Shawn McClain will bring his fourth restaurant to the Las Vegas Strip later this year with Ballo, a new Italian concept at Sahara Las Vegas. McClain will once again partner with Richard and Sarah Camarota of MC Hospitality (who worked with the chef at the former Sage at Aria) to create a high-energy destination featuring seasonal Italian cuisine representing several different regions. Signature dishes will include handmade pastas, Roman pizzas, vegetable dishes and fire-roasted meats and fish. After debuting in Vegas with Sage, McClain also opened the former Five50 Pizza Bar at Aria and then created Libertine Social, which remains open at Mandalay Bay.
Red Rock Resort will open the second location of Clique Hospitality’s Side Piece Pizza in the Summerlin resort’s food court in May. It will offer whole pies and pizza by the slice, available to-go and for delivery. The first Side Piece opened at the Palms in 2019.
The memorial event held on April 5 at the Vegas Test Kitchen honoring Bobby Silva raised nearly $70,000 for the family of the late chef. A sold-out crowd of 150 gathered to celebrate the career and life of Silva, the chef de cuisine at Sparrow + Wolf, who had also worked in Vegas restaurants such as RM Seafood, SushiSamba and Momofuku. The event was co-coordinated by Brian Howard, chef and owner at Sparrow + Wolf, and Jolene Mannina, owner of Vegas Test Kitchen and SecretBurger. Donations are still possible at the GoFundMe page set up for Silva’s memorial here.
Sound Food Group, the local hospitality company that operates hot dog pop-up To Be Frank, has opened Sticks Tavern on Water Street in downtown Henderson near Lifeguard Arena. The new sports bar will be the permanent home of To Be Frank. Culinary director Jordan Camacho and executive chef Trevor Garrett created the Sticks Tavern menu around rotisserie chicken, specialty sandwiches and pub classics like cheeseburgers, poutine and wings. A grand opening is planned for early May, and the restaurant is currently operating Tuesday through Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
Award-winning mixologist and Las Vegas native Mariena Mercer Boarini has joined the Wynn Las Vegas team as the new property mixologist, working with bars and restaurants throughout Wynn and Encore to reinvent cocktail programs and create menus for several highly anticipated new restaurant concepts. She is also the founder of Wanderlush, a cocktail consulting and branding agency, and the creator of Electricdust, a flavor and sensation enhancement for drinks.
Mariposa Cucina on Decatur has reopened after a short closure for renovations during high restrictions on restaurants. There are several reopening specials available this week, including buy-one-get-one margarita pitchers, as well as new menu items and live entertainment.
Dandelion Chocolate has reopened its Grand Canal Shoppes store at the Venetian and is once again offering its single-origin chocolate bar tasting station and retail items. Several new treats are making their debut in Las Vegas, including the Single Origin Truffle Collection, the Hot Chocolate Trio and the Sea Salt Caramels.
