Local bar and music institution the Sand Dollar Lounge is expanding Downtown with a location inside the Plaza set to open this fall. The venue first opened in 1976 as the Sand Dollar Blues Bar just west of the Strip and changed ownership several times through the years, including a two-year closure in 2007. Since 2015, the Spring Mountain Road favorite has been operated by Nathan Grates and Anthony Jamison, who have maintained the Sand Dollar’s musical traditions while upgrading its bar and food offerings. The Sand Dollar Downtown will open in a nearly 5,000-square-foot space adjacent to the casino floor, serving a full menu of craft cocktails plus pizza from the Plaza’s Pop Up Pizza shop. Live music is planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The Nevada Craft Brewer’s Association will hold its first beer festival, the Nevada Beer Bash, on August 21 from 6-10 p.m. at the Front Yard at Ellis Island Casino & Brewery. Guests will be able to enjoy craft brews from Nevada companies including Able Baker, Banger, Brasserie Saint James, Big Dog’s, the Brewer’s Cabinet, CraftHaus, Ellis Island, Great Basin, HUDL, Imbib Custom Brews, Lovelady, Pigeon Head and Shoe Tree. VIP passes cost $80, general admission tickets are $50 and both available at Eventbrite.
Taqueria Ktrina has opened at Pawn Plaza Downtown. The menu runs the gamut from tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos to elote, fideo soup, churros and homemade flan. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Dessert Wars winner Yonutz will open its first Las Vegas location on July 23 offering the first 50 people in line a free Smash Donut. The grand-opening celebration at 5765 Centennial Center Blvd. starts at 10 a.m. and also features live entertainment and other contests and giveaways.
Brezza at Resorts World is planning its first wine dinner on July 29 at 7 p.m. featuring Greg Linn of Greg Linn Wines and a paired five-course meal from chef Nicole Brisson. Among the dishes are Spanish red shrimp with forbidden black rice risotto and beef cheek ravioli with chicken liver. Tickets cost $210 and available at Eventbrite.
“It’s the Tropicana Wine Mixer,” the inaugural wine event at Tropicana Las Vegas, is set for September 24-26, a weekend full of wine and food events at the iconic Strip resort. Among the many events scheduled are a welcome party, a wine and cheese pairing presented by Rodney Strong, a variety of wine classes and a Sunday hangover brunch. Tickets for individual events starting at $40—or an all-access weekend pass for $200—are available at troplv.com.
Sticks Tavern on Water Street in Downtown Henderson has launched a new brunch menu complete with bottomless Aperol spritzes and bloody marys available every Sunday from 1 a.m. until 2 p.m. New dishes include stuffed French toast, eggs Benedict, chicken in a biscuit topped with egg and schmaltz gravy, a pork belly sandwich and breakfast poutine.
Echo & Rig at Tivoli Village has unleashed new summer menu items including the Southern fried chicken salad, organic Scottish king salmon with tangerine and spicy green chutney, avocado toast on pumpernickel with tahini, baby back ribs and Butcherstone soup with beef, lamb and pork.
Broken Yolk Cafe, which has one Las Vegas location at Town Square, has partnered with Just Egg to launch its first-ever plant-based menu item, the spicy vegan bowl made with scrambled Just Egg, spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, home fries, Beyond hot Italian link sausage, avocado and sriracha. The bowl is now available at Broken Yolk spots across the country.
