I’m Noe Alarcon, and I’ve lived in Las Vegas since 1981. I know Las Vegas, I love Las Vegas, and I hope, through Noe Knows Vegas, to share interesting anecdotes about The Entertainment Capital of the World, my home for more than four decades now.
Zero Bond
Zero Bond is coming to Wynn Las Vegas and replacing Country Club. It’s one of the hottest clubs in New York.
This has prompted some questions:
How many private clubs are there in Las Vegas? How many more are planned? Are we becoming Los Angeles or New York? Is this a good thing?
Another successful hospitality company in New York and Europe also wants to come to Las Vegas. Where is this going to be?
What are the requirements to join – status or financial? Private clubs are nothing new in Las Vegas, but are they more for showcasing, hiding or exclusivity?
The Mirage Closing
While I’m sad to say it, it’s a good thing that The Mirage is closing. When it opened, it was a dream and a fantasy. Thirty years later, it’s time for an update, a change and an evolution.
Caesars Palace is different. It was nurtured to be exceptional for a long time. Nonetheless, The Mirage was a game-changer. You had Siegfried & Roy and their tigers and dolphins. The volcano attraction was a big and free draw for tourists.
Steve Wynn took Las Vegas and made it better with The Mirage.
Julian Serrano
Award-winning, star Chef Julian Serrano’s upcoming retirement is sad for me and a big loss. Julian is a customer’s chef with unending enthusiasm. He didn’t need the cameras on to be charming.
His best restaurant in Las Vegas is Picasso at Bellagio. It showcased a lot of Spanish dishes with a European flair. He put the croquettes up there with foie gras and caviar.
The Culinary Industry
I think The World’s 50 Best Restaurants coming to Las Vegas for the first time is just like F1 Las Vegas. It was a great show with Revelry at Wynn and Indulge at Resorts World and will keep getting better. There is more than enough culinary talent in Las Vegas to compete in the world, no-name chefs who execute the same orders with endless passion, talent and skill.
Revelry and Indulge follow the lineage of The Palace Court at Caesars Palace, Montrachet Room at Las Vegas Hilton, Gigi’s at the original MGM Grand, Chateau Vegas, Michael’s at Barbary Coast, Hugo’s Cellar at 4 Queens and Sultan’s Table at The Dunes, all exceptional, world-class restaurants that are part of the culinary legacy of Las Vegas.
Signing off until next time,
Noe