VRD IN SIN CITY
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, or at least that’s what they say. But if you happen to have a design blog then everything you did in Vegas gets splashed on the internet. We know you’re all dying to know what we did in Vegas, don’t worry, we’ll fill you in on all the juicy details…okay, so the details aren’t that juicy, we were there for a work trip after all.
Why Vegas?
By now you might have caught on that we’re working on a project called Sambalatte, a new café concept that will open its doors in Vegas later this year. So we headed to Vegas to meet with the client and go over the design. But while in Vegas it’s not all work for the Vanrooy staff, there is always plenty of food and drink to be had, which is how we ended up at Todd English’s latest hot spot, Todd English P.U.B.
THE P.U.B.:: First off, it’s a P.U.B., not a pub. What, you don’t know the difference? Allow us to explain…a pub is a bar that locals and frat boys frequent, drink too much at then stumble home. A P.U.B. is a Public Urban Bar, an upscale modern interpretation of an English pub, where locals and Vegas tourists alike drink too much then attempt to stumble home or back to their hotel rooms, sans the frat boy crowd.
Since we love all pubs and have never met a bar game we didn’t like, we figured this P.U.B. had to be on the list of places we checked out while in Vegas.
THE LOOK:: Todd English is a brand unto himself and is known for opening well designed restaurants with great food that are instant hits, so we expected the P.U.B. to be similar to his other ventures. But with Todd English P.U.B, a whole new concept was developed to create a more casual watering hole with modern bar food in an attractive setting. We loved the simple British subway décor and the long bar that runs the length of the space. Sitting atop the bar at various intervals, the signature Todd English hourglass is both a decorative element and a unique bar game.
If you can chug your beer in under seven seconds, which is exactly the length of time it takes for the hourglass’s timer to run out, then your drink is on the house. Sounds fun, right? Well, we thought so too, and were equally shocked and impressed to find out that Mr. Todd English himself can beat the timer. Looks like his drinks would be on the house even if he didn’t own the place.
THE PLACE:: When not trying to beat the timer or indulging in the raw bar and carvery eats on offer at the P.U.B., we had a chance to check out the “neighborhood” of sorts. You see, Todd English P.U.B is situated in the newly opened urban metropolis that is City Center. A project we actually took part in designing before we launched our own company. Typically the building or development a restaurant is in has little to do with the interior design of the place, there may be constraints on the front façade, but the inside is typically yours to design. With City Center, there is a twist to this.
The whole project of City Center is LEED certified and has received LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. This means that every ounce of City Center from plumbing fixtures to flooring and coat racks had to meet the high LEED standards. And since Todd English P.U.B is in City Center, it had to meet those standards as well. A truly impressive feat and one that we hope sparks a trend in the design and building industries.
So the next time you’re in Vegas, head to Todd English P.U.B., not only is the beer plentiful, the food delectable, but the décor is also sustainable. It doesn’t get any better than that!
LOCATION: Crystals at City Center – Las Vegas, NV
WEBSITE: http://www.toddenglishpub.com/PHONE: 702.489.8080
TYPE: English pub mixed with Vegas flair
VIBE: Upscale bar crowd of locals and tourists alike chugging beer at record speeds
Christine + Jerry
