This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Fogo de Chão — January 15
Fogo de Chão will host a VIK wines tasting event featuring wagyu ribeye and bone-in ribeye.
Held in the Bar Fogo area from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and priced at $49 per person, the event includes bar bites, a tasting of ribeye, and three 3-ounce pours of your choice of five select wines from the Chilean VIK Winery.
Bar bites include passed appetizers of Brazilian-style Empanadas, Braised Beef Crostini, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken, Brazilian Deviled Eggs, and Queijo Assado (grilled cheese), and a side-by-side tasting of Wagyu Ribeye and Bone-In Ribeye (2 oz each).
VIK wines being poured are La Piu Belle Rose, Eulila Red Blend, O’ Leão Red Blend, Milla Cala Red Blend, and Natura Chardonnay. Also available will be a Blood Orange Spritz with alcohol removed or with La Marca Prosecco.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca — January 21
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca at The District at Green Valley Ranch will offer a Fresh Pasta Making Workshop.
Priced at $75 per person (plus tax and tip) and led by Executive Chef Michael Gucfa, guests will learn how to make pasta from scratch, and the experience will include a lunch featuring the handmade creations complemented by expertly paired wines. Each guest will also receive a specialty gift bag to take home. Guests must be 21+ to attend, and dietary restrictions and food allergies cannot be accommodated during the event. The class will begin at 2:30 p.m.
Reservations can be made here.
Rouge Room — January 31
Rouge Room, the Parisian-inspired cocktail lounge at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, is bringing back its Party Brunch.
Kicking off at 11:30 a.m. and hosting an open bar for Las Vegas locals from 1 to 2 p.m., the daytime affair will showcase local DJ talent and a menu including Avocado Toast ($16), Brioche French Toast Sticks ($16), Chicken n Waffles ($21), Eggs Benedict ($20), Croque Madame ($19), Breakfast Burrito ($19), Muesli ($15), and Telemont Champagne ($100 a bottle).
The party brunch is a once-a-month event that typically falls on a Saturday. For more info and to make a reservation, visit rougeroomlv.com.
Pick of the Week: Hawthorn Grill
Since its opening in 2017, Hawthorn Grill, the premier restaurant at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa, has offered both a respite from the bustle of big-city life and a comfortable, serene environment to enjoy upscale steakhouse fare, American classics, and creative cocktails.
Situated in the Spa Tower on the south side of the resort, nearly every seat offers views through floor-to-ceiling windows of the expansive outdoor patio with waterfalls and lush foliage. When the weather is pleasant, it can be an ideal spot to dine al fresco. The main dining room exudes a classy yet cozy feel with a high-pitched ceiling, chandeliers, warm hues of dark brown and beige, cozy semi-private booths, and plush banquettes.
The kitchen is overseen by Executive Chef Eric Lhuillier, a graduate of the Academy du Loiret Orleans. Chef Lhuillier has 38 years of experience in the culinary industry, including at Michelin-starred restaurants in his native France and at several fine-dining establishments in Las Vegas, most recently serving as executive chef at Peter Luger at Caesars Palace and Wally’s at Resorts World. Joining him in the kitchen is Executive Sous Chef Jordan Savell, a rising star in her own right who placed 7th in Season 19 of Hell’s Kitchen.
Some excellent starters featuring gems from the sea include Lobster Bisque (poured table-side) with petit lobster salad, orange, and micro-greens for added crunch; and Maryland-Style Crab Cake with sweet corn sauce and grilled corn salad, which gets a bit of heat from thin slices of Serrano pepper. A pleasant surprise is the Beetroot Salad, featuring two types of beets, watermelon, pistachios, and a goat cheese mousse, all dressed with red wine gastrique.
An in-house dry-aged beef program is utilized for the Prime cuts with options of Butcher’s Cut, Filet Mignon, Ribeye Cap, and Bone-In Ribeye; and significant cuts of 48 oz Porterhouse, 22 oz Chateaubriand, and 42 oz Tomahawk, which are carved tableside and come with bone marrow, grilled asparagus, and Bordelaise and mushroom sauces. You can also add on blue cheese crust, au poivre, tiger prawn, king crab, bone marrow, and seared scallops, as well as béarnaise, red chimichurri, horseradish cream, green peppercorn, and Bordelaise sauces.
Non-beef menu items worth your consideration include the Roast Chicken Breast with truffled mashed potato, shallot confit, mushroom fricassee, shaved truffle, and chicken jus; vegan Charred Eggplant with hummus, pickled red onions, chickpeas, minted petit salad, orange-ginger, and champagne vinegar glaze; and Seafood Tower with red king crab, chilled crab claws, jumbo shrimp, oysters, Maine lobster, marinated scallops, and green lip mussels.
Desserts include the Floating Strawberry Trifle for two, somewhat similar to tres leches cake, which is a mix of lemon olive oil cake, berry compote, mascarpone cream, and marinated strawberry finished tableside; and for chocolate fanatics, the Seventeen Layered Chocolate Cake with rich chocolate and semisweet chocolate ganache.
