This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
La Strega — August 23
La Strega Chef/Partner Gina Marinelli will present Nonna’s Pasta Club, an interactive, hands-on pasta-making class.
Guests are welcomed with a refreshing drink and light bites before diving into an immersive, small-group pasta-making session as Chef Gina and her team take students through three stations:
- Dough Making—foundations of pasta dough-making by hand, exploring different flours, natural coloring techniques, and how to achieve the perfect texture
- Shaping & Cutting—transform pre-made pasta sheets into a variety of traditional forms such as chitarra, spaghetti, stracci, corzetti, and cavatelli.
- Cooking Demonstration—an intimate cooking demo where Chef Gina will prepare a savory pan sauce and cook pasta to perfection as guests ask questions and learn authentic Italian techniques
The experience concludes with a group lunch featuring the pasta made during the session, and each participant will leave with a curated gift bag filled with their pasta, recipe cards, and other culinary goodies. La Strega encourages attendees to channel their inner Italian nonna by wearing white, dressing comfortably, and being ready to get a little messy.
There will be five intimate small-group sessions held between 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Space is limited; please register early. The cost is $100 per person, and tickets can be purchased by visiting La Strega on OpenTable.
Honey Salt — August 26
Honey Salt will host the Bandanas & Barbecue Farm Table dinner, a one-night-only Southern soirée bringing the charm of a backyard BBQ with gourmet fare.
Chef Kim Canteenwalla and Honey Salt Executive Chef Warren Bernardino will serve up a whole corral of Southern comfort food favorites with Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits, Pickle Bowl, Pulled Pork Sliders, and Cowboy Caviar for the table; shared entrees of BBQ Chicken and Duroc St. Louis Spareribs; sides of Creamed Corn, Honey Salt Coleslaw, and Trailblazer Mac N Cheese; and for sweets Banana Pudding and Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler.
Guests will be welcomed with a complimentary Cowboy Margarita (jalapeno, mango, lime, agave, and El Mexicano Tequila topped with Able Baker El Pato Loco Lager) and enjoy tastings from Nevada Minden Mill Whiskey and El Mexicano Tequila. Award-winning entertainer Cali Tucker will help set the mood for a night of country fun. Honey Salt will also be celebrating Elizabeth Blau’s birthday. Dress code is cowboy casual, with hats and boots encouraged. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $80 per person (plus tax and tip) and can be purchased HERE.
Mission Control — August 30
Mission Control, the craft beer bar located at Tenaya and Craig Road, is hosting the official launch of the Top Shelf/CraftHaus Brewery collaboration and kicking it off with a beer share.
The beer, a sour ale named The Forsaken, is tart and tropical with the haunting allure of Guanabana and was brewed exclusively for Top Shelf Wine & Spirits.
The bottle share will begin at 3 p.m., and live music will start at 5 p.m. There will also be a raffle for vintage bottles from the Top Shelf archives.
Block 16 Urban Food Hall — August 30
Block 16 Urban Food Hall at The Cosmopolitan will host its first-ever Block Party from 12 to 4 p.m.
The Block Party will bring together all Block 16 eateries, including Naughty Patty’s, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, and District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew., Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake, Bang Bar by Momofuku, Lardo (sandwich shop), and Ghost Donkey (mezcal-forward cocktails and artisanal Mexican spirits).
The event on Level 2 of the Boulevard Tower is free to attend, with complimentary samples available throughout the event, and guests can purchase additional food, drinks, and exclusive merchandise. There will also be a Merch Booth with Block Party swag, a live DJ, spirit tastings, special activations, and surprises.
Pick of the Week: Amari Kitchen and Wine Shop
AMARI Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop just celebrated its 2nd anniversary and looks primed to wow us with several more years of classic Italian cuisine.
Located in UnCommons, the mixed-use development located on Durango just south of the 215, the “red sauce Italian” neighborhood eatery’s décor contributes to a relaxed and welcoming vibe, with wood grain floor, cluster globe lights, blue/gray booths, an open kitchen, windows all around, and a wraparound bar. There’s also a 10-seat private wine room, Italian market and wine shop, patio, and an artful presentation of each dish, accentuated by colorful, hand-painted dinnerware.
The kitchen is helmed by Chef Gionathan (Gio) Rivera, a Le Cordon Bleu Orlando graduate who after working with the Mina group as a corporate chef and having spent time in Las Vegas years ago at International Smoke at the MGM, is now working closely with Adam Sobel, Chef and Founder of Aether Group, whom he considers his culinary grandfather. Chef Gio was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Florida, and most recently worked at the Four Seasons in Washington, DC, before returning to Las Vegas four months ago.
A unique ingredient put to good use is a 75-year-old sourdough starter that is used in the delightful Focaccia Bread that is baked daily, and which you can top with pesto, whipped ricotta, classic tomato sauce, and Calabrian honey. It’s also used in the dough for the pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven like the Margherita with parmesan crust, fresh mozzarella, and basil; and the new Sausage & Peppers with Italian sausage, sweet peppers, and red onion.
Other items on the menu are well worth investing your appetite in, including the Sesame Arancini with pork sausage, Squash Blossoms stuffed with ricotta and mascarpone, Farfalle alla Vodka with Italian fennel sausage and tomato cream, English Pea Risotto with Calabrian chili oil, and Angus Filet with potato puree and truffle butter.
