This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
PT’s Ranch — October 17
PT’s Ranch at 2430 E. Pebble Rd will host the 13th annual Guinness Perfect Pint Competition, bringing bartenders and beer fans together for an evening of Guinness, friendly competition, and cash prizes.
The top three finishers will take home cash prizes: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. The evening will get underway with bartender check-in at 6 p.m., followed by a one-hour Guinness giveaway for guests from 6 to 7 p.m. Once the competition begins at 7 p.m., bartenders will compete to pour the Perfect Pint. Guests can also join in through a “Pour Your Own Perfect Pint” station. Ripple Maker machines will also be available, allowing guests to print select images and text on the foam using plant-based extracts.
This event is free for both competing bartenders and guests. Tickets or tokens for the stations will be available for purchase at the bar beginning at 7 p.m., plus $4 Guinness pints will be available from 7 to 10 p.m.
Bar Boheme — October 18
Chef/Partner James Trees and Corporate Pastry Chef Jake Yergensen will continue their monthly bakery pop-up at Bar Boheme from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
After its June debut, the bakery pop-up continues to offer guests a monthly chance to purchase Esther’s Kitchen’s famed sourdough bread, Bar Boheme’s Parisian baguettes, Al Solito Posto’s focaccia, and a rotating selection of croissants, pastries, and other special sweet and savory baked treats.
This month, the pop-up is taking place on a Sunday to coincide with Market In The Alley. It has previously been held on Saturdays, but will now take place on Sundays in certain months. Guests are encouraged to arrive early as lines form quickly, due to high demand, and the previous bakery pop-ups have all sold out. Bar Boheme is in the Arts District at Main and Imperial.
Don’s Prime — October 23
Don’s Prime at Fontainebleau will host a wine and whiskey dinner featuring Perrier-Jouët and Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Four.
Held in the private dining room, the menu includes passed appetizers of Truffle Arancini, King Crab Salad, and Seared Wagyu paired with Brut Blanc de Blanc, Perrier-Jouët, Champagne, France NV; Seared Scallop with roasted leeks, white beans, kale, and charred apple butter sauce matched with Brut, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, Champagne, France 2016; New York Strip with whiskey-spiced squash purée, chanterelle mushrooms, and whiskey peppercorn sauce paired with Irish Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey; and Whiskey Pecan Pie with sweet potato gelato matched with Midleton 48 Year Irish Whiskey.
Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the cost is $300 per person (plus tax and tip). To purchase tickets, click here.
Picnic in the Alley — October 25
Picnic in the Alley, Las Vegas’ only fully women-curated epicurean event, developed by local tastemaker Jolene Mannina and Picnic in the Alley partner Sharee Bruscher to celebrate Las Vegas women across food, beverage, art, interactive activations, and live entertainment, will return for its 5th installment from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This year’s Picnic in the Alley will take over the Las Vegas Arts District and the line-up includes sweet and savory bites from Crystine Nguyen (This Mama’s House and Durango Social Club), Dani White (Yukon Pizza), Erica Bell (ØØ Pie & Pub), Nicole Brisson (Brezza, Bar Zazu and AMARI Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop), Floriana Pastore (Signora Pizza), Gina Marinelli (Harlø Steakhouse & Bar and La Strega), Andrea Mineshima (Honey Salt), Natalie Young (Echo • taste • sound), and Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa).
An impressive lineup of beverages from bubbles to brews and mocktails in between will be provided by professionals including Cesilia Berumen (The Golden Tiki), Christina Dylag (Velveteen Rabbit), Danielle Crouch (Jammyland), Emily Baddock (Alt Imports), Kim Owens (Main Street Provisions), Kat Thomas (Ada’s), and Wyndee Forrest (CraftHaus Brewery).
Our own Samantha Gemini Stevens will host the live Chat Room series again this year, asking women from Las Vegas hospitality and culinary backgrounds questions “meant to ‘TAP’ into three core tenets of hospitality success: tools, access, and power.” Among the panelists are Juanny Romero of Mothership Coffee, Kim Owens of Main St. Provisions, Chef Sandra Palomo from the Fontainebleu Las Vegas, Linda Brookins from Tao Group, and Elizabeth Blau of Honey Salt and Buddy V’s and co-founder of Women’s Hospitality Initiative. Gemini will explore the tools we use in an ever-changing, dynamic industry; the access women have and the opportunities they are presented with; and what power and powerful leadership mean as we progress.
