Looking Ahead: What's Next for Nevada? And for Vegas? (Part 1)

2010 has definitely been a wild ride... But what might 2011 possibly have in store for us?

Soon-to-be-Governor Sandoval is already loading up his future staff. Education activists are already threatening law suits if Governor Sandoval and/or The Legislature try to cut too much. And speaking of that budget, it will be quite brutal and internal GOP strife may cause a number of additional headaches and/or opportunities.

Nevada's unemployment rate is finally dropping... But that doesn't mean happy days will be here again so soon. Sheldon Adelson may be feeling bullish about the future, but that's largely because he's now investing in Asia... Only 15% of Las Vegas Sands' revenue actually comes from Vegas, and word has it the numbers at Wynn Resorts look awfully similar. Harrah's Entertainment will soon become Caesars Entertainment, but that still doesn't answer the question of when Harrah's/Caesars will finally finish the Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace, along with that "entertainment district" near Harrah's that they've promised for some time. Apparently MGM Resorts' bookings are up and Wall Street is feeling more bullish about MGM and Vegas these days, so things are looking better. Just don't expect a return to the mythical "glory days" any time soon.

So where am I going with all my wild and crazy ramblings? Come on. I laid it all out for you in March.

[T]he casinos can no longer be counted upon as a "free ride". We can't just expect new casino construction to prop up demand for construction jobs, which props up demand for new housing, which props up demand for housing construction, which props up the rest of Southern Nevada's economy. We may have lucked out in seeing this model work from 1989 to 2007, but all it really did was hide the weaknesses in this shaky economic model that ended up being exposed when "The Great Recession" hit and all the artificial demand for new casinos, new homes, new whatever fell like a row of dominoes.

The Cosmopolitan will be opening next month, but once that opens we probably won't be seeing any new Strip casino-resorts opening for at least five years. We've really learned the hard way that we can no longer rely upon an unsustainable "growth begets growth" model of construction being fueled by artificially inflated "demand" fueled by real estate speculation. Those days ended three years ago, and it makes absolutely no sense to even try to return to that model. Even though the gaming industry will most certainly improve, that and the "growth industry" that has come with it can no longer be our sole source of sustenance.

Nevada needs to change, that much is clear. We need to change dramatically. We need to change our priorities. We need to change the way we think of our economy. We need to go beyond our "comfort zone" of relying upon the casinos for everything, slapping together "quick fix budgets" loaded with "legislative band-aids and duct tape", continuing to delay the building the kind of infrastructure our state needs to move forward, and putting so much effort into making today's "quick fix" that we forget about the challenges facing us tomorrow.

So how do we change? Later, I'll be talking about where I think we need to go.

Casinos: More Techie Goodness

Yesterday, we took a look at some new, exciting slot technology coming into the casinos. Well, it looks like the casino floor won't be the only part affected by new technology. Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas gave a sneak preview of what's to come at this week's Gaming Technology Summit.

Cosmopolitan’s chief information officer, Marshall Andrew, said during a technology executive panel at Tuesday’s Gaming Technology Summit at Green Valley Ranch that the resort is using technology create a “wow factor.”

Andrew said people will have to wait for a public relations blitz for specifics, but he said the technology will focus in three areas: server-based gaming, mobile apps and in-room technology.

The property’s website, which will be launched in June, will detail the technology better, Andrew said.

Like its neighbors Aria and Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter, Cosmopolitan’s in-room technology will feature a central remote controlling all of the room’s devices, Andrew reluctantly shared.

“They are going to have more features and functions,” Andrew said of the Cosmopolitan rooms. “Aria kind of laid the groundwork. A lot of us went over there and stayed in the rooms to check it all out. We saw things that we liked, but we saw things that we could improve upon, and that’s what we’re working on right now.”

So a Cosmo guest will be able to turn on the TV, open the drapes, turn off the iPod stereo, and handle every other electronic device/equipment with just one remote control. WOW!

And there's even more hi-tech goodness awaiting us outside the casinos!

Harrah’s put its first app for a property on the market in February 2010. Ceasars Palace allows users to check property maps, make restaurant reservations, check out current events at the property and even dig into the Caesars Palace history with photo galleries.

