Celebrity chef to open Palms Place eatery

Casino developer George Maloof, in a business partnership with celebrity chef Kerry Simon, is opening Simon at Palms Place on Thursday, a $7.2 million restaurant catering to both local residents and the affluent demographic that bought into the condominium hotel on Flamingo Road.

Simon, who recently won the Iron Chef America award, will manage the restaurant with Elizabeth Blau, his partner in several other restaurants, including Simon kitchen + bar at the Hard Rock Hotel.

"They have a profitability interest, obviously, in managing the restaurant," Maloof said Tuesday at the 6,000-square-foot, 180-seat restaurant on the sixth floor of Palms Place. "The idea was to have space that's comfortable and an atmosphere that's appealing. It's right next to the pool."

Although some restaurants have closed as the economy slowed, those on the Strip continue to perform well, Maloof said. People who purchased units at Palms Place, which start in the $600,000s, expect a restaurant and lounge in the class of Strip hotels.

"Now, Las Vegas is known for its restaurants. I think it's expected to have a great restaurant and people come to Las Vegas seeking a great dining experience," he said.

Blau, who came to Las Vegas 11 years ago to work for Steve Wynn, brought chefs Jean Georges Vongerichten, Michael Mina and Todd English to Bellagio. She said people come to Las Vegas in search of Kerry Simon and his restaurants after seeing him win national awards.

Simon is aiming for "sustainability" with his new restaurant, showing off his "herb wall" of fresh rosemary, basil, chives and mint plants.

"It's going to take a week to settle in and get the lighting correct," he said. "Generally, we're trying to go with as much sustainable product as we could -- bamboo floor, fish that's not overfished. We're still learning about that. It's not happening overnight."

Simon said he "hit it off" with Maloof and his brothers when they dined at Prime Steakhouse, Simon's restaurant at Bellagio, and he started hanging out with them. Two years ago, when Maloof started looking for a restaurant partner, he called Simon.

Paul Hartgen, president of the Nevada Restaurant Association, said Las Vegas is still being targeted for restaurant development, particularly on the Strip.

With year-over-year sales growth, Las Vegas continues to be one of the top picks for opening a new restaurant, he said. Nevada's restaurant industry employs 196,000 workers and sales topped $9 billion last year.

"If you look at that, Nevada has 5,000 restaurants. Some states have twice that and their sales are about the same as Nevada," Hartgen said. "The more we become a culinary destination, the more people want to come and experience that."

Blau said Simon at Palms Place should not be thought of as an exclusive, highbrow eatery.

"It's not upscale. Kerry's a man of the people, just like George, once you get to know him," she said. "You can see we don't have tablecloths. We play rock 'n' roll music. The wait staff is wearing black denim pants. It's a cool place."

Entree prices range from $22 for organic rotisserie chicken with corn-bread panzanella to $48 for a 20-ounce cowboy rib-eye steak with roasted fingerling potatoes. The Iron Chef burger runs as a $16 special and comes with french fries and a mini milkshake.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.