Exclusive: First Word on Monte Carlo's Double Barrel Overhaul Exclusive: First Word on Monte Carlo's Double Barrel Overhaul

Future home of The Double Barrel [Photo: Facebook]

Monte Carlo is planning a major facelift to its northern Strip facing entrance. The Double Barrel, an almost 9,000-square-foot restaurant featuring live entertainment, will anchor the new wing of the resort, in addition to four other tenants, a currently unassigned mix of retail and other food options. The expansion will increase the Monte Carlo's overall footprint by more than 25,000 square feet.

Waterfalls, overhauls and vintage walls. > >

A representative for the project described the current curved entrance and fountain feature as "sterile," their new plan aiming to make this section "more welcoming."

The look will include a vintage, urban-style metal catwalk and elements of glass, brick facades and wood panels, a design more reminiscent of the exterior of its neighbor, New York-New York, than the current neoclassical concept. Angled skylights are a distinct feature on the roof. The height will will not increase over the current property and this wing will stretch to the Las Vegas Boulevard to become flush with the present ornate Monte Carlo signage.

This entrance provides direct access to Andre's, Dragon Noodle Co. & Sushi Bar and d.vino restaurants. They are currently not included in these construction upgrades.

The changes will remove the existing large fountain and replace with smaller water features, tiny waterfalls leading into small pools to help recycle the water. The Monte Carlo fountains already operate via recycling methods.

The move follows an escalating recent trend for Strip resorts to create attractions directly accessible from the Strip and not via the interior of the casino. Victoria Partners, owners of the Monte Carlo, first proposed a plan to remodel this area in July 2011, pushing for a 24-foot high, two-story bar, enhanced by "a mix of Mediterranean and contemporary exterior design" and a strong focus on foliage including palms, privet trees and "star jasmine," a different approach from The Double Barrel. Despite Paradise Town Board approval, those earlier plans were halted by Victoria Partners in December of that year.
· All Coverage of Monte Carlo [~ELV~]

Royal India Bistro Takes Over the Gaylord Space at Rio Royal India Bistro Takes Over the Gaylord Space at Rio

Certified Open tracks some of the smaller restaurants that open in Las Vegas. See a new restaurant that deserves some love? Email vegas@eater.com.

Royal India Bistro [Photo: Chelsea McManus]

Royal India Bistro
Address: Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road
Phone: 702-777-2277
Status: Certified open

Gaylord India Restaurant recently went through a changeover to Royal India Bistro at the Rio. Now the restaurant, which opened on March 8, serves up North Indian fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Some of the menu, the buffet and more. > >

Restauranteur Harjit Singh already has places like Indian Delhi Palace in Phoenix, Curry India Bistro in Diamond Bar, Calif., and more.

For lunch, the restaurant serves a buffet, while a regular menu is served during dinner. Look for tandoori and vegetarian specialties as well as chicken, lamb and seafood dishes.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner 5 to 10:30 p.m. and happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. daily.

Gaylord shuttered back in January after its lease expired.
· All Coverage of Certified Open [~ELV~]

Meet the New Korean Joint 21 Restaurant & Lounge Meet the New Korean Joint 21 Restaurant & Lounge

21 Restaurant & Lounge [Photo: Chelsea McManus]

The Asian intrusion has extended beyond Chinatown. Al Mancini at CityLife checked out 21 Restaurant & Lounge, the new Korean restaurant that feels like a nightclub. "Everything I've sampled here has ranged from good to great," he says.

He recommends the kimchi pancake, the shrimp in a teriyaki barbecue sauce and the assortment of chicken wings that are more like traditional fried chicken. "More importantly, the available flavors are added to the batter sparingly. I recommend the curry version, which has so slight a hint of spice that even people who think they don't like curry will eagerly devour them without quite knowing why."

Each of the Plexiglass cubes for a table can turn on to give the room a sci-fi vibe.

