Eye Exclusive
Life After the Symbol
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If you haven’t yet visited the Rio to see the man formerly known as a symbol perform then you are quickly running out of time as Prince is preparing to pack up his gear and close down his headlining act at the end of the month. What does this mean for the long-running nightlife footprint previously known as Club Rio, currently Club 3121? It means very good things indeed. The Eye has learned that Latin America hotspot Coco Bongo will be taking over the space after Prince departs to introduce their carnival-esque style of Latin nightlife to Las Vegas. The club, which currently operates very successfully in Cancun, Mexico, may just be the perfect segue way as it transcends nightlife to offer a full entertainment experience complete with acrobats, aerial acts, impersonators, bar-top | ||
| conga lines and, of course, great DJs. The club has garnered huge praise from media outlets like Playboy Magazine, which called it the, “Best Club Worldwide”, MTV who added it was, “the planet’s ultimate nightclub” and ABC News who somewhat ironically noted that it was “Cirque du Soleil meets Studio 54”. With that all in mind, it should be a nice fit for the Rio, which already has the obvious Latin connections, especially within that space. Look for Coco Bongo to go after a wider demographic than the bottle service driven venues on the Strip. By offering an entirely different style of entertainment to what already exists, they should be successful doing just that. | |||
| The Eye has also learned that the neighboring Tilted Kilt, which operates in the near-by Masquerade Village at the Rio, will also be making a departure from the property. In its place will arrive a Las Vegas outpost of the popular national chain McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon, which got its start in New York City almost thirty years ago. Since then, the chain has grown to include outlets in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh and Worcester, MA. Look for McFadden’s to offer a similar concept to that of the Tilted Kilt blended with their tried and true methods and recipes. No word on when McFadden’s hopes to open it’s draught lines. | |||
Taste of the Nation – Save the Date
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Combining the art of cooking with the art of giving, Share our Strength presents “Taste of the Nation,” the annual fundraiser to stop childhood hunger in Nevada, sponsored by American Express, Sysco, The Food Network, Illy Coffee, Anderson Dairy, Aramark and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. On Thursday, June 14th from 6 – 9pm at the Las Vegas Convention Center-South Hall Lobby, 3150 Paradise Rd., Taste of the Nation will incorporate executive chefs, local community restaurateurs, corporate sponsors and community members to help raise money for Nevada's hungry children. "Taste of the Nation” helps to create awareness about childhood hunger in our nation and in our Las Vegas community," said Elmira Mokri, Taste of the Nation event chairman from le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. "It's wonderful to see the outstanding support from the local restaurants and patrons." Tickets can be purchased for $65 in advance or $75 at the door by calling (702) 943-6868. For more information on Share our Strength's “Taste of the Nation,” visit www.tasteofthenation.org. |
Quick Bites
While Luxor and Cirque du Soleil executives have are hosting a press conference on Thursday to announce the details surrounding Cris Angel’s upcoming Cirque production, remember who broke the news with a global exclusive way back on July 25th of last year (Eye Archives – 07/25/06)!
Happy Birthday to Palms Resort’s reigning prince, Jon Gray, the sneaker-sporting executive blew out birthday candles while celebrating on Sunday night.
Beginning this Wednesday, March 21st, Mix, Mingle, and Make Money with VooDoo Lounge and Ketel One as they present “Network Ultra Lounge.” On the 3rd Wednesday of every month at the Rio’s VooDoo Lounge from 6pm – 9pm, guests will enjoy complimentary admission, appetizers and their first drink for free while networking with other industry locals.
Speaking of Voodoo, Orange County Choppers, the custom motorcycle shop made popular by the hit series “American Chopper,” will unveil their newest bike, the Go Fast Chopper today (3/19) on top of the 51st floor at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The new chopper will be flown in by Silver State Helicopters and dropped into the VooDoo Lounge, while being filmed for an upcoming episode of “American Chopper.”
Roger Waters, co-founder and principal songwriter of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd will be performing the epic masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, June 16th. Tickets are priced at $150, $85, and $45 and can be purchased at the box office or by calling (702) 474-4000.
We caught up with former Light Group marketing man Nick Kaptain last week, riding high from his latest venture, VIPHighRise, a local upstart company that is combining real estate professionalism with concierge-level service more often found in Kaptain’s former nightlife stomping grounds. Working with his partner, Rob Meissner, Kaptain has been quick to make a splash on the real estate community. Already, their small company has helped place clients in the extremely exclusive Mandarin Oriental project being built within CityCenter. For more information on high rise, on-strip living, check out their website here.
These days, more and more big league athletes are looking to invest their huge signing bonuses in the hospitality industry. The most recent example took place last week when Atlanta Falcons signal caller Michael Vick, the first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, opened his new restaurant, The Tasting Room, in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood. The upscale restaurant offers a contemporary American menu with, obviously, a large focus on wine and tasting flights.
Summerlin’s Kona Grill is going healthy. With the help of nutrition experts, they are offering guests a selection of healthier menu options backed up with complete nutritional information. To see the new healthier menu options, stop by Kona Grill.
Actor Christopher Knight, restaurateur and reality star, Mike "Boogie" Malin and tastemaker James Morel have recently launched Dr. TATTOFF, the nation's first branded laser tattoo removal facility. This one-stop shop also provides Photofacials, Botox, Restylane and Juvaderm treatments. Located in the hearts of Beverly Hills, Encino and Irvine, their offices are state of the art and come complete with flat screen televisions, Wi-Fi for patients' use, and a mini-concierge service. Dr. TATTOFF offers free consultations. For more information, click here.
The Onda Wine Lounge in the Mirage will soon be offering wine tastings on the third Wednesday of every month beginning Wednesday, March 28th from 6pm – 8pm, with Australian wines from Rosemount Estates. There will be a $15 fee, which includes wines and a plate of Artisan meats and cheeses. Please RSVP by clicking here no later than Monday, March 26th. Onda Ristorante & Wine Lounge is a great spot to enjoy tapas and a glass for any occasion, also being voted “Best Italian Resturant” by the Las Vegas Concierge Association.
We have our fingers crossed for all of you! This Wednesday, at the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Florida, the World Club Awards will be honoring nightclubs across the country while awarding winners the coveted ‘disco ball’. Las Vegas venues that are up for awards include TAO Nightclub, PURE Nightclub, Cherry Nightclub, JET Nightclub as well as JET’s hardworking director of marketing, Steven Lockwood, who has been nominated for his cutting-edge A/V promotion.
Speaking of JET Nightclub, have you seen their new billboard? One is located by the airport, the other on Flamingo, and can be seen in the picture below. Makes you wonder, where does the inspiration come from?
