We're sorry to report that yes, unless there's some 11th-hour reprieve, 2013 was likely the last edition of our Las Vegas restaurant guide, which also greatly saddens the current writer, since it's been one of our favorite "extra-curricular" projects to have worked on over the past three years. The timing is also sadly ironic, with Anthony Bourdain having just been the latest television personality to revisit Sin City as a dining destination and discover such delights (and Eating Las Vegas favorites) as Raku and Lotus of Siam for the third season of his CNN series "Parts Unknown" (see Today's News 11/14/2013).
It seems, however, that not even the illustrious endorsement of such culinary luminaries as John Mariani and Alan Richman, nor the reach of stalwart supporter and gossip-columnist extraordinaire Robin Leach (each of whom has contributed a Foreward to editions of the book), has been enough to make ELV a viable entity sales-wise.
We like to think that this unique little pocket book, which packs a punch as much due to the feisty in-fighting and humor of its trio of esteemed local food critics, as for their excellent and eclectic picks in terms of the city's best spots to eat, has matured with each successive edition and we remain very proud of the product. But the sad truth is that the day of the guide book is almost certainly behind us, eclipsed -- in this particular instance -- by a juggernaut named Yelp.com (click to read co-author John Curtas' observations). In this age where everyone expects to find all the information they could possibly require online -- and for free -- anything with a price tag is an almost impossible sell, even if it's a superior product (and don't get us wrong, we're fans of Yelp, too, but we're also aware of its inaccuracies and inconsistencies and un-checked personal agendas, plus it cannot hope to offer the caliber of information available when you pool the minds, pens, and taste buds of three experts who earn a living eating their way around Sin City, day in, and day out).
We had hoped not only that Eating Las Vegas would continue to grow in its current incarnation, but also that it had great potential to go national, with plans for Eating ...L.A., ...New York, ...Atlanta, ...Chicago, ...San Francisco, and so on. But even with what we figured to be a very reasonable $12.95 cover price (or just $9.71 if you purchased direct from us, the publisher), it simply didn't sell enough copies to make economic sense to continue, not least bearing in mind the hours of work that went in to making the necessary annual revisions and additions, obtaining all the beautiful photographs that illustrate it, and so on.
A hoped-for Travel Channel show, starring ELV authors John Curtas and Al Mancini, which might have provided the necessary extra momentum, sadly failed to materialize (it was decided, not without some justification, that the world has enough food shows already). Hence, it remains for us only to wish Eating Las Vegas a very fond farewell and to thank authors Al Mancini, John Curtas, and Max Jacobson, not to mention all the restaurants, chefs, and PR staff who helped in its creation and, not least, all of you who, like today's questioner, did support the project by reaching into your wallets -- much appreciated.
Oh well, all good things must come to an end and this has been a really fun, educational, and delicious ride while it lasted. We hope the project also served to do its bit in putting Las Vegas firmly on the culinary map, where it most deservedly belongs these days.
ELV R.I.P.
