Fear not, vintage Vegas fans! We, too, were alarmed when a reader informed us last week that they had driven past the Peppermill Fireside Lounge, and that it appeared to be closed. The famous ’70s throwback -- an iconic tribute to the very best of mid-century casino chic with its fire pit, mirrored ceilings, fake flowers, pink upholstery, black everything else, and lashings of purple neon -- was closed only for a few days and the remodel primarily involved some kitchen upgrades, like a new dishwasher, the charming staff informed us. Some new flowers were added out front to freshen things up and new carpet installed (same as the old carpet, just new), but nothing intrinsic to the "vintageness" (their word) was touched and nor is it likely to be anytime soon. (That's good news, as the introduction of the de rigueur flat-screen TVs, pumping out pop videos, are an unwelcome anachronism, at least to us.
What you see today is not the original look, however, we have discovered: It opened with orange shag carpet (women's heels had a habit of getting caught in the pile...), chocolate brown tiles, and faux-leather booths. The first, and only major remodel came in 1986 when the owners "softened" the look with the glorious palette we know and love today.
It was at 11 p.m. on Dec. 26, 1972, that Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge first opened its doors and today it's one of the few surviving stand-alone structures on the Strip, set slightly back from Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of the Riviera. It has starred in numerous movies and TV shows, including Casino (a high point), Showgirls (not so much), The Cotton Club, and "CSI", while a number of the staff are veterans who've worked there seemingly for millennia, or are second-generation family employees; the cocktail waitresses actually sport long (if low-cut) evening gowns - a rare sight today, to be sure.
The clientele is as classic as the venue. A favorite among Strip celebrities, from Dean Martin to Holly Maddison, Floyd Mayweather to Penn Jillette, the Peppermill is one of those rare animals that has captured the locals and the tourist market in equal measure, with regulars including strippers, casino dealers, and cops, all attracted by the open-all-hours policy and the large, reasonably priced portions. Its proximity to the Convention Center brings in a whole other crowd, too.
The restaurant and lounge are not merely renowned for their authentic kitsch appeal. The Peppermill opened as the Vegas offshoot of Bill Paganetti and Nat Carasali's Reno Peppermill Coffee Shop and Lounge and the Vegas venue still serves a hearty menu of more than 100 American classics and eclectic dishes from around the world, famed for their generous portions (the original signature 10-egg omelet is still on the menu 40 years later). The desserts are famous, too, for both their calorific content and their size (it's said the banana split can feed four).
We're not actually sure if/when our Peppermill became detached from what is now a large-ish group that still comprises the Peppermill Reno, plus the Wendover property, the Rainbow brand, and a couple of other Nevada casinos. (We do know that it's no relation to the Peppermill Casino, which opened in 1982 at 3049 Las Vegas Blvd. South, which is a whole other story.) While plenty of information is available about the general managers and chefs etc., we couldn't figure out who actually owns the joint today. But whoever it is, we encourage them to keep doing what they're doing.
