Vegas Is Betting Big On 2012
The Strip welcomes new restaurants, nightlife and hard-rocking entertainment
By Steve Kieva
Las Vegas is looking ahead to a big 2012. Below are some of the new entertainment options that will be offered during the upcoming year.
Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer Rocks The Las Vegas Strip
One of the most iconic rock bands in American history, Lynyrd Skynyrd—the group behind classics such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”—has brought Southern barbecue and entertainment to the Excalibur Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, with the grand opening of Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer.
“With Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer, we wanted to create the kind of place that we’d like to hang out at,” said Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd. “With Southern-style barbecue and great music, this will be the perfect spot for rock and barbecue fans to kick back and have a great time in Vegas.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer will serve mouthwatering ribs, brisket, chicken and more. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the high-energy hangout will transform into a rock club every night with great music and entertainment. You can visit the Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer website at LynyrdSkynyrdLV.com.
KJ Kitchen Debuts At Rio
KJ Kitchen has opened inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, providing guests with its signature selection of dim sum and fresh seafood, prepared by a team of chefs trained in the tradition of authentic Chinese cuisine. Danny “Leung” Nhan, the owner of KJ Kitchen, is excited about the expansion, especially the dim sum menu which will provide a one-of-a-kind experience for many visitors. “We will offer a high quality dim sum and fine dining experience set in a comfortable atmosphere,” said Nhan.
The magnificent 4,600-square-foot restaurant seats up to 350 people and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. Its one-of-a-kind dim sum experience features a tableside cart which allows guests to select their options. Guests can also enjoy the various shrimp, lobster, crab and giant clam dishes that made the original KJ Kitchen a favorite among Las Vegas locals.
Tropicana Turns Up The Heat
Tropicana Las Vegas is presenting iCandy Burlesque, a one-of-a- kind, sexy new experience which will take audiences on a wild ride with talented performances, heart-pounding music and stunning costumes. You can catch this show in the Ambhar Lounge on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., with performances at 8:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. And the best part of this new show is that it’s free!
Captivating audiences with their sensual , high-energy performances, iCandy Burlesque performs on and off stage to ultra-sexy songs like “Striptease,” “Lady Marmalade,” “Naughty Girl” and “Fever,” to name a few. In addition to featuring burlesque beauties in barely-there attire, there are aerial performances, platform dancers and stilt walkers to entertain throughout the night. To complete the experience, the Trop’s casino has a Party Pit with six table games featuring iCandy Burlesque dealers in risqué clothing; mini stages and go-go dancers in the cocktail areas; specialty iCandy cocktails; and special guest DJs.
“iCandy Burlesque brings a sensuality to our property that our guests are sure to love,” said Melissa Steinberg, vice president of entertainment and casino operations at Tropicana Las Vegas. “The party atmosphere heightens the gaming experience and adds to the energy in the casino.”
Changes For Las Vegas Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is now known as The LVH Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. In 1969, the Las Vegas Hilton opened as the International, and remained that way until 1971 when it was renamed The Hilton. It hasn’t had any association with Hilton Corporation since 1998, and earlier this year Hilton ended their licensing agreement with the property.
Nightlife News
MGM Grand will shut down its Studio 54 nightclub on Feb. 4 to make room for a new nightlife venue. Studio 54 survived for 14 years and was one of the first Ultra Lounges to open on The Strip. Prince performed at the grand opening.
In other Vegas nightlife news, 2012 will see the opening of at least three new lounges. 10AK will open at the Mirage, where Jet nightclub used to be. Hyde Lounge at the Bellagio will take residence in the former home of the Fontana Lounge. At the Tropicana, RPM will take over the space where the recently closed Club Nikki used to be.
End Of The Road For Monorail?
2012 may signal the end of the Las Vegas Monorail. This past November, a judge rejected an offer from its operators and its creditors. There aren’t too many options left except for a possible outright sale. If that doesn’t materialize, the monorail could shut down completely.
Also Coming This Year…
McCarran International Airport is adding a $3 million shopping mall in Concourse D. Six shops, including Hugo Boss and Guess, are expected to be operating by early 2013.
There should be a new water park opening in Henderson, Nevada this year. If all goes according to plan, the park will be operational by spring—featuring a variety of water rides and slides, a wave pool with a sandy beach, a lazy river ride and three restaurants.
Luxor will be adding a Public House to its restaurant line-up.
The Strip’s first Buca Di Beppo will be opening at the Excalibur.
Carlos ‘n Charlie’s will be opening at Flamingo Las Vegas.
Senor Frog’s will be opening at T.I.
Food For Thought…
Drink and Drag, a new club staffed by drag queens, opened at Neonopolis in Downtown Las Vegas. For sports enthusiasts, Drink and Drag will offer 12 lanes of bowling, pool tables, and a dart board area. Entertainment options will include several bars and a dance floor, as well as multiple food venues.
Down on Fremont Street, don’t forget about the recently opened Heart Attack Grill, or Oscar’s Beef ∙ Booze ∙ Broads—a new steakhouse at the Plaza which bears the name and imprint of former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
“Absinthe” has reopened at Caesars Palace’s Roman Plaza in a new tent that meets current safety guidelines. Trust me when I say this is a one-of-a-kind show—just look it up on the Internet and get a sense of the content before you think about taking the family!
Both The Lion King and Viva Elvis will be closing. Look for a Michael Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil show to open later this year.
Criss Angel recently celebrated his third anniversary of his show “Believe” at the Luxor. Many people agree that this greatest feat of magic was keeping the critically savaged show alive for three years.
This Month’s Hidden Treasure: The Maple Tree Cafe
The Maple Tree Café, located at 6000 W. Spring Mountain Road, specializes in homemade breakfast and lunch served Tuesday–Sunday.
The Maple Tree is a family-owned and operated restaurant. A mother, cousin, aunt and grandmother all work there. (Grandma makes the delicious jams that are sold daily.) The family purchased the restaurant in April of this year, and proceeded with a simple but winning concept: provide great food and great service, and people will show up.
At The Maple Tree, they never use anything pre-made or from mix.
Breakfast is their specialty. They have a nice variety of items on the menu: omelettes from $6.99; red velvet pancakes ($7.99); chicken & waffles ($11.99); Steak and Eggs ($12.99); and their most popular item, the Monte Cristo sandwich ($11.99). They also make their own pastries in house—from cinnamon rolls to apple fritters ($3.99), to the very popular maple bread pudding ($4.99).
In addition to all of the food served at the restaurant, they have a full catering menu.
Pride is taken in making every meal as if they were going to eat it themselves, and it shows. In an industry that seems to be flooded with pre-made, microwaved items, the folks at The Maple Tree take pride in not being a part of the processed and artificial types of food being served elsewhere.
The Maple Tree has a big following of loyal customers that come in up to six days a week. They may not be able to serve hundreds of people at a time like the big restaurant chains (they’ve only got about a dozen tables), but what they offer is something those places can’t provide: real comfort food, and a unique dining experience. You can find the owner in the back cooking every day, making sure what you get is nothing but the best.
The Maple Tree is located in a small strip mall at 6000 Spring Mountain Road, and can be tricky to find the first time. Use your GPS if you’ve got one—you don’t want to miss this place.
And here’s your Casino Player Special of the month: mention you heard about The Maple Tree in my “Strip Search” column, and you’ll receive a free egg breakfast with a $20 purchase.
You can contact Steve Kieva at: mrvegas98@aol.com. Visit his Everything Las Vegas forums here: www.everythinglv.com/forums
