with biermarks highly encouraged.
IFOSH World Stein Hoisting Championship Qualifiers all weekend Nevada State Finals
Other Bavarian Games keg bowling, Nagelspiel, brat eating.
You won’t want to miss the beginning of a new tradition. Fremont shuts down. Steins clash. Legends rise. This is Prost! Vegas!
Find more at OktoberfestDTLV.com
The Stadium , the Arts District’s first sports bar, launches just in time for football season
A KNOCKOUT NIGHT
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
The Arts District’s first sports bar already seems to have a following. Two weeks after The Stadium opened between Able Baker Brewing and Horse Trailer Hideout, UFC fans packed the space in anticipation of a world middleweight championship bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
The five-round contest saw the undefeated upstart Chimaev deal more than 500 hits on the defending champion en route to claiming his first UFC title. As the fight unfolded, The Stadium co-owners Marissa and Dane Pretkus and Tim Burke served a far greater number of rounds as the new bar celebrated its most successful night yet—a true win-win.
Marissa Pretkus, who also owns the adjacent Horse Trailer Hideout with her husband, says they joined forces with Burke in a shared desire to cater to a “niche” they thought was missing in the area. The lively atmosphere for that August 16 fight indicates their intuitions were correct, and they expect to see much more of that energy throughout the fall with the return of NFL football.
“We just want to push the fact that we are trying to fill a void,” she says. “As much as people believe that this is
just a transient town, we are a strong local community with a growing sports culture. With The Stadium, we really wanted to focus on bringing new aspects to our Arts District.”
The UFC match drew several onlookers from Main Street, who stopped to catch the action through the open garage door near the front entrance. Meanwhile, a few stepped inside to take a crack at the UFC punch arcade machine or dabble in the NHL-branded dome hockey console. In between hoots and hollers, patrons sampled entrees from an extensive cocktail list and nibbled on Tetris-shaped tater tots.
bit like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Going forward, the owners assure that the menu and atmosphere will only continue to evolve. This month, they’ll start opening at 9 a.m. for early kickoffs and unveil corresponding breakfast entries. They’ll also work on transforming the walkway out front into an all-ages, family-friendly patio meant to complement the existing 21-and-older space that connects with the Horse Trailer Hideout patio out back.
THE STADIUM
1508 S. Main St., 702-605-3007, thestadiumlvnv. com. Monday-Friday, noon-midnight; Saturday, 9 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
Menu items like the horseradish-laced Black and Blue flatbread pizza ($16) and the loaded mac and cheese ($13) with honey sriracha barbecue sauce and braised short ribs provided just the right amount of fuel to keep the evening alive as Chimaev handed Du Plessis the third loss of his career.
Follow up with a Pineapple Painkiller ($17)—a tantalizing blend of rum, pineapple juice, coconut liqueur and nutmeg topped with a dehydrated pineapple garnish—and the tequila-fueled Watermelon Heatwave ($16), which tastes a
“It’s really two completely different concepts, and that’s kind of the beauty of it. You can honestly feel like you’re in a completely different environment just from walking a few steps away,” Pretkus says. “At the core, though, we’re just trying to focus on Las Vegas-based sports teams and offer our community something that has the feel of your average Cheers bar.”
From an early Saturday spent cheering on your favorite college players to watching the Cowboys melt down in another Sunday Night Football appearance, Pretkus and her team look to offer a little slice of the classic neighborhood sports viewing experience for years to come.
LEFT Chef Pedro Estala hits the UFC punching machine. RIGHT The Stadium’s loaded mac and cheese, Black and Blue flatbread pizza, Pineapple Painkiller cocktail and Mezcal Punchout. (Photos by Wade Vandervort)
Photo by Wade Vandervort
Filipino pop-up Istorya returns with culinary creations from the Spanish colonial era
Seafood escabeche
(Courtesy/Alex Cinco)
BY SHANNON MILLER
Local Filipino pop-up experience Istorya is back with its fourth installment, this time focusing on Spanish colonial and Mexican influence on the archipelago’s cuisine. Galeón, a two-part series, launched at Saffron the Eatery on August 19 with culinary creations and stories of how islanders took ingredients and techniques from the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade and made them their own.
“We’re now sharing stories of how Filipinos had agency during the colonial rule of 333 years and raising awareness through the dishes and stories we’re able to tell from island to table,” says founder Walbert Castillo.
The first part of the Galeón series explores the early Spanish period in the Philippines, from Spaniards’ arrival in 1521 to how native Filipinos adapted to the religion, social hierarchy and other cultural influences the colonizers brought with them through the galleon trade route between the Philippines and Mexico—creating a cuisine that is “both international and Indigenous,” says co-owner Monica Blanco.
