Hail Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Saturday. The resort is routinely called the best brand name in Vegas. Just five years ago though, Caesars seemed to be coasting on its good name and the place was about as run-down as a high-end property could get away with being.
The Palace was becoming ruins: the conveyor belts and escalators were frequently out of order, the main valet was to be avoided, and a double bill of Chuck Berry and Little Richard was about as hip and new school as entertainment got. I definitely would have bet against Caesars and I would have been totally wrong. Caesars is once again a must for any shortlist of hot properties. How did they do it? By investing in the property (and since Caesars was bought by Harrah's in the midst of these changes there is a lot of credit to go around).
Entertainment was the first to be transformed with "A New Day" (2003) and "The Red Piano" (2004). Celine Dion and Elton John were not the most adventurous choices as headliners; yet both have proven to be fantastic and reliable draws since opening. Elton John's show is even good. And, though success has made everything look easy, the original decision to bring on Celine (and construct a theater for her customized right down to the Wolfgang Puck snack bar) was a far more daring business decision than any of her airless music. It has totally paid off.
Next up was a hip nightspot worthy of a massive resort. In 2005, Pure nightclub filled that bill by offering essentially three separate nightclub rooms (a model becoming increasingly standard) all with wide gradations of VIP access. Meanwhile, the dining, too, has been getting a high-end makeover. In this area, my budget keeps me somewhat ignorant. But the rich folks speak well of Bradley Ogden and these days they're breathlessly excited about Restaurant Guy Savoy, which opened in May.
Restaurant Guy Savoy falls outside the Movable Buffet budget. But after reading this description from the resort's corporate website, I am not that disappointed:
"Van Gogh expressed himself with paint, while Beethoven shared his brilliance with the world through the piano. Guy's canvas is your plate, and he bares his soul with culinary creations..."
Nothing against Beethoven and Van Gogh, but imagining their creations as food conjures thoughts too dark, distorted and brooding for my delicate taste buds. Who is the Diane Arbus of chefs? The Francis Bacon for foodies?
It's almost too much to ponder. Instead, I'd rather share some of my favorite Caesars memories and experiences:
- Interviewing Miss America: We sat in a limo on the front lawn of Caesars Palace. I don't remember the year exactly (shortly after I moved here in 1999). I don't remember which Miss America it was. I remember we talked about Vietnam vets and how hard effective air conditioning could be on the vocal chords. We could see the Caesars fountains from the window of the limo. A red carpet leading to nowhere had been set up for the photo-op. I remember thinking the entire time, "I really do live in Las Vegas now."
- The Red Piano: I attended Valentine's Day weekend 2004 and thought the show was great. It is not an Elton John concert. It is too short and hits focused to satisfy fans who want some hardcore Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. But as a Vegas show "The Red Piano" is great entertainment with over-the-top video and blow-up dolls and Elton's campy, fun personality dispensed in just the right dosage.
- The Virgin Megastore: Now gone from the Forum Shops. Sigh. But for many years this was the place I could always find a hard-to-get import discs. My oddest memory from the Virgin Megastore was a chaotic book signing by Jenna Jameson in 2004 packed with teens too young to legally know her oeuvre, yet well versed in her status as a pop culture icon.
- Dinner with Terri Nunn of Berlin: I guess this could have happened anywhere, but it happened at Spago at the Forum Shops. Nunn had reviewed some compact discs for Las Vegas Weekly that I edited and it was an expense account meal. I was so excited. I am such a dork.
- People watching: Because of its size, Caesars Palace is among the least exclusive luxury properties. And because of its Forum Shops, the resort is very popular with locals too. At least once a month I like to go, sit at a bar or in the mall and people watch. Every time I go I am amazed by the number of languages I hear, styles I see, and characters I encounter. Try it.
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What happened to the buffet at Caesar's Palace? What they have as their buffet is a joke. I am a local and trust me that if I want a real buffet (and gamble if I life) I will go to the Bellagio or Mirage or Wynn. It is a shame as when they had their old buffet the food was good and it attracted a lot of locals. And Harrahs cuts corners on everything.
Posted by: Ron | August 06, 2006 at 12:36 PM
Hear hear-- I was recently out in Vegas for my first trip, and while I can't say much about the food, entertainment or accomidations, they have by far the most pleasant mid-level blackjack tables in town. The dealers and pit critters are friendly and professional and the surroundings strike the right balance between chichi and tawdry.
Posted by: Townleybomb | August 06, 2006 at 09:17 PM
I think they remember Caesars Palace from among the crowd as it is the only one that goes back that far that hasn't been blown up or imploded. All the other 'regulars and lokals' places like the Silver Slipper, Last Frontier (site of the first buffet), Desert Inn, Thunderbird, Old Flamingo, Dunes, Hacienda (they started the junket flights into and out of Las Vegas), the Sands, Castaways, Showboat, have all been replaced with the 'new and improved' version, which are anything but.
Ceasars Palace was a place they kept the regular working folk out, and was off limits to anyone except the 'class' crowd (where money was no object and $100 bills were meant to light cigarettes and cigars). (now, any old riff raff can go in).
Mostly one cannot touch any show today for less than $100. During the Mob reign, they were mostly free, and at most, cost $5 and plus two drinks. There were a lot more comps, and barstow gas stations had pots that californians could leave (pre-pay) in order to fill up the tank after leaving las vegas broke. (Speaking of the mob, the final resting place of many of its victims are now valuable real estate lots. I think the mob would be hard pressed to find enough vacant anything now, just to dispose of a body).
Unfortunately, many newcomers haven't quite met the real las vegas, with boom and BUST cycles, where things slow so much a person can't buy a job. no job means no mortgage payment, and it would appear that cycle is starting up (or down, if you would), what with 22,000 houses on the current market locally. Cleaning house the las vegas way.
What keeps the casino (any casino) going is the fact that people chase rainbows inside their heads, wanting a chance to get something more for less than what they put in. Of course, it is so easy to feed in coins and lose track of the count. To know gambling odds is to study the law of probability. To know what one actually loses, is to take a computer along, something completely banned (applies to players) from the innards of any casino, though every casino manager has their cranked and tracking. No wall clocks either.
Hit the din of noise and bells. bells and clanks for putting money in, playing, losing, slight wins, credits... Mind you, you don't win any hard cash, just a printout ticket, so why all the clangs? A psychological tool to lead bystanders to believe somebody is winning something, and they could too, provided they pull up a seat and start plunking money into the slot... No need to pay attention, just feed the machine with a bottomless gut, and dream about what you are going to do with all that money. Count the chickens before they hatch. Try to sway God and luck by stating out loud that any money you win will go to some noble cause.
Reality is, not much money ever really leaves a casino, once the suckers come in and line up to play...
Posted by: Billy BUBB | August 10, 2006 at 07:49 AM