The app has 588 ratings in Apple’s App Store, with an average rating of 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Lane said the company developed the app to help its customers make decisions on things like shows and restaurants while on the property.

“Most decisions with our guests happen on the casino floor. That’s where you have to reach them,” Lane said.

Along with the Caesars app, the Harrah’s technology team also created a mobile site where customers can check their players club point balances in real time, a mobile slot game called iSpin and an initiative Harrah’s is calling “textpress” that lets guests bypass the check-in process at Caesars Palace.

MGM Mirage recently rolled out some mobile apps of its own. During April and May, the company released property-specific apps for MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York and the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss.

More are under way for MGM Mirage Las Vegas properties, company executives said. The apps do similar things as the Caesars Palace apps — guests can make restaurant reservations, navigate their way with property maps and watch previews of resident shows on property. It also lets customers access the property’s Twitter feed so they can see what others are saying about the resort.

All three Las Vegas property apps have a rating of three out of five stars in Apple’s App Store.

And now, MGM Mirage is upping the ante with its own "Vegas Reality" iPhone app:



OK, so not everyone is excited about MGM Mirage's new app. Hunter at RateVegas explained the limitations of augmented reality (AG), and why most tourists probably won't be interested in holding their iPhones in front of them. Oh, and the app only provides details on MGM Mirage casinos... Understandable, but a little frustrating if one was expecting to use this somewhere like The North Strip, where there's only one MGM Mirage casino (Circus Circus).

And with all these technological advances, we'll have to wait and see how tourists react. So far, Aria's "fully integrated room technology" isn't getting overwhelming rave reviews due to the constant glitches. If Cosmo and other hotels are hoping to go in this direction, it will be crucial for them to ensure that everything actually works.

Otherwise, the future looks bright for more geeky techie goodness coming to entertain us, comfort us, and inform us here in Las Vegas. :-)

Vegas Uncork'd: Dishin' the Dishes at The Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace

(Also at TWHT/RateVegas)

I did it. I really did it. I pretty much made the entire rounds at The Grand Tasting at Vegas Uncork'd!

We were placed in the gloriously renovated Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace. Now this is quite the sight to behold!





Isn't this just regal? For a moment, I was even reminded of the Roman inspired pools at the famed Hearst Castle on the Central California Coast. Whatever your complaints are regarding Harrah's Entertainment and the way it has run Caesars Palace since 2004, you can't fault them for neglecting the pool(s)!

So are you now ready for the main attraction? Yes, my dears, it's time for us to dish on the dishes!









Let's start with the savory highlights:

- Guy Savoy's artichoke and black truffle soup really packed the flavor punches in all the right places! The accompanying crostini was also quite tasty.

- The beef served at Sage was super tender!

- The spicy beef and noodles from Lotus of Siam really were hot and spicy! But fear not, it was still mighty yummy.

- The sushi from Nobu was as stunning and delectable as ever.

- The lamb sausage topped with sundried tomato from Bradley Ogden was full of rich flavors, even if it was cold.

And my favorite sweets of the night:

- Bradley Ogden's butterscotch pudding was perfectly sweet and creamy and satisfying.

- Vosges' chocolate truffles were out of this world, and the coffee infused truffle and the sweet potato truffle were my two favorites there.

- Jean Philippe Patisserie's sweet creations were ethereal, and their mini napoleons were just divine!

And while I wish I could just be nice to everyone, I also think I would be doing a major disservice to you if I didn't mention the disappointing lowlights of the evening:

- Diego's crab with salsa did nothing for me, as the crab tasted like it came from a can and the salsa had virtually no flavor.

- Bar Masa's foie gras dish wasn't all that bad, but for foie gras I was expecting more... So I guess I won't be missing too much when I return to being an ethical and eco-conscious vegetarian?

- For some reason, I wasn't digging Craftsteak's beef too much... Was I missing something?

Fortunately, I ran into some great new friends last night who helped me immensely in providing second and third opinions when I needed them. @jsmeeker and David Ross from eGullet helped show me the way, along with a couple nice ladies from Seattle who "adopted" me when I was lost in line to get in. Oh, and I can't forget the new friends I met at the Bradley Ogden dinner and Joel Robuchon luncheon that I bumped into again last night! Oh, and Chef Bradley Ogden himself remembered me from Thursday night... AWESOME!







