This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
Ohlala French Bistro — August 20
Ohlala French Bistro, located at Rampart and Lake Mead in Summerlin, will host a four-course rosé pairing dinner.
Pairings are Chilled Melon Soup with thyme and prosciutto crisp paired with Maison Riche, Dry Rose, Bordeaux; Burrata Salad with confit cherry tomatoes, arugula salad, and pistachio pesto matched with Famille Perrin, Cote du Rhône, Rhône Blend; Pistachio Crusted Halibut with Israeli couscous and summer vegetables paired with Chateau Peyrassol, Les Commandeurs, Provence 2024; and Chocolate Mousse with raspberry coulis and raspberry whipped cream matched with Canard Duchêne Rose Brut Champagne.
The dinner will be served from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a cost of $100 per person, including pairings, and $75 for food only. Reservations are highly recommended via OpenTable or by calling 702-222-3502.
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar — August 24
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar will host a four-course wine dinner featuring the wines of La Sirena Winery with winemaker Heidi Barrett (responsible with her husband Bo for some of California’s most notable cult wines such as Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, and Paradigm) speaking about her wines.
Courses are:
- Grilled Romaine with cherry tomatoes, bacon, egg and creamy avocado dressing paired with La Sirena Chardonnay
- Cajun Shrimp with Andouille Sausage Kabob matched with La Sirena Grenache
- Wagyu Eye of the Ribeye with summer vegetables paired with La Sirena TreasuRed Blend and La Sirena Cabernet Sauvignon
- Strawberry Shortcake Gelato Truffle
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the cost is $150 per person (plus tax and tip). To purchase tickets, click here.
Stubborn Seed — August 27
Stubborn Seed at Resorts World will host a collaboration dinner featuring two Top Chef Champions: Season 13 winner Stubborn Seed Chef/Owner Jeremy Ford and Season 12 winner Mei Lin, Chef/Owner of Daybird and 88 Club in Beverly Hills.
The evening will feature a multi-course tasting menu that blends the chefs’ distinct styles into a single harmonious experience with special dishes including Cannelloni of Wagyu Beef Tartar with English pea and papaya kimchi, Foie Gras Tart with mango from Chef Ford’s Florida farm, Warm Celery Root with maitake and caviar, Citrus Cured Kanpachi with green tomato and green chili mustard, Duck Cappelletti with Champagne leek emulsion and summer tomato ragout, Steamed Black Cod with Sichuan tingly broth, Black Garlic Glazed Wagyu Short Rib with beef fat aioli and assorted pickles, and Honey Panna Cotta with glazed figs and rosemary sorbet.
The dinner is priced at $125 per person, and guests will have the option to enhance their experience with a curated wine pairing for an additional $50. Reservations can be made here with seating times between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Las Vegas Pizza Festival — November 15
If pizza is your favorite food group, you’ll want to take note of the 5th Annual Las Vegas Pizza Festival. Tickets are now on sale, and although it’s months away, the VIP segment of this event sells out each year, and ticket tier prices go up as sales increase, so it’s time to get the word out.
Held at The Industrial Event Space at 2330 Industrial Road from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the event offers unlimited samples of Detroit, Sicilian, New York, and a dozen other unique styles of pizza from more than 20 of the city’s finest pizzaiolos. This year’s lineup includes John Arena (Metro Pizza), Tony Gemignani (Pizza Rock), Ricky Lewis and Ryan Perras (Rebellion Pizza), Giovanni Mauro (Old School Pizzeria), James Trees (Esther’s Kitchen), and Alex White and Dani White (Yukon Pizza).
The VIP experience includes one-hour early access at noon and access to the VIP lounge with private climate-controlled restrooms, complimentary craft beer from local CraftHaus Brewery, seating, a commemorative tasting glass, live entertainment, and additional culinary bites from Chef Gina Marinelli (La Strega/Harlø Steakhouse & Bar), Erica Bell (ØØ Pie & Pub), and the team at Fine Company.
General admission tickets start at $62, and VIP tickets start at $122. For current prices, the complete line-up of participating chefs, and to purchase tickets, visit vegaspizzafest.com.
Pick of the Week: The Spot
The only thing smoking at this non-smoking gastropub are the meats, which is quite appropriate as owners Kelcie Alder and Ryan Whelan operated the Monti’s Smokehouse BBQ food truck before purchasing the former Scenic Brewing at 8410 W Desert Inn just east of Durango.
BBQ appears to be a major food group here, with several menu items featuring smoked meats: Brisket Cheesesteak Sandwich, Brisket Mac and Cheese Eggrolls, BBQ Bahn Mi with choice of smoked pork belly or brisket, Cuban Sandwich (a BBQ version with smoked pork loin), Pork Belly Burnt Ends, and Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese; and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., a full BBQ menu of smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, burnt ends, chicken, and smoked beef hot links is offered.
If smoked meats aren’t your thing, not to worry, as the made-from-scratch menu goes beyond the usual pub offerings and has pretty much something for everyone. The Funky Monkey Bread is a pull-apart, savory sourdough bread bowl filled with mozzarella and garlic herb butter, served with marinara, ranch, and chimichurri dipping sauces. Fish & Chips is beer-battered white fish served with fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. Chicken Parmesan is a dish consisting of buttermilk-fried chicken, marinara sauce, and mozzarella, served with spaghetti. Crispy Chicken Loaded Mac is a creative mix of cheese and crispy chicken tossed in a choice of wing sauce, green onion, ranch, or blue cheese. The BJ’s Fish Tacos have a Cajun flair, featuring Cajun white fish, cilantro lime sauce, coleslaw, corn salsa, guacamole, and tortilla chips. Children are not left out, with a kids’ menu of Cheeseburger & Fries, Spaghetti with Marinara, Grilled Cheese & Fries, Chicken Tenders & Fries, and Fish & Chips.