ISTORYA: GALEÓN
storytelling from Istorya’s personable and knowledgeable staff.
“In an interview with one of our historians, she said [Filipinos] welcomed [the Spaniards] because they had been traveling a long way; they were hungry and many of their group had died. The Filipinos fed them, took care of them. And one of the first things they offered was food,” Blanco says.
“We hope to share that same hospitality and spirit with others,” Castillo adds.
History is told through dishes like escabeche with lightly torched salmon soaked in a delightful vinegar solution with supremed orange and pickled Fresno pepper. Tempura soft-shell crab is served with an Alavar sauce authentic to the Zamboanga region. Hand-pulled pancit noodles are colored and flavored with squid ink and given a calamari crunch.
Saffron the Eatery, 3545 S. Decatur Blvd., istoryalv.com Seatings at 5 & 8 p.m. on select dates, reservations required.
The talents of Filipino-American chefs Dio Buan from Joël Robuchon, Joseph Lim from Raku and Anjelique Leslie-Rivas of Let’s Hibachi combine with the wisdom of culinary historians—including renowned Filipina author Felice Prudente Sta. Maria—to curate a 10-course pre-fixe meal ($110) interspersed with
Confections like flan de leche punctuate the meal, an unadulterated family recipe from the founder’s mother Vi Castillo. And ensaymada with ube butter and shavings of queso de bola—the Filipino version of edam cheese— digs down to the inherent cultural connections of Filipino food, as it was developed in collaboration with local Mexican-Venezuelan bakery La Cordillera Delights MX on East Tropicana.
Part one will continue with monthly seatings through October. The second part of the Galeón series will begin in November and examine the Mexican galleon trade in the 17th to early 19th centuries, including Mestizo cooking and Creole foodways.
It’s all part of a bridge Istorya is building to understand the Philippines’ past and diasporic present. Centuries of colonial rule and the hardship of Filipinos leaving their homeland tend to create a disconnect from culture. Being second-generation, Castillo and Blanco felt that disconnect growing up. But by unearthing the history of the country’s food, connection to culture can be found, they say.
“Heritage isn’t always hidden,” Castillo says. “It’s been there beneath us this whole entire time. And all you need is that nudge to reclaim that narrative, to dig that out.”
Celebrating decades of Carmine’s
Carmine’s has been serving familiar Italian classics to tourists and locals from its huge Las Vegas Strip restaurant for more than a decade, quite an accomplishment. But the Forum Shops favorite is celebrating the longevity of its original flagship eatery on New York’s Upper West Side, opened 35 years ago, with special dishes available throughout September.
Carmine’s Las Vegas made its debut in 2013 and we’ve been feasting on its country-style rigatoni with cannellini beans, beef and veal meatballs and spicy Scarpariello chicken wings ever since. Now there’s a new lineup of dishes paying homage to the restaurant’s roots and adding seasonal flavor, including burrata mezza luna with fresh pomodoro sauce and heirloom cherry tomatoes ($57) and fritto misto with calamari, shrimp, white fish, cherry peppers, fennel, zucchini, and lemon ($47). After those starters for the table, ball out with the Calabrian lobster pasta ($106), a whole 2-pounder with reginette pasta and crispy prosciutto in a spicy pink sauce. The finisher is Limoncello tiramisu ($29) with whipped mascarpone, lemon curd and blueberry compote—quite the birthday dinner.
–Brock Radke
CARMINE’S Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-473-9700, carminesnyc.com Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
(left to right) Chefs Dio Buan, Joseph Lim, Anjelique Leslie-Rivas (Courtesy/ Alex Cinco)
Calabrian lobster pasta (Courtesy)
DESPITE SIGNS OF DISTRESS, SOUTHERN NEVADA’S HOUSING MARKET REMAINS ‘STRONG’
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Areport out of UNLV’s Lied Center for Real Estate this summer showed an increase in the number of issuances of a notice of default (NOD) to property owners across the Las Vegas Valley.
NODs were 28% higher year-to-date compared to the same point last year, according to the report. The biggest impact seems to be in east and southwest Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, said Nicholas Irwin, research director at the Lied Center and associate professor in the department of economics at UNLV.
“If you overlaid a map of poverty rates or you overlaid a map of per capita income, these would be areas that generally have lower income, higher poverty,” Irwin said. “So it’s not unexpected that, if the economy tends to worsen a little bit, these are probably going to be the areas that are going to be first responding to something through an increase in defaults.”
The prevailing message among Irwin and other experts seems to be: don’t worry.
