Vegas - 2014 - Issue 2 - Spring

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Publication: Vegas Magazine Issue : Mar-Apr 2014

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F ront Runners Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens both played Vegas in 1969, but the engagements would outlast their marriage.

Prelude to a Kiss-Off THE FRIENDLY RIVALRY IMPLIED BY THE DUELING MARQUEES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE EDDIE FISHER AND CONNIE STEVENS WOULD SOON TURN A LITTLE LESS JOCULAR. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AP PHOTO

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stensibly happy couple Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens were scheduled to perform in Las Vegas in 1969 when they posed for this back-to-back buddy-style photo, pointing to their competing marquees at Caesars and the Flamingo. But while a picture may be worth a thousand words, this one doesn’t tell the full story.

The two filed for divorce just days later, on April 23. By then, Fisher and Stevens had both seen their share of Hollywood fame and scandal. He had been a teen idol and pop singer in the early 1950s and went on to star in films and his own TV show. While married to actress Debbie Reynolds, he had an affair with “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” (and Reynolds’s best friend), Elizabeth Taylor, which led to a bitter and very public divorce.

He quickly became the fourth “Mr. Taylor,” and the two stayed married for five years. Stevens had a childhood fraught with personal tragedy: She witnessed her parents’ divorce, her grandmother’s death, a murder, and the devastation of her town in the 1951 flooding of the Missouri River, all by age 13. At the height of her fame as a singer and actress, she had high-profile relationships with actor Glenn Ford and the King himself, Elvis Presley. A previous marriage, to actor James Stacey, failed before she wed Fisher in 1967. Despite the tension that was soon to boil over at the time of this photo, these two consummate professionals stayed true to the show-business edict and their performances went on as scheduled. In the universe of Sin City scandals, their divorce was barely a blip on the radar. V

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Spring 2014

16 Front Runners 28 From the Editor-in-Chief 30 From the Publisher 32 ...Without Whom This Issue Would Not Have Been Possible 35 Invited 50 The List

People 55 Fire Starter Sami Ladeki is building an empire the old-fashioned way—one people-pleasing restaurant at a time.

58 Fashion’s Happy Hours Retailer and salonnière Sarah Nisperos is cultivating conversation and style in her new-era shop, Coterie.

60 “The Energy Here Thrills Me” For philanthropist and fashionista Carrie Carter-Henderson, Downtown is the heart of the growing arts movement in Las Vegas.

Amid a pile of shipping containers, Doug McPhail envisions a dynamic new Downtown.

68 Throwing More Shade Knowing that victims of domestic violence often won’t leave their pets behind, Staci Columbo Alonso created a place for animals and their owners to heal together.

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58 Fashion’s Happy Hours

For Sarah Nisperos, community comes before commerce.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB KEPLER

64 Self Contained

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77 Lunch on the Links

Spring 2014

The elite meet at Wynn’s Country Club—but mum’s the word.

Culture 72 Saddle Up Las Vegas goes country the first week of April for the annual ACM Awards.

74 How Vegas Does Shakespeare Teller reimagines The Tempest as a magic show in a world-premiere production at the Smith Center this spring.

Taste

96 Style Spotlight REDValentino has a new Las Vegas home for its ultrafemme fashions; Marc Jacobs’s slick menswear is tailor-made for Sin City; Springs Preserve presents a sustainable fashion show.

100 Style Ethics Stella McCartney leads the pack as fashion’s top designers go green with ultraluxe eco-conscious gear.

102 Signature Moves Las Vegas figure skater Kimberlee Hyp takes us on a spin around her favorite spots in town.

104 Synchronized Style As Vegas pools open for the season, chic, water-friendly watches make an appearance on poolside catwalks up and down the Strip.

77 Lunch on the Links When the politicians, power brokers, and fashion setters need to escape the city’s madding crowds, they seek haven at the Country Club at Wynn.

80 The It Factor What makes a Las Vegas restaurant an It restaurant? It’s more than just the food.

86 Fashionable Cocktails Spring ’14 trends don’t stop on the runway.

Plus: UNLVino celebrates 40 years as the Las Vegas hospitality industry’s premier student showcase.

88 VIP Kings, Meet the Palace They may be two of the nation’s culinary darlings, but David Bernahl and Rob Weakley aren’t too fancy to stand in line for the Oyster Bar at Palace Station.

Treasures 94 Renaissance Man

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR

David Yurman designed the bracelet that became an icon. Three decades later, there’s a new reason to clamor for it like never before.

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Spring 2014

Features 108 Véronic Takes Vegas The singer with 50 voices—and counting— made her US debut in a city usually reserved for stars with a mass following.

But don’t worry: She’s building one fast.

By John Katsilometes Photography by Jeff Gale

114 The Return of Victor Drai On the eve of a quartet of openings, the originator of Las Vegas’s after-hours scene is ready for what some are calling a comeback. But in fact, he may have been running the show all along.

By Michael Kaplan

118 Bright Lights, Sin City Surrounded by larger-than-life neon signs that once lit up the Las Vegas Strip, this season’s high-octane dresses and glossy metallic accessories shine bright.

Photography by Jason Mcdonald Styling by Taryn Shumway

126 Family Ties Giving money away isn’t as easy as it sounds, particularly when different generations are involved. Philanthropists, advisers, and wealth managers explain how to minimize familial differences and make charitable gifting a smooth sail.

108 Véronic Takes Vegas The Strip’s newest sensation hears voices. Lots of them.

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Fluid-sleeve embellished dress, Louis Vuitton ($3,700). The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-6189; vuitton.com. Hollow geometric earrings, Tiffany Chou ($60). tiffanychou.com. Ring, Daniel Gibbings ($5,200). danielgibbingsjewelry.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

By Suzanne McGee

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Spring 2014

Haute Property

133 Aligning the Stars

“Starchitecture”—like 7 Sable Ridge Court—is all the rage.

133 Aligning the Stars Singular homes designed by star architects and their protégés are delightful surprises— and on the market—in Summerlin.

136 Development: Full Speed Ahead Las Vegas’s answer to Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar—and New York’s Times Square—is on the way, plus high-end rentals (at lower-end prices) and an energy-efficient development.

The Guide Caviar, cheetah prints, a $2,500 Champagne cocktail—Fizz Las Vegas is the kind of lavish Champagne lounge you would expect from David Furnish and Elton John.

140 Devour: Fine Chinese 142 Relax: Pedicures

Parting Shot 144 Spring Comes to Vegas Don’t lament the absence of seasonal change.

You’re just looking in the wrong casino.

ON THE COVER: Véronic DiCaire Photography by Jeff Gale Styled by Stacey Kalchman White islet blouse ($1,545), gold laminated silk skirt ($2,045), brass hoop earrings ($925), and handcrafted wooden wedges ($1,995), Dolce & Gabbana. The Shops at Crystals, 702-431-6614; dolcegabbana.com.

Willow color cocktail ring, David Yurman ($5,900). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-794-4545; davidyurman.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL TIMMERMAN/TIMMERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY INC.

139 Pop Star

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ANDREA BENNETT Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor NICOLE RUPERSBURG Managing Editor KAREN ROSE Art Director TIFFANI BARTON Photo Editor SETH OLENICK Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON Associate Fashion Editor ALEXANDRIA GEISLER Copy Editor DAVID FAIRHURST Research Editor MURAT OZTASKIN

JOSEF VANN Publisher and Vice President of Sales Account Executives VINCE DUROCHER, KACIE TURPENEN, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Director, Event Marketing HALEE HARCZYNSKI Assistant Distribution Manager JENNIFER PALMER Sales Assistant RUE MCBRIDE

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS

ART AND PHOTO

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Associate Art Directors ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI, ADRIANA GARCIA, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer JENNIFER LEDBURY Designers ELISSA ALSTER, GIL FONTIMAYOR Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors JODIE LOVE, JENNIFER PAGAN, REBECCA SAHN Associate Photo Editor KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER Photo Producer KIMBERLY RIORDAN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN

FASHION

Senior Fashion Editor LAUREN FINNEY Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO

COPY AND RESEARCH

Manager, Copy and Research WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors NICOLE LANCTOT, DALENE ROVENSTINE, JULIA STEINER Research Editors LESLIE ALEXANDER, JUDY DEYOUNG, AVA WILLIAMS

EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Director, Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Editorial Relations Manager MATTHEW STEWART Online Managing Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editor APRIL WALLOGA Social Media and E-Newsletter Editor ANNA BEN YEHUDA Digital Media Developer MICHAEL KWAN Digital Media Specialist ANTHONY PEARSON Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KEN RIVADENEIRA, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, JOHN VILANOVA Associate Managing Editor/Beauty Coordinator KAITLIN CLARK Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS

ADVERTISING SALES

Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing NORMAN M. MILLER Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, TIFFANY CAREY, CLAIRE CARLIN, KATHLEEN FLEMING, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, ELIZABETH MOORE, GRACE NAPOLITANO, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, VALERIE ROBLES Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, MICHELLE CHALA, THOMAS CHILLEMI, MORGAN CLIFFORD, AMY DESILVA, JANELLE DRISCOLL, ALICIA DRY, DINA FRIEDMAN, SARAH HECKLER, VICTORIA HENRY, CAROLYN LANDES, MARY RUEGG, LAUREN SHAPIRO, JIM SMITH, CAROLINE SNECKENBERG, TERA WASHBURN, GABRIELLA ZURROW National Sales Coordinator HOWARD COSTA Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, EMILY BURDETT, CRISTINA CABIELLES, BRITTANY CORBETT, OLIVIA DAVIS, JAMIE HILDEBRANDT, DARA HIRSH, KELSEY MARRUJO, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, MARISA RANDALL, ALEXANDRA WINTER

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Vice President, Integrated Marketing EMILY MCLINTOCK Integrated Marketing Director ROBIN KEARSE Integrated Marketing Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Creative Services Director SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers CHRISTOPHER HARDGROVE, DANIELLE MORRIS Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, MELINDA JAGGER, JOANNA TUCKER Event Marketing Managers ANTHONY ANGELICO, CHRISTIAMILDA CORREA, LAURA MULLEN, LAUREN OLSON, CRISTINA PARRA Event Marketing Coordinator ANI GAFKA Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Vice President, Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Positioning and Planning Director SALLY LYON Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Managers BARBARA SHALE, BLUE UYEDA Production Artists MARISSA MAHERAS, TARA MCCRILLIS Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD

ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, AND OPERATIONS

Director, Executive Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Executive Assistant ARLENE GONZALEZ Human Resources Director STEPHANIE MITCHELL Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Senior Director, Finance MICHELE EGAN Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Financial Analyst AUDREY CADY Credit and Collections Manager CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants CHRISTINA LESCAY, NEIL SHAH Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Desktop Administrator ZACHARY CUMMO Infrastructure Administrator MOHAMMED HANNAN Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK (Los Angeles Confidential), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), ERIN LENTZ (Aspen Peak), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH THORP (Capitol File), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons)

PUBLISHERS

JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS DELONE (Capitol File), SUZANNE RUFFA DOLEN (Gotham), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue)

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR President and Chief Operating Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Copyright 2014 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Vegas magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Vegas magazine’s right to edit.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at vegas@pubservice.com.

To distribute Vegas at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net.

Vegas magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC (Founder, Jason Binn), a company of The Greenspun Corporation.

VEGAS: 2360 Corporate Circle, 3rd Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-990-2500 F: 702-990-2530 NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS: 100 Church Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10007 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003 THE GREENSPUN CORPORATION: 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-259-4023 F: 702-383-1089

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FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Our gracious and indefatigable (she did an interview after hours of shooting) Spring cover girl, Véronic DiCaire, took a break to pose with me.

Two high points: meeting our December cover stars, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (I’m a major fan), and wearing this spectacular Osman dress from the new Rent the Runway showroom in Cosmopolitan.

ABOVE: I sampled Paul Bartolotta’s work on most of these amazing fish when he unveiled his restaurant’s stunning renovation, or at least I attempted to. LEFT: John Katsilometes, who wrote our cover story, joined me at Hakkasan for its Hakkasan Gives Back dinner, benefiting Three Square Food Bank.

generally less exciting than you might think. Despite photographic evidence to the contrary, I don’t socialize with celebrities in private clubs every night.

But this month, I took a little break from my regularly scheduled program of asceticism and went out. A lot. Call it what you will, I consider it important research, and it reminds me that I can do things here that aren’t possible in any other city.

Like, for instance, eat the entire Mediterranean and most of the Adriatic in a blowout lunch at the newly reinvigorated Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare in Wynn, then drive straight to an eight-course meal at Nobu in the Hard Rock, and walk (or wobble) only steps away to a Zac Brown Band concert at The Joint. I believe the kids these days classify this kind of experience as “epic.”

I’m always happy to play tour guide, and showing off some of Las Vegas’s scenery—such as the breathtaking 100-acre ranch on which we shot Véronic DiCaire’s feature, and the Follow me on Twitter at Neon Museum (see our fashion feature on @andreabennett1 and on page 118), which houses some of our vegasmagazine.com. historic treasures—was a highlight.

Going out this month also reminded me of Las Vegans’ incredible generosity as a community. Two days before Christmas, local but nationally renowned food critic Max Jacobson was hit by a car, and a month later he remained in critical condition. With speed that only the professionals could muster, Rick Moonen and Elizabeth Blau, along with scores of chefs, restaurateurs, friends, and admirers, gathered to raise more than $275,000 for the Jacobson family at an incredible dinner cooked by more than a dozen marquee-name chefs at Rx Boiler Room.

I g iggled as people bid against themselves to drive up the donations.

Las Vegans even do good in high style.

Enjoy our Spring Fashion issue; we had a wonderful time creating it.

ANDREA BENNETT

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS/POWERS IMAGERY (TIM AND FAITH); JEFF GALE (VÉRONIC)

Like most people who live and work in entertainment meccas, I lead a life that’s

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ilana and I celebrated with our generous hosts from our Tim and Faith cover party: John Caparella, Robert Rippee, Sebastien Silvestri, and Claudine Grant from Venetian and Palazzo.

I got some laughs out of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill at our cover party with the dynamic duo in January.

ABOVE: Sporting my Buffalo threads, with chef Barry Dakake and the extraordinary George Maloof, for the grand reopening of the iconic N9NE Steakhouse. LEFT: My lovely wife, Ilana, and me at the Nevada Ballet Theatre’s annual Black & White Ball, where Florence Henderson was honored as Woman of the Year.

about life here still abound. No, we don’t all live on the Strip and gamble in smoky casinos. Yes, we really do enjoy that much sunshine, and I do what I can to support the golf industry.

Happily, in fact, we have the best of both worlds. No more than a 25-minute drive from virtually anywhere in the Vegas metro area, the Strip offers us the best restaurants, nightlife, retail, and entertainment in the world. Yet most of us live in peaceful master-planned suburbs without traffic, noise, or congestion.

Las Vegas does offer us an unparalleled quality of life. Where else can an ambitious valet make more than $80,000 per year? Where else can Larry the limo driver (my actual driver last Thursday evening) travel to Europe once a year with his family, own four rental homes in Memphis, live in a four-bedroom house in the city’s best neighborhood, and play golf three times a week?

Follow me on Twitter at That great quality of life spills into Las @josefvann and on Vegans’ generosity toward each other. vegasmagazine.com.

This April we celebrate the 11th edition of Vegas magazine’s Vegas Dozen, honoring a new class of 12 philanthropic gentlemen making a difference in our community. On the 26th of April, Larry and Camille Ruvo’s Keep Memory Alive holds its annual must-not-miss gala to honor Larry’s late father, Lou, in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Spring is time for rebirth, reinvention, and awaking from slumber. As you peruse our Spring Fashion issue, I hope that you thoroughly enjoy the new spring fashion advertising campaigns, which are designed and shot by some of the most creative minds in the fashion world. Thank you for turning to Vegas magazine to read about our philanthropic people, our many opportunities, and the palpable excitement of life in Las Vegas.

JOSEF VANN

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (TIM AND FAITH, HOSTS); CASHMAN (NEVADA BALLET)

I’m often asked what it’s like to live in Las Vegas. You see, among non–Las Vegans, misconceptions

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...WITHOUT WHOM THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE SPRING 2014

Scott Dickensheets A 40-year Southern Nevadan, Scott Dickensheets is the deputy editor of Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion magazine and wrote our back page column on spring, Vegas-style.

What are your own personal signs of spring? When I overcome my reluctance to

wear shorts in public, when my allergies go into overdrive, when I begin to feel apprehensive about the imminent heat of summer— that’s when I know it’s spring! Is it your favorite season? Spring is great, but I’m a fall guy. Autumn offers its cool dawns—I’m a morning owl—like a reward for surviving what felt like eight months of summer.

Casey Brennan Casey Brennan is a writer, yoga teacher, and food lover. For this issue, she interviewed Sami Ladeki (page 55) of the Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza empire.

What impressed you about Sami Ladeki? He has created this entire culinary

empire by himself and has no plans to stop!

It’s just very impressive and inspiring. You’re a New Yorker; how does Vegas pizza compare? I have a pretty discerning pizza

Jason Mcdonald

palate. But I think the pies at Sammy’s are fantastic, especially the Five Cheese and the Burrata & Pesto. I used to frequent the Arroyo location—I went twice a week and always on Tapas Tuesdays!

Internationally acclaimed photographer Jason Mcdonald shot our Spring fashion feature at the Neon Museum.

Have you spent time in Vegas before?

I made many trips to Vegas when I was living in Los Angeles in my 20s. We would do a Friday afternoon flight from Burbank and get back by noon on Saturday, drinking and gambling all the way through. Those days are thankfully done. So what did you do when you weren’t shooting? Did you at least gamble a little? Yes, at the craps table

at the Cosmopolitan hotel. Moose the stickman kept the three hours action-packed with jokes and educated the fashion team on the game. I would love to shoot a fashion story inside the hotel on the tables, poolside, and into the clubs that are now dialed in with unbelievable sound. It’s crazy.

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Cindy Gaber Chicago native Cindy Gaber moved to Las Vegas three years ago and loves life out West. For this issue, she interviewed Staci Columbo Alonso (page 68), founder of Noah’s Animal House, a pet shelter for victims of domestic violence.

How was your interview with Staci?

Eye-opening and inspirational. Staci wants to ensure that more shelters can take pets in, and that’s such a worthwhile cause because pets are our family. Anything that has to do with animal welfare and health is a cause close to my own heart. My dog Cody makes a guest appearance in my first young-adult book, set in Las Vegas, Jex Malone, out on June 18.

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Chicago, IL 60654

Las Vegas, NV 89109

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1/23/14 2:20 PM

Neil Patrick Harris

Invit ed

VEGAS’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS AND SMARTEST PARTIES

Rose. Rabbit.

Lie. Opening H

ow I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka attended the 10 PM canto of Vegas Nocturne on January 17. The interactive vaudeville-style show is the anchor entertainment of the new social club Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The couple and their friends watched from their VIP box and stayed for the late-night canto, when Harris surprised the audience with a guest appearance onstage, then participated in a celebratory pouring of magnum bottles of Louis Roederer Brut Premier over Rose.

Rabbit. Lie.’s signature 500-coupe glass Champagne tower, along with the Cosmopolitan’s chief executive officer, John Unwin.

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INVITED

Kim Del Monico and Anne Kerestesi

Carrie Ann Lewis and Donna Wilburn

Alain and Shari Caron

Stephanie Wilson, Jessica Murray, Tom Dietz, and Jennie Hendricks

Dayna Roselli and Deven May

Tim and Faith VIP Cover Party

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

Attendees of the Vegas magazine cover party on January 17 at the Paiza Club, inside Venetian, had a chance to get up close and personal with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill before the country superstars performed in their Soul2Soul show at the Venetian Theatre. The smiling duo walked in and greeted the crowd, then posed for pictures with guests. After the gracious couple bid farewell to get ready for the show, the crowd enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Venetian’s culinary team while sipping Moët & Chandon Champagne and specialty cocktails featuring Belvedere vodka.

