I’m a pretty shy guy. Maybe it’s that whole “don’t talk to strangers” lesson from childhood gone haywire, but I find it very difficult to strike up a conversation with a person I don’t know. So while socialites intermingle at bars, I tend to be the anti-socialite—the guy quietly sketching Looney Tunes characters on cocktail napkins. You’ll probably never actually meet me, but if you ever find yourself in a bar late one night, wiping up a party foul with the Tasmanian Devil, you’ll know I was there.
So as I walk into Red Rock Casino to check out the lobby bar and the new Mingle happy hour—whose very name suggests meeting, socializing and cavorting with strangers—I’m feeling dubious. I already checked out sister property Green Valley Ranch Station Casino’s own Mingle happy hour, at Drop Bar, the previous day—there’s a stack of illustrated napkins there to prove it. So I’m still wondering, is this place really going to inspire social networking in a recluse like me?
As I descend the staircase to the bar, I’m immediately struck by how awesome the space is. The lobby bar is an elegant and wide-open lounge. A massive chandelier hangs down into the center of the room, surrounded by an assortment of different types of tables and chairs. Curious onlookers gather at the railing of the second-floor shopping area circling the room and gawk at the festivities. There have got to be a hundred people in the room—mostly well-dressed professionals, with ages ranging from 20s to 50s—and the fake Christmas trees and other holiday décor give the place the feeling of an upscale Christmas party in an extravagant ballroom.
In the right corner, DJ Mikey Mix fills the room with lounge-ish music—nothing too mellow; a beat just fast enough to keep the room energized—and I make my way to the opposite corner, where a mini bar has been set up to serve free sake. As the bartender pours me a glass of Kokuryu Tokusen Ginjo, I make a mental note that the cocktail napkins are white and have no logo—perfect.
With sake in hand, I turn around and spot a vaguely familiar face. After a brief reintroduction, I realize that it’s a friend of a friend named H.L. H.L.’s a local dermatologist, but more importantly, he has a knack for spotting the free appetizers the moment they enter the room. Together, we converge on multiple trays of spicy tuna and salmon-wrapped avocado rolls from the Hachi restaurant. We bond over our mutual hunter/gatherer instinct.
We’re soon joined by the creative nightlife director for Station Casinos, Frankie Anobile, whose brainchild Mingle is. He, in turn, introduces us
to his friend—a guy who occasionally does security for Bill Gates. The president of the casino, Ronan O’Gorman, even shows up at one point to fraternize. After his departure, the rest of us discuss his striking resemblance to actor James Cromwell (the farmer in Babe).
After a couple of hours of mingling, I discover the key to socializing: Be a dermatologist. People swarm around H.L., discussing their skin conditions and future treatments. The guy doesn’t get a break until he’s informed he’s won the business-card raffle and leaves with a free dinner for two at Hachi. I tell him I’m free all week if he needs a dinner date. I’m sure I’ll get that call any day now.
I’m doing a pretty good job of mingling. The friendly atmosphere of the lobby bar does most of the work, but I’m pretty proud of myself. It hasn’t been easy for me, but the bar’s cocktail napkins remain as white as they were when I arrived.
As the happy hour winds down, I sit with Frankie as he explains why he thinks Kate Winslet is a cold-hearted bitch in Titanic. Suddenly, four attractive tourists from Arkansas pass by the table.
“Hi,” Frankie says. “How are you ladies tonight?”
“Great!” one of them replies. “Do you mind if we sit with you?”
What?! He says “hi,” and four hot women just sit down? Suddenly, I’m not quite so impressed with my own ability to mingle. Maybe I’ll be better when I get my degree in dermatology. In the meantime, I pull out my pen and reach for a napkin.