This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway — February 8
La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas will offer an all-you-can-eat dining experience with multiple large-screen televisions throughout the venue for Super Bowl game viewing, paired with optional bottomless bar packages.
Beginning at 2:30 p.m. and throughout the game, La Cave’s signature butler-style service will deliver a continuous stream of chef-driven small plates. The expansive menu will include Ahi Tuna Poke; Artichoke and Bean Salad; Heirloom Tomato Caprese; Grilled Sea Bass, Short Rib and Al Pastor Tacos; Three-Sausage and Tomato Mozzarella Flatbreads; Chicken Wings with classic and sweet chili sauces; BBQ Meatballs; Wagyu Mini Burgers; Mini Chicken Gyros; Macaroni and Cheese; Loaded Tater Tots; Bacon-Wrapped Dates; Shaved Mexican Street Corn; Mushroom Truffle Grits; Carrot Cake; Chocolate Mousse and Berry Cheesecake.
The all-you-can-eat dining experience is priced at $209 per person, with a bottomless bar package available for an additional $125 per person.
Reservations are highly recommended and can be made on SEVENROOMS.
Slater’s 50/50 — February 8
Slater’s 50/50 will host a Big Game Watch Party at both its Silverado Ranch and Lake Mead locations, featuring 16 TVs surrounding the restaurant for an all-around unobstructed view.
Tickets include a guaranteed seat and an open bar and buffet, available from 3 p.m. through the duration of the game. Drinks include more than 30 draft beers, well cocktails, wine, and specialty game-day drinks for three hours. The buffet will feature a variety of Slater’s 50/50 favorites, including the Vampire Dip, Bacon Mac & Cheese Balls, Sliders, Flatbreads, Salads, and other signature items.
Tickets are required, and there will not be any walk-in availability. Prices start at $135 (plus fee, tax, and tip) and vary based on seat location and the number of guests at the table. To purchase tickets for the Silverado location, click here, and for the Lake Mead location, click here.
F the Bar — February 9
F The Bar at Ferguson Downtown will host a wine-forward mixology workshop all about mixing, mingling, and sipping something special.
The class will kick things off at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome pour of the fruit-forward House Sangria.
Next up will be a hands-on session to craft a New York Sour, in which guests will blend bourbon, lemon, and simple syrup, finished with a red wine float.
The evening will wrap up with a Build-Your-Own Spritz, a DIY bubbly creation with options like Kir Royale, Peach Bellini, Kalimotxo, Aperol Spritz, or Campari Spritz.
Tickets are available online for $45.07 (includes fee, tax, and tip).
Wineaux — February 11
This month’s Wineaux Wednesday gathering at the Wineaux Resort at Summerlin location is titled “The Galentines Flight,” and will feature a tasting of a Prosecco, Rosé, Pinot Noir, and Moscato.
The tasting will begin at 5 p.m., and the cost is $40 per person for tastes of all four wines as well as snack pairings at Wineaux’s communal table. All wines will be available for purchase.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week
SMKD BBQ Bringing Fine Dining Expertise to the Classic Comfort Food Genre
You can expect great things when a classically trained chef with decades of fine dining experience sets his sights on BBQ, and such is the case with Alex Reznik and his new SMKD BBQ.
Chef Alex, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and Food Network Top Chef alum, has extensive fine-dining experience and has owned and operated restaurants for the past two-plus decades in New York, Florida, and L.A. (including Perch, which served 1,000 covers a day). Now the esteemed and accomplished chef is setting his sights on the BBQ style at his SMKD BBQ, which has taken over the former Bell’s BBQ space at Sunridge Heights and Eastern in Henderson. Chef Alex related that he learned to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen and by watching his mother cook. He added that his “happiest moments have been cooking at home for my family, and I wanted to do something my kids would really love.” Now he’s doing exactly that, and he has brought on GM Gene Samuel, who, years ago, owned a BBQ catering company and now is fulfilling a goal: “It’s been my dream to open a BBQ restaurant.” Gene is from Kansas City, so I guess you could surmise that BBQ is in his blood.
As soon as you arrive, you’ll be greeted by the enticing aroma of smoked goodness, with the smoker just steps from the restaurant’s front door. The smoker is fired up early in the morning (between 4-6 a.m.) and is cooking throughout the day. The term low and slow has real meaning here. Examples include the dry-aged prime rib, cured for 48 hours and smoked for seven to eight hours, and the 10-day brine brisket.
