Spanish chef plans Vegas restaurants

Celebrated Spanish chef José Andrés, whose culinary empire includes seven restaurants in Washington, D.C., and one in Beverly Hills, Calif., is opening two at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

One of his restaurants will borrow the best from Jaleo, Andrés' award-winning tapas emporium, with the intention of creating "the country's premier Spanish restaurant," according to a release from The Cosmopolitan, which opens late this year.

His second will be an entirely new concept: an elite Spanish chef's take on a Chinese and Mexican menu.

In addition to Jaleo, established in 1993, his ThinkFoodGroup restaurants include Café Atlantico, Zaytinya, Oyamel and the critically acclaimed minibar by José Andrés.

His most recent project, The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, received a four-star rating from The Los Angeles Times and was nominated as Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.

Andrés is featured tonight on a segment of CBS' "60 Minutes" (KLAS-TV, Channel 8, 7 p.m.)

Monday he is up for the James Beard Foundation's "outstanding chef" award in New York City.

Earlier this year, The Cosmopolitan announced the following restaurant lineup: Blue Ribbon by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg; Comme Ca by Los Angeles chef David Myers; New York City's Estiatorio Milos by restaurateur Costas Spiliadis; Scarpetta and a new casual wine bar by award-winning chef Scott Conant; and the steakhouse STK from The One Group.

REMEMBERING DANNY GANS

Friends of the late Danny Gans gathered at his grave on the one-year anniversary of his death Saturday at Palm Memorial Park on Eastern Avenue.

Among the dozen attending the 2 p.m. tribute were Chip Lightman, his longtime manager; KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs; R.G. Ryan, who collaborated on Gans' book; his assistants and members of his band and crew.

Gans' family moved from Las Vegas to La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., shortly after the headliner's death, which came about three months after he opened at Wynn Las Vegas.

Earlier in the day, I spoke to Lightman, who said he's been touched by the magnanimous way Garth Brooks has paid tribute to Gans.

Lightman said Brooks, who moved into the theater eight months after Gans died, regularly tells audiences "This will always be Danny Gans' room.'"

Lightman revealed that he and Gans, who together had lured Donny and Marie Osmond back to Las Vegas, agreed that Brooks would be a perfect fit for the Las Vegas market.

"About a year before Danny passed, Danny and I were talking to Garth's manager, who flew in and met with us, to discuss (Brooks) coming to his market."

After Gans' death, Lightman said Wynn "asked me to help out." When Lightman raised the possibility of approaching Brooks, Wynn jumped at the idea, Lightman said.

"It's really cool that Garth is playing the room," Lightman said.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

With all that's going on in his private life, CNN talk show host Larry King has moved his June one-nighter at the Palms to August or September, I hear. ...

SIGHTINGS

Conan O'Brien, having lunch at Society Cafe at Encore Saturday afternoon. Four fans were invited to join him for a while. ... British boxing champ Ricky Hatton at Munchbar (Caesars Palace) on Friday, knocking down Guinness beers with shots of Jägermeister. ...

At XS (Encore) on Friday in separate groups: New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael J. Fox, Jerome Bettis and Paris Hilton. ... Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, who has worked with Cher, Michael Jackson and "High School Musical," celebrated his 60th birthday (April 18) on Friday by attending and performing with Caesars Palace headliner Matt Goss. ... At the Palms: actor Barry Pepper, who played Roger Maris in HBO's "61." He was at ghostbar. Also among a large contingent of NFL stars, baseball slugger Jermaine Dye, and NFL players Shaun Rogers, Brandyn Dombrowski and Tony Scheffler.

THE PUNCH LINE

"There are fears that the oil spill in the Gulf will merge with a massive slick of self-tanner from the cast of 'Jersey Shore' in Miami." -- Jimmy Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.