As We See It

Down-to-earth perspective on Dinner in the Sky

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What happens if they forget the salt shaker?
Photo: Bob Brye / Las Vegas News Bureau

I’m a fan of crazy Vegas gimmicks (Exhibit A: the commemorative photo from Tournament of Kings that’s been on my fridge since 2008). But every now and then, one comes along that makes me marvel at the lengths some tourists will go to have an “experience.”

The latest is Dinner in the Sky, “the most unique aerial dining experience in the United States.” Uh, there are other aerial dining experiences in the United States? The attraction, which was recently approved by the Clark County Zoning Commission and is already taking reservations for a planned launch in May, boils down to this: 1. A 200-foot steel tower outfitted with a pair of lifts. 2. A pair of platforms rigged with 22-seat dinner tables that get jacked 180 feet above the ground. 3. A maître d’, master mixologist and team of chefs. 4. Stunning views of the Strip, Red Rock and probably Pahrump.

For now, the Vegas location will be the only Dinner in the Sky in the U.S., though the concept is going gangbusters in other big cities around the world. I can’t say that I’ve ever longed to add a six-point safety harness to my essential dining tools, but if the sorbet spoon made it into the mix, why not?

Just like Disneyland, you must be at least four feet tall to ride. The individual weight limit is 300 pounds. Other than that, if you have $290, you’re good to go being hoisted into the sky for an hour-long four-course meal (mostly prepared in advance, because of that whole hoisting the restaurant into the air thing …). If you can’t hang with the daredevils in the clouds, Dinner in the Sky’s acreage includes a bar with 360-degree views, so you can watch as the tables rise. There’s an outdoor patio, too, but keep in mind that an errant broccoli floret dropped from that height could do some damage.

If any city is right to test the American market for Dinner in the Sky, it’s this one. But I won’t be impressed till they figure out how to hoist a Cirque show up there next to it.

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