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ON THE COVER
18 LOCAL
Exploring the unique history and exciting future of Station Casinos, pioneers of the neighborhood casino.
COVER ART Photo by Wade Vandervort
24 SUMMER UNLOCKED
West Wind Drive-in transports moviegoers to a simpler time.
28 NEWS
Cherry Development’s Path to Homeownership program gives tenants a leg up.
30 SPORTS
Another new head coach is just the first of likely changes for the Vegas Golden Knights.
32 SCENE
The Evel Knievel Experience sheds light on an American legend with Vegas ties.
36 THE STRIP Come for the mimosas, stay for the slay at S Bar’s new drag brunch.
38 FOOD & DRINK
Kwame Onwuachi’s Maroon brings bold Caribbean cuisine to the Sahara.
Rocky’s monumentally busy 2025 had him welcoming his third child with Rihanna, co-chairing the Met Gala, starring alongside Denzel Washington in a Spike Lee film, serving as creative director for Ray-Ban and Puma, and gearing up for his first full release in eight years. Now, after dropping fourth studio album Don’t Be Dumb in January, the Harlem-born rapper and fashion killa is well underway on his 43-stop world tour. Fans who show out to Lord Flacko’s Vegas show can confidently get their peso’s worth out of a career-spanning setlist that’s reliably surpassed 30 songs per stop to date. 8:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, $55-$180+, axs.com. –Tyler Schneider
ARMOR FOR SLEEP With Spanish Love Songs, Flycatcher, 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.
JERRY SEINFELD 8 p.m., & 6/27, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
GEORGE LOPEZ 9 p.m., & 6/27, MGM Grand Theater, mgmgrand.com.
DUSTIN LYNCH With Vavo, Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
PLANET PERREO With Kat Avila, Exile, Iamlou, more, 9 p.m., Area15, eventim.us.
ZEDD 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.
BIG SEAN 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com.
METRO BOOMIN 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.
(Courtesy)
FINGER ELEVEN
Downtown Rocks is back with Finger Eleven. From “Paralyzer” to “One Thing,” the multi-platinum ’90s rock band takes Fremont Street Experience on June 27 as part of the free Downtown Rocks Summer Concert Series. Grab a cold drink at any of the outdoor bars, find your spot under The Canopy and experience the hype and adrenaline of summer concerts in Downtown Las Vegas. 9 p.m., free, Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience.com/dtr.
DISCOVERY DAY
10 a.m., Clark County Wetlands Park, clarkcountynv.gov.
BATTLE FOR VEGAS
6 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.
GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LAUGHS CONTINUE
2 & 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.
LAS VEGAS
MEN’S CHORUS
7 p.m. (& 6/28, 2 p.m.), Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, lvmenschorus.org.
MITCHELL TENPENNY
10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, rwlasvegas.com.
LOVE & THEFT 8 p.m., the Railhead, ticketmaster.com.
TAJ FARRANT 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
EDDIE ESCALANTE
With Vii Ghost, 8 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com.
JUNIPER KILLS With Partialist, Acting Human, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.
FISHER 11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.
MARSHMELLO 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
TIËSTO 11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com.
MIKE POSNER 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com.
Lee Canyon’s annual summer music festival offers an opportunity to escape the heat and bask in the cool of the mountain. The concert features traditional blues from Monk & the Po Boys and Southern-tinged rock from Blue River Band. Patrick Genovese of the cover band the Parametrics supports the lineup. Adults can enjoy an expanded beer garden, and all ages can enjoy food, games and watching the lumberjacking cross-saw competition.
“We encourage people to arrive early to enjoy a hike, the bike park or to take a scenic chair ride before the show. There’s something for everyone to enjoy,” says marketing manager Johnny DeGeorge. Noon, $20 parking, Lee Canyon, leecanyonlv.com.
–Shannon Miller
SUPERGUIDE
SPOTLIGHT
EVENT *Spotlight events are sponsored
A SALUTE TO BROADWAY Creation Entertainment’s
A Salute to Broadway fan convention is at the Westin Lake Las Vegas June 27-28 with appearances from Lea Salonga, Andrew Rannells, Jennifer Holliday, Alex Newell, Rent’s Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, Skylar Astin, Lindsay Mendez, Jordan Fisher, Bebe Neuwirth, Ana Gasteyer, Marc Shaiman, Santino Fontana, Seth Rudetsky and more. Also don’t miss a massive star-studded Saturday “One Night Only” concert with an 11-piece orchestra, as well as panels, autographs, photo ops, meet and greets, trivia, Marie’s Crisis pop-up piano bar singalongs and more. Use the 50% off promo code ENCORE50 through June 25. creationent.com/events/broadway
CONNOR PRICE
& NIC D
8 p.m., Bel-Aire Backyard, axs.com.
DINK FOR HOPELINK PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
1:30 p.m., Chicken N Pickle, link2hope.org.
MAHJONG SOCIAL
3 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.
PRIDESTYLE PRO WRESTLING: SAFE SPACE PROM NIGHT
6 p.m., Bizarre Bar, pridestylepro.com.
SUNDAY CIRCUIT X COFFEE & CHILL
With Shamir Kelly, 11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com.
TYGA
11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.
STEVE AOKI
11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.
VALENTINO KHAN
With Nick Elliott, noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
EXHIBIT: AFRICAN AMERICAN COTILLIONS Thru 8/4, daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Clark County Museum, clarkcountynv.gov
DJ SOURMILK 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.
BRAD GARRETT
With Gabriel Rutledge, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com.
SPITE
With Emmure, Psycho-Frame, Rev3rent, 7 p.m., Fremont Country Club, eventim.us.
LUENELL 9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.
BYRON KENNEDY
With Mary Upchurch, thru 7/5, 8 p.m., LA Comedy CLub, bestvegascomedy.com.
Courtesy
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY JUNE 30 WEDNESDAY JULY 1
KEITH THOMPSON & TONY ARIAS 6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposersroom.com.
MAX STEELE 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com.
With Jackie Fabulous, Tom Rhodes, Dustin Ybarra, thru 7/5, 8 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com. Courtesy
DJ PAULY D 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.
TURNOVER
independently-released album Down grabs from each era of the band’s expansive discography. Upon first listen it lands as a laidback dance rock project, but after a while you may pick up on the band’s confident efforts to explore and experiment with warm atmospherics and shoegaze, and event to some synthesizers. While it’s far from the band’s breakout album Peripheral it’s still worthy of your ears. Trekking on this tour with Turnover are Dallas-based grunge-gazers Narrow Head and indie rock outfit She’s Green. For those privy to the latest happenings in the alt-rock scene, this is a show you won’t want to miss.
8 p.m., $39+, the Portal at Area 15, area15.com.
–Gabriela Rodriguez
DANCE GAVIN DANCE With Horse the Band, Wolf & Bear, Novelists, 6 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
VICKI BARBOLAK 7:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.