NODs may be trending upward across the valley, but Irwin emphasized they are still nowhere near historic levels. He also added that not every NOD actually ends in a foreclosure.
“This isn’t 2008,” he said. “We’re not seeing 6,000-plus a month being filed.”
Per the UNLV report, approximately 5,400 individual property owners have been issued a NOD since January 2022. Nearly 25% of recorded defaults occurred in the first six months of this year.
Homeowners newly defaulting on payments could have been relying on Biden-era programs that have since been ended by the Trump administration, Irwin said. Additionally, when borrowers previously would have issues with their mortgage servicer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could hold those parties accountable.
Since April, however, the Trump administration has sought to lay off over 1,400 employees at the CFPB. According to an August report by NPR, a federal appeals court panel has ruled that the dismantling of the bureau may continue.
“So that’s one less support pillar,” that might be driving up NODs, Irwin said.
Homeowners also may have taken out an adjustable-rate mortgage before or during the pandemic that has now reset and adjusted back to current mortgage interest rates. That could mean around an extra $1,000 per month, Irwin estimated, which could have caught people by surprise. He also pointed to high unemployment as a contributor, and an 11.3% year-over-year dip in tourism in June.
“If tourism continues to slump, and if the gam-
ing numbers continue to decline, that could potentially mean more people out of work and perhaps more distress in the future,” Irwin said.
The idea of higher future inflation, because of tariffs or the growing national debt, makes the bond market very weary, which generally means mortgage rates have to stay high because mortgage servicers need a premium to issue loans due to future economic uncertainty.
“Because these are … 30-year loans,” he said. “A lot can happen in 30 years. They want to guard against some potential future default, or sky-high inflation.”
Housing supply and demand has adjusted over the last several months as interest rates have remained up, said Brian Gordon, a principal with local research firm Applied Analysis. Mobility of homeowners has downshifted as a result.
The average Nevada homeowner has substantial equity in their home, while the average interest rate on outstanding mortgages in the state stands well below market rates at just over 4%. So the likelihood of home owners relocating is limited.
“While the numbers are up slightly from where they were a year ago,” Gordon said, “the reality is that the health of the housing market, from a default perspective, is relatively strong.”
Though sales are down because of interest rates and lack of mobility, the local housing market continues to expand as a result of population growth.
Home prices are high and their “time on market” is some of the highest in the country. So, the houses are there, but they’re not the right price.
“Everything is just so stuck because those high mortgage rates,” he said. “Not a lot of folks have that kind of money.”
The local housing market is at the whim of mortgage rates in the coming months, Irwin said.
“If we’re thinking about affordability for the broad swath of people, especially those we call the middle-income housing ... we just need to build more housing,” he said. HOUSING MARKET
Way of Well Being
At Ovation, we’ve crafted a culture that weaves community, tranquility, and wellness into every offering. Across our portfolio, state-of-the-art fitness centers and resort-style pools blend seamlessly with elegant communal spaces, creating environments where residents thrive, deepen connections, and set down roots. Residents gather with neighbors poolside, host friends for drinks,
and enjoy a vibrant social life. Select communities offer an exclusive Ovation Lifestyle Program, featuring first-class amenities like yoga classes, micro-markets, and mimosa brunches that delight. Our goal is to empower residents to embrace their personal journeys, form lasting bonds, and live wonderfully.
VEGAS INC NOTES
Highlighting the best in business
Spotlight Outdoor Ads hired Alex Wongthongsanguan as a senior account executive specializing in local-advertiser sales. Wongthongsanguan spent five years covering Las Vegas entertainment and lifestyle news, including serving as a booker and producer for MORE on FOX5 Vegas.
Handel’s Ice Cream opened its fourth store in the area, at 1685 E. Cactus Avenue in Henderson, on September 4. It’s the second for franchisee Patrick Frank, who opened the first store in 2015.
Slime Kitchen has opened its newest franchise at Fashion Show mall. Slime Kitchen guides customers through a 10step process to create custom slimes as unique as their imaginations.
WOW Carwash opened its 18th location in the Valley at 8580 W. Desert Inn Road in Las Vegas.
Sunrise Hospital hired Dr. Sherrie Somers as chief medical officer. She will serve as the executive leader for all medical operations across the hospital. Somers brings 30 years of health care leadership experience to this role, including four years with HCA Healthcare. Most recently, she served as chief medical officer at HCA Florida’s North Florida Hospital.
Cameron Belt has joined Nevada Policy’s policy team. He is an economist, researcher and business builder who previously worked as an executive at Lyft and Uber, focusing on strategy, operations and analytics. At Nevada Policy, he will identify areas where those who build businesses are being held back in ways they shouldn’t be.
