Jerry’s Lounge: This cafe has it all, and sells it

Friday, Dec. 16, 2005 | 8:19 a.m.

At Cafe de Tout (French for "cafe of all" or "cafe of everything") you can buy a great cup of coffee or tea.

Or you can buy a tasty salad, or a sandwich or dessert.

You can buy the paintings off the wall (artwork by local artists).

You can buy the jewelry on display (made by a local craftsman).

If you like the glass you are drinking from, you can buy that too.

Tables and chairs? They're for sale.

Lighting fixtures. Ultra modern metal work.

"Everything that you see is for sale," said George Toumaian, part owner of the intriguing coffee house/deli/art gallery at 9330 W. Sahara Ave., suite 160 (northwest corner of Sahara and Fort Apache).

He and brothers Gary and Martin and cousin Adrian opened the business about nine months ago.

"We wanted somewhere we could go to relax and be entertained away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip," said Toumaian.

While everything else is for sale, the entertainment is free.

Entertainment is a vital element at Cafe de Tout, which appeals to the eyes, the palate and to the ears.

"We want to keep the entertainment fresh, so people don't get bored," Toumaian said.

There is live entertainment five nights a week, with a DJ from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Sundays.

The live music normally starts around 7 p.m.

On Mondays, there is Latin jazz, although that may be changing.

"We're going to have our version of 'American Idol' on Mondays when we have a full lineup of contestants," Toumaian said.

Tuesdays you can hear acoustic guitarist Jeremy Cornwell.

Charlie Tuna, guitarist for B.B. King, usually performs once a month.

Soul Serenade and the Jazz Blues Collective normally rotate Fridays and Saturdays.

Thursdays, it's the Tommy Thompson Project, featuring saxophonist Tommy Thompson, vocalist Jeannie Snow and keyboardist Dennis Mellen.

Through December, the Project also performs at the Cafe on Saturdays.

Thompson, Snow and Mellen are among the busiest performers in town.

Among other places, Mellen also can be heard at 6 p.m. Sundays at the Artisan, 1501 W. Sahara Ave.

Snow, backed by Thompson and keyboardist Chuck Hoover, has had a long-standing gig at Paris Las Vegas' Ortanique restaurant.

Thompson had a four-year engagement at Paris' Napoleon Lounge, which ended earlier this year.

Since then he has been performing corporate gigs and other venues.

On the last Sunday of each month he and Snow perform at a jazz brunch at Gordon Biersch.

Cafe de Tout is open seven days a week (from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays; 8 p.m. until midnight Thursdays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sundays).

Toumaian is there from 4 p.m. to closing every day.

"Come in and ask for George, and I'll take care of you," he said.

Toumaian is Armenian. His mother is from Lebanon, his father from Syria. Both parents were French professors who moved to the United States when he was about 8.

"I grew up in Hollywood," Toumaian said, a former corporate manager.

He moved to Las Vegas in 1992 when the company he worked for in San Diego came here to take advantage of the Nevada tax structure.

When the company dissolved, Toumaian decided to realize a long-time ambition to own a restaurant.

"There is not much room for corporate managers in Las Vegas unless you work for casinos, so I changed careers," he said.

A restaurant/lounge far from the Strip seemed like the way to go.

"We like food," Toumaian said. "And the entertainment is so limited away from the Strip. "Here we provide a place that is relaxing, and has a little bit of culture."

The menu, he says, is limited, but ...

"All of it is served with twists," Toumaian said. "For example, we serve a turkey sandwich with a raspberry sauce.

"And you haven't tasted tabuli until you've tried my mom's recipe," Toumaian said.

While some may call the cafe a coffee shop, it is much more than that.

"It's a place for people who appreciate good coffee, good taste and good ambiance," Toumaian said.

Guests can play checkers or chess on a glass game board, or use free wireless Internet access.

"When you come here, you can relax. You don't have to have your guard up," Toumaian said. "You can come in wearing shorts and sandals and you're going to be treated just the same as everyone else."

Lounging around

Trumpeter/vocalist Skip Martin will perform a free show at the Celebrity Nightclub, 201 N. Third St. (Third and Ogden Avenue) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Tonight at the Celebrity, Red Lightning featuring Alain Whyte of Morrissey, with special guests Franky Perez and 7 Hours Later, will be performing.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $12.

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com.