IRON CHEF WINNER GIVES FIRST-LOOK TOUR AT HOTTEST HIPPEST NEW RESTAURANT
It’s a $7 million gamble for Iron Chef winner Kerry Simon and Palms casino-resort tycoon George Maloof. They’re betting against tradition of street-level restaurants to position their new celebrity fine food hangout around the stunning sixth floor pool deck at the new Palms Place condo-tel.
Luxe Life got the first sneak peak of the 6,000-square-feet, 180-seat restaurant and without any doubt “it’s a winner.” Expect it,overnight, to become the newest hottest hippest dining spot in town after tonight’s (THURS) grand opening.
Celebrity chef Kerry has created a theme of “sustainability” for his new dining experience. Not only for the walls, the floors of bamboo, the partitions of rope that at night lightup as crystals and a menu filled with items that are fun, safe and politically correct. “We’re serving fish that’s not over-fished and everything is organic. We’re even growing our own herbs on a special wall holding over 100 pots of basil, mint, rosemary, and chives,” he said and showed me.
George and Kerry gave me a tour of the imposing wine cellar which forms one wall of the restaurant overlooking onto the pool with its firepits and open-air dining decks with extraordinary skyline views of both the Strip and the Valley and out to the Red Rock mountains.
“We wanted upscale food and service as a true culinary destination, but with a comfortable experience for both guests and owners of the new Palms Place condos along with local residents and visiting tourists,” said Kerry. He’s incorporated a full sushi bar and an expansive bar and cocktail lounge into the unique space which provides daytime diners with beautiful views of the bronzed bikini babes decorating the pool!
He’s also kept prices very reasonable and even makes home-made pancakes for dawn diners. He’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and a smaller kitchen staff provides 24-hour room service to the condominium residents.
Kerry, who is known for his fun and delightfully eccentric approach to desserts still includes his cotton candy mountain plus mini milkhakes with frozen fruitloops on the menu!
Already restaurateur Sirio Maccione of Le Cirque fame and rival N9ne steakhouse chef Barry Dakake have been in to sneak menu tastings and pronounced it a “two thumbs up success story.” Said Barry: “This is going to be a hot spot right from the get go and another winner for the Palms.”