Date: July 19, 2020
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
A little like the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” with the idea “if you build it, he will come,” Las Vegas is still planning for an exciting future and the belief “they will come.”
If people were ever in the mood for fun and to get away from reality, they sure are now, but waiting is the key.
One of the elements missing in Las Vegas during this COVID-19 era is entertainment. If you have a favorite entertainer or act you have enjoyed in past visits to the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” it is worth looking up their website to see what they are doing. In some cases, acts post virtual performances and keep their fans updated.
RESORTS WORLD WILL OFFER NEW CONCERT VENUE
When Resorts World opens on the Strip, where the Stardust once stood, next summer, it will reveal a new 5,000-capacity concert and entertainment venue. The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas will be outfitted to host a myriad of affairs including star-studded concerts, conventions, plus corporate and sporting events.
The Theatre will be a joint development between Resorts World Las Vegas and AEG Presents. It will be exclusively programmed and operated by Concerts West, a division of AEG Presents.
The venue is designed by Scéno Plus, a Montreal-based entertainment design firm, internationally recognized for designing global award-winning performance sites.
The Theatre will feature a modern black and champagne design, which will provide a dazzling lustrous backdrop. A 65-foot custom chandelier will welcome concertgoers into a four-story lobby adorned with honest and refined materials like polished stone and bright metals, along with elegant accessories and rich details.
The multi-level theatre will offer versatile seating configurations, permitting up to 5,000 capacity, distributed between the orchestra floor and two balcony levels including dedicated VIP seating. The furthest seat from the stage will only be 150 feet, with unobstructed sightlines and unmatched room acoustics.
Designed to accommodate VIP experiences and host artist meet-and-greets and private groups, The Theatre will have a dedicated VIP guest entrance, two luxe private salons with plush lounge seating and full-service bars, and premium VIP seating with bottle service.
Anything new in Las Vegas has the advantage of introducing something bigger, better, or state-of-the-art. The Theatre will have elements to boast about.
The 13,550-square-foot stage will be one of the largest and tallest on the Strip, measuring a 64-foot deep by 196-foot wide as well as 95-feet high at gridiron level with a 78-foot clearance below steel. A proscenium opening will be one of the largest in Las Vegas - an impressive 123-feet wide by 50-feet tall – and will be easily modified with a unique motorized system. Three scenic and performance stage lifts totaling 576 square feet will accommodate up to 86,400 pounds.
The Theatre will have the newest state-of-the-art, fully immersive audio system comprised of 265 speakers, enabling a multi-dimensional surround sound experience. There will be a comprehensive automated lighting package and robotic follow spot system with GrandMA3 control. In addition, fully configurable LED screens will total almost 5,000 square feet.
Resorts World is being developed by Malaysian corporation Genting Berhad and is one of the largest hotel construction sites in the United States. The 3,500-room casino-resort will be a tech-forward, innovative, and inclusive resort.
TWO NEW EATERIES OPEN AT UNIVERSITY GATEWAY
Not only are new properties going up on the Strip and downtown with Circa under construction, the University Gateway Building across the street from UNLV – University of Nevada Las Vegas has opened with retail space, office space for UNLV administration, and residential apartments.
On Saturday, Aug. 1 two new eateries Pizza Forte and Sushi Joe’s will both open on the first floor of the high-rise building at 4700 S. Maryland Pkwy. Retail outlets already open there include Peet’s Coffee and eateries Crumbl Cookies, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches and Roberto’s Taco Shop, as well as the convenience of a branch of America First Credit Union. Brew Tea Bar will open later this summer with more retail shops to be announced soon.
Pizza Forte offers New York-style pizza and square, Roman-style pan pizza by the slice with toppings including homemade sausage and fresh vegetables, as well as gluten-free options. The venue also offers house-made meatball sandwiches and three varieties of Hofmann hot dogs. Pizza Forte was created by the family behind Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Chef Joe Richardson is the award-winning, culinary mastermind behind Sushi Joe’s. After years of training and working for the most prolific names in the restaurant industry in Las Vegas and the Caribbean, Richardson brings a cutting-edge to the menu. Sushi Joe’s features the freshest offerings including bento boxes, sushi rolls and specialties such as Yellowtail Crudo and Brisket Gyoza, as well as the Omakase dining experience at the Chef’s Table.
University Gateway also houses the yoU, luxury apartments on floors 4 through 7. Resident amenities include: a rooftop, resort-style pool and spa and lounge with fire pits, barbecue grills and sundeck; fitness center; game room; concierge services; coworking space; all utilities, a smart home system and internet connection available included in the lease; 24-hour onsite police presence; and a view of the Strip.
SHAREDOWNTOWN IS NEW IN DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT
In the heart of Las Vegas’ Arts District, shareDOWNTOWN is a new residential apartment complex with 63 one-bedroom modern units on three floors and parking on the ground floor, which will be home to Golden Fog Coffee and a new Mezcal restaurant/bar in the coming months.
The developer of downtown Las Vegas residential condominium buildings including SoHo Lofts and Newport Lofts is planning a series of shareDOWNTOWN buildings. The model unit is now open for in-person and interactive virtual tours with a leasing agent via Zoom or Facetime scheduled online. The property is extending its $199 move-in special through the end of August.
The nearly 500-square-foot apartments have a single floor plan with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, with most units offering Juliette balconies or interior open-air courtyard patios. The building’s centerpiece is an interior, open-air courtyard with an oversized shade tree, lush planter landscaping, and shared BBQ. The property also offers health and wellness amenities, including the Zen Room for yoga/ meditation and wellness/therapist programming.
