This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
F The Bar — April 10
F The Bar at Ferguson Downtown will host Saddle Up & Sip, a mixology workshop featuring Weber Ranch Vodka.
The class will kick things off at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome drink, the Sunburn Cocktail, featuring Weber Ranch Vodka, pineapple, lemon, simple syrup, pickle jalapeño, and a crack of black pepper. Next, students will get hands-on crafting the Ranch Hand with muddled blackberries, sage, lime, and honey. The session will conclude with the clean and crisp Ranchers Choice Martini.
Tickets are available online for $45.07 (includes fee, tax, and tip).
Nicco’s Prime Meats & Fresh Fish — April 16
Nicco’s Prime Meats & Fresh Fish at Durango Casino & Resort is continuing its patio series with “Wine & Dine.”
Priced at $75 per person (plus tax, fee, and tip) and held on the restaurant’s patio from 5 to 7 p.m., Nicco’s resident sommeliers will pair four curated wine selections with some of Nicco’s favorite dishes: Nicco’s Burger, Dirty Italian Salad, Rigatoni, and Snow Crab Tempura.
Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. To purchase tickets, click here.
PISCES Bar & Seafare — April 16
Martin Heierling, Executive Chef of PISCES Bar & Seafare at Wynn Las Vegas, will demystify seafood cooking in his Simple Seafood Cooking class.
Chef Heierling will show how to prepare simple and satisfying dishes with ease and offer pro tips and techniques. During the class, guests will enjoy a sampling of PISCES specialties.
The class will be held at PISCES Bar & Seafare beginning at noon, and the cost is $246.44 (including all taxes and fees).
To reserve, call the Wynn Concierge at 702-770-7070 or email conciergeservices@wynnlasvegas.com.
Zaytina — April 17
Zaytina by José Andrés Group at the Forum Shops at Caesars is launching Parea Nights, an evening dedicated to unique Greek wines, Mediterranean mezze pairings, and immersive tableside storytelling led by wine experts.
Held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and priced at $45 per person, guests will enjoy three unique wine pours paired with chef-curated mezze, followed by the opportunity to stay for dinner and receive 20% off their bill. To purchase tickets, click here.
This experience will be hosted quarterly with rotating wines and menus.
Red Rock Resort — April 18
As part of celebrating 20 years in Summerlin, Red Rock Resort will host Taste of Station, a culinary showcase featuring bites and sips from restaurants and lounges across Station Casinos’ portfolio of restaurants.
Held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Red Rock Resort Pool, the one-night-only grand tasting will include bites and sips from T-Bones Chophouse, Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Fish, Oyster Bar, Hank’s Fine Steaks, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, Bottiglia, Hearthstone, Leticia’s Cocina & Cantina, Mijo Modern Mexican Restaurant, Osteria Fiorella, Summer House, 8 Noodle Bar, Ai Pono Café, Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ, Irv’s Burgers, With Love Always, Pizza Rock, Prince Street Pizza, Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, The Red Rock Bake Shop, Bel-Aire Lounge, Rouge Room, and Wax Rabbit Speakeasy. The evening will also include live entertainment, interactive displays, roving experiential artists, and a special Red Rock 20th Anniversary celebration moment.
General Admission tickets are $100 per person (plus taxes and fees), which include unlimited food and beverage tastings. VIP Admission tickets are $175 per person (plus taxes and fees) and include access to a dedicated VIP seating area, priority access to the Rouge Room after-party, and premium offerings, including caviar, oysters, champagne, and Belvedere 10 Martinis. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Three Square Food Bank.
Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. To purchase tickets, click here.
Want more events? Check out our new Food Events Calendar at foodandloathing.vegas/calendar-of-events. It’s quite extensive, with one or more listings for virtually every day.
Pick of the Week: Amata Modern Thai
Amata Modern Thai is fairly new, having opened in SW Las Vegas at 5597 Rainbow (just north of Russell) in December. Its goal is to bring Strip-quality cuisine to off-Strip at reasonable price points, and it is doing exactly that.