John Caparella, Robert Rippee, and Sebastien Silvestri

Michael St. Clair and Jackie Gooden

Emily Cardona and Chelsea Montervino

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Bev Fudge and Tracy Fudge

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INVITED

Barry Dakake and Jolene Mannina Bobby Flay and kitchen crew Hubert Keller

Ashley Farkas, Heather Yuille, and Natalie Mounier

Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, and chef Barry Dakake

Jair Bustillos, JR Starkus, and Leann Kruger

Chefs to the Max

Bobby Flay

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Hubert Keller, Kim Canteenwalla, Rick Moonen, Bradley Ogden, Barry Dakake, David Walzog, and Bobby Flay (TOP); Susan Feniger, Shirley Chung, and Mary Sue Milliken (BOTTOM)

Francesco Lafranconi

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK KABIK

Larry Ruvo

Some of the country’s most acclaimed chefs collaborated on Chefs to the Max on January 19 at chef Rick Moonen’s Rx Boiler Room, inside the Shoppes at Mandalay Place, raising $275,799 for critically injured Las Vegas–based food journalist Max Jacobson. One hundred guests attended the event, which featured a cocktail reception, a seated seven-course dinner with wine pairings, and live and silent auctions. Proceeds will help pay Jacobson’s medical bills—the result of injuries he suffered in a traffic accident.

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INVITED Jing Ma, Xiao Wang, and Mae Lapres

Steven Costa, Melissa Costa, Arnaud Cauchois, Kevin Bailey, Amanda Waldron, and Chris Dimmick Chloé product

Xiao Wang

Vashtie Kola

Chloé Celebrates Chinese New Year

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYNN PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES (CHLOE); AL POWERS (HAKKASAN)

Chloé boutique

On December 14, the fashion house Chloé celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year at its Wynn Las Vegas boutique. The event was hosted by Xiao Wang, Jing Ma, and Mae Lapres, three of China’s top fashion models, with music by Vashtie Kola. Special merchandise was created exclusively for this event, including giant red horses honoring the forthcoming Year of the Horse, Chinese red envelopes, and a selection of red accessories.

Omar Gutierrez and Matt Muldoon

Three Square team with Omar Gutierrez of Hakkasan (CENTER)

Dan Williams, Darwin Bosen, and Dan Johnson

Hakkasan and Three Square

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During the holiday season, the restaurant and nightclub Hakkasan, inside MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, partnered with Three Square Food Bank to help raise money for the city’s hungry and awareness of their plight.

Hakkasan staff contributed their personal time to raise funds, while the restaurant donated $5 for each guest who dined there during the month of December. Altogether, $50,636 was collected to support Three Square’s hunger relief programs benefiting Southern Nevadans in need.

The money will allow Three Square to provide more than 150,000 meals through its nearly 600 partner programs. Hakkasan presented Three Square with the check at a celebratory dinner on January 14.

Vanessa Van Hoven and Katie Hibbard

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INVITED Joe Montana, Barry Dakake, and Eddie Fernandez

Kelli Novelen and Melissa Kiros

Micah Manalo, Doreen Fang, Dao Vu, and Michael Scholten

Brita Voris and Lindsey Stull

Amy Leslie and Brian Singleton

Amanda Scott and Ali Counihan

Andi Baca and Megan Teller

N9NE Grand Reopening Celebration

Celebrities, athletes, and some of the city’s most admired culinary talents celebrated the grand reopening of Las Vegas’s original steakhouse with a scene, N9NE Steakhouse, inside Palms Casino Resort, on January 24. The guests included George Maloof, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, Starsky & Hutch actor Antonio Fargas, Jonathan Ogden, Joe Bonamassa, Gale Sayers, Vinny Paz, J.T. the Brick, Livingstone Bramble, Criss Angel, Nathan Burton, Banachek, System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan, and Elizabeth Blau.

Alden Waxler, Dee Gust, and Billy Conn

Mischelee Schrader and Alexis Hopsiter Antonio and Sandra Fargas

Aaron Crowley and Lindsay Bellegante

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDISON GRAFF

Susie and Dan Lee

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INVITED

Florence Henderson

Jennifer and Cliff Atkinson

Lorraine Hunt-Bono, Mitzi Gaynor, and Dennis Bono

Bobby and Audra Baldwin Punam Mathur, Mary Ann Pascal, Michael Pascal, Andrew Pascal, and Elaine Wynn

John Mangan and Beth Barbre PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND DENISE TRUSCELLO

Nancy Houssels and Mariam Afshai

Rob and Stella Roy

30th Anniversary Black & White Ball

Dawn Hume and Sean McClenahan

Nevada Ballet Theatre celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Black & White Ball, the group’s largest annual fundraiser, at Aria Resort & Casino on January 25. Sponsored by Cartier, with beverages from Southern Wine & Spirits, this black-tie affair welcomed 500 VIPs, celebrities, arts supporters, and dignitaries, who came out to honor NBT’s Woman of the Year, Florence Henderson. The performers included NBT’s Future Dance Scholars, and the event was emceed by actress and comedienne Judy Gold. Barry Williams and Christopher Knight from The Brady Bunch presented the Woman of the Year tribute.

Demetri and Amanda Kouretas

Christopher Knight, Florence Henderson, and Barry Williams Wendy and Richard Plaster

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Darin Brookner, Susan Graves, and Madeleine Andress

Lydia Ansel, Carissa Werner, and Ashley Korak

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KISS Photographed by Danny Clinch, Brooklyn NY 2014

INVITED

Rosie Gorn, Jessica Relos, Alyssa Relos, and Stacy Alabastro

Zaklina Radnic, Tiffany Finn, and Rosely Prieto

Chynna Skye and Sabra Gambino

Mio Danilovic

Hyde’s Second Anniversary Celebration Hyde Bellagio celebrated its second anniversary on January 25 with a chic black and gold birthday cake, a live set by the Sayers Sessions Band, and Hyde resident DJ Konflikt on the decks all night. Mio Danilovic, sbe’s vice president of nightlife operations, and Hyde staff partied with friends and guests, popping bottles of Champagne into the early hours.

Emily Hood, Allana Oteyza, and Lauren Payne

Dan Lorenger, Michelle Pistone, and Joe Lobosco Michele Sullivan, Claudia Turcaz, and Shelley Strait Key Lopez, Martha Lomeli, Arthur Borja, and Adam Itchkawich

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Mark and Rowena Cook

Vandana ChimaBhalla, Jim Park, and Jeannine Loewy

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HYDE BELLAGIO (HYDE); LOS (AREAA’S)

Jenna McGuire, Laura McGuire, Sophia Munoz, and Krista Forbus

Julianna and Randy Char

AREAA’s Annual Red Event

On January 30, the Asian Real Estate Association of America presented Red Event, its third annual Lunar New Year celebration, at the Downtown Grand. The evening started with Absolut Elyx cocktails at the Art Bar, followed by dinner and an awards ceremony. Ivan Choi, AREAA’s national chairman, and Randy Char, senior vice president of One Queensridge Place and president of AREAA Las Vegas, honored the country’s top 10 Asian real estate practitioners. The festivities concluded with a nightcap and a performance by the Jeremy Cornwell Project at the Mob Bar. Proceeds from the event went to typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines.

Fraser Almeida, Dominic Richards, Veronica Fraguso, Craig Tann, and Kamran Zand

2/11/14 3:38 PM

MACY’S MEN’S STORE NOW OPEN

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INVITED

Malcolm Hoenlein and Marla Letizia

Stephen Haberkorn and Tammy Holt

Emina Cunmulaj, Karin Sporn, and Abbie Friedman

The Jewish Federation Major Donors

The Jewish Federation held its annual reception for major donors at the home of Sam Nazarian and Emina Cunmulaj. More than 100 federation supporters attended. David Stone, the organization’s board chairman, and Marla Letizia, its campaign chair, reported on the Jewish Federation’s achievements last year and detailed the goals for this year’s fundraising drive. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, representing the wide spectrum of Jewish life in America, was the keynote speaker.

Ben Brody, Rob Wilner, and Marni Unger with Amanda and Donny Perach

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NORM BLINDER

Art Marshall, Bonnie Saunders, and Elliot Karp

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1/16/14 2:46 PM 1/16/14 2:24 PM

T he List spring 2014

50

Lola Archuleta

Luke Bryan

Susan Feniger

Harinder Atwal

An Zhao

Barry Dakake

Jennifer Lynn

Brittany Thomson

David Walzog

Miley Cyrus

John Caparella

Elizabeth Blau

Lady Antebellum

Steven Kennedy

Bradley Ogden

Tony Gemignani

Michael Greco

Shirley Chung

Jared Rapier

Gary Selesner

Bobby Flay

Ken Tangen

Elton John

Thomas Keller

Nelson De La Nuez

Max Jacobson

Hubert Keller

J.R. Starkus

Rémon Boulerice

John Legend

Sonia Castineiras

Rick Moonen

Derek Stevens

Camille Fagan

Mark Glyman

Neil Patrick Harris

Sergio Andrade

Francesco Lafranconi

David Burtka

Amit Dev Handa

Myron Martin

Saipin Chutima

Carolina Delgado

Grant MacPherson

Luciano Pellegrini

Rob Thomas

Kim Canteenwalla

Vincent Pilon

Blake Shelton

Mary Sue Milliken

Pino Posteraro

vegasmagazine.com

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2/10/14 4:57 PM

1 THE MIRAGE HOTEL & CASINO

3400 LAS VEGAS BLVD. S., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109 | (702) 791-7111

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1/28/14 11:47 AM

Superlatives PEOPLE, CULTURE, TASTE, TREASURES

Perhaps this is what global domination looks like in Sami Ladeki’s mind.

POWER STRIP

Fire Starter PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE

SAMI LADEKI IS BUILDING AN EMPIRE THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY—ONE PEOPLE-PLEASING RESTAURANT AT A TIME. BY CASEY BRENNAN

W

hen Sami Ladeki opened his first restaurant, he didn’t even hire a chef.

“I served items that didn’t require anyone with a lot of culinary knowledge,” Ladeki confesses. “The menu was made up of all really simple dishes, things that were easy to make.”

His no-frills approach paid off. Ladeki Restaurant Group now owns and operates 21 Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill locations throughout Southern California and Nevada (two of them at airports, LAX and McCarran), as well as his latest venture, Sammy’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill, which opened in Henderson in September.

“Sometimes ignorance is bliss,” he says, chuckling.

While he admits he lacked serious culinary chops, Ladeki was far from inexperienced. Prior to opening the first Sammy’s, in La Jolla, California, in 1989, he had a successful career in hospitality. Born in Lebanon, he attended hotel and restaurant management school in Germany, where he was recruited by the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. After military service, feeding troops in Louisiana during the Vietnam War, he returned to the hotel and stayed until 1976, leaving to become the food and beverage manager at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. continued on page 56

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The original Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza location, in La Jolla, California, in 1989.

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VIEW FROM THE TOP Sami Ladeki’s inclinations and inspirations. *healthy habits “I’m at the restaurants so often that it’s important for me to eat healthy, mostly protein and greens. One day I’ll have a steak or chicken with sauce on the side, the next day it’s a salad with chicken or a bowl of white beans that the chef prepares for me. They are delicious!”

*savvy investor “I bought the land and building for the new location of Sammy’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill just like I had done with the first Las Vegas location.

It just made sense for the business.

These are also the only two locations that also have gaming.”

*asian influence Adding to his international portfolio, Ladeki also owns Roppongi Restaurant & Sushi Bar, a Japanese fine-dining restaurant in La Jolla.

“Roppongi is a completely different concept for us.”

*love affair “I have always loved Las Vegas. I practically live at the Bellagio, Wynn, and Encore. You can get anything you want, anytime. There is so much luxury. The most amazing shows, the best steak, the best Chinese food—it’s like Disneyland for adults!”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY MARX (LEACH)

continued from page 55 “Las Vegas was a very different place back then,” Ladeki says. “There were only about 150,000 people living in the city, and not much beyond the Strip except for desert.”

He departed Caesars to join the Princess Hotel in Bermuda but admits that he was “growing tired of the pressure of working for big companies and wanted to open something of my own.”

Financing his first restaurant himself and putting in long hours, Ladeki offered something new and innovative to the food scene around San Diego at the time: pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven. “I didn’t have anyone as a partner, and I barely had any savings, so I took out a Small Business Administration loan for $300,000,” he says. “I built out everything on my own. It was all homemade. I used booths that I sanded down and painted myself.” The first Sammy’s was an instant success—it took less than three months to pay off the loan—and additional locations throughout Southern California soon followed.

“For the second location, in Del Mar, the owner of the original location wanted to have a Sammy’s as the anchor, so they built it for me,” he says. “It was the same with the third location: I paid for the equipment and furniture, but the developer paid for everything else.”

In 1997, Ladeki brought his popular pizza concept to Las Vegas with a location on West Sahara, and later in Centennial Hills, on South Rainbow, and on West Flamingo.

And as the brand expanded, so did the menu, with the addition of small plates like chicken lettuce cups, crab and shrimp dip, and hummus—a Ladeki family recipe.

“People started making meals out of the tapas,” he says. “Over the years, I watched people getting healthier and make better choices about what they eat. We now sell more salad than pizza.”

For his part, Ladeki uses only the freshest local (“125 miles or less”) products at all of his restaurants. “No hormones, all natural, and organic when possible,” he insists.

With the opening of the breezily upscale new 8,000-squarefoot Sammy’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill, devoted customers now have even more choices, including a 10-ounce New York steak, a tender lamb shank, and shrimp with organic grits.

“I wanted the menu here to be bigger and better,” Ladeki explains. “This will be the Sammy’s prototype going forward. People’s eating habits are changing, and we’re changing with them.”

But the food isn’t the only draw at the Henderson location; it also features live entertainment, creative cocktails like the orange mojito and the Pear Persuasion, a strong craft beer menu, and a gaming tavern.

“We have a lively bar area, and the atrium is just stunning,” he says of the more than 3,000-square-foot “living room,” complete with oversized furniture and floor-to-ceiling winRobin Leach joined Ladeki to celebrate dows. “People love sitting in that room.” Ladeki included. “I eat about four lunches the opening of the and four dinners a week here. My wife and I are always inviting people to join us.”

Henderson location last September.

He hints that you’ll be seeing more of him soon; Ladeki has his eye on Summerlin, Downtown, and the Strip.

“I’d like to do a Sammy’s pizzeria, or a Sammy’s salad bar,” he says. “I want to make it easy for people to come and get a delicious lunch or dinner with no hassle.” Whatever he decides to do next, what’s certain is that the expansion will continue in the Ladeki way.

“The best partner is the bank: They give you the money but don’t tell you how to run your business. I have had great experiences with banks. I wanted to do it my way.” Sammy’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill, 1501 N. Green Valley Pkwy., Henderson, 702-567-4000; sammysgreenvalley.com V

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F O R T I C K E T S , P L E A S E V I S I T A N Y V E N E T I A N O R PA L A Z Z O T I C K E T O F F I C E O R C A L L 8 6 6 . 6 4 1 . 74 6 9 W W W. V E N E T I A N . C O M

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DESERT PATROL In the new Downtown boutique where she holds court, Sarah Nisperos is fashioning a lively social scene.

tionally to attract people who want to hang out and add something to the conversation. The selling of designer jeans, she figures, will take care of itself. Hence, iPhone chargers in the back and a big ottoman right in the center of things.

The first time I visited the store, I noticed a security guard and wondered why Nisperos needed him. It turns out she didn’t. It was the height of summer and he was there to soak up the air-conditioning. “Bars are all about people hanging out,” she says. “Why can’t a clothing store be the same thing?”

Considering her background—a general Favorite local manager, buyer, and innovative store opener band: “Imagine for Marc Jacobs who became a yogawear Dragons, of designer and launched Coterie at the request of course—my boyfriend’s brother her longtime buddy Tony Hsieh—it would be a is in the group. I just mug’s game to bet against her. Sharing Hsieh’s saw them at the desire to build community, Nisperos has turned Hard Rock and they her store into something of a salon where stylwere amazing.” ish, hard-to-find designer garments just happen Favorite kidto be available for purchase. With impeccable friendly place: “Sky Zone. It’s wall-totaste, she stocks elite brands like UNIF (“which wall trampolines has a huge cult following,” she says), Skingraft, and no floor. I Jean Shop, and Iron Fist (“That one reflects the want to do a staff 1990s but hits the 20s and 30s demographic meeting there.” that follows clothing in social media”).

Despite her acumen as a tastemaker, however, investors questioned Nisperos’s decision to create a hangout space and to keep the old CHECKS CASHED sign (now hung upside down) rather than put up a neon COTERIE sign. It was hard to grasp how she would generate money with a business plan that involved people lounging. But instead of ROI, she says, “it generates ROC: return on community. Eventually that becomes return on investment.”

Nisperos intends to expand the store into Coterie’s back room, recently vacated by Downtown Project employees.

One idea is to turn it into a “denim bar,” a members-only club with single-malt Scotch, fashion symposia, a humidor built into what was once a vault, and a program in which members earn points by, yes, hanging out. For now, though, she’s cultivating a vibe while developing a following among Downtown’s thinkers and talkers. “During the best days, the store is a party,” she says. “Everyone we know is in here. They’re eating, working, dancing, trying on clothing. They feel like they have a sense of emotional ownership. They open boxes and even help sell stuff. We don’t have mirrors in the dressing rooms, so you have to come out and show everyone what you’re trying on.”

The community feeling clearly jibes with Hsieh’s mandate, but Nisperos—who knew how to draw a crowd for Marc Jacobs—believes her idea has legs. “It was scary at first,” she says of implementing her “social sales” paradigm. “But now I think every store should do it.” 515 Fremont St., 702-350-2939; coteriedowntown.com V

Fashion’s Happy Hours RETAILER AND SALONNIÈRE SARAH NISPEROS IS CULTIVATING CONVERSATION AND STYLE IN HER NEW-ERA SHOP, COTERIE. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN

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he retail gods have smiled upon Sarah Nisperos—even as colleagues and competitors may laugh at the petite, feisty, tirelessly upbeat fashionista’s approach to business. While other stores aim to move product, Nisperos has turned her Downtown shop, Coterie, into a nonstop fashion party—pushy salespeople be damned. Her delightfully cluttered store—with cool magazines up front, loads of compelling threads on the racks, and work from local artists dominating the walls—is designed inten-

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INSIGHT

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SOME WOMEN WOULD RATHER BE ON THE RANGE THAN STANDING BEHIND ONE.

ASPEN

LAS VEGAS

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Photography by David Stoecklein

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NATIVE

LEFT: Carrie Carter-Henderson.

BELOW: Built in a former

“I “The Energy Here Thrills Me.” FOR PHILANTHROPIST AND FASHIONISTA CARRIE CARTERHENDERSON, DOWNTOWN IS THE HEART OF THE GROWING ARTS MOVEMENT IN VEGAS.

BY ELENA JACOB

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believe that Las Vegas is truly the greatest land of opportunity in the world today,” says Nevada native Carrie CarterHenderson. “There is a strong community of entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and artists all working together to make the city a more vibrant, more fulfilling place to live.” And Carter-Henderson is one of them.

Her career has taken her all over the world.

She attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, worked in Seoul as part of the Olympic productions team, and modeled for the world’s top designers before launching her own business back home, BESTAgency. The creative agency is one of the largest in Las Vegas, working with hotels, clubs, and shopping centers and employing more than 250 people locally. Carter-Henderson is also a founding member and board member of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy and a board member of Downtown’s DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM.

“On my daughter Paige’s first visit to Discovery, there was this wind tunnel machine,” she says. “She would jump out, and her face would blow completely back…. It was like this belly laugh that you can’t duplicate.

When she outgrew the museum, I got even more involved. I was asked to produce their Teddy Bear Tea and Fashion Show, which was a terrific event for families, with boutique fashions, high tea, and performances to benefit the museum. After I did that, they invited me to join the board. Then the museum got the incredible opportunity of moving to Symphony Park, and we launched into fundraising the $50 million for the new location, $43 million of which came from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. It supports so many things— education and families coming together—and it celebrates the kid in all of us.”

With all of the revitalization happening there, Carter-Henderson saw Downtown as the right continued on page 62

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATHAN COOPER (CARTER-HENDERSON); COURTESY OF INSPIRE THEATER (INSPIRE)

7-Eleven, Inspire Theater also features a rooftop bar.

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LEFT: The walkway at La Comida, a Mexican

restaurant opened last year by Michael Morton.

BELOW: The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

SERVICE INFOTK

CarterHenderson with her daughter, Paige.

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Carrie Carter-Henderson’s favorite spots.

COTERIE Thai place (“One of their dishes is called Awesome Noodles—and they are!”); or the steakhouse OSCAR’S (“Many swear it’s the best steakhouse in Vegas”).

