After what has felt like the longest Vegas winter, “Las Vegas Mixtape” enjoyed the warm weather all over town, hitting Red Rock Canyon, the Palms Pool, and Fine Company’s outdoor patio in downtown Summerlin.
Track #1: Duran Duran, @Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas
It’s always rewarding to catch up with a legendary band that continues to thrive, takes creative risks, and is comfortable in its skin.
At the second of two shows at the Encore Theater, Duran Duran was ultra-confident. Their arena-synth-meets-guitar-rock sound was big but intimate, too, benefiting from the venue’s sterling acoustics. And frontman Simon Le Bon remains a total showman, utterly happy to be on the stage and easily reaching the high notes on a #1 gem like 1993’s “Ordinary World.”
The British band adeptly hopscotched across many genres (pop, glam, art-rock, funk, disco, goth, and hip-hop). This sons-of-David-Bowie strategy has kept them vital and engaged.
Impressively, the electro-rocking hit “Invisible” from their 2021 album “Future Past” fit right in alongside their signature smashes “Hungry Like The Wolf” and “Notorious.”
They began the night with the atmospheric “The Chauffeur” and later managed to weave Rick James’ “Super Freak” into their own 1982 deep cut “Lonely In Your Nightmare.” They also expertly mashed their early hit “Girls On Film” into Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” It was like they were DJ-ing their own anything-goes party.
Track #2: Red Rock Scenic Stop and Overlook
I’m a bright lights, big-city guy who sometimes needs a quick nature fix to shake off the world’s weight. A good place to do this is the free-and-user-friendly Red Rock Scenic Stop and Red Rock Overlook.
You’ll find it a couple of miles from the entrance to the more famous Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Visitor Center. Timed reservations ($20 per vehicle) are required there for the “Scenic Loop,” the 13-mile one-way paved road with parking areas and trailheads along the way.
But the Scenic Stop is the best choice for a quick, casual visit. The views here of the beautiful red sandstone mountains will immediately soothe anyone. You can also walk along an easily accessible path, sit on a bench, eat at a picnic table (some are shaded), and park for free (hallelujah). Sometimes, you’ll see blissful newlyweds being photographed there on weekends—it’s something sweet to watch.
Track #3: Casa Playa @Wynn Las Vegas
Since opening in 2021, this colorful and elegant Mexican eatery at Wynn Las Vegas has been a jewel in the city’s crown. The restaurant prides itself on executive chef Sarah Thompson’s “coastal cuisine.”
On my third visit to Casa Playa in the past two years, I ordered the newly added halibut entrée, which the waiter dutifully pointed out (true hospitality rules the day here). The green pumpkinseed sauce and the Mexican herb hoya santa lit up my palate, along with the chochoyotes (small balls of masa-based dough). The restaurant notably has a “housemade masa program.”
Casa Playa also impresses with its signature chips, served with three salsas and guacamole; they’re among the best we’ve had in Vegas. The green rice and the black ayocote beans, dense and flavorful with a thick skin, will also lure you in. Every bite counts here.
Track #4: Yächtley Crëw, Palms Pool @Palms Casino Resort
Everyone’s trying to find comfort in an increasingly uncomfortable world. No wonder the popularity of “yacht rock,” a catch-all term for the easy-listening pop hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s, continues to grow.
Consider the success of SiriusXM’s two yacht-rock stations and bands like the cleverly named Yächtley Crëw, who bill themselves as “The Titans of Soft Rock.” They set sail in 2017 and have become a national touring act, with an ongoing residency at The Palms Casino Resort.
Onstage, the Southern California-based, seven-piece ensemble promises a feel-good experience and energetically delivers it. Dressed in sailor outfits, they “Ride Like The Wind” like Christopher Cross, “Hold The Line” like Toto, and “Steal Away” like Robbie Dupree. It’s both a joyous and musically skillful show.
For night #2 of the band’s two-show May run at the packed-out Palms Pool, the crowd (many dressed in sailor caps scooped up at the buzzing merch stand) was worshipful. The band also took full advantage of the venue when their lovably named saxophonist “Pauly Shores” ascended the stairs to the second-level cabanas and played the classic solo from Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street.”
Yächtley Crëw return to the Palms on July 5 and 6.
Track #5: Wexler’s Deli @ Proper Eats Food Hall, 8 East @ Circa, Fine Company @Downtown Summerlin, @Naxos Taverna at Red Rock Resort
What’s the weekend without bagel and lox? And don’t forget the cream cheese, tomato, onion, lemon, and capers that complete this euphoric union of flavors and textures.
At Los Angeles import Wexler’s Deli inside the Proper Eats Food Hall at the Aria Resort & Casino, it’s easy to fall under the spell of this classic sandwich. Everything here is “house smoked/hand sliced.”
If you’re high rolling, consider the bagel and lox splurge. It’s called “The Moe Greene” and comes with “paddlefish caviar” and a “gold leaf.” Movie aficionados will know that Morris “Moe” Greene is a fictional character based on mobster Bugsy Siegel from “The Godfather.”
There are multiple highlights on the menu at the 8 East inside Circa—chef/owner Dan Coughlan’s intimate and buzzy Pan Asian spin-off of his popular Le Thai eatery downtown.
Having now dined at 8 East three times, I’m recommending their pork belly bao with pickled cabbage, slaw, cucumber, soy glaze, and a sweet-and-sour white barbecue sauce—a combination that hits every note. The lamb chop “lollipops” are equally seductive, seasoned with cumin.
Serious garlic lovers should immediately make a beeline for the diced beef brisket fried rice, with egg and the “8 East Sauce”—and probably head right home afterward. Bonus: the eatery is open until 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday.
Fine Company is a stylish neighborhood restaurant in Summerlin with a chef and owner from The Strip—Roy Ellamar, who had a successful run at Harvest by Roy Ellamar in the Bellagio.
On a recent evening here, a cut-above Caesar salad, plus an order of house blend warm olives, perfectly segued into the Lemon Pepper Chicken. This “organic breaded chicken cutlet,” served with “lemon beurre blanc and roasted marble potatoes,” is an outstanding take on the popular Chicken Milanese.
In keeping with the restaurant’s friendly moniker and vibe, Fine Company offers a complimentary “Golden Hour” cocktail on the patio Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
There are many reasons to dine at modern and seafood-centric Greek eatery Naxos Taverna at Red Rock Resort. Start with the pita and creamy muhammara spread with pomegranates and slide into the Faroe Island Salmon with roasted pumpkin and chermoula. Be sure not to leave without giving in to their Soufra dessert. It’s a gorgeously presented souffle pie—with blueberry, citrus custard, and lemon gelato—that’s sweet, creamy, and strikingly textured, thanks to the ruffled phyllo. In a city known for unforgettable desserts, this one stopped me.
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