Le Provençal Closes to Make Way for Martorano's

French-Italian restaurant Le Provençal finally shuttered on May 16 at Paris Las Vegas, almost 11 months after it was announced Steve Martorano would be creating his second local venture in that space. Both restaurants have been listed on the Paris resort's website during the long wait and both are still there now, despite the closing.

The burly 17,667-square-foot makeover has earmarked $1.8 million for construction of Martorano's. The Philly proud chef has already assured fans he will be bringing over his "Rigatoni Sunday Pork Gravy and South Philly Cheesesteak" and "World Famous Meatball with gravy and ricotta cheese," from his original Rio location's menu.

Early concept plans included an oversized island bar as the center focus of the 255-seat restaurant. The black and white decor was designed with black drapes in mind, multiple dining areas including a private area, a large patio "reminiscent of Martorano's original restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla." and "big-screen televisions that will show scenes from classic movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather."

The former deejay turned chef will also be adding a deejay booth set to serve up a "party mix of classic R&B, disco, slow jams and a bit of classic rock."

A very similar concept was announced by Martorano earlier this month to debut at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City later this summer. It was also reported he is currently working with celebrity and Las Vegas regular Mario Lopez on a "docu-soap about his life in the restaurant business."

Located in the resort's Le Boulevard shopping and dining corridor, Le Provençal featured an open patio, an indoor fountain and the occasional singing waiter to accompany frequent live music performances.
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