“There’s this explosion of culture around places like the Arts District and Fremont Street,” she says, calling INSPIRE THEATER, a venue created for $5.5 million in a former 7-Eleven, “a great new addition. And I love to see the groundswell of entrepreneurial activity, with dozens of new independently owned businesses. The fashion boutique COTERIE is one of my favorites. It’s filled with little treasures. And I’m so inspired by what’s happening at STITCH FACTORY,” a collaborative studio of designers, models, photographers, and buyers that provides designers with professional work space and business mentorship.

“This city offers me the opportunities to fulfill some of my life’s objectives,” CarterHenderson says. “Giving back, making a difference, leaving a legacy, and being the best example that I can be for my daughter.” V

515 Fremont St., 702-350-2939

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INSPIRE THEATER 501 Fremont St., 702-489-9110

LA COMIDA 100 Sixth St., 702-463-9900

LE THAI 523 Fremont St., 702-778-0888

OSCAR’S 1 Main St. (in the Plaza Hotel & Casino), 702-386-7227

STITCH FACTORY 300 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Ste. 120, 702-476-5552

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY METELLUS (WITH PAIGE); DENISE TRUSCELLO (LA COMIDA); COURTESY OF THE SMITH CENTER (SMITH CENTER)

continued from page 60 place to debut her latest endeavor, the Las Vegas Fashion Council, dedicated to nurturing developing designers and establishing Vegas as a world player in the fashion industry, while helping to diversify the local economy.

“Years ago, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time downtown,” she says. “Although anyone who grew up here will remember going to BINION’S HORSESHOE to get your picture taken with a million dollars inside a plexiglass box. I’m inspired by all of the activity happening now. I love to push myself and look toward the future to see what is possible, and the energy I see downtown—the emphasis on redevelopment, fostering small businesses, and nurturing the growing arts and design scene—thrills me.”

Taking full advantage of this growing arts scene, Carter-Henderson and her fiancé, Phil Cooper, hold season passes for the Broadway series at the SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS and attend the center’s Cabaret Jazz performances regularly.

Afterward, the couple enjoys dinner at LA COMIDA (“a lively, casual Mexican eatery with great margaritas”); LE THAI, a laid-back

CARRIE’S DOWNTOWN

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THOUGHT LEADER

At first Doug McPhail (LEFT) thought the whole project was insane; now he’s running it.

BELOW: Container Park’s entrance.

Self Contained AMID A PILE OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS, DOUG MCPHAIL IS BUILDING A RETAIL AND COMMUNITY INCUBATOR, AND ENVISIONING A DYNAMIC NEW DOWNTOWN.

BY JAY JOHNSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM DECKER

W

hen Doug McPhail first heard about Downtown Container Park, the Tony Hsieh – backed venture was still in the planning stages. McPhail took a phone call from longtime colleague Michael Downs, who had been vice president of operations for Bellagio before giving up that post to work with Hsieh as Downtown Project’s executive vice president of operations. As Downs described his new job and the amorphous enterprise in front of him, McPhail says, “I doubted his sanity.”

That was one year ago. Today the dapperly dressed McPhail serves as operations director for Container Park, which opened in late November and is emerging as a hot destination for boutique shopping, dining, and hanging out. There are free concerts every day, the playground includes a tree-house slide,

within two weeks of opening. “I did a lot of networking, trolled the Downtown farmers market, spoke to vendors at First Friday,” the Downtown community arts event. “The whole enterprise has just been so harmonious.”

In fact, several of Container Park’s 38 tenants, including the frozen dessert specialist ChillSpot and the fashion boutique 702dtlv, were scooped up from their First Friday booths. “I shared my enthusiasm and optimism with them,” McPhail says. “But we all know that nothing in life comes without risk.

—DOUG MCPHAIL What I could guarantee was that we had a deep brain trust here and quality people also gives locals and tourists a good reason to who had been through serious ventures.” He added value by offering good terms and short stay in the area.

“Families come here with their children, and leases to tenants, many of whom were opening we provide the toys,” says McPhail, who received their first brick-and-mortar stores. more than 100 requests for operator licenses continued on page 66

and visitors are greeted by a statue of a flamethrowing praying mantis. Stroller walkways and free art classes are under consideration.

Container Park serves several functions. It gives Downtown a centerpiece, providing people with a reason to walk in a city that’s not always considered pedestrian-friendly, and it brings greenery to the urban environment. It

“I could guarantee that we had a deep brain trust here.”

64 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

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THOUGHT LEADER

continued from page 64 Still, as McPhail makes clear, Container Park is not for everyone. It’s imperative that a retailer own and operate his or her business, have an entrepreneurial spirit, and “dream big,” he says.

“Triumph of the City by Edward Glaeser is a book that has influenced me. It’s about the modern city and the value of urban living when done right. It’s had some influence on the Downtown Project.” He and Hsieh want Container Park to be “a place for people to launch their entrepreneurial dreams in a significant but low-risk situation,” McPhail says.

But this isn’t only an experiment for merchants. It’s also a test to see whether an attractive retail environment can be built inexpensively and sustainably. The containers—which house

66

Constructed like a gigantic Erector Set, Container Park is a modular collection of stylish shops and cool restaurants, like Pork & Beans, run by Hell’s Kitchen’s Nona Sivley.

stores, restaurants, bars, staircases, even an elevator—have all been repurposed, contributing to the spirit of this unique place, an important step in Downtown’s evolution. Airconditioned and surprisingly solid, the structures encircle a playground and a grassy hangout space that put the “park” in Container Park, a component that’s just as important as the money-generating retail, says McPhail. “My view of the Container Park project is that every community needs a place to congregate, dine, be entertained, or just be. In Downtown Las Vegas, this is it. People come here and they have grins on their faces.”

That was clearly the case for a supplier who visited Vegas to meet with McPhail and wanted to see Container Park in action. Compared to the grit of Downtown, the place seemed magical to him. “I feel like I’m on something,” the guy told McPhail as he took in the park, the kids and parents, the happy vibe all around. “I feel like you gave me some kind of a drug.”

McPhail can relate. He says his work on Container Park and Downtown Project has been a mind-altering experience. “The best career advice I’ve been given is ‘When you work for somebody, exceed every expectation and seek for the company to be more dependent on you than you are on it.’ People go through their careers and they wonder Outside what the purpose is. Is it only Container Park’s front about having a better quarter entrance, a flame-throwing than the last one? Then you praying mantis come here and have an heralds the opportunity to do something wonders within. truly useful.” V

WELLCONTAINED Just a sampling of our favorite out-of-the-box vendors at Container Park.

Alios features a curated selection of lamps and light fixtures in monthly themed exhibits. alios.com Art Box sells handmade items from Las Vegas artists, including jewelry, art glass, kids’ clothing, knitted and crocheted wear, and more. artboxdesigns.com LVCK by Vegas Apparel is a streetwearmeets-sportswear boutique, with caps, graphic tees, and casual pieces. lvck.lv Pork & Beans, offering a “fine swine” menu by Kerry Simon, is brought to you by Downtown Cocktail Room’s Michael Cornthwaite and run by past Hell’s Kitchen winner Nona Sivley.

Trikke Las Vegas rents three-wheeled scooters hourly and daily. It also offers guided tours, and sales—in case you get hooked. trikkelasvegas.com

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SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

Throwing More Shade KNOWING THAT VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFTEN WON’T LEAVE THEIR PETS BEHIND, STACI COLUMBO ALONSO CREATED A PLACE FOR ANIMALS AND THEIR OWNERS TO HEAL TOGETHER. BY CINDY GABER

A

Staci Columbo Alonso and her son, Noah, outside the animal shelter that bears his name.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY CAMERON

t a whopping two pounds, a teacupsized Chihuahua named Gizmo isn’t your typical guard dog. But when he saw the man of the house abusing his owner, the mighty little pooch leapt into action. The dog got between a woman and a punch headed her way, taking the blow himself. “The abuser threw this poor little dog against the wall, injuring his back, and then stuck the dog in a freezer,” says Staci Columbo Alonso. “It was horrific.”

Amazingly, the story has a happy ending.

The woman and the dog fled to Noah’s Animal House, a division of The Shade Tree, a shelter for women and children. While many shelters don’t accept pets, Noah’s Animal House—Alonso’s brainchild—fosters them while their owners seek The Shade Tree’s help. “Most women won’t leave the abusive situation because they know if the pets are left behind, they’ll be abused or killed,” says Alonso. She is happy to report that Gizmo and his human mom, who both received much-needed care at the adjacent shelters, are doing well today.

A 25-year veteran of the gaming industry and a Philadelphia native who moved to Vegas in the early ’90s, Alonso is the chief marketing officer of Station Casinos. But the story of Noah’s Animal House is more personal for her than you might expect. “I grew up when domestic violence was a behind-the-door conversation,” she continued on page 70

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SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

Charity Regist er OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE.

—STACI COLUMBO ALONSO continued from page 68 says. “Most people don’t realize it happens at so many different levels, including income levels and various professions.” She was three months pregnant with her son and serving on the board of The Shade Tree when the boy’s father took his own life. “I relied so much on my two dogs to get me through my pregnancy,” Alonso says of her other “babies,” Tahoe and Philly.

TOP: Staci and Noah greet a new client. ABOVE: Pets “One day, I asked the executive director of The are often abused along Shade Tree, ‘What do we do when a woman shows with their owners; now they can find shelter in up with pets?’” The answer: They were turned facilities side by side. away. “It hit me hard,” Alonso says. “I wouldn’t have healed the way I did if I hadn’t had these two great rescue dogs who were so happy to see me each time I walked into the house. I said, ‘How can we expect women to go into a shelter without the support a pet brings? We need to change that.’”

With no full-service kennel on the grounds of a domestic-violence shelter to serve as a model, Alonso set to work designing Noah’s Animal House in 2006. Once she got started, support began pouring in from the Las Vegas community. Funding has come completely from private donations, including a gift of $1 million. “Women and children can take their pets and sit in a normal living-room environment to spend quality cuddle time,” she explains. Noah’s cares for the pets until the women can live independently again; very few pets are ever left behind. Alonso’s dream is to open additional Noah’s centers at other domestic-violence shelters. “I don’t want to hear any more stories about women who had to leave their beloved pet behind, only to hear, ‘If you leave, I’ll kill the dog.’ That needs to be a thing of the past.”

And she isn’t alone in her quest. “I think the true mark of success of Noah’s is that several women who were clients are now volunteers,” she says. “They have new homes now—for both them and their pets—and they want to give back.”

The seventh annual five-kilometer Walk of Hope, a fundraiser for The Shade Tree and Noah’s Animal House, takes place April 26 at Craig Ranch Regional Park. All are welcome, pets included. noahsanimalhouse.org; theshadetree.org V

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STRIP ON THE STRIP

Event: Debuting this year, Strip on the Strip is a five-kilometer run and one-mile walk to raise funds and collect clothing for U.S. Vets–Las Vegas. Participants can donate a piece of clothing at each station throughout the course or all at once in the bags provided before the start of the race.

Details: March 1, Sport Center of Las Vegas; striponthestrip.com

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER GALA

Event: The Las Vegas Philharmonic, along with presenting sponsor Graff Diamonds, will honor Siegfried & Roy (PICTURED) at the 15th annual Diamonds Are Forever Gala, featuring cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions, and special performances by members of the orchestra.

Details: March 1, Aria Resort & Casino; lvphil.org

PAINT THE TOWN RED GALA

Event: The Paint the Town Red Gala is the largest annual fundraiser benefiting the community-based programs of the Junior League of Las Vegas. This year the JLLV will honor Nancy Gasho-Fromm with its Lifetime Achievement Award and Jim Rogers with the Florence Lee Jones Humanitarian Award.

Details: March 8, Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa; jllv.org

KEEP MEMORY ALIVE’S POWER OF LOVE GALA

Event: Celebrity chefs, master sommeliers, and A-list headliners will converge at the sixth annual Power of Love Gala, a fundraiser for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Previous chefs have included Thomas Keller, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck, and the headliners have included Michael Bublé, CeeLo Green, Enrique Iglesias, and Lenny Kravitz.

This year’s event honors Gloria and Emilio Estefan (PICTURED).

Details: April 26, MGM Grand Garden Arena; keepmemoryalive.org

BEST IN SHOW

Event: The Animal Foundation’s 11th annual fundraiser features 50 spunky shelter dogs competing for the title of “best in show.” The event starts with a VIP brunch and silent auction, and all the dogs are available for adoption after the show.

Details: April 27, Orleans Arena; animalfoundation.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALF JUERGENS/GETTY IMAGES (SIEGFRIED); VALERIE MACON/GETTY IMAGES FOR NCLR (ESTEFAN)

“I wouldn’t have healed the way I did without these two great dogs.”

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Culture

HOTTEST TICKET

Saddle Up

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the charity ACM Lifting Lives, anthemic romancer Keith Urban will be joined by Joe Nichols, Jerrod Niemann, and Chris Young.

The party builds to Sunday night, when the ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with the ACM Fan Jam going on simultaneously at Mandalay Bay Events Center. If it’s not obvious from the name, the Fan Jam is a tricked-out viewing party: After the awards and other special live performances unfold on-screen, the party-stoking host duo, Florida Georgia Line—whose hit “Cruise” was recently certified country’s top-selling digital song of all time—will play in person.

With the ACM Awards rapidly approaching the 50-year mark, it’s easy to forget that the Academy of Country Music began as an underdog. The country performers of Nashville had the Country Music Association in their corner, and overlooked West Coast acts—like Bakersfield, California, scene-makers Buck Owens and Merle Haggard—decided they needed an organization of their own.

Nowadays, country music’s regional idiosyncrasies have mostly faded, with radio playlists all over the nation rotating through the same acts and

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

T

he shock that anyone might have felt in seeing how well country music plays in Las Vegas has long since worn off. When the Entertainment Capital of the World hosts what is arguably the most mainstream of all American popular music, the only question is one of scale: How big can the party get?

Residencies by country institutions like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have already settled in among the Strip’s premier musical productions. Last year marked a decade since the Academy of Country Music moved its annual awards show to Vegas from Los Angeles, and what was once a one-night event has expanded into a marathon blowout officially billed “The Week Vegas Goes Country.”

This year the transformation happens the first week of April, starting with the two-day, outdoor ACM Party for a Cause Festival, the inaugural event for the brand-new, open-air shop-and-play district the Linq. At Friday’s Outnumber Hunger Live! concert, the main stage will welcome the country-pop power trio Rascal Flatts and up-and-comers Thomas Rhett and The Cadillac Three, while at Saturday’s event, presented by

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

VEGAS GOES COUNTRY THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL FOR THE ANNUAL ACM AWARDS. BY JEWLY HIGHT

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton performed at last year’s ACM Awards (alongside Brad Paisley and Sheryl Crow), and the country cutups will host again this year.

many of the genre’s biggest stars capturing top honors at both the CMAs and the ACMs. But there are still things that set the Vegas festivities apart, such as the important fan vote in the ACM categories of entertainer of the year and new artist of the year.

And then there’s the sheer number of trophies handed out. “One big thing the ACMs have going for them is that they have more categories, specifically in regard to new acts,” says Brian Mansfield, USA Today’s Nashville correspondent and an old hand at covering country awards shows. “Because the ACMs split new artists into three categories—male vocalist, female vocalist, and duo or group of the year—before awarding an overall new artist of the year award, artists often win their first major award from the ACMs.” Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, who return as the show’s cohosts this year, happen to be tied at four ACMs apiece, counting Shelton’s Gene Weed Special Achievement Award for his coaching role on NBC’s The Voice.

Besides that, “They’re good friends with a natural chemistry that comes across on camera,” says ACM Awards producer Barry Adelman. “The audience senses they really like each other, so they can get away with saying anything to each other… and it makes for really funny exchanges.”

Right out of the gate last year, Shelton gave a shoutout to Sherwin Williams “for spray-paintin’ Luke’s jeans on tonight.”

Considering that Bryan held a press conference this January announcing that he has graduated to playing NFL stadiums and major-market arenas, and that Shelton has spent five seasons on one of prime-time TV’s most watched reality shows, these two reigning country music chart-toppers have just about the highest profiles possible. And for a celebration in Vegas of the genre’s greatest, bigger is definitely better. Tickets to the second annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, on April 4 and 5 at the Linq, are available at ticket master.com; tickets to the April 6 awards show are sold at acmawards.com. V

What was once a one-night event has expanded into a weeklong marathon blowout.

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HOTTEST TICKET

How Vegas Does Shakespeare TELLER REIMAGINES THE TEMPEST AS A MAGIC SHOW IN A WORLD-PREMIERE PRODUCTION AT THE SMITH CENTER THIS SPRING. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

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action. Prospero uses illusions to make his enemies see their own evil, with assistance from a magical spirit.

“Other productions of The Tempest don’t take the magical components seriously,” Teller says. “[We thought to] really use magic to show the audience how disturbing these illusions would have been to these characters.”

The production also borrows design elements from the Dust Bowl era. Caliban is based on the sideshow freaks of roving carnivals in the 1930s, and the show itself takes place in a 500-person tent. Teller explains that they’re trying to keep the production “humble but still amazing. The magic tricks represent the invisible TOP: The set of The Tempest, workings of the supernatural world that the characters as magically reimagined by Teller (ABOVE). see. We’re seeing behind the supernatural curtain.”

Teller and Posner have brought together an astounding amount of talent for this show. The choreography is by the acclaimed, inventive dance troupe Pilobolus. Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, have opened a large portion of their song catalogue for use in the production. And the creative team includes a Tony Award– winning costume designer, a magic craftsman who has built for Cirque du Soleil, and a percussionist whose handmade instruments have been shown in art museums.

The Tempest is the first world premiere for the Smith Center, which Teller calls “the most well-thought-out arts center in the country…. It will drive you crazy, it’s so brilliantly done.” The Tempest runs April 6–20 at Symphony Park. 702-749-2000; thesmithcenter.com V PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE SMITH CENTER

“V

egas is the magic capital of the world by anyone’s standards,” says Teller, the not-silent-offstage half of the celebrated magic duo Penn & Teller. And if “We are such stuff as dreams are made on,” as the magician Prospero states in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, then Vegas is where magic makes those dreams real.

The Tempest has the usual elements of Shakespearean drama—romance, rivalry, retribution, redemption—but one component never gets top billing, despite being the primary force driving the plot: magic. Enter Teller.

Coproduced by the Smith Center and Cambridge, Massachusetts’s American Repertory Theater, Teller’s fantastical reimagining of The Tempest debuts April 6 at Symphony Park. For this show, he has teamed up again with esteemed theater director Aaron Posner. The two previously worked together on a 2008 production of Macbeth, which they staged as a supernatural horror thriller, using magic to allow the audience inside the minds of the Macbeths and to become part of their hallucinations.

Teller was inspired to rework The Tempest while reading a biography of magician Harry Willard, known as “Willard the Wizard,” who toured Texas and nearby states during the Great Depression with his daughter, a circus caravan, and a 2,000-person tent. So what does that have to do with Shakespeare’s exiled Milanese duke? “This tent kind of felt like an island,” says Teller, “kind of like Prospero on the island with his daughter.”

The Tempest opens with the title storm, conjured by Prospero to seek vengeance against those who exiled him. In addition to his daughter and the shipwrecked aristocrats, the island is filled with phantoms and sprites, as well as a dead witch and her monster son, Caliban, who drive much of the

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THIS ISSUE: IT RESTAURANTS

Lunch on the Links

Country Club patio seating offers a prime view of the Wynn Golf Course— the only links attached to a resort on the Strip.

WHEN THE POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS, AND FASHION SETTERS NEED TO ESCAPE THE CITY’S MADDING CROWDS, THEY SEEK HAVEN AT THE COUNTRY CLUB AT WYNN.

BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

T

he Strip offers no shortage of restaurants that might appeal to a privacy-seeking power player—although at most Vegas gathering places, conspicuous consumption is the whole point.

But when one of the world’s elite discovers a personal haven, it’s almost as if a subliminal bell signals to the rest that it’s safe to follow.

And for the past eight years, that place has been the Country Club at Wynn. Among the people

we’ve personally seen there (the club doesn’t serve and tell) are Tyra Banks, retired major league pitcher Mike Maddux, Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, and Henry Kissinger.

“If you go in for breakfast or lunch on any given day, who you will see in that room is amazing,” says Todd-Avery Lenahan of TAL Studio, who designed the space. “Academy Award winners, past presidents, Nobel Prize recipients... everyone goes there.”