Co-Owner Kelcie Alder grew up in Las Vegas, and her pride in our local athletes and teams is evident in the bar’s décor, which features wall decorations showcasing depictions of Bryce Harper, Greg Maddux, Andre Agassi, the UNLV 1990 Basketball National Championship team, the Las Vegas Aces, and a Golden Knights mural. The sports theme is enhanced with 20 large-screen TVs throughout the restaurant and bar, tuned to sports programming.
A twice daily happy hour in the bar from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, and during Aces and Knights games has discounts on Chicken Wings, Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Smoked Tomato & Garlic Hummus, Jalapeño Popper Cheese Dip, and Pulled Pork Nachos.
The food truck from which The Spot originated remains operational and is put to good use, along with three additional trucks, offering catering services that bring the party right to you. The Spot is also available for booking special events and parties.
As this was a former brewery, there’s plenty of equipment visible from the bar waiting to be utilized, and plans are in the works to obtain the required licensing to make that happen soon. In the meantime, 20 drafts pour a quality beer list featuring several locals, which during my recent visit included Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA, Big Dog’s Red Hydrant Ale, HUDL Big Wheel Blonde, North 5th Pilsner, Las Vegas Brewing Vegas Light, Mojave Punk Lemonade, and Tenaya Creek Trailhead Canyon Pils. The beers are reasonably priced, with pints ranging from $5 to $9. To keep beer fresh, drafts are rotated monthly. An excellent deal is the Kick the Keg, a selection of four to five beers priced at $5, which facilitates the emptying of the keg to make room for more.
The Spot is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more info, to book catering or a party, and to view the complete food and drink menu, visit thespotlv.com.
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.
On last week’s show, Jolene Mannina, the former head of Las Vegas Test Kitchen, who’s now working her magic with Fortune Events, catches up with Gemini. They are especially excited about the upcoming edition of Picnic in the Alley, the woman-centric food event in downtown Las Vegas. With Al on vacation, Gem carries the show, with a bit of help from once-again vagabond Rich Johnson, who shares the “fun” of driving from Las Vegas to Seattle in an EV. Also, visits to Sparrow + Wolf, Basilico, Petite Boheme, and Echo Taste + Sound; Andrew Morgan checks out the new happy hour at Echo & Rig’s Henderson location; and Al (even on vacation) updates the upgrade coming to the Food & Loathing website.
To listen, click here.
Dining News
Tomato Fest at RPM Italian
August marks the height of heirloom tomato season, and RPM Italian at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is celebrating with its limited-time Tomato Fest menu.
Served from August 14 to 28, the special menu includes Heirloom Tomato Granita with imported burrata and grilled ciabatta, Pomodoro Assoluto with house-made linguini and Sun Gold tomato pesto, and Halibut al Cartoccio with tomato water, green olives, and roasted fennel.
Flight Club Debuts All-Pickle Menu
Flight Club, the social darts hub at The Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes, named for its main activity featured there, is teaming up with cult-favorite brand Grillo’s Pickles, whose hashtag #pickle surpassed 3.7 billion views on TikTok, to launch a limited-time briny and viral special menu.
Offered through September 30, the collaboration menu includes:
- Mini Cuban Tacos with Mojo Pork, Smoked Ham, Shoestring French Fries, Cilantro, and Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo
- Fried Pickles—Crispy Tempura-Battered Grillo’s Pickles with chili dust and side of garlic dill aioli
- Pickled Pink with gin, pink peppercorn, lavender, juniper, and Grillo’s Brine and dill
- Sam Sam Spritz with vodka, ginger, lime, chartreuse, soda, brine, candy ginger, and pickle
- Grillo’s Bloody with House Bloody Mix, vodka, Grillo’s Brine, and pickle spear
For reservations or more info, visit flightclubdartsusa.com.
Lotus of Siam Launches Happy Hour
For the first time, the authentic Northern Thai restaurant Lotus of Siam is offering a happy hour experience at its East Flamingo location.
Served Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. exclusively at the bar top, the menu features $7 small plates including Crispy Rice Lettuce Wraps, Steak Tartare Cups, and Satay Skewers (choice of chicken, pork, or beef); $8 handcrafted cocktails; $6 wine by the glass; $5 draft beer; and $4 sake.
Entertainment News
Michael Franti & Spearhead with Tank and the Bangas — August 22
Durango Casino & Resort will host Michael Franti & Spearhead with special guest Tank and the Bangas.
The concert is part of the Bel-Aire Backyard Poolside Concert Series and the acclaimed musician’s nationwide tour, which focuses on spreading unity, connection, and positivity through music, and celebrates his Welcome to the Family album, released this past spring.
Over his multi-decade career, Franti has earned three Billboard No. 1 hits with the uplifting anthems “Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey (I Love You),” and “I Got You,” along with six Top 30 Hot AC singles, 10 Top 25 AAA singles, and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $55 (plus taxes and fees, with a limited number of VIP cabana packages available. To purchase tickets and for details on other shows in the series, visit belairebackyardlv.com/concertseries.
