Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

John Katsilometes on Pure Management’s plan to bring some glitter to the gutter

About all the new bowling alley Lucky Strike has in common with the place it replaced, Bikinis, is that it will be a haven for splits.

Pure Management Group's ambitious attempt to merge an ultrahip nightclub with one of the nation's favorite recreation sports opens at 10 p.m. Thursday at the Rio. The Las Vegas Lucky Strike, part of a national chain of such clubs, is unlike the sprawling 56- or 70-lane lane bowling centers that have been built into several Las Vegas hotels. Lucky Strike has just 10 lanes in its 13,000-square-foot space, which is relatively intimate considering that three Lucky Strikes would easily fit inside the Sam's Town Bowling Center.

Bottle service is offered, not a surprise given that the nightclub Pure was practically built on such high-end VIP treatment. At Lucky Strike the service for a bottle of liquor served at the lanes' plush low-riding couches starts at $300, which is about the cost of three decent Brunswick bowling balls. The menu is inventive, with such offerings as deep-fried mac-and-cheese balls and buffalo chicken crisps.

A variety of cotton candy martinis, available in "stop light" colors of red, yellow and green, are also on the menu. These cocktails start as martini glasses stuffed with cotton candy, then the booze mixture is poured atop and the candy dissipates. It's a fun drink and an even better toy.

Construction on the 299-capacity Lucky Strike began in October and took more than five months to complete. The lanes are bathed in black light and feature projection screens at the back of the house. A dozen mahogany high-top tables, surrounded by plush padded copper-tone seats, should please any bowler with an eye on interior design. Even the shoes are chic, two-toned brown with glow-in-the-dark stitching.

Lucky Strike is a partner with entertainment impresario Jeff Beacher, the brains behind "Beacher's Madhouse" (and who is, coincidentally, shaped like a bowling ball). Beacher is sponsoring Beacher's Unprofessional Bowling Association (BUBA). Teams of six are invited to compete in the weekly tournament, which begins Monday and runs through June 11. Tourney competition is to be held each Monday, and Beacher is expected to be on hand to prod the party. The tournament champions win a trip to the Atlantis resort community on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, where I understand there is no bowling.

NoteMart

This can't be good: The Orleans has announced that several dates have been dropped for Rick Thomas' afternoon show. Lopped are the April 13, May 2, May 4 and May 5 performances. No official reason given. ...

The annual Aid for Aids of Nevada (AFAN) Walk has outgrown the location for its start/finish line. This year's walk, set for April 15, will take off and land at World Market Center at 495 S. Grand Central Parkway (it's the giant gray building in downtown Las Vegas visible for miles with the "World Market Center" sign at the top). AFAN Director Caroline Ciocca says she is expecting more than 6,000 participants this year. Last year's event drew about 5,000 at the Fremont Street Experience. Ciocca says additional parking and easier freeway access at World Market are needed to accommodate the larger crowd. ...

Beach Tao: The nightclub Tao at the Venetian is opening Tao Beach, an 18,000-square-foot Asian-themed beach club, in May. A floating dance floor and seven luxury cabanas are promised. ...

Vehicular reasons to check out Polly Esther's at the Stratosphere: A vintage VW Beetle emblazoned with dozens of orange smiley-face stickers, a mint-condition DeLorean, a Partridge Family bus made into a bar, and a white Ford Bronco to commemorate the O.J. Simpson slow-speed chase. The multigeneration-themed club opens to the public on Thursday night, and the grand opening party is set for Friday. ...

Reader reports a plate on a Nissan 350Z, WAS HIS.

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