Part of what makes the Country Club the choice of power brokers, fashion royalty, media moguls, and Hollywood celebrities is the cachet that comes from the 40 stars accumulated by Wynn Resorts’ collection of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star properties (more than any independent hotel company in the world). Says Carlos Guía, the Country Club’s executive chef, “There is a certain expectation that comes with that.” continued on page 78

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TASTE

A classic Creole dessert—or breakfast: beignets and café au lait.

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER

ABOVE: The interior was modeled after private East Coast country clubs, but here everyone is welcome. LEFT: Executive Chef Carlos Guía brings a touch of New Orleans to the menu.

continued from page 77 It also helps that the club is located at the end of a relatively isolated hallway.

The crowds thin the farther you walk, past The Buffet, the Terrace Pointe Café, and a smattering of luxury retailers. “It’s always been a hidden gem, but intentionally so,” says Lenahan. “And because of that, it gets these A-list power players. It’s the only place you can go and not be seen.”

Inside, you’re immediately transported. You are no longer on the Las Vegas Strip. You are now at the unofficial 19th hole of the Golf Club at Wynn, a par-70, Tom Fazio – designed course that’s also a designated wildlife habitat and environmental sanctuary. The Country Club overlooks the lush greenery, cascading waterfalls, and sparkling ponds of the course, the only one attached to a resort on the Strip.

The interior design recalls that of the most traditional, private East Coast country clubs, complete with wall-to-wall wainscoting and carpeting reminiscent of Burberry’s classic plaids. “It will probably be the one place in the entire hotel that never gets remodeled,” says Lenahan. Steve Wynn himself has said it’s his favorite place to sit in the entire property.

It feels like the epitome of exclusivity. Except it isn’t. Both the Country Club and the Wynn Golf Club are open to the public. “If you want to come here, you can,” Guía says. “We treat everyone the same. Everyone gets the same level of service.” And that service is consistently fastidious.

In keeping with the design of traditional New England country clubs, Guía’s menu offers elevated country club classics—steaks, seafood, even burgers and hot dogs. The French dip, for instance, utilizes shaved prime

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For a city that treats cultural appropriation as a form of authenticity, Las Vegas has surprisingly few places that offer genuine Creole cuisine. Enter Carlos Guía, a former New Orleans resident and a past commander of the Big Easy institution Commander’s Palace. Guía has infused the Country Club’s menu with touches of New Orleans's culinary traditions. Not enough to make it a full-fledged Creole restaurant, but enough for diners to notice: Chef Carlos’s Gumbo and the shrimp and grits are among the most popular dishes. And then there’s the Sunday Jazz Brunch, a $65 all-you-can-eat brunch featuring a live four-piece jazz band. And it’s not the esoteric, thinky jazz of Ivy Leaguers, either; it’s the loud and large jazz of big bands and Dixieland. The Jazz Brunch menu includes a long list of brunch favorites, made-to-order entrées from the regular brunch menu, and a multimeat carving station, including chile-rubbed turkey breast. But the highlight is Guía’s Creole cuisine: house-smoked andouille sausage, Creole spice–rubbed jumbo shrimp, seasonal oysters with New Orleans rémoulade sauce, and shrimp-, crawfish-, and andouille-studded gumbo.

rib and Gruyère, plus mustard aioli and both caramelized and crispy onions. Creamed spinach? Make that truffle creamed spinach. But the chef is also bringing a little taste of the bayou to his corner of the Strip.

Guía, who began his career at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, where presidential dinners were commonplace, remembers being particularly excited when Bono of U2 stopped in. That information took some prodding, however, because the real secret to the Country Club’s A-list appeal is the fact that no one talks about it. There are no tweets announcing which famous faces are currently dining, no Instagram pics of power players at their tables. While any high-end restaurant on the Strip could court the same clientele, it’s the sense of privacy that the Country Club maintains that makes it the choice of the world’s most powerful people.

Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3315; wynnlasvegas.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (DINING ROOM); SABIN ORR (GUÍA, BEIGNETS)

The good times roll when the Country Club serves the flavors of New Orleans.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

ABOVE LEFT: Honey Salt’s

The It Factor WHAT MAKES A LAS VEGAS RESTAURANT AN “IT” RESTAURANT? IT’S MORE THAN JUST THE FOOD.

BY SUSAN STAPLETON

I

n a town where competition for the favor of fickle diners means that restaurants often have shorter shelf lives than in any other city, becoming a culinary icon is no small feat.

Still, a few have managed to devise their own special algorithm for success. Call it the Vegas restaurant X factor.

Naturally, it doesn’t hurt to be helmed by a legend. A chef with name recognition like Puck, Batali, or Boulud is an attraction on his or her own. When the Michelin-starred Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn closed in 2010, it left a noticeable gap in the celebrity chef – driven culture of the Strip. Now the

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WHERE TO FIND “IT” B&B Burger & Beer Venetian, 702-414-

acclaimed French chef is returning with DB Brasserie, opening at Venetian this April, and he’s bringing what Sebastien Silvestri, Venetian’s vice president of food and beverage, says will be some of his time-honored specialties. “We want people to identify the food with what I am,” says Boulud. “I’m not a chef who needs to follow the trends.”

Part of that brand recognition, Silvestri explains, has to do with the ability of Boulud and other celebrity chefs to deliver a consistent meal regardless of where they land. “I’ve visited Mario Batali’s restaurants all around continued on page 82

2220; venetian.com The latest concept from Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich serves burgers made from USDA Prime Black Angus beef that’s ground fresh daily, plus American and imported craft beers.

B&B Ristorante Venetian, 702-266-9977; bandbristorante.com Italian marble, dark maple, and plush leather banquettes complement this fine-dining restaurant’s progressive Italian menu, featuring the largest selection of Italian wines in Vegas.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEMAL COUNTESS (BATALI); BILL MILNE (BURRATA); BARBARA KRAFT (BARTOLOTTA)

burrata draws guests back time and time again.

FAR RIGHT: Wynn’s newly redesigned Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare. RIGHT: Mario Batali puts the “It” in Italian.

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An extraordinary reflection of you.

Live high above The Strip and well beyond compare.

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This is neither an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of offers to buy, any condominium units in those states where such offers or solicitations cannot be made. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. This condominium project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or familial status. © 2014 CityCenter Land, LLC. The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas (The Residences) are not developed, sponsored, owned, offered or sold by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group or any affiliate thereof (MOHG) and MOHG makes no representation, warranty or guaranty of any kind regarding The Residences. The developers and owners of The Residences use the Mandarin Oriental name and trademarks subject to terms of revocable licenses from MOHG which may expire or be terminated.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Las Vegas’s first It chef, Wolfgang Puck, and his famous smoked salmon pizza at Spago.

barMASA Aria Resort & Casino, 877-2302742; arialasvegas.com Freshness and simplicity reign at barMASA, where chef Masa Takayama will not allow your bluefin

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tuna to be out of its Japanese coastal

changes each week by 765,000, one key to not becoming a flash in the pan is appealing to repeat visitors (aka the people who live here).

According to Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, best known for their Food Network cooking show and companion cookbook, Too Hot Tamales, locals are the Vegas holy grail.

The two are expanding their incredibly successful Border Grill concept—the restaurant has been operating in Mandalay Bay for 15 years now—with a second Vegas location this summer, at the Forum Shops. “Locals are always the people we want to blow away,” says Feniger. “We want them coming to our tequila dinners, our cooking classes. We always want people to know our team and feel like it’s a home away from home.”

Ten miles—but a world away—from the cutthroat competition of the Strip, Elizabeth Blau and her husband, chef K im Canteenwalla, have lived in their Summerlin neighborhood for 16 years, developing concepts for clients from Le Cirque to Light Group and operating Buddy V’s at Grand Canal Shoppes and Simon at Palms Place.

They opened their own popular local spot, continued on page 84

waters for more than 24 hours before it reaches your plate.

Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3305; wynnlasvegas.com Two-time James Beard Award–winning chef Paul Bartolotta specializes in fresh Mediterranean seafood, often serving up to 60 different species at any given time.

Border Grill Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7403; bordergrill.com Overlooking the Lazy River just off Mandalay Beach, this casual Mexican eatery serves traditional Mexican cuisine with a modern American twist.

Carnevino Palazzo, 702-789-4141; carnevino.com Indulge in plenty of meat and wine (as the name suggests) at this Batali/Bastianich restaurant, where the $150 five-course beef tasting menu is the highlight.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES (PUCK); JOHN ORMOND (PIZZA)

continued from page 80 the world,” Silvestri says. “I go to Hong Kong and order his extraordinary beef-cheek ravioli, and it is consistently executed with the same excellent ingredients everywhere you go.” That reliability is just part of a global branding effort by Batali, who owns four restaurants at Venetian and Palazzo with Joe Bastianich. “Essentially,” Batali says, “we have a series of one-offs, each of which has a different personality. Each has an edge that’s distinctly our own, which allows tourists and fans of my TV show The Chew to recognize our brand.”

If anyone knows about building a brand, it’s Wolfgang Puck, the chef who took a chance 21 years ago by opening Spago in a city accustomed to buffets and $6 prime-rib dinners. Since then, the world’s first true celebrity chef has created a global empire.

Fans can see him on television, eat his food at the airport, or buy it from the grocery store freezer section. While this culinary juggernaut recognizes the importance of brand identity, he also acknowledges that he had to hire the right people to replicate the impeccable standards behind the Puck name.

Of course, in a city whose population

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STYLE, TASTE AND VENICE ON A GRAND SCALE

160 SIGNATURE STORES. 36 WORLD CLASS RESTAURANTS. 1 UNIQUELY VENETIAN EXPERIENCE. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG TORY BURCH CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN JIMMY CHOO MICHAEL KORS BURBERRY BAUMAN RARE BOOKS TAO ASIAN BISTRO & NIGHTCLUB SUSHISAMBA CANALI CUT BY WOLFGANG PUCK EMERIL LAGASSE’S DELMONICO STEAKHOUSE

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

China Poblano Cosmopolitan, 702-6987900; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com Chef José Andrés presents this casual Chinese-meets-Mexican restaurant inside Cosmopolitan. It’s not fusion cuisine but a direct combination, with noodles and tacos inhabiting the same menu. é by José Andrés Cosmopolitan, ebyjoseandres.com Considered one of the most difficult tables to book in the world, é by José Andrés has only two seatings per night, with each serving just eight guests.

But what awaits them is the meal of a lifetime—often more than 20 courses.

Hakkasan MGM Grand, 702-891-7888; hakkasan.com/lasvegas The Chinese fine-dining restaurant that first rose to LEFT: Border Grill’s tacos are just part of why

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger’s modern Mexican restaurant is opening a second Vegas location this summer. ABOVE: Truffle ice cream with gold flakes at barMASA.

fame in London’s West End is now one of Vegas’s hottest restaurants and nightclubs.

Honey Salt 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-4456100; honeysalt.com Located in the upscale residential neighborhood of Summerlin about 20 minutes from the Strip, Honey

Change is an inevitable part of a restaurant’s life—particularly in food fashion – conscious Las Vegas. “To me, a great restaurant should be part comfort and part innovation,” says Puck. “It’s nice to find maybe Wiener schnitzel on the menu, but it’s also important to keep on reinventing and changing the menu.” Paul Bartolotta’s Mediterranean seafood favorite, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas, recently revealed a dramatic renovation, even though it had been performing spectacularly well. So why fix something that isn’t broken? “When you have a guy like Steve Wynn saying you need to keep it fresh,” says Bartolotta, “you remodel.”

Recognizing that diners also want some fun is the way to clinch success, says Silvestri, and he’s happy to give credit where it’s due.

As with nightlife, in which a venue like Hakkasan or Tao becomes a draw because people want to be surrounded by its glamorous clientele, diners simply want to be around others who are having fun. “It’s not one of our restaurants,” Silvestri says, “but you walk into José Andrés [in Cosmopolitan] and it’s fun, convivial, loud, and it tastes good.” A winning formula, indeed. V

Salt is a local favorite for its fresh, farm-totable menu and homey atmosphere.

Jaleo Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7950; jaleo.com Jaleo is the signature Spanish tapas restaurant from acclaimed chef José Andrés. He originated the concept in Washington, DC, and it has set the standard for Spanish restaurants in America for two decades.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria Venetian, 702-6773390; ottopizzeria.com This casual eatery from the Batali/Bastianich team features wood-fired pizzas, house-cured salumi, and an Enomatic wine system, so you can sample the extensive wine list by the ounce.

Spago The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-6300; wolfgangpuck.com Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant opened its Vegas location in 1992, and it’s considered the spark that ignited the city’s celebrity chef–driven culinary culture.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNA DOSCH (ICE CREAM); COURTESY OF BORDER GRILL (TACOS)

continued from page 82 Honey Salt, as a stand-in for entertaining at home. And if its affectionate moniker, “the Summerlin cafeteria,” is any gauge of success, they have achieved their goal. “It’s great to walk in on a Saturday night and see so many regulars, so many friends,” says Blau. One secret to Honey Salt’s success: It really does feel as you imagine their home would. Surrounded by wish-you-were-here photos from the couple’s trips to Cape Cod, guests dine on silken burrata with blood orange, basil, and balsamic (“Kim’s style,” according to the menu, features shaved bittersweet chocolate).

That dish is on its way to iconic status— another hallmark of success. As smart as it may be to expand for the masses, there is something to be said for creating an item that’s hard to duplicate at home. Dishes like these become part of the culinary world’s lexicon not just because they’re delicious (although that’s a prerequisite), but also because there’s simply no replicating Guy Savoy’s artichoke and black truff le soup, Joël Robuchon’s foie gras – stuffed quail and mashed potatoes, or Masa Takayama’s truffle ice cream with gold flakes at barMASA (welcome to Vegas).

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Taste of the Town

Fashionable Cocktails Spring ’14 trends don’t stop on the runway. by robert haynes-peterson

I

n Las Vegas, style extends even to the cocktail menu, with carefully made classic and original craft libations becoming de rigueur at every spot in town.

“The popularity of certain drinks can be attributed to popular culture—like Sex and the City and cosmos—and balanced taste,” says Tim Keller, beverage director at Tao Group. “Think sweet and sour, with flavors that linger on the palate in a pleasing way, such as mint, strawberries, coconut, and pineapple.” At Tao (Venetian, 702-388-8338; taolasvegas.com), you might opt for the Black Pearl (Hennessy Black, yuzu juice, agave nectar, and muddled blackberries), while Lavo (Palazzo, 702-791-1800; lavolv.com) has the new Menta julep, featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon, Fernet Branca, ginger beer, mint, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice.

Swimsuit season arrives early in Vegas, and bartenders are helping out with low-cal products—like the KGB at Red Square (Mandalay Bay, 702-693-8300; redsquarelasvegas.com), with Skinnygirl cucumber vodka, fresh cucumber and watermelon, and chili pepper—and by forsaking sugary mixers for fresh fruits and vegs. The Ignite Lounge at Monte Carlo (702-7307777; montecarlo.com) nails a number of hot trends with its Watermelon Sage Caipirinha, including muddled lime and watermelon (check), a fresh sage leaf (check), and Novo Fogo organic cachaça, a Brazilian rum–like spirit sure to see a bump when Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup (check). At the trendy wine bar and restaurant Crush Eat Drink Love (MGM Grand, 702-891-3222; mgmgrand.com), start your day with its new Kale Mary (Tito’s vodka, house-made Bloody Mary mix, fresh kale and orange juice, fresh spices, Cholula hot sauce).

“In-house” syrups, bitters, and purées are a new trend cited by several bartenders, including Michael Monrreal, a mixologist with the Light Group, whose properties include Lily Bar & Lounge (Bellagio, 702-693-8300; lilylv.com), where you’ll find the Royalty, concocted by former Light Group corporate mixologist Emilio Tiburcio, with Grey Goose Cherry Noir, fresh lime juice, house-made hibiscus simple syrup, Aztec chocolate bitters, and rosé Champagne.

Whatever trend you prefer, a little Vegas-style indulgence never goes out of style. V

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POPPIN’ BOTTLES UNLVino celebrates 40 years as the Las Vegas hospitality industry’s premier student showcase.

This year marks the big 4-0 for UNLVino, Nevada’s original wine festival, whose next edition will be held April 9 –12. Founded by Larry Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, and Jerry Vallen, founding dean of UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, the student-organized event is the college’s largest annual fundraiser and has bankrolled millions of dollars’ worth of scholarships since 1974.

This year’s UNLVino starts with Sip & Savor at Spago on Wednesday, April 9, an intimate event hosted by Wolfgang Puck, who will also be honored for his culinary contributions to the city of Las Vegas. On Thursday, April 10, BAR-b-q, at Caesars Palace’s Garden of the Gods pool, is a celebration of all things meat and mixology. On Friday, April 11, Venetian’s Doge’s Palace is the venue for Bubble-Licious, an evening of Champagne, sparkling wine, and cocktails, plus food from Venetian and Palazzo’s collection of restaurants. In addition, pop artist Romero Britto will host an exclusive art auction to raise money for the college. The four days of events wrap up with the Founders’ Grand Tasting, an indoor/outdoor festival at the Frank Gehry–designed Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, on Saturday, April 12. Honoring Ruvo and Vallen, this premier event is a showcase for the world’s finest wines, Champagnes, spirits, beers, and sakes and includes cuisine from some of the city’s best restaurants as well as UNLV culinary students.

For more information and tickets, visit unlvino.com.

Master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi at UNLVino’s BAR-b-q.

photography courtesy of Tao (black pearl)

Tao’s Black Pearl is one of the cocktails sure to be on every stylish drinker’s lips this season.

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ON THE TOWN BELOW: Rob Weakley and David Bernahl join

the masses to find out why they’re flocking to the Oyster Bar. RIGHT: The kettles are steaming with seafood delicacies. BOTTOM RIGHT: Fresh clams on the half shell.

LET’S MEET Where: Oyster Bar at Palace Station, 2411 W. Sahara Ave., 702-367-2411; palacestation.sclv.com When: 24 hours a day, seven days a week What: Combo pan roast (shrimp, crab, and lobster sautéed with brandy, cream, and tomato), étouffée Why: Fancy restaurants come and go, but the shucking of oysters and clams at Palace Station will never end.

VIP Kings, Meet the Palace THEY MAY BE TWO OF THE NATION’S CULINARY DARLINGS, BUT DAVID BERNAHL AND ROB WEAKLEY AREN’T TOO FANCY TO STAND IN LINE FOR THE OYSTER BAR AT PALACE STATION.

BY ANDY WANG PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN HAINER

D

avid Bernahl and Rob Weakley, the food and beverage wizards behind Cosmopolitan’s new social club, Rose. Rabbit. Lie., don’t wait in line. The Coastal Luxury Management cofounders— who created the wildly successful Pebble Beach and Los Angeles Food & Wine festivals and restaurants such as Monterey’s 1833 and downtown LA’s new Faith & Flower—have crossed paths with every star chef imaginable. There’s not a restaurant where the sharply dressed duo can’t walk into the kitchen and say hello.

Except for Palace Station’s Oyster Bar, the no-frills Vegas seafood spot, open 24/7, where there’s rarely a break in the line for one of the 18 seats at the bar. This is Las Vegas’s great social equalizer, where a single chef methodically shucks oysters and clams and cooks steaming

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kettles overf lowing with seafood for everyone from lunching Strip moguls to restaurant workers at shift’s end to club kids attempting 3 AM hangover prevention. There is no way to speed your way to the front of the line. But devotees agree that the brandy- and cream-spiked pan roast is worth the wait.

What’s it like being at a place that has 18 seats and doesn’t care who you are?

DAVID BERNAHL: It’s a remarkably good experience. We get spoiled, obviously, and we’ve gotten a chance to know the chefs in most kitchens.

This is a place where I don’t know the chef or the kitchen.

ROB WEAKLEY: Sometimes you don’t want to be fussed over. You continued on page 90

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Painting Women

Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston February 14 – October 26, 2014

Tickets and information 702.693.7871 • bellagio.com/bgfa Left image: Gretchen Woodman Rogers, Woman in a Fur Hat, Gift of Miss Anne Winslow, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Right image: Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, Portrait of a Young Woman, Robert Dawson Evans Collection, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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ON THE TOWN

RIGHT: Weakley and Bernahl

tackle the Oyster Bar’s whale-size Sierra Nevada drafts. BELOW: Vodka oyster shooters. BOTTOM: With only 18 seats, the wait can be substantial, but it’s worth every second.

continued from page 88 just want to come in where you’re not known. You don’t have to sit down and have a conversation with anyone.

