The Las Vegas Strip faces the imminent loss of some of its longest-tenured casinos.
The Tropicana, the second-oldest resort casino on the 4.2-mile stretch of road, will soon make way for a new stadium for Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics, while early steps to replace Casino Royale with a much larger tower have been taken.
And while the two losses are not comparable -- few people feel nostalgic for Casino Royale -- Sin City will still lose two casinos that have been around for a long time.
The Strip will also soon lose the Mirage Volcano as a new Guitar Hotel goes up. That results from the former MGM Resorts International (MGM) -) Mirage having been purchased by Hard Rock International.
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In recent months, Las Vegas has also seen a number of long-tenured restaurants shut down. Caesars Entertainment (CZR) -) lost both Rao's and Old Homestead Grill at Caesar's Palace.
The casino giant plans to replace the steakhouse with a new concept from the celebrity chef Bobby Flay. It has also added a New York staple as its new steakhouse with Peter Luger opening at the company's namesake property.
MGM Resorts has also suffered its share of losses. Mandalay Bay has seen a number of restaurants close, including Wolfgang Puck's Lupo, one of the Strip's longest-tenured celebrity eateries.
Puck closed Lupo, which had a 24-year run in its Mandalay Bay location recently shut down unexpectedly, but the chef's organization on Sept. 5 outlined plans for a new restaurant in the same spot.
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Puck brings new concept to the Las Vegas Strip
Unlike many chefs who have a signature cuisine, Puck operates a variety of restaurants. His lineup has spanned everything from unique takes on pizza to novel takes on a steakhouse. Italian food is the chef's roots, however, and that will be what makes up the menu at Caramá, his new Mandalay Bay eatery.
"Caramá will transform the expected into something entirely new. Guests can anticipate a culinary experience that will be nothing short of extraordinary,” said Puck.
"Growing up on the border of Italy, I experienced first-hand the cuisine of all the neighboring regions, embracing their textures, sounds, smells, and flavors. Caramá will take you on such a memorable culinary journey.”
The new restaurant will serve as a tribute to the chef's mother, who helped nurture his talent while teaching him to use high-quality ingredients to create a culinary experience meant to be shared with friends and family.
In January Puck's new eatery will open in Mandalay Bay at the site of the former Lupo. The menu will not be strictly Italian; it will add in some of the chef's favorite dishes from his long career.
Mandalay Bay adds more big-name chefs
In addition to Puck, Mandalay Bay will add a new concept from James Beard Award-winner Michael Mina in early 2024. The chef will bring Orla, "a restaurant that blends the flavors of the Mediterranean and Greece with the bold, aromatic spices of the Middle East," to the Las Vegas Strip resort.
"Chef Mina is one of the best chefs in the world and his success with us at our StripSteak restaurant is a testament to his creativity, culinary standards and passion for making memorable experiences nightly for our guests," Mandalay Bay Chief Operating Officer Chuck Bowling said in a media statement.
Orla, which means "golden princess" in Greek, will draw from Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, and it nods to Mina’s Egyptian heritage. The menu will focus on seafood. And it's an entirely new concept for the chef.
Mina also recently reopened StripSteak, his signature Mandalay Bay eatery, with a new look and a revamped menu.