Inside is an inviting space with tables, wooden booths, and many windows. You place your order at a counter and are given a placard number for delivery to your table. A nice touch to the decor on one wall is a smoker-on-wheels with SMKD and a neon, smirking, cartoon-like face.
The acronym stands for Smoked Meats (and) Killer Drinks, and the menu lives up to the name. Highlights are the Burnt Ends (caramelized brisket bites of joy), Pig Candy (sweet, spicy, sticky bacon magic), French Dip made with shaved brisket, El Cubano (their version of a Cuban sandwich with pulled pork, ham, Swiss and chimichurri), and meats by the pound (including Sliced Brisket, Chopped Pork, and Pastrami).
When Chef Alex told me his menu is healthy, I asked him to clarify, as I had never considered BBQ to fit that classification. Chef noted that everything here is fresh and made from scratch. The never-frozen, protein-based menu is smoked or roasted (including salmon) rather than fried, and there are plant-based options such as beets, cauliflower, and carrots, along with three salads, including Kale Caesar.
Upgraded sides include Mac N Cheese, topped with chopped pretzel pieces for added crunch, and Chippy + Dip with house-made thick kettle chips and an onion dip made from onions caramelized for four hours in the smoker. There’s also My Mommy’s Kugel—sweet noodles with a corn flake crust, and Red Beets & Orange Carrots (the first time I’ve ever seen beets on a BBQ menu).
Brunch gets a smoky twist here with the recent debut of the Brisket & Bubbles weekend-only (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) menu featuring crowd-pleasers like Brown Butter French Toast ($15), Pastrami Hash ($16), Pork Belly and Grits($17), brisket-forward handhelds, and bottomless bubbles for $20 per person.
The dessert menu isn’t huge, but it is quite satisfying and pairs well with the BBQ offerings. Winners are the rotating pie (currently Banana Cream), a brownie-like Snickers Bar, and Fried Apple Pie (several steps above McDonald’s).
Speaking of Killer Drinks, local beers are well represented with Beer Zombies Zombie Duck Hunter IPA, CraftHaus Czech Plz Pils and Rebel Spirit, and Tenaya Creek Hop Ride IPA. There are also out-of-town beers like Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Stout and the Belgian-made Duvel, and boozy sippers such as Crown Royal Whiskey Lemonade and Cutwater Espresso Martini.
The prices and excellent flavors will keep you coming back. Sandwiches range from $14 to $19; sides are $7 to $16; salads are $13; shareables are $8 to $16; ½-pound meats are $16 to $19; and desserts are $7. This area of Henderson has very few family restaurants other than corporate outlets, but with the reasonable price points and high quality, it’s easy to see why SMKD BBQ is enjoying initial success.
For more info and to view the complete menu, visit smkdbbq.com.
Dining News
Macallan Cocktail and Tasting Experience at Allē Lounge on 66
Allē Lounge on 66, the sky-high lounge located 66 floors above The Strip at Resorts World, will host a two-day celebration of rare Macallan whiskies on February 13-14.
Allan Roth, Brand Ambassador for The Macallan, will be on-site to engage with guests and guide them through a curated selection, including rare bottles typically reserved for private collectors. The Macallan collection at Resorts World will include:
- Macallan Sherry Oak: 12, 18, 25 and 30-years old
- Macallan Double Cask: 15-year
- Macallan Harmony Collection
- Macallan M Collection: M Decanter, M Black, M Copper
- Macallan Fine & Rare: 1940, 1949, 1979
- Anecdotes of Ages Collection
- Macallan Red Collection: 77-year-old
In addition to rare straight pours, Allē Lounge on 66 will debut a featured menu of four cocktails created exclusively for this limited-time engagement: Stepping Stones ($25) with The Macallan Sherry Cask 12 Years Old, espelette, almond, lime, and allspice; Endless Waters ($30) with The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years Old, blanc vermouth, Campari, grapefruit, and Raspberry Eau De Vie; Bittersweet ($35) with The Macallan Harmony Collection, rich cacao, Amaro, cherry, coffee, and pecan bitters; and Prestige Cocktail Golden Thistle ($800) with The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 Years Old, Cocchi De Torino, Crème De Banane, Benedictine, and mole bitters.
The Macallan takeover will take place from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. Reservations are available via Resorts World’s online platform.