Raw oysters, raw clams, and shrimp cocktail arrive.

RW: I lived in New Orleans for two and a half years.

That’s a clam and a half there.

We’re here in the afternoon, but people stand in line all day long. There are people in line here in the middle of the night, asleep.

RW: I love the concept. Just the idea that it’s a oneman show, six pots, you get it when you get it.

The server takes their order and asks how spicy they want it, from one to 10.

RW: Seven?

It’s spicy here, and they have all these bottles of hot sauces you can add, too.

RW: Okay, let’s order it at a five.

Bernahl and Weakley watch chef Ricardo make off-the-menu “lava sauce,” which melts everyone’s taste buds.

DB: It’s diced habañeros, Frank’s RedHot, Cholula, and jalapeño Tabasco sauce. And then, Ricardo, what did you put in when you were over there?

Ricardo: Peppers, everything spice, brandy, and white wine.

The waitress brings a combo pan roast, Alaskan chowder, and étouffée.

DB: It’s good; it’s solid. This would be fun at 4 in the morning.

You’ve been to a lot of nightclubs. Did you always want to do nightlife?

They both laugh.

RW: He’s always wanted to. You’ve seen his dance moves.

DB: We’re going to have to do a group worm. We’ll go down the stage in different directions.

And now you have your own supper club in Vegas.

DB: There are so many ways to enjoy [Rose. Rabbit. Lie.], and what’s great is seeing how many have stayed from, say, 7 PM to 3 in the morning. You won’t experience the same thing twice.

RW: It’s important for us to become part of the community. We’re getting involved with the charities—Communities in Schools, Three Square. The philanthropy in Vegas is unbelievable.

DB: We’ve really kind of fallen in love with this city after getting to know it in a more meaningful way. It’s not just about the fun entertainment on the Strip. It’s what’s going on with Downtown, the Smith Center, the culture, the philanthropic community here.

So at first you came to Vegas as a place to party, and then you discovered this is a real city.

DB: We like to be part of that kind of movement. I think it’s the same thing with downtown Los Angeles. We took a risk four years ago when we

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“I love the concept... the idea that it’s a one-man show, six pots, you get it when you get it.”

—ROB WEAKLEY

decided to start Los Angeles Food & Wine downtown. But as we brought people downtown, they had a chance to see what was happening, and it’s so exciting. I feel that’s the same thing that’s going on in Vegas, both with what’s happening off the Strip and even on the Strip. It’s creating more in Las Vegas, by Las Vegas, for Las Vegas. Like here, it’s products that feel like they’re not a transported brand from some other city. It’s made here, for here, and unique to here.

The server brings 50-ounce drafts and vodka oyster shooters.

You guys are known as the masters of final final—having the last cocktail that finally ends the night.

Both laugh.

DB: We’ve definitely had some final finals.

RW: And now we’ve kind of decided that we’re not quite sure there’s ever such a thing as a final final.

DB: Yeah, there’s always one more. V

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reasures

Carre Renaissance bracelet with blue topaz ($2,600).

Renaissance rondelle bracelet with guava quartz ($1,675).

STYLE SETTER

Renaissance Man DAVID YURMAN DESIGNED THE BRACELET THAT BECAME AN ICON. THREE DECADES LATER, THERE’S A NEW REASON TO CLAMOR FOR IT LIKE NEVER BEFORE. BY LAURIE BROOKINS

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o properly commemorate the 30th anniversary of his most iconic design, David Yurman has fashioned quite the Vegasfriendly tribute—but more on that in a moment.

Ask Yurman to name the most successful design in his considerable portfolio and he doesn’t hesitate, pointing to one of his earliest, an open-ended cuff that he crafted as a twisted helix of cables, adorning the ends with gemstones. He christened it the Renaissance bracelet, and it was a hit—“fortunately, right from the very beginning,” he says.

It’s now the stuff of industry legend that Yurman’s career was born largely out of two passions: his love of sculpting and his love for his

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LEFT: 28 carat diamond and 18k white-gold cable bracelet ($125,000).

RIGHT: The Forum Shops boutique.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JODIE LOVE (RENAISSANCE); MICHAEL WESCHLER/CORBIS (YURMAN)

“Cable is the river that runs through everything I create.”

then-girlfriend, Sybil. In the ’70s, he created a few pieces of jewelry as a present to her, using the techniques and materials he favored for his art: a process of heating, melting, and twisting long metal rods to produce new forms. Sybil wore the jewelry to an art show, where it attracted the attention of a buyer, who inquired if —DAVID YURMAN it was for sale. Yurman said no at the same moment Sybil said yes. And just like that, David Yurman was a jewelry designer. He and Sybil will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary this year.

Not long after that seminal moment, Yurman came up with the design for his Renaissance bracelet, which indeed became the bedrock of his business. Over the years, he has reinterpreted the Renaissance bracelet in hundreds of ways, using different combinations of metals and stones, with his ever-growing fan base always eager for the latest iteration. For the bracelet’s 30th anniversary, Yurman and his son, 32-year-old Evan, have designed a limited-edition collection that arrived in stores on February 15 (locally at his Forum Shops boutique). “It’s truly the House of Yurman,” he says of his work with Evan, who was named the label’s chief design director in October.

Titled 30 Years of Cable, the collection includes a grouping of Renaissance bracelets crafted in anodized aluminum, in brilliant tones like violet and rose. “The saturated colors have the feeling and fun of Pop Art and are a nod to fashion,” Yurman says. Other commemorative designs include a monochromatic style in sterling silver or 18k yellow or rose gold, as well as more classically inspired designs in yellow gold accented with gemstones. And then there’s that Vegas-friendly stunner, the undeniable highlight of the collection, crafted in 18k white gold with full pavé diamonds totaling 28 carats. It’s priced at $125,000.

All of which is to say that, 30 years later, Yurman Thirty-four years is far from out of ideas. “Cable has been and will he accidentally continue to be a constant,” he says. “It’s the river after became a jewelry that runs through everything I create.” The Forum designer, Yurman is far from finished.

Shops at Caesars, 702-794-4545; davidyurman.com V

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STYLE SPOTLIGHT

Viva Las Vegas!

For spring, Marc Jacobs has designed slick menswear tailor-made for Sin City.

Polka-dot button-down ($895) and ivory Savannah blazer ($1,495), Marc Jacobs.

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Garden Party Chic REDVALENTINO BRINGS ITS STANDOUT, ULTRAFEMME DESIGNS TO LAS VEGAS. BY ALEXANDRIA GEISLER WITH FLORAL FOLIAGE FRAMING the windows and charming latticed walls inside, REDValentino’s new boutique at the Forum Shops at Caesars is undeniably enchanting. The three-room store is the label’s first in Las Vegas and was designed by the brand’s creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, to reflect their signature whimsical designs. With delicate details such as paper-flower and butterfly cutouts mirroring the playfulness of the collection, the boutique features REDValentino’s full women’s ready-to-wear line, as well as handbags, shoes, and other accessories. For spring, intricate detailing makes for an ultrafeminine assortment of peplum-style bustiers, wispy skirts, and party dresses ornamented with small bows.

Edgier fabrics and skins decorate the most notable designs, as in a sweet but naughty, nude-and-black polka-dot mesh dress that feels decidedly Las Vegas. And REDValentino’s new oversize clutches easily transition from day to night. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-737-7614; blog.redvalentino.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORKY BUCZYK (JACKET)

An explosion of leather jackets and pinstriped suiting, Marc Jacobs’s latest collection of menswear pays homage to the rock ’n’ roll spirit of Vegas and the King himself, Elvis Presley. The legendary performer was a fan of bomber jackets and short-sleeved button-downs in bold, graphic prints, as seen in Jacobs’s new multicolor floral and plaid styles. Relaxed pieces—such as V-neck cardigans, T-shirts, and shorts—get an infusion of cool thanks to silks and leathers in sun-drenched shades of melon, cobalt, and tangerine. On the formal side, the silhouettes mix vintage cuts with modern ones, as in a pair of higher-waisted trousers cropped at the ankle and a glossy double-breasted suit with a trim fit. A slinky silver trench coat and a charcoal suit with a tuxedo pant stripe are among the sleekest designs, although nothing says Elvis like the collection’s white shawl-collar tuxedo paired with a black button-down and matching necktie. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-2007; marcjacobs.com

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style Spotlight

Crystal Clear Lalique brings its exquisite fine jewelry and home décor to The Shops at Crystals.

Muguet ring in yellow gold with lapis lazulis, Lalique ($8,500).

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Dark Sergeant Refine Ramie organic cotton jacket ($3,450) and shorts ($750), Bottega Veneta. Via Bellagio, 702-369-2944; bottegaveneta.com. Maillot bodysuit, M.Patmos ($295).

Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com. Black fossilized dinosaur bone and striped agate necklace, Monique Péan ($4,140). Barneys New York, see above. Champagne Brethil sandals, Stella McCartney ($895). The Shops at Crystals, 702-7985102; stellamccartney.com

Show and Tell A sustainable-style fashion show highlights the latest in eco-wear from local and international designers.

This is the second year that the Springs Preserve Foundation will celebrate the strides made by designers in using environmentallyfriendly materials, at a fashion show on April 30 at Springs Preserve.

A broad sample of sustainable styles will be seen on the runway, from wearable art to commercial fashions that employ eco-conscious methods and materials and socially responsible manufacturing. A selection of the wearable art pieces will be displayed after the show in Springs Preserve’s Big Springs Gallery as part of a public exhibit running from May 17 to July 13. “We’re known as a place that showcases architecture and water initiatives,” says Springs Preserve’s curator of exhibits, Aaron Micallef.

“But part of our mission is to show that sustainability can be translated into everyday living.” Visitors to the exhibit will see a variety of designs that use innovative methods to extend the life of the material, according to Micallef. “Things that are recycled don’t necessarily have to be utilitarian,” he says. “They can be made into things of great beauty.”

333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702-822-7700; springspreserve.org

Photography by Jeff Crawford. Styling by Alexandria Geisler. Model: Halie Nichols at Envy Model Management.

This January, the crystal maven Lalique celebrated its Las Vegas debut with a sprawling new boutique at The Shops at Crystals.

Designed by Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli, the duo behind the brand’s Art Deco–inspired home collection Lalique Maison, the 2,200-square-foot space features the house’s tiered chandeliers and furniture, as well as a black crystal sound system created by musical artist Jean Michel Jarre. The shop offers all of the house’s crystal collections, including interior design, home objets, fine jewelry, art, and fragrance. Sculpted crystal vases in amber and midnight blue and sparkling, gemencrusted cocktail rings, from the new Soulmates fine jewelry collection, are among the most noteworthy items this season. The Shops at Crystals, 702-507-2375; lalique.com

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LOCAL TREASURES

Eco Alter Nappa Beckett bag in pink, Stella McCartney ($835)

Style Ethics STELLA MCCARTNEY LEADS THE PACK AS FASHION’S TOP DESIGNERS GO GREEN WITH ULTRALUXE SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES. BY ALEXANDRIA GEISLER

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ast in vivid pink and decorated with a glossy gold closure, spring’s must-have shoulder bag is feminine, luxe, and (gasp) eco-friendly. The Beckett bag, the newest style from celebrated designer Stella McCartney, features “eco faux” leather (treated with sustainably sourced vegetable oil) and a collapsible frame (to minimize packaging). In the past, the term “sustainable clothing” referred to oatmeal-tinged garments made of hemp, but McCartney put green fashion on the map when she debuted her all-organic, animal-free namesake collection in 2001. “It’s really the job of fashion designers now to turn things on their head in a different way, and not just try to turn a dress on its head every season,” says McCartney. “Try to ask questions about how you make that dress and what

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materials you’re using. I think that’s far more interesting.” The designer works organic cotton, biodegradable rubber, and sustainably sourced wood into her sleek separates, denim, belts, bags, and footwear.

Green fashion is becoming a major theme on the runways, with top brands unveiling covetable styles this season. Michael Kors offers a line of knitwear—including oversize sweaters and hot pants—in recycled yarn. Maiyet sourced handcrafted materials from artisans in India, Kenya, and Peru for its print-heavy, silk-filled spring collection. And Edun’s striking basket-weave crop tops and woven pencil skirts were created by artists in Africa. Indeed, for Spring 2014, style needn’t be compromised for conscience. The Shops at Crystals, 702-798-5102; stellamccartney.com V

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SOCIAL NETWORK

Signature Moves LAS VEGAS FIGURE SKATER KIMBERLEE HYP TAKES US ON A SPIN AROUND HER FAVORITE SPOTS IN TOWN.

BY ALEXANDRIA GEISLER

Just as stylish, Hyp’s furry friend Sophie, an 8-year-old Yorkie, steps out in printed sweaters and bows from the Las Vegas pet boutique THE DOG HOUSE (6569 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-750-0033; thedoghouseboutique.com). “It’s an amazing store in Town Square that has everything pup-friendly you could possibly imagine,” Hyp says. “In addition to their wholesome, all-natural Good Dog Food and a variety of treats that could easily be mistaken for confections from a Parisian pâtisserie, they have wonderful jackets, carrying cases, bows, and toys.” When Hyp and Sophie pop in, they rarely leave without a new squeak toy or a girly bow. “I just got a few great Susan Lanci ultrasuede hair bows with rhinestones in the center to add to Sophie’s collection—the girl likes to accessorize,” she says with a laugh. “And it’s the go-to shop in town for a dog-loving friend as well.”

For a day of rest and relaxation, Hyp swears by the luxe SPA AT ENCORE LAS VEGAS (702-770-4772; wynnlasvegas.com). “You’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful spa anywhere,” she says. “The dramatic view of the lantern-lined walkway with the giant gold Buddha is breathtaking.” She typically opts for the spa’s 80minute Blended Fusion massage, with a focus on her shoulders and feet. “I love a strong foot massage, since my toes are crammed into figure skates so many hours a week,” she explains. “It’s such a wonderfully relaxing indulgence. I try to partake at least twice a month!” V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL MACMASTERS (SPA); SETH OLENICK (DRESS)

As a competitive figure skater, Kimberlee Hyp has a collection of stunning, oneof-a-kind costumes embellished with jewels and beads. “I have always had a distaste for the typical skating dress,” she says, “so I’ve made a habit of taking gowns from NEIMAN MARCUS (Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; neiman marcus.com) and transforming them into my competition dresses with the store’s seamstress extraordinaire, Romina Eshou. From Versace to Balmain, she has helped me create some pretty fabulous costumes.” Off the ice, Hyp works with Neiman Marcus personal shopper Linda Spencer to curate her ever-chic wardrobe. “I tend to gravitate toward a figure-flattering, feminine aesthetic, but I am a serious lover of fashion, so I like to mix it up,” Hyp says. “I’ve worked with Linda for about 10 years now, and she’s the best. She has a great sense of my style and is spot-on with her selections for me.” Fond of designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Valentino, and Alexander McQueen in particular, Hyp heads to the department store each season to shop the latest collections.

TOP: Hyp favors Oscar

de la Renta designs such as this lapis and white Mikado dress ($2,190). MIDDLE: The Spa at Encore. BOTTOM: Jaradén Le Petit Mon Ami pet carrier in gold metallic ($225).

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As aa working working mom, mom, Sherry Sherry needed needed aa team team of of cancer cancer experts experts who who created created aa comprehensive comprehensive and and tailored tailored As treatment plan plan focused focused both both on on results results and and quality quality of of life. life. She She needed needed to to keep keep her her job job and and be be aa mom mom treatment while also also going going through through treatment. treatment. while The combined leading-edge oncologic medical treatments with naturopathic medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, psychological psychological counseling, counseling, spiritual spiritual support support and and pain pain management management all all in in one one location location met met rehabilitation, her goal. Instead of driving all over town for her doctor visits and medical appointments, Sherry flies to CTCA and and takes takes care care of of everything everything in in one one visit, visit, under under one one roof roof with with coordinated coordinated care care between between all all her her CTCA clinical experts. experts. clinical Today we we are are proud proud to to have have Sherry Sherry as as part part of of our our CTCA CTCA family. family.

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TIME HONORED

Synchronized Style AS VEGAS POOLS OPEN FOR THE SEASON, CHIC, WATER-FRIENDLY WATCHES MAKE AN APPEARANCE ON POOLSIDE CATWALKS UP AND DOWN THE STRIP. BY ROBERTA NAAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD

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During the day, don a water-resistant rubber-strapped watch beautifully adorned with diamonds or sapphires.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT :

Audemars Piguet’s Ladies Royal Oak Quartz watch ($24,400) is crafted in 18k rose gold and features a white rubber strap and a bezel set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds. It is water-resistant to 50 meters. The Jewelers of Las Vegas, 2400 Western Ave., 702-382-1234; audemarspiguet.com This Hublot Big Bang Tutti Frutti watch ($40,500) features 48 pink sapphires on its 18k rose-gold bezel in an invisible setting, with a bezel lug of pink composite resin and a matching pink rubber alligator strap. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-489-9444; hublot.com Breitling’s steel Chronomat 41 with diamonds ($15,900) has an Antarctica white dial, a diamond-adorned case, and a white rubber strap. It’s also an automatic COSC-certified chronometer. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-862-4440; breitling.com From Ulysse Nardin, the Lady Diver ($11,700), water-resistant to 100 meters, features a wave pattern across its mother-of-pearl dial and a blue rubberized bezel. Diamonds adorn the dial, bezel, and case. Horologio, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-733-0016; ulysse-nardin.com

STYLING BY TERRY LEWIS

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ith swim season upon us, day and night parties abound at the chicest pools in Las Vegas. People travel from around the world to attend these fashionable fêtes, decked out in the sexiest designer swimwear by day and the most elegant couture resortwear by night. What better way to complement this poolside finery than with a stylish Swiss watch that doesn’t mind getting wet?

“We’re seeing sales go up sharply for women’s water and diver’s watches,” says Amit Dev Handa, luxury timepiece concierge at the Mandarin Oriental. “These timepieces make a statement and offer great versatility. Women are wearing them as much to a business lunch or an elegant dinner as they will for a dip in the pool.”

For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to vegasmagazine.com/ watches. V

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At night, you’ll dazzle in a watch that’s crafted in 18k gold, set with sparkling diamonds, and suitable for a midnight dip in the pool.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT :

Chopard’s Happy Sport Automatic watch ($41,240), in rose gold with a rose-gold bracelet and silvered dial, has a bezel set with 38 diamonds as well as seven moving diamonds, for a total of 2.31 carats. It is water-resistant to 30 meters. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-862-4522; us.chopard.com With a taupe strap and golden brown dial, this Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus Ref. 7010R-012 watch ($34,000) has a bezel meticulously set with diamond brilliants and is water-resistant to 60 meters. Wynn & Company Watches, 702-770-3520; patek.com This 34mm Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial chronometer

($35,800) is crafted in 18k yellow gold and is water-resistant to 500 feet.

It has a diamond brilliant bezel and diamond markers on its mother-of-pearl dial, which is designed to recall the wooden decks of luxury sailboats.

Bellagio, 702-733-4004; omegawatches.com The ultrachic quartz-powered Cartier Tank Anglaise watch ($36,200), in 18k pink gold, is set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It features a sapphire crystal and a silvered and lacquered dial and is water-resistant to 100 feet. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-696-0146; cartier.us From Vacheron Constantin, this Overseas Lady watch ($31,700) in 18k rose gold houses a self-winding movement and is water-resistant to 50 meters.

The bezel is set with 88 brilliant-cut diamonds, and the taupe strap is made of hand-sewn, saddle-stitched American alligator leather. Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-650-2617; vacheron-constantin.com

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NOT TO BE MISSED events • happenings • promotions

Berthe Morisot, White Flowers in a Bowl, Bequest of John T. Spaulding, Photography © 2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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Visit Miracle Mile Shops to discover a world of cutting edge trends and this season’s fashion must-haves. Within 170 stores find Sephora, bebe, H&M, True Religion Brand Jeans, Urban Outfitters, GUESS, French Connection and more. Hungry?

Fifteen restaurants and bars are sure to satisfy any craving. Miracle Mile Shops is located at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

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Véronic TAKES VEGAS THE SINGER WITH 50 VOICES—AND COUNTING— MADE HER US DEBUT IN A CITY USUALLY RESERVED FOR STARS WITH A MASS FOLLOWING. BUT DON’T WORRY: SHE’S BUILDING ONE FAST.

