Last month when I was in Las Vegas, I dropped by Antonio Ballatore's new design project — a restaurant inside The Venetian Hotel on the Strip. With a slogan like "Shots, Burgers and Beers," Rattlecan promises a simple menu and a fun environment. The restaurant is Chef Sammy D's second establishment inside the casino, and is proud to offer 6500 square feet of art, good eats, and some rock and roll.
My interest in this restaurant design stems from Antonio's vast collection of art, which we showcased with his house tour last year. He has several artists involved in custom artwork for the venue, and is proud to show off what he can accomplish when given more than a week to rise to the challenge.
Each table has QR codes etched into the wood, and the bar offers top shelf liquor like Jameson on tap. Chef Sammy DeMarco has been on the restaurant scene for over 30 years and has been friends with Antonio, since their days on the Lower East Side. It's no surprise that Rattlecan brings the fun nightlife scene of New York to the heart of Las Vegas. DeMarco expressed that "Rattlecan's focus is on giving the customer a great burger and a killer atmosphere to enjoy it in."
"It's like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for modern street artists," said Antonio.
Artists included: AIKO (Aiko Nakagawa), DEFER (Alex Kizu), RUCK (Josh Glover), LOVE ME by Curtis Kulig, RIME (Jersey Joe), Richard Duardo (Modern Multiples), photography by Kenneth Cappello, KRINK (Craig Kostello), Martha Cooper, and HOW AND NOSM (Raoul and Davide Perre).
(Images: Bethany Nauert)
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Am I just too old for such craziness? I don't like any of this, save the dog (Chewy?) portrait.
Thanks for this post! It's nice to get a bit of variety on AT in terms of aesthetics.
This is not a (direct) critique of the design, but when we talk about street artists, I wonder what the trade-off is in balancing "designed" versus "home-grown." I think there's a quality about street art that is local and organic, and it seems like it would be challenging to implement as part of a structured design.
Without knocking the skill of the artists who contributed, I think it would be great if part of the installation allowed others to contribute to the design (a spray paint wall rather than a chalkboard wall, if you will; collections of local posters), to restore some of the more grass-roots and populist flavor.
This doesn't LOOK like a typical place inside The Venetian, but I do like it. However, my aesthetics may change once I'm in this place surrounded by a bunch of frat bros on spring break blasting Drake.
Love it, and always love Antonio!
That's exactly what I was thinking, Naneen!
On a positive note you do not have to go there if you are not into the look.
Great job it looks amazing, l feel like I'm on the lower east side of NYC.
Love the dog.
Finally something with a little backbone! I agree with chaos about the aesthetic diversity because the world would be damn boring if we all had the same house.
There are so many custom details to love about this but I think my favorite is the tilework under the counter - looks like they were a lot of work!
I like it. Doesn't look like all the other Las Vegas bars.
Love Antonio and I always like seeing his designs. Yes, they're 'out there' and I sort of doubt I'd want to lie with it 24/7 in my living room or bedroom. However, I appreciate the unusual and daring from time to time. It would be something fun to look at and chat about over a meal.
I love Antonio! This is like a sophisticated version of a favorite punk rock dive bar.