AYYBO 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
TWENTY SIX 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.
July 1 at 9PM
July 4 at 9PM
The resourceful “trash pandas” of Raccoon Revival will help you to make recycled art and new connections
BY GEOFF CARTER
Kaitlyn Summer, left,and Rebecca Rahn (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
aitlyn Summer and Rebecca Rahn have a project for you. They don’t know what it is just yet, but they’re betting you do. While giving this interview, Summer looks over my shoulder at Weekly photographer Wade Vandervort and asks, “What do you want to try?” He responds with “oil painting,” and Summer beams: “It takes a while to dry, but we have all the materials! We could set you up. If you can dream it, we can do it.”
Raccoon Revival, Summer’s and Rahn’s nonprofit “creative reuse center,” upcycles dreams into motivations, residents into communities and trash into art. They collect donated arts and crafts supplies, usable cloth and paper scraps, and lots of household castoffs—coffee cans, soda bottles and the like—and combine them with a homespun educational component to make a warm, companionable afternoon of sitting down with new friends and making handcrafted art.
Located just north of Downtown’s Symphony Park in a quiet industrial plaza, Raccoon Revival is closing in on a proper opening date. (They’re currently offering programs outside the space; visit raccoonrevival.com for details, or check out their Instagram, @raccoonrevivallv.)
In the meantime, Summer, Raccoon Revival’s executive director, and Rahn, its program director, paint the Weekly a fun word picture.
Kaitlyn Summer: So much magic. We received donated materials from individuals, and also from companies and private entities, with the goal of serving them up to the community to make art with. We have a storefront with a pay-what-you-can model, because we want to make art accessible to everyone. And we also host workshops and meet-ups, and have creatives from throughout Southern Nevada who come together, teach a variety of different mediums and crafts, so that folks can see the magic in the discarded.
KS: A broad variety. We have connected with some of the local creative groups, folks like cosplayers and puppet makers. We also have had a week of volunteer hours this last week, where we were making big bugs with mushrooms with paper mache, all made from reclaimed materials: donated jars, toilet paper rolls. We use a variety of materials we’re diverting from the landfill, and folks can do pretty much anything with them. The sky’s the limit.
KS: I worked in tech for the last decade-ish, and I like to think this is the antidote to the algorithm. Instead of funneling your energy, your focus and your creative juices into a screen, you can funnel it into something real and tangible, and you get the gratification and reward of making something that’s not serving our tech and the corporate entities that control a lot of what we see and do. We like to think about creative reuse centers as a place to make art for humans, by humans. … We wanted to create a third space. Community is vital, especially today. We’re trying to build somewhere where everyone is invited to come together to share in the making, to connect in the real world, and to try something new.
KS: We’ve been going to Burning Man for over a decade. When you’re at Burning Man, a lot of folks choose to go by a gifted nickname. My playa name, as we call them, is Trash Panda. … Raccoons just seemed like the perfect iconography for what we’re trying to do, because they’re the poster animal of seeing the magic in the discarded. They’re the ultimate creatures that love to paw through what other people would classify as garbage and identify things that might actually have a new life that could be revived. It felt like the perfect match for what we’re trying to do.
KS: Big time. We want to serve educators specifically. Rebecca Rahn: My background is in special education. Making materials accessible to everyone, but especially teachers—that can add up easily. Encouraging art in classrooms is very important.
One of our big pillars is accessibility. From the volunteers and the community members that we’ve talked with, we’ve learned that not being blocked from doing things that you’re interested in because of money or financial struggles … that’s huge. We’re so excited to bring an opportunity where people aren’t turned away based on price.
KS: We’ve been so humbled by the amazing humans that have already offered to volunteer, contribute and connect as part of our community, and a lot of those folks are currently being underserved. We see this great momentum where this really diverse community is coming together—seeing magic in the discarded, creating together and making something that didn’t exist before.
One-of-a-kind company
Station Casinos celebrates 50 years by gearing up for the future
Frank Fertitta Jr. (left)
Station Casinos team members this month at the company’s original property, Palace Station
(Photo by Wade Vandervort)
Bingo Palace (now Palace Station, also below middle right)
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
In 1974, Ida Johnson moved to Las Vegas from Crossett, Arkansas, “a little town 3 miles from the Louisiana line,” at the behest of a cousin who was already working in the Valley.
“He said, ‘The kind of work you’re doing, you could make three times as much money in Las Vegas, so why not give it a try?’ And I did,” Johnson says.
“I put my savings together, because I’m one of those people who likes being able to pay my way. I wanted to start fresh and see what the big city was like.”
YEARS
Jr., who spent decades building it into an empire alongside his sons Frank III and Lorenzo. The next in the line is Frank Fertitta IV, who today serves as senior vice president of operations at Red Rock Resorts, Station Casinos’ parent company. His connection to Palace Station is fundamentally different from Ida’s, but no less fond.
She spent a few years working graveyard shifts at the now-shuttered Westward Ho Hotel and Casino until 1977, when she stumbled into a new opportunity to join the staff at an off-Strip property that had just been rebranded from The Casino to Bingo Palace. In 1983, it gained a more permanent identity: Palace Station.
Today, Johnson is the longest-tenured team member there, where she has cooked for her fellow employees in the team dining room for nearly 50 years. In that span, she’s watched the company, Station Casinos, navigate property acquisitions and closures, financial triumphs and lulls en route to gobbling up the offStrip market in Las Vegas.
“It’s almost like seeing your kids growing up,” Johnson says of the legacy she’s quietly helped build. “I’ve been able to do things with my kids, my grandkids and my great grandkids that I would never get to do had it not been for Station and my coworkers.”
The company was the brainchild of founder Frank Fertitta
“A lot of nights my mom would drive me and my sisters over to Palace Station to go have dinner at the Fisherman’s Broiler with my dad, who was always very adamant about having family dinners together and never really missed one,” Fertitta IV says. “I remember going up to his office and doodling on his whiteboard while he was on phone calls or taking meetings—a lot of good, happy memories.”
As Station gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary on July 1, it’s clear the company’s founding family and approximately 9,700 team members aren’t the only ones with many happy memories from time spent at its various casino and hotel properties. The organization’s uncanny ability to connect with locals has made it one of the most influential forces in Las Vegas gaming.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CASINO
After moving to Las Vegas from Texas in 1960 at the age of 21, Frank Fertitta Jr. began his career as a bellman at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and proceeded to spend the next 16 years cutting his teeth in the industry as a blackjack dealer, pit boss, and eventually, casino manager.
It was during the transitional decade of the 1970s—as Las
Vegas was shifting away from its mob ties toward its corporate era—when Fertitta came up with the concept of a casino that would cater primarily to locals.