OK, that's all for now. However, the foodie fun isn't quite over yet... Stay tuned for a very special report from Mandalay Bay's "Better by the Bay" BBQ with Alain Ducasse and Charlie Palmer! And until then, bon appetit and "keep eatin' like you mean it". :-)

(And as always, remember to check my Twitpic and my Twiiter@atdleft for more on everything Vegas Uncork'd this weekend!)

Vegas Uncork'd: The Bradley Ogden Dinner

(Also at TWHT/RateVegas)

Last night, I was in for the time of my life! I enjoyed a fabulous dinner at one of my new favorite Vegas restaurants with some very accomplished fine dining luminaries and professionals.

I was in heaven. Yes, indeed, heaven is a place on earth... And it is called Bradley Ogden!


Bradley Ogden really is an interesting spot at Caesars Palace. It opens right to the madness of the Forum Casino, with the soon-to-be-former Pussycat Dolls Casino and just opened Munchbar (which is, by the way, run by Bradley's son, Bryan Ogden) just a short saunter away. However once one steps through the doors, it's like an island of cozy, wood-paneled, earth-toned, San Francisco inspired tranquility in the midst of one of Las Vegas' biggest Strip casinos. If all the over-the-top Caesars glitz ever gets to be too much for you, you may appreciate the calmer vibe at Bradley Ogden.

So anyway, I arrived for the Vegas Uncork'd dinner ready for anything... Even eating some meat for the first time in six years, just for you at RateVegas/TWHT! So pardon me if my meat judging skills are a little rusty, but I'll try to give you the most accurate as possible take on my various courses. And fortunately I had some highly esteemed fine dining authorities sitting at my table, including Bon Appetit executive editor Victoria Von Biel and San Francisco's Best-O-Burger burger boss Randy Lewis.

We started dinner with a lovely amuse bouche consisting of a petite potato cake, good Osetra Caviar, and citrus creme fraiche. The salty caviar played well with the creamy creme fraiche and soft potato cake. I enjoyed this with the 2004 Iron Horse Bradley Ogden Sonoma Cuvee, which may now be my new favorite "California Champagne".

From there, it was on to our next course: charred yellow tail with scallion puree, caramelized hearts of palm, and a "rice cracker". The scallions added a nice, fresh, herby vibe to the dish, while the caramelized hearts of palm added a bit of a sweet touch to the dish. And the 2008 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc was perfectly crisp and a solid pairing here.

Now I don't often cook with butter lettuce at home, but I occasionally eat it when I'm dining out. And I must admit, the butter lettuce salad here was quite delectable. In fact, it may have been one of the "breakout stars" in my humble opinion, with the goat cheese, shaved fennel, and herb vinaigrette all coming together in the perfect balance of tender, soft, crisp, sweet, and tangy. Yum! Oh, and the slightly buttery and sweet 2007 Flowers Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast paired beautifully here.

And then, it was time for roasted zucchini soup with sundried tomato, zucchini pearl salad, and fresh zucchini bread. I'm usually a sucker for good zucchini bread, and this one was no exception with its pleasant sweetness. This worked well in balancing the earthier flavors of the zucchini soup, cut with a bit of tart and tang from the sundried tomato. We then tried another Flowers Chardonnay, this one being a 2006 Andreen Gale. This one paired pretty well, but it wasn't quite the perfect match the other chardonnay was with the salad.

And from there, we then dove into the Seared Atlantic Diver Scallops with basil puree, pepper relish, and lemon foam. And yes, one can really make lemon foam with the juice... It just involves some really interesting molecular gastronomy. Oh, and the lemon foam was quite tart and tasty, too. Since all the other components had some sort of sweetness, including the rather mild yellow peppers, the tart from the foam was much appreciated. This was paired with yet another Flowers Chardonnay, this one being the 2006 "Camp Meeting Ridge". Now this pairing was a better match than the last course, but I'd still have to say my favorite chardonnay pairing was with the salad.

