Las Vegas Weekly

PMG to Social-ize CityCenter

Social House returns to Vegas at Crystals

A rendering of the completed Social House dining room, opening in early summer 2010 at Crystals.

Not quite a year since its closure at TI following a wave of rebranding by new owner Phil Ruffin, Pure Management Group's Social House restaurant will make its return "in early summer 2010" in Crystals at CityCenter.

According to a release issued last week by PMG representatives, the new Social House will be located on Crystals' second floor, with an enclosed dining area and an open dining terrace that overlooks the first-floor shopping areas. Returning for this second iteration — the original has been replaced by Khotan pan-Asian restaurant — will be Social House's Chef Joe Elevado (Reader's Choice for Best Chef, Las Vegas Weekly, 2008) and his Japanese/Southeast Asian cuisine and sushi. Elevado studied under the acclaimed Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa and Japanese Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto before striking out on his own.

While Social House at Crystals will share some design features with its TI predecessor — many of the iconic elements of the original restaurant will be retained, such as dark woods and metal — bold new design elements will be emphasized, says a rep, to "still create the tranquil vibe."

But tranquil is probably not the right word to describe this restaurant, which enjoyed a close relationship to neighboring Tangerine, then later Christian Audigier. Assured to be vibrant and sexy, the new Social House will continue that relationship with Pure and LAX nightclubs. DJs will continue to spin and nightlife programming again will play a large part in the restaurant's place in the nightlife scene.

"The menu will retain the elements that brought us a cult following, while being exposed to a larger, more sophisticated audience will allow us to experiment and push the culinary envelope further with bolder dishes," says Elevado. Of those cult dishes, the Weekly has but one humble request: the return of the crispy corn ice cream.

What do you say, Chef?