BY JOHN KATSILOMETES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

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Sweetheart illusion gown, Reem Acra ($10,000). reemacra.com. Double geode with agate and diamonds earrings ($13,150) and geode and diamond ring ($5,225), Kimberly McDonald. Tesorini, Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberlymcdonald.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Coral fit and flare dress, Etro ($2,511). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; etro.com.

Baby geode and diamond stud earrings, Kimberly McDonald ($3,800). Tesorini, Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberlymcdonald.com

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eep into her performance, Véronic DiCaire asks the audience to use its imagination. She wants them to envision the two most notable attributes of a certain Grand Ole Opry headliner.

“Pretend they’re here,” says the wispy singer, smiling and boosting her bra, eliciting laughs from the crowd. Who needs padding when you can convince an audience to play make-believe?

DiCaire has just blown through “9 to 5,” a must for anyone summoning the song stylings of Dolly Parton. But now it’s time for a guest star in this show-within-a-show, and she gazes into the wings.

Suddenly a look of befuddlement crosses her face; her eyebrows narrow. “Oh, no,” she says unexpectedly. “Where am I?” She pauses and turns to the audience. “I’m having a brain moment here. Hold on.” The crowd giggles.

DiCaire has apparently lost her way amid the 50 voices she conjures each night. After an unintended moment of suspense, she grins and calls out, “Reba McEntire!”

of This),” sung by Annie Lennox. Amy Winehouse sets up Susan Boyle; Lady Gaga is a fitting complement to Madonna. Late in the show, DiCaire takes to the piano for a remarkable stretch in which she sings as Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, and Karen Carpenter.

Many of the most difficult voices are saved for the electrifying conclusion: Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. Except for Janis Joplin (and she may well get to that legendary singer soon), DiCaire unleashes every great female voice in the history of contemporary popular music.

“Artistically, I am very happy,” she says.

“Everything is happening so fast, and I’m thinking, ‘Where did this time go in this city that has no sense of time?’ You know? But I feel I’m accepted. I feel that this is now my home, and what I do has become appreciated by fans and also my fellow entertainers.”

DiCaire’s latest contract extension will have her at Bally’s through the end of November, and in a show that’s entirely dependent on her vocal talent, her personal appeal, and her indefatigable work ethic, she seems tireless.

DiCaire is a protégé of Celine Dion, who helped reinvent the superstar Vegas residency when she moved into the Colosseum at Caesars in 2003.

Immediately upon arrival, Dion began setting attendance and sales records on the Strip, and her seemingly boundless worldwide appeal makes her one of the most important performers ever to play the city. Regularly selling out the 4,100-seat theater, where ticket prices top $250, she’s the most bankable star in Vegas.

So when Dion throws her support behind an artist, Strip officials take note. She and René Angélil, her husband and manager, made the unprecedented decision to coproduce (with entertainment behemoth AEG Live) and invest in a fellow Las Vegas performer. AEG Live also books Dion’s shows at the Colosseum, and Caesars Entertainment owns Bally’s, so the partnerships were already conveniently in place to bring DiCaire to Vegas in June 2013.

The link between Dion and DiCaire is both natural and coincidental. In 2008, Mark Dupré— an accomplished singer-songwriter who also happens to be Angélil’s son-in-law—was working in the studio with DiCaire, at the time a country/

“I DON’T FEEL ALONE IN THE SHOW. I’VE GOT 50 OTHER PEOPLE WITH ME.”—VÉRONIC DICAIRE The crowd cheers as she scrambles across the stage to return as Reba. The shift in personalities is seamless. Even during her midshow stumble, DiCaire stayed in character. It was Dolly, not DiCaire, who momentarily lost track of the show’s script.

“How funny was that?” the singer says later during an interview, conducted only after she rearranges a sectional sofa and a love seat so she’s face-to-face with her interviewer. “There is so much going on in my head sometimes.”

Sister, you’ve got that right.

Dozens of voices populate the mind of Véronic DiCaire, many more than those she produces onstage every night. In a single performance, she does interpretations (the term she prefers over “impressions” or “impersonations” to describe her art) of Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, and Celine Dion.

And that’s just in the first five minutes.

“Crazy” by Patsy Cline leads into Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield” follows Eurythmics’s “Sweet Dreams (Are Made

On the immense stage of Bally’s famed Jubilee!

Theater, DiCaire is backed by half a dozen brunette dancers (in contrast to her own long blonde hair) and a number of video screens. As the theater’s name implies, this is a venue designed to host the Strip’s most lavish productions. And at times the surroundings seem close to engulfing the star. The dancers appear only for certain numbers, and the show employs not a single musician. All the music is recorded.

The audience’s attention is focused almost entirely on the lithe and sprightly woman from Quebec. But DiCaire is well-equipped to handle the scrutiny. “I don’t realize that, honestly. I don’t feel alone in the show because I have dancers and I have my little team,” she says, nodding toward her husband, Remon Boulerice, also one of the show’s producers. “And I’ve got 50 other people with me.”

The source of one of those 50 voices—among the greatest entertainers to play Las Vegas or anywhere else—has been critical to DiCaire’s arrival in the city and her growing success on the Strip.

folk artist on Canada’s Warner Music label who also happened to do a killer impression of Dion.

Dupré was supposed to be the opening act on Dion’s Taking Chances tour, but his recording schedule prevented it. So he suggested DiCaire instead. DiCaire (who shares French-Canadian heritage with Dion) was asked to perform a set of singing impressions, but aside from Dion, she could do only four. So she quickly developed a 20-minute set featuring more than a dozen vocal interpretations, and suffice to say she had no trouble warming up the crowd.

“She opened 11 shows for me on that tour, in front of 22,000 people,” Dion recalls. “She immediately drew the crowd’s attention and brought them to their feet every night. And from this beginning, we have decided to get involved in not only producing her, but trying to help her and bring her to the rest of the world, because we believe that she has an amazing vocal talent.”

Dion’s support of her friend is as unwavering as her own voice when she’s belting out “My Heart Will Go On.”

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DiCaire in action, and in character, at the Thomas & Mack Center in October.

“Véronic has one of the best voices in the world,” Dion says. “She doesn’t do just one style.

My God, it’s like she sings one way, then she sings in another voice that’s better than the original. And then she sings one that nobody has ever touched.” Dion’s praise gains momentum as she speaks. “Listen, from a singer’s point of view, it’s unbelievable what she does. I wish I had her to help me out a little bit here and there in my show, when my voice is not in top shape. I wish she could be available to help me finish a song. I’m thinking, ‘I wish I could have Véronic come off the bench for this!’”

But even with this effusive praise and the backing of Dion and Angélil, success in Vegas is never a certainty. In the past two decades, the only resident impressionist to enjoy consistent success on the Strip was the late Danny Gans. Several highly talented impressionists have performed on the Strip briefly but either moved downtown (including another of Dion’s former opening acts, Gordie Brown, who has found a home at the Golden Nugget) or left Las Vegas entirely.

Asked about the business prospects for this entertainer she so strongly admires, Dion chuckles. “I’ve never been part of the business side,” she says. “My own interest in Véronic is strictly in her pure talent. My husband and I are together

her show would be markedly improved by a live band. Dion doesn’t dismiss the notion but suggests it might be premature.

“We want the focus to be on her voice, with a few dancers for numbers here and there,” she says. “Let’s put it this way: I think if we had tried to put her out there with a big set of musicians, there would have been even more pressure on her than there already was. I’m not talking about how much money it would cost. I am talking about pressure, and giving Véronic some room to grow the show out over time.”

Dion remembers her own early career. “I didn’t start in Vegas with a big group of dancers and a big show—I started in a shopping mall,” she says, chuckling. “That’s the way it happened for me.”

As for DiCaire, she’s far more interested in expanding her already mind-blowing vocal capacity. She likes the idea of performing as June Carter Cash in a video duet with Johnny Cash.

That would recall the great walk-on appearance she made in Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah’s when she joined the cast for a spin through “Jackson.” She’s always considering the next voice, asking such questions as “Is Carole King good for when I’m at the piano? What about Janis Joplin? Do you think people would enjoy her?”

But mostly, DiCaire wants to perform even

in producing Véronic to try to help her. So they’ve given me the title, businesswise, of producer. But I have to say, being sarcastic with a little smirk here, that once you are in the business for so long as a singer, when you start talking in a meeting because they want your opinion, then they kind of pay attention a little bit more.”

Dion sees herself primarily as a catalyst in DiCaire’s attempt to gain an audience in the US. “My role is for her to have a chance, to be heard in America, to make her as big a star as she is in Quebec, and in France and Belgium and anywhere there are French-speaking people. She is huge there. Huge.”

DiCaire’s rise to commercial success in Vegas and the US will undoubtedly be accompanied by artistic growth. Many of her fans, as well as her entertainment colleagues in the city, think

more frequently. “Can I say that I would love to add a fourth date or that it’s going to make some stir?” she asks with a laugh. “I would love to have a fourth day. Let’s say I would love to play on Mondays, because we figured out that we miss a lot of people. They tell us, ‘Véronic, we just got in on Saturday night and we were thinking about going to see your show Monday, but you’re not on.” It sounds like more work. “It might be,” she says, “but you know, sometimes it’s hard for me to start back in the show after four days off. So if I add a fourth show, I would actually keep that momentum going.”

As she says that, you understand that this is a woman determined to move forward, fast.

Slowing down is not part of DiCaire’s master plan. Those voices need to be heard. For tickets, call 702-777-2782 or visit ballyslasvegas.com. V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES

“LISTEN, FROM A SINGER’S POINT OF VIEW, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE WHAT SHE DOES.”—CELINE DION

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Dress, Valentino ($6,690).

The Shops at Crystals, 702-737-7603; valentino.com.

Earrings ($43,290) and ring ($4,600), Daniel Gibbings. danielgibbingsjewelry.com.

Bracelet, Tiffany Chou ($160). tiffanychou.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Styling by Stacey Kalchman Hair and makeup by Jillian Halouska using Oribe Hair Care and Chanel cosmetics

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When Victor Drai takes a stroll down memory lane, there’s an awful lot to see.

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The Return of VictorDrai On the eve of a quartet of openings, the originator of Las Vegas’s after-hours scene is ready for what some are calling a comeback. But in fact, he may have been running the show all along.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SQUARE SHOOTING

BY MICHAEL KAPLAN

T

he last time I saw nightlife impresario Victor Drai, it was 2009 and he was wearing a stylishly snug, beautifully tailored sport jacket.

Gorgeous women surrounded him as he stepped out of his perfectly refurbished, circa 1980s stretch limo that then –XS managing partner Cy Waits liked to call the Drai-mobile.

His club XS at Encore was new, a spaceylooking John Mayer had buzzed over to hang out, and Drai held court in his favorite booth, with its unobstructed view of the action. Late last year, I encounter him again, at the walk-up lunch counter at Bally’s. Waiting in line, he’s wearing a slightly floppy hat, a suede jacket frayed at the edges, and jeans half-tucked into a pair of black boots. It’s the kind of hobo-chic ensemble that takes a lot of élan to pull off, and Drai easily carries the day with it.

He spots me and suggests that we abandon the lunch counter for Burger Brasserie in the adjacent Paris. Walking over, we pass the temporary headquarters of his nightclub Drai’s After Hours and what is now the

Indigo Lounge, the cocktail lounge he launched in time for New Year’s Eve. A bit south on the Strip, he’s running bottle service for Britney at Planet Hollywood. And of course, across Flamingo Road, at what was once Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon and will soon be The Cromwell, Caesars Entertainment’s 188-room boutique hotel, Drai is getting set to open an eponymous dayclub/nightclub that promises to be the jewel in his crown. Downstairs will be a touched-up version of the 17-year-old after-hours club that made his name synonymous with louche living.

“People like to tell me that they used to go there,” Drai says. “They think it’s naughty. But really it isn’t. In fact, it has no more drugs than any other club and probably less alcohol.”

Settled in at a table at the Brasserie, he fields a couple of calls involving an errant furniture delivery, ending them with strings of French-inflected obscenities. Asked to describe the new club, an instantly composed Drai says, “It’s going to be the most beautiful club in the world. The color scheme is pink and black, the sound system is by Funktion One, and the lighting cost $5 million. I am totally nuts about lighting.” The club has indoor and outdoor components, a DJ booth visible from the dance floor

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but not the entrance (“They are two different experiences, darling,” he says gently), and at each table there are iPhone chargers. At 70,000 square feet it’s much bigger than XS, and according to Drai, its $92 million budget is considerably higher.

What you won’t see there is a gaggle of celebrity DJs. Drai has never been a big fan of the Vegas DJ craze. In fact, although he arguably started it all by programming house music at Drai’s After Hours when rap and Top 40 ruled local dance floors, he seems repulsed by the idea of DJs eclipsing the club itself. “The problem with DJs is that the club doesn’t even feel like a club anymore. It feels more like a concert,” he says.

“Everybody got nervous and started outbidding each other, and now the clubs can’t make money. Hakkasan makes $100 million a year gross and $15 million in profit. When I was at Wynn, we made 69 percent profit.

And the DJ scene is getting very boring. As good and wonderful as Calvin Harris is, you have him here every week. I believe that if you give them the most beautiful club they have ever seen, they will have an experience with the club that is more important than the DJ. I’ll pay $50,000 or $100,000, but I won’t pay $400,000, which is what some of the others pay. I won’t be controlled by the DJs.”

stability. So he opened the restaurant Drai’s in LA. The place was a huge hit with the Hollywood crowd and Dominick Dunne’s central hangout spot for his Vanity Fair coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. “There was a mix of movie stars, studio executives, and billionaires,” Drai recalls.

“You couldn’t get a table unless you knew me, and even then it was hard.

One night we turned away Sean Connery. He was so hot about it that he didn’t come back for two years.”

In 1998, Drai brought his restaurant and club concept to Vegas, setting up shop in the basement of the old Barbary Coast, in a space that had previously housed the world’s largest McDonald’s. It might have been decrepit, but Drai loved the location: right on the corner of Flamingo and the Strip.

In a town that was just beginning to get hip, Drai’s after-hours spot was a smash. “If you didn’t want to go to bed, you went to Drai’s,” he says.

“Clooney, Paris Hilton, Leonardo DiCaprio—they were all there. And I never gave it away for free. I always made everybody pay.” If they didn’t want to, he adds, “they could find somebody else to pay, but not me. If they get pissed off and leave, I say, ‘Leave.’ They need the place more than I need them.”

In 2004, when Steve Wynn was planning Wynn Las Vegas and still operating out of the Desert Inn, Drai suggested setting up a nightclub inside the empty hotel building. “When you want to blow, you blow,” he told Wynn, referring to the building’s impending implosion. “We’ll shut it down.”

Instead, Wynn tried to tap Drai to run La Bete (French for “the beast”), the club that would be in his new place. But negotiations faltered. Drai remembers insisting that the club had a lot of problems—and fearing that the casino mogul would usurp his ideas. “They didn’t take my ideas. I predicted that they would die. And guess what happened.” He waits a beat before braying, “They diiiied!”

A month or so later, Drai received the call to come fix La Bete. “I said, ‘I will take over, but you know my condition: If I hit the numbers, then you stay out of my hair. Also, the beast has to go.’” The beast? “Yes. There was a 90-foot waterfall and lagoon that cost $10 million. Nobody can beat that. But in the middle of it was a giant eight-foot beast! It was terrible.”

The beast went. The club was renamed Tryst, and Drai got a 30 percent stake in the place, he says. “They dreamed of doing $6 million a year.

The first year, I did $28 million, and $32 million the year after that. I saved the f---ing hotel!”

When Encore was in the planning stages, Drai won the bid to do another club there. This one turned out to be XS, Las Vegas’s super-club of super-clubs. He found himself again owning Vegas nightlife from 11 PM until 8 in the morning. I tell Drai that it must have been a dream situation, particularly for attracting women. “It would have been a dream situation for some, but in my case it was the same as always,” he says. “I get the girls anyway. Plus, I like being in relationships. [For] seven years, 10 years—I like my relationships.”

As seems to be the norm for Drai, his relationship with Wynn lasted eight years. “Steve was a great partner; we had the number-one club and

“My goal was to be rich enough at 30 to do what I want and to have the most beautiful woman on my arm. That actually happened by age 26.”

If Victor Drai understands anything, it’s how to create things that people will pay to see and wear and experience. Now 66 years old, he was born in Morocco, spent his teenage years in Paris, and never worked for anybody other than himself. At age 21, he launched his own fashion line called Vicadam, famous for its velvet jeans. He’s always had his priorities straight. “From the start, beautiful women were my goal; I knew I had to work hard to have pretty girls,” Drai says, vacillating between a beer and a vanilla shake to go with his burger. “My goal in life was to be rich enough at 30 to do what I want and to have the most beautiful woman on my arm.

That actually happened by the time I was 26.”

His plan exceeded expectations in 1974, when Drai met the movie star Jacqueline Bisset in the first-class section of a transcontinental f light.

They quickly became an item; he ditched his fashion company and moved with her to LA. Bisset liked the fact that Drai wasn’t in the film business, so he stayed out of it. After they broke up, he began producing movies. His first release, The Woman in Red, came out in 1984 and featured Kelly LeBrock, one of the most desirable actresses in Hollywood at the time. Drai married her the same year the film hit theaters. But by the time he produced the infamous Weekend at Bernie’s, a dark comedy about a couple of goofballs pretending their dead boss is still alive, their relationship was as lifeless as the title character.

In 1993, three years after divorcing LeBrock and marrying 22-year-old Loryn Locklin, Drai, at 45, fathered his first child and wanted more

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Drai and Jacqueline Bisset in the late ’70s.

Drai’s rooftop nightclub and beach club will anchor The Cromwell, opening this spring.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLOBE-PHOTOS (BISSET); RON GALELLA/WIREIMAGE (LEBROCK); BARBARA KRAFT (TRYST)

Tryst, one of Drai’s former clubs.

Drai and former wife Kelly LeBrock at the Oscars in 1985.

changed the nightclub business in Las Vegas,” Drai says. “Steve doesn’t care about money. He spends the money he has to spend.”

So why did Drai leave? “I left because Steve started telling me what to do. I told him to f--- off. I said, ‘You don’t tell me sh--. That is our deal.’ He paid me lots of money to leave.” Pressed for a number, he says, “It was under $20 million. I was making [almost] that every year. I owned a third of the club, so I made $15 million a year. But I was happy to leave.”

On the eve of his Las Vegas resurrection, with the reopened Drai’s After Hours, Drai’s Nightclub, and Drai’s Pool Club all getting ready to debut (not to mention Indigo and the gay club Laison, which will move permanently into the temporary Drai’s After Hours space at Bally’s), Drai says he’s excited about his future here. His name is as powerful as ever.

And he adds that Steve Wynn told him he has been banned from Wynn

and Encore for fear that he will poach nightlife talent.

“I don’t need to go there to take people,” he says, laughing and shrugging. “People want to work for me. I have the best team in town. You have 10 or 12 great nightclub hosts in all of Vegas. Five of them are working for me now.”

While that might be a matter of opinion, harder to dispute is that Drai has returned to Vegas nightlife in a big way. He’ll be opening his spots against no new competitors and seems to have more freedom and more control than ever before. After showing a tiny bit of doubt by saying he hopes he’s doing everything right, Drai revs right back up and tries to quantify aesthetics. “I think my new place will be five times prettier than XS. When people see it, they will want to come back and party and have a good time. It’s going to be insane.” V

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BRIGHT LIGHTS,

SIN CITY SURROUNDED BY LARGER-THAN-LIFE NEON SIGNS THAT ONCE LIT UP THE LAS VEGAS STRIP, THIS SEASON’S HIGH-OCTANE DRESSES AND GLOSSY METALLIC ACCESSORIES SHINE BRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MCDONALD | STYLED BY TARYN SHUMWAY

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Swarovski crystal– embellished gown, Blumarine (price on request). Outfit, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3465; blumarine.com. Shiny high-waist workout shorts, American Apparel ($28).

Boca Park Fashion Village, 740 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-851-7474; american apparel.com. Stone bangle, Swarovski ($125). Fashion Show, 702-732-8161; swarovski.com. Rider mini bag in blue metallic, Reece Hudson ($595). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com. Sauvage sandals, Brian Atwood ($1,250). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-7338300; brianatwood.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Top, Versace ($2,625).

