Saturday, August 06, 2011

1OAK to replace JET at Mirage

In nightclub news, Page Six is reporting that New York hot-spot 1OAK will likely take over the space currently occupied by JET at the Mirage.

While the deal isn't officially in place yet, Daily Fiasco pointed out that JET operator The Light Group has registered the domain name 1OakLasVegas.com, so it appears the new club will be a partnership between The Light Group and the New York owners of 1OAK.

I thought JET was one of the more successful clubs in Las Vegas, so this is kind of surprising to me. Perhaps the opening of Marquee, Surrender, Gallery and the upcoming Hyde has put pressure on The Light Group to make a change.

Old Homestead Steakhouse coming to Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace is looking a lot like New York New York these days, as they are replacing their old steakhouse Neros with NYC favorite The Old Homestead Steakhouse.

The New York restaurant dates back to 1868, while the Las Vegas version should be up and running by the end of 2011.

The addition gives the restaurants at Caesars even more of a New York flavor. PJ Clarke's, Rao's, Mesa Grill, Serendipity 3 and The Palm all originated in New York City.

For more on Old Homestead, check out Vegas Seven.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

O'Sheas to be Re-named and De-themed?

As expected, Clark County zoning officials approved plans for the Caesars Entertainment Project Linq.

New renderings of the project have been released that make the project look more upscale than previously thought. In the past, some people have referred to the project as the O'Sheas street O'Shops but in the new drawings it looks like O'Sheas doesn't even exist. At least not in its current form.



It appears that O'Sheas will be completely transformed into a modern de-themed casino, similar to say Aria or the M Resort. This could be a good thing, but I'm definitely going to miss the old Irish pub theme of O'Sheas. While it isn't the nicest place in the world you can always count on cheap drinks, cheap games and cheap food at the food court. I'm guessing all of those things will go away with the renovation.



It's important to note that I'm just speculating that O'Sheas will be re-named and de-themed. Caesars Entertainment hasn't made this announcement yet, and all of the press I've seen regarding Project Linq still refer to the property as O'Sheas. Also it appears there are a couple of different versions of the new renderings, so the final decision might not have been made yet.

Reading between the lines though, it looks like the days might be numbered for the old O'Sheas.

UPDATE: August 21, 2011
Caesars Entertainment had an official press conference this week to discuss plans for The Linq.

As speculated, O'Sheas as we know it is going away. BUT there are plans to "move" the O'Sheas casino and somehow merge it with Imperial Palace. It's kind of hard to envision what that will look like, since Imperial Palace is also getting completely made over and re-named as a result of Project Linq.

Oscar Goodman opening Steakhouse at Plaza

The newly remodeled Plaza hotel downtown on Fremont Street has announced yet another new restaurant, as former Mayor Oscar Goodman will be opening Oscar's later this fall.

The steakhouse will have a Las Vegas theme, featuring classic Vegas photographs and Goodman's personal memorabilia from his 12 year run as mayor.

In addition to the steakhouse, the area will also feature an Italian restaurant and "speakeasy." There will also be a new cocktail bar and lounge that will serve customers of both restaurants.

Oscar's will be located inside the dome of the Plaza overlooking Fremont Street.

The space was formerly occupied by Firefly - a tapas restaurant which closed late last year. Many people were hoping that Firefly would return once the hotel renovations were complete, but the Plaza owners were reportedly unhappy with the restaurant's performance.

I'm not sure how badly Las Vegas needs another steakhouse, but with Oscar Goodman's name attached to it I'm sure it will do well. I do like the classic Las Vegas theme, so it might be worth a visit to check out some of the photos and memorabilia.

Source: Plaza Press Release.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Project LINQ Details Revealed

The Clark County Zoning Commission will be reviewing the Caesars Entertainment Project LINQ on Wednesday, August 3rd.

The agenda for the commission meeting was posted online, and revealed new details about Project LINQ.

Perhaps the biggest revelation is that parking will be reduced Flamingo, IP and Harrah's to accommodate the project. It appears total parking at the resorts will be reduced by 30%.

The south facades at Imperial Palace and O'Sheas will also be re-skinned and de-themed from their current Asian and Irish themes to reflect contemporary American design.

And yes, the 550 observation Ferris wheel is still in the plans, although the FAA might have something to say about it later down the line.

Read all about the Project LINQ plans: Clark County Zoning Meeting Agenda.

UPDATE: August 3, 2011.
Clark County has approved the project and new renderings have been revealed. See them here.

Monday, August 01, 2011

Hooters Hotel-Casino is Bankrupt

Not surprisingly, Hooters Hotel-Casino just off the Strip in Las Vegas filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today. The hotel has been having financial difficulties for years now.

The hotel opened in 1973 operating as a Howard Johnson. In 1989 it became the San Remo before changing over to Hooters in 2006. Shortly after the newly branded Hooters hotel opened there were rumors of the property either being re-themed, or sold.



It will be business as usual for the hotel and casino operations until the bankruptcy gets sorted out in court, so tourists probably won't notice much of a change anytime soon. It will be interesting to see what happens after that though. Will the hotel get re-branded or even close down completely? Only time will tell.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Heart Attack Grill coming to Las Vegas

Heart Attack Grill is coming to Las Vegas. The themed restaurant is set to open downtown later this year at the semi-abandoned Neonopolis complex on the corner of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard.

The restaurant is famous for making fun of how unhealthy the food is. Waitresses are dressed as nurses, and a "doctor" sometimes walks around to take your temperature during the meal. The company made headlines when their 575 pound spokesman died at the age of 29.

Heart Attack Grill has two other locations in Arizona and Dallas, although the Arizona restaurant "closed for remodeling" in June, and I believe has not since reopened.

I've mentioned a few times before how Fremont Street is improving its drinking and dining options, and Heart Attack Grill will fit right in. Along with the new renovated Plaza hotel and several other new bars, Fremont Street is having a resurgence of sorts.