The room has a very relaxed vibe, with lots of wood paneling, large windows on two sides that bring ample natural light, a semi-open kitchen, greenery, hanging wicker lamps, aqua-green chairs, and a fun wall of mirrors with “Mirror, mirror on the wall” lit up in neon.
The kitchen is quite ably helmed by Executive Chef Pinyo Saewu, who has 20 years of culinary experience. Chef Pinyo first learned the essence of Thai cooking in the bustling street stalls of Bangkok. He moved on to prestigious five-star hotels in Bangkok and across the globe, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and San Francisco, before spending seven years as Executive Chef at Hakkasan Las Vegas.
In describing the concept, Co-Owner Pittaya Lisawasd said, “We’re not trying to be fine dining, but want to be a neighborhood restaurant with presentable, approachable price points where you can get lunch for under $20. Sharing is a big part of Asian culture, and all the dishes here are served family style. Extra care is taken, and we have dishes here that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Examples of signature dishes are Spicy Thai Beef Carpaccio with Prime steak tenderloin, northern Thai spices, mint, cilantro, crispy shallots, and a fish sauce/lime base; and Bone Marrow served with Indian roti flatbread, lime slices, and a rich panang curry dipping sauce served with a Northern Thai presentation (ignited when delivered to your table).
Other standouts include the vegan Truffle and Black Garlic Fried Rice, enhanced with crispy enoki mushrooms and truffle shavings. The Spicy Won Ton is a traditional Chinese dish adapted into a Thai version, featuring house-made shrimp won tons, crushed peanuts, spicy tom yum sauce, chili jam, and lemongrass. Crispy Duck Larb uses duck that’s been braised for eight hours, rice powder, chili, lime, and the ginger-like galangal.
The Roasted Chilean Sea Bass was made unique by the use of imported Thai honey from lychee flowers and red curry paste, served over asparagus. Crispy Branzino Sam Rod (meaning “three flavors”) lives up to its name, singing with sweet, savory, and sour flavors through a tamarind-chili glaze, shallots, lime, and pineapple. Stir-fried Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin shouts fine-dining quality with a 10-ounce prime tenderloin, crispy garlic, fresh peppercorns, and a delectable black pepper sauce.
I was a bit surprised to find sangria is a signature drink here, but I can see why after learning it’s an Asian version. It uses a sauvignon blanc base that’s marinated for five hours in yuzu, lychee, Korean pear, mango, kaffir lime leaf, and orange, and being finished tableside gives it a special touch with the addition of more fruit, topped with Italian Prosecco. It also makes sense, as there isn’t enough space for a full bar, and it goes well with the menu items. I preferred it to other versions as it is less sugary, drier, and more acidic. If you happen to be there during the daily happy hour from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., you can get a whole pitcher for half off, only $19.
This Thai eatery may not be trying to be fine dining, but after dining there, it appears they are attaining the quality with a comfortable ambiance and menu prices that mainly fall below $20.
Amata Modern Thai is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. To view the complete menu, visit amatathailv.com.
Dining News
Here Kitty Kitty Now Serving Streetbird Menu Items
Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den, the hidden speakeasy within the Famous Foods Street Eats food hall at Resorts World, has launched a special menu featuring two menu items from Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Streetbird—Crispy Chicken Tenders & Caviar and Truffle Parmesan Fries.
The James Beard Award-winning Top Chef and Iron Chef alum, celebrity chef, stopped in recently to visit with media and his fans and said, “Fried chicken is very dear to me. Most people know it and want options. It works everywhere and can fit in so many settings. We use layered flavors, an old school brine, and marinate the chicken so it’s crunchy and juicy and with fun sauces like hot honey and Green Goddess.”
The speakeasy is fun to check out, as the entire décor is refreshed every season, with this past winter featuring a Cowboy Christmas, the current rendition the Spring Cherry Blossom Festival, and coming in the summer, a Polynesian theme. DJs spin from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and play old school vinyl every Friday.
To find the Here Kitty Kitty, locate the Fuhu Cha Chaan Teng stall, which has a bookshelf that turns into a door leading to the speakeasy.
James Beard Foundation Awards Finalists Announced
The James Beard Foundation Awards are one of the most prestigious awards for the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry.
