By Mannix Porterfield
Unless an unforeseen snafu arises, The Greenbrier is officially in the gambling business as of Thursday.
One major new wrinkle definitely comes online that day — Prime 44 West steakhouse, the upscale eatery tailored to honor onetime West Virginia University and Los Angeles Lakers basketball great Jerry West.
Greenbrier County voters gave their assent to gambling at the historic resort, one that has entertained kings, presidents and military leaders across two centuries, and the initial foray into gaming entails an introductory level in what once was known as the Old White Lounge and Hemisphere.
“Our plan is to open on Thursday, pending, however, approval from the West Virginia Lottery Commission,” public relations director Lynn Swann said Tuesday.
“They have to finish the system and software testing.”
Right out of the chute, the resort plans to offer blackjack, roulette and three-card poker to hotel guests, with slot machines scheduled to arrive in mid-October, she said.
“It’s very exciting,” Swann said of the changeover in the 721-room resort in White Sulphur Springs, rescued from bankruptcy in May when businessman Jim Justice put up $20.1 million for the purchase.
Justice has said he wants to restore The Greenbrier’s five-star ranking in the Mobile Travel Guide, which it forfeited nine years ago.
Earlier this month, the Lottery Commission gave its stamp of approval to the resort’s gaming license, but Swann wasn’t sure late Tuesday afternoon just what last-minute details need to be ironed out to start spinning the roulette wheel and dealing the cards at the tables.
“I haven’t had an update on what the timeline is,” she said.
Lottery Commission spokeswoman Nancy Bulla told The Associated Press earlier Tuesday, “The Greenbrier is the crown jewel of West Virginia, and the Lottery wants this to succeed. As an agency, though, we cannot authorize anything that’s not in compliance with the statute and the rules and regulations governing The Greenbrier’s casino operation.”
The later arrival of slots is due to the fact they require a more intensive approval process because the software that operates the machines has to be extensively tested before winning state approval.
Tavern Casino is a 4,000-foot-square portion of the hotel, apart from the main casino under construction underground in the main structure of The Greenbrier. The main casino is due to open April 1 with 320 video lottery machines and 38 table games.
West, affectionately known to his West Virginia fans as “Mr. Clutch” for his prowess on the hardwood court in his playing days, is adorning Prime 44 West with some 100 personal mementos, among them the gold medal he captured in the 1960 Olympics, along with All-Star jerseys and trinkets from his Mountaineer glory years.
Prime 44 West promises to offer an elegant menu that includes such sumptious-sounding dishes as Kumamoto oysters on the half shell with fresh wasabi and chilled shellfish platter with horseradish creme fraiche.
Not to mention lobster bisque, garnished with chestnut and cardamom and Chesapeake Bay crab cake cigars with a grapefruit and papaya remoulade.
Local flavors abound, including West Virginia blue ribbon pork duo, Snake River farm wagyu tenderloin, Elsian Fields double cut rack of lamb and “Nothing But Net” 44-ounce Porterhouse Steak.
If 44 seems repetitive, just remember West’s old number — both in Morgantown and in Los Angeles.
And guests can top off the main dishes with such southern treats as New Wave key lime pie, carrot cake with ginger ice cream and sticky toffee pudding with warm caramel sauce.
To slake one’s thirst, West has pulled in some 150 wines from California, the Pacific Northwest, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia and Argentina.
“Dining trends may come and go, but a steakhouse has a lasting appeal,” Justice said in a statement.
“And a steakhouse named for Jerry West will definitely appeal to guests from all over the country, particularly the many from West Virginia.”
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
