Desert Companion - December 2015

C 12 DECEMBER

15

ici

Restau (Deal) neigh borHo ran

o us

a

Me

l * C p e t hef* New rest aura ize

Ap

Res

t * auran

od

t

nt E t h * n * Si g ic rest* C natur

t

r

tail Bar ock nt Desse

* rt aura Barte n dish* d e r

e

P L U S

Other than my workshop at the North Pole, Town Square is my favorite place to fill my bag with presents. I love the feeling of giving the perfect gift, and it’s great to find them all in one place. Plus, it’s so nice to take a break from the snow!

#mytownsquare

November 13–December 24 PHOTOS WITH SANTA November 14–December 24 Online reservation required at townsquaresanta.com

SNOW IN THE SQUARE November 13–December 23 Monday–Thursday 7 p.m. | Friday–Sunday 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.

CLAUS & PAWS PET PHOTOS Wednesdays | November 18–December 23 | 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

HOLIDAY NIGHTS & LIGHTS COMMUNITY CONCERTS Thursdays | November 19–December 17 | 6–7 p.m.

STOCKINGS WITH MRS. CLAUS December 6 | 1–4 p.m.

RSVP online beginning November 23 at mytownsquarelasvegas.com

Presented by:

100+ brands & boutiques | 20+ dining destinations 18-screen AMC theatre | 9,000 sq. ft. children’s park

mytownsquarelasvegas.com

If we could, we’d give it a thumbs up.

Subaru owners and their four-legged copilots agree on a lot. The adventures Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive makes possible. The eco-friendliness of Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles. And though they can’t say it in words, our pets appreciate the fact that Subaru has seven 2015 IIHS Top Safety Picks.

Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

Visit subaru.com to learn more.

Subaru of Las Vegas 5385 West Sahara Avenue (702) 495-2100 Subaruoflasvegas.com

T A H W T S JU ORDERED. N I A T P A C THE

ge Vi nta

.

Veg a s

York. w e N c h ool Ol d s . u isi ne c n a i tal less I e m i T

Never stop learning.

GET AHEAD IN YOUR CAREER. Sometimes you don’t need another degree to take your career in a new direction or prepare for a new role. We have the right professional development certificate program or course to get you ready for your next career move.

Information Technology • Healthcare & Allied Fields • Community Management • Mediation • Sommelier • Legal Studies • Pilot Training • Unmanned Aircraft Systems • Animal Massage • Sports & Wellness • Beer Steward

For more information on Spring/Summer 2016 certificates, courses and travel programs, please view the catalog online at ced.unlv.edu/cat2016 or call 702.895.3394. continuingeducation.unlv.edu

EDiTOR’S Note

Food for fraught

S

o, yeah: In the manic run-up to this issue, one of the restaurants we were bandying about as a prospective Restaurant Awards winner — just as our collective excitement was needling into overdrive about its inspiring underdog story — closed.

It was a small but bold, uncompromisingly food-forward place in Henderson called David Clawson Restaurant.

(Our feature about it, “Quiet storm,” ran in the February issue.) Yes, it closed. And? Sure, a restaurant shutting its doors in Las Vegas has all the headline wattage of a traffic jam on the 95, but this one felt a bit different: Run by a four-decade fine-dining veteran, David Clawson Restaurant was adored by foodies and critics — even the brooding, primitive hive mind that is Yelp approached something like unanimous acclaim. So, besides the perfunctory rain of sadface emoji this should and did evoke, its closure also felt, on some astral level, unfair, a violation of what we thought was the cosmic law that dictates if you’re good enough, the world can’t ignore you — that excellence generates its own irresistible magnetism, right? Uh, turns out, maybe not so much when there’s a Pizza Hut next door.

You can chalk up the closure of David Clawson as a lesson about running a business (pick the right location, know your audience, study the market), or civic immaturity (sigh, our fast-food palates and pocketbooks just weren’t ready for suburban fine dining), but I’m not dropping the anecdote to pull down a teachable moment or to jury-rig a quick editorial soapbox — or even because I necessarily want to make any kind of point about how challenging and uncertain and fraught it is to run an independent restaurant in a city whose culinary capital is Olive Garden. And yet! I feel compelled to mention it, because that reality rang repeatedly like a bell as we put this issue together — particularly “Food for thought” (p. 70). In this Next feature, we profile five chefs with MOnth stellar, Strip-rich resumes who We lay out the decided to go their own way, darwelcome mat with ing to launch solo businesses and our Ultimate Newcomer’s Guide careers far from the lights of Las

6

December 2015

Desertcompanion.vegas

Vegas Boulevard. If you think it’s just a process of turning a Strip culinary resume into a dog whistle for starryeyed investors, think again. Don’t let these chefs’ easygoing smiles fool you. Many tell sturm und drang stories about risk, failure, doubt, false starts and drastic moves.

No one is self-congratulatory or complacent, no one feels he or she’s “made it” beyond another day of full, happy customers. Cooking is an art, but feeding people professionally lies somewhere on this side of science and craft — and I suspect beneath the chef’s crisp whites, the collar is blue. Let our 19th annual Restaurant Awards be a celebration of culinary excellence, but also a recognition of the main activity behind every great restaurant: not chopping or frying or plating, but grinding.

Grinding. Maybe you know the feeling — all work, no play in a city spinning like a centrifuge, particularly around the holidays. It’s easy to forget we live in one of the most fun, fascinating cities in the world. Well, before you flatline from exhaustion, be sure to read “The Bucket List” (p. 51), our answer to the numberless “Vegas must-do” clickbait flotsam clogging up the Internet. Our list (I intone with superciliousness rightfully earned) features our unapologetically (and in some cases, perhaps, disturbingly) enthusiastic expert gotta-do picks from sampling the Strip’s wildness to venturing into the desert wild. And no bucket-kicking at the end, either: If anything, we guarantee ticking off the boxes on this list will make you Andrew Kiraly feel more alive. editor

Follow Desert Companion www.facebook.com/DesertCompanion www.twitter.com/DesertCompanion

WORKING TOGETHER TO BRIGHTEN OUR COMMUNITY Some of our greatest accomplishments have been a result of the community partnerships we’ve nurtured in the Las Vegas region.

From Opportunity Village to The Public Education Foundation to Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Teach for America and Clean the World, our efforts are reflected through the hard work of organizations working to make life in the Las Vegas Valley that much brighter.

facebook.com/CaesarsFoundation

@CaesarsFdn

December 2015

1

“Just finished your piece in Desert Companion about changing your name,” Erin Timrawi of Las Vegas recently Facebooked to staff writer Heidi Kyser. It was a reference to Kyser’s October “Open Topic” piece detailing her struggle to reclaim her maiden name after getting married — a process that Nevada law made jaw-droppingly complicated, as Timrawi understood. “My jaw dropped, it really dropped, and my blood is boiling in condolence. Thank you for sharing that horrific experience.”

Other women — this being a problem largely faced by women — chimed in: “When I got married, I wanted to make my maiden name an additional middle name and create a non-hyphened, four-word name,” Carly Brockinton wrote us. “Nevada wouldn’t have it. I was told I could do it with the U.S. government, but not the state.” Reader Beth Lano added, “I spent a few weeks working on getting a marriage certificate and a divorce decree from a brief marriage in the ALL THINGS ’80s, and the same from my second marriage. All so I can get the Real ID and a new passport. It’s one hell of a lot of trouble to amass the buttload of paperwork to prove you are who you are. Thank God I kept my last married name. Women shouldn’t have Name equality to go through the hassle.”

And heaven forbid your name have W a nonstandard spelling, as journalist and sometime DC contributor Lissa Townsend Rodgers learned. “They rejected the extra S when I moved here, even though it was on all of my New York ID,” she commented on Facebook. “The woman refused to accept my birth certificate because it ‘was not the original.’ It was the official copy I left the hospital with and have used for all of my ID throughout my life. But she wanted the ‘original.’ … She still refused and handed me a sheet with instructions on how to get ‘the original birth certificate.’ Which, of course, said at the top, ‘How to get an official copy of your birth certificate.’” One can imagine her blood boiling in something other than condolence.

“Thus,” she concludes, “all of my Nevada ID is based on a temporary passport I got in Paris in 1990. So, basically, I got birthered back in 2004.” open topic

DISCOMFORT ZONE

Getting married may be easier for everyone now, but for Nevada women, it’s still complicated to leave an ex’s identity behind B Y H E I D I K YS E R

atching a middle-aged woman with overworked hair lose her cool at the Social Security office on Buffalo and Charleston last summer, I had an ugly moment of smug superiority. As the woman ranted at the clerk behind the glass window about being told she needed something different every time she came in and how sick she was of having to come back again and again with a different piece of paper, I thought, Poor thing. If only she, like I, had brought every document that could possibly be required. The clerk repeated her instructions to the woman in a sterner tone while I confidently took inventory of my

34

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 5

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

own folder for the zillionth time: namechange application, birth certificate, passport, marriage and divorce certificates from ex-husband, marriage certificate to current husband. Ah, the joy of good preparation!

Personal knowledge further bolstered my confidence that I’d have my request expedited in time to swing by Chipotle and make it back to the office before my lunch hour ended. My friends Scott and Heidi Swank love to tell the story of their prenuptial decision to take a different name — a composite of their respective Sowers and Frank — rather than an existing one or the other, and how all it took was filling out and signing the

marriage certificate with their chosen new identities. What I wanted seemed even simpler: to revert from my previous married name, Heidi Kyser-Genoist, to my maiden name, Heidi Kyser (my current husband, Peter Frigeri, and I having concluded that we’re better off keeping our fathers’ names than becoming Peter Fryser or Heidi Kygeri).

I heard the poor woman who’d been denied whatever it was she was looking for mutter furiously as she strode behind me toward the exit, “Is it their job to keep from helping you? That’s what you’d think by the way they act.” Etc. I was next, at the same window.

“Do you need a break?” I asked the clerk, showing my sympathy for the plight of public servants who have to deal with the unreasonable masses.

“No, I’m fine. How can I help you?”

I handed over my pile of papers with the simple declaration, “I got married and I want to change my name.”

“Mm hmm.”

She examined the documents for several minutes as if they contained indecipherable oddities. She even turned one page of something over to look at the back, perhaps searching for the conclusion to a bureaucratic non sequitur?

Nothing there. My confidence waned.

Then, she began asking questions.

Who was I? To whom was I recently married? And this Bertrand Genoist, who was he? What was my name now?

I swallowed the embarrassment of being on my third marriage in my mid40s and laid it all out. My first go-round was so brief, and I was so young, that I can’t remember anymore how many months it lasted. We were lonely college kids from the same hometown whose devout Christian parents wouldn’t hear of us living together in sin. So …

Fast forward a few years, and I meet a Frenchman who’s come to the States as an au-pair to improve his English. I offer to tutor him. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, he needs a green card. Having disliked

I L LU S T R AT I O N H E R N A N VA L E N C I A

000_000_allthings.indd 34

8

10/20/15 7:02 PM

December 2015

letters@desertcompanion.vegas

Vo lU m e 1 3 I s s u e 1 2

Desertcompanion.Vegas

2

Some late-arriving dissent from reader Don LeHeup: “I was a little taken aback by the article on Sean Russell in the July issue of Desert Companion.” Thinking back, you might recall that Russell created new sculpture by blasting blocks of clay with gunfire, stimulated by the shooting people engage in at various points on the edge of town. “Shooting bottles and strewing the desert with broken glass doesn’t strike me as art,” LeHeup says, “and is irresponsible, to say the least.” To be clear, the actual art didn’t involve shooting glass, but rather blocks of clay. The glass-shooting was more of a recreational thing — questionable in the minds of some, perhaps, yet legal and engaged in by quite a few people. It became the starting point of Russell’s series.

3

A bit of follow-up: In previous editions (August 2014, last August), we wrote about the fledgling UNLV medical school, wherein Barbara Atkinson served as planning dean. She’s now been made founding dean, and Heidi Kyser talked to her on the occasion: What does this change mean? “I’ve agreed to stay long enough to get the school off the ground and students enrolled. Planning dean implies a little more flexibility, that they might have hired someone else to start the first class of students. This means that I’ll be working beyond laying the groundwork to the point where the school is actually functioning. I’m really happy to be able to get the first class of students started.” What is the time frame of your commitment? “The first class of students will start in the summer 2017 and graduate spring 2021. So, May-June of 2021, they’ll graduate. I’m going to at least stay through their first couple years. I’m not all that young, but I’ll still hopefully be going strong enough at that point to make sure things are running smoothly before I hand off the reins to someone else.”

So you’re still happy here, even though you uprooted your husband to move here and do this job? “Yes. That decision didn’t take long. It took my husband about three weeks to say he likes it better here than anywhere else we’ve been. He can play golf, he’s made a lot of friends, and the weather is great.

There’s just so much to do here. And to me, everyone’s been so nice and welcoming. The community has really embraced the medical school wholeheartedly and shown their support in many ways.”

N OW S E RVI N G LU N C H & S U N DAY B R U N C H

BOLD ITALIAN. SMALL PLATES.

Lakeside Dining, Day and Night Lunch • Dinner • Sunday Brunch • bellagio.com • Reservations 702.693.8888

December 2015

Vo lU m e 1 3 I s s u e 1 2

www.desertcompanion.vegas

Features 51 have we

got a bucket list for you!

Sixty things in Las Vegas — some fun, some scary, some edifying, some downright irresponsible — you really oughta do before your bucket is kicked

58 the 2015

restaurant awards

We came, we ate, we took notes.

Then we compared them. Desert Companion’s dining critics have selected the dishes, people and restaurants that made this such a delectable year

70 See ya, Insights from chefs who honed their chops on the neon way before lighting out for the neighborhoods

10

december 2015

Desertcompanion.vegas

Chef johnny church: christopher smith

strip!

You won’t find a bored room anywhere.

With both indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, say goodbye to stuffy work meetings. The Springs Preserve offers numerous unique, fully equipped venue options across a lush 180-acre campus. Add a little life to your next meeting.

Conveniently located near downtown Las Vegas at U.S. 95 & Valley View Blvd. | 702.822.8779 | springspreserve.org

December 2015

www.desertcompanion.vegas

Vo lU m e 1 3 I s s u e 1 2

32

30

44

departments All Things

32 downtown

43 Dining

90 The Guide

19 health The perils

Can you believe that we have Experienced the Fremont Street canopy for 20 years now? A look back — and ahead

By T.R. Witcher

44 The Dish The new

Quality culture for your enjoyment

of medical fraud 22 society Kids and online privacy 24 zeit bites Your

holiday spirit — quizzed!

26 Profile Advocate for women veterans 28 STYLE Giving you

some lip 30 open topic Will

38 HUMOR It takes a special kind of lunatic to bicycle around Area 51. Aliens, fire up your probes!

By Bjorn Dihle

anything get millennials to play slots?

slate of winter menus 47 eat this now

Acaraje’s flavor is anything but shrimpy 47 cocktail of the month Liquid candy

96 End note Ma Kyser’s bucket list

By Heidi Kyser

48 at first bite

Carbone cranks it up

on the cover Appetizer of the Year, crispy Buffalo cauliflower Photography Sabin Orr

12

December 2015

Desertcompanion.vegas

s lot : b r e n t h o l m e s ; f r e m o n t s t r e e t : b r e n t h o l m e s ; a r e a 5 1 : r i c k s e a lo c k ; c h i c k e n : b i l l h u g h e s

38

You’re already banking somewhere. Why not get paid for it?

Whatever you do with your bank, you can do right here at your credit union. Then, with our next bonus dividend coming real soon, you’ll get a piece of it.

Start banking the non-profit way.

• No-monthly Fee Checking • Low-rate Auto Loans • Free Mobile Banking • Free Bill Pay

Your deposits are insured up to $250,000

American Share Insurance insures each account up to $250,000.

This institution is not federally insured, and if the institution fails, the Federal Government does not guarantee that depositors will get back their money.

• Mortgage Department • Convenient ATM network • Full Service Branches • 37,000 members like you

When did your bank ever share their profits with you?

When you open a CCCU account, you become a member/ owner. This year, we paid out $2.7 million dollars. And since 2001, it’s over $50 million. Better rates. Better service.

Plus, bonus cash! It’s good to be one of us.

For information and to open an account, call (702) 228-2228, or online at OPENCCCU.com.

p u b l i s h e D B y n e va d a p u b l i c r a d i o

Mission Statement Desert Companion is the premier city magazine that celebrates the pursuits, passions and aspirations of Southern Nevadans. With awardwinning lifestyle journalism and design, Desert Companion does more than inform and entertain.

We spark dialogue, engage people and define the spirit of the Las Vegas Valley.

Publisher Melanie Cannon Associate Publisher Christine Kiely Editor Andrew Kiraly Art Director Christopher Smith deputy editor Scott Dickensheets senior designer Scott Lien staff writer Heidi Kyser Graphic Designer Brent Holmes Account executives Sharon Clifton, Parker McCoy, Favian Perez, Leigh Stinger, Noelle Tokar, Markus Van’t Hul NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Couture Marketing 145 E 17th Street, Suite B4 New York, NY 10003 (917) 821-4429 advertising@couturemarketing Marketing manager Lisa Kelly Subscription manager Hannah Howard Web administrator Danielle Branton print traffic manager Karen Wong ADVERTISING COPY EDITOR Carla J. Zvosec Contributing writers Jim Begley, John Curtas, Bjorn Dihle, Cybele, Mélanie Hope, Rick Lax, Debbie Lee, Christie Moeller, Casey Morell, Jason Scavone, Geoff Schumacher, Mitchell Wilburn, Stacy J. Willis, T.R. Witcher Contributing artists Bill Hughes, Sabin Orr, Matty Newton, Rick Sealock, Lucky Wenzel Editorial: Andrew Kiraly, (702) 259-7856; andrew@desertcompanion.vegas Fax: (702) 258-5646 Advertising: Christine Kiely, (702) 259-7813; christine@desertcompanion.vegas Subscriptions: (702) 258-9895; subscriptions@desertcompanion.vegas Website: www.desertcompanion.vegas Desert Companion is published 12 times a year by Nevada Public Radio, 1289 S. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89146. It is available by subscription at desertcompanion.vegas, or as part of Nevada Public Radio membership. It is also distributed free at select locations in the Las Vegas Valley. All photos, artwork and ad designs printed are the sole property of Desert Companion and may not be duplicated or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The views of Desert Companion contributing writers are not necessarily the views of Desert Companion or Nevada Public Radio. Contact Hannah Howard for back issues, which are available for purchase for $7.95.

ISSN 2157-8389 (print) ISSN 2157-8397 (online)

14

December 2015

Desertcompanion.vegas

PLANNING FOR TAX SEASON? GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE BUSINESS ADVANTAGES OF LAND ROVER OWNERSHIP. When used predominantly for business, the luxurious and exceptionally capable Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover LR4 qualify for an accelerated tax depreciation schedule.* In today’s tough business climate, that tax advantage can help you gain higher ground.

Learn more by visiting Land Rover Las Vegas or Jaguar Land Rover Reno. Experience the extraordinary. *Individual tax situations may vary. The information presented was accurate at time of publishing. Federal rules and tax guidelines are subject to change. Consult your tax advisor for complete details on rules applicable to your business. The information in this ad does not constitute tax advice. © 2015 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.

Jaguar Land Rover Reno

9150 S. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89511 775.332.4000 www.jlrreno.com

Your Yard: Naughty or Nice?

Board of Directors Officers cynthia alexander, ESQ. chair Snell & Wilmer Jerry Nadal vice chair Cirque du Soleil TIM WONG treasurer Arcata Associates Florence M.E. Rogers secretary Nevada Public Radio

Directors kevin m. buckley First Real Estate Companies Dave Cabral emeritus Business Finance Corp.

Louis Castle emeritus Patrick N. Chapin, Esq. emeritus Richard I. dreitzer, Esq. Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP Elizabeth FRETWELL emeritus City of Las Vegas bOB GLASER BNY Mellon don hamrick Chapman Las Vegas Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

Schilling Horticulture Group Award Winning Landscape

gavin isaacs Scientific Games

We’ve got our plant list, and we’re checking it twice.

Jan Jones Blackhurst Caesars Entertainment Corporation

Is your water bill looking naughty or nice?

John R. Klai II Klai Juba Wald Architects Lamar Marchese president emeritus

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

William mason Taylor International Corporation Chris Murray emeritus Avissa Corporation

(702) 452-5272

schillinghorticulture.com

William J. “Bill” Noonan emeritus Boyd Gaming Corporation kathe nylen

license 0057280

Call today to schedule your design or maintenance consultation

Anthony j. pearl, esq.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas MARK RICCiARDI, Esq. emeritus Fisher & Phillips, LLP Mickey Roemer emeritus Roemer Gaming

Like us on Facebook Follow Desert Companion

Design | Installation | Renovation | Consultation | Maintenance Tree Care | Hardscapes | Small Jobs | Irrigation | Lighting

16

December 2015

Desertcompanion.vegas

www.facebook.com/DesertCompanion www.twitter.com/DesertCompanion

AT TREASURE ISLAND

AT BELLAGIO

AT NEW YORK-NEW YORK HOTEL & CASINO

AT MGM GRAND

AT THE MIRAGE

LUXOR

AT ARIA RESORT & CASINO

* Price varies depending on show, date and time and does not include tax and fees. Valid through December 17, 2015. Blackout dates apply. Valid on select seating areas and categories.

Cannot be combined with any other offer. Management reserves all rights. Subject to availability. Some restrictions apply. The offer for “O” and Michael Jackson ONE is up to 15% off tickets.

AT MANDALAY BAY RESORT AND CASINO

INVESTI NG IN NEVADA’S MO S T P R E C I OUS

RESOURCE Barrick believes every child should have what they need to succeed in school. That’s why we’ve donated millions to education initiatives throughout the state.

ab r i g h t e r n e v a d a . c o m

12

15

the d o ctor i s in ... if he’s real ly a d o c tor

My oh my, what’s happening in Nye? page 28

health

Quack for a buck Unlicensed medical practitioners like ‘Dr. Rick’ prey on the sick and uninsured — who sometimes pay with their lives B y H e i d i K ys e r

O

n the morgellons-disease page of Rick Van Thiel’s website, itsonlynatural.me, the self-described natural healer poses nude in before-after photos meant to demonstrate the effectiveness of his treatment for the mysterious skin-dwelling parasites. He prescribes pulsed electromagnetic-field therapy, colloidal silver and enzymes — the latter to kill the “genetically modified material of an element not know (sic) to this planet.” (The traditional health-science community, incidentally, does not agree that morgellons is a legitimate medical condition.)

In a YouTube video documenting Van Thiel’s illegal excision of a mass from a man’s back, “Dr. Rick,” as fans call him, tells an interviewer holding the camera that he is not a surgeon but has played one in a movie.

Prior to becoming a fake doctor, he was a porn actor, male escort and sex-toy salesman. The jokes practically write themselves.

But the Van Thiel case is no comedy. By September 30, when he was arrested and charged with illegal firearms possession, he had treated “hundreds” of people, he estimates, at his trailer near Nellis and Owens; three have died, according to news reports. Although no other indictments have been handed down yet, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said his office is investigating Van Thiel’s other potential

i l lu s t r at i o n b r e n t h o l m e s

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

19

ALL Things

health

“The most likely reasons are economic, though. Even people with insurance might have gone to him to save money on procedures. Many of his patients seem to have been undocumented and uninsured.”

crimes, which may include murder, sexual assault and practicing medicine without a license. (Wolfson declined to give a timeline on further legal action, citing the case’s extreme complexity.) Dr. Rick’s websites and CraigsList ads targeted people with chronic diseases, offering cures for cancer, HIV, herpes, hepatitis and HPV, as well as abortions, circumcision and other surgical procedures.