OK, so after all that fishy goodness, it was time for some red meat! In this case, we did a cut of South Dakota Bison Tenderloin. And yes, bison meat can be eaten! It's actually leaner than beef, and I could taste the difference... Though it was still hearty. And cooked well, with a nice crust on the outside and very tender and red and almost raw inside. Chef Lewis and Ms. Von Biel both noted that the bison meat was most likely done sous vide first, then finished off with some pan searing to get that good crust. The veggies also didn't disappoint, as I was gobbling up the delectable fava beans and sweet spring onions. This all went nicely with the fruity and slightly spicy 2006 Napa Valley Meritage paired with this course.

And finally, dessert! I had survived all the meat as a vegetarian who had not eaten meat in six years, so I was ready to reward myself with some lovely strawberry shortcake. Actually, the shortcake was more of a "mini waffle" finished with strawberries, rhubarb sauce, a mascarpone cream, and real vanilla (as in real vanilla beans were used here!) ice cream. Now the strawberries and shortcake went superbly with the vanilla ice cream. It was a glorious sweet medley, but not too sweet, as the rhubarb sauce helped strike just the right balance for me. However, the wine pairing here was likely the most controversial of the night. A 2007 Flowers Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast came just before dessert, and was meant to go with dessert. Now when I first tried the wine, it had a nice but not too strong fruity edge... But when tasted with the dessert, I suddenly got a bitter taste in my mouth that wasn't all that pleasant. This was not too horrifying for me, but for a moment it did seem like I fell out of heaven and crashed back down on Planet Vegas. This was not a total nightmare, but the wine pairing probably was the low point of the dinner for me.

So what do I think overall? Well, even with the dessert wine pairing debacle in the end, I'd still give the Bradley Ogden Uncork'd Dinner a solid A, or at least a good A-. I'm still on the fence. All the food was fantastic, though the caviar amuse bouche, butter lettuce salad, and shortcake dessert (sans wine!) were the real shining stars for me. No one dish was bad at all, but again a couple of the wine pairings did throw me off.

So is Bradley Ogden worth the splurge next time you're in Vegas? Absolutely! I've also eaten here on "regular nights", and the food is consistently solid. Just be careful when pairing a Pinot Noir with a certain dish. ;-)

Oh, and finally, I need to make one more shout out to my new friends... Especially Bon Appetit Executive Editor Victoria Von Biel and Chef Randy Lewis from San Francisco! We, along with the other great folks at our table, gave me quite the "education" on fine food. We also had some fun discussing our favorite LA and Bay Area restaurants. All in all, this was the dinner of my dreams. And I'm about to run over to MGM to see "Chef of the Century" Joel Robuchon. And for dinner, it's The Grand Tasting for moi. Am I awake yet?

(And don't forget to follow me @atdleft on Twitter for today's Uncork'd news, and see my Twitpic for some fun photos from last night!)

Casinos: Caesars Palace FINALLY Opens Octavius Tower... For Super-Duper High-Rollers!

And this villa can be yours for only $40,000 per night! So it looks like Harrah's decided to finally open Caesars' Octavius Tower... Well, only the uber-high-roller villas at Octavius so far. So for now, we'll just have to admire from afar until the rest of the tower is open to the rest of us. But hey, I can't complain about the look. If one's into "European Neoclassical Elegance", this place was certainly made for you. :-D

Casinos: CityCenter Makes Conde Nast Traveler's "Hot List", Harrah's to Sell Rio?, Boyd Throws Station Reorganization Plans into Limbo

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Yep, you heard me right... MGM Mirage finally got some good news for CityCenter. Conde Nast Traveler has put both Aria AND Mandarin Oriental in its "2010 Hot List"! Apparently the rooms, the art, the restaurants, and the green touches all make Aria a winner in its book (even if Vegas Tripping and Rate Vegas' TWHT weren't as impressed initially). And since Conde Nast Traveler is quite revered as an authority on luxury travel, perhaps it can help encourage more of those high-end travelers needed to come and help CityCenter turn a profit?

Meanwhile in Harrah's territory, they may be considering (AGAIN!) selling The Rio. But unlike past rumors, which were just glorified gossip, this time it's getting press in Bloomberg Businessweek.