The William S. Boyd School of Law welcomed 10 new faculty members this fall whose expertise spans criminal
law, dispute resolution, environmental law, legal writing, legal tech (and AI) and more. They are: Maryam Ahranjani, Aparna Polavarapu, Tom Romero and Drew Simshaw, professors of law; ShihChun “Steven” Chien, Meredith Esser, Suzanna Geiser, Latisha Nixon-Jones and Citlalli Ochoa, associate professors of law; and Raef Granger, assistant professor-in-residence and assistant director of academic success program.
The Las Vegas City Council unanimously ratified Rosa Cortez as a new deputy city manager. She will oversee multiple departments to be determined by the city manager, including a $1.8 billion capital improvement project fund. Cortez came up through the ranks in Public Works, beginning as an engineering associate in 2002 and holding leadership positions including engineering project manager, parks maintenance manager and assistant city engineer.
Desert Research Institute. Las Vegas, NV. Assistant Research Scientist, Computational Research. Design/maintain research databases & provide software/code support for Hydrologic Sciences Division. Ph.D in Civil, Environmental/Hydrological Engineering & Master’s in Computer Science/related. 2 years required: 1 year Structural Engineer in corporate & 1 year Research Assistant. 9 months with C++ & Matlab, Finite Element Analysis, Abaqus, BASIC & Ansys LS-DYNA. Must have publications. Apply at jobs@dri.edu
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Austin Curtis was a prominent Black scientist who found new uses for peanut byproducts. He exploited the untapped potential of materials that others neglected. Adopt a similar strategy: Be imaginative as you repurpose scraps and leftovers. Find value where others see junk.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Polynesian sailors use a technique called wayfinding, reading the subtle rise and fall of ocean swells to chart their course. Adopt a similar strategy: Rely more fully on what you see and sense rather than what you think. Don’t get fixated on plotting the whole journey; assume that each day’s signs will bring you the information you need.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The umbrella thorn acacia is an African tree with roots that grow up to 115 feet deep to tap hidden water. Others may only see a scraggly cluster of green, but you know how deep your roots run and how far you are reaching to nourish yourself. Don’t underestimate the power of your attunement to your core. Draw all you need from that primal reservoir.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The syahi, a patch of iron filings and starch, allows a tabla drum to create complex overtones and summon pitch and rhythm. You will be like that drum in the coming weeks. A spot that looks out of place may actually be what gives your life its music. Your unique resonance will come not in spite of your idiosyncratic pressure points, but because of them.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There’s a Zen motto: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” Apply that wisdom. Your breakthrough moments have come or will come soon. But your next move should not consist of being self-satisfied. Translate your innovations into your daily rhythm and turn happy accidents into enduring improvements.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Buddhist nation of Bhutan uses a different accounting system than Gross National Product (GNP): Gross National Happiness (GNH). It includes factors like the preservation of the environment and enrichment of the culture. Take a similar GNH inventory. Tally how well you have loved and been loved. Acknowledge your victories and awakenings and celebrate the beauty of your life.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In Japanese haiku, poets reference the lingering scent of flowers as a metaphor for something vivid that continues to be evocative after the event has passed. I suspect you understand this quite well. A situation, encounter or vision seems to have ended, but its echo is inviting you to remain attentive. Keep basking in the reverberations.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the Australian desert, a coating called desert varnish forms on rocks, which become canvases for Indigenous artists. I like to think of their work as storytelling etched into endurance. Be alert for the markings of your own epic myth as they appear on the surfaces of your life. Summon an intention to express your heroic story in creative ways.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Indigenous Australian lore, the Dreamtime is a parallel dimension, always present. Virtually all cultures have conceived of and interacted with comparable realms. You now have an enhanced capacity to draw sustenance from this otherworld. Pay close attention to your dreams and ask your meditations to give you glimpses of the hidden magic.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Saturn is your ruling planet. He rules time not as an enemy but as a harvester. Like him, you are primed to benefit from ripening and are due to collect the fruits of your labors. This process may not happen in loud or dramatic ways. Fully register the fact that your labor is love in slow motion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Greek mythology, the constellation Aquarius was linked to Ganymede, the cupbearer to the gods who served them ambrosia, the divine drink of immortality. Enjoy a Ganymede-like phase in the coming weeks. Please feel emboldened to dole out your gorgeous uniqueness and weirdness. Be an overflowing source of joie de vivre.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In 1932, aviator Amelia Earhart made a solo flight across the Atlantic and later said she had been “too busy” to be scared. Immersion in your good work and devotion will carry you through any momentary