As initially reported in the January 27 edition of this column, a record 14 Las Vegas-based chefs, restaurants, and restaurateurs were named as semifinalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards. Now the announcement of the finalists has been released, and the list has been whittled down to just three: Brian Howard (Sparrow + Wolf) and Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa) are in the finals for Best Chef: Southwest, and the Town Square Indian fine dining Tamba is in the running for Best New Restaurant.
Both chefs have previously been recognized by the James Beard Awards. Brian Howard was named a semifinalist in 2024, and Sarah Thompson made it to the finals last year.
Best wishes to all three. Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony in June in Chicago.
Additionally, Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas, won the 2026 James Beard America’s Classics Award, which was announced in February.
See also: Las Vegas Celebrates Three James Beard Foundation Awards Nominations from Samantha Gemini Stevens
F1 Arcade Offering Half-Off Food and Drinks to Locals
F1 Arcade at The Forum Shops at Caesars is offering 50% off a wide selection of its food and beverage offerings to Nevada residents from April 1 through Aug. 30.
The offer includes half-off drinks (including draft beer, well liquor with mixers, seltzers, house red and white wine by the glass, and signature cocktail pitchers) and its menu of sharing plates. They include items such as Korean Gochujang Cauliflower Wings; Himalayan Salt Dry-Aged Flat Iron Steak with grilled portobello and chimichurri; Quesabirria with three chili consommé, Oaxacan cheese, and cilantro; Chipotle Tiger Shrimp with pickled daikon, cucumber, ginger, and ponzu; Caprese Flatbread with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh burrata; Spicy Ahi Tuna Tacos with avocado, wasabi, scallions, sesame, cilantro, and red chili; and a Hazelnut and Chocolate Calzone with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.
For entertainment, the F1 Arcade features 87 full-motion racing simulators with large-format screens, allowing guests to compete against friends on world-famous Formula 1 circuits.
The Nevada resident promotion is available Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to close and Friday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to close. Guests must present a valid Nevada driver’s license or ID upon arrival, and each Nevada ID may be used for up to four guests at the table. The promotion excludes select menu items, including the 40-ounce Angus Tomahawk and raw bar Seafood Tower.
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.
This week, Al, Gemini, and Happy Hour Vegas‘ Andrew Morgan come to you from Ocean Prime, the seafood-forward steakhouse located within 63 CityCenter. They spend some time chatting with Chef Gino Rappa and GM John Headley while sampling food and cocktails. Andrew delivers a Happy Hour Report. Our friend LeAnne Notabartolo gives us a report from the International Pizza Expo, and shares interviews with John Arena, Michael Vakneen, and Adam Sobel. You’ll also hear from Echo & Rig’s Sam Marvin and Chef Winston Matsuuchi of Omakase Kyara.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Home + History Las Vegas Heritage Festival Returns April 16-19
Las Vegas’ past will take center stage April 16 to 19, as the Nevada Preservation Foundation (NPF) presents the 11th annual Home + History Las Vegas, a four-day celebration of architecture, culture, and community.
There will be several experiences, including guided neighborhood walks, vintage home tours, educational workshops, scenic strolls, bus tours, bike tours, a country club soiree, a pub crawl, and a native plant garden tour.
Events include:
- April 15—Bootleggers in the Garden: A Prohibition-Style Party, held inside the garden of a rare 1930s Las Vegas residence with food from 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalist Chef James Trees and Chef Todd Harrington paired with whimsical “teas” crafted by mixologist Jonah Gibbs of Bar Boheme and High Steaks
- April 18—1984: Revenge of the Yuppies, a sunset soirée at a private clubhouse overlooking the iconic Las Vegas Strip with soft rock hits, cocktails, light bites, and access to a private vintage clubhouse
- April 18—Hidden Paradise Bike Tour, a guided morning ride through Paradise Crest
- April 18—Historic Henderson Bus Tour, a two-hour guided bus tour through the historic Water Street District, significant historic buildings and neighborhoods, and public art and murals
To explore the full calendar of events and to purchase tickets, visit Home + History Las Vegas.