“I care about people,” Van Thiel said in a jail videophone interview with local news Channel 3 on October 7. “I don’t want to see people suffer … that’s why I’m on trial — for saving somebody’s life, for curing cancer.”

When FBI and Metro investigators raided the trailer that served as his clinic, they found records for 80 so-called “patients.” Joseph Iser, chief health officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, says some of those individuals have been linked to records in an infectious disease database, confirming that Van Thiel likely treated people with HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Reports of unsanitary conditions in the trailer cast an especially urgent light on pleas by the health district and law enforcement to those who sought Van Thiel’s cures to come forward and be tested for dangerous diseases.

Though his crimes may be among the most egregious, Van Thiel isn’t the only quack doctor to have been caught in Las Vegas. In 2014, Metro arrested Eric Vargas-Rivera, who said he was a doctor in Mexico but couldn’t afford licensure in the U.S., for operating an illegal medical office that offered dental care, family medicine and pain management.

In 2012, North Las Vegas Police arrested Juan Alberto Ruan-Rivera for posing as a doctor and sexually assaulting two of his female patients. In 2011, Elena Caro died after being given a supposed buttock enhancement at a makeshift plastic surgery clinic in East Las Vegas

20

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

by a Colombian national who claimed he was a homeopathic doctor back home. That high-profile case followed the 2009 shutdown of several “botanicas,” natural medicine shops predominantly found in Hispanic neighborhoods, when a woman died due to complications from a gynological surgery done in one of them.

These cases reflect one cause that Iser suspects was behind Van Thiel’s success: the reluctance of undocumented immigrants to seek medical care in the traditional American medical system.

“There could be cultural issues in some cases,” he says.

“The most likely reasons are economic, though. Even people with insurance might have gone to him to save money on procedures. Many of his patients seem to have been undocumented and uninsured.”

Specific aspects of Van Thiel’s practice suggest he may also have appealed to people with anti-government sentiments. As payment for his services, Van Thiel requested Bitcoin or silver. And his website includes a page titled “sovereign babies,” encouraging parents to choose home births and avoid dooming their babies to being “property of the people that call themselves the ‘government,’ the same looting parasites that will claim the legislated right to expropriate your child from you because you refused to allow your child to be injected with toxic vaccines, decide to school at home, or any other thing they disapprove of.”

During his Channel 3 interview from jail, Van Thiel said he would represent himself in court, using the defense that he was performing private services based on contracts entered into between consenting adults, who were aware of the risks involved. His marketing makes clear his belief that he is free to offer his services unfettered by medical-board licensure or oversight.

Katherine Harris, a spokeswoman

for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, says medical fraud is tracked by state medical boards, so she couldn’t estimate how widespread such crimes are. The federal government does prosecute unlicensed individuals who commit health-care fraud, she says, but those cases are rare. While Edward Cousineau, executive director of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, wouldn’t comment on this specific case, referring Desert Companion instead to the FBI, he says his office only tracks complaints against licensed medical doctors and refers complaints about rogue practitioners to law enforcement. (The FBI didn’t respond to interview requests.)

“In my three and a half years as district attorney, this type of situation is uncommon,” Wolfson said. “I don’t think there are a lot of Rick Van Thiels out there. But there are people who prey on the vulnerable. I don’t think he’s the only person who’s ever done that.”

Besides wanting to make sure everyone treated by Dr. Rick is safe and gets tested for infectious diseases, officials want people to know that, regardless of their financial or legal status, there are avenues for receiving sanctioned medical care, such as community centers and low-cost clinics. Wolfson adds, “People can also turn to their own cultural resources, like the Mexican Consulate, which is very forward-thinking and helpful. If you reach out to them, you’ll get referrals and assistance navigating our health-care system.”

Cousineau advises Nevadans to look up the status of their medical doctors’ licenses at medboard.nv.gov, and not to forget that osteopathic doctors have their own separate board, at osteo.state.nv.us.

Most importantly, Iser says, people should be aware that no consent form excuses someone from doing harm under the false pretense of being a healthcare practitioner. “You can’t have people sign away their rights,” he says. “Patients sign permission forms explaining the risks and benefits of procedures, but Van Thiel wasn’t a physician, so he couldn’t make that contact to begin with.”

‘T I S T H E S E S O N

Kristin Chenoweth – Coming Home Tour

Yanni

The Beach Boys

Chick Corea & Béla Fleck

Photo by Rob McDogall

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour

The Tenors

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Rachael McLaren.

Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman

Photo by Paul Labelle

GIVE THE GIFT OF THE ARTS

T I C K E T S S TA R T I N G AT $ 2 4 VISIT THESMITHCENTER.COM TO SEE THE FULL LINEUP TODAY. 702.749.2000 | TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711 | For group inquiries call 702.749.2348 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106

Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater

Liza Minnelli Great Day

ALL Things

society

privacy

Be safe out there How do you teach digital natives to watch their backs online? Not easily

By Scott Dickensheets

22

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

That could be counterproductive, as the web is so deeply embedded into contemporary life. Kids will be online — as much as eight hours a day, according to some stats. So Giangregorio urges them to be more aware of what they put on social networks, from revealing personal details (hey, is that a school sweater in that photo?) to the info-packed metadata that accompanies online photos (a tech-savvy person can “determine within 10 feet where a photo was taken,” Giangregorio warns).

“The students want to know,” says Jessica Stewart, a librarian and technology integrationist at The Meadows School. “They crave that information.”

“They all bring up stories about friends” who’ve faced virtual harassment or unwanted attention, Giangregorio says. “That happens in every class I go to,” he says.

These are thorny issues, raising a host of hard-to-answer questions: What’s the meaning of privacy in the 21st century?

What’s the nature of trust online? If bullying takes place online, how responsible should a school be for addressing it? These questions are at the vanguard of our legal and educational frontiers.

At The Meadows School, at least, Page 20

Privacy pro: Special Agent Albert Giangregorio teaches youth how to keep their digital lives safe.

is clear about that last one, threatening immediate suspension or expulsion for “posting bullying, harassing, abusive, illegal, sexually oriented, obscene, or tasteless material on social media websites.”

Still, growing up as digital natives, many children regard the Internet less warily than their parents. According to Homeland Security, 19 percent of youths regret something they’ve posted — sounds like a lot, but given the daily geysers of information frothing on social media, and the impulsive nature of kids, 19 percent also sounds low, as though teens have a different, digitally mutated threshold of regret.

So Giangregorio has a big job ahead.

“Privacy considerations are so much looser than what you and I grew up with,” he says. Which is why education is the best way to deal with predator and bullying problems. “We simply cannot arrest our way out of it,” he says.

P h oto g r a p h y B r e n t h o l m e s

b ot t o m p h ot o c o u r t e s y o f t h e m e a d ow s s c h o o l

K

ids these days — they’re into everything. Social media? They’re totes into that. It’s fun, sharing every detail of your life, loves and lunches IRT. Teens are instinctive early adopters, alert to the many possibilities of life online, happily tweeting, Snapchatting and Facebooking seemingly every thought that enters their heads. “They’re addicted to the exposure of social media, the instant communication,” says Albert Giangregorio.

But Giangregorio, a special agent with Homeland Security, regularly visits schools to remind teens and tweens that there’s a side to it that’s a lot less fun. Because you know who else understands the Internet pretty well?

Predators. Online sex offenders. Bullies. Trolls.

Even identity thieves (yes, it happens to teens).

These people also adapt quickly to changing technology. With the metadata from a couple of photos and some clues carelessly scattered through your posts, a stranger can get a good bead on you. Studies suggest some 65 percent of online sex offenders use social networks to learn personal details of potential victims, using that information to ingratiate themselves.

Sadly, it can work: According to Homeland Security, about 9 percent of students in grades 7-9 have agreed to meet someone in person whom they first encountered online. The numbers aren’t any more encouraging when it comes to cyberbullying: some 3 million kids miss school every month because of it.

Giangregorio recently visited The Meadows School — where Page 20 of the student handbook warns, “Online privacy is largely an illusion” — to talk about these issues with students and parents.

“I’m not there to scare the kids,” he says.

Everywhere a sign: Izaac Zevalking, left, and Justin Lepper use art to raise awareness about the homeless.

NOW OPEN:

Holida y

Redefining

Macy’s • JCPenney • Dillard’s • Kohl’s • Dick’s Sporting Goods And over 140 shops, restaurants and services 702-434-0202

www.GalleriaAtSunset.com

Stay connected:

ALL Things

zeit bites

I, CHARTICUS

All eyes on Nye A pre-Odom look at Nye County’s forays into the national spotlight by geoff schumacher

September 3, 1906: Joe Gans and Oscar “Battling” Nelson slug it out for 42 rounds in a lightweight championship match in Goldfield attended by more than 15,000.

Gans wins when Nelson is disqualified for hitting below the belt. Writer Jack London sits ringside. The bout is filmed and screened across the country.

January 12, 1957: Howard Hughes weds actress Jean Peters in a private ceremony at the L&L Motel in Tonopah. The couple assumes the names G.A. Johnson and Marian Evans. They fly from L.A. to Tonopah and back in a matter of hours.

1982: The Tonopah Test Range becomes the site of a super-secret “black project” — the F-117A Nighthawk, known as the stealth fighter. It’s tested only at night. The Air Force acknowledges its existence in 1988.

July 1983: Singer Robert Plant films the opening scene of his “Big Log” video at a gas station in tiny Crystal, 25 miles east of Pahrump. A handful of teenagers hear the rock icon remark, “It’s bloody f-ing hot out here.”

September 19, 1998: Two days after the death of Ted Binion, son of casino legend Benny Binion, Nye County deputies arrest Rick Tabish and two others who are excavating a secret underground vault in Pahrump in which Binion had stashed six tons of silver bullion. The following summer, Tabish and Sandra Murphy are arrested for Ted Binion’s murder.

2004: Thief George Robert Johnson, dubbed the “Ballarat Bandit,” eludes local, state and federal authorities for months in the remote valleys and mountains of Nye County. Outside magazine dubs him the “most wanted petty thief in the history of the West.” As authorities close in on July 25 in Death Valley, Johnson commits suicide rather than be captured.

24

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

1969: Charles Manson or one of his followers carves “Charles Manson + family 1969” into a courthouse door frame in the ghost town of Belmont, northeast of Tonopah. That year, Manson and some followers are arrested in Death Valley after their L.A. murder spree.

June 10, 1978: The Chicken Ranch brothel in Pahrump is torched in a war among rival vice lords. Twelve prostitutes and two employees barely escape. Bill Martin, owner of the Shamrock brothel in Lathrop Wells, is convicted of the arson but is murdered before he can serve time.

January 27, 1987: Actor Martin Sheen and 71 other anti-nuclear protesters are arrested at the Nevada Test Site. Twelve years later, Sheen portrays a charismatic president in The West Wing.

July 4, 1994: Nye County Commissioner Dick Carver, driving a bulldozer, protests a closed U.S. Forest Service road while armed supporters cheer him on. The next year, Carver appears on the cover of Time as a leader of the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion.

July 1, 2007: Heidi Fleiss, dubbed the “Hollywood madam” for her prostitution ring in the early ’90s, opens a laundromat called Dirty Laundry in Pahrump. She also proposes to open a “stud farm,” a brothel catering to women customers.

1988: Art Bell’s late-night radio show, Coast to Coast AM, featuring conspiracy theories and paranormal claims, starts transmitting from his home studio in Pahrump to more than 500 stations. Bell routinely tells listeners his show emanates from the “Kingdom of Nye.”

October 13, 2015: Basketball pro Lamar Odom overdoses at the Love Ranch, a brothel in Crystal.

He is rushed to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas by ambulance because he is too tall to fit into a medical helicopter. Odom’s estranged wife, reality-TV star Khloé Kardashian, rushes to his hospital bedside.

on December 24 (0) Oh, who’re you kidding? All your Christmas shopping is last-minute (-5)

7. When you hear about the “war on Christmas,” you …

Are appalled at the way a holiday devoted to wonderment and giving has become a flashpoint in the culture wars (6) Look for a recruiter (-4)

MERRY HUMBUG!

how’s your Christmas spirit: a quiz 1. Thanksgiving is over. You are now …

Googling eggnog recipes (5) Googling the cost of surface-to-reindeer missiles (-3)

2. You’ll feel seasonal spirit when you …

See Andrea Bocelli’s annual holiday concert December 5 at the MGM Grand (4) Are visited by the Ghost of Christmas Shut the Hell Up (-4)

3. You open your window Christmas morning to see a lad walking by. What do you shout?

“Hallo, my fine fellow! Do you know the

8. Regarding Trans-Siberian Orchestra …

poulterer’s, in the next street but one?” (10) “Get off my lawn!” (-2) “What are you doing with my TV?!” (0)

4. Santa’s elves bring to mind …

The magical joy of making kids happy (5) A sudden urge to play Whack-a-Mole (-5)

5. TV special you’re looking forward to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (10) CSI North Pole (-7)

6. For last-minute shopping, you …

Go to the finest stores, despite bad parking and heavy crowds (10) Grab coasters from whatever bar you’re in

“Their power-pop versions of holiday classics are my December soundtrack!” (7) “Who let them leave Siberia?” (0) “One more song and I’ll turn those reindeer missiles on myself.” (-3)

9. How do you feel about colleagues wearing festive holiday socks?

“They add cheer to the workplace!” (7) “They should be used to gag anyone who gave the previous answer.” (0)

10. ’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house …

“Not a creature was stirring,” and so on (5) “Why the sudden interest in my house?” (0)

Answer Key 50-78: You’re the love child of Burl Ives and It’s a Wonderful Life 35-59: You’re slightly more holly-jolly than bah-humbug Below 35: Marley’s ghost will lend you some chains

RIGHTs MINDED

“Each state shall provide adequate facilities to treat persons with mental illness and/or chronic homeDecember 15 is Bill of Rights Day; lessness. There shall be no legal repercussion to those who give reasonable assistance, by taking what protection, we wondered, into physical custody persons who would notable are, or appear to be, mentally ill attorneys add to or chronically homeless. Consent that document if they could? need not be given by the person who is placed in custodia legis.

Thereafter compassionate and appropriate treatment shall be given to said person. A hearing shall be held before an impartial tribunal to assure that such procedures are being followed. At said hearing a presumptive release day shall be established, with terms and condition for release to be set. (Note: This amendment would shield one from liability for conduct which heretofore has provided a basis for civil rights violation and assaults and/or batteries, which have stopped the state from being able to address the serious issues of personal impairment.)” Oscar Goodman The Bill of Rights needs a “Right to Economic Security.” The U.S. is the

wealthiest empire that ever was. Meanwhile, all but a handful of us toil under the fear that our old age may be spent penniless, that we will not be able to afford a decent education for our children, that health care may be out of our reach. Wealth inequality relegates most Americans to a virtual caste system. I have an idea to fix this, but it is hardly original — in fact, it has been waiting to be enacted for more than 70 years.

In 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a State of the Union address in which he called for this “second bill of rights.” FDR recognized the evil in the concentration of economic wealth and the deprivation of the many to support the luxuries of the few: “Necessitous men are not free men.” Therefore, FDR called for a set of rights that added up to “economic security.” Constituent parts of that right included the right to a job, food, shelter, an education and “protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.” A mere four years later, the United Nations saw the wisdom in FDR’s vision. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined these principles in Articles 23, 24 and 25. It is about time that we step up as a world leader and show that we can stand as a civilized nation, not a nation of serfs and masters. The Constitution needs a right to economic security. Marc J. Randazza

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

25

ALL Things

people

profile

Roberta “Bobi” Pike-Oates

Women Veterans Advisory Committee

B

obi Oates didn’t want to be an airplane mechanic; she wanted to be a cop. And she was … sort of. After getting an associate’s degree in criminal justice, she landed a job as deputy sheriff for a small county in Vermont, where she was raised. This was the ’70s, when, to get to the big leagues of policing, women had to meet the same requirements as men.

“At 5-feet, 3-inches, that just wasn’t going to happen for me,” Oates says today.

So she took a friend’s advice to get the same kind of challenge and see the world by joining the U.S. Air Force. She enlisted just as the Air Force was expanding its opportunities for women, Oates says, and based on her aptitude, they persuaded her to take one of the jobs available to the gentler sex: aircraft mechanic.

Lugging around heavy toolboxes and airplane parts and spending some 12-hour days on her feet took their toll on Oates. But where she was short on brawn, she had grit in spades. She recalls a flight chief telling her he didn’t need female staff sergeants on his flight line, so she moved over to job control and continued to climb through the ranks.

“I didn’t think I’d make it four years,” Oates says today. “I made it 23.”

In 1999, she retired as a senior master sergeant. At the pinnacle of her distinguished career, she was one of the four people chosen to establish the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron of unmanned aerial vehicles at Creech Air Force Base. Oates is Nevada’s Veteran of the Month for December.

26

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

Today, her mission involves a different type of maintenance: fixing the relationship between the U.S. military and its former female members. Nearly 10 years ago, she began volunteering with Women Veterans of Nevada; now she’s on the executive board and the ceremonial team that conducts weekly funerals at Boulder Cemetery for veterans who’ve died homeless or in the absence of loved ones.

“It’s a way to make sure no vet passes without being honored and remembered,” Oates says.

Based on that service, in the summer of 2014 Governor Brian Sandoval appointed her to the five-member Nevada Women Veterans Advisory Committee, a statewide group charged with identifying female veterans and advocating on

their behalf. As the only member of the group in Southern Nevada, Oates represents the bulk of the state’s population.

The new advisory committee faces enormous obstacles. Out of 21,000plus female vets in the state, Veterans Services has located only 2,500. This matters, Oates says, because women are missing out on valuable benefits, such as education and health care.

For example, she says, “A lot of female vets are of child-bearing age, so they need access to obstetrics.” One of the committee’s recommendations that has already been implemented is the hiring of a full-time OB-Gyn at the Nevada Veterans Medical Center.

But a lot of work remains. The committee wants job and benefit applications changed to ask, “Have you ever served in the U.S. military?” rather than the current, “Are you a U.S. military veteran?” because women don’t self-identify as vets. In June, the committee gave the governor a long list of recommendations for better communications, promotions and technology to spread the word about available benefits and services, and then keep track of those who respond.

“Women have served,” Oates says.

“And they’ve all been volunteers, because women have never been drafted.

Sometimes, we weren’t even wanted, but we’ve always been there.”

Now, she adds, they need to know the state and country they served are there for them. Heidi Kyser

P h oto g r a p h y Lu c ky W e n z e l

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

27

ALL Things

style

trend alert

Under the mistletoe Whether you’re smooching your spouse or kissing cousins, here’s everything you need for kissable lips

LUSH Santa’s lip scrub Smooth and soften lips with this tasty cola-flavored lip scrub. $8.95, LUSH Cosmetics in the Fashion Show Mall, the Forum Shops at Caesars and Downtown Summerlin

BITE Beauty agave lip mask Leave-on lip mask that replenishes moisture on the lips. $26, Sephora in Downtown Summerlin, the Forum Shops at Caesars, the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, the Miracle Mile Shops and Town Square

b y Ch r i s t i e M o e l l e r Yves Saint Laurent Kiss and Love Edition Rouge Pur Couture lipstick

APA lip loofah This gentle scrub derived from sugar and sweet almond seed buffs away dull skin to help reveal smoother, healthier-looking lips. $18 apabeauty.com

Lips get nourished with this active care formula, enriched with antioxidants to give lips moisture and full coverage in just one swipe. Lipstick, $36; palette, $95; touché èclat, $42, Saks Fifth Avenue in the Fashion Show Mall

Sephora Collection Kiss Me balm in crème brûlée A kissable, scented lip balm with subtle or no color, that provides up to four hours of hydration. $8, Sephora in Downtown Summerlin, the Forum Shops at Caesars, Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, Miracle Mile

Winter lip care

28

December 2015

Orlane Extreme line-reducing lip care It hydrates, softens and protects the lips and lip contour while enhancing fullness and smoothness and redefining a beautiful pout. It also helps stop lipstick from feathering or changing color. $80, Neiman Marcus in the Fashion Show Mall

Philosophy peppermint stick duo set Shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath and high-gloss lip shine are infused with the scent of peppermint stick. $20, Nordstrom in the Fashion Show Mall

Makeup artist Barbra Jo Batterman on keeping lips kissable in the desert: • “Always use a lip moisturizer, preferably with a sunscreen. It doesn’t have to be expensive.”

• “I like to exfoliate my lips at night. I sometimes use a child’s toothbrush with Kiehl’s lip balm before I go to sleep.”

• “Many women use gloss because their lips feel dry, but gloss is not a conditioner — it just looks good! Make sure

DesertCompanion.vegas

Lancer volumeenhancing lip serum This serum delivers immediately visible hydration and plumping while increasing collagen production to create naturally well-defined, supple lips. $40, Nordstrom in the Fashion Show Mall

Sara Happ “The Sparkling Pink Lip Set” Lip scrub and lip slip for the perfect, glossy pout. $35, at Nordstrom in the Fashion Show Mall

to invest in a great lip conditioner or balm. It’s vital to surviving the Las Vegas climate.”

• “One of my favorite DIY ways to keep lips ready for a perfect pucker is to mix a tablespoon of olive oil (or coconut, safflower or almond) with a dollop of brown sugar. Mix together until it has a scrub-like consistency, then apply to lips in small circles. Wash off and apply lip products as normal. I suggest using this method two or three times a week.” CM

Crinoid Fossil Colony, Morocco

KALIFANO VENETIAN

E A SE L O S T LM UST GO! EVERY THING

EVERY THING

30%-75% OFF

FINAL DAYS

B E A U T Y, U N E A R T H E D KALIFANO presents beauty so rare, it can only be found at the Venetian. Discover treasures 400,000,000 years in the making including prehistoric fossils, unusual crystals and mineral specimens, as well as semiprecious gemstone jewelry from around the world.

Find us at Restaurant Row across from YARDBIRD | 702.791.5501

$1,000,000 Inventory Must Go

• • • • • • •

Quartz Crystals • Tiffany Lamps • Porcelain Vases • Petrified Wood • • Meteorites Crystal Carvings • Megalodon Teeth •

Amber Lapis Ptrite Malachite Amethyst Fish Fossils Wood Watches

Investment Grade Fossils & Minerals

FREE CRYSTAL

BOTTLE STOPPER With purchase of $30 or more.

Must mention this ad at store.

Gemstone Globes

Siberian Ammonites

Tiger Eye Bracelets

ALL Things

open topic

Gaming

off it. So-called skill-based games are supposed to be the next big thing for gaming, and they’re slowly beginning to come to casino floors. But would they actually want to make someone like me drop some serious coin?

For the answer, one Saturday night, I grabbed $80 from the bank and set out for the Strip with my friend Nina in search of one of these games that’s supposed to save the gaming industry from people like us.

Mad skills

Gaming my generation Can casinos lure the twentysomething set with gambling video games? This millennial isn’t betting on it

By Casey Morell

A

s a 25-year-old living in Las Vegas who has spent exactly $2 on a slot machine in the year I’ve lived here, I’m probably not the type of person who’s going to attract much attention from a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. I’m not exactly their target demographic.

That’s a problem for the gaming industry.

If younger people — who are coming in increasing numbers to Las Vegas — aren’t

30

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

taking part in the city’s main industry, what’s going to happen?

Casinos and gaming manufacturers seem to think the answer lies in making a new kind of slot machine or table game — ones that look more like a video game than a cliché. The theory is that people my age play video games fairly often, and they’d possibly be tempted to turn those skills into money in a casino if they felt like they could actually make money

For casinos, millennials represent the next big, untapped market. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says that, in 2014, 17 percent of people who visited the city that year were between the ages of 21 and 29, and a further 27 percent were between 30 and 39 — the largest age cohort of those examined. It’s not surprising, then, that casinos would be interested in figuring out ways to get these people to spend money on their casino floors, especially as gaming revenue in Clark County fell year-over-year from 2013 to 2014.

