Mark your calendars now: Three Square’s Las Vegas Restaurant Week will return June 5-16. More information will be available soon regarding participating restaurants and special discounted menus that will benefit the local food bank’s mission to assist Southern Nevadans who are food-insecure. Stay tuned to restaurantweeklv.org for updates.
Celebrity chefs Michael and Bryan Voltaggio will unveil Retro by Voltaggio at Mandalay Bay this spring, a one-year culinary residency delivering a classic American family-style dining concept “capturing the feelings, tastes, sounds and pop culture moments of the ’80s and ’90s,” according to a statement. The Voltaggios have been hosting Italian food pop-ups at Bellagio in recent years and also partner with MGM Resorts for their steakhouse at the MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C. Sample menu items at Retro include new takes on Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, pot roast, Lobster Thermidor and more.
But the new addition will come at the cost of closing a legendary Mandalay Bay and Las Vegas Strip restaurant. Retro will open in chef Charlie Palmer’s Aureole space, which will close in the coming months. “Over the years, Aureole at Mandalay Bay really became a destination unto itself, especially for wine, with an unparalleled list recognized annually on Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for more than two decades,” Palmer said in the same statement. “The restaurant will always carry fond memories for me and the team we built together. We are proud that Aureole served as an incubator for incredible chefs, sommeliers and front-of-house service teams that have since gone on to lead the next generation of hospitality.” Aureole opened with Mandalay Bay in 1999 as one of the megaresort’s collection of ground-breaking fine dining options. Charlie Palmer Steak is temporarily closed at the adjoining Four Seasons hotel.
Chef Ricardo Romo, formerly of Michael Mina, STK, Whist Stove & Spirits, Due & Proper, Itsy Bitsy Ramen & Whiskey, Beer Park and Mastro’s Ocean Club, has joined the team at Chef’s Roma Kitchen as executive chef. New dishes on the menu under Romo include classic Caesar salad, lasagna Bolognese, veal Parmigiana and sea bass oreganata. For more information, visit chefsromakitchen.com.
Award-winning chef Ray Garcia, whose first Las Vegas restaurant Viva opened nearly two years ago at Resorts World, is set to join the culinary lineup at the Sundry at UnCommons, the incoming 20,000-square-foot food hall from TableOne Hospitality. B.S. Taqueria will showcase Garcia’s approach to the classic taco shop, serving dishes like chile-rubbed cauliflower al pastor and house-made chorizo on freshly pressed heirloom corn tortillas. It will be one of the two full-service restaurants at the Sundry, set to open this spring.
The first Las Vegas location of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos has opened at 3585 S. Fort Apache Road. The California-based chain serves beef, chicken, potato and cheese taquitos cooked to order with an array of house-made sauce options, plus side dishes like street corn, chips and queso and churro doughnuts. It’s open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until midnight. Fine more info at rollemup.com.
The second Henderson location of Farmer Boys, the Southern California-based chain known for burgers, breakfast and more, has opened at 3431 St. Rose Parkway. The new store offers dine-in, drive-thru and takeout service Sunday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Lotus of Siam at Red Rock has launched its Champagne Party Brunch, available on a monthly basis from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., with the next event set for March 18. The event includes weekly guest DJs and bottle service presentations under the retractable roof on the patio, as well as Lotus favorites like nam kao tod, crispy garlic prawns, shrimp toast, Thai-style steak and more. Raw bar offerings are another brunch highlight. For reservations, email [email protected].
Also at Red Rock, new concepts Naxos Taverna and Kallisto Oyster Bar at Naxos are set to open on February 20. Managing partner and director of culinary operations Mark Andelbradt’s menu features seafood-focused Greek cuisine including whole fish like lavraki and skorpina, kataifi-wrapped prawns and traditional meze. Kallisto’s 13-seat bar will showcase more than 25 types of fish and several varieties of oysters. Naxos will be open Sunday through Thursday from 4 until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 until 11 p.m., and Kallisto will operate Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. For more info, visit naxosredrock.com.
Mama Chai’s specialty tea and dessert shop is set to open February 18 at 4240 Spring Mountain Road. The first 200 customers will receive specialty tumblers and one guest will have the opportunity to win a $100 gift card; other specials and giveaways will be part of the opening as well. The new store comes to Las Vegas from the same ownership behind Mr BBQ, also recently opened on Spring Mountain. Milk teas, fresh fruit teas, yogurt beverages, ice blended drinks and a vast selection of toppings make up the Mama Chai’s menu. It will be open Sunday through Thursday from noon until 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon until midnight. For more info, visit mamachais.com.
Anima by Edo will highlight sake at a special World Sake Imports dinner on February 19 at 6 p.m. The Gramercy restaurant will offer seven paired courses at $175 per guest, with tickets available by emailing [email protected].
Island Sushi & Grill at 9400 S. Eastern Ave. #103, is hosting its annual Malassada Eating Contest on February 21 at 3 p.m. Contestants will feast on as many malassadas as they can within two minutes, all contestants will receive a T-shirt, and the winner will receive a year of free malassadas and have their name added to a plaque. Sign up via email at [email protected]. A $10 fee will be collected.
The Rainbow Club Casino in Henderson will host its first official beer dinner in collaboration with Mojave Brewing Company on February 27. The $40, four-course paired dinner was crafted by culinary director Scott Pajak, working closely with Mojave brewers. Reservations can be made by emailing [email protected].
Honey Salt will present a taste of Mardi Gras for its next Farm Table Dinner, set for February 28 at 6 p.m. After a welcome Sazerac cocktail, the menu includes fried green tomatoes, crab hush puppies, barbecue crawfish, etouffee and blackened red fish, finished with Café du Monde beignets for dessert. Tickets cost $72 and are available at honeysalt.com.
New Vista’s 14th annual Brew’s Best Craft Beer Festival will return to Downtown Summerlin on March 18 from 2-6 p.m. Guests can expect a bottomless tasting experience featuring more than 45 local and national breweries pouring nearly 100 styles. Proceeds will benefit the organization’s mission to provide residential assistance and supported living arrangements for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. General admission costs $40 in advance or $50 at the door, with tickets are available through Eventbrite.
Lago at Bellagio has unveiled a new experience from chef Julian Serrano with new a la carte options for dinner, lunch and brunch focused on scratch-made pastas, slow-aged steaks and fresh seafood. The cuisine is complemented by a reimagined cocktail program from Julian Cox, MGM Resorts’ executive director of beverage. Among the new dishes are rigatoni Amatriciana, lemon tagliolini and osso buco, and salmon crostini, banana pancakes, and spaghetti al aglio for brunch. For more information and reservations, visit bellagio.com.
Balla Italian Soul at Sahara Las Vegas has new seasonal menu items available, including arugula salad with shaved fennel and Cara Cara orange; house-made rigatoni with red pepper, scampi and toasted garlic; and veal Milanese with shaved turnips and wild greens.
RPM Italian at the Forum Shops at Caesars has launched a new happy hour featuring cicchetti, signature cocktails and wines by the glass, all for $8 each. It’s available Monday through Friday from 3 until 6 p.m. in the bar and lounge area and reservations are available for high-top tables.
Shake Shack dropped its new menu items last week and they’re all about the truffles. The new white truffle burger is a fontina cheeseburger with sauce made with Regalis organic white truffle oil and crispy sweet onions; the white truffle shroom burger is a crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted Muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with white truffle sauce and shredded lettuce; and the Parmesan fries with white truffle sauce add those ingredients to the Shack’s signature crispy crinkle cuts. New desserts are the Tiramisu Shak and the Dreamsicle Shake.