The “Amore Menu” is a three-course prix fixe option priced at $49 for a choice of Amari Caesar, Arancini Milanese, or Shrimp Scampi; Rigatoni Bolognese, Pesto Pasta, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Piccata, Clam Linguine, or Antarctic Salmon; and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
True to the restaurant’s name, there are 80 Amari and Fernet, the most extensive selection in town, which are also available for retail sales. A great way to try them out is by indulging in the Amaro Flight, which offers a choice of three for $20. The evolving collection features the likes of Amaro Nepeta, which combines wild mint, PGI lemon, and bitter herbs. Several signature cocktails are offered, including the Alba Rosata, made with Foro, Aperol, Campari, strawberry, and lemon.
AMARI is open daily for dinner and lunch, Friday through Sunday, starting at noon. Happy hour is in the bar, lounge and patio daily from 3-5:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday 8 p.m. to close, and Friday-Saturday from 9 p.m. to close with bites (including Arancini, Shrimp Scampi, Meatballs, Pepperoni Pizza) ranging from $5-$17 and beverages (white or red wine, Cocktail of the Day, well drinks, Peroni) from $6-16.
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, Al talks to local chefs who operate food stands in Allegiant Stadium to get the scoop on what’s new for Raiders games in 2025. Among them: Anthony Andreason of Pizza Rock, Samantha Bandy of Fremont Street’s Evel Pie, Soulbelly BBQ’s Bruce Kalman, and Border Grill’s Yancy Perez. Andrew Morgan’s Happy Hour Report goes sky high to sample the offerings of The Foundation Room. Al and Gemini also play favorites when discussing their latest meals at several places that are friends of the podcast: Main St. Provisions, Bar Boheme, Tamba, Stray Pirate, Wineaux, Echo & Rig in Henderson, Hong Kong Garden, and more. Plus: Anthony Carron tells about the $49 steak & martini deal at Cheri Rooftop.
To listen, click here.
Dining News
Chef Dan Krohmer Unveils Durango Social Club
Chef Dan Krohmer, acclaimed for his work at Other Mama, has introduced Durango Social Club—an elevated and intimate culinary experience offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
Located at 3655 S. Durango Dr., the experience, priced at $85 per person, begins at 6 p.m. with pre-dinner wine and cocktail offerings, followed by a five-course tasting menu served promptly at 7 p.m.
The menu changes frequently, and the initial tasting menu includes:
- Seared Duck Carpaccio with pickled peppers, maitake mushrooms, and salsa verde
- Cioppino with scallop, snapper, shrimp, blue crab, corn bisque sauce, and grilled bread
- Utah Valley Ranch Stuffed Quail with sunchokes, lemon butter sauce, and watercress
- Creekstone Farms Zabuton Steak with farm potatoes, bone marrow croutons, baby artichokes, béarnaise, and rocket salad
- Stone Fruit Galette with wild honey ice cream
The wine and bottle list, hand-selected by beverage director Renato Lebron, features rare, low-intervention wines and thoughtful pairings designed to elevate the evolving menu.
To reserve, click here or call 702-463-8382. For more information and updates, visit www.durangosocial.com.
Everything Sicilia Menu at La Pizza & La Pasta
La Pizza & La Pasta at Eataly is offering a special Restaurant Fest menu through August 24.
The Sicilian-inspired three-course prix fixe menu priced at $36 per person includes choice of Arancini with pork and beef ragù, Insalata di Pomodori alla Siciliana with heirloom tomatoes and basil dressing, Bruschetta Siciliana with toasted sourdough bread and whipped calabro ricotta, or Calamari Fritti e Zucchini (+$10) with crispy fried New England squid and fried zucchini; Housemade Rigatoni with yellow and red cherry tomatoes, Housemade Spinach Ttagliolini with lemon-butter sauce, Potato Gnocchi with Zerto Ricotta Salata, or Bronze-Extruded Casarecce with crunchy pistachio pesto and wild gulf shrimp ($10); and Signature Tiramisù or Housemade Lemon Sorbetto.
There are also wines by the carafe starting at $21.
Lago Collaborating with Chad Colby on Menu Refresh
Lago at the Bellagio, previously helmed by Chef Julian Serrano before his retirement last year, has brought in James Beard-nominated Chef Chad Colby to curate a new, elevated menu for the Italian restaurant with views of the Bellagio Fountains.
Heralded as a “culinary Quentin Tarantino,” Los Angeles native Chad Colby worked in some of Los Angeles’s landmark restaurants, including Campanile, Mozza, chi SPACCA, and now owns and operates the acclaimed Italian restaurant Antico Nuovo.
Lago will remain open during the menu transition, with additional details available in the coming weeks.
Entertainment News
The Wallflowers — August 29
The Grammy Award-winning rock band The Wallflowers will take the stage at M Resort Spa Casino inside the M Pavilion, delivering a night of classic hits and fan favorites.
Led by acclaimed singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan and with a career spanning more than 30 years, the band is best known for their multi-platinum album Bringing Down the Horse, featuring iconic songs like “One Headlight,” “6th Avenue Heartache,” and “The Difference.” Their latest studio album, Exit Wounds, marks their return, maintaining the band’s signature sound, and during the concert fans can expect a setlist filled with hits from The Wallflowers’ extensive catalog, as well as tracks from Exit Wounds.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35 plus fees and are available at ticketmaster.com.