So what’s the solution? If you listen to the experts, it’s twofold: improve the kinds of entertainment and restaurants on offer (which explains why Calvin Harris stares at commuters on high from every billboard in town, an electronic Stalin reminding us to oonce oonce our way to a better grain harvest), and to introduce skill-based casino gaming. It’s a fancy marketing way of suggesting the casinos install games that — gasp!

— don’t solely rely on random chance to give someone a jackpot. Instead, these games would include user-controlled features that would enable them to possibly get a bigger payoff. The thought behind these is that younger people are keener to play a Grand Theft Auto casino game than a Wheel of Fortune one.

What would these games look like?

For one, Konami has a game in the works involving Frogger, the classic game where players try to move a frog across

ILLUSTRATIO N b r e n t h o l m e s

The idea of winning a jackpot based on solving issues of urban blight sounds like something more in the ken of the federal government than MGM Resorts International. a highway without getting hit like a Las Vegas pedestrian. But, the catch with these skill-based games is that they’re not just a rote video game: they’re probably still going to look and feel, for the most part, like any other casino game.

Let’s say, for instance, you walk past a game that has a giant Mario on the top of the cabinet. The game bleats out “Welcome to Mario Kart!” incessantly.

Hey, I used to be really good at Mario Kart, you think. I could win big if I can play this game. Not so fast: Chances are, you’ll put your money into the game and push a button like with any other slot machine.

You’ll hope for a random chance event to occur — like three blue shells lining up on the rails — before a skill-based portion of the game is available to you. In other words, you’ll still have to gamble away some money in order to play the game at hand; the gaming companies just hope the enticement of the latter convinces you to do the former.

Hello, young people!

But those games aren’t here yet. Nina and I started at the south end of the Strip, walking through casino floors at Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Tropicana, looking for something that could pique our interest. Instead, we saw slots with buffaloes on them— for some reason — or ones featuring characters from TV shows our parents would have watched, or comically sexist machines with buxom women or muscular men that don’t exactly play well with a couple of young progressives. Nothing screamed “THIS IS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO BE HERE,” so we ignored the machines, bought drinks and took selfies in silly places, as stereotypical millennials do. Our lack of success continued; neither Caesars Palace nor the MGM Grand offering anything we would want — though a slot machine called OMG Puppies! did come close to getting us to sit down in attempts to get some

Labradors to line up on the rails.

The industry has a tall order if they’re going to try to get us millennials to gamble.

Even if my generation plays video games in spades, we all play different kinds.

Creating a machine that caters to all of us seems like it is going to be an impossible task. How do you make somebody who adores Animal Crossing, a series of games with no real point or objective other than living in a fictional city and talking to the animals who live there, want to spend money on a casino game based on that series? Similarly, there’s a level of skill involved in making a community function properly in SimCity, but the idea of winning a jackpot based on solving issues of urban blight sounds like something more in the ken of the federal government than MGM Resorts International. If you go in the other direction and adapt well-known action titles such as Halo to a casino game, how do you do it without seeming to pander to Halo fans? At least with the Sex and the City slot machine, you know you don’t actually have to seduce Mr. Big in order to win big.

Funnily enough, though, on game quest, we did finally stumble upon something that was worth our time — and our money. We figured The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas would have the best hope of something interesting given its newness, and the P3 Studios art gallery provided just that. We had some of our best times of the night there, partaking in a performance art game show parody put on by Las Vegas artist Jesse Smigel, and it’s something we would’ve paid to have done were it not free.

But, perhaps as you’d expect after finding something so good for free, P3 is closing later this year. It’s making way for a sushi restaurant — some place where, ostensibly, millennials will want to spend money.

Casey Morell is a producer for “KNPR’s State of Nevada.”

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

31

Downtown

Experience reQuired?

In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience canopy lit up. Did it help save Downtown or set it back? Twenty years later, the debate goes on B y T. R . W i t c h e r

I

t’s Halloween night and Fremont Street under the canopy is cascading with energy. The weather is comfortable; the glow from the canopy’s LED is at turns a dreamy pink and a tranquil blue. There’s that wonderfully liminal feeling you get where you’re both inside and outside. Bands play loud music (“On the count of three I want to hear a big ol’ ‘Yee haw’ from y’all.”) Humans fly overhead every now and again. And in the surge of bodies and strollers and wheelchairs there are familiar faces: superheroes, assassins, Scooby Doo friends, ghosts, hippies and witches, Jokers and devils, Romans, Bronies, Blues Brothers, break dancers, hobgoblins, Elvis, Mr. T., Super

32

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

Mario Brothers, a one-legged man, a robot (man), Pan Am stewardesses, a homeless guy (“Any Help; Thanks”), and, why not, Marilyn Monroe.

There are Mormon missionaries, and fundamentalists bearing signs of the end times (“The wicked shall be turned to hell. Time is running out. Repent or Perish”). They pass the nearly naked showgirls negotiating photo ops with a guy dressed up as a cop.

The crowds are heavy, ebbing and flowing, pushing and pulling in mighty waves; navigating the four blocks under the canopy takes half an hour. “I don’t like it here,” I hear one man complain behind me to his friends. “It’s all random hustle. I can’t actually see anything.”

To be on Fremont on any night, reminds me of the hair metal bands of the ’80s. From a distance (and if you’re young) there’s something disreputable, seedy, almost dangerous about them. But up close, even on an amped-up night like this, vitality of the Fremont Street Experience, however garish, strikes me as a harmless and invigorating good time.

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Fremont Street Experience, and as Downtown has begun to reinvent itself all around, it’s worth considering the impact Fremont Street has had on Downtown and, in a moment where more locally sourced, artisanal urban amenities are flourishing — be they the Mob Museum or Container Park — what the future of this might steel structure will be.

As with many things in modern Las Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience begins with The Mirage. The debut of the first contemporary megaresort in 1989 not only opened the curtain on the Las Vegas that you and I enjoy today, it also set the stage for a reckoning about Downtown.

Fremont Street — and Downtown in general — once thrived. In the ’60s, remembers architect Bob Fielden, Fremont Street was really vibrant. There were still

P h oto g r a p h y B r e n t H o l m e s

Quix NBT Nutcracker 2013 DAVIDS Ad | W FINAL

pharmacies, grocery stores, shops, men’s clothing and theaters. It was more of a typical American main street. But the Strip grew more dominant, the city spread out, shopping malls opened, and Downtown faded. By the time of the Mirage, Downtown was perceived as rundown, unsafe and irrelevant, between the rise of neighborhood casinos, Indian gaming in California and, of course, the Strip.

So in the early ’90s, Downtown casino owners, including Steve Wynn, who owned the Golden Nugget, and Jack Binion, who had taken over his father’s namesake casino, got together and began brainstorming ways they could compete with the growing opulence of the Strip.

“Our primary goals for Downtown were a few things,” says Mark Brandenburg, a longtime owner of the Golden Gate Casino. “Yes, we wanted our own hook, our own volcano. But initially what we really wanted to do was transform the image of Downtown so it felt safe.”

Their eyes immediately turned to Fremont Street. “The street was the primary asset,” says Brandenburg. “What other major thing did you have? Everybody recognized you needed to do something with the street.”

But what?

Wynn had floated building a canal down Fremont Street. Brandenburg recalls a meeting where Binion, in a rich Texas accent, expressed his incredulity. “(Binion said) ‘I think it’s fine. What I’m trying to say is just two years ago, you couldn’t get this group to agree to pay $500 for the second coming of Christ. Now you’re talking about spending about $50 million to put canals on Fremont Street. I’m just saying slow down just a little bit.’”

Or the time a developer came in and pitched building a giant-sized replica of the Starship Enterprise, on two blocks of Fremont between Las Vegas Boulevard and Seventh. It might have been two blocks long and 23 stories tall. Filled with restaurants and bars and attractions and who the hell knows what else. The Star Trek demographic was second only to Monday Night Football, the developer boasted, and would be a perfect fit for Downtown.

For a moment, maybe these seasoned casino owners actually mulled it over. But

finally, at a meeting, Wynn told them all to take a deep breath, and brought them to their senses. “What are we doing here?

Have we talked to Jon Jerde yet?”

Architect Jon Jerde had designed a splashy outdoor mall in downtown San Diego, the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the pirate ship at Treasure Island. Wynn asked him to come out to Las Vegas and have a look around.

Jerde walked around Fremont Street with its bold, pulsing neon crowding densely atop the narrow street separating the casinos. He saw two walls of light. “His thought was, if you could put a ceiling over it, with a light floor, you’d have a complete light environment that you’d be able to control,” says Paul Senzaki, the original project manager of the Fremont Street project for Jerde Partnership, and now a senior vice president. (Jerde himself died earlier this year.)

Jerde and his team also played with the idea of a series of aerial gondolas that would float up and down the street, featuring live performances, like floats in the Rose Parade. But the logistics didn’t make much sense (where would you store the gondolas, for one?) and the idea was trimmed back to just the canopy.

So, when it was all said and done, a $70 million steel canopy, 1,500 feet long, 90 feet tall and 90 feet wide, covering four city blocks — it also doubled as the world’s largest video screen — turned out to be the most sober, prudent mid-’90s idea about defibrillating Downtown. The Fremont Street Experience has evolved organically over the years. Three concert stages were added below. In 2004, the canopy’s two million original light bulbs were replaced by 12.5 million LEDs. The whole place churns out half-a-million watts of sound.

A few years ago, an 850-foot zip line and a 1,750-foot zoom line that departs off a 12-story slot machine were stuffed into the proceedings.

According to the Fremont Street Experience, some 17 million people came down to check it out last year (the LVCVA reports slightly lower numbers of visitors Downtown). “When we opened up, the feedback was so dramatic,” Brandenburg says. “It felt new, fresh, clean; it accomplished those goals.” Brandenburg also believes the core

2015 PRESENTING SPONSOR

December 12 – 20, 2015 The Smith Center for the Performing Arts 702.749.2000 NevadaBallet.org

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

33

Downtown

Downtown has been an important contributor to city tax base and helped make funds available for other projects.

Its economic impact, though, is hard to gauge. According to the Gaming Commission, Downtown casino revenue over the last 30 years peaked in 1992 at $703 million. In 1994 it had dropped to $642 million; the following year it had risen to $672 million, a 5.7 percent jump. Revenue reached $683 million in 2001, and has been on the decline ever since. And according to LVCVA, the number of rooms Downtown has dropped by a third between 1995 and 2014, and Downtown visitation has dropped by about 30 percent in the same time.

“I think it still holds up,” Senzaki says.

“We looked at it as creating an urban space.

It was never a piece of architecture. Really, what we were doing was creating an environment. I think it’s still very successful at that. It’s become the de facto image or name for Downtown. Everybody talks about Fremont Street and they know what it is.”

But it has more than its share of critics.

Brian Paco Alvarez, the arts curator at Zappos, sums up the essential line of criticism about as elegantly as one could hope, as we walk around the Experience one Friday afternoon in late October. “It’s just a cacophony of noise and bad design,” Alvarez says. The threads of old store fronts,

34

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

old businesses, are all but invisible beneath the slick paint job of buskers, bars, music and zip lines.

For Courtney Mooney, urban design coordinator with the city, the problem of the canopy was that it arrested layers of organic development that had played out along Fremont for decades. For her, the attempt to chase the contemporary spectacle of the Strip rather than being itself was a mistake.

“Fremont Street had its own identity,” she says. “They should have gone with their own authentic identity. People would love to see that old Las Vegas.”

“I think that the FSE was probably a good idea at that time in Downtown Las Vegas history,” offers a diplomatic Michael Cornthwaite, owner of the Downtown Cocktail Room and one of the leading figures of the redevelopment of East Fremont, the FSE’s much hipper, more urban brother. “I think it’s also important to break out the different components of the experience. The live entertainment is mostly pretty great. The canopy is pretty dated, but some of the people still seem to enjoy it, and the loitering buskers are annoying and embarrassing.” (To address that concern, a city ordinance that went into effect at the start of November restricts the times and areas around the Experience that buskers can operate in.)

Certainly, no one likes Slotzilla, the giant zip line that stanchioned itself at the eastern edge of the canopy. It not only blocks views of the canopy from East Fremont, its landing platforms block views to the Plaza, the natural terminus of the Fremont Street, from within the canopy.

Almost everyone complains of the way it

ruins sightlines, its leaden presence, the way it cuts off touristy Fremont from more locals-oriented East Fremont. It’s a glimpse, actually, of Jerde’s old aerial gondolas idea, only we provide our own entertainment. “It’s one gimmick in a long line of gimmicks to bring people down here,” Alvarez says.

Others criticize the Fremont Street Experience on nostalgic grounds. Preservation advocate Bob Stoldal’s issue isn’t with the canopy but with the move to turn the street into a mall. “It was and is a mistake,” he says. Fremont Street used to be the termination of highways coming from Salt Lake City, Reno and Ely. “All that energy,” he muses, “on a key street.”

Mooney entertains a related thought.

Imagine a Fremont Street Experience where there was still a Fremont Street, and you could pull right up in your car. “You’d never get a spot,” she says, “but how cool would it be if you did? Get out, talk to the owner, gamble.”

But Senzaki makes an interesting point.

Perhaps we shouldn’t think of Fremont Street as a car-free pedestrian mall: “Closing off Fremont unified the four blocks of the casinos and it gave them a common lobby. It was always described as, ‘This is the foyer into a casino that had 8,000 slot machines and however many gaming tables.’ It made it an identifiable place.”

This seems undeniable — especially for those many Las Vegans (and I am one) who moved here after 1995 and so only know the Fremont Street Experience. The question that follows from there is whether Fremont Street Experience is the identifiable place that we still want.

SHOULDN’T THE FINAL MEMORIES OF A LOVED ONE BE AMONG THE FINEST?

There are times when nothing short of the best will do. A memorial service is one of them. It is a final expression, the culmination of a lifetime orchestrated into a singular event. What leaves a lasting impression? A ceremony that is as unique as the individual. We’ll see that it is.

PALM EASTERN / PALM NORTHWEST

mortuary • cemetery • cremation PalmEastern.com 702-464-8500 PalmNorthwest.com 702-464-8460

DIGNITY MEMORIAL® Premier Collection

Downtown I mean, what if we just ditched the roof? Are the old casinos architecturally strong enough to hold the street again?

Would we have something more authentically Vegas? A better pedestrian experience? Would we have our Bourbon Street or Beale Street? Something less canned, something less overheated, a mellow

cocktail to come down off a double shot of the Strip? Maybe, but I suspect that as bracing as it would be to drive on through Glitter Gulch with that old neon reaching for the stars — the innocent nostalgia of cruising the street would soon tire as a glut of cars turned Fremont into a parking lot. (Anyway, all those old photos of

John G Las Vegas Photography Studio and Gallery Portraits

Boudoir

Maternity

Give the perfect gift...you!

4655 Quality Court Suite F (Across from the Orleans Arena)

702-545-0100

www.johnglasvegasphotography.com Desert Companion readers receive 20% off Art Prints

Kinderschool, Elementary & Middle School

Give Your Child Every Advantage We’ll challenge and inspire your child in a caring environment with programs that have successfully educated thousands of children in Las Vegas for more than fifty years.

3275 Red Rock St. • 702-362-1180 • lvds.com

36

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

State-of-the-Art Campus Advanced Innovative Curriculum Technology Spanish Music Competitive Sports Extra Curricular Activities State Licensed AdvancED National Accreditation

Call for Admissions Information & Campus Tour

Glitter Gulch seem to depend as much on an era of cool automotive design as on the casinos themselves.) But pulling down the canopy makes sense if you begin to think of Fremont as one sensuous urban street, alive from Main to Maryland. Not a tourist zone under a video screen and a local hipster zone nearby.

Alvarez floats the idea of building a retractable canopy that could somehow still deliver the light show but that could also open up Fremont to the stars. At the least, we might in time take down Slotzilla, if its appeal fades, to better join the two ends of Fremont. But just as time may dull its theme-ride kicks, time may also dull our antipathy about it. If the Fremont Street Experience lasts another 30 years it could be a historical relic — or a historic landmark.

“I think Downtown still needs the Fremont Street Experience,” says Esther Reincke, the vice president of marketing and special events at the Experience between 1994-2005. “We need it to be successful.

We need it for people to go down there. It is the heart of our Downtown.”

And that’s the challenge the Fremont Street Experience poses to the rest of Downtown. In its structural scale — which can seem equal parts clunky and graceful — it sends a clear message: Do better. Downtown is still a work in progress. There may be a day when Downtown has grown up enough so that we think mostly of the Mob Museum, or a glittering battery of towers around The Smith Center, or an East Fremont pulsing with life all the way down to Maryland Parkway, a place studded with new office towers, new condos, shops, stores, parks.

Perhaps when we have that Downtown we will have truly outgrown the Fremont Street Experience and we can choose to leave it, as a potent symbol of gimmicks born of dire economic times, or we can pull it down, and let those old neon signs shine.

For now, though, it still works. I am struck by a conversation Mooney and I had at a Downtown bar one night, by chance, with a Colorado potter named Kris K., who was in town visiting a friend. “It’s easier to see the insanity of Las Vegas,” he said of the tacky but honest charms of the Fremont Street Experience. “It’s right there.

You just go up and back.”

Humor

The truth is out where?

I needed to know: Are aliens real?

So I took a ride around the perimeter of Area 51. On my bike b y Bjorn Dihle

I

t was late winter, a morbid time in my home in Alaska, when no sled dog outside its kennel is safe from lonely men wearing wolf pelts. The lack of sun does weird stuff to me too — like make me decide on a whim to buy a plane ticket to Mammoth, California to embark on a 1,000-mile bicycle ride around Area 51. A few friends voiced their worries about alien abduction, but my only real concern was riding through Las Vegas without becoming roadkill. I’d only recently recovered from the stress of pedaling through Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur during a Southeast Asia cycle tour I made with my girlfriend MC a few years prior. A Vegas writer friend of ours put me in touch with a local hardcore cyclist. He drew a route and assured me crossing the city would be so easy I’d be bored.

“I can’t believe you’re going to Vegas without me,” MC said, bitterly, at the airport. She’d spent three years in the city, completing a MFA in creative writing. I tried to get her to join me, but she couldn’t

38

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

get time off. “You never stopped whining when you visited.”

“Look, this is about something so much bigger. It’s about finding the truth about bicycling,” I said, lying a little. I missed the desert, red mountains and blue sky of Nevada.

“You mean about aliens,” she said. “Everyone knows that bicycles exist.”

“I know what I’m saying,” I said. “Let’s not fight. What if something happens to me? This could be the last time you see

me.” I asked for a “hall pass” if I was abducted. She made a strange growling sound I interpreted to mean maybe.

According to Google, more Americans believe in aliens than God (77% versus 69.5%). Yet extraterrestrials are said to have only recently begun visiting Earth in earnest. The first well-known encounter was in the summer of 1947, when Kenneth Arnold, a private pilot, claimed to see nine “supersonic flying saucers” near

I L Lu sT R AT I O N R I C K S E A LO C K

Humor Mt. Rainier. A couple of weeks later, something crashed into the desert northwest of Roswell, New Mexico. The military released a press statement they’d recovered a “flying disc.” Shortly later, another statement was released that the craft was actually a weather balloon. Stories spread of small humanoid creatures with oversized skulls strewn across the desert. Some believe they were aliens; another account published by author Annie Jacobsen suggests — I’m not making this up — they were children mutated to look like aliens

by Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death,” and funded by Josef Stalin, as an elaborate hoax to terrorize the United States.

Anyway, according to lore, the crash debris and potential aliens or children were whisked away to Area 51, America’s most top-secret military base, located 100 miles north of Las Vegas in a burnt red wasteland of desert and mountains. Since the Roswell incident, thousands of UFO sightings have been reported in Southern Nevada. More than two dozen UFO religions, including Scientology, have been created. The topless-equality movement is a product of one such religion, founded by the French, alien-educated prophet Rael. (No wonder the religion already has something like 100,000 members from more than 90 countries.)

My theory was, if aliens were as provocative and horny as Rael claimed, Area 51 was likely some sort of underground intergalactic party zone where sexy movies and adults toys were manufactured.

‘I’m looking for aliens!’

T

he mountain hamlet of Mammoth sits above a martian landscape. Death Valley is just a short drive away. It’s the sort of town where people ski all day and cougars hunt young men all night.

My friends, Corey and Brigitte, Alaskan wilderness guides and California ski patrollers, picked me up. As we ate dinner, we talked of creating a reality show about hunting Area 51 aliens. I imagined it would be like Swamp People (except more kinky) and aliens would take the place of alligators. Film crews could follow teams of contestants, armed with crossbows, ma-

40

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

chetes and gallon Ziploc space bags. Their mission would be to kill or capture a live specimen, but they’d likely spend most of their time bagging and analyzing stool samples.

In the morning, I sped out of the snowy town, feeling like Braveheart. Two hours later, I felt like Tiny Tim, beat up

by Braveheart. It generally takes around four days before I’m broken into my bike seat. I have a residual horror of wearing Spandex shorts, resulting from an incident that took place when I was 19 on a solitary ride across northern Canada. (A Hannibal Lecter look-alike and a couple of cohorts who could have inspired the movie Deliverance tried getting a little too intimate. One followed me in his truck for hours. It was the only time I felt threatened in six long bike rides and more than 10,000 miles of hitchhiking, and I blame those damn Spandex shorts.) At the end of the day, I no longer cared or believed in anything except that cycling sucked and my crotch was on fire. Alone in the darkening desert, watching stars slowly appear in the purple sky, I wrestled with existential questions. Was the truth of bicycles, aliens or anything else worth my nether regions feeling the way a baboon’s butt looks?

I crossed into Nevada beneath snow-covered Boundary Peak, the highest mountain in the state. An elderly, rough-looking man pushed a mountain bike west along Highway 95 as a line of semi trucks roared past.

“I’m on my way to Carson City!” he hollered with a toothless smile. We talked for a while before he asked me where I was going.

“Area 51. I’m looking for aliens!” I yelled as a truck sped past, leaving us choking in a cloud of dust. He glanced around nervously after a minute passed with me staring and not saying anything.

The following morning, the yipping of coyotes woke me as a blood-red smear colored the eastern mountains. Groggy and malnourished, I pedaled up the long hill to Tonopah, once a silver mining outpost and currently kept alive by radioactivity, looking for a cup of coffee and an omelet. After eating my fill at the Tonopah Station and

picking up groceries, a hysterical girl came chasing after a boy across the parking lot.

“Forgive me!” she screamed. “He meant nothing! Don’t leave me! God, please don’t leave me!”

“How could you?” the boy sobbed. I rode away, feeling like a piece of my heart was breaking. That night, wild horses chased each other in a mountain pass as the sun set. I made camp nearby, next to a game trail covered with deer and antelope tracks, and spent hours watching shooting stars and satellites.

Had they taken the city?

A

t the ghost town of Warm Springs, I turned onto the Extraterrestrial Highway. The most UFO and alien encounters in the world have been reported on the next 98 miles of road. The area has also been the site of 900-some nuke tests, which may have explained why my skin took on a green glow. An hour passed before I saw a car — the loneliness of the plain and distant snow-dusted mountains was so romantic I drifted into a reverie.

In the quasi ghost-town of Rachel, at the Little A’Le’Inn, I enjoyed a burger and a few beers. At my camp in Coyote Pass, the ground periodically shuddered — perhaps aliens and military workers were partying and blowing stuff up underground.