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the casino company owned by Apollo Management LP and TPG Inc., is seeking bids for the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, people with knowledge of the situation said.

Starwood Capital Group LLC and Colony Capital LLC are among the companies that are weighing bids for the resort, said the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. Some bids value the Rio at about $500 million, two of the people said.

Harrah’s, the world’s biggest casino company, is exploring a sale of the off-Strip property two months after buying Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Las Vegas is coming out of a two-year slump that took casino operators to the brink of bankruptcy. Chief Executive Officer Gary Loveman cut Harrah’s debt by $4.2 billion in 2009 by offering creditors new bonds at a discount. He extended maturities on another $5.5 billion this year.

Dave McKee has more on this, including his thoughts on who might be the early favorite to snatch The Rio. He thinks Colony Capital (which currently owns The Las Vegas Hilton, as well as a chunk of the possibly-soon-to-emerge-from-bankruptcy Station Casinos) is the frontrunner, followed closely behind by Starwood Capital Group (which currently owns Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, and a number of other hotel brands). However someone in the comments there mentioned the constant rumor that Penn National Gaming (which came close to buying the bankrupt Fontainebleau, which ended up in Carl Icahn's hands) may get it, which is always a possibility considering how badly it wants to enter the Las Vegas market.

So will The Rio be banished from Planet Harrah's? We don't really know yet, since the company isn't saying anything... Yet. But since Harrah's has already tried multiple times to sell The Rio, I wouldn't be surprised if they finally let it go this year.

And finally, speaking of Station Casinos, its long, hot mess of a bankruptcy isn't over quite yet... Boyd Gaming and the unsecured creditors are challenging the reorganization plan! They specifically object to the proposed PropCo/OpCo plan to let Station keep Red Rock, Sunset, Palace, and Boulder along with the proposed "Viva" site and the Las Vegas Blvd/Cactus Ave. plot of land while putting all the other assets (or OpCo) into "auction". Boyd and the creditors are claiming that the "auction" process and PropCo/OpCo divide put Station and Colony at an unfair advantage over everyone else (including Boyd, which badly wants to buy as much of Station as the Nevada Gaming Commission will allow).

Oh, and a group of independent lenders is also objecting to Station's plan.

"By excluding OpCo assets of significant value, as well as the PropCo assets, from the proposed Station Casinos sale, the debtors are not allowing their assets to be shopped as their fiduciary duty requires," Boyd charged in court papers.

Boyd also noted that its offers to purchase Station assets in February and December 2009 were not accepted. The last offer for the entire company was for $2.45 billion.

"We now know that the debtors were only interested in pursuing an insider transaction at the expense of their creditors' interests in breach of the board's fiduciary obligations," Boyd's filing said. "The court should not sanction the debtors' ongoing blatant disregard for the creditors' interests by approving these one-sided bidding procedures."

Similar objections were filed Wednesday by the case's Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, representing bondholders and others owed some $2.5 billion. The unsecured creditors charged that the Fertittas and Colony Capital have arranged to acquire a 50 percent interest in the PropCo properties at a 15 percent discount while arranging a lucrative 25-year management deal for those properties.

"These series of transactions are structured, using New PropCo and Fertitta Gaming, to camouflage the conflicts of interest and self dealing that are at the heart of the ... plan," attorneys for the unsecured creditors charged.

"The proposed restructuring is simply a deliberate campaign by those controlling Station Casinos to benefit themselves, its equity owners, at the expense of Station Casinos' creditor constituents," the creditors charged.

Another objection was filed by a group of independent lenders, which also complained that assets crucial to the operation of the OpCo casinos would not be included in the OpCo auction.

"From the perspective of the OpCo creditors, the process makes no sense: It's like selling KFC without the Colonel's secret recipe, or selling Coke without the formula, because the seller fails to capture the full value of the enterprise and the buyer acquires a business crippled without its competitive advantage," the lenders charged.

So will all their objections be enough to derail the Fertittas' plan to take Station out of bankruptcy? We'll have to wait and see.

Las Vegas Recovery? Harrah's Is Hiring 500 Workers.

