(Photo by Scott Harrison | Retna. Additional photos Jessica Blair | SpyOnVegas.com)

Aria got its first rush of the public last night as people swarmed to get in the doors at 11 p.m. Nothing left to do now but sit back and wait to see if CityCenter can save Vegas.

With the economic weight of the world (well, city, anyway) on its shoulders, Aria saw George Maloof rolling deep through the lobby, David Brenner hanging out by the cage, Rex Lee and Eva Longoria Parker (before retiring to her own restaurant, Beso, at Crystals) wandering around.

Of course, after all the hoopla, MGM’s stock is currently down 37 cents.

Inside, though, it was carefree times, open bars and restaurants, and end-to-end violinists, each anchored in either of Aria’s two lobbies. They had what we assume are CityCenter Valkyries wandering the aisles, armed with lances topped with torches. Restaurants went with their own costumed girls — Shaboo opting for a high back of feathers for the girls in red dresses, while the sports book stayed on point with your classic slutty referee look. Viva Elvis countered with girls sitting next to giant guitars busting out of jumpsuits in a way that’s going to leave us very conflicted every time we watch Aloha From Hawaii.

The Gold Lounge and Haze were both closed for private parties, but Light Group’s Union and Deuce were both hopping. Walking through the restaurants, we were taken with both Jean Georges Steakhouse and Shaboo. The former opens to a round center bar that’s empties into dining rooms on either side, but is kept private from diners. The wine wall sweeping across one section of tables behind the bar is our kind of marriage of form, function and booze.

Shaboo, with high black ceilings broken up by a white drop-down in the center and lights that stretch to just above your head gives the illusion of dining outdoors at night. And it doesn’t hurt that the kobe beef skewers they were passing around were more or less the Platonic ideal of beef-on-a-stick.

What was really fun was being inside as the fireworks went off, as their steady popping gave way to the slow, building roar of everyone coming inside and scrambling to the tables, machines, restaurants or wherever. The main thoroughfare through the casino floor is nice and wide, so even on a night like last night, traffic could still flow.

Then again, maybe that’s why the Valkyries were there. Those might not have been torches on poles — they may have been prods to keep the crowd moving along.

By Jason Scavone

Comments RSS