The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-9325757; versace.com.

Mesh scarf earrings, Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. ($595).

Via Bellagio, 702-697-5400; tiffany.com. Silverplated metal collar, R.J. Graziano ($55). bloomingdales.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Gold panne velvet bias-cut halter dress, Reem Acra (price on request). Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 702-862-2525; reemacra.com.

Earrings, Swarovski ($180). Fashion Show, 702-732-8161; swarovski.com. Metallic gold and silver belt, Raina Belts ($150). raina belts.com. Brass small talon ring, Jennifer Fisher ($245). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; jenniferfisherjewelry.com

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in the yard. Look for “Motel Row,” featuring the signs of Las Vegas Boulevard when it was still Highway 91, including marquees for Moulin Rouge, the Desert Inn, and the Stardust. Although they aren’t electrified, they’re illuminated at night by custom lights— a dramatic way to tour Vegas history. General admission, $18; locals, $12; evening tours, $25/$22. 770 N. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-387-6366; neonmuseum.org.

Georgette solid top ($1,850), Georgette solid skirt ($2,989), and laminated nappa bag ($2,048), Emilio Pucci. The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-9671; emiliopucci.com.

Nastasya sunglasses, Tom Ford ($380). The Shops at Crystals, 702-740-2940.

Necklace, Lele Sadoughi ($398). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; lelesadoughi.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Caption BEHIND will THE BONEYARD go here Since tk 1996, Las Vegas had been carefully collecting the relics of its xerit loreneon del history—more than 150 of them—in a secret, fenced-in location utpatisitwhile velisl plotting the best way to showcase these marquees from a time when the Hoover Dam supplied cheap electricity to Glitter Gulch and signs were painted “atomic pink” to celebrate the age of watching nuclear tests, cocktails in hand, from your living room. After much fundraising and renovation, the Neon Boneyard opened, as part of the Neon Museum, in 2012. The rehabbed La Concha Motel lobby, an iconic shell-shaped concrete structure designed by Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams and built in 1961, was moved in 2006 from its northern Strip location to serve as the visitors center. The signs are layered in rows, much as they were when they were stacked

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Caption will go here tk xerit lore del utpatisit velisl

Brightening Essence Intense, La Mer ($290). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks. com. Luminous Silk Foundation, Giorgio Armani Beauty ($65).

Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Subtil in Rose Romantique, Lancôme ($30). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Bronzing Powder, Tom Ford Beauty ($95). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Illusion D’Ombre in Fatal, Chanel ($36). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Ink Liner, Bobbi Brown ($27). Macy’s, Fashion Show, 702-731-5111; macys.com.

Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien, Nars ($25). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Root Boost ($29) and Volumizing Mousse ($28), Moroccanoil. The Spa Shop at Wynn, 702-770-3567; wynnlasvegas.com

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Dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs ($698).

The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-734-0220; marcjacobs.com.

Sunglasses, 3.1 Phillip Lim by Linda Farrow ($280). lindafarrow.com.

Earrings, Atelier Swarovski by Juan Carlos Obando ($115). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-836-3257; atelierswarovski.com

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photography by tk; illustration by tk

Dress, Gucci ($4,200).

The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-369-7333; gucci.com. Twist bolster necklace ($1,095), slim bolster necklace ($445), and bolster necklace ($630), Atelier Swarovski

by Christopher Kane. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-836-3257; atelierswarovski.com Hair and makeup by Jillian Halouska using Oribe Hair Care and Chanel cosmetics Model: Maggiemae at Nous Models Editor: Alexandria Geisler Special thanks to Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas

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FROM LEFT: LAUDER LEGACY OF GIVING: A 1979 portrait

of the Lauder family, taken at the New York home of Joseph and Estée Lauder (CENTER); Ronald and Leonard Lauder founded The Lauder Institute, a joint-degree program in international management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School; US businessman Ronald Lauder cuts the ribbon at the opening of a sheltered playground in the Israeli city of Sderot in 2009.

FAMILY TIES Giving money away isn’t as easy as it sounds, particularly when different generations are involved.

Here, philanthropists, advisers, and wealth managers tell how to minimize familial differences and make charitable gifting a smooth sail.

BY SUZANNE MCGEE

FROM LEFT: KENNEDY CONSCIOUSNESS: The late Robert F. Kennedy with his wife, Ethel, and seven of their then eight children at an outing at the Bronx Zoo in 1964; the Grand Foyer at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; Anthony Shriver founded the nonprofit Best Buddies International to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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H

oward Graham Buffett has no idea how old he was when he first became aware that something called “philanthropy” existed. While his father, financier Warren Buffett, “was busy making money” and building his reputation as the sage of Omaha, his mother, Susan Thompson Buffett, spent “a huge amount of her time engaged in something that helped or supported other people.” As they grew, Howard, as well as his elder sister, Susie, and younger brother, Peter, were caught up in these projects. “It started with giving away time,” Howard Buffett, 59 years old, recalls. “A big part of my education was seeing my mom act on [her] beliefs, not just talk about them.” The lessons he learned included an awareness of what distinguishes effective philanthropy from simply sitting down at the end of every year to write a few checks or buying a table for a friend’s charitable gala. By the time he was an adult, Buffett says he realized philanthropy, at its best, “is about listening to people and trying to understand their core needs and find a way to address them.”

involved. “In some cases, an aging benefactor has decided he wants to see his philanthropic gifts fully dispersed while he’s still living; sometimes it’s a personal experience or event, such as a trip by two members of one family to Ghana, which then became a focus of their philanthropy,” says Susan Ditkoff, a partner at Bridgespan, a nonprofit advisory group, and co-head of the firm’s philanthropy practice.

One element of “next gen” philanthropy that may startle some older parents or grandparents is their heirs’ preference for and sometimes insistence upon high-impact or transformative giving. Today’s younger donors have relatively little interest in seeing their names immortalized on hospital wings, theater auditoriums, or college lecture halls. They define “community” in a very different way, as something that isn’t confined to a narrow geographic area or a particular religious or ethnic grouping. They’re also more likely to tackle ambitious programs. Bill and Melinda Gates, who have publicly declared their resolve to eradicate endemic diseases such as polio and malaria within their lifetimes, are the poster children for this approach. What distinguishes the Gateses, of course, is the magnitude of FROM LEFT: TISCH FAMILY PHILANTHROPY: A 2004

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARNOLD NEWMAN/GETTY IMAGES (LAUDERS); DAVID BUIMOVITCH/GETTY IMAGES (RIBBON CUTTING); MYLOUPE/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES (WHARTON); DANIEL C. BRITT/THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES (KENNEDY CENTER); MARVI LACAR/GETTY IMAGES FOR BWR (SHRIVER); AP PHOTO (KENNEDY). THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL HAWTHORNE/GETTY IMAGES (TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS); BEN BAKER/REDUX (TISCHES); BETTMANN/CORBIS (TIME CAPSULE)

portrait of Jimmy, Bob, Jonathan, and Andrew Tisch; NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts building in New York; Preston (LEFT, CROUCHING) and Laurence Tisch place a time capsule in the foundation of the future Tisch Hall at NYU in 1969.

“The aim is to create a legacy, and, for many— if not most—

their ability to give; the eagerness to take on Creating that kind of philanthropic formidable challenges does not. In the past, savvy in children and grandchildren is donors were willing to spend the 5 percent of increasingly a focus of today’s affluent fama foundation’s assets that the law requires ilies. “It’s a way for any family to test and them to distribute each year to make lives articulate their shared values, to define better. Now, says Sharna Goldseker, managwhat their family stands for, and to put ing director of 21/64, which specializes in those values into action,” says Peter Karoff, helping families involve “next generation” founder of The Philanthropic Initiative, a —Peter Karoff members in their philanthropic planning, consulting firm that advises donors on “the attitude is, ‘That’s great, but wouldn’t it making the leap from supporting a handful be even better if, by spending 50 percent, we of favored organizations—an alma mater, a local hospital, a regional arts group—to developing a coherent giving could eradicate the problem entirely?’”

What is increasingly common, however, is the focus of parents or grandapproach. “The aim is to create a legacy and, for many—if not most— having parents at the head of the family—typically those who still control the that legacy include impact,” says Karoff.

What triggers philanthropic engagement can be as varied as the families wealth—to make philanthropy a family affair. Crafting a personal approach

HAVING THAT LEGACY INCLUDE IMPACT.”

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Gillian Howell, the national Philanthropic Solutions group executive at US Trust, says it’s best to start preparing both sides to make compromises as early as possible. “One of the most memorable events I witnessed involved a wealthy family, who began an annual series of New England vacation weekends focused on philanthropy by asking the youngest members of the family the question of how they would like to change the world,” she recalls. The patriarch and matriarch were so moved by what they heard that they were very open to the idea of changing the governance and even ultimately diluting or reshaping the mission of the foundation they had created so they could incorporate their young heirs’ insights and vision.

While parents and grandparents may fear that large gaps exist between the generations—and underestimate the extent to which they need to compromise to fully engage their heirs—when push comes to shove, there’s far more alignment than family elders may assume. A 2013 Merrill Lynch survey showed that 73 percent of the “millennial” generation—those aged roughly between 18 and 35—had values ut introducing chilsimilar to their parents, even dren to the concept though they might express and reality of famOne of The Howard G. those values differently. “That ily philanthropy at Buffett Foundation’s reflects the reality that values a very young age initiatives is to assist Afghan farmers and are shaped by what people does not mean they’ll follow improve agribusiness are exposed to; that’s what where their elders lead as they in the impoverished country. Here, Howard children model and internalget older. “It’s important to be W. and Howard G. ize and express later in life,” open with heirs about what is Buffett in Afghanistan. says Michael Liersch, Merrill coming down the pike,” says Lynch’s head of behavioral Brian Wodar, a senior vice presifinance. dent and director of wealth A growing number of management research at younger donors plan on “giving AllianceBernstein. “If parents while living”—an attitude that aren’t willing to go beyond a ceroften separates wealth creators tain area when it comes to —Howard G. Buffett from their heirs. That’s the case making grants, then they should for Howard Buffett and his founmake that clear to their children dation, which was seeded with and grandchildren. If they don’t want to be flexible in terms of how that wealth is spent, and they still want gifts from his parents and in recent years has been supplemented by sigto have the next generations involved, they have to find some kind of nificantly larger donations of Berkshire Hathaway stock. Buffett’s philanthropic focus is worldwide food and water security and conflict compromise.”

Bridgespan’s Ditkoff explains that since the first generation tends to be mitigation, and by mid-March, he says, he’ll have visited all 54 fully recogthe one who made the wealth, “they feel that they earned it, and it’s theirs nized African countries, mostly to understand food security issues and to give away in whatever way they choose.” Sometimes, there are gulfs that search for innovative agricultural projects to support. “I want to transfer can’t be bridged. Perhaps one family member is an evangelical Christian the knowledge and sense of commitment to my children,” which includes and can’t support the giving priorities of his parents and siblings; perhaps his wife’s four daughters, whom Buffett has helped raise, along with his one part of a traditionally Republican family drifts leftward and can’t con- son, Howard Warren Buffett. At the same time, he adds, “I don’t want that done giving money to causes that run counter to his new opinions. “To say to stop me from doing the biggest things that I can today. I’m going to put that family philanthropy is a panacea that can bridge all gaps is a fallacy,” all my time and resources into addressing these issues.”

Buffett said his son had visited 58 countries by the time he went to colsays Karoff. “A baby won’t fix a bad marriage; philanthropy won’t make a lege—and “our destinations weren’t places like Paris and Cancún.” Three dysfunctional family functional once more.”

to giving and simply handing heirs a family foundation to administer isn’t enough these days. Goldseker explains, “It isn’t possible just to bring those individuals into the status quo. [Heirs] bring their own ideas and visions to the table.”

Long before they are old enough to understand just how wealthy their family is or what philanthropy involves, children or grandchildren can develop an understanding of their privileged situation by becoming engaged in volunteer work, through a school, a religious organization, or some kind of entity alongside their parents. “A grandparent or parent can say they’ll donate money that’s equivalent to the amount of time they put in, too,” says Melissa Berman, president and CEO of the New York – based Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who notes that family vacations or extended family reunions can also include a volunteer initiative that all family members can share: a park cleanup, perhaps, or, as children get older, a Habitat for Hu manity building project.

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“I KNOW THAT IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

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to challenge me, ask me tough questions.”

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of the children now sit on the board of Buffett’s foundation, and trustees are designated $20,000 apiece every year to direct to projects of their own choice that fit within the broader mission of the foundation.

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aking a flexible strategy with the legal and financial components of philanthropic giving is as essential as when dealing with generational differences. For decades the family foundation has been the default-giving vehicle. While foundations allow a family unlimited, multigenerational control over grant making, the tax deductions for contributions are less generous than for other vehicles, such as donor-advised funds. (For instance, if donating company stock, family members can deduct its cost; if they are donating to a donor-advised fund, they can deduct the often significantly higher fair market value of those securities.) By some estimates, 70 percent of all foundations have assets of less than $1 million, a level that most experts consider to be inefficient. Michael Cole, president of Ascent Private Capital Management, says that while a foundation—which requires its members to keep tabs of investments, governance, and taxes as well as evaluating and monitoring grants—can be “a great financial parenting and educational tool,” unless a family has or plans to donate more than $10 million to the foundation, the administrative costs are too high to justify this option.

The other most popular vehicle is the donor-advised fund, established under the umbrella of sponsoring organizations, such as community foundations. In recent years a range of nonprofits and special divisions of banks and investment companies like Fidelity have offered opportunities for families to establish their own DAFs. However, there are more constraints: Donors can only suggest or advise, rather than dictate, where they

want grants to go; and children who serve as advisors cannot earn a salary for doing so. But for a growing number of families, the lower overhead costs, higher tax deductions, and the increasing ability to bring in children or grandchildren as “co-advisors” are outweighing some of the disadvantages.

While families might want to ponder the tax considerations associated with various philanthropic vehicles, the decision about whether or not to be philanthropic is almost never made for financial reasons. “The tax breaks you get for charitable giving are no greater than those you get for losing money in the stock market, and nobody invests in stocks with the intent of losing money,” points out Ramsay Slugg, wealth strategies advisor at US Trust.

For Howard Buffett, the biggest challenge for philanthropists isn’t whether to set up a foundation or DAF. “The worst thing you can do is to live in your comfort zone,” he says. In the late 1980s, Buffett and his siblings were each allowed to determine the target(s) of $100,000 per year from their parents’ new foundation. In 1999, each of the siblings received $26.5 million from their parents to start their individual foundations.

“Hey, many of my ideas were stupid,” he admits, recalling the notion of funding a camel dairy for Western Sahara refugees. “You learn fast to think hard about what to support, but at least the mistakes were small, while the lessons were big.” Nonetheless he encourages his children to venture into new areas. “I can be a bit of a dictator, but I know that it’s important for the next generation to challenge me, to have someone with a view that’s a little less myopic ask me tough questions. These are the formative experiences that they’ll be putting in their memory banks and drawing on in the decades to come.” V

Saving Grace

Tax incentives lure philanthropically-minded Californians to Nevada.

Tax laws don’t necessarily turn casual donors into bona fide philanthropists, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have an impact on the level of philanthropic giving, as Vegas-area nonprofits are starting to recognize.

In November 2012, Californian residents gave the thumbs up to Proposition 30, which boosts taxes on earnings of more than $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for couples through 2019. On top of the fact that California’s state capital gains tax is the highest in the nation, at an eye-popping 13.3 percent, that was the last straw for many wealthy families in the state, says Christopher Pitzak, principal at Bernstein Global Wealth Management in San Diego. “I’m having discussions with my

clients almost on a daily basis about moving to the Las Vegas area and its surrounding region,” he says.

The impact on philanthropy? Charitably minded donors can only give away what they are able to keep out of the hands of the taxman, points out Pitzak. “One of my clients would have paid $22 million in taxes had he stayed put in California, but after moving to Nevada, he paid zero” since Nevada has no personal income tax, Pitzak says. The entire savings, he adds, has been allocated to philanthropic giving.

The odds are that these donors would have been philanthropically minded wherever they lived. But relocating to Nevada has not only freed up more resources, it’s created the opportunity for

Vegas-area organizations to reap a coveted portion of those extra philanthropic dollars, Pitzak argues.

And that could only increase with time.

That elusive phenomenon known as “donor engagement”—the willingness of a philanthropist to not only write a check but to become actively involved with the work of an organization they are supporting, and mobilize other donors in their turn—is rising, according to reports from the Nevada Community Foundation.

The trend is in its early stages, but Pitzak sees no reason why it shouldn’t continue to benefit Vegas-area philanthropic giving, just as it’s proving to be a windfall for Vegasarea realtors. “It’s a great side effect of the Californian flight to avoid taxes.”

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We have deeply rooted philanthropic and cultural partnerships in each community and support the organizations that work to strengthen each city.

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Haute Property NEWS, STARS, AND TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE

The home at 9028 Players Club Drive was designed in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright by one of his protégés.

Aligning the Stars PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KAMRAN ZAND

SINGULAR HOMES DESIGNED BY STAR ARCHITECTS AND THEIR PROTÉGÉS ARE DELIGHTFUL SURPRISES—AND ON THE MARKET—IN SUMMERLIN. BY ANDY WANG

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egas “starchitecture” isn’t just about the Strip, where CityCenter alone boasts structures by Daniel Libeskind, David Rockwell, Rafael Viñoly, Helmut Jahn, Pelli Clarke Pelli, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Star architects and their students have also designed singular homes all over the valley. Even better for the discerning and deep-pocketed buyer, a handful of these prized properties are now on the market in Summerlin.

“Because Las Vegas is continuing to become one of the most desirable destinations to live, the most sought-after architects are being brought in from all over the world by some of the most affluent high-net-worth individuals,” says broker Kamran Zand (luxuryhomeslasvegas.com), who specializes in high-end Vegas properties. “And they are designing some

of the most amazing custom luxury homes.”

For Luxe Estates Collection, Zand is listing one of the city’s most eyecatching houses, a mansion designed by John Rattenbury, an apprentice of legendary architect and urban-planning pioneer Frank Lloyd Wright.

The $3.995 million price tag for the 10,000-square-foot residence at 9028 Players Club Drive in Summerlin’s gated Tournament Hills is actually far less than the approximately $8.5 million it cost to create the house.

The owner wanted nothing less than the “ultimate oasis” in the desert, so he hired Taliesin Associated Architects, which was founded by Wright’s widow in 1959 as a way to continue her husband’s groundbreaking practice after his death. Rattenbury, then a principal architect at the now-defunct continued on page 134

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continued from page 133 firm, conceived a home with “a central theme of five natural elements: rock, water, wood, steel, and fire,” says Zand.

After nearly a year of design work, two and a half years of construction started in 1997. The result, which includes 1,000 tons of custom stone, is a spectacular four-bedroom home with a 27-foot observation tower and a smart mix of natural elements in a lush setting with golf course and mountain views. Tropical trees and desert plants abound, and the water features include indoor and outdoor waterfalls.

More than three years to create a home might seem like nothing, however, to the owners of 7 Sable Ridge Court in Summerlin’s top-of-themarket Ridges community. That five-bedroom, 13,000-plus-square-foot colossus, now on the market for $18.7 million, is listed by broker Jill Lorenz of Prudential Americana Group (americanagroup.com).

The owners, Jon Sparer and John Klai, are local hospitality architects who have worked on the most prominent Vegas resorts on and off the Strip, including MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay,

The pool at 53 Painted Feather Way features a rain wall and fire pots.

Bellagio, Mirage, and Hard Rock. They hired residential architect Eric Strain and “met weekly for nine years through the design and construction of the house,” says Lorenz. “‘Attention to detail’ is an understatement.”

The walls, including one that’s 140 feet long, were built with rammed earth. A zinc-colored wing structure—“which just happens to be the same size as a 747,” Lorenz says—was constructed above the house. Glass, metal, and teak preserve the natural feeling of the desert surroundings.

But just for fun, there’s an underground entertainment area with two Brunswick bowling lanes.