I glanced over my shoulder. There were recent accounts of an alien called J-Rod frequenting the area. I was tormented by a jock named J-Rod in high school and couldn’t help wondering if he’d relocated to Rachel. One thing was for certain, if I bumped into him, I’d likely get a wedgie and my feelings hurt.

Near Crystal Springs and the junction of Highway 93, a pack of stray dogs rooted through rubbish. A black furry mutt followed skittishly for a half-hour as the sun sunk behind the horizon. I pitched my tiny tent, drank a tallboy and tried to quell a strange feeling of guilt. At the Junction of I-15, I rode up the lush Moapa Valley, quickly forgetting the hundreds of semi-trucks that buzzed me the day before. In the Valley of Fire, I wandered red labyrinths of rocks and studied Anasazi petroglyphs.

The famous “Mystical Bat Woman” and

Anasazi anthropomorphs painted elsewhere in the Southwest are reminiscent of popular depictions of aliens. Some hopeful theorists postulate these ancient Pueblo people were visited by, or even were, extraterrestrials.

Bats fluttered overhead as I pedaled out of the Valley of Fire in time to witness a sunrise over Lake Mead so eerie and wonderful I got goosebumps. In the heart of Las Vegas, I met up with friends I hadn’t seen for a few years. We watched as the lights of the Strip were turned off in honor of legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian, and then we went to an author reading. Laughter, sympathy and literature: The oddest thing about the day and a half I spent in Vegas was how nice everyone was — it almost made me paranoid. Had aliens taken the city? Should I join ranks and stay here forever? I rode to Pahrump with a tormented soul, but billboards advertising brothels, fireworks and quilting made me miss Vegas a little less.

I rode into California to avoid Highway 95 — that road has a way of making you think about whether or not there’s a next life a little too much — and dipped down into Death Valley. A coyote, looking for a handout and perhaps a little company, joined me during a break. Traversing back into the lonesome sweep of Nevada, it began to rain, then snow. I had 16 miles on Highway 95 to travel before I could get on a quieter road. There was heavy traffic and no adequate shoulder. I pushed my bike for hours through a blizzard.

The alien baby

I

n the bitterly cold morning, as I broke camp, a strange thought occurred to me.

I’d seen no UFOs, but what if I was being visited in my sleep? This would explain the near-constant pain in my butt, swollen prostate, weight loss, strange dreams and changes in skin color. Had I, in my fierce skepticism, taken Area 51 too lightly? Unnerved, I pedaled through snow flurries and a fierce headwind up a seemingly endless mountain to the ghost town of Lida.

Near the 7,400-foot pass, a strange elderly woman with eyes that twinkled like stars pulled over in an old Subaru.

“You’re almost there,” she said sinisterly.

“Oh, lord,” I said, trying not to make eye contact. What did she mean by there?

Had the government brainwashed me and sent me on this strange and terrible bike ride? These sorts of questions plagued me as I hurtled down the mountain, past ghost towns and mines, and onto a valley floor alive in a dust storm. By nightfall I was a nervous wreck. I sat behind a giant cattle corral, listening to the wind howl and metal fence vibrate. I drank a few beers and ate a big bag of Doritos, a couple sandwiches, a three-day-old cold chili hot dog, a can of Spam and a half dozen donuts. Not long after, something inside of me began moaning and clawing around like it was trying to get out. All these signs were pointing to one thing: I’d become the host for an alien baby.

By morning, I was sure of it. My belly was speaking Klingon. The rest of the ride was an emotional roller coaster of rage, sorrow and acceptance. From Mammoth, I tried calling everyone I knew, to tell them I loved them, say my goodbyes and warn them about Area 51.

As I hugged a ponderosa pine, my lamentations abruptly ended when I realized the potential media frenzy and money to be made. I’d send a proposal for a reality TV show to National Geographic with a jar of stool samples for proof. They’d offer a huge contract and soon I’d be richer than all the Kardashians combined. I imagined teaching my Klingon son how to swim, play baseball and take over the world. I considered the dogma of the religion we’d create. Perhaps followers would wrap their heads in tin foil and wear their pants backwards on Tuesdays as a sign of solidarity. Bjornanism would be humanity’s only chance of salvation, so I’d need to start stockpiling warehouses full of tinfoil.

Tragically, however, after a day of moderate eating and punishing my Mammoth friends’ toilet, my belly stopped looking and acting pregnant. My dreams of fatherhood and world domination were dashed.

That night, before returning to Alaska, I stared up at the seemingly endless expanse of stars above the snowy Sierra Mountains.

The truth was safe, somewhere very far out there.

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

41

ing

W E L C O M E S A N TA T O T I V O L I V I L L A G E Saturday, November 28 • 9:30 a.m.

TI

G

EV

IN H T Y ER TI

For more information, visit tivolivillagelv.com/calendar

LI IS

LI IS

Visit us November 28 – December 24 for holiday cheer, revelry, and fun for the whole family.

VO

VO

P H O T O S W I T H S A N TA & T I V O L I E X P R E S S T R A I N Saturday, November 28 • 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Fridays • Noon – 4 p.m.

Saturdays • 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sundays • 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

December 21 – 24 • 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Dish 44

12

eat this now 47

15

cocktail of the month 47 at first bite 48

Our c i ty's be st spots to eat & drink

Liver a little: Michael Mina's seared foie gras with carrot cake

P h oto g r a p h y B i l l H u g h e s

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

43

Dining out

The DISH

Fall for flavor As the colder months settle in, these notable fall menus give seasonal traditions an unexpected twist B y M i t c h e l l W i l b u r n

T

he leaves have turned, frost nips the air, and nature once again enters her snow-dusted hibernation. Well, okay, not here in Vegas, where the high likely won’t dip below 50. While the rest of the country is shoveling driveways and wrapping pipes, we’ll barely need a wool sweater for the worst of it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in the cozy food traditions of the cold months. True to our city’s spirit of inspired remixing, many fine Las Vegas chefs are tapping traditions both near and far, and incorporating them into some truly inventive dishes.

Roasted half poussin at Andre’s There’s nothing the French haven’t done with their national mascot, the

44

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

chicken (the Gallic rooster, to be precise).

They’ve brought it to the level of art, and Chef Chris Bulen continues the tradition with a rustic fall favorite. They break down young whole chickens, poach them low, and then pan-roast them until crispy.

These are then stuffed with a brioche bread pudding made with “hen of the woods” mushrooms, ground dark meat and duck fat confit chestnuts. This is all topped with an incredibly savory cognac chicken jus drizzled all about the stuffed poussin half, and plated along with wilted mustard greens. Very old-school, but good old-school, not the “oysters in aspic” kind of old school. This is something that takes simple, quality ingredients and gives them the time and love to really shine as a timeless dish. (In the Monte Carlo, 702798-7151, andrelv.com)

Velouté de Chataignes aux Champignons de Bois at Le Cirque Even in French, the dish named above can’t be contained in so few words: A dollop of porcini cream, crusted in crispy hazelnuts, and topped with a “confit” farm egg makes up the center. This is then arranged with tiny beech mushrooms that have been preserved in a winter-spiced vinegar brine, shreds of watercress sponge cake, and surrounded by a lake of rich, creamy chestnut velouté. This dish, sprung from the mind of wunderkind Chef Wilfried Bergerhausen, shakes off all expectations like an earthquake. It is like a wonderful Terry Gilliam-esque acid trip, resplendent with potent flavors, popping in and out of a buttery, nutty,

P h oto g r a p h y B i l l H u g h e s

JOIN US FOR Season's eatings: From left, Salmon with fall vegetables at Ferraro's; roasted half poussin at Andre's; foie gras duo with carrot cake at Michael Mina

winter stock vegetable, there’s no better time to let it shine.

Here, they’re chopped fine into a slaw-like consistency, with an orange vinaigrette and halved “Thomcord” grapes, a hybrid of Concord table grapes and Thompson raisin grapes. There are also thin slices of Hakurei turnips, another traditional winter vegetable, and, of course, the star of the show, smoked duck breast. These smoky, almost “duck bacon”-like slices provide a tasty fat to balance with the vinaigrette, and give a very pleasant smoke to the vegetables. (In the Aria at CityCenter, 877-230-2742, aria.com)

HAPPY HOUR PLATES & POURS STARTING AT $3.95 MONDAY-FRIDAY 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Salmon with fall vegetables and bagna càuda at Ferraro’s Quite possibly the only spot in Vegas keeping some of the deep cuts of regional Italian cuisine alive, Ferraro’s has been quietly cooking up Italian that puts 90 percent of on-Strip spots to shame. Along with that authenticity comes seasonality, specifically the Piedmontese cold-weather dish bagna càuda. Traditionally, it’s a sort of fondue made with masses of garlic, oil and butter for dipping winter root and bulb vegetables. Executive Chef Francesco Di Caudo switches the presentation around with the bagna càuda used as a sauce for fall baby vegetables and a grilled, wild-caught Scottish salmon. It’s a classic, bone-warming communal dish turned complex with an aromatic sauce.

(4480 Paradise Road, 702-364-5300, ferraroslasvegas.com)

Foie gras duo with carrot cake at Michael Mina

unctuous haze. (In the Bellagio, 702-6938100, lecirque.com)

Smoked duck breast salad at Sage Sage definitely has a love affair with the Brussels sprout, and as a traditional

The best part of Michael Mina’s restaurants is that once a talented, creative chef is put at the helm, the kitchen becomes a culinary lab for him to experiment in. Chef Benjamin Jenkins of Michael Mina in the Bellagio is the main man in that kitchen, and his seasonal preparation of a foie gras duo exemplifies his skill and imagination. Both a seared slice and a terrine of foie — the

Summerlin® | 702.433.1233 | BrioItalian.com

Join Us! bishop gorman high school

PLACEMENT ExAM Saturday, December 5, 2015 Saturday, January 9, 2016 Register at:

www.bishopgorman.org

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

45

Dining out latter topped with a clarified poached pear gelée — and plated with chunks of the pear, puréed golden raisin, candied pecan, and dense, moist, aromatically spiced chunks of carrot cake. Yes, foie and carrot cake. The result is a very complex, very cozy bite. You could call it almost nostalgic, but it is very unlikely anyone’s childhood included something so creatively decadent. (In the Bellagio, 702-693-8199, michaelmina.net)

Stracciatella with moscato-poached pears at Carnevino You’d be hard-pressed to find a chef who gets more excited for the seasonal changes in produce than Chef Nicole Brisson. She may make her bones slinging chops, but the creativity really comes out with something like these beautiful, seasonal Bosc pears, a firmer, more

complexly flavored varietal. The pears are poached in the floral and sweet Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d’Asti and a blend of baking spices. This is plated with a creamy stracciatella and slices of prosciutto di parma, pistachio brittle, a little dressed arugula, and a nice drizzle of a beautiful aged balsamic. A stracciatella dish is almost mandatory for Italian restaurants, but where many are taking lazy shots at it, Chef Brisson’s interpretation is bold and inspired. (In the Venetian, 702-789-4141,carnevino.com)

Grilled venison tenderloin, pumpkinginger purÉe, seasonal vegetable and spiced venison jus at Guy Savoy With Chef Mathieu Charton’s final menu at Guy Savoy, he is leaving us

at the end of the year with some terrific dishes. Before the spring change comes along and his well-trained replacement makes a new menu, he’ll be back in France running the revered family restaurant while people enjoy this venison dish. The venison was finished on a Japanese binchotan grill and plated with a roasted pumpkin and ginger purée, along with a larder-full of winter vegetables: baby leeks, roasted chestnuts, fried Brussels sprouts, celery root, broccoli rabe. Each plays a distinct role in the complex venison jus, made with a winter-spice tea. The result is a playground of naturally bright, beautiful, very alive f lavors of fall. Nothing is out of place or overpowering; everything complements and, in turn, is complemented by the venison. This is a masterfully crafted dish. (In Caesars Palace, 702-731-7286, caesars.com)

20 OFF BEYOND CARPET CLEANING CARPET | TILE & GROUT | HARDWOOD | UPHOLSTERY 24HR EMERGENCY WATER SERVICES

1-800-STEEMER | stanleysteemer.com ®

Residential only. Cannot be used for water emergency services.

46

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

ANY CLEANING SERVICE

Cleaning Completed By 2/15/16 Promo Code: DEC2 asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification applies to Carpet Cleaning service only.

Minimum charges apply. Not valid in combination with other coupons or offers.Valid at participating locations only. Certain restrictions may apply.

Call for details.

HOT PLATE

Eat this now!

Acaraje at Via Brasil

1225 S. Fort Apache Road, 702-804-1400, viabrasilsteakhouse.com A few years back, Brazilian steakhouses were coming on strong with a format that seemed custom-made for buffet-addled Vegas: an unrelenting tableside flurry of meat — lamb, chicken, steak! seared, skewered, sausaged, often bacon-wrapped!

— served by men dressed as gauchos. Perhaps the orgiastic carnomania eclipsed more sensible, and subtly adventurous, menu items. Like the acaraje at locally owned Via Brasil. It’s an eminently snackable dish of black-bean croquettes studded with crunchy grilled shrimp, served with a side of spicy coconut peanut sauce. Something elemental going on here in the flavor profile: earthy (black beans), oceanic (shrimp) and sunbathing-in-nothing-but-a-straw-hat (that zingy pool of coconut peanut dip).

It’s just one item on their recently unveiled happy hour menu that puts the spotlight on small, shareable plates, so save room and explore what lies behind the Great Wall of Protein. Andrew Kiraly

Ac a r a j e a n d c a n dy c a n e : C h r i sto p h e r S m i t h

Cocktail of the month

The Candy Cane at Crush

Perhaps it was because I’d just tromped into the bosom of Crush after being sheared by what felt like witchy sheets of frigid flying steel weather at 40 mph, but I said it, and I said it with great relief: “NOW THAT’S JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS IN A GLASS!” Bartender thought I was snarking, but the sentiment came from my fast-thawing heart: Christmas tells us to give of ourselves, and so, in deference to that spirit, I momentarily removed my self-consciously self-important good taste from the peg and drank what I imagined a mom who wanted to party on the Strip this holiday season would want to drink. The Candy Cane isn’t the girlytastic diabetes bomb you might think. The Rumple Minze runs the show, but the creamy profile and choco-dose courtesy of creme de cacao make this holiday drinkably decadent. Grab mom’s SUV keys — she might want two. And MERRY CHRISTMAS IN A GLASS! Andrew Kiraly MGM Grand, 702-891-3222, crushmgm.com

YOU REALLY LOVE OUR MAGAZINE. NOW YOU CAN LOVE IT VIRTUALLY, TOO. Visit us at desertcompanion.vegas and check out our website. Between editions of our Maggie Award-winning magazine, you’ll get web-exclusive stories, breaking cultural news and fresh perspectives from our writers.

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

47

Dining out

Like a (mob) boss: From left, baked clams three ways; tableside Caesar salad preparation; veal Parmesan

AT First Bite

Fit for a kingpin At Carbone, grandma’s Sunday supper meets Vegas grandeur for extravagant meals worthy of a mob chief B y D e bb i e L e e

E

xtreme problems often require extreme solutions. In the case of Italian-American cuisine, that problem is a disconnect between food and finesse. How do you pass off garlic bread and meatballs — sustenance of mobsters and cheap mainstay of mall food courts — as an extravagant experience?

The answer is Carbone. Hidden away on the second floor at Aria, it’s an unparal-

48

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

leled addition to our local dining scene — a rare place where the average schnook can eat and feel like a boss.

Their strategy is simple: Turn everything up to 11. While Carbone’s original Manhattan location (graced with three stars by The New York Times) serves as a loose blueprint, our local outpost is very Vegas. For starters, it’s twice the size.

There are also nods to the mid-century: Louis Prima tunes blare on the speakers, a floor-to-ceiling Murano glass chandelier (originally commissioned for a 1960s Ferrari showroom) lights the main dining room, and artwork by David Hockney dresses the walls. The details add up to something that’s theatrical without being kitschy.

Even the menu, which is nearly the size of a roadside billboard, makes a statement. However, you won’t find the aforementioned meatballs on it. They’re only offered as a verbal special by your tuxedo-clad captain — in our case, a slicktalking server who could have talked me into ordering a bowl of air.

The table started with baked clams.

They arrived three ways: topped with

uni, buried under glorious butter-logged breadcrumbs (oregenata style), and laced with tissue-thin sheets of lardo. It’s like a shellfish plate standoff. A proper Caesar salad, prepared tableside, followed. A side of both brown and white anchovies was a brilliant detail, but my excitement was tempered by the greasy croutons, which were made from the same sesame seed-studded slices in our bread basket.

I secretly hoped to be disappointed by the rigatoni alla vodka — how dare the restaurant charge $27 for a dish best served in a corrugated tin plate! — but preemptive schadenfreude be damned, the silky and spicy pink sauce was inarguably perfect.

The portion was also far more generous than it initially seemed, because an order of veal Parmesan that followed was large enough to feed four (as it should, for $64.)

A side of creamed escarole studded with chunks of pork belly and smothered in white sauce sent our parade of indulgence over the edge. My dining companion and I looked at an artfully arranged dessert cart as tears of regret rolled down our cheeks and onto our full stomachs. But our kind refusal for a last course didn’t stop us from

P h oto g r a p h y c h r i s toph e r s m i th

receiving complimentary pours of limoncello and slices of dense, almond-heavy rainbow cookies — a Bronx bakery staple.

Anyway, there was still a small thrill in watching bananas flambé prepared for neighboring tables. The expressions of delight were infectious.

And that’s what justified the price of the food ($250 with tax and tip for two.)

Carbone is the first Las Vegas restaurant I’ve dined at in four years — as usual, unknown and unannounced — where my party was treated to impeccable service.

There’s a palpable sense that every guest is treated as a VIP — not because of the usual temporary optimism that comes with an opening, but because it’s a core philosophy of the people behind the meal.

Great meals often fall into one of two categories: comforting/familiar or extravagant/novel. Carbone somehow manages to merge the two in a way that competitors (Rao’s, Capo’s, Carmine’s) can’t. And in spite of the deep pockets that dining here requires, it’s poised to become la famiglia that every Vegas diner wants to join.

DECEMBER 14 hosted by

LAGO

BY JULIAN SERRANO

You and a guest could join some of Las Vegas’ brightest culinary talents at an honorary luncheon as we celebrate the Desert Companion Restaurant Awards recipients.

D E TA I L S AT D E S E R TCO M PA N I O N .V E G A S

December 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

49

THE

bucket bucket

THE

LIST

LIST

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

51

SPRING FOR the colossal 16-course meal at Jöel Robuchon KAYAK THE BLACK CANYON from Hoover

Dam to Willow Beach.

At dawn. Savor.

SWIM IN A TIKI DRINK

at Frankie’s. Just one drink — whether it’s a Fink Bomb or a Zom-

bie — is all it will take to make the bathroom gender signs seem reeeeally tricky. And if you decide to enjoy another delicious concoction, find a driver — Frankie’s pours some mysteriously mind-altering drinks in a cavernously dark, fun, hip-Polynesian-deco den. Good times, if you can remember them.

WATCH Cirque du Soleil’s Mystére. The show that started it all.

See Elton John at the Colosseum PLAY GOLF at one of

the big, dreamy courses: Shadow Creek, Royal Links, Cascata ...

SEE A SHOW at The Smith Center. (We might suggest Cabaret, June 4-19.) (But probably not Yanni, March 21.)

SKYDIVE OVER THE MOJAVE. Because

no proper bucket list is complete without skydiving. And there’s no setting more majestic in which to plummet toward the ground at terminal velocity than the magnificent Southwestern desert. Pull that cord ... now!

VISIT the outlandish,

garish, semi-grotesque bathrooms at the Double Down Saloon. You have to see them to believe them. If you’ve imbibed one of the famous Ass Juice cocktails, a visit to the restroom might not be wholly optional.

DROP A BUNDLE at the Forum Shops at Caesars.

A really unsettling, second-guess-yourself-tomorrow amount. Here’s the deal: elegant shops, exquisite cocktails, more great shops, exquisite lunch options, more exquisite cocktails, more elegant shops. Rarely do you find such a combination under one fabulous forever daytime sky-roof.

ORDER BOTTLE SERVICE at Omnia. Know

what it’s like to roll deep.

SEE THE CITY FROM THE SKY, on a helicop-

ter trip over the Strip at sunset. A half-hour flight from the North Las Vegas airport takes you all the way down the west side of the Strip and all the way back up the east side, letting you see

Drive a race car

I DON’T FEEL the need, the need for speed. Haven’t gotten a speeding ticket since I was 16, and even that one was undeserved. But when the opportunity to drive a street-illegal Ferrari F430 GT around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented itself, I acquiesced. Felt like something a red-blooded American male should want to do.

I suited up, hit the track, and focused on keeping the above-mentioned red blood within the confines of my body (as opposed to scattered across the windshield of a totaled $200,000 race car). My passenger-seat instructor yelled for me to go faster. As we rounded a corner, I looked down at my speedometer: 70 mph. That’s it? I would have guessed twice that. (The instructor later explained that 70 mph on a sharp turn feels way faster than it does on the freeway.) After building my confidence I took the car to over 100 mph.

How do I feel about going that fast? Same way I feel about shooting a gun: I’m prepared to do it if necessary, but it’s not at the top of my Hanukkah list.

Though I’m glad I did it at least once. Rick Lax

T H R I L L S E E K E R S O N LY

TRY SLOTZILLA Sure, it’s ugly. But it’s also a 1,750-foot zipline that’ll shoot you beneath the world’s largest video screen and above the masses on Fremont. So why not? A thrill caused by gaudy kitsch is still a thrill.

52

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

RIDE THE BIG APPLE COASTER AT NEW YORKNEW YORK Said to have a “180-degree

‘heartline’ twist and dive maneuver.” Having felt our heartlines twist and dive while on it, we agree.

EAT AT HEART ATTACK GRILL

Because once in a lifetime you gotta look Death straight in its lidless black eye, call its bluff and eat a Double Bypass Burger.

C A R P H OT O C O U R T E S Y O F D R E A M R AC I N G ; B AT H R O O M I L LU S T R AT I O N : M AT T Y N E W T O N

The Bucket List

Climb a big peak WE FINISHED the steep 2-mile Trail Canyon trail post-haste, arriving at the North Loop junction and turning west toward Charleston Peak. For a while, it was all flat ridges, sweeping views, alpine meadows, gurgling springs. Even the switchbacks and trudge to the bald peak had rewards. But the ascent to Southern Nevada’s 11,918-foot tip was deceiving; though we’d bagged a 14,000-footer in California a few weeks earlier, the descent from Charleston felt tougher, as if the 4,500-foot elevation loss went straight down. Train hard for this one, friends, or wait for the South Loop to reopen. Heidi Kyser

H O OV E R DA M CO U RT E SY O F N P S

RUN IN THE LAS VEGAS ROCK ’N’ ROLL M A R AT H O N

The only footrace that lets you wheeze your way through a section of the Strip.

You have a year to train for the next one. Go!

the rooftops and pools and penthouses while the sun sets and the Strip’s lights come on.

ICE SKATE outside at The Cosmo. Pirouette.

Ice skate inside — on a far larger rink with far fewer drunken bros — at the Fiesta Rancho. Pirouette some more.

TOUR HOOVER DAM.

The only thing better than marveling at a history-changing feat of engineering from on top of it, or from the bridge overlooking it (the bridge itself a marvel), is walking through its innards.

Guides deftly explain the

ME, MY SELFIE AND I

SHOOT A SELFIE

SNAP YOURSELF

at Vickie’s with that painting. Among the in-crowd, the legendarily bad painting that hangs in Vickie’s diner (nee Tiffany’s) has achieved totemic status

sitting in the electric chair at the Mob Museum

historical and geological significance of the dam, the harrowing process of building it, the dashing art deco style, and they drop cool tidbits like this: Every state contributed something to building the dam. Plus, it’s just freaky-cool to be in the

STICK IT TO the Men in Black with a selfie at the mysterious black mailbox on the Extraterrestrial Highway, near ... (feel the feathery touch of government conspiracy) ...