The beverage program includes more than 150 wines, primarily from California, Italy, and France, of which about two dozen are offered by the glass, such as Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio from Italy. Unique cocktails include Sweet Caroline, made with Absolut Pear, St. Germain, pear puree, spiced sugar syrup, and lemon. There’s a fairly extensive whiskey list with sure fire winners like Blanton’s Single Barrel and Eagle Rare, and a pair of craft cocktails that are aged for 30 days in mini custom toasted oak barrels in the bar: Manhattan with Angel’s Envy Port Cask Rye, Carpano Antica, and bitters; and Old Fashioned with Maker’s Mark, brown sugar syrup, and bitters.
Some great deals can be found on the happy hour menu available in the bar and patio from 4 to 7 daily, with 50% off signature cocktails; drafts of local Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA, Big Dog’s Brown Ale, and Tenaya Creek Pilsner for $5; wine from $7-$9; and bites like Ahi Tacos ($9), Shrimp Cocktail ($4), Oysters ($3 each), Crispy Cauliflower ($9), Truffle Fries ($5), and Burger and Fries ($16).
Breakfast is served daily from 7 to 11 a.m., with several traditional favorites, including Steak and Eggs, Eggs Benedict, omelets, Lox and Bagel, Avocado Toast, Waffles, and French Toast.
Convenient, complimentary valet parking is available on the south side of the property, at the Spa Tower lobby, steps from the restaurant’s entrance. Hawthorn Grill is open daily for breakfast from 7 to 11 p.m. and dinner Sun.-Thu. 4 to 9 p.m. and Fri.-Sat. 4 to 10 p.m. For more info and to view the complete menus, visit hawthorngrilllv.com.
Dining News
Andiamo Debuts Prix Fixe Menu
The Italian-inspired Andiamo Steakhouse at the D Las Vegas is elevating midweek dining with the debut of a new $75 prix fixe menu.
Available Sunday through Thursday, the initial menu for January includes:
- Choice of Homemade Sausage and Banana Peppers with rosemary demi-glace, potato crisps, and flash-fried peppers; Calamari Fritti with flash-fried banana peppers and house-made Ammoglio; or Caesar Salad with anchovy, egg, and Parmigiano Reggiano
- Steak Diane featuring two four-ounce medallions topped with wild mushroom brandy cream sauce, truffle whipped potatoes, and grilled asparagus; Grilled Salmon with herb-roasted farro and pistachio pesto; or Chicken Picatta with two three-ounce medallions in a lemon-caper white wine butter sauce over capellini.
- Tiramisu made with espresso-and Kahlua-dipped ladyfingers, whipped mascarpone crème, and dark chocolate shavings, or Cheesecake topped with fresh berries.
Andiamo Steakhouse is open daily from 5 to 11 p.m. For more info and to book a reservation, visit thed.com/bars-dining/dining/andiamo-steakhouse.
BrewDog New Menu
BrewDog, currently the only brewery on the Vegas Strip and a great place to view the sights from its rooftop bar, has introduced a new food menu.
Nearly the entire menu has been revamped, except the popular Spicy Meaty Pizza, Bacon Deluxe and Patriot burgers. Standouts of the new menu include the top-selling Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Short Rib Loaded Fries, Fried Mac N Cheese, and Boneless Wings, which come in several dry rub and saucy varieties.
A very good deal, especially for the high-rent Vegas Strip, is the happy hour. Available throughout the bars and restaurant Mon.-Fri. from noon to 6 p.m., all drafts are $7, well drinks are $8, and appetizers and loaded fries are BOGO. There’s also all-you-can-eat bone-in wings for $15 offered on Wednesdays.
For more info, visit drink.brewdog.com/usa/las-vegas.
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 sits down with Robbie Cunningham, the founder of Guerrilla Pizza Company, the new downtown joint serving what it calls “Detroit-style deep dish” pies. Al also goes on a big rant about the price of parking in The Arts District—and incorrect enforcement, to be kinda polite. Producer Rich Johnson hangs out from his listening post in Seattle, celebrating the start of the commercial Dungeness crabbing season and regretting all the years he went without Banh Mi sandwiches. And he finds concrete evidence that Dubai Chocolate is over. And, as usual, a happy hour report from Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Styx Las Vegas Residency
Styx will perform five shows at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas on January 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31 at 8:30 p.m.
The classic rock band will perform their 1978 album Pieces of Eight in its entirety (such as “Blue Collar Man” and “Renegade”), followed by a set of classic hits. Styx is known for hits including “The Grand Illusion,” “Lady,” “Miss America,” “Man in the Wilderness,” “Crystal Ball,” and “Come Sail Away.”
Tickets begin at $50 and can be purchased at any box office at The Venetian, by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469, or at Ticketmaster.
