Wahlburgers Las Vegas is happening. The famed celebrity burger franchise founded by brothers Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg and subject of A&E’s reality show is set to open by the end of the year at the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will be located near the newly opened Starbucks.
Another long-discussed restaurant has set a sorta-date for opening at another Caesars Entertainment property. MR CHOW, a Chinese fine dining institution in Beverly Hills long before a maniac character from The Hangover movies made the name famous again, is set to debut at Caesars Palace in December in the multi-level space formerly home to Empress Court. Expect refined Beijing cuisine with European-style service and signature dishes such as chicken satay, green prawns, hand-pulled noodles and Peking duck. And yes, it’ll offer the Champagne trolley, too.
For a while, Ku Noodle at SLS was only open for dinner. But now lunch is back, and José Andrés' Asian spot has also introduced a three-course prix-fixe lunch special for $19.88, available from noon until 5 p.m. Dishes include chicken siu mai with cloud ear mushrooms and goji berry; Dan Dan Mien wheat noodles with spicy pork sauce; “Ants Climbing a Tree” vermicelli with ground chicken, bok choy and chili; and Tawainese shaved ice desserts such as zhulong, strawberry ice with mocha, toasted coconut and coconut sauce. This could contend for the title of the Strip’s best lunch deal.
How hungry are you, really? PBR Rock Bar & Grill at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops is offering the Cowboy Challenge, a $99 burger with a two-pound beef patty, a half-pound of cheddar cheese, a half-pound hot dog and a half-pound of chili on a giant bun topped with four fried pickles and served with a pound of fries and a 24-ounce milkshake. Eat it all in 30 minutes and it’s free, but you’ll also receive $50 in PBR Bucks, a T-shirt and $25 credits for sister restaurants Rockhouse and Chayo Mexican Kitchen.
It’s oyster time. Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand is hosting a 10-day oyster festival September 18-27, spotlighting market-fresh oysters from around the country. Besides enjoying them in all their raw, freshly shucked glory, check out the Louisiana grilled oysters with fresh herbs and asiago cheese, the cornmeal-fried Hama Hama oysters with hickory smoked bacon and pickled fennel, and the potato-crusted pompano and oyster bread pudding with tomato okra stew. A special oyster fest kickoff happy hour is set for September 18 from 2-4 p.m., and tickets are $35 for that event and can be purchased by calling 702-891-7374.
PT’s Entertainment Group celebrates the 10th anniversary of Sierra Gold at 6515 S. Jones Blvd. on September 18 at 7 p.m. with a burlesque-themed evening of live music, food, cocktails and more. The event is free, open to the public and—wait for it—includes complimentary Champagne at the door.
The Joy of Sake, the mammoth booze event making its Las Vegas debut September 19 at Caesars Palace, recently announced its food lineup, and it’s beyond impressive. A dozen local restaurants are participating: District One, Japaneiro, Kyara, Other Mama, Raku, Roy’s, Sushi Roku, SushiSamba, Tapas by Alex Stratta, Tonkatsu Kiyoshi, Yonaka and Zenshin. All dishes from this murderer’s row of deliciousness are included in the $75-$85 ticket price, from smoked shrimp ceviche to charred octopus salad, whole barbecue pig to French-Vietnamese asparagus-crab soup. Get with the program at joyofsake.com.
Hash House A Go Go’s West Sahara Avenue location turns 10 years old this month, and it’s celebrating by offering 10 favorite dishes for $10 during the last 10 days of the month. Starting on September 21, a different dish or drink each day will be priced at $10, beginning with the infamous BLT Mary and also including the Kokomo meatloaf sandwich, chicken pot pie, sage fried chicken and waffle and lots of other tasty stuff.
Locally owned Azzurre Spirits is teaming up with RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay for a three-course dinner pairing Azzurre vodka and gin cocktails with cuisine from chef Rick Moonen on September 23 at 7 p.m. Prepare for chilled St. Simon oysters with Bloody Mary cocktail sauce, pan-roasted True North salmon with Brussels sprouts and sunchoke hash and gin and tonic sorbet with candied lemon. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased by calling 702-632-9300.
Frank Sinatra’s granddaughters Amanda Erlinger and AJ Lambert will team up with chef Theo Schoenegger for another interactive cooking demonstration and lunch highlighting the Chairman’s favorites at Sinatra at Encore on September 24 at noon. Meatballs and clams Posillipo are on the menu this time around. Tickets are $85 and can be purchased by calling 702-770-5320.
