PHOTO: Giada tasting event at Caesars Palace (courtesy Ryan Rudnansky)
I was part of a select group of media members who were given an exclusive preview of The Cromwell boutique hotel this week before it opens to the public on May 21.
Included in the itinerary: a tasting event with Giada De Laurentiis to highlight her upcoming restaurant, Giada, at The Cromwell; a tour of The Cromwell with general manager Karie Hall; a tour of Drai's Beach Club Nightclub with, you guessed it, Victor Drai; a tour of Caesar Entertainment's new Linq outdoor plaza; a ride on the tallest observation wheel in the world, The High Roller; and a night at the popular Brooklyn Bowl bowling/live music venue.
Oh yeah, and I also stayed at Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace for two nights (celebrating its one-year anniversary on April 28), received a tour of some of its top suites and dined at Nobu Matsuhisa's restaurant at the hotel.
I will start with the second day of my trip, beginning with Giada De Laurentiis' tasting event before the opening of her first restaurant, Giada.
Giada
Giada restaurant will debut along with The Cromwell on May 21. The tasting event before its debut was held at Caesars Palace, above the hotel's pool area at one of its villas.
De Laurentiis had a variety of morsels spread out for the gathering of guests to chow down on, including clams, pasta, a wide selection of cheeses and meats, Rosemary Focaccia and even octopus (I'm beginning to realize that I really, really like octopus when it's done right). Chicken marsala meatballs were also being served, which were a hit.
I was able to talk to De Laurentiis for a bit before she addressed everyone. She said she felt like this was the right time in her career for her to open up her first restaurant, and The Cromwell, Las Vegas' first and only standalone boutique hotel, was the place to do it.
"I'm on the journey of growth and this is a great time to do it," De Laurentiis said at the reception.
De Laurentiis mentioned that she likes to be unique and different, and The Cromwell fit the criteria.
The fact that the culinary industry in Vegas (and the world) is male dominated also lit a fire under the popular "Food Network" chef.
At the reception, De Laurentiis covered a variety of topics about the upcoming Giada restaurant, and questions from media members and interested parties were encouraged.
Caesars Entertainment approached De Laurentiis about opening up her first restaurant at The Cromwell seven years ago. It didn't take much convincing for her to jump on board.
When she first saw her potential spot, which is raised a bit from the prime intersection of South Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, she said emphatically, "This is my space. I want this space."
De Laurentiis' goal with the restaurant, she says, is to make it feel as if she's inviting guests into her home. She talked about creating a warm atmosphere and ambiance. Warm gold colors will sweep across her restaurant, from a rose gold-tinted chandelier to the hand-selected dishware to a custom-made dessert cart ("They just can't say no," she said. "Indulgence is Vegas, and dessert is indulgence.").
PHOTO: Giada dining room rendering (courtesy Caesars Entertainment)
There will also be family portraits of De Laurentiis' family adorning the space, as well as movie posters from her grandfather, Dino De Laurentiis. Specialty cocktails will honor her family.
"If I don't do something that makes my family proud, I might as well retire, dig a hole and get in," she said.
The Emmy Award-winner and New York Times bestselling author made it clear that she wanted her restaurant to be classy, but not intimidating. She used the word "empowering" more than once.
Caesars Entertainment Regional Vice President of Food and Beverage Jeffrey Frederick has worked extensively with De Laurentiis since first bringing the opportunity to the attention of Caesars' first female celebrity chef in Vegas.
He said that De Laurentiis was the most involved chef he's ever worked with, and he's been doing this thing for 18 years. De Laurentiis has been working 14-hour days leading up to her restaurant's debut, sometimes pulling in random people off the street into her tasting rooms. One day, 38 dishes were cooked up.
You can tell De Laurentiis is passionate about what she does, too. Frederick said De Laurentiis discovered lemon extract was being used in one of her olive oils at one point. Let's just say that was the end of lemon extract being used. De Laurentiis didn't exactly mince words.
The Giada restaurant will accommodate about 300 guests across a dining room, a lounge and a terrace. An antipasti bar will welcome diners, boasting a gold marble countertop. There will be cutouts in the back bar liquor display so guests can watch the chefs hard at work.
Of course, a big draw for the restaurant as far as its design goes will be its 12-by-10-foot retractable windows, which will open up and offer views of the bustling intersection below and the nearby Bellagio Fountains.
De Laurentiis was involved in every part of the restaurant's design, from the Italian tile floors to the various sayings spread throughout the space to the circle-and-spiral-shaped lights. Heck, she even tested out the restaurant's chairs and living-room style furniture.
PHOTO: Giada entrance rendering (courtesy Caesars Entertainment)
Giada will feature a menu embracing De Laurentiis' Roman heritage, with a touch of California (De Laurentiis lives in Los Angeles). Signature dishes include Lemon Spaghetti, Lobster Arancini, Pea Pesto Crostini, Marsala Herb Chicken Meatballs and Lemon Ricotta Cookies (media members in the group walked away with the Lemon Ricotta Cookies and, let me tell you, there is no way there was any lemon extract in them).
There will also be a dim sum brunch "experience" honoring De Laurentiis' grandfather's affinity for the Chinese food. Prosecco and cocktails will likely be presented to guests to start off dinner.
Lunch is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. Dinner will be run from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Guests can enjoy the restaurant's lounge from 5 p.m. to midnight every day.
Note: Giada De Laurentiis was kind enough to take a picture with me. Unfortunately, I ruined that picture so I won't be posting it here (followers of my Twitter account saw it in all of its horror).
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