Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com
Flavor Flav at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip on June 19, 2010.
Saturday, April 16, 2011 | 8 p.m.
An aging rapper who starred in one of the singularly weirdest reality shows of all time, opening a chicken restaurant in one of the Strip’s most antiquated properties?
As strange as it may sound, we say—sign us up!
I mean, Flavor Flav, 52, wouldn’t seem exactly like the ideal pitchman for a chain of chicken joints. It’s hard not to imagine him hopping around on a stage with Public Enemy yelling “Yeah Boy!” while rocking a huge clock. But it turns out he’s quite serious about this whole food thing. He’s got his own special fried chicken recipe—his family owned a diner—and attended a cooking school in the 1970s.
And earlier this year he opened his first FFC restaurant (that would be Flavor Flav Chicken, in a direct nod to the Colonel) in Clinton, Iowa, with the help of Las Vegas restaurateur Peter Cimino and his brother Nick, who works in Clinton. (Flav also served his wings at Mama Cimino’s Pizza in Las Vegas.)
Now Flav has his eyes on the Riviera, and apparently he’s close to a deal there. There’s been a bit of controversy for him lately, as several employees at the Iowa restaurant claim their checks bounced. But Flav’s called it a non-issue, and that “mistakes happen.”
Hey, if the Riviera deal happens, we welcome it. Vegas has always been a place where the weird and wonderful collide. Some succeed, some don’t. And Flav has certainly earned his right to try.
With its glass, star-lit exterior, visitors can't miss the Riviera when driving down the Strip. As the first high-rise to open on the Las Vegas Strip, featuring a nine-story hotel, the Riviera has seen more than 50 years as an entertainment destination in Las Vegas. Top bill acts like Liberace, Dean Martin and the long-running Splash revue (closed in 2006) have graced its showrooms over time.
The Riviera still offers its share of entertainment options with topless revue "Crazy Girls," a comedy club and "Illusions," starring Jan Rouven.
The 100,000-square foot casino has been featured in many films like "Casino," "Austin Powers" and "21." Although the hotel has passed through a long list of owners over the years it has always held on to it's unique theme (for Las Vegas) in that it lacks any particular theme. It also features a William Hill Race & Sports Book walk-up betting window right off the sidewalk on the Strip.
The Riviera has dining options well covered, from seafood and steaks at R Steak and Seafood, a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner fare at Banana Leaf Café to an international cuisine at the R Buffet.
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