The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows in our room at the new Wynn Encore provides a distressingly clear picture of what’s going on in Las Vegas these days. To the south, there’s a casino project that has ground to a halt, half built, its steel skeleton an outline of a multibillion-dollar dream gone hungry. Across the street, there’s a Modernist chapel, a lonely vigil of virtue on the Strip — people seek salvation elsewhere in this town. Look west toward the mountains and you can trace the Vegas real estate developers’ dash toward the horizon with building projects. Now as far as you can drive, there are foreclosed homes and empty new developments offering come-ons to prospective buyers.
The Encore, which opened officially in January, stands like a luxurious monument of defiance to the recession. It is not; it cannot. Wynn Resorts boss Steve Wynn has cut room rates to as little as $169 a night — the original projected rates were something on the order of $350 — but he won’t cut service. That act of defiance means the Encore is a pretty astonishing value for any visitors in the mood to treat themselves to a Las Vegas fling in these tough times. The $2 billion, 2,034-room project adjoins the Wynn — the hotels are connected by a retail alley — completing Steve Wynn’s most recent move to reposition the Las Vegas mind-set. The man who brought you exploding volcanoes (the Mirage), pirate ships (Treasure Island) and over-the-top light shows, not to mention a zillion dollars’ worth of fine art (the Bellagio) has now fully assembled his antidote to overstimulation, which began with the Wynn Las Vegas in 2005. Here is a different kind of sensibility — dare we say classy? — a resort with gaming, rather than a gaming resort.
At ground level, the Encore, like its older sibling, is still all business, though Wynn had his decorator, Roger P. Thomas, nod to the Las Vegas of the past. The casino floor is dominated by a color that the company says used to be standard in casinos in the bad old good old days — just call it whorehouse red. But it works here, with the brilliant red chandeliers, the whole effect muted a bit by judicious use of off-white fabric. The other delicate touches are cast, oddly enough, by natural light streaming in from either end of the casino floor. And not only through windows — the main entrance to the Encore casino takes you through a lush, plant-and-tree-filled atrium over three stories tall. There’s a certain amount of whimsy at play here too: for instance, the brightly colored butterflies inlaid into the mosaic floors. It makes the contemplation of losing at the tables almost pleasant.
The blanket with sleeves—oh, let’s call it what it really is, a full-length bib—and we are the new Arabs. In danger of becoming a silly people. Which was OK when we were riding high, but now every man, woman and child in America owes China $6,000. Imagine owing that to a bookie. This is sooo cozy.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in China this week, trying to get them to buy more American debt. And they think their milk is toxic. We need the Chinese to finance our printing of money to give to bankers, or else we’ll be paying for the stimulus with seashells and colorful rocks. If the Chinese get a look at us in our Snuggies—and they will, since they make the damn things—they’re going to decide, “We can’t buy any more T-bills from these people! They’re wearing blankets with sleeves. They’re a silly people.”
New Rules From Bill Maher For February 27, 2009
I saw Maher in the Spearmint Rhino in Las Vegas recently.
Guy had some Game.
Newsom is pretty smooth too.
I know his wife.
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Great call on Bourdain. He is a perfect representation of everything twisted & jaded with folks in the food world today. Also the perfect American dream story, drank too much and did a ton of dope in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s. Now has one of the top culinary entertainment career’s in the world and a multimedia superstar. Not to mention he is one of the only true lyrical assassin. Tony has thrown stones at everyone from Alan Richman, Rocco, The Food Network, and most recently her majesty Alice Waters. Dude just isn’t afraid to go toe to toe with anyone.
Now on to something I picked up while hunting in Madrid when I was a young cook. First thing you want to focus on is landing the Jamon Iberico Aka “pata negra”. Iberico pigs from Spain that feed only on black acorns. The marbling on this stuff is out of control. At $150 per lb. in the down economy I know is tight, but it will be well worth it. Just at all cost stay away from the “Boars Head” shit.
Cubed fresh braised Pork Belly should be your next move. I take my pork very serious, Duck is the only other protein that I have the same passion for. well talk about that another time. A nice organic fried egg is a great touch. On to the cheese, Keep it in Spain and lay on the aged manchego. When trying to land fly model chicks, stay away from the stinky cheese. This might be the most important touch of all. I’ve seen some closed deals drown because of the cheese. Drizzle with a nice Extra Virgin olive oil and a crunchy baguette.
Open up a Unico, Vega Sicilia – 1998, Ribera del Duero
Tempranillo, which comprises between 65% and 80% of “Unico” has a structure that seems to defy oxidation. Blended with a small portion of Cabernet, this Tempranillo gives intense black fruit and leather aromas. The texture is legendarily supple due to extensive oak aging. (10-25 years!)
White Wine with pork isn’t an advisable move, especially with the cheese. If you don’t get down with the reds. Grab something barrel fermented from the WC of the US.
TV is crap these days. Actually, it has always been crap, but that’s neither bricks of Hashish or slabs of Blowfish.
I really can only stomach that show American Greed, Marijuana Inc: Inside America’s Pot Industry (although I have only seen it once) and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
If you haven’t seen his show, its pretty dope: Travel, Drinking, Smoking and Eating Dope Spots. Hell, if I had a show (which I never would, I am way too low-pro) I would do it the same. Only adding swooping mad fly girls and rolling in Custom Suits (and it would be the best show on TV, no doubt).
Anyways, recently, Bourdain went to Chicago:
In the latest episode of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain went to Chicago and visited the Silver Palm restaurant. He had the Three Little Pigs Sandwich: smoked ham, a breaded pork cutlet, two strips of bacon, and two fried eggs, blanketed in a thick coat of gruyere, all on a brioche bun.
Bourdain is blown away, and drops tons of praise: “This is a work of genius, in an evil way…. A two-fisted symphony of pork, cheese, fat, and starch… that sandwich is the greatest sandwich in America. This is the apex of the sandwich-making art… the sandwich that dreams are made of.”
The Three Little Pigs Sandwich looked so dope, I had to make my own version:
Jamon Serrano
Freshly butchered Pork Chop (farm to table)
Four strips of Freshly butchered bacon (sustainable)
Free-range fried eggs
Imported Gruyere
On an Artisan Brioche Bun
