This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Ferraro’s Ristorante — July 18
Ferraro’s Ristorante will host its next Taste and Learn wine-pairing dinner featuring authentic Italian small plates crafted by Executive Chef Mimmo Ferraro, with this session spotlighting the wines of Avignonesi from Tuscany’s Montepulciano region.
Courses are Crab Stuffed Prawns with citrus sauce paired with Da-Di Bianco white blend featuring Trebbiano, Grechetto, Petit Manseng, and Vermentino; Pan-Fried Potato Dumplings with brown butter, sage, Chanterelle mushrooms, and charred green onions matched with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Sangiovese; Polenta with Parmigiano, soft cornmeal, traditional Tuscan ragù, and Parmigiano cream paired with Grifi Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend; and Beef Tenderloin with red wine black truffle reduction, roasted carrots, and duchess potatoes matched with Desiderio Merlot.
The dinner will begin at 5 p.m., and tickets are $150 per person (all-inclusive). To make reservations, call 702-364-5300.
Ada’s — July 23
Ada’s will host “Spirits + Supper, A Rum Dinner Experience,” a five-course collaboration dinner and guided rum tasting with Las Vegas Distillery.
The dinner will include:
- Aperitif of Desert Bloom cocktail with LV Distillery Gin, prickly pear, grapefruit, and sparkling wine
- Oyster with green strawberry granita, cucumber mignonette, and lime zest paired with LV Distillery Overproof Rum
- Heirloom Tomatoes with strawberries, whipped feta, basil oil, and toasted pistachio matched with LV Distillery White Rum
- Mangalitsa Coppa with yellow peach, chocolate mint, strawberry vinaigrette, and labneh paired with LV Distillery Spiced Rum
- Coffee-Rubbed Lamb Belly with blackberry gastrique, charred spring onion, and smoked almond matched with LV Distillery Dark Rum
- Olive Oil Cake with orange mascarpone, candied citrus, and sea salt paired with Espresso Martini featuring LV Distillery Coffee Liqueur.
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the cost is $75 per person (plus tax and tip). To purchase tickets, click here.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — July 24
The Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse location at 8721 W Charleston will host a beer dinner featuring the local Able Baker Brewing.
A representative from the brewery will be present at the dinner to guide guests through each pairing, sharing insights into the beers, the brewing process, and what makes each pairing exceptional.
The pairings are:
- Welcome Beer: Unstable Rice-O-Topes Japanese Rice Lager
- Summer Mango Salad paired with Mango Drop Mango Wheat Ale
- Sauteed Scallops and Braised Pork Belly matched with OUR CHA TAH Cream Ale
- White Wine Herb Butter Mussels paired with El Pato Loco Mexican Lager
- Filet with twice-baked potato matched with Atomic Duck IPA
- Peach Cobbler with vanilla ice cream paired with The Big Stick Sour Ale with Pineapple & Cherry
The dinner will begin at 7 p.m., and the cost is $105 per person. To purchase tickets, click here.
NEW: Food and Loathing Events Calendar & Weekly Newsletter
For even more events, check out our new food-centric events calendar at foodandloathing.vegas/calendar-of-events. It’s quite extensive – because we know you love options! – with one or more listings for virtually every day.
AND, make sure you never miss reading this column and other interesting reads! Sign up for the weekly Food and Loathing newsletter, which comes out every Thursday. To get on the list, visit foodandloathing.vegas/newsletter.
Pick of the Week: Aroma Latin American Cocina
Aroma Latin American Cocina Bringing a Delicious Fragrance to Chinatown
Over the past several years, Guatemalan-born Steve Kestler has showcased his innovative approach to Latin cuisine, with global influences defining his career and passion for culinary innovation.
After working in high-end fine dining establishments on and off the Vegas Strip for more than a decade at Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and EDO Tapas & Wine, the classically trained chef went out on his own to open Aroma Latin American Cocina in 2021. The restaurant quickly established itself as a standout in the culinary scene, leading to Kestler becoming a finalist for the coveted James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest award in 2024. Accolades for Aroma include being named Yelp’s Number One Taco Restaurant in the US in 2023 and one of the Top 100 Restaurants in Las Vegas by the Review Journal in 2025.
Now, after closing its Green Valley Parkway Henderson location six months ago, the restaurant has relocated to a more central location, on the eastern edge of Chinatown at 3355 Spring Mountain Suite #35, next to The Sand Dollar Lounge. It’s less than a mile from the Strip, making it convenient for both tourists and locals. Speaking of the relocation, Chef Steve said, “I wanted a more central location. When we were in Henderson, many of my regular customers would say it’s so far, but now say they are glad to have a much shorter drive.”
The new space is roughly the same size as the Henderson version, but with a different layout and look. As you enter, you are greeted by a beautiful mural by local artist Cristina Paulos of a woman wearing a sacred jaguar mask. Once inside, you can also get a peek into the open kitchen. Further into the dining room, there are banquettes for two, tables for four, and communal tables (made by Chef Steve!) for larger parties up to 10. The room is decked out with faux rustic-looking brick walls, large windows framed by black curtains, tile floors, a shelf with knickknacks and culinary tools, and a wall filled with colorful Mexican folktale figures. There’s also a patio area with artificial turf out front that will eventually be used for seating once the temperatures cool down.
It’s remarkable that Chef Steve’s dishes are not just food but works of art, with dishes composed and arranged with a mélange of colors and textures. What’s unique about Chef’s cuisine is that his menu items hail from all regions of Latin America, so it’s quite appropriate that the new menu is divided into four sections: North (Mexico), Central (Central America), South (South America), and Caribe (Cuba and the Caribbean). Your Latin America culinary tour with global influences can include Enchiladas with gochujang chicken tinga, Korean pickles, and kimchi rice (Mexico); Tamarindo with Japanese baby peaches, honey crisp apples, and jicama (Central); Peruvian Ceviche with leche de tigre and yellowtail (South); and Cubanitos with ham, pork belly, savora mustard, and gruyere (Caribe).