Area 51 ...

dark tunnels of a building that holds back the Colorado River.

COMMUNE WITH ELVIS at the splashy

Presley exhibit in the Westgate (formerly the Hilton and International). Get a fresh feel for

the King, still one of the city’s presiding spirits.

SPIN ATOP THE STRATOSPHERE. The

elevator up is ear-popping and anxiety-inducing, and the view from atop is dizzying and awesome. Stand and

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

53

The Bucket List

Henry Moore’s “Reclining Connected Forms” at CityCenter

SEE FINE ART ON THE STRIP

As a Las Vegan, you’re sorta honor-bound to have an opinion on the tired, glib — but still unsettled — question as to whether this is, in fact, a cultural wasteland. Indeed, the quest for essentials that is the animating spirit of bucket-list construction demands that you make up your mind on this bedrock issue.

Therefore, you must go to the Strip: art-quest!

Marvel at Dale Chihuly’s great glassy nest clinging to the ceiling at Bellagio. Commune with the big-ticket artworks scattered around CityCenter, by such current and future art-history staples as Maya Lin, Claes Oldenberg, Coosje van Bruggen, Jenny Holzer and Henry Moore. Lastly, let yourself be pleasantly disoriented by the Ganzfield lighting of James Turrell’s Akhob installation at Crystals mall.

This is not small-time stuff. Now, how ’bout that wasteland? Scott Dickensheets

C AT C H A F LY B A L L AT T H E 5 1 S G A M E .

C’mon. Nothing says *true minor league experience* like a stadium opened for pro baseball in 1983 after years of use as a rodeo field, a team awkwardly named after a sortof secret military installation, a mascot named “Cosmo” that is, we think, an alien, and a team that ranked 7th in the Pacific Coast League in 2015.

Have a beer. Have a hot dog. Have fun.

SING KARAOKE AT DINO’S. Still owned by

Dino’s granddaughters, still filled with interesting locals and occasional tourists. Take the mic for karaoke with beloved host Danny G., and sing till your ears bleed.

54

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

gawk, ride the are-youcrazy rides, or, our best bet: Sit down for a drink and a bite and enjoy the rotating view of the valley as the whole place slowly spins the complete 360.

ALSO: ditto for the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas EAT THE grilled pork

belly at Honey Pig in Chinatown

Attend the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko

SWIM WITH SHARKS

at Golden Nugget pool.

Sure, you’ve got a Strip full of pool parties to pick from, but nothing is quite as Sharknado as water-sliding in a tube through the huge aquarium of sea creatures and landing in the water, where, for a split second, you wonder: Am I in the aquarium with the sharks? Good food-chain reminder, that. Adrenalin doubled; kitsch factor quintupled.

STROLL THROUGH BROADACRES SWAP MEET. A north valley

staple and usually full of shoppers and revelers,

SEE A DOUBLE-FEATURE

WAT E R S L I D E C O U R T E S Y O F G O L D E N N U G G E T; D R I V E - I N I L LU S T R AT I O N : M AT T Y N E W T O N

at the West Wind Drive-In. It’s refurbished! It’s digital! It’s retro-fun! You get to eat popcorn in your car or make a picnic in the truck bed!

Broadacres is a bonanza of low-priced new and used stuff, upbeat live Latin music, snacks and row upon row of items you didn’t know you needed but somehow can’t leave without. A leather cowboy hat?

Check. A 10-pack of tube socks? Check. A couple of 1970s Barbie dolls someone recently found in their garage? Check.

Jewelry? Linens? Toiletries? Shirts? A bicycle? A sofa? Check ’em all. Fun exploring.

STAYCATION at a Strip hotel. Which one? Pick one.

DITTO DOWNTOWN,

though here the El Cortez Cabana Suites readily suggests itself

See Lonnie Hammargren’s collection of collectibles TAKE THE DAY-LONG BUS TOUR OF THE NEVADA TEST SITE.

You need to make reservations through the De-

partment of Energy, and it’s well worth the wait.

You’ll ride right into the otherwise inaccessible site on a charter bus, get an amazing set of stories from tour guides while black-and-white videos of the test bombs play in the bus. See Frenchman Flat, Sedan Crater and the Apple II Houses, along with the bunker where the media “hid” from the blasts. Eat your packed lunch crater-side.

NAVEL GAZE: Get a lap dance. No? At least check out a strip, er, gentleman’s club. No? Well then at least take in a classic showgirl revue.

SEE A TROY HEARD PRODUCTION. The

man is the mad genius of

local theater, with a flair for wringing demented fun out of weird premises, often musicalized takes on pop-culture favorites — say, the show Full House — that simultaneously honor and implode our nostalgia for the originals. Lovers of creativity, you wanna mind-meld with this guy.

template this city’s other architecture: Gehry’s Lou Ruvo Brain Center, the Clark County Government Center, World Market, The Smith Center. There’s something cool and energetic about the disjunctive energy of all those clashing styles that echoes, sans casinos, the essential visual dynamic of the Strip itself.

STAND at the corner of

Grand Central Parkway and Bonneville and con-

Visit the Mormon Fort Spend $1 at the Old Mormon Fort. The museum tells more than the story of the group of Mormons who tried to settle the area and convert the Paiutes by building the adobe fort in the desert in 1856 (and ultimately fail in 1857). It’s an eye-opening little chunk of history about more efforts to settle near the creek created by the Las Vegas springs, including the fort’s future as a ranch house to city pioneer Helen Stewart and later as a cement-mixing test site for the construction of Boulder Dam. Through photo displays, an 8-minute film, and surviving portions of the original adobe fort, you see the early years of white settlement in the Mojave.

Viewing the photos alone is worth a dollar: Mormon missionaries performing a baptism of Paiutes in the Las Vegas (Meadows) spring; settlers swimming in pools created by the spring; a 1950s aerial shot of the Fort and Cashman field (rodeo grounds!) surrounded by nothing but desert. For a buck, you can’t beat the history lesson, and it’s stuff that every Las Vegan can appreciate. Stacy J. Willis

SIT IN THE KEFAUVER COURTROOM AT THE MOB MUSEUM. You

don’t get to get this close to mobster history just anywhere, and you don’t get this close to nationally historically significant buildings often in Las Vegas. (The exhibits are pretty good, too.)

ALSO: The Neon Museum is very cool SO IS the Barrick Museum DON’T FORGET the Lost City Museum in Moapa

Eat late-night breakfast at The Peppermill DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

55

The Bucket List

A M B U L AT E

CHUG A COLD ONE in two iconic bars beyond Las Vegas: the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings and Mountain Springs Saloon near Pahrump.

TA K E I N

Super Summer Theater outside on a blanket under the stars at Spring Mountain Ranch.

TAKE IT TO THE MOUNTAIN. Ski, snow-

board, sled, or sit at the Mount Charleston Lodge and remember what trees look like.

PICK YOUR NUMBERS. Drive to Ar-

izona for a lottery ticket.

At least once, you’ve got to know what it’s like to stand in line for a chance at a $30 million Powerball pot at Rosie’s Den, 60 miles southeast of Vegas.

Ticket bought, stay for a stick-to-your-ribs meal and a biker band.

Survive the Springs Preserve flash-flood exhibit

WALK

Fremont Street Experience at night. Cross Las Vegas Boulevard. Continue.

Finish strong with a Hunter S. Mash at Atomic Liquors. Fremont is our mother street.Know it.

(HELP of Southern Nevada), work at a shelter serving food (Shade Tree, Catholic Charities, Las Vegas Rescue Mission), drive an older person to an appointment (Helping Hands of Vegas Valley), or pitch in at any of the countless other community-oriented nonprofits.

VOLUNTEER to help

a Las Vegan in need: Donate food (Three Square), or jackets

WATCH NIGHT PLANE LANDINGS while

stretched out on the

TAKE A SUNRISE STROLL AT RED ROCK CANYON.

No explanation required.

hood of your car, parked in the observation pullout off Sunset and Gillespie.

READ. Fear and Loathing

in Las Vegas, of course — outdated, but still a load of fun. We’ll let you off the hook with Learning From Las Vegas; unless you geek out on architecture theory, life’s just too short. Otherwise, zigzag through the Vegas canon without feeling you need

WALK TO

Mouse’s Tank at Valley of Fire.

Surreal and isolated, it’s like getting back to nature and imagining a postapocalyptic future at the same time.

to hit every one: but don’t miss Resort City in the Sunbelt by Eugene Moehring, Sun, Sin & Suburbia

by Geoff Schumacher, The Lucky, by H. Lee Barnes, The Death of Frank Sinatra by Michael Ventura and Beautiful Children, by Charles Bock.

WATCH THE SUPER BOWL in the plush

splendor of sports book in Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo.

Spend NYE on the Strip

first meeting on the Strip. Perhaps not my best idea. It wasn’t enough to take in the spectacle of an unhinged mob participating in the West Coast’s answer to Times Square. You may as well add some personal humiliation to the menu.

When the inevitable happened, and the girl did the entirely reasonable thing of avoiding my calls rather than deal with this madness, I was confident in my backup plan for the evening: To get cartoonishly legless with several thousand of my new best friends.

Except here’s what they leave out of the what-happens-here marketing materials: Getting a drink on the Strip on New Year’s is only slightly less challenging than getting a U.N. ration in a refugee camp, and twice as dire a situation. Six deep at the Paris center bar and 40 minutes from a cocktail is when the creeping Burgess-Meredith-in-thatone-Twilight-Zone horror hit me. “That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all. There was booze now. All the booze I needed.” Somehow I made it anyway. Jason Scavone

56

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

N E W Y E A R ’ S I L LU S T R AT I O N : M AT T Y N E W T O N

IT WAS MY FIRST December 31 in Las Vegas, and I had tried to arrange a dating-site

RESTAURANT AWARDS D e s e r t co m pa n i o n 19th Annual Restaurant Awards PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR

Our judges

In the tag cloud that describes Las Vegas, you have to squint pretty hard to find the word “tradition” in there. Our gleaming,

Jim Begley is a freelance food writer whose work appears in the Las Vegas Weekly, Las Vegas Magazine and Desert Companion.

John Curtas is a longtime dining critic who writes at EatingLV.com and appears on KSNV Channel 3.

Debbie Lee is a former pastry chef and Desert Companion’s dining critic.

Mitchell Wilburn works at a fine foods store and describes himself as a “writer, eater and human.”

His writing appears in Vegas Magazine and Desert Companion.

58

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

go-go glamopolis has a sense of tradition? Yes, but not in the, well, traditional sense. We borrow ideas and give them backspin; we steal and remix; we reinterpret and reanimate. That decidedly Vegas practice has become a tradition all its own. ¶ Tradition seems to be a theme for this year’s Restaurant Awards — but, again, in true Vegas style, don’t expect the stale tradition of stuffiness and stagnation in the pages ahead. Rather, inside you’ll find new icons making a splash with innovative menus, mold-breaking mainstays that have become guiding lights of the dining scene, and familiar names making brash new moves. But whether they’re making traditions or breaking them, these chefs and restaurants have captured our critics’ imaginations (and their palates) for our 19th Annual Restaurant Awards — another tradition we’re sure you’ve developed a taste for.

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

59

appetizer of the year

Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower

at Public School 702 1850 Festival Plaza Drive 702-749-3007, psontap.com

This sinfully creative upgrade proves that veggies don’t always have to be virtuous

N

ow that diners are content to pay upwards of $34 for cauliflower “steaks” in highend restaurants, it’s safe to say that the cruciferous vegetable has hit its peak. One might even call it the new kale. But for the countless restaurants that have made cauliflower a new menu staple, Public School 702 at Downtown Summerlin earns top honors for its creative (and reasonably priced) upgrade on the bland florets of bad buffets and high school cafeterias.

Consider it further evidence of the universal truism that anything tastes good if it’s deep-fried.

Battered chunks of cauliflower are given the traditional Buffalo wing treatment: fried until golden and then drenched in a heart-stopping shower of melted butter and hot sauce (hey, no one said veggies and virtue are inseparable). Buffalo sauce and a requisite side of blue cheese aioli are included, because no self-respecting wing aficionado dare dip a drumette into ranch dressing.

It’s not groundbreaking, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. It’s also just one of many tasty twists (three words: bacon cheddar tots) that make this gastropub a welcome addition to the neighborhood. DL

60

DECEMBER 2015

DesertCompanion.com

Signature dish of the year

Hainan chicken

at Flock & Fowl 380 W. Sahara Ave. 626-616-6632 flockandfowl.com

Simply put, this simple dish is the very essence of chicken

I

t’s hard to describe how passionate well-known local chef and Fat Choy proprietor Sheridan Su is about Hainan chicken. Along with his wife and partner Jenny Wong, the couple has been so infatuated with the dish since a trip to Boon Keng Chicken in Taipei, they recently opened the postage stamp-sized Flock & Fowl in a dingy East Sahara strip mall as a labor of love in homage to the dish. And so your infatuation will begin.

Hainan chicken is a semi-obscure (at least among us gweilos) Chinese poached chicken dish generally unnervingly served at room temperature. Su delivers his slightly-warm (and deboned!) poached Mary’s organic chicken atop rice cooked in schmaltz (chicken fat), layering fowl flavors in a dish best described as the essence of chicken. Accompanied by a trio of housemade dipping sauces (Indonesian sambal, a slightly-sweet soy and an intensely addictive ginger-scallion) and what is quite probably the best chicken broth in town, the simple dish is simply comforting. JB

Dessert of the Year

Milk n cookies

at Yonak a Modern Japanese

4983 W. Flamingo Road #a, 702-685-8358, yonakajapaneserestaurant.com

Y

onaka has gained a reputation for extremely creative Asian-fusion, but its desserts have always been pure magic apart from that. They don’t typically adhere to the Asian palate; rather, they rather take after the fine French dining tradition of combining dazzling flavors and pleasing visuals. The one that’s stayed on the menu since inception, Chocolate Ten Ways, is a great example.

However, Yonaka has ventured into the uniquely constructed nostalgia now and again, and most triumphantly with Milk N Cookies.

It’s simple but perfectly pleasing: They take basic, wholesome ingredients and just make the best damn chocolate chip cookie they can muster, baked fresh and delivered straight from the oven.

Somewhat like a to-order soufflé, it takes a few minutes to prepare, but there’s nothing quite like it. It’s served with a small scoop of the cookie dough and, taking a cue from Momofuku, a glass of “cereal milk.” It’s a page right out of childhood, and yet a fitting cap to the feast of the senses that is a meal at Yonaka. MW

Inyo’s uni udon

Ethnic Restaurant of the year

INYO ASIAN VARIETY RESTAURANT

600 W. Spring Mountain Road #1B, 702-248-0588, inyolv.com

Inyo is less a restaurant than an international port where Far East flavors mix and mingle

I

n the past couple of years, the Las Vegas Valley has experienced an onslaught of Asian restaurants; a heavy concentration was Japanese, with new Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese venues also dotting the landscape. This proliferation is great for diners, but the options can be dizzying in such a crowded field. A restaurant has to be exemplary to stand out. Inyo Asian Variety Restaurant is just such a place.

Inyo’s menu doesn’t hail from any single country but rather travels across the Far East in living up to its billing as an Asian variety restaurant. In lesser hands, such wandering could result in a muddled menu. But with stints as executive chef at Cosmo’s Blue Ribbon and Palms’ Little Buddha on his resume, Executive Chef Gregg Fortunato is well-versed in Asian cuisine. Instead of being burdened with lack of focus, Inyo is defined by its diversity.

Inyo’s chicken wings exemplify the international flavor, offering a trio of options: Japanese tebasaki, Korean gochugaru, and Thai chile nam pla. The tebasaki, simply seasoned with sweet ginger soy and black pepper, demonstrate the straightforward flavors commonly associated with Japanese cooking, while the gochugaru deliver heat from their eponymous chile flakes. But best of all are the transcendent chile nam pla, delivering a pungent kick from the pervasive fish sauce. (In case you’re wondering, that’s a good thing.)

While the menu draws upon different cuisines, individual dishes honor their roots. The distinctly Japanese uni udon delivers udon noodles swimming in an intense, sea urchin broth, garnished with a dollop of caviar; the combination delivers the essence of the sea in a raw form. Similarly, the lightly charred whole yari ika serves grilled squid basting in memorable garlic soy butter.

Less country-centric are the multicolored roasted cauliflower, elevated with the inclusion of funky fish sauce. But the Chinese influences are evident in the smoky, scrambled egg-topped crab fried rice. And the daily specials board can wander from soft shell crab to uni egg scrambles depending upon available ingredients and Fortunato’s mood.

Luckily for us, he seems to be clearly inspired in his pursuit of world cuisine. JB

D ecember 2 0 1 5

DesertCompanion.com

61

Her dedication to cocktail craft has made her shine the brightest in a mad, mad mixology scene

J

Bartender of the year

Juyoung Kang

at Delmonico steakhouse

In the Venetian, 702-414-3737, emerilsrestaurants.com

cocktail bar of the year

herbs & rye

3713 W. Sahara Ave. 702-982-8036 herbsandrye.com

The cocktail bar and restaurant has magnetic appeal to discriminating drinkers — and also attracts the city’s top mixologist talent

62

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

uyoung Kang — June or Ju to friends and regulars — has been a star behind every bar she’s worked in. From the now-defunct Comme Ça in The Cosmopolitan to Commonwealth and The Laundry Room Downtown, back to Cosmo to open Rose.Rabbit.Lie, down the Strip to BLVD in the Linq, she blazed a bright trail mirroring the rise of the Vegas cocktail scene. Now she’s taken up the prestigious program left by Max Solano at Delmonico Steakhouse, given the keys to one of the most powerful whiskey rooms in town.

Juyoung has already started making it her own. She’s trimming the menu here and there and bringing in techniques learned in her travels; hip ideas such as “shimming” (low-alcohol, easy-drinking cocktails) are sure to express her style in a new light — and watching her helm a cocktail program at an acclaimed steakhouse should be fascinating to watch. If her past is any indication — a resumé built on a detail-minded dedication to herb-infused liquors, spiced syrups and specialty tinctures — the future of drinks at Delmonico should be bright. MW

V

egas cocktail culture is constantly in flux, but the eye of the storm is this little spot on Sahara, lovingly called “The Clubhouse” by the mixology in-crowd.

Herbs & Rye built its brand by being able to pull very strong up-and-coming talent from anywhere and everywhere in town — and out of town. The people who’ve moved in and out make up some serious superstars in the beverage scene, with Nectaly Mendoza at the head.

The food menu, recently re-vamped to keep up with the stellar drinks, is known for its half-off steak happy hour, both in the early evening and late night.

Its commitment to quality drew more than discriminating drinkers. Herbs & Rye has become a magnet for cocktail talent, attracting names such as Matt Graham, Emily Yett, Adam O’Donnell, Kinson Lau, Joe Pereira, and Mark Vega, familiar faces to even the most novice industry folk. With such a roster, Herbs has garnered honors and awards from dozens of national and international “best of” lists. It might be the most frequently recommended bar in the city, and it’s a distinction wellearned. Herbs & Rye was one of the first bars to embrace the classic cocktail trend, and also one of the first where you could safely have your bartender improvise a truly inspired drink. It remains a place that’s electric with talent and energy every single night. MW

P h oto g r a p h y c h r i sto p h e r sm i t h

Dealicious Meal of the year

Pozole rojo

at El Menuda zo

3100 E. Lake Blvd. #18 702-944-9706 menudazo.com

In a sleepy strip mall, complex flavors come together in a deceptively straightforward bowl of soup

S

ituated on a stretch of East Lake Mead in North Las Vegas littered with nondescript strip malls, El Menudazo is likely not in your neighborhood. It’s certainly not in mine. But that doesn’t stop me from making a semi-regular crosstown trek to one of the valley’s best breakfasts and altogether deals: their pozole rojo.

While its name may trumpet the menudo — the breakfast soup, not the Puerto Rican ’80s boy band — the pozole is utterly infatuating.

A rich, practically chewy broth weightlessly suspends pork short ribs and an ample amount of hominy. Garnished with lettuce, onions, cilantro and radish (although those in the know also request avocado and sour cream) the bowl delivers flavors as complex as you’ll find anywhere in the valley, including our world-renowned five-star resorts. If you haven’t been, the space is tiny but twice the size from years past when it was only open on weekends. And unless you have an offensive line in tow, don’t order the grande. Trust me on this one. JB

From left, Other Mama’s caviar French toast; oysters foie Rockefeller

Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year

other mama 3655 S. Durango Drive #6 702-463-8382 othermamalv.com

Strong flavors and impeccable quality: almost overnight, Other Mama changed the way we think about seafood in the valley

L

ocation counts — except when it doesn’t. Other Mama may be harder to find than a celebrity chef slaving away at the stoves, but that hasn’t stopped every galloping gastronome around from zeroing in on this hidden gem, tucked into an invisible corner in a strip mall on south Durango. Weeks after it opened, Dan Krohmer’s ode to great seafood went from a “where’s that?” to a “let’s go” on the lips of every foodie in town. These days, it’s practically a hangout for off-duty chefs and F&B professionals, as well as being the go-to joint for locals seeking serious shellfish.

Nothing about its obscure locale suggests that you’re in for topflight oysters, Penn Cove mussels, or sashimi-grade scallops when you find it. Nor does the name give you a clue — it sounds like a blues bar, and the retro-louche signage suggests a down-on-its-heels

absinthe joint you might find in New Orleans. Even when you walk in, things are bit confusing. It’s modestly appointed (Krohmer did the build-out himself) with seating for around 50, and the far wall is dominated by a long L-shaped cocktail bar that looks directly into an open kitchen. That bar may look simple, but it’s also significant, with mixologist David English shaking, stirring and conjuring cocktails to a fare-thee-well.

Then you notice a large menu board and things start falling in place. Because what Other Mama is, is an American/Japanese izakaya/sushi/raw bar/gastropub — got that? Krohmer learned his seafood skills with Iron Chef Morimoto in Philadelphia, and honed his skills locally at Sen of Japan, just down the street.

He specializes in strong flavors paired with impeccably chosen

seafood, such as his oysters foie Rockefeller, a dish that combines sweet, saline and salty bivalves with an umami-bomb of duck liver. Anything and everything from the raw bar — from amberjack crudo with Meyer lemon to scallop carpaccio to a sashimi salad with thyme and honey — competes with anything you’ll find 10 miles to the east, at two-thirds the price, and his pork belly kimchee fried rice, seafood toban yaki, and caviar & French toast prove he can pull together proteins and starches in unlikely combinations like nobody’s business. Gone are the days when all-you-can-eat sushi bars defined our seafood options off the Strip. Almost overnight, Other Mama unveiled a new, higher standard, and put to rest the idea that you have to travel to Las Vegas Boulevard South to get the good stuff. JC

D ecember 2 0 1 5

DesertCompanion.com

63

SIDE DISH AWARDS

More dishes and dining trends of 2015 that our critics savored Brunch of the year Bardot Brasserie When Bardot Brasserie opened, its brunch got all the attention for a shocking rumor: the brunch “out-Bouchon’d Bouchon.” Bardot went head-to-head with the crown jewel of Frenchstyle brunch in Vegas — and won.