Well, here's a nice bit of news to make our Tuesday feel better. Apparently, Harrah's is hiring.

Harrah’s Entertainment is looking to hire 500 workers for positions at its Las Vegas casinos.

The casino operator announced today that it is looking to fill 125 full-time positions and 375 temporary, on-call or part-time positions.

Full-time positions include retail sales associates, guest room attendants, cooks, front desk agents, security officers, food servers, cashiers, assistant food and beverage managers, and line cooks. Seasonal positions include lifeguards, pool hosts and pool attendants.

Harrah’s is also looking to fill temporary positions for the World Series of Poker tournament, including sales associates, cashiers, valet and servers.

Harrah’s will host a job fair Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rio to begin its search.

So if you know any friends in need of work, let them know. Yeah, yeah, I know 375 of these 500 positions are part-time or on-call... But with Clark County unemployment still so high at 13.9%, every little bit helps.

And hopefully, this is just the start of more job openings coming on line as summer travel season quickly approaches.

Casinos: Pity Poor Prive? Harrah's Is After Them.

And the hot mess that is Prive/Living Room at PHo just keeps getting messier.

The new owner of the Planet Hollywood resort in Las Vegas has been pressuring the bankrupt Privé and Living Room nightclubs there to either pay their past-due rent and expenses or vacate the premises.

Owned by Miami nightclub company the Opium Group, Privé and Living Room filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Nov. 11 in Florida.

Wait! Hold on a sec. We're trusting an entity called "The Opium Group"? Seriously?

OMG, carry on...

Extra security was hired by Planet Hollywood for the clubs after a scandal last year in which the clubs were temporarily closed for numerous violations of Clark County and Nevada Gaming Commission violations.

In a court filing last week, Harrah's Planet Hollywood subsidiary said these included instances where:

--Privé personnel removed inebriated patrons and left them unattended in the Planet Hollywood casino in various states of consciousness

--Privé patrons used or were under the influence of controlled substances while at the club

--Privé patrons alleged Privé employees physically and sexually assaulted them

--Privé was cited by Clark County Department of Business License officials for allowing topless and lewd activity; and for failing to cooperate with agents

--Privé allowed minors to enter the clubs and served them alcohol

The Gaming Commission initially sought to fine Planet Hollywood's then-owner, OpBiz, $750,000, but that was later reduced to $500,000.

Remember all that? It was just last year. And apparently, the fun hasn't stopped just yet!

OpBiz then modified the lease with Privé, requiring the club owner to re-pay OpBiz toward the fine with a payment of $125,000 due last June and five monthly payments of $50,000 after that.

Harrah's said in court papers that Privé is in default on its lease because it has made just one of the $50,000 payments; has failed to reimburse Planet Hollywood for $12,388 in extra security costs; has failed to pay all the rent due for January, February and March; and has allowed construction liens totaling $1.433 million to pile up against the property.

Court records indicate Privé has been paying about $85,000 per month in rent.

Oh my! As I said earlier, this really looks like a hot mess now. Just what was OpBiz thinking it'd get into with these folks?

They served alcohol to underage kids. (And btw, what were they doing in the club in the first place??!!) They threw out severely drunk patrons and left them to fend for themselves. There were drugs all over the place. And oh, let's not forget about the sexual and physical violence.

Real klassy.

I'm just wondering why Harrah's even wants them to stay. Or hey, maybe this is part of an effort to rid the new PHo of all the Prive psychodrama. I may not always see eye to eye with the world's largest gaming company, but in this instance I can see why they're wondering why it's worth it to keep having these wacko deadbeats in their newest casino.

Betting on Michelin Stars: Bradley Ogden, Simply the Best

(You can find this and more of my reviews at my Urbanspoon page.)

OK, I must admit I was a little afraid of trying this place. I backed out of a reservation for my dad's birthday over a bad review. I was second-guessing myself when I was thinking of the reservation for my birthday (well, the day after, but I celebrated) tonight.

However, all my doubts were thrown out the window once a friend and I went into Bradley Ogden and began to take in the casually elegant ambience. This place is so luxurious, yet so comfortable! And yes, the same goes for the food.