“He understood that when you worked on the Strip all day long, you wanted to go hang out somewhere that wasn’t really around the people that you just spent your day serving,” Fertitta IV says. “I think a lot of people thought he was crazy, and thank goodness it worked out. It was really just about taking good care of people— knowing their name, asking them about their day and how their family is—and we do our best to maintain that today.”
Fertitta Jr. served as chairman until 1993, when he passed his leadership role along to his sons, just before the company entered a rapid expansion phase. Boulder Station came along in 1994, followed by the now-defunct Texas Station in 1995, Sunset Station in 1997, the acquisition of Santa Fe Station in 2000 and the opening of Green Valley Ranch Resort in 2001.
For Frank Fertitta IV, nothing matched the scale of Red Rock Resort when it debuted in 2006.
“I was a big skater kid back in the day, and I remember meeting Tony Hawk that [opening] night, which I was pretty excited about. And then the Sting concert, of course,” he says. “Mostly, I remember how proud my grandfather was of my dad and his brother during that opening, and just how big of a night it was for my family.”
Although Frank Fertitta Jr. died in 2009, his vision lives on in a company that remains dedicated to maintaining the roots its patriarch planted.
“We call it the Cheers culture, where you come in and people know your name and have a smile
on their face,” Fertitta IV says of the philosophy that has guided Station Casinos through five decades. “Even though the company evolves in terms of the way the buildings are built and the amenities we offer, the neighborhood-oriented, service-first culture will always be the same, and I think that’s really what [Fertitta Jr.] set out to do originally.”
THE FERTITTA EDUCATION
Joining Frank Fertitta IV in leading Station Casinos into the next half-century is Jordan Seager, who got his start there as a 21-year-old intern in 2007. California-born and Vegas-raised, he put in time at nearly every major Station property before becoming Red Rock’s vice president and general manager in January.
“I thought I was going to go into international trade, and I really wanted to be a lawyer. But when I was in school at
Palace Station officials start construction on a 22-story hotel tower on July 9, 1990. From left: Frank Fertitta Jr., Glenn Christenson, Joe Canfora, Jim Faso, Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta III and Blake Sartini. (Photo by Las Vegas Sun archives)
MARBLE AND SANDSTONE
Albie Colotto has officially served as Station’s design director for a decade, but he’s actually been shaping the portfolio for far longer—helping mold the Mediterranean-inspired opulence of Green Valley Ranch and the lavish aura of Red Rock in the early 2000s with the Friedmutter Group architectural firm.
“We really consider ourselves an entertainment company,” Colotto says. “It’s an escape. We want everyone to feel like they’re on vacation every time they come to our properties.”
UNLV, a buddy of mine who got an internship with Station Casinos said, ‘Hey, it’s really awesome, you should join it,’” Seager says. “I ended up interviewing for an internship right next door to Red Rock, back when the corporate offices were still under construction. We were in trailers in a dirt lot, and the [Downtown Summerlin] mall didn’t exist yet.”
Seager showed promise early, earning an offer to stay on as an analyst. He worked in other roles like finance until 2013, when he left for a new job in the San Francisco Bay area ahead of returning to Las Vegas to serve as general manager of the Lucky Dragon Hotel through 2018. But both of those detours eventually led him right back to the company that offered him his first shot.
“It wasn’t that anything was wrong. It was just an opportunity that came up that gave me a new perspective on things,” Seager says of his time away. “I wanted to come back, and that wasn’t because I didn’t have even better offers from other companies. It was because I missed the day-to-day experience of working at Stations.”
Another draw was the good, old-fashioned “Fertitta education.”
“The ability to go from property to property and take on an opportunity that maybe you weren’t quite ready for is unique to this company. Everybody wants to grow in their business, generally speaking, but sometimes those opportunities don’t come along because you’re siloed into your little world,” Seager says. “At Station Casinos, there’s this uniqueness of not only
having a lot of properties, but also a lot of different types of businesses. There are so many chances to say, hey, what are you good at, and what do you want to jump into?”
He recalls a recent conversation with a security officer who he says had amassed millions of followers as a social media influencer before opting to build a career with Stations.
“They want to use the knowledge and relationships they’ve gained here to say, how do I become a junior host? How can I jump into the butler world? How can I get into the service part of the industry? To me, that is what Station Casinos is all about,” Seager says. “There’s just a piece to our business where we’re all close, and that really makes our day-to-day operating experience so much fun.”
“It was really just about taking good care of people— knowing their name, asking them about their day and how their family is—and we do our best to maintain that today.”
– Frank Fertitta IV
More recently, Colotto played a key role in developing Station’s newest property, Durango Casino and Resort. When it opened in December 2023, the “desert oasis” represented the sleek, modern comforts that looked to carry over into Station’s future.
“When we did Durango, we really wanted to explore bringing the outdoors inside. And you could see that with the large windows and gardens right outside of them, you really feel like you’re gaming in a garden,” Colotto says.
It didn’t end there, however, as Durango is still a work in progress. In December, construction concluded on a $120 million south-end expansion that added a new bar, high-limit slot room and a 2,000-space parking garage. One month later, work began on another $385 million update to the north that will bring a 36-lane bowling alley, luxury theater, expanded restaurant offerings and entertainment venues like a country-themed live music space called Moonshine Flats.
“We’re always trying to make our projects as relevant as possible, because we don’t like to
Lorenzo Fertitta, left, and Frank Fertitta III at the groundbreaking for Aliante Station in North Las Vegas, which opened in 2008. The property changed hands in 2011 after the company’s bankruptcy and is currently owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. (Photo by Steve Marcus)
Bel-Aire Lounge at Durango Casino & Resort (Courtesy/Clint Jenkins)
Green Valley Ranch Resort (Courtesy)
LEFT Santa Fe Station ABOVE Santa Fe Station’s 4949 Lounge (Courtesy)
rest on our laurels,” Colotto says. “We have a great project, and it’s been doing well, but we don’t just say let’s just write that one out. We want to make sure our properties are well-kept enough that they go into that next generation.”
The company hasn’t been afraid to break a few unspoken rules along the way.
“Before, there was an old paradigm that you couldn’t have clocks in casinos, and you couldn’t have daylight coming in because no one wanted the people to know if it was day or night,” Colotto says. “We embraced it. We’re like, we want them to know that it’s bright and sunny, and you notice the di erence as you’re walking around the casino. It’s all about bridging the indoor and outdoor. We’re not afraid to blur that line anymore.”
This strategy has bled into older properties like Sunset Station, where the iconic Gaudi Bar closed in January for a full transformation before reopening in May—honoring its original Antoni Gaudí-inspired stained-glass
architecture while introducing a modern, high-energy feel. It’s part of a $53 million refresh that’s already underway, while an additional $87 million was set aside for other enhancements like a new steakhouse, high-limit table games room, a Stoney’s Rockin’ Country venue and Leticia’s Mexican Restaurant, among others.
