Our May 2024 scoop has been officially confirmed: Bazaar Meat will close in its current location and is moving to Venetian. Technically, Palazzo.
If you think we’re going to spend this entire story talking about how we shared this news months before anyone else, you are completely wrong. And by that we mean you’re roughly 20% wrong.
The acclaimed Bazaar Meat will continue to operate in its shitty current location into 2025. It will open at Palazzo in 2025 as well.
Here’s the glorious confirmation from Venetian about the Bazaar Meat move: “Bazaar Meat, a celebration of the carnivorous from the acclaimed Jose Andres Group, will be moving to The Palazzo at The Venetian Las Vegas. Bazaar Meat, currently located at Sahara Las Vegas, opened in 2014 and following its successful decade-long run will relocate to the home of world-class dining at the legendary Venetian Resort.”
This is incredible for fans of Bazaar Meat, as many have not visited since the asshat owner of Sahara, Alex Meruelo, filed a frivolous lawsuit against us for sharing a sourced rumor that hurt his feelings. The case was dismissed and Meruelo had to pay about $100,000 in our legal fees. The technical term is “litigious, clueless douche-nozzle tariff.” Long story, but the First Amendment prevailed. The bottom line: F that guy, and Sahara is scrod without Bazaar Meat.
Sahara said they’re “thrilled to share that we will be announcing a top-tier destination restaurant to take the place of Bazaar Meat when it closes next year.” Translation: Scrod, royally. Unless they bring Cleo back.
Anyway, as mentioned, we shared Bazaar Meat would close at Sahara back in May 2024. In July 2024, our friends at the 360 Vegas podcast got wind of a potential move of the restaurant to Venetian.
In August 2024, we heard Bazaar Meat had extended its lease a short time, but the move was happening and we even got a possible location (it has not been shared or confirmed by the Venetian yet).
Latest rumor is Bazaar Meat may have extended its lease at its current shitty location. Too many pots on the stove for Jose Andres and his team? When they move, high probability is it will be into the Dal Toro Ristorante space at Palazzo.
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) August 7, 2024
Our money is still on the Dal Toro Ristorante space at Palazzo, wherever that might actually be.
We don’t care where Bazaar Meat goes, we just want some sloppy Joes.
Here’s more from the official announcement: “At the new Bazaar Meat at The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort, meat reigns supreme in a dining experience where inventive flavors and masterful techniques come together. This off-the-charts interpretation of a steakhouse, everything from steak and poultry to fish and hearty vegetables are grilled or roasted to perfection in the restaurant’s ‘fire stage.’ The menu of carefully curated shared plates consistently wows guests with ingeniously innovative cuisine, thoughtfully created cocktails, theatrical presentations and attentive yet unfussy service.”
Are there people in P.R. still being paid for this silliness, or have they handed everything over to ChatGPT? “Unfussy service”? Dafuq even is that?
Here’s the A.I. version: “The new steakhouse by Jose Andres at the Palazzo is an immersive culinary experience where modern innovation meets the classic steakhouse vibe. The restaurant features a dramatic ‘fire stage,’ where chefs cook prime cuts of steak and seafood over an open flame, visible to diners, creating an engaging and theatrical dining atmosphere. The food presentation is sleek and artistic, with beautifully plated dry-aged steaks, bone-in ribeyes, and an array of seasonal sides that highlight Andres’ creative flair. Signature cocktails reflect the same innovation, with smoky mezcal creations, barrel-aged bourbons, and vibrant garnishes, enhancing the steakhouse’s bold, fiery theme.”
We could honestly read ChatGPT’s take all day. One more time, but more pretentious for the foodies: “At Jose Andres’ avant-garde steakhouse in the Palazzo, dining transcends mere sustenance to become a masterclass in gastronomic excess. The centerpiece of the space is the audacious ‘fire stage,’ where exquisitely marbled Wagyu and other heritage cuts are kissed by live flames, their caramelized crusts a testament to the art of controlled combustion. Each plate is a curated tableau: steaks are delicately fanned out, resting on a velvet pool of foie gras-infused jus, garnished with foraged herbs and rare, artisanal salts. Sides arrive as miniature culinary sculptures—think truffle-dusted pomme purée and heirloom vegetables charred to perfection, their smoke-infused essences barely contained. Cocktails, far from pedestrian, are alchemical creations: smoked mezcal negronis arrive under glass domes, their citrus oils ignited tableside, while barrel-aged bourbon sours come adorned with edible gold leaf and botanically infused ice. This is not simply dining; it’s an indulgence for the senses, a stage for culinary opulence.”
Adios, P.R.s!
Anyhoo, Jose Andres has been expanding his Vegas presence in recent months, with Bazaar Mar opening in the Shops at Crystals and Zaytinya coming to Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. No, we haven’t been to Bazaar Mar yet, it’s a seafood restaurant and seafood smells like seafood. ‘Nuff said.
Even with all this going on, Chef Andres still finds the time to help save the world with his World Central Kitchen, most recently providing relief following Hurricane Helene and ongoing efforts in Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East.
Some heroes wear aprons.
Don’t miss the Review-Journal’s story about the Bazaar Meat move, it’s hilarious. When our original story appeared, the RJ did what it always does, they called Sahara and asked if the restaurant was, indeed, closing. Sahara said “absolutely not” in a joint statement with Jose Andres Group. That May statement to the RJ’s crack journalism team said, “There are no plans to close Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres. Sahara Las Vegas and Jose Andres Group enjoy an outstanding and collaborative partnership, which routinely sees Bazaar Meat included on countless lists of the world’s best restaurants.” Lessons: 1) Sahara’s P.R. team is populated by idiots. 2) The Review-Journal is awful and has terrible sources. 3) Your admiration and awe in regard to our scoop prowess is fully warranted.
A better story is one by our friend Corey Levitan here at Casino.org. It’s gratifying to see somebody’s paying attention. He sums up our world perfectly, “when you’re the very first to report a rumor from a reliable source, the entire story sometimes isn’t written yet.” Translation: Suck it, haters.
Our only suggestion for the chef: Lose the foie gras cotton candy. Foie gras isn’t kind to ducks and GQ once described the dish as “mildly nauseating.” Hey, nobody’s perfect.
We predict the opening of Bazaar Meat at Palazzo will one of the most talked-about Las Vegas events of 2025. We should know, we’re going to be talking about it a lot.