The breads were fresh and interesting. The sourdough tasted like the best I could find in San Francisco. The blue corn muffin was perfectly soft and sweet and delectable. The butter complemented both breads quite well.
We were then served an amuse bouche of shrimp ceviche. Since I'm a vegetarian I couldn't really dig into it, what I could taste seemed refreshing. My friend really seemed to enjoy the small bite of it.

And now for the appetizer. The Maytag Blue Cheese (Mini) Souffles were simply divine! The cranberries, raisins, and candied pecans complemented the souffles quite well. The savory, the tart, and the sweet were brought together beautifully and made for fantastic flavors in this dish.

So what about the entree? I ordered the gnocchi, since it looked interesting. It was a potato gnocchi dish with shaved parmesan, shiitake mushrooms, broccolini, and parmesan foam. And yes, all these ingredients came together exquisitely! Not only did the dish look beautiful, but all the ingredients meshed perfectly. The gnocchi were tender, the veggies were cooked well, and the parmesan added some good tang.

After that great dish, I was ready for something sweet again. And when perusing the dessert menu, the bananas foster cake really stood out. So I ordered it. And I really enjoyed it! The cake was moist and tasty, while the vanilla ice cream was a refreshing complement and the bananas added a lovely fruity touch.

And finally, we were served a complimentary post-dessert sweet bite of butterscotch pudding. This really hit the high note for me, as it was sweet but still satisfying and a fabulous way to end a perfectly fabulous dinner.

The food was fabulous. The service was superb. The wine list was wonderful. And the atmosphere was so charming and cozy and comfortable and still elegant that it was easy for me to forget that I was in the middle of one of The Strip's biggest and baddest (as in badass good!) casinos! What's not to love about Bradley Ogden?

Oh, and by the way, there's no need to feel guilty about eating here. Nearly everything on the menu is "farm-to-table" and organic. And better yet, Caesars Palace and other Harrah's casinos participate in Harrah's Code Green program to shrink their (admittedly large in the not-so-distant past) carbon footprint and do better for Mother Earth.

Bradley Ogden
at Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 731-7731
http://www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/bradley-ogden-detail.html

LATE BREAKING: Harrah's Owners Start Buying Palms Debt, But George Maloof Denies Plans for Harrah's Takeover

Major H/T to Steve Friess for this BIG scoop! First, The Financial Times reported on this major bombshell to drop...

Texas Pacific Group, one of the private equity sponsors of Harrah’s Entertainment, has been accumulating a stake in Palms Casino’s fully drawn USD 380m revolver, two sources close to the situation and a lender told Debtwire. The investment points toward a systematic strategy by Harrah’s to acquire other casinos through their distressed debt, said a buyside source.

TPG and Apollo Management – Harrah’s other sponsor – just completed the acquisition of the Planet Hollywood casino-hotel built around their purchase of a USD 140m chunk of the casino-hotel’s junior interest debt at a deep discount last summer. Palms, which is owned by the Maloof family, is in the middle of negotiations with lenders to cure a covenant breach, creating a potential takeover opportunity for anyone with a blocking stake in the debt.

TPG started buying bank debt issued by Palms parent company Fiesta Palms in the 40s and kept buying all the way to present levels in the 70s, said multiple buyside sources. A USD 42.75m slice of the revolver that was put up for auction and sold last week in the mid-70s but it remains unclear who the buyer was, said a source close to the situation.

And considering Palms' rough 2009 earnings (total EBITDA was only $12 million, compared to $70 million in 2007), continued vacancy problems at Palms Place (supposedly hovering around 33% occupancy late last year), and outstanding debt issues, it was starting to look like this would become a (yet another) prime Harrah's takeover target...

But George Maloof spoke with Steve Friess today and did his best to shoot down any takeover rumors...

I just hung up with George Maloof, who cast doubt on the Financial Times' report that Harrah's has been buying up Palms debt by saying, flat-out: "They're not going to take over my company. It’s so far remote."

Maloof refused to get into any more specifics, repeatedly saying that they're a private company and that they never commented on their financials. I asked whether the Palms had taken a hit during the recession and he answered: "We haven’t been immune to it but we’re doing much better. 2009 was tough for everyone. We’ve been doing much better."

