Jesse Waits OUT at XS and Tryst Nightclubs

Jessie Waits, the managing director of Wynn’s Tryst Nightclub and Encore’s XS Nightclub, steps down after six years to head over the Alon. Australian James Packer is building that $4 billion resort across the Strip from Wynn on the site of the former Frontier just north of Fashion Show mall. Plans there call for an 1,100-room, two tower resort with a theater, nightclub, ballroom and pool. XS landed in the top spot on Nightclub & Bar’s Top 100 list for the past three years with estimated revenues between $103 million and $105 million.

The New York Times takes a look at an oft-covered Vegas favorite topic — whether the ladies who apply for pool jobs, wearing bikinis for “auditions” and earning six figures over the course of a summer — should file lawsuits for “blatant sex discrimination.” Brittany Bronson, an English instructor at UNLV, writes, “The all-female cocktailing staffs are expected to maintain near-perfect appearances regarding makeup, hair removal and spray tans; some pools even require weigh-ins. Such expectations make them vulnerable to demeaning comments from management regarding bloating, shaving or the need to lose weight.” She talks to Ann C. McGinley, a professor of employment law at UNLV, who says women should file complaints. “They know what they are getting into, but that doesn’t make the process legal.”

Chef Thomas Keller heads out to sea with his newest restaurant. He launches his first on Seabourn’s Quest next spring. Keller tells Travel + Leisure, “…we want to bring back that Old World charm of dining on an ocean liner back when it was the only way to travel. People would get dressed for dinner and have this experience throughout the night. At the same time, we want to serve dishes that have significant stories about where they come from—our fisherman, our foragers, our gardeners, our farmers. We will also incorporate fresh ingredients from various ports of call.” Keller has Bouchon Bistro at the Venetian.

Looking for Hawaiian fare in Las Vegas? Las Vegas Magazine put together a nice list of places to check out, including the Cal’s Market Street Café with its oxtail soup, California Noodle and its poke, Aloha Specialties’ loco moco and Lappert’s Ice Cream with Hawaiian-style shave ice.

Wondering where the pros in the World Series of Poker like to dine? The Las Vegas Sun talked to seven players and found out how when Scott Stewart or his friends win more than $10,000, they pick a steakhouse. His favorite is Vic & Anthony’s at the Golden Nugget. Other nuggets include Valentin Vornicu’s vegan favorites and Asher Conniff’s go-to all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant.