Date: Feb. 21, 2021
M RESORT OPENS FIRST OFFICIAL RAIDERS-THEMED RESTAURANT
The M Resort Spa Casino in Henderson is opening an official Raiders-themed restaurant in the coming weeks. The more than 3,400-square-foot space will feature dining space as well as two bars, Raiders memorabilia and merchandise.
The first of its kind, Raiders Tavern & Grill will lend its design and atmosphere to the rich history of the professional football team and the enjoyment of watching sports. With more than 45 high-definition TVs, it will be the ultimate environment for fans year-round.
When the Raiders Tavern & Grill opens, Silver & Black fans will also be able to commemorate the occasion by picking up their special edition Raiders-M Resort my choice player cards for a limited time only.
The Raiders are in their 62nd year of professional football competition, including the last 52 years as a member club of the National Football League. Over seven decades, the Raiders participated in five Super Bowls and with their appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII, the Raiders became the first NFL team to play in Super Bowls in four different decades. The Raiders played in Oakland, Calif., from their inception through 1982, relocated to Los Angeles in 1983, moved back to Oakland in 1995, and made Las Vegas its home in 2020. The Raiders base training and business operations are in Henderson and they play home games at the new Allegiant Stadium.
STATION CASINOS PROPERTIES ADD LUCKY PENNY – BRASS FORK CAFES
Station Casinos is converting its Grand Cafés to Lucky Penny at Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch and to Brass Fork at Boulder Station, Santa Fe Station and Sunset Station. Each café will offer elevated dishes and feature a playful menu of modern American cuisine with a twist of worldly flavors and the traditional café classics for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The popular Lucky Penny Café concept from Palms Casino will debut its menu at Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch this week on Feb. 24.
Later in the spring, Brass Fork will launch its comforting kitchen concept, currently open at Palace Station with an all-new menu, to even more Las Vegas Valley neighborhoods when it opens additional locations at Boulder Station, Santa Fe Station and Sunset Station in early April. Grand Cafés will remain open until then.
The transformation of the cafes offers guests a robust variety of healthy options using fresh and quality ingredients and features a collection of nutritious items catering to a variety of diets including vegan, gluten-free and keto.
MGM RESORTS RESUMES 24/7 OPERATIONS AT THREE STRIP RESORTS
MGM Resorts International will resume 24/7 hotel operations at Mandalay Bay, Park MGM and The Mirage resorts on Wednesday, March 3. The change comes as the Company sees increased interest in travel and demand for Las Vegas offerings. Previously, each property implemented selective mid-week closures related to decreased business volumes due to COVID-19.
“As we begin to see positive signs around the public’s sentiment about traveling, coupled with important progress on the vaccination front and decreasing COVID-19 case numbers, bringing Mandalay Bay, Park MGM and The Mirage back to full-week operations is an important step for us,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts’ CEO & President. “We remain optimistic about Las Vegas’ recovery and our ability to bring employees back to work as business volumes allow us to do so.”
‘MJ LIVE’ MOONWALKS BACK TO THE STRAT
Michael Jackson tribute concert “MJ LIVE” will resume the show at The STRAT starting March 18 at 7 p.m. with performances Thursday through Sunday. Tickets start at $57.50.
The award-winning Michael Jackson tribute production recreates the electrifying stage show of one of showbiz’s greatest performers. From iconic dance moves like the moonwalk to Jackson’s timeless hits such as “Bad,” “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Beat It,” the show with a spot-on tribute artist brings the Gloved One’s staples to life. The special Jackson 5 segment features classics like “I’ll Be There,” “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” and more, inspired by Soul Train. This King of Pop spectacular highlights the MJ LIVE dancers and a live band plus lighting, powerful sound and visual effects.
‘TAPE FACE’ AT HARRAH’S INCREASES GUEST CAPACITY
Increased capacity means increased laughter at Harrah’s Showroom as the “Tape Face” show is upping its guest capacity to 100 seats following the recent easing of restrictions by Nevada’s Governor Sisolak. The audience increase took effect Thursday, Feb. 18 for the fan-favorite comedy show centered around the character brought to fame on “America’s Got Talent,” while continuing to adhere to Caesars Entertainment’s enhanced health and safety protocols.
Before the show’s star Sam Wills puts the tape on his face, guests have a chance to hear from him in a Q&A from the stage as he comedically discusses his journey to becoming Tape Face and jokes about the “AGT” judges!
Shows are Wednesday-Sunday and start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $66. VIP tickets include a Tape Face swag bag with a t-shirt, signed cartoon photo, souvenir poker chip, and lanyard.
VIRGIN HOTELS LAS VEGAS PLANS TO OPEN MARCH 25
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, formerly the Hard Rock, had planned to open last month mid-January and now is scheduled to debut on Thursday, March 25. With the COVID-19 epidemic, Virgin Hotels here has had challenges. The highly anticipated reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton™, which is a global portfolio of more than 90 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts.
Conveniently located off-Strip, the Virgin Hotels will be an integrated resort merging food and beverage with music and culture. It will feature three hotel towers with more than 1,500 chambers and suites; the 60,000-square-foot Mohegan Sun Casino, operated by Mohegan Gaming& Entertainment; a five-acre desert pool oasis including a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,500 capacity; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; and an exclusive portfolio of 12 food and beverage venues.