Now neither George Maloof nor Steve Friess was able to get a comment on this from anyone at Harrah's, so we don't really know yet what their intentions are. The Financial Times speculated that Harrah's would likely end The Palms' celebrity playground reputation by relaunching it as a mid-market "Middle America" kind of place if they were to take over. I'm sure that must have horrified The Palms' people, since they've worked hard to brand their resort as "the ultimate infamous party palace" ever since MTV taped "The Real World: Las Vegas" there in 2001.

So for now, it looks like The Palms won't be joining the Harrah's family any time soon. Stay tuned...

Casinos: Harrah's Turns a Profit in Q4 2009 While Station Reaches Deal to Escape Bankruptcy

Whoa, there! In a week filled with bizarre, ugly, and downright wacky news out of Carson City, it looks like things are looking brighter here in Vegas (which may help things in Carson City next year, interestingly enough). Believe it or not, Harrah's turned a profit late last year!

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. today reported a profit of $295.6 million in the fourth quarter, even as the recession contributed to a 10 percent decline in net revenue for its big hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

The profit compares to a loss of $4.782 billion in 2008's fourth quarter, when the Las Vegas company booked special costs of $5.49 billion to write down the value of goodwill and other intangible assets.

Harrah's attributed some of its profit in 2009's fourth quarter to financial engineering. Its interest expense fell by $118 million in the quarter and it posted a pre-tax gain of $686 million due to debt exchanges and other purchases of its debt at discounted prices.

OK, so much of this profit was "engineered" out of tricky accounting and and playing with its debt. But hey, it's still a profit... Which MGM Mirage and Las Vegas Sands can't say. (Both companies actually reported narrower losses than expected, but still bled a little more red in Q4.)

Oh, and now for the other big casino story of the day... Station has a deal??!!

Station Casinos Inc. today announced it has reached an agreement with key lenders that the company hopes will clear the way for it to receive approval to emerge from bankruptcy this summer.

While the company didn’t disclose details, the arrangement with lenders holding $2.475 billion of debt secured by four of Station’s most valuable hotel-casinos is expected to result in the lenders swapping some debt for equity in the company. [...]

[T]he deal- if approved — would keep the company and its 18 casino properties and extensive land holdings together.

It’s expected members of the founding Fertitta family, along with Station majority owner Colony Capital of Los Angeles, would maintain equity stakes.

The Fertittas would make a substantial, but undisclosed, equity investment and the current management team led by Chairman and Chief Executive Frank Fertitta III would continue to lead the company.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement in principle with certain of our key mortgage lenders for the comprehensive reorganization of our Company,” Fertitta III said in a statement. “This is a very important step in our restructuring process. Our commitment to the successful restructuring of our company is demonstrated by (my brother) Lorenzo and me making a significant investment in the reorganized company. This restructuring will create a much stronger company going forward that will benefit our team members, guests and the Las Vegas community as a whole.”

WOW! Honestly, I really wasn't expecting this. After all the recent controversy over what Station has been doing, it was starting to look inevitable that Boyd would "do some bargain hunting" in bankrputcy court. If this holds, Station might just survive.

So perhaps the worst is over? Maybe, just maybe, we can really start to believe it now. Station was starting to look like "The Meltdown of The Millennium", while Harrah's was really looking doomed with all its debt load and casino losses all over the country.

But apparently, tomorrow is another day... And that brighter tomorrow looks to be starting today.

Uh Oh, Labor Troubles at Caesars?

From The Reno Gazette-Journal:

Dealers negotiating a union contract with the Caesars Palace hotel-casino for almost two years are planning to protest outside the Las Vegas Strip resort.

Transport Workers Union officials say the Thursday demonstration outside the flagship Harrah’s Entertainment property will highlight lack of progress on a deal with management.

Shane Kaufmann, a Caesars Palace dealer helping to negotiate the contract, says the roughly 600 dealers want conditions similar to what they had before Harrah’s bought Caesars in 2005.

Kaufmann says that includes control of tips and union representation during certain personnel decisions.

Yikes. Why can't Harrah's just give these workers what they already had in 2005? Is that really too much to ask?