Highly anticipated Strip restaurant Wakuda Las Vegas has an opening date at Palazzo and it’s June 25. The collaboration between legendary chef Tetsuya Wakuda and 50 Eggs Hospitality Group will take over the former Morels Steakhouse space just off the resort’s lobby, serving an exclusive omakase experience and a combination of appetizers, sashimi, sushi, tempura, grilled items, rice bowls, cold soba and more. Designed by the Rockwell Group, Wakuda will seat 264 including an outdoor terrace.
But first, acclaimed chef Tal Ronnen will open the also previously announced Crossroads Kitchen and CB (Crossroads Burgers) at Resorts World on May 28. Crossroads Kitchen will be open daily for dinner from 5 until 11 p.m., and CB will be open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Soulbelly BBQ will mark its first anniversary with a party on May 15 starting at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 and are available at Eventbrite. In addition to Soulbelly favorites, special dishes from guest chefs John Bates, Evan LeRoy, Burk Bakman and Keris Kuwana will be available, and live music performances from Monk and the Po Boys, Megan Ruger and Soulbelly chef and owner Bruce Kalman’s Hot Sauce house band will round out the fun.
Sparrow + Wolf will celebrate its fifth anniversary with “the ultimate dinner party” with live entertainment and plenty of food and drinks on May 16 from 6 until 9 p.m. DJ John, saxophonist Diego Morales and local artist Pretty Done will provide the fun and the kitchen will be serving passed bites and signature dishes such as beef tartare, clams casino, beef cheek and bone marrow dumplings, mini truffle burgers and more. Tickets are available through OpenTable for $100 per person and a percentage of proceeds will benefit the Love Yourself Foundation.
China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan continues its Tequila & Mezcal Festival through May 15, featuring the Piña Poblano cocktail ($17) and a special flight featuring Maestro Dobel Diamante and Pavito tequilas ($19) as well as special dishes meant to pair with the featured libations. Reservations are available at chinapoblano.com.
Dapper Companies is set to announce the winner of the Great Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway on May 19. The six finalists have been competing via pop-up services at Vegas Test Kitchen in recent weeks and the winning restaurant concept will receive a brand-new, nearly 3,000-square-foot custom-designed restaurant at Huntridge Shopping Center on Maryland Parkway, fully built out with furniture, fixtures, equipment, branding, signage and marketing plan. The prize is estimated at more than $950,000.
Shake Shack has launched its latest limited time items at all four local restaurant locations, two sandwiches and two shakes loaded with big flavors. The Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Burger adds white cheddar cheese, bourbon bacon jam with Maker’s Mark, crispy shallots and ShackSauce to its never-frozen Angus beef patty on a potato bun, while the Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich pairs those toppings, plus pickles, with a crispy, white meat chicken breast. The Chocolate Churro Shake is hand-spun cinnamon churro frozen custard topped with spiced dark chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cinnamon waffle cone crumbles, and the Oreo Funnel Cake Shake blends Oreo cookies and funnel cake crunch vanilla custard with a generous dollop of chocolate whipped cream on top.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib is celebrating 25 years in Las Vegas with a special lottery contest running through the end of May. Each guest who diners there will receive a scratch-off card revealing prizes such as a catered dinner for 6-8 people, a case of Silver Oak Wines, Lawry’s gift cards and more. Reservations at the Las Vegas location at 4043 Howard Hughes Parkway can be made by calling 702-893-2223.
Tacotarian opened its fourth location in the Valley at 5025 Blue Diamond Road on May 5 and Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones surprised the plant-based Mexican eatery’s team with a proclamation naming it Tacotarian Day in the county. Next up is a store in San Diego set to open this summer.
Sahara Las Vegas recently announced Juan Villa as its new executive chef. The Nevada native has worked in kitchens around the world and was executive chef for the Siena Hotel in Reno. Villa will oversee creative menu development and the culinary team at the Sahara’s various F&B outlets.
Gyu+ is set to open this summer at the UnCommons development in southwest Las Vegas, a Japanese concept from Freddie Paloma and Luis De Santos. They launched it as a ghost kitchen operation during the pandemic in early 2021 and will open their first brick-and-mortar this year, designed by Punch Arc and serving classic Japanese street fare including Wagyu beef sandwiches, pork belly rice boxes and more.