The food and beverage options will include Todd English’s Olives; Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market; the legendary Nobu; Michael and David Morton’s One Steakhouse; Kassi Beach Club from restauranteur Nick Mathers; Casa Calavera by global hospitality company Hakkasan Group; the sport entertainment, daylife and nightlife venue Money, Baby! from Justin Massei and Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective; famous Afters Ice Cream; Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family; and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room, and Funny Library Coffee Shop.
VEGAS LIFESTYLE IS WARMING UP
The Pool Marquee at The Cosmopolitan will be open from 11 a.m. to sunset each Friday, Saturday and Sunday for guests 21 years or older beginning March 5. Reservations are required. The 2021 pool season brings expanded seating areas, including an exclusive new section by the DJ, and the addition of five new bungalow cabanas. The exclusive socially distant poolside environment features a signature food menu with new items added for the season, specialty cocktails, and bottle service offerings.
PT’S TAVERNS OFFERS PARTY BOX AND SPECIALS FOR VGK GAMES
PT’s Taverns will offer Vegas Golden Knights game-day viewing paired with party pack bites, buckets of beer and specials during all VGK games throughout the 2021 season.
Available at PT’s Taverns and for take-out, PT’s “Hat Trick Party Box” will include crispy mozzarella sticks, boneless and classic chicken wings, pretzel bites, seared pot stickers, French fries and dipping sauces for $55, with the option to add a cheese or pepperoni pizza for $10.
Beer buckets will be available during all games with each bucket including five beers for $20.
All 64 taverns in the Las Vegas Valley, which include PT’s Pub, PT’s Gold, PT’s Ranch, PT’s Brewing Company, Sean Patrick’s, Sierra Gold and SG Bar, will also serve Nathan’s classic hot dogs for $3; chicken and waffle bites $5; and personal cheese and pepperoni pizzas $6.
In addition, PT’s happy hours, 5-7 p.m. and midnight to 2 a.m., offer daily drink specials including a 50% discount on wines by the glass, premium spirits and all craft and import beer.
7FIVE BREWING CO. RELEASES GRIM REAVER
For the past three years, 7Five Brewing Co. has told the parallel journey of Las Vegas and the career of company co-founder Ryan Reaves, the story of the underdog rising to a new chapter of greatness, triumph and confidence. The Grim Reaver, an Imperial Stout, is the beer that inspired the 7Five journey and it was launched this month. This is a heavy but smooth rich black stout with notes of lightly roasted coffee and dark chocolate.
Grim Reaver and the rest of the 7Five beer family, Dawn Breaker, Training Day and Shiver Giver, are all brewed at Able Baker Brewing and available at Able Baker brewpub in Downtown Las Vegas. Grim Reaver is available in draft at select establishments as well as 16-ounce 4-pack cans; with a 7.5-percent ABV and 40 IBU.
7Five Brewing Co. is a Las Vegas craft beer company founded by childhood friends and business partners Ryan Reaves and Adam Coates. Its products tell the story of Reaves’ journey through professional hockey and his life.
ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM DISPLAYS NEW HIROSHIMA SURVIVOR ARTIFACT
The New Trinity Exhibit at the National Atomic Testing Museum has another donation with Scott McGregor providing an extremely rare and historic postcard circa June 1952, which is now on display. It is signed by Hiroshima survivor, Kiyoshi Kikkawa, who was exposed to the flash of the atomic bomb the moment he entered his home in the Hakushima district. He had just come off the night shift at the Hiroden Streetcar Company helping to make preparations against aerial attacks. The skin on his back and his elbows, both severely burned, hung from his body in tatters. For more than two months, he and his wife, who also suffered burns, were given treatment at a temple in the Kabe area. While he was there, victims of the bombing were being cremated on a nearby riverbank day and night. As summer turned to fall, his wife, who had regained some mobility, took to boiling the stalks and leaves of sweet potatoes in an empty can, enabling them to survive. By 1947 Kikkawa became known as “Genbaku Ichigo,” or “Atomic Bomb Victim No. 1.” Whenever visitors came to Hiroshima from other parts of Japan or from overseas, Kikkawa would show his back at their request, despite sometimes being called a “heiwaya” or “peace monger.”
NASCAR CUP SERIES WILL RETURN TO LVMS TWICE THIS YEAR
For the fourth consecutive year, Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) is set to host two NASCAR Cup Series events in 2021. The speedway’s annual spring date, the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube, returns to its traditional first-week-of-March date and will run on March 7. The 2021 fall South Point 400 again will kick off the second round of NASCAR’s playoffs on Sept. 26.
RESTAURANT WEEK WILL RETURN JUNE 7-18
Three Square Food Bank’s highly anticipated annual culinary event, Las Vegas Restaurant Week, will return June 7-18 for its 14th installment. The 12-day event will take a different approach this year, focused primarily on supporting the culinary community, which has been significantly impacted by the health and economic fallout of COVID-19.
Three changes have been made to the event’s format to drive business to the participating restaurants and make participation easier in these uncertain times. Three
Square will not collect $4-$6 of every meal sold from participating restaurants, as it has in times past. Only $1 per cover will go back to Three Square. A new take-out component will be available, in addition to traditional dine-in options. Also participating restaurants will have the option of creating the traditional three-course menu, a specialty menu and/or a take-out menu.
Approximately two weeks before Las Vegas Restaurant Week begins, the mobile-friendly website, RestaurantWeekLV.org, will launch, providing a list of participating restaurants along with take-out and dine-in menus.
Last year, Three Square suspended Las Vegas Restaurant Week due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to focus its efforts on emergency food distribution.
