"Estiatorio Milos, the Greek restaurant at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas that plans to relocate to the Venetian next spring, officially closes on October 25 after 10 years at the resort. The company notified the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation that 52 employees will be permanently laid off, with notifications starting this week. The restaurant says that nine cooks, another nine serves, six captains from the front of house, six food runners, five managers, three fish mongers, two bartenders, and more among the employees affected. The restaurant cited “operations issues” as the reason for closing. $10 million budget in estimated construction costs alone. At the Venetian, Milos plans to fill 13,624 square feet on the site of shuttered seafood restaurant Aquaknox with room for a maximum occupancy of 434 inside. Milos originally launched in Las Vegas on December 15, 2010, the opening day of the Cosmopolitan resort, with an airy, light-toned tribute to globally sourced seafood served in the dining room, private wine and luxury rooms, plus the bonus of an enviable, 75-seat Garden Terrace overlooking the Strip. Imagined to appeal to an equally well-heeled clientele, the Venetian space offers no outdoor views. Chef and restaurateur Costas Spiliadis opened the original restaurant in 1997, and the international Milos empire also operates in Montreal, Athens, Miami, London, and a polarizing expansion to New York’s Hudson Yards back in March 2019. Milos flies in its seafood daily from the Mediterranean, then displays it in the restaurant’s fish market. Customers can choose their fish or seafood that includes whole fish in sea salt, tuna, lobster, salmon, and octopus. Perhaps the most famous dish is the Milos Special, served as a tower and made of fried paper-thin zucchini and eggplant with a tzatziki at the base and inside. Many of the dishes are meant to be served family style. Alain Carle Architecte handles the architecture at the Venetian, bringing together the essence of Greece, with simplistic and elegant touches. Milos will be open for lunch and dinner when it debuts at the Venetian’s Restaurant Row in 2021." - Susan Stapleton
