When Landon Besherse was just a kid and moved to Las Vegas from Ventura, Calif., he witnessed his first hotel implosion. “It was that constant reinvention of the city and the food and beverage culture of the city that has kept me constantly engaged,” he says. During the crash of 2008, Besherse lost a construction job that he’d had for more than a decade. “I lost my home and was financially rock bottom; that wasn’t fun,” he says. “But in hindsight, back to the hotels being imploded, through destruction comes new opportunity for growth, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result.”
Those results include a successful food and beverage career in Las Vegas, where he is currently the front-of-house and beverage manager for 8 East at Circa Resort & Casino.
After Besherse lost his construction job, he used it as an opportunity to get behind the bar at some downtown hot spots, including Vanguard Lounge, a craft cocktail bar he joined as a barback in 2011. He eventually worked his way up the ladder to bartender. (Vanguard closed in 2019.) “Coming from a trade background where there’s lots of complexity to the work you’re doing to create the finished product. I found it really appealing to be able to do that with beverage,” he says. Over the next nine years, he honed his craft working in some of the city’s top destinations for food and beverage. He met some star movers and shakers in the industry, and last year was approached to help open and run the pan-Asian restaurant and bar.
When it comes to 8 East, it’s almost a culmination of all of Besherse’s hard work and pride in what he does, and it shines through. “It’s a multitude of great service, great beverage program, great culinary program,” he says. “We’re putting it all together as one full package. I don’t think you’re going to find a better food, service and beverage program in the whole city.”
Libation
One specialty cocktail that pairs with almost any item on the food menu is the Rosemary Smash, a blend of Haku vodka, fresh muddled cucumber and Thai basil, housemade rosemary simple syrup, fresh-squeezed lime and lemon juices, and soda water. Besherse is also responsible for putting together 8 East’s pan-Asian whiskey program that is offered in three price tiers. One-ounce pours include Suntory Whisky Toki, Paul John Indian single malt and Yamazaki single malt 12 year.
Benefit
The best time to enjoy a whiskey flight is happy hour, from 3-5:30 p.m. daily. Dishes are price-reduced but still full-size portions.
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