“We always say we have one foot in the past and one in the future. And with Sunset’s Gaudi Bar area, we have all that beautiful stained glass, but because everything was so dark in there, people almost didn’t even appreciate it,” Colotto says.
“When we renovated, we said, let’s just do light plaster around it and put in a modern bar. So, we kept the bones, and they play o each other really nicely. I was out there with our general manager, and three people came up to us saying, ‘I’m so glad you kept the stained glass. It’s so beautiful!’”
Other properties are experiencing a similar evolution. Green Valley Ranch has seen nearly $200 million reinvested
into completed and ongoing renovations, while another $56 million has been committed for a second phase that includes a fully refreshed casino oor and new dining and drink options.
Meanwhile, Red Rock also added to its dining o erings in May, when prominent local favorites like the style-mashing pizzeria Good Pie and viral smashburger spot With Love, Always, joined the fold.
“The rst month being open inside Red Rock has been something we could have never imagined. The support from the locals has been insane,” With Love, Always co-founder and Las Vegas native Drew Belcher says. “With Love, Always is our love letter to Las Vegas, and we are honored to be a part of the Station family.”
This eye towards refreshing existing locations will continue to be a cornerstone of Station Casinos for years to come. But that doesn’t mean any plan is set in stone.
“I think we have trouble sticking to a blueprint, honestly,” Fertitta IV says. “In design meetings, we let our imaginations run wild,
and sometimes we have to reel ourselves back in. But that’s kind of the fun part of the job—taking a new piece of land somewhere and imagining what it can be.”
A NEW ERA
As Station Casinos embarks on its next 50 years, its ambitions are backed by acreage. The company already owns approximately 454 acres of developable land scattered throughout the Valley that’s already zoned for gaming.
“We kind of control our own destiny in terms of what comes next,” Fertitta IV says ahead of teasing that an announcement on the brand’s next property will come “in the not-too-distant future.”
For someone who never imagined himself doing anything else, the current milestone carries a particular weight.
“Being able to re ect on the last 50 years of watching it grow, and then know that you have an integral part in shaping the next 50 years—it’s indescribable,” Fertitta IV says. “I’m just happy to be here for the ride.”
Sunset Station’s Gaudi Bar (Courtesy); Above right, the former Texas Station, demolished in 2023. (Sun file)
Boulder Station (Sun file)
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF STATION CASINOS
When Red Rock Resort opened in Summerlin 20 years ago—how has it been that long?—we knew what to expect, but we were still excited. We’d been living in the northwest part of the Valley for a long time, and while there had been stellar local casinos closer to home with the Resort at Summerlin (1999) and the Suncoast (2000), we were clamoring for our own Station.
We’d spent years floating out to Henderson to meet friends and party at Sunset Station, and then Green Valley Ranch Resort opened
in 2001, the fanciest locals’ spot ever. We were so jealous of those eastside friends. But now, Red Rock was ours.
If you don’t understand why it was so exciting, you probably haven’t lived in Las Vegas very long. Station Casinos properties have a way of truly connecting to their neighbors, making it feel like something for the community rather than a huge hospitality enterprise.
At Red Rock, that manifests in a constantly changing restaurant lineup, because Summerlin folks have evolving tastes in dining.
That’s why Strip-level eateries like Osteria Fiorella, Blue Ribbon Sushi and T-Bones Chophouse are there now, and why local legend Lotus of Siam opened there, and why fan favorite Hearthstone Kitchen returned.
For us, it’s the luxurious Red Rock vibes that always brought us back. At times we lived just a few minutes away, yet every visit felt like a relaxing escape to a desert spa resort we probably couldn’t afford. Sometimes we’d valet-park at the hotel entrance, just so we could enter through
Red Rock’s grand lobby and have a drink at the charming bar. That’s one thing locals always need—an escape, just for a little while.
I’m sure southwest residents who’ve been settling in at Durango have similar feelings now for their own spot. Station Casinos are for us, the residents of a city where most things are not. And frequently, the neighborhood revolves around the neighborhood casino—and all its colorful, diverse offerings—the same way the rest of Las Vegas revolves around the Strip. –Brock Radke
Red Rock Resort’s lobby bar (Courtesy)
BY SHANNON MILLER
Standing an apparent six stories high and topped with a many-pointed star, the West Wind Drive-In’s sign beckons with neon lettering, “THEATRE.” Turning our car in and pulling up to the ticket booth, we pass under lightbulb-lined parabolas jutting out of the concrete like portals to a simpler time.
A friendly attendant welcomes us and scans a QR code that was emailed to me when I bought the tickets online ($7.50-$10.25 for adults). She hands me a piece of paper that says our lot number and the FM station we can tune into for our movie’s audio. No downloading an app required, just the good, old-fashioned radio. We follow cones and signs to our massive screen and pull into a parking spot. With the front wheels perched atop a berm in the pavement, the windshield is raised to a perfect, movie-viewing angle. We roll down the windows, kill the engine and get comfortable.
A summer breeze carries the cooling air as the last bits of pink and purple sunset melt into the night. Helicopters duck behind the screen and land at the adjacent North Las Vegas airport like roosting birds. Families pile out of their cars and build camp with lawn chairs and coolers. Some back into spots and open their trunks, revealing full mattresses inside. Kids run around, returning only to ask for a little money for the snack bar and arcade games.
When the projector flicks on, we all tune in—each in our own capsules, and yet in community, quietly reveling in the entertainment of cinema under the stars.
Bring snacks Concessions are available at West Wind’s snack bar, but if you’re trying to save a few bucks, why not bring your own picnic? Pre-popped popcorn and pretzels are good staples, as well as candy that won’t melt (leave the chocolate at home). Coolers are essential for drinks—icy delights on a hot night.
Get comfy Come early to get a good spot. West Wind’s drive-in has clearly marked parking and berms toward the front of each parking spot, angling the car up toward the screen. Sit back and watch through your front windshield, or back into a spot and set up around your open trunk. There’s no one way to recline.
Hear us out Full transparency, the image and sound quality of the drive-in just can’t measure up to a proper indoor movie theater. But with the drive-in experience, you save some money and you gain so much—being able to scream at full volume at that jump scare, for instance, or having a conversation about the movie in real time.
The Cosmopolitan’s rooftop pool escape is playing movies every Monday through August on the resort’s 64-foot digital marquee. Parking is free with validation. Through Labor Day, The Pool at Sahara is projecting films on its 240-foot LED video wall. And through September, Fontainebleau is screening classic comedies, blockbusters and family favorites every Sunday at its six-acre Oasis Pool deck ($5 admission for locals).
IN THE NEWS
INFRASTRUCTURE
Regents give go-ahead for Vegas Loop Tesla station near UNLV
UNLV will be getting its own stop on the Boring Company’s Vegas Loop, despite a wave of opposition from students and local residents.