Yonaka Modern Cuisine, Burger Bistro, Viva Las Arepas and The Great Greek. > >

Brock Radke at Las Vegas Weekly continues the Asian invasion, checking out Yonaka Modern Cuisine, the new Japanese restaurant on the west side. He says the crudo "is impossible to forget" paired with the sake orenji, "You could devour these refreshing small plates day or night, forever." While not everything was a hit, he says. "Yonaka's kitchen shines brightest with the small plates."

Erik Chudy at Vegas Burger Blog is uninspired by the new Burger Bistro at LVH. "Basically what I'm saying here is the LVH execs decided that burgers are hot, there are massive amount of bodies coming out of conventions so let's just slap a burger joint in this unused space, charge way too much money and see how it goes." He gives the Swiss and bacon burger he tried a 60 out of 100. "While they provide a somewhat decent burger, the fries are awful, the service was iffy, and the prices are insulting." [VBB]

Max Jacobson at Vegas Seven heads to Viva Las Arepas. He says an arepa is a "cornmeal cake that can be steamed, fried or grilled, as it is here. Picture a hamburger bun in wax paper and then substitute the arepa, and that's what you're getting." He loved the carne asada arepa as well as a "cold arepa called reina pepiada, a minced chicken filling redolent of garlic and cilantro." [VS]

Heidi Knapp Rinella at the Las Vegas Review-Journal is back with her A ways, doling out an A- to The Great Greek in Henderson. She says the counter service restaurant isn't much to look at so focus on the food. She says the gyro was one of the best she's had in a while. "The pita was warm and pillowy and it was stuffed with lots of slices of meat, plus tomato and red onion and enough lettuce that it provided crunch but clearly wasn't being used as a filler." [LVRJ]

Pranks Pranks

Pranks

The Internet has outdone itself this year with April Fool's Day jokes galore, and Eater National has gathered some of the best from across the food and restaurant world. Head over for artisanal air, bacon Scope, No Appetit, Google Nose, and much, much more. [Eater National]

Raising Cane's Caniac Invasion Grows Nearer Raising Cane's Caniac Invasion Grows Nearer

Raising Cane's [Photo: Bradley Martin]

Chicken finger slinger Raising Cane's sixth Las Vegas location is now scheduled to open on May 10. The still under construction restaurant, close to Lake Mead Boulevard and U.S. 95, plans to hire 60 workers. This will be their first local expansion since May 2010.

The franchise's deliberately limited menu chooses to focus on chicken fingers, coleslaw, crinkle-cut fries and garlic-buttered Texas toast. Owners MRG Marketing & Management Inc. are also considering plans for future openings in Summerlin, Henderson and near Nellis Air Force Base.

The groundbreaking ceremony at this location was led by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. The company has since plotted its progress on Facebook, nicknaming their Rock Springs Drive building The Rock.
· All Coverage of Raising Cane's [~ELV~]

SNHD Shuts Down Chao Thai with 61 Demerits SNHD Shuts Down Chao Thai with 61 Demerits

Chao Thai at 4550 S. Maryland Pkwy. was shut down by the Southern Nevada Health District after inspectors discovered 61 demerits and an imminent health hazard during a routine health inspection on March 27.

Aside from no potable water, which would automatically shut the restaurant down, inspectors found violations such as staff not properly washing their hands, no hot and cold running water, a dangerous cross-connection or backflow with waste water and sewage and more.

This isn't Chao Thai's first run-in with SNHD. On Oct. 23, the restaurant was shut down with 44 demerits during a routine inspection.

The Southern Nevada Health District routinely shuts down restaurants that receive more than 40 demerits. Restaurants have the option of requesting a re-inspection before the next scheduled inspection.
· All Coverage of DOH Chronicles [~ELV~]

Border Grill's Mary Sue Milliken on Being a Woman Chef Border Grill's Mary Sue Milliken on Being a Woman Chef

Border Grill [Photo: Chelsea McManus]

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