Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace to Close Soon, or so they say!
First there was speculation, then there was assured predictions, and now there must full blown bewilderment, complete with egg(free ranged organic)-on-face for some leading Vegas food bloggers about Guy Savoy. John Curtas at Eating Las Vegas predicted back in August 2011 that Guy Savoy was closing in October 2011, failed prediction. Then Al MaNcini received seemingly bullet proof information that Guy Savoy was closing January 2, 2012. Al describes in detail how this information was obtained, complete with confirmation from the PR people at Caesars Entertainment. When the research team at Vegas What’s Up called Guy Savoy on January 14 to check that it had indeed closed, it was surprised to learn it was still alive and kicking and still taking reservations. After bumping the query about Guy Savoy’s future up a few levels, we did receive confirmation that Guy Savoy is indeed closing, but no last date has been set. So, if you have always wanted to eat at Guy Savoy, time is quickly ticking away.
For more information on Guy Savoy at Caesars check out this listing on MavensVegas.com
Elvis Will No Longer Viva at Aria
The Las Vegas Sun is reporting that MGM has asked Cirque du Soleil to replace the Viva Elvis show at Aria. This the first time that Cirque du Soleil has been asked to close a show in Las Vegas. Cirque’s first show in Las Vegas was Mystere at Treasure Island, TI, which opened in 1993.
As the review on Vegas Mavens details, Viva Elvis was different than the other Cirqud du Soleil shows on the Strip in that it was much more of a song and dance show and rather light on spectacular acrobatics. while Viva Elvis was a good show in many respects, it just fell short of what people have come to expect from Cirque du Soleil.
Maloofs Down to 2% Ownership of Palms
Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that the deal will eliminate $400 in debt, and leave Maloof ownership at 2%. Depending on future performance, the Maloof Family will be able to raise their ownership stake to 20%. TPG Capital will have a 49% stake in the Palms, TPG is a major stakeholder in Caesars Entertainment. The article quotes George Maloof as follows:
“I don’t think operationally you’ll see much change — I think we always want to look at ways to do things better,” Maloof said. “That’s the intent.”
Tell that to the Playboy Bunnies that were fired back in November!
Magician Burt Wonderstone At Ballys
Burt Wonderstone is the character played by Steve Carell in a comedy currently being filmed in Las Vegas at Ballys. The cast also includes Steve Buscemi, who plays Wonderstone’s sidekick Anton Lovecraft, plus rival Street Magician played by Jim Carrey, and Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Olivia Wilde. Some 400 Las Vegans will participate in the film as extras.
The Daily Mail has a bunch of great on location photos, plus other film details, hats off to those Brits.
Visit to Aria Buffet Leads To Rant about Cable TV Pricing
Gavin Palone (Hollywood Producer plus Agent and Manager for Larry David and Conan O’Brien) likes buffets, and the one at Aria is his second favorite buffet in Las Vegas, Wynn being first. As he describes in his essay in New York Magazine, he has rather fussy eating requirements, not the least of which is his desire to have limited human interaction while eating:
I’m a vegetarian who tries to stay away from refined carbohydrates, so piling a plate with salad, stir-fried tofu, and vegetable sushi works well for me, as does any process that limits my interaction with other humans.
The waiter stopped by to ask Gavin, there is some human interaction even at buffets, if he wanted Red or White Wine and further inquired if he was interested in having a serving of Lobster. He declined both due to his dietary restrictions, but then took a look at his receipt and noticed the buffet was $6 more than he was used to paying at Aria. His first foray into the higher priced Weekend buffet at Aria.
While annoyed at having to pay $6 more for Lobster and Wine he doesn’t consume, his train of thought, or annoyance, jumps to his monthly cable bill.
If you don’t watch sports, you’re really being overcharged, because sports networks command the largest fees from providers: ESPN, the lobster of this cable meal, currently receives $4.69 in affiliate fees for each of their 100 million-plus subscribers.
While not the point of Polone’s essay, it does serve to remind one that the first rule of optimal buffet eating in Las Vegas is to go light on the Cheap Carbs, and load up on the pricey Crustaceans, Prime Meats and Smoked fish and you’ll feel like you got a bargain regardless of the surcharges.