All proceeds from this year’s Picnic in the Alley will benefit the selected nonprofit, the Women’s Hospitality Initiative. Tickets to the 21+ event are $150 and can be purchased at picnicinthealley.com.
NEW: Food and Loathing Events Calendar & Weekly Newsletter
For even more events, check out our new food-centric events calendar at foodandloathing.vegas/calendar-of-events. It’s quite extensive – because we know you love options! – with one or more listings for virtually every day.
AND, make sure you never miss reading this column and other interesting reads! Sign up for the weekly Food and Loathing newsletter, which comes out every Thursday. To get on the list, visit foodandloathing.vegas/newsletter.
Pick of the Week: Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks Debuts New Menu and Lunch Under $10
Founded in 2005 in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, Twin Peaks operates more than 115 locations in the US and Mexico and one locally in Henderson at 9510 S. Eastern Avenue, just south of the 215 Freeway.
Twin Peaks is self-defined as the ultimate sports lodge, and lives up to the description with wall-to-wall TVs showcasing major sporting events, a robust beer selection, and excellent scenery.
I was unable to locate the two mountain tops the eatery’s name refers to, but the décor does seem to capture a comfortable cabin in the mountains that’s filled with an array of taxidermy animals (ducks, deer, buffalo, bighorn sheep), a high ceiling with wood logs, antler chandeliers, plank wood walls and tables, wood flooring, a bear skin rug, and TVs everywhere you look, even in the booths.
The restaurant also delivers made-from-scratch food and has rolled out one of its most significant menu updates in recent years.
The new lineup goes well beyond a few seasonal additions. The Peaks Sampler offers six shareable bites: Game Day Franks, Fried Pickles, Crispy Buffalo Tenders, Mozzarella Bites, Crispy Mini Beef Tacos, and Fried Ravioli. Other new menu items are the Smash Burger Sliders with American cheese, caramelized onions, and chipotle mustard; and thick-cut Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop with carnitas rub, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans with bacon, and side of chimichurri.
An excellent deal is the weekday lunch menu with four new options all priced below $10. Available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., they include Good as Cluck Chicken Sandwich: full-size chicken breast, breaded and fried in-house, topped with chipotle mayo, avocado smash, and Pepper Jack cheese with fries ($9.99, also available throughout the day); Chicken Snackers: two hand-breaded, fried-in-house chicken tenders wrapped in flour tortillas with avocado smash, chipotle mayo, and pickled onion with fries and a choice of wing sauce ($7.99); Street Corn Chicken Quesadilla: shredded smoked chicken, mozzarella, pico, cilantro, lime crema, and tajin with fire-roasted salsa, black bean dip, avocado smash, and lime ($9.99); and 4 Cheese Ravioli Skillet: cheese ravioli tossed with marinara and white sauces made from scratch in-house, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan ($8.99).
More savings await in the weekday happy hour. Offered Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close, beverage deals are 22 oz. domestic drafts for $5.75; 22 oz import drafts for $6.75; and $1 off liquor, wine, drafts, and cocktails. For food, there’s $2 Crispy Mini Beef Tacos for $2 each; Chips & Salsa for $4; Fried Pickles, Chips & Queso, and Mozzarella Bites for $6, and Triple Play: any three house dips with tortilla chips, Loaded Fries, and Boneless Wings (6) for $8. As if these deals weren’t incentive enough to get you to stop in, there’s also specials for every day of the week such as 22 oz Dos Equis for $5 on Tuesdays and $6 Old Fashioned and 22 oz Twin Peaks drafts for $3.99 on Wednesdays. Daily specials include 22 oz Twin Peaks Brewing Light for $4.99, House Long Island Iced Tea for $6, and 50% off all food for service industry from 10 p.m. to close.
All are welcome here, including kids, with a menu for those 12 and under featuring kid favorites like Chicken Timbers ($5.49), Cheeseburger Sliders ($6.49), Grilled Cheese ($5.49), Cheese Quesadilla ($5.49), Mac N Cheese ($4.49), and Ice Cream Sunday ($1).
In addition to the quite reasonable prices and deals, Twin Peaks prides itself in its hospitality. Assistant General Manager Valerie Montoya says, “I pride myself in developing my team to provide service to our guests that make them keep coming back. That gives us the opportunity to stand out from the rest of the establishments.”
