David Werly has run the kitchens at some of Las Vegas most acclaimed restaurants and resorts, from regal nongaming properties like Vdara and Mandarin Oriental to Strip icons like Le Cirque and Twist. Now he oversees all things food and beverage at the new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, aligning his luxury-oriented culinary sensibilities with the newest brand to land in town.
But that doesn’t mean it’s all fancy, all the time. Werly knows that luxury is about convenience, and that means even at the most stylish casino resort, there’s a time and place for a killer plate of nachos and a pile of spicy, crispy chicken wings.
The Kitchen at Commons Club, which took over the space occupied by beloved afterhours haunt Mr. Lucky’s at the former Hard Rock Hotel, is the ’round-the-clock spot at Virgin, and it’s the only restaurant run by Werly and his team. They handle in-room dining, banquets and events, and pool F&B, too, while working with the property’s restaurant partners like the Mortons at One Steakhouse and Hakkasan Group at Casa Calavera.
“The Commons Club is a departure from the restaurant that was here before, but it will still be really busy at different times. And it will be one of the few places here where you can sit and have breakfast in the morning,” Werly says. “There are a lot of American favorites, sort of a little bit of everything you need to please our guests, and you will be able to create your own menu the way you want to do it.”
It’s a modern version of the all-day casino diner anchored by freshness and simplicity, and of course there are many healthy options throughout the day. But when the late-night menu kicks in, it’s all about fun and satisfaction.
“It’s going to be fulfilling and not pretentious,” he says. “The chefs and I had a lot of fun making this menu, and there’s not one dish I do not want to eat.”
That includes those nachos ($13) and wings ($16) and the stellar burger ($19) with double-smoked bacon and Tillamook cheddar, frisée instead of iceberg lettuce and bearnaise aioli instead of “special sauce.”
“That’s a big burger, a good 8-ounce patty made only with chuck, because the best burger is always chuck,” Werly says. “There’s no nonsense. I prefer to work on the quality of each dish instead of doing [extra] things to make a splash. We have a lot of dishes like that. and I think people will appreciate that idea.”
THE KITCHEN AT COMMONS CLUB Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, 702-693-5260. 24/7.
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