Friday, Jan. 3, 2003 | 9:49 a.m.
John Steinbeck would turn over in his grave. One of his books has been made into a casino.
The $105 million Cannery -- which officially opened late last night -- was built to resemble an old brick warehouse, complete with a smokestack, and to "evoke memories of John Steinbeck's 'Cannery Row,' " according to the promotional material.
Steinbeck's classic 1945 novel presents a slice of the lives of the men and women who populate a strip of sardine canneries around Monterey, Calif., after the workers go home.
Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of the fictional Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in traditional society.
Well, the people who bum-rushed the doors of the Cannery, on Craig Road in North Las Vegas, were looking for the traditional casino reward: cash, and lots of it.
Not exactly what Steinbeck had in mind when he was chronicling the plight of migrant workers and the seamy underbelly of post-war America.
But what the hell, this is Las Vegas -- North Las Vegas, that is.
"This is the best place for us to be," Bill Wortman, one of the three principals in Cannery Casino Resorts LLC, told VegasBeat.
Wortman was joined by partners Robert Mendenhall and Bill Paulos, Rep. Shelley Berkley, North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon and a slew of local gaming and elected officials for a private party Thursday evening before the doors opened to the public.
"The ZIP codes in North Las Vegas are the fastest growing in the nation. And we are here to serve the local people," Wortman continued.
The people who, according to Cannery promotional material, may be sick of "a few visits to the tigers, faux European and Amercian cities, volcanoes, pirate ships and dancing water."
So visit a faux cannery row instead.
In and out
Las Vegas is IN. Los Angeles is OUT.
According to the 2003 IN/OUT list in the January issue of Washingtonian magazine -- a respected glossy serving the nation's capital -- our fair city is where it's at, while L.A. is last year's news.
OK, now tell us something we don't know.
Cherry squashed
What is a hot fudge sundae without a maraschino cherry on top?
Is a Manhattan really a Manhattan without the maraschino cherry?
It is a sundae -- and a drink -- that you'll be served at the Hard Rock Hotel, but without a cherry.
Seems that every maraschino cherry in the place has been removed, from every bar and every restaurant, by order of hotel owner Peter Morton.
Morton is heading up the day-to-day operations at the Hard Rock until he finds a replacement for Don Marrandino, the hotel's former president and chief operating officer, who left the building last week for Steve Wynn and the new LeReve.
We called to ask Morton about his fruit fetish, but he didn't want to talk. And the hotel's food and beverage director, MJ Maynard, didn't immediately call us back.
Another voter
It was a blessed Christmas for assistant Assembly Minority Leader Josh Griffin, R-Henderson, and his wife, Reenie.
They welcomed their fourth child, Bennett, on Dec. 24. He weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds 4 ounces. He joins brothers Graham and Harrison and sister Monet.
Bennet's grandfather is Jeff Griffin, the former mayor of Reno.
New tuxedos
In other birthing news: Norton, 10, and Sweet Pea, 4, are proud parents for the first time together.
They are penguins who reside at the Flamingo Las Vegas Wildlife Habitat.
An African penguin chick -- still unnamed -- was born Monday. Another fertile egg is supposed to hatch as soon as today.
Norton has three chicks from a prior relationship, all born at the Flamingo and still in residence at the hotel.
Visitation hours for all 13 (and soon to be 14) penguins are from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week. Admission to the habitat is free.
Live or Memorex?
Talk about surreal -- Neil Diamond met Jay White the other day.
White does an uncanny Diamond impersonation nightly at Le Bistro Theatre at Riviera.
The duo had a animated tete-a-tete before Diamond's show at the MGM Grand last Saturday night.
White, looking at Diamond's new haircut, told the superstar, "I guess I'm going to have to cut my hair a little shorter if I'm going to keep doing this."
Diamond smiled and responded, "Yes, a little around the sides."
They also discussed costumes. White is partial to Diamond's '80s style bugle-beaded shirts.
Later, during the performance, White sat with Diamond's mom, Rose. During the show, she'd periodically lean over and offer White performance tips: "Watch -- do you see how he does that?"
White later told us he was "thrilled" that Diamond was so supportive and appreciative of his work.
The two first met in 1996.
Happy faces
The self-proclaimed Goddess of Skin -- Los Angeles' Dayle Breault -- has come to Las Vegas.
Breault is known for her celebrity clientele and has helped create some of Hollywood's most famous and luminescent faces, including Uma Thurman, Selma Blair, Elizabeth Berkeley and LeAnn Rimes.
Breault's first gig was at a salon on Madison Avenue in New York where Ivana Trump, Naomi Campbell and Mariah Carey were regulars.
Breault is now working out of the Roni Josef Salon in Henderson until her own place is ready.
Breault became interested in skin care after battling acne as a teen.
Treatments include enzyme facials, micro-dermabrasion power peels, epicuren signature organic masks and live skin cell Reprogramming.
It is all explained on her website, goddessofskin.com.
Jazzy
The Stirling Club is looking to add a little polish its image.
The exclusive members-only facility just hired one of the nation's hottest restaurant consultants, and is starting a new Saturday night jazz dinner program.
It kicks off this week with Down Beat magazine's 2002 Jazz Vocalist of the Year, Nicholas Brooks, according to the club's managing director, Ryan Kingston.
He also said the addition of Elizabeth Blau, Wynn's senior vice president for restaurant development before she opened up her own consulting firm and then Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel, would "liven up" the facility.
"She has a lot of good ideas -- that's why we are bringing her in," Kingston said.
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