What could Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge and the musical artist Prince possibly have in common? Actually, according to Yellowtail’s general manager Keith Eure, quite a bit.
“Prince, I think, is the greatest musician of all time,” said Eure. “Part of that is because he was so unique, so eccentric that you couldn’t label him. He paved his own way and, I think to a smaller degree and to a less eccentric degree, Yellowtail kind of captures that.”
And Eure should know—he’s been with the Bellagio restaurant since it opened its doors almost 10 years ago.
When he first moved to Las Vegas from his hometown of Baltimore, he had goals of winning the World Series of Poker, but to pay the bills he put his background in the service industry to good use. And although he had a short stint at another fine-dining Vegas establishment, it was Yellowtail where Eure thrived. He started off as a server for the restaurant and eventually moved into management, helping to open other outposts of chef Akira Back’s restaurants and spending time as the general manager at the chef’s other Las Vegas spot, Kumi at Mandalay Bay.
But it’s Yellowtail where Eure feels he’s most at home. “I think the beautiful thing about Yellowtail is you really can’t label or categorize it, just like Prince,” he said. “We reach the masses, that’s why we’re successful. Being unique keeps us special.”
Essence
This signature cocktail has been on Yellowtail’s menu since day one, and still remains the most popular pick, said Eure. It’s a light, refreshing blend of Ketel One vodka, white cranberry juice and fresh cucumber purée. Enjoy cocktails in the huge lounge area or go romantic and try to score one of only eight tables on the restaurant’s balcony, which overlooks the famed Fountains of Bellagio attraction.