Not only is this the kind of refined brunch that makes you want to wear a tie, but the work they put into it is massive. The pastry basket alone has both a canelle and a kougin aman, two of the most difficult pastries in the entirety of French baking. It’s just one instance of the passion for perfection Bardot pours into every item on the menu. MW (in Aria at CityCenter, 877-230-2742, aria.com)

Service of the year Le Cirque There exists no level of service, class, and professionalism like that provided

64

D ecember 2 0 1 5

by the front-ofhouse staff at Le Cirque. Nearly the entire team has been there since the very beginning of Bellagio, 1998, including General Manager Ivo Angelov, who coordinates every aspect of the experience, from the silverware to the lighting, and can still make everyone who walks in feel like a VIP. At Le Cirque, the service itself is an art. MW (In the Bellagio, 702-693-8865, bellagio.com)

Surprise of the Year Lunch at Artisanal Foods The city’s best lunch is not on the Strip, nor is it Downtown. It’s in a makeshift dining room at a warehouse behind the airport. The Café at Artisanal Foods — a sixseat, lunch-only spot — is a brilliant collaboration between gourmet food purveyor Brett Ottolenghi and Chef Johnny Church.

Expect unusual ingredients,

DesertCompanion.com

sourced from Artisanal’s inhouse retail shop, to be thoughtfully prepared and reasonably priced.

(Ottolenghi will charismatically sell you on eating aquarium fish, but I’m partial to Church’s pancakes with seared foie gras.) DL (2053 Pama Lane, 702-436-4252, artisanalfoods.com)

Bar food of the year Five-course tasting plate at Andre’s Even for those who love a refined, drawn-out, multicourse meal at a fine dining establishment such as Andre’s, the task can be daunting.

Here, they’ve done something that was a long time coming: shrinking a fivecourse meal down onto one incredible plate for $50, letting the diner enjoy the symphony of flavors without dedicating hours to it, or an entire paycheck. The five courses follow the traditional script, but the specific dishes change daily: a salad, a charcuterie or

terrine, a fish course, main course, and a little dessert make up this beautiful bargain of a dish. MW (In the Monte Carlo, 702-798-7151, andrelv.com)

Appetizer we’ll really, really miss of the year Crispy fried pig ears at Therapy Pig ears may sound daunting — in the wrong hands, they can be a weapon of destruction to unsuspecting diners unfamiliar with their challenging texture — but at Therapy, the cartilageladen snacks are cooked overnight to break down the characteristic chewiness. After being dredged in buttermilk and fried chicken flour, the result is pure porkiness with none of the difficulty; paired with a truffle honey mustard, it’s a dynamically addictive duo capable of delighting even the pickiest of diners. Word is the appetizer left with the departure of Executive Chef Daniel Ontiveros, but I’m hoping this little piggy comes all the way back home soon. JB (518 Fremont St., 702-912-1622, therapylv.com)

Beer selection of the year Atomic Liquors This downtown

spot quickly worked its way into the craft beer scene, dethroning Aces & Ales as the beer nerd’s night out. Just about every unique keg or bottling brought into Vegas gets a small allotment squirreled away for Atomic, often worked out months ahead of time with whatever inside sources conspire to keep the fine fizz flowing.

Furthermore, the tap-takeovers, bottle shares and tasting events dominate the Atomic Liquor calendar, often bringing in brews that this town has never tasted before. MW (917 E. Fremont St., 702-982-3000, atomicvegas.com)

and lime. This one made plenty of fans sad when summer vegetables went out of season, but let’s hope it makes a return rapido. MW (1516 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-910-8681, the-goodwich.com)

Hidden gem of the year Japanese Cuisine by Omae In a small strip mall south of Spring Mountain on Decatur lies Japanese Cuisine

by Omae, a precious experience we’re lucky to have.

Why so precious?

The eponymous restaurant is helmed by Takashi Omae, a Michelinstarred chef from Tokyo toiling away

Sandwich of the year

in our ’burbs.

Elote and zucchini sandwich at Goodwich The Goodwich doesn’t just make sandwiches; they’re more like artisanal dishes between bread.

Each uses only the best seasonal ingredients and homemade components, but one sandwich on their summer menu really made a mark: the Street Corn.

Basically Mexican corn-on-the-cob in a sandwich, it combines charred yellow corn, goat ricotta cheese, roasted summer squash, ancho chile

has only three

The tiny venue seatings an evening during which the restaurant is completely yours.

That means the whole restaurant.

So whether you have a duo or a dozen diners, only you get to enjoy the omakase offerings driven by seasonal ingredients. Just hope the wagyu carpaccio-wrapped uni is being offered — that alone is worth the price of admission. JB (3650 S. Decatur Blvd. #26, 702-966-8080, omaevegas.com)

Right, Lago’s desserts balance decadence and delicacy; Chef Julian Serrano plates up a dish; below, Lago’s octopus and squid ink “cous cous”

SIDE DISH AWARDS

More dishes and dining trends of 2015 that our critics savored

New Restaurant of the Year

LAGO

In the Bellagio 702-693-8865 bellagio.com

This stellar example of contemporary Italian cuisine also exudes a sense of place that says: Vegas, Vegas, Vegas

I

n a city full of imported restaurant concepts and faux atmospheres (care for some pizza under the “Venetian” skies?), it’s often difficult to find a restaurant that exudes a solid

sense of place. But what qualifies as a meal that screams “Las Vegas!”— a buffet? Sure, but that’s a tad tacky. Shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate? See previous response. An eons-old steakhouse dinner might fit the bill, but probably best suited for the Rat Pack generation of yore.

For the city’s new guard of bon vivants, there’s Lago by Julian Serrano. The modern Italian destination, which debuted in April at Bellagio, is more than a due replacement for the late Circo. It’s the best new restaurant in town.

Start with the jaw-dropping transformation in design. The stale, old-money vibe that once ruled the space — all drab tones and heavy drapes — has been

eradicated. In its place is a vast expanse of bright and shiny accents. Glass, chrome and geometric patterns abound. It’s massive, it’s fresh and it’s just a wee bit loud; in other words, it’s an accurate reflection of our city’s personality.

It’s also a match for the chef’s modern approach to food.

Combining the formal technique Serrano displays at Picasso with the shared plates concept of his eponymous Spanish restaurant/ tapas bar in the Aria, Lago is a fine example of contemporary Italian cuisine. Plates are small but flavorful, and the menu provides a balanced blend of safe (meatballs, mini margherita pizzas) and adventurous (risotto with tripe, squid ink couscous).

Oh, and the view. The addition of an outdoor dining space allows guests to hover over the Bellagio fountains as they feast. On a breezy day, you might feel the mist on your skin as jets of water spray in choreographed movements.

“It’s supposed to be like dining on an Italian lakeside,” my dinner companion says.

Looking across the Strip at a replica of the Eiffel Tower, the boulevard clogged with foot traffic and mobile billboards of bikini-clad women, I reach for my limoncello.

“No,” I protest. An Elvis tune from the fountain show is still ringing in my head. “It’s just like dining in Vegas.” DL

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

65

chef of the Year

Nicole Brisson

at Carnevino In the Palazzo 702-789-4141 carnevino.com

A culinary force all her own, Brisson has turned Carnevino into a canvas for reenvisioning the steakhouse

66

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

W

hen Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich opened Carnevino, they no doubt hoped their concept of great Italian food and even greater steaks would be an unbeatable combination. What they probably didn’t suspect was that they were also unleashing a 34-year-old dynamo of a chef, from upstate New York, onto the Vegas food scene — a woman who would redefine the steakhouse genre and prove to be a culinary force in her own right. Because Nicole Brisson not only has serious Italian cooking chops, she also rides herd over a large kitchen staff serving hundreds of covers a night to some of the most demanding diners in the business.

With Brisson at the helm, Batali, Bastianich and company have taken the lead in connecting our great Strip restaurants with the local population and, in the process, brought locally sourced food to a desert tourist town that didn’t think such things were possible. These days, Carnevino isn’t just one of the best steakhouses in Las Vegas, it might be the best steakhouse in the country. It also is, on any given night, one of the best Italian restaurants in America — a one-of-a-kind, only-in-Vegas experience that deserves to be a lot more famous than it is. Brisson makes the whole thing run like a finely tuned watch, and if she were doing this kind of work in New York

or Los Angeles, she would’ve graced numerous magazines and television shows by now. As it is, Carnevino exists in a world of its own — a sui generis blend of superior pastas and the country’s best beef.

Its “riserva” steaks are justifiably famous, and you have to call ahead to reserve one that’s been aged anywhere from 60-150 days (what Brisson considers the “sweet spot.”) Do so, and you’ll taste beef like you never have before. They aren’t for everyone (the regular, dry-aged rib eye and strip are otherworldly in their own right), but if you have the coin and the palate, you’ll enjoy the privilege of eating the most unique steaks in the world.

If beef and noodles aren’t your bag, take heart: The antipasti (all made in-house) and fish will more than satisfy your craving for a taste of Italia.

Put these together with an abundance of local produce from Nevada and California farms, and you have that rarest of creatures: a huge, celebrity-chef-driven restaurant overseen by a major talent who’s made it very much a part of her life and the local food community. Mario and Joe might’ve made a safe bet with their menu, but their biggest payoff of all has been with the chef they picked, and just how special she turned out to be. JC

P h oto g r a p h y c h r i sto p h e r sm i t h

From top, a trio of Spago mainstays: its steak, acclaimed desserts, and famous salmon pizza

Restaurant Awards Hall of Fame Award

SPAGO

In the Forum Shops at Caesars 702-369-6300 wolfgangpuck.com

More than 20 years later, the restaurant that sparked Vegas’ fine dining revolution still dazzles, surprises and excels

I

n the beginning, there was Spago. And Spago begat Emeril’s, and Emeril’s success begat the tsunami that was the Bellagio, and by the turn of the century, all of them, along with many others, had put an exclamation point on the greatest restaurant revolution America had ever seen. But all that begetting began on December, 11, 1992, when Wolfgang Puck opened a branch of his seminal, West Hollywood eatery and single-handedly made Las Vegas a player on the world’s restaurant stage.

Puck tells many stories about that opening: how there were almost no customers the first week; how he told his general manager the whole thing was a big mistake; and how, once the National Finals Rodeo came to town, all the cowboys lined up in front of the open kitchen thinking it was a buffet.

Soon enough they learned just how wonderful the grub was being rustled up by that kitchen. From day one, and 23 years later, it rarely misses a beat. First under David Robins and currently helmed by Eric Klein, the kitchen never fails to dazzle and surprise — a testament to Puck’s perfectionism and one of the most solid staffs in the business. That excellence

extends to the front of the house, and has since the get-go: Have you ever heard anyone say they had bad service at Spago? Puck’s contributions to America’s restaurants are legendary.

Open kitchens are everywhere these days, but they started with Spago. The lowly pizza was first given a gourmet cachet by Puck, and he was the first to incorporate a casual café in front, with a more formal — and expensive — space in the back of the restaurant. But most of all, what Puck and Spago did — first in Los Angeles and then in the Forum Shops — was make fine dining fun. They brought good cooking out from behind the curtain and showed America how to have a great time with great food.

Once Las Vegas got a taste of everything Spago brought to the table, there was no turning back. Food and beverage executives up and down the Strip knew they had to improve their game, and that’s exactly what they did, causing all of us today, and 42 million visitors a year, to eat better as a result. There was always gold in them hills to be sure, but Wolfgang Puck was the first to discover it, and in the process, he begat a dining revolution in the most tasteful way possible. JC

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

67

68

DECEMBER 2015

DesertCompanion.com

restaurant of the Year

2015

BARDOT BRASSERIE In ARIA, 877-230-2752, aria.com

This delicious ode to the golden era of brass, glass and béchamel-drenched sandwiches is a throwback with heart and soul

W

hen Michael Mina announced he was closing American Fish in the Aria and replacing it with a classic French brasserie, more than a few foodies were skeptical. Didn’t he know that this was the age of tiny tables, minuscule plates, insulting noise levels, and uncomfortable everything? Hadn’t someone told him that old-time French style was about as hip as a dickey? And that Croque Madame and salad Niçoise were old hat by the Clinton era?

They may have told him, but we’re happy he didn’t listen. Instead, what he did was bring forth a drop-dead delicious ode to the golden era of brass, glass and béchamel-drenched sandwiches — hearty platters of wine-friendly food that many think went out of style with tasseled menus, but didn’t. It just took a break for a decade. With Bardot, the reasons all of these recipes became famous to begin with has come roaring back, to the delight of diners who want to be coddled and cosseted with cuisine, not challenged and annoyed. Mina had the prescience to know this, and also the good sense to hire Executive Chef Josh Smith to execute his vision.

Smith is an American through and through, but obviously has a deep feeling for this food, and every night (and with the best weekend brunch in town) he proves why classics never go out style — and why overwrought, over-thought, multi-course tasting

menus may soon go the way of the supercilious sommelier.

Make no mistake, Bardot Brasserie is a throwback restaurant. But this is a throwback that captures the heart and soul of real French food like none of its competition. It harkens to an age of comfort food from a country that pretty much invented it. What sets it apart is the attention to detail. Classics such as steak frites and quiche are clichés to be sure, but here they’re done with such aplomb you’ll feel like you’re on the Left Bank of Paris, only with better beef.

The pâté de campagne (house-made country pâté) is a wondrous evocation of pressed pork of the richest kind, and the escargots in puff pastry show how a modern chef can update a classic without sacrificing the soul of the original recipe. The skate wing suffers not at all from being 6,000 miles from the Champs Elysee, and the lobster Thermidor — bathed in Béarnaise and brandy cream — is a glorious testament to the cuisine of Escoffier. Most of all, though, Bardot Brasserie is an homage to the great, homey restaurants of France. By going old school, Michael Mina has set a new standard in Franco-American style, and made us realize what we were missing all along. JC

Above right, Bardot Executive Chef Josh Smith; right, Bardot’s assured classics such as steak frites rival the French originals.

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

69

NATALIE YOUNG

Food Thought

Chef and owner, Eat and Chow

FOR

To foodies, the Strip is a culinary destination.

To chefs, it’s a school like no other.

These five local culinary pioneers schooled on the Strip reflect on what they learned in the kitchen and beyond

BY ANDREW KIRALY & MITCHELL WILBURN

SHERIDAN SU

Chef and owner, Fat Choy and Flock & Fowl

After arriving in 2005, Sheridan Su started as a cook on the opening team of Joel Robuchon in the MGM. From there, he worked at Social House (Treasure Island), Wazuzu (Encore) and Comme Ça (Cosmopolitan) before striking out on his own with a food truck, Great Bao. He opened Fat Choy in the Eureka casino in 2012 and Flock & Fowl downtown earlier this year, both built on his signature mashup of diner classics and Asian comfort food.

A hard-working (and once hard-partying) chef who opened restaurants at iconic properties such as the MGM Grand (Coyote Cafe) and the Hard Rock Hotel (Mortoni’s) in the ’90s, Young shifted her career into high gear after 2000, determined to learn as much as she could about the restaurant business. She opened breakfast spot Eat downtown in 2012, known for its high-fi comfort food, and Chow, a chicken and Chinese food joint, earlier this year.

WHAT DID THE STRIP TEACH YOU?

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THE STRIP?

At Social House, I learned how to handle a high-volume kitchen and the importance of every position in the operation working simultaneously to deliver a great experience to 1,000 guests a night. Chef Joe Elevado (Andrea’s, Encore) gave me so many opportunities to learn and grow.

Chef Jet Tila showed me how to be a chef. Under Chef David Myers (Comme Ça), I grew from a newish line cook to an executive chef.

The Eiffel Tower Restaurant (in Paris Las Vegas) is where I got my discipline. It was a classic French kitchen — no chit chat, hair above the collar, with a relentless focus on the food. It’s also where I learned the importance of systems and organizations. At Eiffel Tower, we had 16 clipboards for every facet of the restaurant.

STICKING AROUND VEGAS? When I first came to this great city, there was never a long-term plan to stay. However, Las Vegas has become my city.

ANY STORIES FROM STRIKING OUT ON YOUR OWN? In 2012, President Obama came to town for a rally. Our food truck, Great Bao, was invited to cook at his event. My son was just several weeks old and asleep in the front of the truck. Secret Service came by to do their inspections. Since they didn’t want to wake my son, they started waving a wand around his tiny body to check for weapons.

70

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

ANY DOWNSIDES? Working for 15 years without a holiday. I made a point at Eat that we’re closed every holiday because I want my team to be able to enjoy time with their families. The almighty dollar isn’t as important as that.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE LAUNCHING YOUR OWN RESTAURANT? It wasn’t any fairy tale! In the process, I almost got evicted from my place, because I was three months behind on rent. I didn’t have car insurance. There were people who paid my rent, brought me food and helped me out with my personal finances. Eat is as much of a success because of friends and the community as it is because of me.

JOHNNY CHURCH

BRIAN HOWARD

Executive chef, Artisanal Foods Catering & Café

Chef and founder, Grazing Pig Food Group

DESYREÉ ALBERGANTI

Chef and owner, Gelatology

A native of Flint, Michigan, Church fast became a rising star in Vegas, working at P.J. Clarke’s and Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood. He also opened Rx Boiler Room (Desert Companion’s Best New Restaurant of 2013). He now heads up Artisanal Foods Cafe, a high-concept arm of the specialty food store. He’s also working on another, asyet-unnamed project.

WHAT’S AN INSIGHT YOU’VE DEVELOPED DURING YOUR CAREER? Respecting the ingredients. I try to teach cooks that: Think about this piece of fish.

It literally died for you to have a job. If you mess it up, you’ve made its life worth nothing! I think you’ll be a lot more successful if you think about it like that.

HOW DID GROWING UP IN MICHIGAN INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH TO COOKING? I grew up with seasons. This time of the year was like my favorite time of year, coming into harvest — apples, orchards, cider mills, hot cider and donuts, in the summertime, corn and tomatoes. Seasonality was embedded in my head. And work. My mom owned five businesses — a skating rink, a commercial cleaning business, other stuff. I’d get off school, and I’d be like the guy in there dumping all the trash at night, vacuuming everything.

Never a dull moment!

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CHEFS? Cooking is the easy part. The rest — quality, food cost and labor — that’s the hard part of this business. You operate on margins on 10 to 20 percent to the bottom line — 30 percent if you’re really good — so every single detail counts.

A native of Venezuela, Desyreé Alberganti moved to Las Vegas in 1997, and soon put her training as a pastry chef to work at Valentino in the Venetian and at Harrah’s hotel-casino.

She ran Art of Flavors with a partner from 2013 to 2015, and opened her new shop, Gelatology, in August. Fun fact: Desyreé writes backwards, a telling creative quirk of a culinary brain that dreams up gelato flavors like peanut butter, jelly and pickles.

Brian Howard made his most significant mark as executive chef of Comme Ça at the Cosmopolitan from 2011-2015, but he’s been a figure in Strip kitchens, from Lutece to Bouchon to Alize, for the last 15 years.

This summer, he expects to open a restaurant on Main Street, a project in which he’s overseeing the construction, design, menu — everything. He says of the chef life: “I love the chaos, the intensity.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THE STRIP?

ANY NOTABLE MENTORS FROM YOUR STRIP TENURE?

When I was doing pastries, I loved to combine sweet with savory and make new flavors, and so now I have the foie gras gelato that is made with rosemary and thyme — people go crazy for that flavor! — and I have fried chicken and waffle with maple syrup. When you do everything from scratch, you’re able to balance every ingredient, and you can play around with your flavors. And when I’m eating, I’m always thinking how I can turn this product into a gelato. So, when I did the smoked salmon, I was having a bagel with cream cheese and salmon, and the onion and the capers, and I said, “Oh, I can mix this cream cheese with the salmon and make it as a gelato!”

ANY FLAVORS THAT DIDN’T TAKE OFF? Dill pickle. A lot of people love pickles, others are, “I don’t know!” The awesome part is people who come to Gelatology are willing to try new things, to open up and say, “Why not?”

WHAT FLAVOR ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

Mark Hopper (former chef de cuisine at Bouchon). He broke me. When I came to Las Vegas from Detroit, I had a huge chip on my shoulder, I didn’t like to take direction too well, and I liked to have a little too much fun. He taught me about finesse, a sense of urgency, how to be an animal in the kitchen, and how to carry yourself if you want to be respected.

HOW DOES THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE COMPARE TO THE STRIP? On the Strip, you’re given these crazy budgets to build these $10 million restaurants with a team of 10 in the kitchen. Some of these restaurants aren’t even reality.

They’re just complete losses — more of an amenity to the hotel. You can lose money all year round and still have a job.

But with those high budgets come the demands of the tourist and, let’s face it, we’re still a Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail and steak kind of town. That’s why I’m excited about getting off the Strip and getting into the local dining scene, cooking stuff that’s original and soulful.

It’s a secret!

DECEMBER 2015

DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

71

THE HEART OF THE ARTS. 速

The Smith Center is your performing arts center.

Join with others and help ensure The Smith Center continues to present world-class performances, rich educational experiences for students, and unique cultural opportunities in beautiful facilities for all to enjoy.

Ticket sales, however, only cover 75% of annual operations.

The remaining 25% must come from generous community members like you.

Support The Smith Center.

Make your gift today.

TheSmithCenter.com/Donate 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106 | 702.749.2357

Sponsored by

Spirit special advertising section

In t he

W

- In the -

Spirit of Giving

Giving of

2015

hile “’tis the season for giving” may have joined the ranks of cliché holiday sayings quite some time ago, the concept still resonates loud and clear with many Las Vegas businesses and organizations that work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for the metropolitan area’s 2 million-plus residents. Through efforts that range from offering various forms of assistance and support, to programs that empower less-fortunate individuals and families with the capabilities necessary to successfully engage in everyday life, to providing opportunities for educational and career advancement and success, philanthropy surely is alive and well in Las Vegas.

Principal Sponsor

partner Sponsors

- In the -

Spirit of Giving

2015 The Howard Hughes Corporation® is proud to sponsor “In the Spirit of Giving,” testament of a rich tradition of philanthropy and community betterment in Southern Nevada. Thanks to hundreds of nonprofits dedicated to improving and uplifting the quality of life in our community, as well as to scores of corporate partners who understand the value of supporting initiatives and organizations that make our world better, we enjoy a culture of giving in Las Vegas that extends well beyond the holiday season.

For more than four decades, The Howard Hughes Corporation is proud to have played a role in the growth of our community, particularly through the development of Summerlin®, currently celebrating its 25th year and home to more than 100,000 residents. As a builder of community, we are just as committed to enhancing quality of life through philanthropy as we are through development – a belief that has fueled our donations of hundreds of millions of dollars to more than 100 nonprofits through the years. We understand and appreciate the value of access to quality education and health care services, a healthy environment and a robust network of social services that improve the lives of all who call Southern Nevada home.

Even before Summerlin began, The Howard Hughes Corporation established a growth and sustainability plan that would develop the community as a partner to the environment, protecting natural habitats and wildlife, while building neighborhoods that enhance the natural desert landscape. Of particular note are two land exchanges totaling more than 6,000 acres with the Bureau of Land Management that resulted in the protection and expansion of the important gateway to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area – one of the most magnificent and stunningly beautiful outdoor recreation areas in our region.

The Howard Hughes Corporation is dedicated to the belief that education is foundational to quality of life and community. To that end, we have long been committed to providing unequaled educational opportunity in Summerlin, as well as doing our part to uplift education valley-wide.

In a gesture that underscored the community’s core values of education, we donated land to The Meadows School, a college preparatory academy, to facilitate its relocation to Summerlin in the late 1980s – well before the first residents moved to the community.

In the early 1990s, The Howard Hughes Corporation became one of the first donors to the newly formed Public Education Foundation via a significant gift that helped fund a break-the-mold design for a new elementary school prototype used throughout Clark County School District.

Throughout the years, our donations to education have included such recipients as the UNLV College of Engineering and Roseman University, among others.

