You might not yet have heard of AYYA Hospitality Group, but the Las Vegas-based company is making moves and doing it quickly. In just a couple of years, the entrepreneurial collective has opened IVI Performance, an athletic training facility at the southern end of the Valley; the nearby Thick & Thin Treat bar, a combination juice bar and ice cream parlor; and homey Town Square restaurant Crust & Roux, serving up the holy pie trinity of pizza, pot pies and dessert pies.
There’s more to come soon, namely the Lebanese-inspired Pine Bistro and the Mexican steakhouse J. Blanco at UnCommons. Partner Lowell Raven says the vision behind the venues is to bring Las Vegas Strip-level experiences and service to neighborhoods around the Valley.
“We all have hospitality backgrounds, and that’s the one thing we wanted to bring to the community that you can’t really get—that true, full experience,” he says.
Raven, who worked at the Venetian and Palazzo’s acclaimed Cocktail Collective for years, is the man behind the Crust & Roux concept, directly inspired by an East Coast restaurant operated by his father for years—all the pies, all made fresh to order. The Vegas version opened last July at the edge of the Town Square complex, near Whole Foods and Total Wine.
“My family was in restaurants, and when I was a kid, I would spend summers visiting him and the [restaurant]. Those are some of my greatest memories,” Raven says. “The reason he loved it so much was that it’s like two different concepts in one. It’s not a normal pizzeria, and it’s not a traditional bakery. I wanted to make it more modern and elevated, make it cool and bring it to Vegas.”
Using the same dough recipe for the pot pies and desserts and utilizing plenty of ingredients as toppings and fillings for pizza pies and pot pies makes the concept more functional and removes some stress across a fun and familiar menu. One of the most popular dishes is the Crab Pie ($38 for 16-inch, $44 for 20-inch)—a pizza topped with signature white roux sauce, lump crab meat, garlic, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
“When you think of a seafood pizza, you think of the East Coast clam pizza. There aren’t many with crab,” Raven says. “That’s No. 1, because it’s different.” The Roux Pie ($28-$34) is a close second, thanks to its flavor combo of chicken, spinach and mushrooms.
The chicken pot pie ($12 for 4-inch, $34 for 9-inch) is the go-to in its category, of course, but there’s also a seafood pot pie ($14-$38) with red and white sauces, crab, scallops and shrimp. Sandwiches and salads bring balance to the offerings, and unique flavors are everywhere, like the KBBQ pizza ($32-$38) with Korean-style barbecue chicken, the Gumbo pot pie ($14-$38), and the filet mignon sandwich ($26) with mushrooms, onions and pepper Jack cheese.
Dessert pie flavors depend on whether you’re eating in or taking them home, ranging from cherry, apple or blueberry to pecan, banana cream or chocolate peanut. Maybe get a taste by the slice ($10) before you commit.
CRUST & ROUX Town Square, 6825 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #120, 725-204-8522, crustandroux.com. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight.
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