Sweet Home Sedona

By Matthew Scott Hunter

Thursday, June 12, 2008 | 12:08 a.m.

Enjoying Las Vegas nightlife is a tough job if you live waaaaay out near Summerlin. First, there’s the commute. You have to drive for nearly 10 minutes before you even see the teeny little Stratosphere on the horizon. To make it the rest of the way, you have to run a gauntlet of gas stations—at least a dozen, each boasting a sign announcing in big, bold numbers exactly how much this drive is costing you.

If you can make it all the way to Las Vegas Boulevard, you’re in for a slew of new problems—primarily, the traffic. Every out-of-towner who’s never seen more than two lightbulbs lit up together at once is slowly inching down the Strip, taking time to admire all the bright lights—except the green one right in front of them that says, “Go!” This is especially irritating to the cab drivers, who would rather coax a pedestrian to cross the street faster with a nudge of their bumper than a honk of their horn. But they’ll do both for good measure. If you can survive long enough to reach the casino hosting your bar, lounge or club of choice, you’ll have plenty of time to ponder all this while combing each floor for a parking space.

Once inside, you have to navigate the labyrinthine bedlam of the casino floor just to get to your preferred nightlife venue, and once you reach it, you see that it’s a lot of people’s preferred nightlife venue. You’ll be waiting in line at least half an hour before you reach the guys dressed in Secret Service suits and earpieces. The wait wouldn’t be so bad in comfortable shoes, but then they wouldn’t let you in. As it stands (and you do stand, with aching arches), you still won’t get in without parting with about $30. It’s less if you’re a lady, but then your arches ache more. A local ID might knock it down to $20, which isn’t too bad once you consider that some of the drinks inside are probably going to run you about as much. Um … why are we here again?

Does it have to be such an insurmountable pain just to enjoy a club’s DJ, the upscale ambiance of an ultralounge or even a simple cocktail? Not if you go to Sedona instead.

Not long ago, I learned that Sedona Restaurant & Lounge was offering a Wednesday night nightlife experience far away from the hassle of the Strip. But is it too good to be true? I hop in my car and head off to investigate.

At Flamingo and the 215, the place is only a few minutes away from my apartment. I still pass a gas station or two, but this time, they’re reminding me of how much money I’m saving. It’s easy to miss the place. It only comes into view seconds before you’re pulling onto the 215 on-ramp. But there’s no traffic, no pedestrian tourists and no pointless security guy. Even with a full parking lot, I quickly find a space. So far it’s closer to a neighborhood bar experience than a nightclub experience. Can it really be any different inside?

As I approach the building, I can already feel the steady bass emanating from the DJ’s setup. I stroll up to the door, encountering no line—just a few smokers out front. There are even a handful of large, padded chairs at their disposal. Upon entering, I’m carded, but (hallelujah!) there’s no cover charge.

The interior really does have the class and ambiance of a Strip-side nightlife venue. It’s almost like someone misplaced an ultralounge. Hanging over the marble counter of the center island bar are rows of fancy glass electric candles. The only neighborhood-bar staple and giveaway is the presence of video poker machines, but I can ignore that. As I take in the sights further, I find that Sedona is a combination of elements. With the lounge-like décor, the DJ playing your average, booming club fare, the dining areas flanking the bar and the Wheel of Fortune screen you’d find in any local watering hole, the place is part club, part lounge, part bar and part restaurant. Even the patrons are a mixture of people dressed in their best clubwear and cocktail dresses alongside the more casual imbibers, who chose to wear their comfortable shoes.

The DJ and architecture really do sell it as a more upscale place, though, and I grab my glass of Riesling and head out to the patio to explore further. Now this is nice! In a circular area, right outside the door, flames flicker up from a decorative fountain. It’s surrounded by tables and comfortable chairs, accommodating several groups of young, attractive 20-somethings. The outdoor area mutes the sounds of the DJ just enough to allow for conversation at a normal volume, and you really couldn’t ask for a better evening to be outside, rather than crammed into some crowded casino.

Does Sedona, at its location far from the Strip, manage to offer a typical nightlife experience? No. I’d say it offers something better.