On behalf of The Howard Hughes Corporation, we wish to acknowledge the hard work and success of our community’s many nonprofits that are tirelessly dedicated to their respective causes. We invite our corporate partners to keep the spirit of giving at the forefront year-round. Philanthropy and volunteerism are the responsibility of all who live and work in Southern Nevada, especially those for whom our community’s promise and abundant opportunities have been realized.

Sincerely, Kevin T. Orrock President, Summerlin The Howard Hughes Corporation

in the spirit of giving

3

special advertising section

Contact

Contact

Contact

1 E. First Street, Suite 1007

919 E. Bonneville Avenue, Suite 200

4601 W. Bonanza Road

Reno, NV 89501

Las Vegas, NV 89101

Las Vegas, NV 89107

775-322-4990 ext. 3123

702-997-3350

702-799-6560

swilliams@tnc.org

info@outsidelasvegas.org

bmason@interact.ccsd.net

www.nature.org/nevada

www.outsidelasvegas.org

www.partnership.ccsd.net

Across Nevada, The Nature

The Outside Las Vegas

The mission of the School-

Conservancy protects the beautiful

Foundation’s (OLVF) mission

Community Partnership Program is

deserts, sagebrush and rivers

is to connect the community to

to improve academic achievement,

that you love. From your drinking

Southern Nevada’s special outdoor

foster successful individuals and

water to your favorite outdoor

places to create a community

enrich student experiences by

destinations – places like Red Rock

that enjoys, values and protects

connecting schools with business

Canyon and the Truckee River –

these areas. OLVF works in three

and community resources. The

we’ve been working here for more

major program areas: education,

program began in 1983, as a

than 30 years, conserving 3 million-

volunteerism and outreach.

pilot program of seven schools

plus acres and 26 river miles. Our

Education programs include

partnered with seven businesses.

mission is to protect the lands and

field trips for low-income youths,

Since that time, it has grown

waters on which all life depends,

presentations and service projects.

to hundreds of partnerships

and we use sound science and

Volunteer programs range from

with programs that range from

on-the-ground experimentation

opportunities on urban trails and in

kindergarten to 12th grade, from

to create lasting solutions and

urban parks, to those in rural and

tutorial programs to scholarships,

inspire others to action. Join us

federal landscapes. Outreach and

from science activities to fine

and, together, we can keep Nevada

coordination efforts include large

arts programs. The Partnership

a place where both nature and

planning efforts, such as the Vegas

Program staff offers students

people can thrive.

Valley Rim Trail. Information is

programs that are curriculum-

available on OLVF’s website; the

based with an emphasis on human

online volunteer portal can be found

resources. Partnership ventures are

at www.getoutdoorsnevada.org.

designed to support, supplement

Vision

Mission

Mission

and complement the curriculum of the Clark County public schools.

Sponsored by

special advertising section

4

in the spirit of giving

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

Contact

Contact

Contact

888 W. Bonneville Avenue

3720 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 240

4505 S. Maryland Parkway

Las Vegas, NV 89106

Las Vegas, NV 89169

Box 451006

702-263-9797

702-770-7601

Las Vegas, NV 89154-1006

info@keepmemoryalive.org

info@asaslv.org

702-895-3641

www.keepmemoryalive.org

www.ASASLV.org

unlvfoundation@unlv.edu www.unlv.edu/foundation

Mission

Vision At Keep Memory Alive, we’re committed to improving the lives of patients and their families as they navigate the extraordinary challenges of brain disorders. Donations to Keep Memory Alive exclusively support Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which treats patients with Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s or Parkinson’s diseases, as well as frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis and multiple system atrophy. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health offers a unique model of integrated care, social services and research. Having conducted more than 40 clinical trials, the center is among the largest Alzheimer’s clinical research programs in the country.

After-School All-Stars Las Vegas

Mission

(ASAS) provides free, comprehensive

The UNLV Foundation raises and

after-school programs that keep

manages private funds for the University

children safe and help them achieve in

of Nevada, Las Vegas. These funds help

school and in life. Celebrating 20

UNLV and its diverse faculty, students,

years of empowering youth, our

staff and alumni promote community

purpose is to provide underprivileged

well-being and individual achievement

children with the opportunity to

through education, research, scholarship,

participate in educational, cultural,

creative activities and clinical services.

sports and enrichment programs. The

We stimulate economic development

vision for our ASAS participants is for

and diversification, foster a climate of

them to be safe and healthy (health &

innovation, promote health and enrich the

fitness), graduate high school and go

cultural vitality of the community we serve.

on to college (dropout prevention),

Through the UNLV Foundation, every

find careers they love (career

charitable dollar UNLV receives has an

exploration) and learn the importance

exponential impact, as it helps us leverage

of giving back to their communities

UNLV’s most valuable skills – research,

(service learning). Operating after-

teaching and community service – for the

school programs at 14 elementary and

benefit of all Nevadans.

middle school sites, ASAS serves more than 6,000 underprivileged

Through the UNLV Foundation, The

children in Las Vegas.

Howard Hughes Corporation has supported the Lee Business School and the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at UNLV.

Sponsored by

in the spirit of giving

5

special advertising section

Shannon West Homeless Youth Center A Program of HELP of Southern Nevada

Contact

Contact

P.O. Box 752291

4175 S. Riley Street, Suite 100

1640 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 100

Las Vegas, NV 89136

Las Vegas, NV 89147

Las Vegas, NV 89119

702-513-0215

702-794-0117 ext. 100

702-369-4357

info@nevadavets.org

info@homeaidsn.org

info@helpsonv.org

www.nevadavets.org

www.homeaidsn.org

www.helpsonv.org

The mission of the Nevada

HomeAid Southern Nevada’s

Shannon West Homeless Youth

Veterans Foundation is to raise

mission is building new lives for

Center (SWHYC), a program

funds to build and support a

Southern Nevada’s homeless

of HELP of Southern Nevada,

Fisher House. The VA Medical

through housing and community

provides food, clothing, shelter and

Center serves veterans within

outreach. Founded in 2004, under

supportive services to homeless

a 200-mile radius, as well as

the guidance of Bill June of Beazer

youths, ages 16-24. Our youths

visiting veterans. It can be very

Homes, HomeAid has continued

come from all walks of life,

costly for many families outside

the legacy of helping the homeless

including the streets, aged-out

of our immediate area to stay with

by hosting quarterly Care Days

foster care, juvenile justice system,

their veterans who are receiving

(community outreach programs),

Clark County School District and

medical treatment. A Fisher House

building shelters and facilities for

other agencies. SWHYC guides

will improve the quality of life for

the homeless in our community,

residents toward self-sufficiency by

members of the military, retirees,

and continuing to educate the

providing the training, mentoring

veterans and their families by

community on how they can help

and tools to further their education,

allowing them to be at the bedside

end homelessness in Southern

employment, and social and life

of their loved one. It also will

Nevada. Since we opened our

skills – crucial elements in reducing

provide families with a “home away

doors, more than 100,000 square

their risk of becoming chronically

from home” at no cost.

feet have been built and renovated,

homeless adults. We address

and over 2,000 homeless children

challenges and deficits faced by

and adults have been served

our residents, such as substance

through the in-kind donations from

abuse, mental and physical health,

the countless builders, tradesmen,

legal issues and financial stability.

Mission

Contact

Mission

Mission

sponsors and volunteers involved.

Sponsored by

special advertising section

6

in the spirit of giving

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

Contact

Contact

Contact

1280 W. Cheyenne Avenue

7220 S. Cimarron Road, Suite 130

1640 E. Flamingo Road

North Las Vegas, NV 89030

Las Vegas, NV 89113

Las Vegas, NV 89119

702-214-2000

702-214-0500

702-369-4357

michelle.jackson@ja.org

info@helpsonv.org

www.Goodwill.Vegas

www.JALasVegas.org

www.helpsonv.org

Mission

Mission

Mission

We are empowering young people

We serve with care. We

stevec@sngoodwill.org

To provide education, employment and training for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to maximize the quality of life for each individual served. Goodwill is an innovative and sustainable social enterprise that turns donations of goods and cash into new jobs and new careers for people facing challenges in finding employment. Goodwill gives unemployed and underemployed individuals access to soft skills training, on-the-job training, job search tools, career advice, oneon-one counseling, job leads, motivational support and essential supportive services needed to attain or retain a good job.

to own their economic success. Our volunteer-based K-12 programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire kids to dream big and reach their potential.

Junior Achievement maintains an active vision, front and center, on how we can have a positive impact on the lives of more students, guided by our core values: belief in the boundless potential of young people; commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship; passion for what we do, and honesty, integrity and excellence in how we do it; respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives and backgrounds of all individuals; belief in the power of partnership and collaboration; and conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning. From our values, we articulate our purpose and vision, comprising our core ideology.

Sponsored by

in the spirit of giving

7

special advertising section

assist families and individuals throughout Southern Nevada to overcome barriers and attain self-sufficiency through direct services, training and referral to community resources. HELP of Southern Nevada provides services to the working poor, the low income, unemployed, at-risk and homeless youths, seniors, veterans, pregnant and parenting teens, displaced homemakers, children and the chronically homeless through a myriad of programs.

Contact

Contact

Contact

2980 S. Jones Boulevard, Suite C

4285 N. Rancho Drive, Suite 160

5670 Wynn Road, Suite H

Las Vegas, NV 89146

North Las Vegas, NV 89130

Las Vegas, NV 89118

702-822-2268

702-685-3459

702-474-0690

Doug-Coombs@olivecrest.org

KevinR@sonc.org

www.olivecrest.org

www.SONV.org

Mission

Mission

Every day, Olive Crest is keeping

Special Olympics Nevada

at-risk children throughout Southern

provides athletic opportunities

Nevada safe from abuse and

to children and adults with

neglect. Since 1996, with your help,

intellectual disabilities, instilling

Olive Crest has been committed

the confidence they need to

to preventing abuse, treating

succeed in life. Special Olympics

and educating kids and families,

Nevada is a free year-round

and providing safe and nurturing

sports training and competition

homes. Thank you for making a

program for children and adults

difference and transforming the

with intellectual disabilities. There

lives of hurting children in our

are 4,275 athletes who compete

community.

in 28 competitions throughout

nevada@bestbuddies.org www.bestbuddiesnevada.org

Mission Best Buddies® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies created the 2020 Initiative in 2011, with the goal of opening offices in all 50 states,

the region in eight sports through

expanding into 100 countries, and

our community and Schools

impacting 3 million people with

Partnership programs. Special

and without IDD worldwide by the

Olympics requires the extraordinary

end of 2020. The initiative also

support and time of 3,255

includes plans to train 4,000 Buddy

volunteers and volunteer coaches.

Ambassadors, develop 1,000 jobs

Financial support comes almost

for people with IDD around the

exclusively from individuals,

world and increase the number of

organizations, corporations and

school-based chapters to 2,500.

foundations.

As a result of these ambitious expansion efforts, Best Buddies hopes to become a household name by the end of 2020.

Sponsored by

special advertising section

8

in the spirit of giving

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

Contact

Contact

Contact

2850 Lindell Road

2000 E. Flamingo Road

10620 Southern Highlands Parkway

Las Vegas, NV 89146

Las Vegas, NV 89119

Suite 110-474

702-367-2582

702-222-9000

Las Vegas, NV 89141

info@bgcsnv.org

dsmith@bbbsn.org

702-617-4027

www.bgcsnv.org

www.bbbsn.org

info@goodietwoshoes.org

Mission

Mission

To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Provide children facing adversity with

Mission

strong and enduring, professionally

The Goodie Two Shoes Foundation

supported, one-to-one relationships that

provides disadvantaged children and

change their lives for the better, forever.

children in crisis with new shoes and socks via a 48-foot mobile shoe-

Based on the interests and needs of

Vision

the boys and girls they serve, the

To help all children achieve success in life.

Clubs offer diverse program activities in five areas: Character and Leadership Development, Education and Career Development, The Arts, Sports and Fitness and Health and Life Skills. Annually, BGCSNV serves over 21,000 youth, ages five to eighteen, throughout 14 Clubhouses across Southern Nevada.

Accountability By partnering with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community, we are accountable for each child in our program achieving: • Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships • Avoidance of risky behaviors • Educational success

Sponsored by

in the spirit of giving

9

www.goodietwoshoes.org

special advertising section

store-on-wheels. Each school year, September through May, GTSF outfits 10,000 school-age children in need at 25 large-scale, highly coordinated, on-campus shoe distribution events.

To date, GTSF has outfitted more than 59,000 Southern Nevada children in need with new shoes and socks.

Contact

Contact

Contact

2323 Potosi Street

7211 W. Charleston Boulevard

5220 W. Charleston Boulevard

Las Vegas, NV 89146

Las Vegas, NV 89117

Las Vegas, NV 89146

702-252-4663

702-388-8899

702-457-4677

www.rmhlv.org

PepInfo@NvPep.org

amcarthur@newvistanv.org,

www.NVPEP.org

www.newvistanv.org

Mission

Mission

Believing that every child

To increase the opportunities

Mission

deserves a comfortable and

for home, community and

supportive place to grow, Ronald

school success for children with

McDonald House Charities

disabilities, including those who

(RMHC) of Greater Las Vegas

are at-risk or who have serious

creates and supports programs

emotional disturbances, their

that directly improve the health,

families and their service providers,

education and well-being of

through education, encouragement

children in our community. The

and empowerment activities.

Ronald McDonald House is the cornerstone program of RMHC and provides temporary housing for families who travel to Las Vegas to receive critical medical

empowering families to be lifelong advocates for their children through

You can support RMHC of

on their children and they must

(epicthriftstores.com).

ages with equal opportunities and support, so they may experience life to the fullest. Today, New Vista has more than 23 homes and is still growing in the Las Vegas area; its goal is to empower intellectually challenged people life. Our skilled staff works to

PEP services are about

education and skill-building. PEP

your used items to Epic Thrift

the intellectually challenged of all

by providing a better quality of

Purpose

treatment for their children.

Greater Las Vegas by donating

New Vista is committed to providing

recognizes that parents are experts learn about disabilities, intervention needs and how to develop a

improve each individual’s ability to be independent and to build self-esteem by obtaining their goals. Additionally, for those still living at home with their families, it provides in-home skilled staff to assist with their loved ones’ needs.

support system to meet those needs. PEP is a family of families that cares, supports and guides them through the challenges of raising children.

Sponsored by

special advertising section

10

in the spirit of giving

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

Services ONE DROP is an international nonprofit organization created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. At the core of our mission is water as a transformative force to improve living conditions sustainably, as well as give communities worldwide the ability to care for themselves and their families. By supporting communities both with specifically adapted infrastructures and with training and knowledge, we empower people to achieve self-reliance. ONE DROP has been recognized internationally for its approach, including the 2015 UN-Water Best Practices Award and the American Water Association IWRM Special Recognition Award. To learn more, visit onedrop.org.

Contact 980 Kelly Johnson Drive, Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89119

SERVICE AREA Globally, ONE DROP’s intervention zones are in Central America, West Africa and

1-844-33-WATER

Asia. Locally in the desert climate of Las Vegas where water conservation and

one.night@onedrop.org

awareness are more important than ever, ONE DROP has created a partnership

www.onedrop.org

with Springs Preserve donating $1M, to continue developing their innovative programming aimed at the youth in Southern Nevada.

Mission ONE DROP strives to ensure that safe water is accessible to all, sustainably.

Sponsored by

Giving Every minute, a child dies from a water-related disease. It’s devastating to think that so many mothers watch their children die because of the unsafe water they had no choice but to give them. At ONE DROP, we won’t stop until every mother has #MoreFirsts with their children through sustainable access to safe water, but we can’t do it without you.

Here’s how you can help: • Watch our #MoreFirsts video at onedrop.org to see what happens when moms don’t have access to safe water and share it with your friends.

• Help create #MoreFirsts by donating at onedrop.org.

• Join us for the fourth edition of One Night for ONE DROP, an annual celebration to raise funds and awareness for critical water issues. One Night for ONE DROP imagined by Cirque du Soleil; a one-night-only unique production with worldrenowned performers alongside artists from Cirque du Soleil.

ALL MOMS DESERVE #MOREFIRSTS WITH THEIR BABIES in the spirit of giving

11

special advertising section

TM

18 MARCH 2016

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts A one night only unique Las Vegas production with world renowned performers alongside artists from Cirque du Soleil to raise funds and awareness for critical water issues

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

1.844.33.WATER • ONEDROP.ORG/ONENIGHT PRESENTED BY Month 2015

DesertCompanion.com

12

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

Contact

Contact

Contact

P.O. Box 98947

8965 S. Eastern Avenue, Suite 375

8990 Spanish Ridge Avenue, Suite 100

Las Vegas, NV 89193

Las Vegas, NV 89123

Las Vegas, NV 89148

702-822-7700

702-862-8600

702-737-1919

katie.horn@springspreserve.org

las-vegas@adl.org

mcipriano@candlelightersnv.org

www.springspreserve.org

www.lasvegas.adl.org

www.CandleLightersNV.org

Mission

Mission

Mission

Our mission is to create a visitor

Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

Our mission is to provide support,

experience that builds culture and

is one of the nation’s premier

education, hope and advocacy through

community, inspires environmental

human relations and civil rights

programs and services for children

stewardship and celebrates the

organizations, fighting anti-

and adolescents with cancer, their

vibrant history of the Las Vegas

Semitism, bigotry and hate of all

families and the professionals who care

Valley. Listed on the National

forms. ADL’s No Place for Hate®

for them. Our purpose is to alleviate

Register of Historic Places since

initiative provides schools and

the isolation many families feel at

1978, the Springs Preserve is

communities with an organized

the time their child is diagnosed and

a 180-acre cultural institution

framework for combating bias,

offer our love, care, encouragement

designed to commemorate Las

bullying and hatred, leading to

and understanding, so that nobody

Vegas’ dynamic history and provide

long-term solutions for creating and

need face alone the uncertain world of

a vision for a sustainable future.

maintaining a positive climate. ADL

childhood cancer. We provide families

The Preserve features museums,

trains law enforcement personnel

a variety of unique programs that

galleries, outdoor events, colorful

from county, state and federal

include financial assistance, emotional

botanical gardens and an

agencies in hate crime investigation

support and quality-of-life activities, all

interpretive trail system through a

and extremism. We also provide

of which are available at no cost to the

scenic wetland habitat.

education and outreach, including

families. Donors have the satisfaction of

pro-Israel advocacy and the

knowing their support and contributions

protection of civil and human rights

are directly helping Nevada families

in our community.

affected by childhood cancer.

Sponsored by

in the spirit of giving

13

special advertising section

Contact 4444 W. Russell Road, Suite J Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-221-2254 mail@klaijuba.com www.klaijuba.com

Mission As the firm celebrates its 20th year since its founding, Klai Juba Wald Architects is grateful to its loyal, committed employees with longevity and remains “proud of our work, our reputation and the company we keep.”

It is equally proud of the “bridge” it provides between local design professionals and students of the UNLV School of Architecture, as well as townspeople. Its Lecture Series, established in 1997, has been instrumental in presenting architects and multidisciplinary leaders in landscape architecture, interior design and academia from around the world, while expanding public knowledge and understanding of architecture and design, the profession and practice. Lecturers during its 18-year history include Dana Cuff, Johnpaul Jones, Thom Mayne, Glenn Murcutt, Antoine Predock, Aaron Betsky, Matthias Sauerbruch of Berlin and Simón Vélez of Columbia. The 2015-16 spring lineup features Will Bruder on Feb. 29, and Paul Yaggie on March 14. For more information on the Klai Juba Wald Lecture Series, contact Eric Strain at eric.strain@unlv.edu or Eric Weber at eric. weber@unlv.edu.

Sponsored by

In the

Spirit of Giving

2015

ABOUT JDRF JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our strength lies in our exclusive focus and singular influence on the worldwide effort to end T1D. In T1D, your pancreas stops producing insulin – a hormone the body needs to get energy from food. This means a process your body does naturally and automatically becomes something that now requires your daily attention and manual intervention. If you have T1D, you must

NEVADA CHAPTER

constantly monitor your blood-sugar level, inject or infuse insulin through a pump, and carefully balance these insulin doses with your food and activity. However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes. Even with the most vigilant disease management, a significant portion of your day

Contact 5542 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89148

will be spent with either high or low blood-sugar levels. These fluctuations place people with T1D at risk for devastating complications, such as kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, blindness and amputation. JDRF works every day to change the reality of this disease for millions of people

702-732-4795

by funding research, advocating for government support of research and new therapies, and

Nevada@jdrf.org

connecting and engaging the T1D community. Founded by parents determined to find a cure for

www.lv.jdrf.org

their children with T1D, JDRF expanded through grassroots fundraising and advocacy efforts to become a powerhouse in the scientific community, with more than 100 U.S. locations and six

VISION

international affiliates. We’ve funded nearly $2 billion in research to date.

A world without type 1 diabetes.

Volunteer

Mission Accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications.

JDRF depends on volunteer passion to drive our mission and talent to keep us going. JDRF was started by volunteers committed to creating a world without T1D for their children and for everyone else affected by the disease. We celebrate the power of everyone to make a impact with their time and talents. That’s why we ensure our volunteers are best placed, trained, recognized and supported at every level. As a JDRF volunteer, you’ll join a tight-knit

Board President Pia Exber-Morris

and far-reaching community that truly cares about finding a cure for everyone affected by this devastating disease. Your service will directly impact our ability to fund T1D research.

Executive Director Colleen Saca

RESOURCES JDRF Resource Library A resource library located inside the JDRF office is available free of charge to health care providers, adults, children and parents affected by type 1 diabetes. The library includes tool kits, books and videos covering a wide variety of topics specifically related to type 1 diabetes, including the psychological challenges, daily management tips, information about new technologies and nutritional guidance.

Type 1 Talk Group These monthly meetings take place to provide parents and loved ones with an outlet of support, as well as to promote encouragement and networking with a focus on diabetes-related education. Participants receive education about the impact of type 1 diabetes on nutrition, exercise, behavioral and mental issues, sick days, adjusting

Sponsored by

dosing and correcting of insulin based on activities. They also connect attendees to other resources and forms of support, and showcase new technologies and products.

Adult Type 1 Networking Group JDRF is committed to working for those with type 1 diabetes.

Eighty-five percent of those in the U.S. with type 1 diabetes are adults. The Nevada Chapter has introduced “In the M1X” for adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. They meet monthly to make connections with others who live with the disease, gain support, receive education on type 1 diabetes related issues and become part of JDRF’s mission.

in the spirit of giving

15

special advertising section

Contact

Contact

Contact

601 S. Rancho Drive

821 N. Mojave Road

4190 N. Pecos Road

Building C, Suite 19

Las Vegas, NV 89101

Las Vegas, NV 89115

Las Vegas, NV 89106

702-642-7070

702-644-FOOD (3663)

702-339-0848

www.boystown.org/nevada

www.threesquare.org

Mission

Mission

www.adamsplaceforgrieflasvegas.org

Mission

Changing the way America cares for

No child should grieve alone, and

children, families and communities by

this drives our mission of providing

providing and promoting an Integrated

education, peer support groups and

Continuum of Care® that instills Boys

resources at no charge to Southern

Town values to strengthen body, mind

Vision

Nevada children, teens and families

and spirit. Boys Town Nevada opened

No one in our community

coping with the death of a parent,

its doors in 1991, bringing an

should be hungry.

caregiver or sibling. By empowering

innovative approach to child and family

them with healthy coping skills,

care to those in need in the Las Vegas

One in six Southern Nevadans

they’ll heal, move forward and make

area. The site’s Integrated Continuum

struggle with hunger – that’s

positive choices that’ll last a lifetime.

of services includes a residential

more than 315,000 people in our

The first to create an open-ended,

campus of five family homes, where

community who are food insecure,

ongoing program of this type in

boys and girls learn valuable skills that

which includes more than 128,000

Las Vegas, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit

give them a foundation for a brighter

children. Three Square works

organization was established by

future. Family-based services, such as

with a service network of

funds from the Tony and Renee

In-Home Family Services SM and

approximately 1,300

Marlon Charitable Foundation. It

Common Sense Parenting classes,

community partners, including

continues today through gifts and

prevent disruption in the home and

nonprofit and faith-based

donations – large and small. Your

facilitate reunification by ensuring that

organizations, schools,

investment helps add staff, build

families have the support and skills

government agencies and

infrastructure and launch on-site

they need to create and maintain a

businesses to reach

school groups needed to grow our

safe, stable environment for their

struggling individuals and

program to capacity, and to meet the

children. Boys Town Nevada is

families at risk for hunger.

current and future needs of Southern

headquartered in Las Vegas and

Nevada’s children.

directly serves nearly 2,000 children

®

To provide wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community.