The robust beer selection I alluded to includes a few dozen taps highlighted by four house drafts from Twin Peaks own Texas-based brewery: Twin Peaks Light, Dirty Blonde, Knotty Brunette, and IPA. More interested in hard-to-find spirits? You’re in luck, as there’s Grandpa’s Stash, a list of 34 rare choices of tequila, bourbon, whiskey, cognac, Scotch, and Irish Whisky like WhistlePig 12-Year-Old World Rye and The Macallan 12, 15, and 18 Year.
Twin Peaks is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to midnight. For more info and to view the complete menus, visit twinpeaksrestaurant.menu/twin-peaks-henderson.
Dining News
El Cortez Hotel & Casino Opens Siegel’s 1941 and Alex Prime Steakhouse
El Cortez Hotel & Casino has brought back Siegel’s 1941.
Named for Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, an early owner of the property, and the year El Cortez was established, Siegel’s 1941 seats 150 guests in a reimagined décor featuring emerald green banquettes, cognac leather seating, richly paneled walls with gold detailing, arched mirrored cabinetry, and sweeping coffered ceilings.
Siegel’s 1941 serves elevated breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Breakfast dishes include a breakfast sandwich with fried egg, bacon, cheddar, and tomato topped with aioli on a toasted brioche bun; bagel with lox; two-egg breakfast served with matzoh brei; and a ham steak with eggs and hash browns. Lunch offerings include a Seafood Louie topped with Maine lobster and jumbo shrimp; loaded wedge salad; Angus cheeseburger; the return of a longtime favorite: a prime rib special; and desserts including New York cheesecake, chocolate cake, an ice cream sundae, and milkshakes.
At 5 p.m., the space transitions into Alex Prime Steakhouse. Under the direction of Executive Chef Joe Swan, the menu offers USDA Prime New York Strip, Bone-In Ribeye, table-side Steak Diane prepared with cognac sauce, and a house signature Prime Rib; starters including Oysters Rockefeller, and Maple and Black Pepper Glazed Heritage Bacon; and a multi-tiered raw bar showcasing Lobster Louie, Tuna Tartare, and optional caviar service.
Siegel’s 1941 is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Alex Prime Steakhouse is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
For more info and complete menus, visit siegels1941lv.com and alexprimesteaklv.com.
Amici New York Pizzeria Opens at Resorts World
Amici New York Pizzeria has debuted at Resorts World in the former Mulberry space.
Led by Amici Executive Chef Ricky McCormick, the pizzeria takes a made-in-house approach to the neighborhood pizzeria, serving slices from oversized 22-inch New York-style pizzas alongside Detroit-style pies that feature inventive seasonal combinations. The dough is made in-house and fermented for 48 hours to develop its flavor and texture. The menu features creations such as Cheeseburger Detroit-Style Pizza topped with ground beef, bacon, cheddar, caramelized onion, diced pickles, and tomato finished with shredded iceberg lettuce and Amici’s secret sauce; Buffalo Chicken Detroit-Style Pizza with layers of buffalo chicken and mozzarella with ranch and green onions, which will rotate seasonally with other Detroit-style creations; traditional 22-inch New York-style pies highlighted by Pepperoni New York-Style Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, premium cup-and-char pepperoni, and aged Pecorino Romano; and specialty options like Hot Honey Meat Lovers Pizza loaded with pepperoni, Italian sausage, all-beef meatballs, crispy bacon, and hot honey.
In addition to the pies, there are Garlic Knots; Caesar Salad; Classic Cannoli; New York Cheesecake; Snickerdoodle Cookie; draft and bottled beer, wine, non-alcoholic options; and Amalfi Lemon Sgroppino.
Our own Al Mancini interviewed Chef Ricky on the Food and Loathing podcast and posted part of that interview here.
Hours are Monday, Thursday, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. For more info and the complete menu, visit rwlasvegas.com/dining/amici-new-york-pizzeria.
Pinkbox Doughnuts Las Vegas Raiders Doughnuts
Pinkbox Doughnuts, the official doughnut partner for the Las Vegas Raiders, is celebrating football season with the return of The Raider doughnut.
