Ellis Island's holiday nog is back.
One of the city’s most beloved chefs is moving to San Diego. Longtime Border Grill executive chef Mike Minor is packing it up and heading to California after a distinguished career that saw him man the kitchens of some of the city’s most popular restaurants (including the original Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas and Z’Tejas Grill on Paradise Road); become the trusted leader at Susan Feniger’s and Mary Sue Millken’s iconic Mandalay Bay Mexican restaurant; break out on his own with a unique barbecue hybrid cuisine served from his Truck U BBQ food truck; and open Lorena Garcia’s acclaimed Latin eatery Chica at Venetian before returning to Border Grill in recent years. “We’ve always wanted to live in San Diego, so here I go,” Minor said of the move with wife Natalia. His last day at Border Grill is December 30 and he’s planning a pop-up dinner at a local destination as a last hurrah.
The White Truffle Festival returns to Eataly Las Vegas through November 22, featuring Urbani Italian imported truffles in seasonal dishes like housemade pasta and gourmet pizza by the slice at La Pizza E La Pasta and the Cucina del Mercato outlets, plus new specials every weekend at the Chef’s Table. Additionally, customers are invited to Eataly to stock up on favorite Italian wines during a two-day sale on November 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., when shoppers will receive 40% off the purchase of six bottles or more. For more information, visit eataly.com/lasvegas.
Ellis Island Casino and Brewery’s holiday nog is back for a limited time, available for purchase by the glass ($7) or bottle ($35) until it’s sold out. The brewery is producing 5,000 bottles of the dairy-based holiday beverage this year, the 18th year the generations-old recipe has been sold to the public in Las Vegas. It can be found at Ellis Island, the Mount Charleston Lodge or any Village Pub location throughout the Valley.
Kona Grill is now serving a new weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring bottomless mimosas in seven flavors ($19), the Daybreak Sandwich in a Spam can, Kona Loco with a seared Spam and beef patty, spicy lobster avocado toast and more.
Get your Spam on at Kona Grill's brunch.
Siegel’s Bagelmania has opened a new location at McCarran International Airport in Terminal 1, open daily. The 30-year-old local deli now owned by Stephen Siegel is still planning to move its existing store on Twain Avenue to a 10,000-square-foot flagship location on Convention Center Drive while also planning more local stores.
Founders Coffee is set to open a second location in Henderson on November 18, a new store with drive-thru service, takeout, delivery and socially distanced dine-in at St. Rose Parkway and Amigo Street. The all-day food menu includes avocado toast, the breakfast waffle with egg, bacon, cheese and maple butter, quiches, breakfast bowls and more. The new location will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Sand Dollar Lounge will once again transform into a winter wonderland pop-up bar this holiday season for six weeks starting on November 23. The live music, craft cocktail and pizza bar will become Miracle on Spring Mountain, the exclusive Las Vegas location of the Miracle Bar Popup, through New Year’s Eve. The entire drink menu will be switched over to a holiday-themed Miracle Bar menu served in special mugs and glassware available for purchase.
The inaugural TAG Global Spirits Awards, created by renowned mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim along with David Grapshi and Julio Bermejo, is set for October 27-30, 2021, at Mandalay Bay. The four-day experience will be judged by an array of international experts from four continents who will crown the best-in-class Grand Finale award winners, and the event will also feature educational seminars, cocktail dinners at different Vegas restaurants and the Pink Tie Gala raising money and awareness for the Helen David Relief Fund. For more information, visit tagspiritsawards.com.
Award-winning Las Vegas mixologist Mariena Mercer Boarini has launched the first product from her Wanderlush cocktail consulting and branding agency. Electradust is a “flavor and sensation enhancer” derived from the “Buzz Button” alkaloid native to flowers in South America known in Vegas from its use in the best-selling Verbena cocktail at the Cosmopolitan. The substance creates a tingling and numbing phenomenon that can now be used in the powder form Mercer Boarini has created and patented, flavored with citrus and spice and ideal as a garnish or for rimming and mixing. For more information, visit electradust.com.
Season 19 of Hell’s Kitchen, filmed with superchef Gordon Ramsay in Las Vegas, is set to debut on Fox on January 7. For the first time ever, 16 aspiring chefs from around the country traveled to Las Vegas for the cooking competition show to battle for the grand prize of a head chef position at the new Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Lake Tahoe restaurant at Harvey’s Hotel and Casino.
