Las Vegas Weekly

March 30, 2010 · 6 AM

Top U.S. chefs and restaurant brands are coming to the Cosmopolitan

By Robin Leach

An aerial tour of the Mojave Desert. CityCenter is pictured here.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

The first details of the culinary concepts and dining delights for the new Cosmopolitan have emerged this morning. The Cosmopolitan, which sits between Bellagio and MGM’s CityCenter, has two 50-story towers housing 2,995 hotel rooms and condo-style accommodations with three distinct pool experiences and more than 100,000 square feet of gaming floor.

The new restaurants, all opening for the first time in Las Vegas, include New York’s Blue Ribbon by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg, Comme Ca from acclaimed Los Angeles chef David Myers, New York City’s Estiatorio Milos by restaurateur Costas Spiliadis, Manhattan’s landmark Scarpetta and popular steakhouse STK from The One Group. Additionally, award-winning Italian chef Scott Conant is opening a casual wine bar.

I’m told that the Cosmopolitan will open late this year, but in time for Christmas and New Year’s festivities. An official for the Cosmopolitan said: “It’s a diverse list of culinary partners committed to creating an innovative neighborhood of dynamic restaurant experiences. There will also be an exclusive nightlife venue. These are concepts from some of America’s top chefs and restaurant brands.”

I had all this information much earlier yesterday but was asked to hold its release until 6 a.m. today. I kept my promise to honor the embargo, even though others jumped the gun!

The Cosmopolitan will announce additional food and beverage outlets when officially confirmed -- when signed contracts are in hand. One of those is the possible rooftop nightclub and pool day/nightlife operation by the ultra-successful Tao Group that operates Tao and Lavo in The Venetian and Palazzo, respectively. Tao is hailed as the largest-grossing restaurant in the United States. This past weekend, partners Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg reported that they had achieved new records of 1,400 diners in one night and 7,400 patrons through the nightclub when hip-hop mogul Jay-Z celebrated his concert after-party there.

Vegas DeLuxe has learned that negotiations between Tao Group and Cosmopolitan officials are in the final stages. Vegas DeLuxe was the first to report that Tao would operate the top three floors of the park area between the towers atop the casino floor, giving it space for unique day-into-night pool clubs and separate nightclub and restaurant attractions. Original drawings for the space showed walkways set among tree-lined water areas meandering throughout the park-like space.

Vegas DeLuxe will continue to keep watch on these developments at the Cosmopolitan, which was conceived by New York and Miami developer Bruce Eichner in 2005 and was taken over by Deutsche Bank, which also has financial interests in other Las Vegas casino operations now.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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