The Nevada Board of Regents voted near-unanimously June 22 in a special meeting to approve four different agreements between UNLV and the Elon Musk-owned Boring Company for the construction of a Vegas Loop station on the western edge of the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot near the Campus Services Building. Regent Aaron Bautista was the sole vote against this project.
UNLV interim President Chris Heavey told regents that the Boring Company had approached the university with “extremely favorable terms to UNLV” in exchange for the school allowing a connection to the Tesla-filled tunnels.
The initial agreement between UNLV and the Boring Company will last 50 years, with the university assuming ownership of the completed station if approved and not paying any operating fees, construction fees or “other compensation to developer in connection with the construction, operation or maintenance of the station.” The Boring Company will also be responsible for areas such as staffing and security, according to the agreement. UNLV would retain 100% of parking revenue on the property, along with part of concessions and advertising revenue inside the station.
More than 35 students and community members sent written public comments to regents opposing the proposed station and tunneling while nearly 10 others made their
opposition heard in person or over the phone.
Many urged the board to request environmental impact and financial impact studies prior to voting. Other students highlighted the Boring Company’s association to Musk, and the company’s environmental and labor violations cited by state regulators and Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Tyler Fairbanks, project manager at the Boring Company, said Monday that the Vegas Loop would be “less than 10 minutes, less than $10” from UNLV to any of the planned 104 stations across the valley. There are currently nine operating stations, five within the Las Vegas Convention Center campus and four at resorts on the north end of the Strip.
–Grace Da Rocha
Bill Foley, founder and majority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, announced Monday he is pursuing a National Basketball Association franchise for Las Vegas and has retained Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC as his exclusive financial advisor.
“Las Vegas has earned its place among the great sports cities in America, and an NBA team belongs here,” Foley said in a statement. “We built the Golden Knights into a championship organization from the ground up, and we are prepared to do it again—with the same standard ... and the same insistence on winning.”
While other NBA arena projects are in development, Foley’s group would plan to bring the team to play at T-Mobile Arena. League officials expect to decide on the possible expansion by the end of the year. –Brock Radke
PERFECT FIT
Adam El Amrani gets help with his white coat from Anissa Costello, chair of clinical education at Nova Southeastern University, at Green Valley Ranch Resort on June 18. The college held the traditional ceremony for an inaugural class of 26 students in Nevada’s first anesthesiologist assistant program. Read the full story at lasvegassun.com. (Steve Marcus/staff)
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment launches discounted tickets to shows
Caesars Entertainment is offering $50 tickets to dozens of live shows and attractions at its eight Las Vegas resorts—Kelly Clarkson’s residency at the Colosseum, Jeezy at PH Live, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live at Flamingo and many more. Some shows are available as two-for-$50 deals, with discounts subject to service fees and taxes and a limited number of tickets available for each performance. The offers apply to dates running into fall, but tickets must be purchased at ticketmaster. com/caesars50 before the promotion ends at 10 p.m. June 29. –Staff
READTO WIN!
Sign up for the Library District’s Summer Challenge program to enjoy reading whatever you like, earn cool rewards, and participate in fun events!
COOL EVENTS!
All participants ages 0 – 17 receive a book reward, and participants ages 18+ receive a Book Buck that can be redeemed for any one item at any Library District bookstore. Participants of all ages also receive a voucher for five free boneless wings from Wingstop.
Then, when you complete the challenge, you will receive a voucher for a free treat from Freed’s Bakery, one free personal pizza from Pizza Hut, and your choice of one of these cool rewards. KIDS & TEENS AGES 0
Dreamcatcher by Leland Faulkner
Traditional tales will be brought to life through modern storytelling.
Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Sahara West Library
Friday, June 26 at 11 a.m.
East Las Vegas Library
Ages 5 – 11
Paige Hernandez - Havana Hop* Dance along in this interactive play as the hero discovers her fun, multicultural heritage by blending hip-hop and salsa.
Tuesday, July 14 at 11 a.m.
West Charleston Library
Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m Clark County Library
Anime Your Way with Carlos Nieto* Learn how to create unique characters!
Multiple dates & locations in June Ages 12 – 17
Paige in Full with Paige Hernandez*
Move your body in this beat-filled visual mixtape that blends poetry, dance, media, and music.
Tuesday, July 14 at 4 p.m.
West Charleston Library
Ages 12 – 17
Scan here for event details
Take Legendary Photos of Your Epic Adventures*
Photojournalist Daniel James Clark will share tips and tricks to master exposure and composition.
Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m.
Enterprise Library
Saturday, June 27 at 3:30 p.m.
Centennial Hills Library
Soundtrack to the Story with Dr. Alexandria Le*
Connect the themes from your summer reading with storyinspired piano music. A live, narrated piano concert will follow, connecting world folklore, myth, and modern legend.
Workshop Saturday, July 18 at 11:30 a.m.
Windmill Library
Concert
Saturday, July 18 at 3 p.m.
Windmill Library
RENTING MOVE TO
Cherry Development’s new Pathway to Homeownership program could reshape how Valley developers think about housing BY
Most landlords want to keep their tenants. Cherry Development managing partner Jason LeDell wants to help his move out. The Las Vegas developer announced its new Path to Homeownership Program in April, setting aside $200 a month for participating residents of its three ShareDown-
town apartment communities for a future down payment or closing costs on a home in Clark County. Eligible tenants include those who are now moving into the new 104-unit ShareWestside project, which opened June 17, and at existing buildings in the Arts District and Fremont East.
TYLER SCHNEIDER
LeDell labels it a “first-of-its-kind” concept for a private developer. Indeed, it’s hard to find anything quite like it anywhere in the U.S. The idea was spurred a few years back, when he heard speakers at the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority’s annual forum highlighting a federally backed pro-
ShareDowntown Arts District (Courtesy)
gram in which qualifying housing choice voucher holders can convert their rental subsidy toward a mortgage.
“I got a little bit emotional when I saw those people share their stories,” LeDell tells the Weekly. “We said, how can we incorporate this into what we do now? I was sure some other apartment communities were doing the same thing. I was wrong.”
LeDell and his team spent more than a year meeting with prospective partners who could support tenants through the process of buying a home with discounted services, credit counseling and mortgage guidance. They initially approached major financial institutions before a nonprofit suggested they pivot to the local lenders, businesses and attorneys who would ultimately sign on to help. The Housing Authority, Clark County and the City of Las Vegas also joined, allowing voucher holders to potentially stack their Cherry Development allotment with existing assistance programs.
LeDell calls it a “triple win”—for the residents, for the community that gains a
homeowner and for Cherry Development, whose best advertising is a tenant who becomes a homeowner.
The company will transfer $200 into a dedicated account for participating tenants each month they pay rent. Contributions are capped at 24 months—$4,800 total—though participants can extend to a third year if they need more time for credit repair. Funds can be accessed after 12 months and must go toward a home purchase in Clark County. If a resident leaves without buying, their funds return to Cherry Development.
