Vegas, Las Vegas
It always seemed that, his Scottish-Swiss ancestry and London residency aside, James Bond is the quintessential Las Vegas kind of guy.
Daring. Flashy but suave. Always looking for a good time. And always, always cool.
This weekend, moviegoers will flock to theaters to see "Quantum of Solace," the second entry in the rebooted James Bond film franchise. And in tribute to Britain's coolest spy, we tried to imagine Bond in Las Vegas.
Where would he hang out? Where would he dine? Where would he play with his toys?
Consider this nothing more than educated conjecture, based on the Bonds of both literary and cinematic fame. Consider it, also, an opportunity for Bond fans to partake in a close-to-home pilgrimage in honor of one of spy fiction's most enduring icons.
SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED
In the first Bond novel, "Casino Royale," Bond gives a bartender the recipe for his signature dry martini: Three measures of Gordon's gin, one measure of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Then shake until cold, garnish with a large, thin slice of lemon peel and serve in a deep champagne goblet.
If Bond were in Las Vegas, he might sate his martini lust at the Baccarat Bar at Bellagio, which offers an "old-school, high-end European" vibe, suggests Jessica Roe, an expatriate Londoner and Web content manager for LasVegasAdvisor.com. Similarly, Bond probably would enjoy the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, the Centrifuge lounge at the MGM Grand and the Petrossian Luonge at Bellagio.
Generally, says Roe -- who has seen the Bond movies but hasn't read the books -- "I'm thinking he'd hang out in a nongaming environment unless he was playing."
SIMPLE TASTES
Bond may know his way around a gourmet room menu, but he's no food snob. Or, as Ian Fleming writes in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service": "James Bond was not a gourmet."
The novels note that, while in London, Bond "lived on grilled soles, oeufs cocotte and cold roast beef with potato salad" and that Bond's favorite breakfast invariably involves some combination of scrambled eggs, coffee, bacon or sausage, freshly squeezed orange juice, and toast with marmalade or jam.
But, in the novel "Goldfinger," Bond cites as his all-time favorite meal a Miami repast of stone crabs with melted butter. At least Las Vegas can help him out here: Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at the Forum Shops at Caesars is the western incarnation of the fabled Miami Beach restaurant where Bond probably enjoyed that dinner.
When Bond would indulge in a classier meal, Roe suspects he'd patronize "high-end places" such as Picasso at Bellagio.
Surprisingly, Bond never visits a pub, either in the books or the movies. But if he did feel the need to knock back a pint and catch a televised rugby or soccer game, he might visit the Crown & Anchor British Pub, at 1350 E. Tropicana Ave. or 4755 Spring Mountain Road.
There, says General Manager June LeMay, a homesick Bond could enjoy such home-cooked dishes as fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, Cornish pasties and Scotch eggs.
LeMay said the pub even once offered a drink named after Bond. While it's no longer on the menu -- feel free to ask anyway -- the Crown & Anchor still offers a Dr. No Cosmo (Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Sweet and Sour with lime and cranberry juice), although we suspect Bond would pass.
UP IN SMOKE
For a guy whose career -- and very life -- hinge upon fitness, Bond smokes. A lot. In the novels, he smokes 50 to 70 cigarettes daily, which he keeps in a black gunmetal case.
The cigarettes are, the novels tell us, "Morland specials," made from a blend of Balkan and Turkish tobacco and made for him by Morlands of Grosvenor Street. A nice touch: Each cigarette has three gold bands on its filter, denoting Bond's military rank of commander.
We know of no Southern Nevada tobacconists who create custom cigarettes. But if Bond were amenable to forsaking his cigarettes for cigars, he might check out Davidoff, which has branches at The Venetian, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.
Another possibility is Casa Fuente in the Forum Shops at Caesars, Roe says. "It's a bar and lounge as well as being a Fuente store, so he can sit and sip cocktails."
GAMBLING MAN
The Bond of both literature and film is a knowledgeable gambler. The novel "Casino Royale" features Bond playing roulette and baccarat -- altered to Texas hold 'em in the "Casino Royale" remake -- while, in the novel "Moonraker," boss M invites Bond to his private club to determine whether a fellow member cheats at bridge.
If Bond were a Las Vegan, he'd find no lack of places to gamble, although he'd probably be picky when choosing among them.
Bond might first patronize the tables at the Las Vegas Hilton, if only because that was the hotel featured in the 1971 Sean Connery film, "Diamonds Are Forever" (it doubled for "The Whyte House," owned by a reclusive, Howard Hughesish billionaire played by Jimmy Dean).
Bond certainly would opt for an upscale casino with a Continental vibe. For baccarat, "I would think Bellagio," Roe says. "I'm thinking more (a) kind of old-school, high-end European."
ON TARGET
Bond is, of course, a guy familiar with weaponry of all sorts. If he lived in Las Vegas, Bond probably would seek out someplace where he could maintain his acumen with a handgun (most notably that 7.65 mm Walther PPK) in private.
The VIP Range at The Gun Store, 2900 E. Tropicana Ave., would offer Bond the privacy and comfortable surroundings he'd require. And, owner Bob Irwin offers, "we would have to let him come in after-hours."
There, Bond even could practice with the astounding array of higher-level weaponry -- submachine guns and the like -- he has used in the novels and films. It's interesting, Irwin notes, how "he always picks up the other guy's gun and knows how to shoot it. With our large selection of guns, he can practice."
Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.