Vic’s Supper Club Names New Executive Chef and Celebrates 3rd Anniversary
Vic’s Supper Club has announced the appointment of our friend Executive Chef Rick Giffen. Chef Rick brings more than 25 years of culinary leadership in resorts, casinos, and restaurants across the US and world-class entertainment venues throughout Las Vegas (including Chef de Cuisine at Mon Ami Gabi, Executive Chef at the Stratosphere and Director of Food & Beverage for Oyo Hotel).
The Italian-American restaurant in the Symphony Park area, known for its promotion of live jazz, is also celebrating its 3rd anniversary with a special offer on February 7 and February 10, starting at 4 p.m.: Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin Medallions and Butter Roasted Lobster Tail with sauteed asparagus, lump crab, and Bearnaise sauce ($52). Also available: all-day complimentary bottomless bubbles (with the purchase of an entrée or gaming).
Lip Smacking Foodie Tours Launches Arts District Craft Cocktail Bar Tour
Lip Smacking Foodie Tours is now offering a new tour exploring the top five craft cocktail bars in the Arts District.
The two-hour experience is for those 21 years and older and includes a professional guide who leads the way to each establishment and entertains with facts and stories about points of interest. Like its other tours, it includes VIP service, with guests gaining immediate entry, being seated at the best tables in the house, and enjoying top-notch craft cocktails along with elevated gourmet dishes.
Bars visited are:
- Nocturno (a James Beard semi-finalist this year for “Best New Bar in the US’’) serving Vegas Crimes of Passion tequila and mezcal cocktail with passionfruit and chili salt paired with Crispy Prosciutto Potato Croquette dolloped with caviar and N.O.C. Chicken Tenders flavored with pickle spice seasoning
- Doberman Drawing Room is an eccentric, over-the-top 19th-century drawing room with heavy wood, red velvet, fanciful tapestries, and even taxidermy, with limited daily public reservations.
- CC Speakeasy, a hidden hideaway entered through a faux freezer door inside a real ice cream parlor, which serves the Zen Garden yuzu-forward, floral and citrusy cocktail garnished with cucumber wheels paired with American Wagyu and Bacon Sliders with CC’s secret sauce and Chicken & Waffles with mixed berry jam, maple butter, and a pickle
- Prowl, a cocktail lounge inspired by Elvis’ Jungle Room at Graceland with lava rock walls and an animated panther on a screen serving the Tropical Howler pisco cocktail with house-made ginger beer, hibiscus, and makrut lime leaf
- Viking Mike’s with a wintry Nordic yurt with the fragrance of fresh-chopped wood and a chilly entrance purposely kept at 32 degrees, offering the Lake Mead gin-and-mead cocktail with a Scandi flourish of candied spruce
The tour is offered on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. and is priced at $99 per person (including all taxes and gratuities). For more info and to book a tour, click here.
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, it’s a reunion show as Al, Gemini, Rich, and Andrew all gather for pizza at How Ya Dough’n, the new joint atop the new BLVD shopping and eating venue on the Strip right across from CityCenter. We talk to GM Vince Lawrence about the small pizza chain’s first expansion outside its home base of Miami. The episode was recorded the day after we all gathered at the new Ada’s in the Arts District, where we ate through most of the menu. Al shares more about the Hell’s Kitchen watch party at Main St. Provisions and the celebration of Chef Ellie Parker’s victory. Plus lots of other restaurant reports, and as usual, a happy hour report from Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
The Mob Museum — February 14
On February 14, in celebration of The Mob Museum’s 14th anniversary, Nevada residents will receive free museum admission, while non-residents can purchase one, get one admission free.
The anniversary celebration will include:
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Meet-and-greet with reformed Chicago Outfit mobster Frank Calabrese Jr.
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Classic car show presented by the Las Vegas Valley Model A Ford Club and the Maloof Car Collection
- Food trucks on-site: Tres Niñas Café (9-11:30 a.m.) and Vito’s Tacos (12-7 p.m.)
- 10% discount on food and beverage purchases at The Underground speakeasy and concessions (excluding bottled moonshine and retail merchandise)
At the Museum, guests can also view the most comprehensive collection of artifacts related to the 1929 gangland slaying now known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, with signature artifacts including the wall from the scene of the crime, one of the Tommy Guns used, original documents, and crime scene evidence. The Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