Las Vegas native Austin Littlefield is one of three tenants who have officially signed on, though both he and Cherry Development note that many more have expressed interest. He’d already been saving up for a down payment as far back as 2018, until COVID derailed those plans and prompted him to move into the 63-unit ShareDowntown Arts District property about two years ago.
When he first heard about the program, Littlefield initially thought he’d have to pay
the installments himself. But a half-hour call with LeDell extinguished all doubts.
“He said, ‘No, we’re putting the money aside for you.’ It sounded perfect, because I’d been wanting to buy for a while,” Littlefield says. “Now, it’s kind of like all the stars have aligned.”
For him, the opportunity “moved the needle” on a goal that seemed to be getting further out of reach.
It comes at a time when Nevada’s 2025 homeownership rate of 59.1% trails all other states except New York, California and Hawaii, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. It fell from 61.5% in 2024, still well below the 2026 first-quarter national average of 65.3%. Southern Nevada’s median home price hit $490,000 in May, according to Las Vegas Realtors.
“We need home ownership in this city. Nobody can deny that,” LeDell says. “The vision is that they’ll have enough funds to not only pay all of their down payment and closing costs, but also keep their payment within 10% of what they’re currently paying in rent.”
Other developers were initially skeptical.
“They said, ‘Wait, you’re paying your residents to leave?’ That’s kind of where I came up with that triple win. I said, ‘I think you’re missing the point,’” LeDell says.
“Our goal is to have every apartment community here consider this as an option,” LeDell says. “It’s 100% doable. It’s just going to take some educating, and maybe even somebody coming through the program. I won’t name any names, but a major Valley developer has since reached out and is now considering something similar. The conversations are starting.”
As LeDell sees it, the proof of concept will come when the first resident cuts a ribbon at closing.
“Apartments don’t build communities. You need to have them, but it’s transient, and you need to build community along with that,” he says.
ShareDowntown Fremont East (courtesy)
Vegas Golden Knights can’t run it back after coming within two wins of the Stanley Cup
BY CASE KEEFER
On the night of Sunday, June 14, after losing Game 6 to fall to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella wasn’t sure if he wanted to return next season.
By the next morning, he had made his decision. The veteran coach informed Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon he wanted to stay in a meeting at the franchise’s headquarters in Summerlin. McCrimmon had to explain that it wouldn’t be an option, and that the team was instead promoting Henderson Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig to his first NHL head-coaching role.
“I have pretty strong feelings of what I think of the organization, where it needs to go next,” McCrimmon later explained. Consider Craig stepping in for Tortorella and becoming the Golden Knights’ fifth coach in their 10-year history the first
domino to fall this offseason. There are many more to follow.
McCrimmon and Co. maintained an enviable amount of continuity in the season following their first two Stanley Cup Final runs, in 2017 and 2023, but that’s not going to repeat this time around.
The roster is too veteran-laden and expensive, pressed up against the salary cap, to keep everyone.
“It’s the nature of the business that there’s always some change,” McCrimmon said. “That’s what we’re digging into now.”
Locked into eight-year, near-maximum contracts, 29-year-old forwards Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are set as the centerpieces of the Golden Knights for years to come.
Captain Mark Stone, 34, has a year left on his own eight-year deal he signed with the club in 2019 and remains just as valuable. He solidified
his desire to keep playing in Vegas coming off what he described as arguably the best season of his career.
Any of the other forwards could wind up on different teams next year.
Pavel Dorofeyev, the team’s leading goalscorer the past two seasons, is a restricted free agent, meaning he could draw an offer sheet from another team that the Golden Knights would be hardpressed to match.
Vegas is always aggressive in the trade market, and Dorofeyev could represent an attractive piece. Ditto for fan favorite and “Original Misfit” William Karlsson, who’s on a cheap, expiring contract and a subject of constant trade rumors—ones McCrimmon has disputed.
The outlook forecasts similarly on the other side of the ice. The top defensive pair of Shea Theodore and
Brayden McNabb may not be quite as untouchable as Eichel and Marner, but it would be a shock if they weren’t back for their 10th seasons.
The second pair of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson will likely bolster them, but they both had disappointing Stanley Cup Final performances that contributed to the loss.
The 29-year-old Andersson is now a free agent, though McCrimmon splurged on adding him before this year’s trade deadline in a costly deal with the Calgary Flames. It’s unlikely both sides agreed to the move without an expectation of a longterm deal.
pressed a desire to return next season and atone for a Stanley
Ryan Craig
Cup Final showing he personally graded harshly. Hanifin was benched late in Game 6, but McCrimmon revealed an undisclosed injury that he was playing through that would have kept him out for weeks if not months of the regular season.
million contract.
In a need to cut salary to retain players like Dorofeyev, many around the NHL have speculated on trading players like Hanifin and declining center Tomas Hertl, a prized pair acquired during the 2024 trade deadline.
Vegas will almost certainly at least explore making that type of salary-dumping deal with goalie Adin Hill, who was disastrously benched at the end of this season in the first year of a six-year, $37.5
In net is where Vegas must improve the most after ranking at the bottom of the NHL all season by all goaltending metrics. Hill’s usurper Carter Hart pulled the Golden Knights up for most of the playoffs but then had a historically poor Stanley Cup Final where he became the first goalie ever to give up at least four goals in five consecutive games.
Hart should be back on the second year of a more cost-effective two-year, $4 million contract but hasn’t proven he can be a reliable No. 1 starter.
Some rumblings have surfaced that three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, whom many consider the best goalie in the world, could be
traded from the Winnipeg Jets. There’s no concrete evidence so far, but Vegas almost always pursues the biggest-name players available. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has already requested a trade and submitted a three-team list of preferred landing spots with the Golden Knights included.
But those types of acquisitions would require giving up a lot of current difference-makers, especially with the Golden Knights’ cupboard of future draft assets barren from years of moves.
Even though he’s just been elevated, Craig has among the strongest ties to the whole history of the organization. McCrimmon hired him to his first assistant-coaching role going into the Golden
Knights’ inaugural season, and Craig went on to work under all four coaches in franchise history.
He named Tortorella as his single biggest influence, largely because he initially broke into the NHL as a player under him with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2006.
Now Craig will be looking to finish what Tortorella came so close to achieving in winning the Stanley Cup, albeit with a different cast of characters.
“You have to build your team, and this team has been built from standards since Day 1 and those standards aren’t going to change,” Craig said. “You talk about winning the Stanley Cup or competing for the Stanley Cup.”
