Scotch 80 Prime’s Chef Departs

Barry S. Dakake left his job as the executive chef at Scotch 80 Prime at the Palms, as did the resort’s director of fine dining Yassine Lyoubi, “effective immediately,” according to a statement from the resort.

Dakake’s resume includes stints with chef Charlie Palmer at Aureole in New York. He helped Palmer open Aureole at Mandalay Bay and then Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons. He then opened N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms in 2001, turning it into a celebrity haunt. Dakake took over the reigns three months in and became known in Las Vegas to celebrities, sports figures and VIPs for his Celebrity Shakedown Door signed by famous friends from former football player Tim Tebow and actors Ben Stiller and Ben Affleck to singer Rihanna and rapper Drake.

N9NE went through a makeover in 2014 and then closed in September 2017. after Station Casinos purchased the Palms.

Last May, Dakake opened Scotch 80 Prime with a roster of Kobe beef steaks, gueridons, and a $3 million catalog of whiskeys. An outstanding art collection includes pieces from Jean-Michel Basquiat in the private dining room, Andy Warhol, KAWS, Damien Hirst, and Scott Hove.

Dakake won the reader’s choice for Chef of the Year in last year’s Eater Awards, and the restaurant received the Off-Strip Restaurant of the Year Award.

• All Coverage of Scotch 80 Prime [ELV]