A restaurant you’ve never heard of, and probably never visited, is set to close at Delano, the bastard offspring of Mandalay Bay.
Della’s Kitchen will close permanently after business on Oct. 30, 2024.
No plans for the space have been determined yet, but we’re pretty sure Delano will have a new name by the time a new restaurant opens.
Here’s the official description of Della’s Kitchen for posterity: “Creating an essence of ‘historic farmhouse meets urban kitchen,’ Della’s Kitchen serves breakfast and lunch with a combination of classics, comfort food and seasonal specialties. This fast casual offering is convenient for our Delano guests looking for a quick option to start out their day or for an early or late lunch. Located just steps from the Delano lobby, Della’s Kitchen blends natural design elements with industrial materials to exude a warm, comfortable simplicity.”
Oh, yes, they describe it as “historic (old) farmhouse (smelly) meets urban (sticky) kitchen (kitchen).” It’s a shocker this restaurant is being shuttered.
As for the real news, that hasn’t been officially announced or confirmed yet, but our sources say Delano will get a rebrand to W Hotels.
MGM Resorts has been mum on the W Hotels rumor, mostly because we haven’t really asked them about it.
Delano and Mandalay Bay recently got some new programmable exterior lighting. Yep, we’re padding this story!
Mandalay Bay and Delano can do text now. pic.twitter.com/5N0zd3ms17
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) January 1, 2024
Because Delano didn’t share what’s next for the Della’s space, it left to us to fill the void, which isn’t nearly as dirty as it sounds.
Delano doesn’t have a casino, which means there’s a need to embrace casino culture and provide guests with a comfy (lose those horrific wooden Della’s chairs), welcoming restaurant with lots of man flavors (convention business is key to the success of Delano).
Design the tables to look like tables on the casino floor, keep the noise level low and name the place something sexy that would entice us to visit every day.
Oh, that’s right, it’s time for a venue where the bartenders and servers have the inside scoop on everything happening in Las Vegas before the local news.
That’s it, we’re tapped out on filler, sorry.
We could lecture you about pronouncing Delano properly, but if you are reading this blog you are already in the top 1% of Las Vegas aficionados, so you are definitely being one of those chuckleheads saying it like, “de-LAH-no” or “de-LAY-no.” It’s “DEL-a-no.” Like the “D” in Franklin D. Roosevelt, the guy only about 1% of our fellow youths have ever heard of despite his having played a pivotal role in the movie “Pearl Harbor.”
Oh, shit, we just realized “Della’s” is a play on Delano! We could’ve written at least three paragraphs about that. Let’s have A.I. do it!
“The name ‘Della’ can trace its inspiration to ‘Delano,’ a name with deep historical and cultural roots. Delano is of French origin, meaning ‘from the forest of nut trees,’ and became popular in the United States largely due to its association with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President. Over time, Delano gained a sense of refinement and dignity, symbolizing strength, leadership, and heritage. It inspired many other names, as its cadence and elegance made it a natural source for variation.
“Della emerged as a more approachable, yet equally elegant, adaptation of Delano. While Delano carries a sense of grandeur and formal tradition, Della feels more familiar and intimate, often used as a feminine name that evokes warmth and charm. By shortening and softening the original name, Della maintains the sophistication of Delano but becomes more personal and accessible, ideal for a name that can stand on its own or be combined with others.
“The influence of Delano on the name Della also reflects a broader trend of modifying longer, traditional names into shorter forms. Della is imbued with a classic, timeless quality, and though it is simpler in form than Delano, it doesn’t lose any of its historical resonance. Both names share an underlying sense of strength and continuity, making Della a subtle yet meaningful tribute to Delano’s legacy.”
OMG, we are so out of a job soon. That was actually awesome. We have no idea if any of it is true, but with any luck, we will now be the definitive source of information on the Internet about how “Bella” was inspired by the name “Delano.”
Anyway, Della’s Kitchen is closing on Oct. 30, 2024. It will be missed. By several guys wearing lanyards talking about how Angel Reese is padding her stats or something.