The Vegas Golden Knights ended the season losing in the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Photos by Steve Marcus
obert Craig Knievel was born in Butte, Montana in 1938. It’s important to understand that the man who later became Evel Knievel was made of flesh and blood, because in exploring The Evel Knievel Experience—opening June 27 in Downtown’s Arts District—it’s easy to allow yourself to believe that the legendary motorcycle stunt performer and outrageously successful self-promoter is an American myth, a jump-suited contemporary of Paul Bunyan. But he really did walk the earth for a time … or, more often, jumped over it on heavy bikes, usually sticking the landing but occasionally shattering his bones on the tarmac.
The evidence of Knievel’s 75 stunt jumps—most of which were done on a Triumph Bonneville T120 and later a Harley-Davidson XR-750, though he attempted one ill-fated jump in a custom-built rocket cycle—is creatively presented throughout The Evel Knievel Experience, with lots of film and smashed metal to back up even the most outrageous and mind-boggling stories.
An entire room is devoted to Knievel’s New Year’s Eve 1967 stunt in Las Vegas, an attempt to jump the fountains in front of Caesars Palace that resulted in a crushed pelvis and femur, hip, ankle and wrist fractures, and a concussion. (But he cleared the fountains. Put respect on his name.)
If you’re looking for a unique way to observe the 250th birthday of this country, there are few better ways than to witness the artifacts left by one of its living myths. Here are a few of our favorites.
The Evel Knievel Experience sticks the landing with some rare 1970s Americana
BY GEOFF CARTER
Knievel’s big rig, which transported his bikes and ramps and boasted an apartment on wheels, was custom-built for him by truck manufacturer Mack. The interior is right in line with Knievel’s aesthetic. He was so aligned with the stars and stripes, it’s a wonder we didn’t add him to the flag.
A near-perfect example of Knievel’s cultural influence and savviness in building his personal brand—exceeded in popularity, perhaps, by the wind-up Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle toy—the Knievel lunchbox and thermos was near-ubiquitous in schools in the 1970s.
Photos by Steve Marcus
THE EVEL KNIEVEL EXPERIENCE
1001 S. First St., 725-214-6047, ekexperience.com
Daily, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., $35.
Designed by a proper rocket scientist, Robert Truax, Knievel employed the Skycycle to jump Idaho’s Snake River Canyon in September 1974. The bad news is he didn’t make it to the other side. The good news is he survived the attempt, with the Skycycle parachuting to the canyon floor, missing the river by mere feet.
This custom fuel tank, designed by artist George Sedlak in 1976, was never mounted on one of Knievel’s jump bikes as it was created near the end of his performing career. The $100 bills were a likely refer ence to Knievel’s demand to be paid for his jumps in cash.
In February 1973, at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Knievel used this bike to jump 50 crushed cars, stacked in a total of 18 car lengths. This XR-750 weighs 300 pounds, a relative lightweight bike for Knievel. (He made jumps on bikes weighing up to 500 pounds.) By comparison, Travis Pastrana’s stunt bikes weigh between 220 and 240 pounds.
Five Las Vegas music releases that deserve to be on your radar
BY AMBER SAMPSON & GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Pretty Fancy Destroyer
Gateway song: “Moonflower”
The self-produced Pretty Fancy Destroyer is a nocturnal creature—all “late-night tension, surreal imagery, and altered-state experiences,” as vocalist Jason Muller puts it. Desert rock riffs and driving melodies define this project, especially on standout tracks “Stiletto Bayonet” and “Moonflower.” It’s moody but balanced by energetic guitar work that recalls much of the grit and atmosphere of early Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys. It’s a world “where beauty and unease coexist,” Muller says. And we’re happily living in it. blastflashes.bandcamp.com. –AS
Accolades
Gateway song: “Downtown Love”
featuring A Ron Rapper Creed Chameleon embarks on his first solo project in four years after manning the mic with the Hawaiian-born hip-hop collective Dotwav. Across 11 tracks, Chameleon enters a flow state of rhymes that capture the cadence of ’90s hip-hop greats thanks to exceptional production by Hawaii’s Jojo Flow. “New Wav Outlawz,” featuring Sirrealist and Paradigm, plays fast and loose, like a Wu-Tang joint resurrected from the grave. And “Downtown Love,” with its speeding freestyles and soulful sample of Evelyn “Champagne” King, belongs on every summer playlist. linktr.ee/creedchameleon. –AS
Seven Zero Two Gateway song: “Circles”
Plague Doctor
Gateway song: “Doomroller”
Since its 2018 inception, Plague Doctor has remained a fixture on our list of bands worth following closely. The quartet stays firmly tethered to its sludge-drenched doom foundations, stretching songs beyond the five-minute mark and trusting a profoundly oppressive atmosphere to do the heavy lifting. Mountains of down-tuned, fuzz-saturated riffage collide with unsettling basslines and ghostly vocal laments, creating a sound that feels unearthed. Released last year, the self-titled EP continues to linger and swallow every room it enters. linktr.ee/plaguedoctor_lv. –GR
Unadulterated
Gateway song: “Blasphemous Act”
Three and a half years after the breakout spark of Discount Fireworks, Roman Candle returns with Unadulterated, its most expansive and meticulously rendered statement yet. Piper Ferrari commands the record with a magnetic conviction, weaving spoken word passages into a world of serrated guitars, taut basslines and punchy percussion. The opening track even features the cello, an instrument Ferrari learned specifically for the occasion. Reframing early 2000s screamo through a hardcore lens, the album balances cathartic intensity with an enduring creed in being heard. linktr.ee/romancandlex. –GR
Sonia Barcelona called this mash-up with Adam Rellah, known as the local muralist Pretty Done, a musical “side quest.” We’ll take several more. Seven Zero Two, much like Rellah’s artwork, feels like one epic scrawl of influences scratched into the surface. The album pulses with hyperactivity, building off a palette of hip-hop, dance-pop and turbulent guitar riffs that Barcelona’s vocals coast across easily. Buzzy dance primers like “Groove On” set the scene, just for it to be imploded by the bombastic electronica of tracks like “Sexy Terror.” It’s unpredictable fun for all occasions. linktr.ee/artofsonia. –AS
S Bar serves up a sickening new drag brunch that’s tailor-made for the Strip
BY AMBER SAMPSON
“This is a gay strip club.”
That’s how fabulous host Jayson Michael, better known as the emcee of Chippendales, chooses to introduce S Bar’s new drag brunch. And where exactly is the lie? It’s Sunday and we’re surrounded by royalty. The queens have come out to play, and their sole diplomatic duty is to slay, slay, slay.
The Valley has no shortage of drag brunches—Gipsy’s Drag Ultra Brunch, the longstanding Hamburger Mary’s and Hard Rock Cafe’s sickening lineup of Drag Race divas keep us fed on their jaw-dropping routines. But we could always use more.
with an Aspen vodka shot. Bottomless mimosas are a must but don’t expect any pre-mixed, watered-down concoctions here. The servers stand at the ready with fresh Champagne—your cup runneth over on Sundays. During opening week end, we soaked it all up with family-style offerings of steak and egg flatbread; deviled eggs with chipotle hollandaise and chorizo, smoked salmon toast and the quintessential drag brunch favorite: glazed Nashville chick en and waffles.