Together, we can feed everyone.

each year.

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

special advertising section

16

in the spirit of giving

SOIRÉE AND SILENT AUCTION

TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA CENTER FOR AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

invites you to help spread the light and support families affected by Autism.

Benefiting the Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2015 | 5:00 TO 8:00 P.M. Presenting the

SHARON SIGESMUND PIERCE AND STEPHEN PIERCE EGLET PRINCE LAW CENTER 400 South 7th Street, Fourth Floor, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101

Special ‘Chair’ity auction of one-of-a-kind chairs painted by local artists and celebrities.

Silent Auction

Get your tickets today.

Space is limited.

www.give.tun.touro.edu/season

702-777-3100 Holiday (dressy casual) attire – Valet Parking provided • RSVP by December 4, 2015 Your tax-deductible gift will support families who cannot afford treatment in the Center.

STEPHEN 283

CLOOBECK

MYRA GREENSPUN DR. & MRS. JEFF

DR. JAMES

BROOKMAN

Shelley Berkley &

McKIVIGAN

Dr. Larry Lerner

ORION Shines Bright with the Promise of Hope.

A non-profit organization of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, ORION Cancer Foundation’s mission is to assist cancer patients who are unable to afford the essentials of daily living while undergoing treatment. Overcoming cancer is one the greatest challenges a person may face, and the ORION Cancer Foundation is making this journey a much more manageable one for cancer patients in Southern Nevada.

For donations, please contact: ORION Cancer Foundation Tel: 702.952.3414 • Email: info@ORIONCares.org 400 N. Stephanie Street, Suite 300 • Henderson, NV 89014 For more information on ORION Cancer Foundation, visit: orioncancerfoundation.org

A nonprofit organization of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada

special advertising section

18

in the spirit of giving

5

e k ta your Arts+Entertainment calendar for december

10 Kim MacQuarrie

5

All month

Space Karate

26

Winchester Cultural Center

The Writer’s Block

The Downtown bookstore continues to bring the world to Las Vegas, this time with the author of Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes and Revolutionaries — MacQuarrie’s tale of traveling South America to investigate stories about Che Guevara, Pablo Escobar, Butch and Sundance, and that Kon-Tiki guy. 7p, free,

thewritersblock.org

Space Karate is a local experimental music outfit — just the sort of band to pick up the challenge issued by the musician Beck when he released Song Reader, the sheet music for a suite of songs, and urged bands to create their own versions.

Space Karate will.

Expect ukulele. 7p, $10$12, 702-455-7340

Kwanzaa

10-19 Blanche DeBrie’s Emergency Xmas Broadcast Onyx Theatre

The premise: Burlesque queen DeBrie finds herself snowbound at a low-watt outback radio station, and uses her imagination to conjure a freewheeling holiday extravaganza. 8p, $20, onyxtheatre.org

90

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

West Las Vegas Arts Center, West Las Vegas Library

Begun in 1966, Kwanzaa has become a significant celebration of African values, culture and community. This year’s event will feature a speaker, performances, a marketplace and more.

11a-4p, free, artslasvegas.org

Valentin Yordanov Winchester Cultural Center

In West From Home, the artist torques lines, shapes and colors into patterns that almost look like landscapes but which don’t quite jell into discrete placeness — in other words, perfect for the disorienting liminality of modern life.

Free, 703-455-7340

12

15

15

Channel 10

12

ART

WHEN THE NIGHT COMES

THROUGH DEC. 6 Mikayla Whitmore’s project is based on the complexities of memory and how it degenerates over time. She encourages guests to piece together their memories from personal photos they will print inside the studio by using a layering process with multiple images. Each guest gets to keep their created memento.

Free. P3 Studio at The Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

HOT, DRY AND INKED: TATTOO ART EXHIBIT

THROUGH JAN. 10, 10A-6P In this exhibit of tattoo art and objects, Las Vegas tattooers explore how the Mojave Desert influences the art they create on living and non-living canvases alike. Do you have a Mojave Desert or Las Vegas-inspired tattoo? Be part of the experience and enter to win prizes.

Free with general admission. Springs Preserve, springspreserve.org

Nature: Pets: Wild at Heart: Playful Creatures Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.

STYLE MODERNE

THROUGH JAN. 22 This exhibition presents a rich selection of glass objects from the Barrick Museum’s Art Glass Collection. Free. Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, unlv.edu

KVECK, RUSS & STELLMON: BREAK UPS & TEAR DOWNS

THROUGH JAN. 23 These three Las Vegas artists offer unique bodies of work that spring from a common practice of breaking down their subject and then reorganizing and reordering the pieces. The results, whether paintings, collages, photographs or constructions, are stunning and thoughtful revisualizations of contemporary themes. Free. Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, unlv.edu

Esteban at Mim Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.

A Salute to Downton Abbey Sunday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.

SHELF LIFE

DEC. 9-JAN. 3 Kate Gilmore and Franklin Evans will invite guests to contribute personal objects, which they will transform by painting, scanning, sculpting and other processes and add to the curated display on shelves lining the studio. Free.

P3 Studio at The Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE ART EXHIBIT

DEC. 21-FEB. 4, MON-FRI 7A-5:30P; MEET THE ARTISTS RECEPTION, JAN. 4, 3-5P This is an opportunity for all public employees who practice art in their

Time Scanners: Machu Picchu Wednesday, December 9 at 10 p.m.

Live from Lincoln Center:

Sinatra at 100 with the New York Philharmonic Friday, December 18 at 9 p.m.

VegasPBS.org | 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121 • 702.799.1010 December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

91

THE GUIDE spare time to show their artwork. Public employees submit up to two pieces each, which are curated by an artist or arts professional who does not work in the public domain. Free. Las Vegas City Hall Chamber Gallery, 495 S. Main St., second floor, 702-229-1012 MUSIC

CLINT HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DEC. 3-5, 8:30P; DEC. 6, 2P The acclaimed entertainer, voted Entertainer of the Year three times, presents a special program of holiday music. $3746. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

A CHRISTMAS ROSE

DEC. 5, 7P; DEC. 6, 2P The Musicmakers will present traditional holiday music with a new twist from conductor Dennis Gazso and pianist Eddie Fluellen. $10. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, suncity-summerlin.com

HOLIDAYS WITH THE LAS VEGAS BRASS BAND

PHOTO SHOWCASE ON TOUR!

Check out all the eye-catching photography from our 2015 photo contest now until December 31 at Green Valley Library.

2797 N. Green Valley Pkwy.

Henderson, NV 89014

SPECIAL THANKS TO B&C CAMERA More information at desertcompanion.vegas

92

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

DEC. 6, 2P Enjoy traditional and modern arrangements of holiday music from hymns to pop, from a traditional British-style brass ensemble made up of talented musicians from Southern Nevada. Free.

Clark County Library, lvccld.org

TRAVIS CLOER

DEC. 7, 6:30P & 8:30P Jersey Boys star Travis Cloer performs songs from his new album, Christmas at My Place. Every ticket includes a download of the collection. $50-$65. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

UNLV VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLE & “JAZZMIN” WITH THE UNLV GRADUATE COMBO

DEC. 9, 7P Highlighting the best student musicians from the Jazz Studies Program. Free.

Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

AN EVENING WITH LAURA OSNES

DEC. 11-12, 7P Best known for her Tony-nominated performances in Cinderella and Bonnie & Clyde, Osnes delights audiences with her charm and vocal versatility, sharing her favorite songs and stories from past shows, concerts and cabarets. $39-59.

Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

THE SILVERTONES CHORUS PRESENTS AN EVENING OF HOLIDAY MUSIC

DEC. 12, 7P; DEC. 13, 2P Treat yourself to a vocal concert that embraces the wonderful music of the holiday season. $10. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, suncity-summerlin.com

NEVADA CHAMBER SYMPHONY’S HOLIDAY FAVORITES

DEC. 13, 3P From the Messiah overture to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, celebrate this joyous time with beautiful music.

Highlights of the program include the Dean Petersen Elementary ZOOM School chorus and the 2015 NCS FINAL 4 student competition presentation of the Music Achievement Awards. Free.

Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

FRANKIE MORENO: UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DEC. 15, 22 & 29, 8P Moreno is known as a piano prodigy, multi-instrumentalist and singer who wows his Vegas audiences. $25-35.

Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

DOWNTOWN CULTURAL SERIES: HOLIDAY FAVORITES

DEC. 18, 12-1P Laraine Kaizer-Viazovtsev, Joe Lano and Alex Stopa present holiday favorites in a jazzy style. Free. Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, Jury Assembly Room, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. S.

HOLIDAYS FROM THE HEART

DEC. 19, 2P & 7:30P Infinitely versatile songstress Kristen Hertzenberg and critically-acclaimed pianist Philip Fortenberry revisit their sold-out shows of the last holiday season. $26-36. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

OUR HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS

DEC. 19, 7P Kevan Patriquin and Bruce Ewing met Rhonda Carlson and Joan Sobel during the six year run of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular and have remained friends and singing partners ever since.

They will share their holiday memories and funny stories. $20. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, suncity-summerlin.com

SANTA BABY HOLIDAY SHOW WITH THE BEVERLY BELLES

DEC. 19, 7P Inspired by the music, look and feel of The Andrews Sisters and other 1940s, ’50s and ’60s vintage girls’ groups, the Belles are ready to celebrate the holiday season in retro style as they get us in the spirit with their vocal renditions of the classics. $15. Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., thebeverlybelles.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE SMITH CENTER HOSTED BY ERICH BERGEN WITH NORM LEWIS, CAPATHIA JENKINS, CLINT HOLMES, PATINA MILLER

DEC. 31, 7P Celebrate the New Year with performances of Broadway standards and popular favorites. A memorable evening, featuring five acclaimed performers. $39-125.

Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

Whoever dreamed up this candy-colored alternate universe knew what they were doing.

There’s no other place like it.

Anywhere.

Well, not on this planet anyway.

Come feel the glow.

DANCE

THE NUTCRACKER

DEC. 12, 18 & 19, 7:30P; DEC. 19, 2P; DEC. 13 & 20, 1P; DEC. 13 & 20, 5:30P Nevada Ballet Theatre’s classic holiday tradition and one of the most acclaimed performances of this beloved ballet. $29-179. Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

BOOK A TOUR NeonMuseum.org

THEATER

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

DEC. 3-15, WED-SAT 8P; SAT-SUN 2P The classic holiday tale of Ebenezer Scrooge who thinks Christmas is a “humbug” until the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future remind him (and us) of what Christmas is truly all about. $24.75-$33. Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV, unlv.edu

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD

DEC. 4-5 & DEC. 11-12, 7P; DEC. 7 & DEC. 12-13, 2P Based on the Frog and Toad children’s books, this delightful musical follows the adventures of worry-wart Toad and perky Frog over the course of a year.

The story of a friendship that weathers all seasons, this enchanting musical is a must-see for the whole family. $5. Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., 702-229-6383

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

93

THE GUIDE 21ST ANNUAL SHOES FOR CHILDREN DRIVE AND BENEFIT PERFORMANCE OF NOLA’S EVE

DEC. 13, 2P The play follows a cheerful young girl named Cindy Green who is experiencing her first Christmas without her mother.

Many conflicts arise as her father deals with the struggles of running the family restaurant on his own. Donations of new pairs of children’s athletic shoes sized to fit preschoolers to high school youth accepted during performance and through December 23 at all Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches. Free.

West Las Vegas Library, lvccld.org LECTURES, SPEAKERS AND PANELS

THIS COULD BE YOUR TICKET OUT: SOCIAL MOBILITY IN THE AGE OF JACKPOT CAPITALISM

DEC. 3, 3P Jon Cohen, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Virginia, will examine the rise of state lotteries in the social, political, cultural, economic and religious climate of the late 20th century. Free.

Goldfield Room at UNLV Lied Library, unlv.edu

DISCOVERING ITALY — A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

DEC. 3, 6P Do you have a love for Italy? Join a cultural presentation that will delve into various topics such as the history of Italian fashion, Italian family life, cultural music and much more. Free. Sahara West Library, lvccld.org

CHRISTMAS IN LAS VEGAS

DEC. 3, 7P Patricia Cafferata used extensive research and personal interviews to create a heartwarming collection of stories that tells how Nevadans have celebrated the holiday from 1858 to the present. Free.

Jewel Box Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org FUNDRAISERS

DO-IT-YOURSELF HANDEL’S MESSIAH

DEC. 2, 7P Multiple choirs, soloists and the chamber orchestra will invite the audience to sing along. Gift basket raffle tickets

will add to the festive event. Proceeds benefit the Henderson Presbyterian Church Food Bank. Free-will offering.

Green Valley Presbyterian Church, 1798 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson

JA SUITE HOLIDAYS

DEC. 5, 3-10P One of the city’s premier holiday events, enabling guests to tour Las Vegas’ high roller and VIP suites. Guests enjoy gourmet bites prepared by participating resorts’ chefs, paired with wine or cocktail selections chosen by sommeliers. $200, $1,750 parties of 10. Includes shuttle service between properties. Multiple Las Vegas Strip properties, jalasvegas.org

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT WITH LIBERACE

DEC. 13, 5-8P Attendees are encouraged to shine up their sequins and party Liberace-style, for this glamorous holiday affair. Ticket proceeds to benefit the Youth Concerts and Music Education programs of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. $85. The Thriller Villa, guildtreasurer@lvphil.com, 702-858-9311 HOLIDAY FUN

HOLIDAY NIGHTS & LIGHTS COMMUNITY CONCERTS

THROUGH DEC. 17, EVERY THU 6P Every Thursday night before the Snow in the Square show, local elementary through high school students will take center stage in Town Square Park to entertain crowds with exciting holiday performances. Free. Town Square Park, mytownsquarelasvegas.com

CLAUS & PAWS PET PHOTOS

THROUGH DEC. 23, EVERY WED 10A-9P Shoppers are invited to bring their fourlegged friends to Santa’s to pose for holiday photos and enjoy treats. Both dogs and cats are welcome. Reservations required. Town Square Park, townsquaresanta.com

SNOW IN THE SQUARE

THROUGH DEC. 23, MON-THU 7P; SAT 7P & 8P The show that brings flakes of snow to Las Vegas every night until Christmas Eve! Free. Town Square Park, mytownsquarelasvegas.com

PHOTOS WITH SANTA

THROUGH DEC. 24, 10A-8:55P Children of all ages are invited inside Santa’s Norman Rockwell inspired house for photos to help make this holiday season a memory that will last forever.

Reservations required. $20 deposit

94

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

applied toward photo package. Town Square Park, townsquaresanta.com

ROCK RINK

THROUGH JAN. 18, MON-THU 4-9P; FRI 4-10P; SAT 10A-10P, SUN 11A-8P Ice skating right in the heart of Summerlin, skaters of all ages can join in the fun! $15 includes skate rental. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days.

The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin, downtownsummerlin.com

DOWNTOWN SUMMERLIN HOLIDAY PARADE

DEC. 4-5 & 11-23, 7P; DEC. 24, 6:30P Parade will take place on Park Centre Drive from Foot Locker to CREAM. Come early for crowd activities and giveaways starting at 6:30p. Bring the whole family for this festive celebration!

Free. Downtown Summerlin near the Pavilion, downtownsummerlin.com

ORNAMENTAL ART-MAKING WORKSHOP

DEC. 5 & DEC. 12, 12:15-2:15P Celebrating the season in this two-day specialty workshop, students will create ornate decorative sculptural objects inspired by the winter season. Instruction led by Jaqueline Eihausen. Ages 7+. $26. Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., artslasvegas.org

THE SNOWMAN

DEC. 5, 7:30P; DEC. 5-6, 2P The Las Vegas Philharmonic presents its annual holiday concerts. This year’s concerts feature a special screening of the film The Snowman based on the beloved children’s book and accompanied by the orchestra performing the score.

This show also includes excerpts from the Nutcracker and the annual singalong. $26-96. Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

CHANUKAH AND MENORAH LIGHTING

DEC. 6-13 AT SUNDOWN For eight nights, the Jewish Community Center will host the lighting of candles and different events and entertainment for all each night. Free. Downtown Summerlin, downtownsummerlin.com

CHANUKAH IN THE DISTRICT MENORAH LIGHTING CEREMONY

DEC. 8, 6:30 Join Chabad of Green Valley as they light the giant menorah and invite dignitaries in the local Jewish community to help welcome the Festival of Lights.

Live entertainment, dreidels, donuts and

chocolate gelt too. Free. The District at Green Valley Ranch on Main Street, chabadofgreenvalley.org

cluding museum exploration. Pre-register

by December 18. Members, $10; non-members, $15; children under 2, free. Springs Preserve, springspreserve.org

MARIACHI WINTER FESTIVAL DEC. 10, 6P The annual program featuring the best and brightest groups from the Clark County School District’s Mariachi Music Instructional Program playing mariachi favorites as well as interpretations of holiday classics done the mariachi way. Free. Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

DEC. 20-24, MON-THU HOURLY FROM 11A TO 3P Take a special journey on the Preserve’s train to Santa’s cottage where he’ll read holiday stories and hand out candy canes. Members, $4; Non-members, $6 with general admission. Springs Preserve, springspreserve.org

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

DEC. 12, 2-6P The event begins with ornament making in the Boneyard Park, which is followed by hot chocolate and caroling by Las Vegas Academy choir in the festively illuminated Neon Museum Boneyard. Free.

The Neon Museum, neonmuseum.org

FAMILY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM — A CHRISTMAS STORY

TRAIN RIDES TO SANTA’S COTTAGE

DEC. 19, 5-9P Enjoy a pizza dinner and snacks, watch A Christmas Story on the big screen and gear up for plenty of fun museum activities, in-

KWANZAA 2015: A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN VALUES, CULTURE, & COMMUNITY

DEC. 26-27, 11A-4P Join the community celebration to share the meaning of Kwanzaa and embrace the best in African culture, community and humanity. Keynote speaker Al Gourrier, Ed.D. will talk on “Community Education.” Free. West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd. and West Las Vegas Library Theatre, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., artslasvegas.org

Give the gift that brings a year of

Learning, Fun & DISCOVERY this Holiday Season!

The holidays will be here soon, so put DISCOVERY Children’s Museum at the top of your shopping list for all your gift-giving needs!

Museum Memberships Make special memories with a gift membership that keeps on giving, even after the holidays!

Gift Certificates You set the amount, we’ll do the rest! Gift certificates can be used toward museum admission, and make great stocking stuffers!

Educational Gifts and Toys Unwrap your kids’ imagination this holiday season with gifts from the DISCOVERY Store, located inside the museum. Museum members receive 10% off their purchase when they show their membership card!

For more information visit DiscoveryKidsLV.org or call 702.382.3445.

December 2015

DesertCompanion.com

95

END NOTE BUCKET LIST EXTRA

A chorus of approval

Seeing Vegas through the eyes of my small-town mother

By Heidi Kyser

M

idway through the first act of the Vienna Boys’ Choir concert at Virgin Valley High School’s theater in Mesquite, I leaned over to ask my 73-year-old mother if I could borrow her binoculars.

Earlier, on our way to pick up my two aunts from the Palms, Mom had unpacked the sundries jammed into her quilted bag — crossword puzzles, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, tissues, pills, Corn Nuts — but still couldn’t find her glasses. She had, however, uncovered a compact pair of Bushnells, and they’d do just fine. Our seats were only a dozen rows from the stage, but she wanted to make out every detail of the 23 angelic faces comprising the choir’s touring company.

“Check out the second boy from the right in the front row of the alto section,” she whispered, at alarming volume, as she handed me the binoculars. “He must be new.” Indeed, the poor skinny blond — couldn’t have been more than 9 years old — appeared to be mumbling the lyrics.

My mom covered her mouth with her right fingers and scrunched up her face, pretending to muffle a giggle, as I handed the binoculars back. She was obviously tickled pink to be there, and the music was as pure and airy as sunshine in a church.

Though I was expecting tears from our family’s only Pisces and most notorious crier, I was pleased by my mom’s delighted reaction. This evening was to be the highlight of a Vegas vacation she’d persuaded my dad, who almost never leaves his farm in Roswell for more than a long weekend, to take during the first week of November by stressing that his two brothers and their wives had already planned a trip here at that time. Family reunions, no matter how

96

december 2015

DesertCompanion.vegas

small, get more appealing as you age. Having lost both their sisters, the brothers Kyser were happy to stay at the hotel and chew the fat while we women piled into my husband’s SUV and made the near-three-hour round trip for a 90-minute concert.

I surveyed the room, noting that I was the youngest adult there by 20 years. A split-second thought of things I could be doing on a Saturday night in Vegas flashed across my mind, quickly dispelled by a glance at my mother peering through her binoculars, now studying the soprano section. I remembered her torturing my dad, brothers, sister and me with cassette tapes of the Vienna Boys’ Choir played in our Chevy Impala station wagon during long road trips from Roswell to Ohio, the Kyser motherland. During Saturday chores at home, she’d blare their records so frequently that my siblings and I could sing along. In September, I’d stumbled on the choir’s Mesquite date while researching entertainment options for my family’s trip. When I told my mom about it, she went mute with disbelief.

“It’s going to be more than an hour’s drive to Mesquite, but I think it’s worth it, don’t you?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” she said finally. “I’ve always wanted to see them.”

“I know, Mom. I guess you could say they’re on your bucket list.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.”

It turned out that the trip had some bucket-list items for the rest of the family, too. My Aunt Frieda had always wanted

to see a Cirque du Soleil show; we caught Mystère on Monday evening. My Aunt Barb had never driven in the mountains; the brothers and sisters-in-law took the Red Rock scenic loop on Sunday afternoon. Marriage Can Be Murder. The Bellagio Fountains. Cornish Pasty. Everybody got something to savor, to remember. My parents would return each night to my house, where they lodged, with reports ranging from satisfied approval to wideeyed awe. I felt proud of Vegas.

A couple hours after Mom and Dad packed their truck and headed back to New Mexico, I found my mother’s magnifying glass and some crossword puzzles she’d forgotten on the coffee table. In my head, I replayed a dinner conversation we’d had about her age-related macular degeneration — how it was starting to blur her world.

“I’ll probably go blind,” she’d shrugged.

My aunts and uncles nodded knowingly.

There was a moment of silence for their collective hip sprains, blood clots, brushes with cancer. And then, “I forget: Have you ever met Bobby’s wife Margot?” Back to family gossip.

Over the course of the week, as my relatives thanked me repeatedly for helping them navigate the city, I understood that the circus acrobatics and sandstone cliffs and gourmet meals were more than boxes to check off a list. They’re sensory stimulants that remind us how great it is to be alive. And never was that plainer to see than in the eyes of my mother watching 23 Austrian boys sing.

FOR MORE THAN 125 YEARS AND IN COUNTLESS WAYS.

CHANGE A LIFE, STARTING WITH YOUR OWN. REDCROSS.ORG/SOUTHERNNEVADA

109704 10/14