For dessert, you can conclude with Flan de La Abuela with caramel sauce and burnt caramel cream; Pastel de Queso with alfajor (South American sandwich cookie) crumble, guava, and candied pepitas; Fresas con Crema with strawberry granita and whipped vanilla cream; and Chocococo with chocolate terrine, rum coconut gel, pineapple, and coconut meringue.
The beverage menu has nonalcoholic drinks like Agua Fresca Del Día and Ube Horchata, a handful of Mexican and Japanese beers, and wines from South America and California. Cocktails are planned for the future, once the full liquor license is approved.
As of the first week of July, lunch service has returned, available Thu-Sat from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Highlights include the seasonal Fruit Salad that currently features mango, apple, cucumber, grapes, nectarine, and mixed greens; Tacos piled so high with proteins (pork belly, asada, chicken tinga, grilled huachinango Pacific red snapper, or shrimp) you’ll need to enjoy some before closing the tortilla; and three sandwiches: Gaucho grilled picanha, Cubano with pork belly and ham, and Oaxaca egg and cheese. If you ask, you can also order off the dinner menu.
Dinner is served Tue-Sat from 5 to 9 p.m. and lunch Thu-Sat from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more info, follow the restaurant on Instagram @aromacocinalv.
To learn all about Chef Steve’s path to culinary greatness, check out my chef profile article on Chef Steve. To read it, click here.
Dining News
High Summer Tasting Menu at Michael Mina
Michael Mina at the Bellagio is now offering a limited-time High Summer Tasting Menu, a 10-course prix fixe experience inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean and the abundance of summer’s harvest.
Priced at $250 per person (plus tax and tip), it includes Caviar Parfait with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, Ahi Tuna Crudo with dapple dandy pluot and umeboshi, S.M.F.M. Tomato & Melon with Marcona Almonds and sheep’s milk feta, Australian Black Truffle with house-made tagliatelle and 24-month aged parmesan, Apple-Wood Grilled Branzino with hazelnut & saffron Romesco and black olive gremolata, Charcoal Roasted Shellfish with red miso butter and Brentwood corn fondue, Muscovy Duck Breast & Foie Gras with kabu turnip and pickled green strawberry, Prime Brandt NY Strip with Mendocino porcini and smoked béarnaise or Triple Seared Miyazaki Wagyu ($55 enhancement), Golden Lady Mango Shaved Ice with coconut espuma and Santa Barbara finger lime, and Valrhona Dark Chocolate Soufflé with Madagascar vanilla crème anglaise and salted caramel ice cream.
Big Dog’s Doing Brunch
Big Dog’s Brewing Company is serving weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The menu includes Chilaquiles drenched in chilaquiles sauce with two eggs ($14), Avocado Toast with avocado mash and heirloom cherry tomatoes ($11), Steak & Egg Fajita Hash with garlic guajillo chili skirt steak strips ($22), Breakfast Flatbread topped with scrambled eggs and bacon ($16), Fruit Bowl drizzled with agave nectar and topped with granola and Greek yogurt ($14), Wisconsin Benedict with breakfast sausage and whole grain mustard cream ($15), and Nutella Heaven Pancakes drizzled with Nutella and topped with bananas and strawberries ($13).
There are also two all-you-can-drink options: Mimosas and Bellinis made with hibiscus, pineapple, grapefruit, or orange juice; and Big Dog’s Taproom Brews with a choice of Peace, Love & Hoppiness Pale Ale, Las Vegas Lager, Tailwagger Wheat, and Red Hydrant Brown Ale. Both are priced at $30 per person and have a 2-hour limit.
Golden Hour at Ramsay’s Kitchen at Harrah’s Las Vegas
Ramsay’s Kitchen at Harrah’s Las Vegas is offering its three-course prix fixe menu for $59.95 per person (plus tax and tip) from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The menu includes a choice of Caesar Salad with pancetta and soft-boiled egg or Onion Soup with Guinness broth and caramelized onions; Roasted Chicken Breast with summer succotash and creamy corn polenta, Petite Wellington with potato purée and glazed baby root vegetables, or Crispy Skin Salmon with green coconut curry sauce and sticky rice; and Sticky Toffee Pudding with English toffee sauce and brown butter ice cream.
During other times, the price is $79.95 per person.
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.
Gyu+ Japanese Sandos and Rice Boxes is the setting for this week’s episode. Al, Gemini, and Andrew Morgan enjoy a sampling of the products and talk to the principals: Freddie Paloma and Luis De Santos. They spent years plotting how to bring authentic Japanese food to Las Vegas. They also get treats from Chef Yuka Takamizawa, the Lead Pastry Chef at Gyu’s sister property, Moignet Café. Andrew shares the latest additions to his Happy Hour Vegas happy hour report website. And we have restaurant reports from Bar Boheme, Rare Society, and Monzu.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Happy Together Tour 2026 — July 18
Fans of old rock and roll bands from the 60s and 70s will want to take note. Celebrating 17 years of chart-topping summers, the Happy Together Tour 2026 will bring its biggest lineup yet to Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center.
The one-night-only show will feature chart-topping hits and performances all on one stage from the Association, The Troggs, Chicago lead singer (from 1985-2016) Jason Scheff, Gary Puckett, The Fortunes, Ron Dante from the Archies and the Turtles, The Vogues, and The Cowsills.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets (including fees) start at $51.80. For more info on each performer or group and to purchase tickets, visit thesmithcenter.com/tickets/2627/happy-together.