Available every Saturday and Sunday during the 2026-2027 football season at all Pinkbox Doughnuts locations in Nevada and in St. George, Utah, it’s inspired by its cousins Pinky and Pooh and is a vanilla cake doughnut topped with cookies ‘n cream buttercream covered with silver icing, candy décor, a pirate patch, and an official Raiders flag.
In addition, Pinkbox Doughnuts is selling its full lineup of Raiders creations during all Raiders home games at the Pinkbox Doughnuts location in section 128 at Allegiant Stadium. The stadium’s silver and black doughnut lineup includes:
- Raiders Football—white frosted raised football topped with Raiders décor
- Raider Nation—silver frosted raised ring topped with Raiders décor, black and silver sprinkles, and a collectible helmet
- Raiders Baby—white frosted raised doughnut topped with official Raiders logo décor
- Raiders Pee Weez—glazed chocolate cake Pee Weez with black and grey sprinkles
For more info on store locations, hours, and doughnut varieties, visit pinkboxdoughnuts.com.
The Neighborhood Food Hall Football Special
The Neighborhood Food Hall at The Resort at Summerlin is offering a Game Day Food Hall Crawl.
Available during all NFL and College Football Games and priced at $49 per person, included are: one featured combo or offering at each of the participating restaurants: ai Pazzi Pizza, Tacos 1986, For The Win, and Nom Wah.
The Hall Crawl includes ai Pazzi Pizza—one personal pizza plus non-alcoholic drink; Tacos 1986—one taco combo meal; For The Win—one single patty combo meal; and Nom Wah—choice of one Lo Mein or one Fried Rice, plus an order of dumplings and non-alcoholic drink.
The passes can be purchased at any of the participating restaurants.
Recently, on the Food and Loathing Podcast
Be sure to check out Food and Loathing this week (and every week). The podcast features veteran food writer Al Mancini along with co-host Samantha Gemini Stevens and producer Rich Johnson as they give the lowdown on what’s new, hot, and delicious in America’s most glamorous city as they talk with chefs, bartenders, journalists, and other experts on where to go and what to order when you get there.
The big race is coming, and two of the big-deal restaurants at Paris Las Vegas are all set, so this week Al drops by Eiffel Tower Restaurant to check out the packages available for The Big Race on Nov. 21. Meanwhile, at street level, Mon Ami Gabi is rolling out a new Happy Hour menu, and Al got to enjoy a few samples. You’ll also hear from Ocean Prime’s head chef Gino Rappa on the new items he just added to their menu, and Rumi Room’s executive chef and partner Mamat Nafissi share the thinking behind his decision to move the Persian Indopak restaurant out of the Evora complex, into the Bend. Also as usual: news, restaurant visits, and a Happy Hour Report Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Hard Hat Lounge — October 16
Las Vegas’ historic dive bar Hard Hat Lounge will host its annual block party and celebrate rocker Frank Sidoris’ 4 years of ownership.
The party will run from 8 p.m. ’til late and the free bash for 21+ guests will offer live music, food, raffles, high energy, and bevvies. A full stage set for entertainment will be hosted by Coco Jenkins of Nothing To Do Las Vegas and will feature The Escapers and The Soft Echo, and possibly a surprise guest or two. Outside, guests will also enjoy sounds from a 2×4 DJ set up from local vinyl collectives, while inside, music will be played by DJ Copay, DJ Nuge, DJ Juju Man, and many more.
Reasonably priced bites served during the festivities will include the Stay Tuned Burgers regular menu with classic single ($9) and double ($11), vegan single ($11) and double ($14.50), Grilled Cheese ($5), and Tots ($5). As for beverages, except for specialty pours, beers are served in 22 oz. mugs.
“Feeling the love and support of the downtown Las Vegas community has meant the world to us over these last four years,” said Owner Frank Sidoris, the Vegas-born guitarist for Slash. “We are looking forward to many more years of maintaining a safe place for everyone from locals to tourists alike!”
As one of the oldest operating dive bars in Las Vegas, Hard Hat Lounge is located downtown at 1675 S. Industrial Rd, and continues to be a favorite spot for locals, tourists, and industry friends 24 hours a day since 1962.
In addition to the block party, weekly activations include Happy Hour daily from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., Industry Nights on Mondays with a live jazz band and 10% off bar tabs for all Vegas industry, Karaoke Wednesdays from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and all day every day $1 off drinks for construction workers.
For more info, visit hardhatloungelv.com and follow on Instagram @hardhatloungelv.
