The Mirage Will Redefine the Las Vegas Buffet
MGM MIRAGE PRESS RELEASE MAY 2004
In a visionary move that marries dining and design, The Mirage will launch Cravings, the hotel’s new buffet concept, with design by internationally renowned designer, Adam D. Tihany. In days gone by, the buffet represented an all-you-can-eat extravaganza where the majority of the food was prepared out of sight. With the opening of Cravings this May, the tables will turn and guests will see their food prepared and enjoy its aroma as its served in an environment replete with energy, color and animation.
“The Las Vegas dining scene has evolved tremendously in the last decade. The one element that has remained fairly unaltered is the buffet experience,” said William P. McBeath, president of The Mirage. “I knew we needed to turn to someone who had demonstrated he could use architectural design to create a spectacular backdrop for the culinary experience. Adam Tihany, the mastermind behind many of the world’s most breathtaking interiors, immediately came to mind.”
Tapping into his experience with high-end, luxury restaurants and keeping pace with dining design trends, Tihany created Cravings to echo the experience of a gourmet culinary journey. Colorfully backlit-glass walls will delineate each unique kitchen area while providing the backdrop to resin tabletops tinged with amber hues. Zebrawood, terrazzo floors inlaid with onyx, and a dramatic, shimmering metal ceiling installation, imported from France, will offer a final exclamation point on Tihany’s modern design. The effect will be a play on contrasting modern materials where pure function is ensconced in pure design and will be unlike any buffet ever seen.
When asked why he chose to take on this mainstream project, Tihany noted, “Dining should be an equitable experience. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to create a restaurant that can be experienced by all, without the constraints of high prices.” Yet, as with a gourmet restaurant, menu items will be innovative, prepared using the highest quality ingredients and beautifully presented. Cravings will not only raise the bar on buffet dining, it will change the definition of the world.
Bart Mahoney, vice president of food & beverage at The Mirage, said “The buffet is an integral part of the Las Vegas dining scene, offering guests a variety of cuisines and the opportunity to create their own menu. As the Las Vegas experience continues to evolve, it makes sense for us to reevaluate the one aspect of Las Vegas dining yet to be modernized. Working with Adam, we’ve been able to update our buffet in a sophisticated manner. Cravings will continue to offer a wide array of menu items for one price. Only now, the experience will be more like those found in contemporary, full-service restaurants.”
Sure to revolutionize the perception of all-you-can-eat dining, Cravings will invite guests to take part in a culinary experience that moves beyond the buffets of the past. From the moment diners arrive, Cravings will tempt and indulge the senses. An array of flat-screen televisions will display cooking shows from around the globe — different themes, languages, and cuisines — bringing the world of food to The Mirage. Each unique kitchen area will resemble a freestanding “restaurant” where chefs will prepare international specialties. The sights, sounds and aromas of a professional kitchen will be evident through viewing windows, and the chef’s specialties will be presented in a manner reminiscent of banquets of long ago — appealing, abundant and fresh from the kitchen. A creative visual display of ingredients and products from each culinary region will transport diners from one cuisine to the next.
After graduating from Milan’s Politecnico di Milano, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tihany apprenticed in many design studios gaining invaluable experience in furniture, lighting, product and interior design. This experience serves him well as he created some of the world’s most highly acclaimed hospitality designs including Per Se, Le Cirque 2000, and Jean Georges, all in New York; the Aleph and Exedra hotels in Rome; the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London; the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur; the historic King David Hotel in Jerusalem; and Aureole, with its celebrated Wine Tower, in Las Vegas.
With the launch of Cravings, The Mirage is at the forefront of a major dining revolution. By collaborating with one of the hospitality industry’s foremost designers, the hotel demonstrates its commitment to high-quality food in a sophisticated environment. One trip around Cravings dining room and the word “buffet” will be eliminated from the vocabulary forever. This is still dining for one price. This is still all-you-can-eat. There is still a wide array of cuisines, but this is no longer the traditional buffet. This is Cravings at The Mirage.