Also in the Ridges (in the same one-street, 23-house, golf course – surrounded Arrowhead enclave as a Marmol Radziner –designed home on the market for $12 million) is 53 Painted Feather Way. Listed by broker Gavin Ernstone of Simply Vegas (simplyvegasrealestate.com), this $6.499 million, six-bedroom, 11,300-square-foot residence was designed by Richard Luke, an award-winning local architect who has designed homes for hospitality heavyweights like Michael and Jenna Morton. (Mogul Gavin Maloof’s

“High-end buyers will automatically look into a home bearing the name of an architect they’re familiar with and fond of.”—KAMRAN ZAND

At 7 Sable Ridge Court, the J2 house—named for owners Jon Sparer and John Klai—is an estate befitting billionaire aviator and Vegas resident Howard Hughes, with a rooftop wing, a massive patio (ABOVE), and two bowling lanes (RIGHT).

Luke-designed Southern Highlands home is also on the market, for $10.5 million.) Design flourishes include a copper roof and a floating entryway with fountains and lava rock. There’s also a “rain wall” that “cascades from the roof to the pool,” says Ernstone.

With such world-class design available in Summerlin, brokers are hoping to attract the globe’s top real estate connoisseurs—the type of buyer who collects great works of architecture.

“The most affluent buyers, for the most part, familiarize themselves with the who’s who of architects, as well as up-and-coming architects,” says Zand, who adds that the potential buyers interested in 9028 Players Club Drive include hotel developers, architects, athletes, actors, and musicians. “The high-end buyers who are attracted to a particular type of home style will automatically look into a home bearing the name of an architect they’re familiar with and fond of.”

Lorenz believes we’ll see more architecturally distinctive homes breaking ground in Vegas in the future. “The clientele that demands this quality already lives here in Las Vegas or comes here regularly as a tourist or to a second home,” she says. As Zand points out, “The wealthy gravitate here because they love what Las Vegas has to offer.” And by “here,” he’s not just talking about the Strip. V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC PENROD/PERFECT IMAGES (53 PAINTED FEATHER); BILL TIMMERMAN/TIMMERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY (7 SABLE RIDGE)

HAUTE PROPERTY

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REAL ESTATE NEWS

Development: Full Speed Ahead LAS VEGAS’S ANSWER TO ISTANBUL’S GRAND BAZAAR—AND NEW YORK’S TIMES SQUARE—IS ON THE WAY, PLUS HIGH-END RENTALS (AT LOWER-END PRICES) AND AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT.

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ow bazaar, how bazaar. Expect the city’s busiest intersection, Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, to get even livelier when the Grand Bazaar Shops (grandbazaarshops.com) debut. Scheduled to open in the fall with around 55,000 square feet of shopping and dining, this new retail destination is under construction across from the Bellagio fountains. The outdoor shopping center, featuring mosaic-patterned rooftops, will have more than 150 stores, including Swatch, Superdry, Havaianas, and Campo Marzio. And above the new Swarovski shop, visitors will see a crystal starburst that will light up and play music every midnight.

Developer Larry Siegel, chairman of Juno Management Partners, came up with the idea for this shopping extravaganza after visiting some of the “great markets of the world,” he says. About 23,000 square feet of Grand Bazaar Shops, more than a third of the complex, will be dedicated to restaurants, bars, and food stores, including five shops from chef Sam Marvin, who founded Bottega Louie in LA and recently opened Echo & Rig in Tivoli Village.

After looking closely at the recovering Las Vegas market for the last two years, the New York –based Praedium Group has acquired the South Blvd. Apartments rental development on Giles Street for $41.9 million. “We saw real momentum in jobs being created, and we saw that rents had stabilized,” says Asim Hamid.

“And there’s a lack of supply because there were very few people building.”

Occupancy at South Blvd. Apartments is solid, with 93 percent of the 320-unit complex leased. For available homes, rents start at $875 for a one-bedroom, $1,099 for a twobedroom, and $1,375 for a threebedroom. “This is a brand-new gorgeous property with granite and

ABOVE: Grand Bazaar Shops.

RIGHT: South Blvd.

Apartments.

stainless-steel appliances,” Hamid says. “There’s a beautiful clubhouse, a swimming pool, and an attached garage in some units. And it’s within 10 to 15 minutes of the Strip.” Praedium has brought in Alliance Properties (alliancelv.com) to manage South Blvd. Apartments, located just a block east of Las Vegas Boulevard in southern Las Vegas.

The complex, which was completed in 2012, features 29 two-story buildings. On-site amenities include a movie theater with stadium seating.

Ryland Homes (ryland.com), the megadeveloper whose properties include Amado Pointe in Summerlin, Cordova Estates in Henderson, and Centennial Crossings in North Las Vegas, has purchased 38 acres in the southwest valley. The company plans to build homes on the land north of the 215 beltway. Ryland, which prides itself on creating energy-efficient residences and has operations in 17 states, is actively expanding its presence in Vegas. One of its forthcoming developments is Tacinga Ridge, a gated community of single-family homes near Mountain’s Edge.

Well-off Californians f leeing their LEFT: Residences at state’s rising taxes continue to be a huge facMandarin Oriental.

BELOW: South Blvd. tor driving the Las Vegas market upward.

Apartments.

After all, there’s no state income tax in Nevada, and jet-setting Hollywood types already consider Vegas an extension of LA. “We’re going to see a tremendous exodus of California residents into Vegas,” says celebrity real estate broker Mauricio Umansky of The Agency (theagencyre.com), the Beverly Hills –based brokerage recently tapped by the Residences at Mandarin Oriental to handle its California marketing. The Agency has been closing Mandarin Oriental penthouse deals in the $800 per-square-foot range since being named the development’s sales and marketing partner in December. “Vegas is starting to trend up,” Umansky says.

“We’re starting to see velocity. It’s an investment opportunity.” V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TSB PHOTOGRAPHY (SOUTH BLVD.); DENNIS OWEN (MANDARIN ORIENTAL); ROBERT FREED (RYLAND HOMES)

BY ANDY WANG

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IT'S DEADLY. THERE'S NO CURE. JOIN THE REVOLUTION.

THE FIGHT AGAINST MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY

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T he Guide

BEST OF VEGAS

Fizz Las Vegas‘s most popular cocktail, Le Fizz.

THIS ISSUE THE VERY BEST OF devour: fine chinese relax: pedicures

Pop Star CAVIAR, CHEETAH PRINTS, A $2,500 COCKTAIL—FIZZ LAS VEGAS IS JUST THE LAVISH CHAMPAGNE LOUNGE YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM DAVID FURNISH AND ELTON JOHN. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNA DOSCH

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avid Furnish, a filmmaker whose résumé includes Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras, a documentary about his famously posh partner, has teamed up with Vegas nightlife innovators Michael Greco and Steven Kennedy to create a high-concept Champagne lounge.

The idea: to fashion a space that reflects the way Furnish and John entertain at home. The $3.2 million lounge drips with decadence: Silk moiré and walnut walls shimmer by chandelier light. A palette of champagne (the color), cognac (again, the color), and ivory complements 51 pieces of oversize photography from their personal collection. Bronze glass, cream-colored leather, and cheetah-print upholstery are a glam nod to the late ’60s/early ’70s interiors of Caesars Palace, with a modern update from Todd-Avery Lenahan of TAL Studio. But Fizz is first and foremost a Champagne lounge, as the giant central bubbly bucket will remind you. Twenty Champagnes are available by the glass, as well as dozens of bottles from the biggest names. Splurge on a bottle of 2005 Cristal rosé for $2,725 or a glass of Dom 2000 for $130, or opt for more-budget-friendly glasses starting at $9.

An ever-growing selection of Champagne cocktails rounds out the drink menu. The most popular is Le Fizz, made with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Grey Goose vodka, and egg whites (for creaminess) and topped with brut Champagne. The specialty: the Fizz Deluxe, a twist on a French 75 made with Grand Marnier Quintessence, Richard Hennessy cognac, fresh lemon juice, Monin Rose syrup, egg whites, and Dom Pérignon rosé and finished with a rose petal dusted with real 24k gold flakes. This deluxe cocktail comes with a deluxe price tag of $2,500.

The menu includes lavish heavy snacks like caviar, canapés, and charcuterie, plus decadent desserts. True to the goal of approximating Furnish and John’s private parties, their personal chef, Gauthier Bialek, is at the helm.

Fizz is in no way Elton John– themed, but there are touches of John and Furnish throughout. “The music playlist came right from my iPod, and the scented candles were created by Nest Fragrances,” says Furnish. “Every time I walk into Fizz, I feel like I’m walking into one of our homes.” Caesars Palace, 702-776-3200; fizzlv.com V

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GUIDE devour Wing Lei’s newly redesigned dining room at Wynn.

People’s Republic CHINATOWN’S SPRING MOUNTAIN ROAD ISN’T THE ONLY PLACE TO LOOK FOR AUTHENTIC CHINESE CUISINE. THE STRIP IS PACKED WITH LUXURIOUS OPTIONS, TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL.

If you think Chinese restaurants and giant fish tanks go together like sweet and sour, then Beijing Noodle No. 9 will feel pleasantly familiar. With imposing walls of goldfish tanks against a stark white backdrop, it’s like a Chinese restaurant plucked straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Inside you’ll find genuine northern Chinese cuisine, with an emphasis on hand-stretched noodles.

Caesars Palace, 877-346-4642; caesarspalace.com

Blossom While the authenticity of certain Chinese-American dishes may be questionable (we’re looking at you, General Tso), the same can’t be said for Peking duck, considered a national dish of China and traditionally served before the main course, with moo shu wraps or buns and cucumbers, shredded scallions, and hoisin sauce. Not a fan of poultry’s darker side? Don’t fret; there are 100 other items on the menu—including chicken.

Aria, 877-230-2742; arialasvegas.com

China Poblano A combo concept from celebrated chef José Andrés, China Poblano takes signature Chinese and Mexican items and puts them on the same menu, sometimes in the same dish, as in the Viva China tacos, with beef tendon, oysters, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorn sauce. These two seemingly disparate cultures have a history

together that goes back at least five centuries. In other words, it’s not that strange at Cosmopolitan, where clever juxtaposition is business as usual.

Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7900; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

Hakkasan The haute Hakkasan first opened in London, where it holds a Michelin star, before expanding to cities from Miami to Mumbai.

The Las Vegas location debuted last spring and features endless walls of hand-cut marble and intricate wood latticework spread over 80,000 square feet. While many people know it as the hottest nightclub on the Strip, the food is equally impressive. Try the mushroomy Hakka noodles.

MGM Grand, 702-891-7888; hakkasan.com/lasvegas

Jasmine With floor-to-ceiling views of the Bellagio fountains, Jasmine’s regal dining room is the setting for its famous Sunday Fountains Brunch buffet. Offerings include Wu Xu– style braised short ribs with pickled mustard greens, ahi tuna medallions with togarashi chili and yuzu gelée on lotus chips, and lobster-potato cake Benedict with a Japanese onsen-style egg.

Bellagio, 702-693-8865; bellagio.com

Noodles Noodles was designed by Tony Chi with luxurious touches of gilt

and marble (not to mention some wit, like dried noodles displayed in backlit apothecary jars). It’s also open until 2 AM every night for the post-club crowd. Look for chef Patrick Lee’s regional noodle dishes and Hong Kong – style barbecue, as well as dim sum, served Friday through Sunday.

Bellagio, 866-259-7111; bellagio.com

DUCK DYNASTY Blossom chef Chi Kwun Choi on the perfect Peking duck.

Pearl Chef Kai-Wa Yau serves an ever-changing seasonal menu of traditional Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine at the luxe Pearl, also designed by Tony Chi. The soaring ceilings, plush seating, floor-to-ceiling teal mosaic walls, and dramatic, oversize red lanterns create a stylish and inviting atmosphere.

Live seafood is the specialty here.

MGM Grand, 702-891-7380; mgmgrand.com

Wing Lei This opulent, newly reopened restaurant is all crisp white, gold, and jade. Every element has been painstakingly considered, including the custom carpet, patterned after embroidered imperial jackets of the Ming period. The food combines Eastern tradition with Western technique for an elevated dining experience at the first Chinese restaurant in North America (and the only one in Vegas) to receive a Michelin star.

Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3463; wynnlasvegas.com V

Is there a perfect Peking duck? It must be five and a half pounds. It is important that a Peking duck not be too large or too small. The server presents the whole duck to the table and carves it tableside.

What should I do with leftovers? We chop them into smaller pieces and pan-fry them, or put them in soup or lettuce wraps, for an extra charge.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (WING LEI); COURTESY OF MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL (DUCK)

Beijing Noodle No. 9

Peking duck at Blossom.

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You know that makeup makes a difference in how you look and feel. But did you know that makeup can also make a difference in the lives of people living and working with cancer? Shop QVC & CEW Present Beauty with Benefits for cosmetics and more. 80% of your purchase price benefits Cancer and Careers.

A little makeup can make a big difference.

Tiffani Thiessen, Actress

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Tune in THURSDAY, APRIL 17 at 8pm ET

Algenist / bareMinerals / CHI / Clarins / Clarisonic / Clinique / Dior / Dr. Denese / Dr. Dennis Gross / Edward Bess / Fresh / Givenchy IT Cosmetics / Josie Maran / Laura Geller / Lipstick Queen / Mally / Perricone MD / Peter Thomas Roth / philosophy / Tweezerman StriVectin / tarte / WEN SPECIAL THANKS TO TIFFANI THIESSEN AND SONIA KASHUK FOR THEIR SUPPORT. A public service announcement. Show dates, times, offers and availability subject to change without notice. © 2014 QVC, Inc. QVC, Q and the Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc.

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GUIDE relax Soothe your tender soles by slipping into the whirlpool at ESPA at Vdara.

Best Foot Forward FASHIONISTAS TAKE NOTE: NEW PEDICURES ON AND OFF THE STRIP EASE POST-PURCHASING FOOT FATIGUE.

The natural desert environment is the inspiration for the 65-minute Terra Firma Stone Pedicure ($130). Warm stones serve as a destressing massage tool to melt away tension and pain in the legs and feet, then essential oils of pure organic jojoba and buruti are used to stimulate circulation and add deep moisture for silky smooth skin.

Bellagio, 702-693-8080; bellagio.com

Canyon Ranch SpaClub Relax from the soles up with the Balancing Foot Veil, as your feet and lower legs are soothed and stimulated by a classic ayurvedic pedicure. The 80-minute treatment includes an aromatic foot soak, a scrub, and extended foot massage, plus an exfoliating hand treatment ($150, Monday – Wednesday; $155, Thursday – Sunday). The Endless Energy Pedicure ($130/$135) likewise lasts a luxurious 80 minutes and includes an exfoliation, a self-heating mud mask, and a cooling gel treatment.

Venetian and Palazzo, 702-4143600; canyonranch.com/lasvegas

re:lax Argan oil is the beauty product de rigueur right now, and the new Moroccan Pedicure ($80) at re:lax uses the Moroccanoil line exclusively. This 80-minute vacation for your feet employs Moroccanoil’s scrub, intense

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hydrating treatment, warm body butter, and mask, as well as a paraffin foot treatment.

Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa, 702-692-7378; aliantegaming.com

Salon Vdara and ESPA at Vdara Inspired by runway looks, Salon Vdara’s exotic Snakeskin Pedicure ($200; $215 for faux snakeskin) features naturally shed python skin, which is shaped to fit your toenails, affixed on top of your choice of color with a clear coat of Bio Sculpture gel, and detailed with nail art. Because of the intricacy of the treatment, allow about two and a half hours.

Vdara, 702-590-2474; vdara.com

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental The Diamond Magnetic Manicure & Pedicure ($220) is performed in the Spa at Mandarin’s Chinese Foot Spa, where a luminous mud with diamond dust is combined with a massage. After cleansing and exfoliation, a magnet removes the remaining product and balances the body’s energy.

Mandarin Oriental, 702-590-8886; mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas

The Salon at Red Rock If your soles could easily traverse hot coals, it’s time for the Top of the Rock pedicure

($100), an 80-minute treatment that combines a coconut milk bath, intensive buffing with the Clarisonic Pedi Device (launched at the International Spa Association conference at Mandalay Bay in October), a sugar scrub, a massage, and lavender aromatherapy as part of a paraffin treatment.

Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa; 702-797-7878; redrock.sclv.com

POWER TO THE PEDS Red Rock’s director of spa operations, Blake Feeney, on the benefits of taking a power tool to your feet.

The Salon at Wynn Treat your dry feet to the aptly named Ultimate Pedicure ($130), an intense, 60-minute hydrating therapy that starts with a hydrating mineral-based lotion. Nails are reshaped and cuticles perfected, calves and feet are exfoliated with Dead Sea salts and minerals and then lightly massaged, and moisture is sealed in with a hydrating mask and warm paraffin treatment.

Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3900; wynnlasvegas.com

Violet Hour Salon Cherry blossom and lotus provide the rejuvenating benefits of the Violet Hour Signature Pedicure ($125; add $95 for a matching manicure). A lavish foaming wash purifies and tones the skin, while exfoliating microbeads and a hydrating elixir are used to soften the feet and ease tension. The 65-minute treatment concludes with a brightening peel and firming masque.

Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7272; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com V

A Clarisonic treatment for feet? We’re the first to use the Clarisonic Pedi Device. It uses a sonic buffing disc to exfoliate. It’s like a foot facial—it helps infuse products into your skin.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STATION CASINOS (VDARA)

Bellagio Spa & Salon

It sounds sexier than being sanded with a foot file. We use Pure Fiji products, so you’re smelling coconut and star fruit.

There’s a coconut milk bath, lavender aromatherapy, a sugar scrub, and a paraffin wrap. So yes, it’s very indulgent.

The Pedi Device

by Clarisonic.

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Parting Shot

Spring Comes to Vegas DON’T LAMENT THE ABSENCE OF SEASONAL CHANGE. YOU’RE JUST LOOKING IN THE WRONG CASINO. BY SCOTT DICKENSHEETS

S

year. Does Mother Nature continually swap out thousands of plants to make sure the view is just so? Not that we’ve noticed. Indeed, even the more subtle manifestations of man-made spring in Las Vegas—the way Venetian adjusts the lighting of the ersatz sky above its canal, for example—are done with considerably more panache than nature typically musters. And it’s not just spring, either. The Conservatory’s polar bears, penguins, poinsettias, and pines are a better indication that winter’s here than a sackful of mall Santas.

To be fair, Southern Nevada doesn’t offer nature much to work with, just bland desert dirt (with extra caliche!), abundant sunshine, and a drought-strangled water supply. The Conservatory has 14,000 airconditioned square feet, access tunnels beneath the floor, and the ability to pay a bonkers water bill. Those are the kinds of production values we’ve come to appreciate in Las Vegas—a massive outlay of financial and human capital to maintain, with seeming effortlessness, an idealized, showroom version of nature far superior to anything nature itself can put on the marquee. No surprise spring has a hard time keeping up.

But that’s how Vegas has always rolled—the city’s very existence in this resource-starved desert is a kind of taunt to nature, an ongoing selfie composed of flower extravaganzas, dolphin tanks, and tiger preserves that we post every day to prove we did it our way. “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party,’” Robin Williams once quipped. Spring displays are Las Vegas’s way of saying, “You’re on.” V

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O’LEARY

easons come to Las Vegas to reinvent themselves, too. This is most obviously the case with summer, which blows in to cut loose, party all night, overstay its welcome, and stick autumn with the bill.

However, this year also saw winter reposition itself in a big way—as spring.

Clear skies, temps in the 60s. It was an unusually long interlude of favorite coats not worn, of Face-tweeting a shirtsleeve selfie or two as a delicious taunt to East Coast friends shivering under the polar vortex. But even if it was particularly pronounced this year, some version of this seasonal schizophrenia plays out every winter (locals view these spasms of quasispring as partial reimbursement for the unpleasant solar vortex to come).

As a consequence, Las Vegans can’t rely on spring itself to let them know when the season has arrived. For that, we have the very many floral technicians at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. They are far more dependable—and, it must be said, stylish—harbingers of the season than Mother Nature. Sure, she can push the tender green shoots of miraculous spring renewal up through the dirt, but in Vegas the old gal is simply overmatched. Each March, as if to fulfill Tolstoy’s dictum that “Spring is the time of plans and projects,” Bellagio’s 140 Conservatory horticulturists engage in a massive infusion of bright plants, trees, fountains, gazebos, pathways, and whimsical sculpture that takes a full week to complete. I mean, how often does Mother Nature suspend a cloud of oversize faux water drops or inverted parasols above a manicured arrangement of exotic blossoms? At Bellagio, it’s every

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