Wynn switching restaurant’s name
Hotel developer Steve Wynn is naming one of his restaurants after his British wife. Switch restaurant, which opened in Encore in December 2008, will be renamed Andrea's, Vegas Confidential has learned.
Switch closed recently without an announcement to make way for the new concept. The eatery got its name for its transformation throughout the evening, with the walls and chandelier disappearing into the ceiling. Even the wait staff changed uniforms at the beginning, before that was deemed unworkable.
Wynn married the former Andrea Hissom on April 30, 2011, with Oscar winner Clint Eastwood as best man, on the same day of the royal wedding in London.
In a rare one-on-one interview with a media member, Andrea Wynn told me about the biggest surprise development in her budding relationship with Wynn.
Her great uncle, Ben Novack, and grandfather, Joe Novack, built the Fontainebleau hotel on Miami Beach, which opened in 1954. It became a popular haunt of celebrities and has appeared in many films, including the James Bond classic "Goldfinger."
When her grandfather died, Andrea's mother inherited part of the Fontainebleau.
"What's so weird," she said, "is that (she and Wynn) had been dating about three months and I was still based in Europe, and we had never talked about the Fontainebleau.
"Because most of my friends in Europe didn't know what it is, it never occurred to me to speak about it.
"Then we go to Switzerland, and I said to Steve, 'Do you see the way this room flows in this hotel?' And I was wondering if he understood what I was saying. And he said, 'Andrea, of course, that's how I create my hotels.'
"And I said, 'Oh, do you have to get involved in the design?' "
She said Wynn replied, "Well, of course I do. You didn't know that?"
"I said, 'Steve, we've never discussed your business. We discussed a lot of other things, obviously, but we never got around to Las Vegas so much.'
"And he said to me, 'One of my great inspirations for my design work is the Fontainebleau.' I thought I was going to fall off my chair. I said, 'Really, well I have something to tell you.' That's how he came about finding out that I had a connection with the Fontainebleau with my family, and one of the reasons he got into the hotel world was his love for the Fontainebleau from the time he spent there when he was 19 to 20 years old.
"We came sort of full circle. We meet in Europe having no idea, fall in love, and it's come full circle."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., got a standing ovation when he walked onstage Friday at Reynolds Hall in The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, site of a celebration of life for community leader Bob Forbuss. His appearance came two hours after he was released from UMC following a traffic accident involving his caravan on northbound Interstate 15. He suffered bruised ribs and a hip contusion. ...
Sacramento Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof is hosting a private masquerade ball Tuesday at his mansion in Southern Highlands to celebrate the launch of the family's newest business venture, Zing vodka. Its first flavored vodka, Red Velvet, is already available at Lee's Discount Liquor and Total Wine & More stores. The bottles light up through LED technology.
SIGHTINGS
Elton John, hosting several hundred for a weekend celebration of the 50th birthday of his partner, David Furnish. Guests were invited to John's show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and a private party at The Act, the edgy, 40-performer theater that held its grand opening this weekend at the Palazzo. ... Justin Bartha, with a lady friend at "O" (Bellagio) Saturday. He's in town for filming of "The Hangover III." ... Mike Tyson, tweeting that he took his kids to Eli Roth's Goretorium on Saturday. "They were so scared," he wrote. ... Former "Cheers" castmates Kelsey Grammer and John Ratzenberger with Jon Voight manning telephones Saturday at Mitt Romney's headquarters. ... Shania Twain, at Elton John's "The Million Dollar Piano" (Caesars Palace) on Friday.
THE PUNCH LINE
"I'm going to say something controversial. A lot of stuff in the tabloids is made up. The tabloids are made up, except the astrology section. That's 100 percent real." - Craig Ferguson
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
