STRIP SCRIBBLES
*At lunch in Spago at the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace I ran into real-estate developer and builder Bruce Eichner. I quizzed him, perhaps too aggressively (I’m sorry about that, Bruce) on progress of his delayed Stripfront Cosmopolitan project between the Bellagio alongside the colossus MGM City center.
He says construction is well along and he’s hoping that glass will start going on the first three level facades of stores, restaurants and casino in late March/early April, and that the first tower will be “topped off” by November. You can watch the actual progress with time-lapse video at www.cosmolv.com. Bruce added that he’s also just successfully wrapped up a new $400-million additional equity capital deal in the exciting condo-hotel, which will be operated by the prestigious worldwide Hyatt hotels operation.
*An advance sneak peak at the Zagat ’08 Vegas guide reveals two off-Strip restaurants have crashed the party for the top five restaurant rankings in the highly-respected new survey lists.
Congratulations to Rosemary’s and Todd’s Unique Dining for joining the elite group of Guy Savoy (Caesars Palace), Joel Robuchon (MGM) and Nobu (Hard Rock) in the “Top Food” Rankings.
The top five “Most Popular” were Picasso (Bellagio), Bouchon and Delmonico’s (Venetian), Aureole (Mandalay Bay) and the Bellagio buffet!
Joel Robuchon at MGM won for “Top Service” with Picasso at Bellagio and Alex at WYNN heading up the Top Décor ratings.
In the nightclub arena, the “Most Popular” top five were TAO (Venetian), Pure, (Caesars) Rumjungle (Mandalay Bay), Tryst (WYNN) and the House of Blues (Mandalay Bay). George Maloof’s Playboy Club at the Palms scored high in the top-appeal, top décor and top service ratings.
The Top five “Most Popular” hotels were Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn, Mandalay Bay and Caesars Palace, with the Four Seasons coming out on top in the “Best Overall” category.
The votes were tallied from 5,279 individual local Vegas participants. Nationwide, Zagat has 300,000 surveyors for all of its city-guides, which have been published for 29 consecutive years. The Zagat Vegas Guide points out that the average cost of a meal here without drinks has risen to $44.44—up 7.9% from last year’s $38.38—higher than both New York at $39.46 and Los Angeles at $33.29.
*Our Luxe Life legionnaires reported Dr. 90210 star Robert Rey and funny man Steve-O dining at Strip House inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, while over at the Hard Rock, actor John Krasinski hoped his baseball cap would keep him unrecognized in the crowd. On TV John stars in The Office and in George Clooney’s new movie Leatherheads. He chatted with Ben Lyons, of E!’s Daily 10 show, who invited the actor to join his Smashtime party in the Body English nightclub. Pro-skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, from MTV’s Life of Ryan show, treated his dad to lunch at the adjoining Pink Taco.
*Mighty small world with superstar actor Robert DeNiro renting my former beachfront home on Jumby Bay in Antigua for the holidays. While there he dined at my old girlfriend, Cecilia Nord’s new Oceanside Bistro. I’ll be able to find out how he liked all of it when he arrives at the Hard Rock mid-week to open his new AGO Italian restaurant there.
*Our condolences on the sad cancer death of Wolfgang Puck’s first pizza chef, Ed Ladou, aged just 52. He went on later to develop the first menu at California Pizza Kitchen. Ed, under Wolf’s watchful eye at the original Spago in West Hollywood, started the west-coast pizza revolution that gave the world such innovative creations as the barbecue chicken pizza, pizza with breast of duck and hoisin sauce and pizza with marinated shrimp. Our friend, Wolfgang discovered Ed cooking when he lunched in San Francisco’s Prego restaurant and lured him down to Tinseltown in 1982 as his pizza chef. Wolf gave him as many as 300 different toppings to play with as pizza combinations.
*No sooner did Yoko Ono arrive in town than she zipped off to last night’s (SUN) 7 p.m. performance of the Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. Included in her group of business associates and friends was Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.