S BAR BOTTOMLESS DRAG BRUNCH
S Bar’s take on a traditional drag brunch is upscale, if not a little surprising. Who knew this chic little cocktail lounge, all lush ambiance and brass accents, could host such an unruly scene? Yet here we are, flinging dollar bills at the cinched waists of iconic drag performers like CoCo Montrese, Elliott with 2 Ts, Kourtney La’Roux and Leilani Jackson-Ross. They’re climbing on all the furniture, belting out those high notes and showering us in sequins. This is liberation. This is how you drag.
June 28, noon, $80. Mandalay Bay, opentable.com.
Of course, it wouldn’t be anything without its brunch. Typically drag brunch pours more love into the spectacle than the food, but S Bar retains every bit of its Strip sophistication when it comes to its menu. You’re greeted
S Bar’s spacious and intimate floor plan also makes every seat in the house prime real estate for an extravagant show. But it’s about more than that. Drag brunches have a propensity for bringing people together—even the unlikeliest of audiences. At a recent brunch, one woman celebrating her 79th birthday found herself doing shotskis with a group of strangers who became her friends for the next 90 minutes. Drag is as much of an artform as it is a celebration. Locals and tourists alike congregate for it, eager to catch the kinetic energy associated with these divine queens.
S Bar’s next drag brunch on June 28 will commemorate Pride Month with a major blow out. Come for the brunch, stay for the chaos.
Maroon patties, crispy Chilean sea bass, rum-aged steak and piri piri chop salad
Kwame Onwuachi’s Maroon brings bold Caribbean cuisine to the Strip
BY AMBER SAMPSON
During an early morning visit to the Westside’s Obodo Collective urban farm last August, chef Kwame Onwuachi had some thoughts on the state of Las Vegas dining.
“There should be more Caribbean restaurants on the Strip,” he said. “Seeing yourself on a plate of food is also representation, and I don’t think we should forget that.”
Fast forward to April, when the James Beard Award-winning chef opened his first West Coast restaurant at the Sahara, the unique steakhouse Maroon.
After establishing acclaimed New York City restaurant Tatiana and Washington, D.C.’s Dōgon, he has now added the first significant presence of African and Caribbean flavors at a Strip resort.
A smoky-sweet aroma hangs in the air from the moment you step inside. It’s the fragrance of marinated and dry-rubbed meats roasting in custom-built jerk pits. Maroon’s whole atmosphere vibrates on a wavelength of sexy. A slow-burn soundtrack of R&B— Joe’s “I Wanna Know,” Wale’s “Lotus Flower Bomb”—sets the mood like a precursor to the main event: the food.
Onwuachi’s Nigerian, Jamaican and Trinidadian upbringing leaps off each plate. The Maroon patties ($40) are rich bites of oxtail and Ossetra caviar, truffles and parmesan rounding out an exceptionally decadent starter.
Don’t even think about skipping the sauces. Maroon’s flight of condiments ranges from tangy sweet to fire-pit smoky, but Onwuachi doesn’t play about his spice. It’s a buildable kind of heat, lingering after each bite.
Maroon’s steaks are also rumaged, offering a hint of sweetness with a molasses glaze. It all pairs perfectly with the steakhouse’s Caribbean-infused sides like crawfish mashed potatoes ($18). Your palate is in for a crash course in adventurous eating all night. Bowls of bluefin tuna, hamachi and braised octopus ($42) arrive with saltines and brightly acidic sauces. The agnolotti ($32) comes stuffed with peppery curried goat and a vibrant velouté sauce. And Maroon’s piri piri chop salad ($32)—a signature the chef loves to switch up at each of his restaurants—took months to develop. Beautifully dressed with Green Goddess marinade, spicy curry sauce, parmesan, yellow tomatoes and gooseberries, this leafy work of art has crunch and complexity. Onwuachi’s braised oxtails, a Jamaican staple, appear throughout the menu, in his oxtail Wellington ($120), which feeds two, and the curry shrimp fried rice ($72). But if you’re truly craving Caribbean cooking— the kind rooted in the legacy of the Jamaican Maroons who inspired the restaurant’s name— order a rack of lamb ($70) or 16-ounce pork tomahawk ($75) directly from the jerk pits. Dining at Maroon offers a taste of culture rarely seen anywhere in Las Vegas. Onwuachi cooks from a place of memory and home. It’s evident even when you order something as simple as plantains, as servers gently remind you the regional pronunciation is actually “plantins.” Tiny details like that offer a window into Onwuachi’s culinary world, one we’re happily living in.
FRENCH TEAM-UP DINNER ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR RISING CHEF TAYDEN POHA-ELLAMAR
BY BROCK RADKE
If you happen to be a fan of fine French cuisine, two of the hottest young local chefs are uniting their talents for one night only this week. Tayden Poha-Ellamar, formerly of Le Cirque and L’atelier de Joël Robuchon and current chef at Braseria by Edo, will be hosting at the acclaimed new off-Strip restaurant and teaming with Tyler Vorce, formerly of The French Laundry and currently gearing up to open his own Lilli restaurant in the Chinatown district in August after a long and successful local pop-up.
There will be two seatings of their French Connection collaboration on June 28, so grab your reservation asap (braseriabyedo.com). Poha-Ellamar says once he met Vorce and realized they had a similar approach to the classic cuisine, a special dinner just made sense. “It’s going to be a fun night of cooking,” he says.
We’re especially excited for it—and for return visits to Braseria to see how the menu evolves— because we’ve also been fans of Poha-Ellamar’s father’s cooking. Roy Ellamar was the first Las Vegas chef to have his name on a restaurant in a Strip resort, the ingredient-driven Harvest at Bellagio.
“Growing up, I was always in kitchens, and after school I’d wait for him at the restaurant back home in Hawaii,” Poha-Ellamar says.
Long story short: He enrolled in culinary school, graduated, and during a visit to see Dad in Las Vegas, he staged at a few restaurants (essentially an unpaid internship) and eventually got his first job at the former Sage at Aria.
The rest is history. “If you surround yourself with people better than you, you learn quickly,” he says.
Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com.
FRENCH CONNECTION COLLABORATION
DINNER
June 28, 5 & 7:30 p.m., $125. Braseria by Edo, braseriabyedo.com.
Courtesy/Rob Studio G
INPATIENT CONSULTANTS OF NEVADA, INC.
seeks Hospitalist Physicians (multiple positions) for Las Vegas, NV facilities. diagnose and treat disease, injuries, & illness. Reqs: Med. Degree (or foreign equivalent), Completion of Residency in Internal or Family Medicine, Eligible for NV state medical license.
Qualified applicants send resume to: Melissa_Luttmann@teamhealth.com and reference job code 703
