While there have indeed been some relatively high-profile restaurant closures announced of late, we'd venture that this is no longer indicative of a prevailing economic state of affairs, and that what's closing is more than being compensated for by new ventures.
Back in January of this year, we wrote about new upscale eateries that had debuted in the past 12 months (see Question of the Day 1/5/15), while referencing some of the higher-profile casualties of 2014, among them Osteria del Circo (Bellagio); Sirio (Aria); Pinot Brasserie (Venetian); Empress Court (Caesars Palace); American Fish (Aria); Pearl (MGM Grand); Central (Caesars' gourmet coffee shop); and The Flame Steakhouse (El Cortez). Alongside these, the passing of Sidewalk Cafe or Sugar Factory seems pretty minor.
If the truth be told, we've never actually dined at a Sugar Factory American Brasserie, but we confess to being faintly annoyed at the whole concept and "Kardashian-ness" of the brand. Evidently, we weren't alone, or at least the whole appetite for exorbitantly priced sparkly "couture" lollipops is mercifully running its course in Sin City, although any dissenters out there may take solace in the fact there will be a new Sugar Factory debuting at Bally's Grand Bazaar, but for candy retailing only--no restaurant.
It's the new Grand Bazaar development out front, as opposed to any economic pressure or secret agenda, that's to blame for the loss, also, of Bally's Sidewalk Cafe and Tequila Bar & Grille. The whole property has been in a state of flux for some time now and it still feels as though Bally's is finding its new niche, so expect more changes down the line, we predict. The opening of the Grand Bazaar Shops was "soft" in the extreme, with few of the food venues online, but you can see a partial list of what's coming (it's all of a casual/snack nature) on the official website, although it doesn't yet mention Wahlburgers, Nacho Daddy, or Bronze Cafe, for example, which are all destined to join the mix in due course.
The same goes for SLS, which is likewise struggling to find its feet and has closed both its buffet and the popular (but evidently financially un-viable) third party-owned Griddle Café, now replaced by a more conventional 24/7 house-owned coffee shop. Ditto Tivoli Village, which has seen a rapid turnover of new culinary experiments that didn't make it, or didn't even happen (no recent update on the Alex Stratta situation...); the same may well prove true for Downtown Summerlin.
The high-profile imminent shutterings of both Simon Restaurant at Palms Place and KGB at Harrah's can be blamed almost entirely, sadly, on the rapidly declining health of chef Kerry Simon, as opposed to any wider underlying trend.
Meanwhile, however, downtown's dining scene is positively exploding, with notable new additions like Carson Kitchen, MTO Cafe, La Comida, and the revamped El Sombrero, for example. The "locals casino" scene is similarly vibrant: last year Station Casinos undertook a major revamp of its restaurant offerings and Boyd Gaming has just embarked on a similar valley-wide upgrade, so expect to see even more new venues coming online in the next few months.
Even though SLS is experiencing teething problems, it's continues to offer some notable additions to the culinary landscape, including Bazaar Meat and Cleo. We confess to being somewhat underwhelmed by some of the Strip's more hyped new arrivals, including Shake Shack and White Castle, but Tom's Urban brings something new and interesting to the table at New York-New York (just beware of those habaneros...), and there are good casual offerings from Caesars' new food court, like DiFara Pizza. You'll be able to hop across the street soon, too, for some bacon and eggs at Brian Malarkey's Searsucker (debuting at Caesars March 27). At Bally's, you're still in walking distance of Giada at The Cromwell, which now serves breakfast, and Guy Fieri at The LINQ.
Out in the 'burbs, "Team Blau/Canteenwalla" has been positively prolific, with new offerings including Honey Salt, Made.LV, and the soon-to-debut Andiron Steak. Another trend has been for "celebrity" chefs opening off-Strip restaurants, with Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill opening at Downtown Summerlin and Brian Massie's Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar on W. Charleston, for example.
So, while we commiserate and sympathize with your recent losses, we're pretty confident that the Las Vegas dining scene is bouncing back, with offerings to accommodate pretty much any tastes or wallet -- just don't expect to find too many bargains on the Strip outside of happy hour-deals, which remain abundant (check our monthly round-up of new finds in the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter.