SICKIES GARAGE WILL OPEN AT TOWN SQUARE
Look for Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews Las Vegas to open this fall at Town Square. The garage-themed restaurant and bar inside Town Square will serve up 50 burgers and 50 brews, in addition to wraps, apps, and shakes. Currently the dining spot is being remodeled on the western side of the plaza close to GameWorks and the former home of Meatball Spot.
Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews is a North Dakota grown restaurant offering a wild variety of freshly made extreme burger creations and craft beer pairings. Founded in Fargo during 2012, Sickies Garage now has six locations across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
OPPORTUNITY VILLAGE’S SANTA RUN GOES VIRTUAL FOR 2020
Where there is a will, there is a way. The Las Vegas Great Santa Run, Opportunity Villages largest single-day fundraising event, will return for its 16th year in a brand-new virtual format. Opportunity Village and Las Vegas Great Santa Run officials considered recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Governor Sisolak, and ultimately decided a virtual race would be best for the health and safety of all involved. The run is presented by Circle K.
Parties interested in participating can register at the LVSantaRun website. For $30 beginning July 13, runners and walkers will receive a medal, downloadable bib, swag bag and Santa suit (while supplies last) and can complete a 5K or 1-mile course of their choosing from Dec. 5–26, 2020. Registrants will have the option of picking up their packets as early as Nov. 30 or can elect to have their packets mailed out during registration for a small fee. There will be announcements of fun contests and prizes over the next few months.
The internationally recognized Las Vegas Great Santa Run, one of the largest holiday events of its kind in the world, raises funds and awareness for Opportunity Village’s programs and service supporting nearly 2,000 Southern Nevada residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Last year's 15th annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run registered 6,644 Santa participants from around the world, including six countries and 43 states.
NATIONAL CHEESE EXPERT TAKES OVER VALLEY CHEESE & WINE
Diana Brier, ACS CCSE is the new owner and director of cheese for Valley Cheese & Wine, the longest running cheese and wine shop in the Las Vegas Valley.
Well-respected cheesemonger, artisan cheesemaker, and affineur, Brier, nicknamed by her peers as the “Wonder Woman of Cheese,” is one of only 45 people in the United States to hold a Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator Certificate from the American Cheese Society. Through her career, she has worked with some of the country’s leading brands and creameries, such as Whole Foods, Deer Valley Resort, Rogue Creamery, and most recently, Las Vegas’ own MGP Food.
Brier will introduce new epicurean experiences along with educational programming, centering around cheese, while keeping in place the shop’s already highly regarded wine offerings. Previous owner Solenne Peyronnin will stay on as director of wine to continue curating the shop’s wine selection along with providing her revered wine education.
Valley Cheese & Wine will also be offering new regular programming, including Happy Hour, Wine Down Wednesday and more starting later this summer. The shop’s décor will also get a facelift, with changes to the education room taking priority. With the addition of an air purifier, the space will become a Clean-Air Tasting Room – allowing for a more accurate tasting and learning experience.
Valley Cheese & Wine at 1570 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy #140 in Henderson is open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
FINGER LICKING FOODIE TOURS EXPLORES CHINATOWN
At this unprecedented time in the Entertainment Capital of the World, Finger Licking Foodie Tours is launching a private and socially distanced culinary experience through Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road. Chinatown’s nondescript strip malls hide a wide array of 150 restaurants which can be challenging for newcomers to sift through on their own.
This pioneering self-guided tour is private and entirely exclusive to a patron’s invited party. The 2 ½-hour tour spotlights three of the area’s hottest and most creative chef-driven restaurants. With fewer tables at restaurants now and higher demand for them, this tour guarantees guests a prime seat along with three signature dishes at every venue visited, including dessert at the last stop.
The tour also comes complete with a detailed itinerary, prepaid and prearranged four-minute Uber ride between the first and second restaurants, and an innovative virtual tour guide helping guests make their way easily from one place to another while gleaning enlightening information along the way.
Finger Licking Foodie Tours focuses on three of the neighborhood’s most acclaimed restaurants: EDO Tapas, where Chef-Owner Oscar Amador Edo fuses traditional and global ingredients with modernist techniques to create one-of-a-kind small plates in an atmosphere that evokes the lively streets of Barcelona; Lamaii, where Chef-Owner Bank Atcharawan puts a creative spin on classic Thai cuisine that’s served in elegant surroundings of tufted banquettes and graceful lotus flower sculptures; and Sparrow + Wolf, where Chef Brian Howard melds Asian, Mediterranean and Latin American flavors cohesively in an offbeat setting influenced by the culturally diverse neighborhood.
The tour is $125 tour with the flexibility of booking on the half hour anytime between 5 - 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. An optional beverage package, which features a pre-selected signature cocktail at each stop, is available for an additional $50 per person.
EL DORADO CANTINA CELEBRATES NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY
El Dorado Cantina at both locations, in Tivoli Village and on Sammy David Jr. Drive, will celebrate National Tequila Day, Friday, July 24 with Tequila Dos Artes®.
Enjoy shots for $13 and margaritas for $15 featuring Tequila Dos Artes® Blanco or a shot of Reserva Especial Extra Anejo for $16.
Tequila Dos Artes® hails from a multi-generational distillery which was created to honor two traditional Mexican arts: the art and science of producing premier agave tequila, and the detailed craftsmanship of designing and hand-painting each ceramic bottle.
