By Joan S. Peck
Vic’s is the place to be for all jazz aficionados when it formally opens in 2023! Located at Symphony Park, 355 Promenade Place, across from the Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and easily accessible, Vic’s is a combination Italian restaurant, bar, and live music venue. Vic’s brings together Chris Lowden of “Stoney’s Rockin’ Country” fame and Mark DiMartino of DiMartino’s Family Deli, who later operated the upscale Tillerman restaurant.
The restaurant is named after Fremont Street’s Vegas Vic, a neon smoking, waving cowboy and downtown fixture on the Fremont Street Experience since 1951. Vic’s plans to feature the iconic image prominently throughout the new venue, including a 20 ft. replica attached to the outside of the building.
Sue and Paul Lowden recently held a musical preview at Vic’s featuring the Jeff Hamilton Trio’s Merry & Bright. Ann Parenti and I were one of the lucky ones to attend the delightful event. Everything about the place screams success, from the location to mesmerizing music. Best of all, the stage is situated in the larger dining area, so all can be “up close and personal” with the performers while those in the elevated back can see it all, too.
We enjoyed listening to a trio from the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts with Zane Shihadeh (piano), Jack Mechem (drums), and Xavier Mendoza (bass) playing lively jazz, making feet tap, and heads sway with the beat. They were terrific and certainly have a future with their talent in music.
Then, Sue Lowden introduced Jeff Hamilton’s trio—Jeff Hamilton (drums), Tamir Hendelman (piano), and John Hamar (bass)—and the fun began with beautiful holiday music and laughter. Jeff’s quick wit and the trio’s outstanding music warmed the hearts of all those who have been missing his exceptional jazz music. Their gift of music put everyone into the holiday spirit and the hope that they will return soon to Vic’s.
And there is so much more to come in 2023! Decorated in walnut wood tones, Vic’s brings us back to old-time Vegas, where music flowed at all hours. Vic’s will be open 24/7, with the restaurant serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and a late-night menu for diners seated at banquettes and tables in a lounge area close to the stage and inside a 14-seat private dining room. The space includes a separate, U-shaped, smoker-friendly bar created with TVs, gaming machines, access to a patio, and windows providing views into the main dining room and live performance area. The space will be large enough for 205 diners, with a designated cigar lounge among its two outdoor patios.
Whether you’re hungry for excellent food or want to listen to incredible live music, Vic’s is the place to be in 2023. Look for its grand opening coming mid-January.
Visit the complete article online: Chic Compass: Vic’s Las Vegas