This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Las Vegas Distillery — March 21
Las Vegas Distillery in the Henderson Booze District will present a “Gin History & Cocktails” class led by Las Vegas Distillery’s Sam Smith, Joe Reeves, and Ashley Johnson.
The class will include an overview of gin’s origins and journey to the U.S., a discussion on botanicals and their importance to the Distillery’s gins, a hands-on cocktail creation of two classic gin cocktails, and tips and tricks to sharpen guests’ bartending skills.
The class will begin at 11 a.m., and the cost is $100 per person, which includes a welcome gin cocktail, your hands-on cocktail creations, a take-home printed mixology guide, and a full-sized bottle of Las Vegas Distillery Navy Strength Gin or standard Gin. To purchase tickets, visit lasvegasdistillery.com/classes.
Grape Vine Café — March 22
Grape Vine Café will host a wine dinner featuring Sonoma’s Chateau St. Jean Winery with Winemaker Lisa Evich.
Courses are:
- Orange and Burrata Salad with shaved fennel, pistachios, mixed greens, and citrus vinaigrette paired with Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay
- Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, slow braised with tomato sofrito, matched with Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages
- Prime New York Steak with Tuscan olive oil and flaky sea salt paired with Chateau St. Jean Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Strawberry Shortcake Truffle matched with Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose Cremant d’Alsace
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m., and the cost is $125 per person (plus tax and tip). To reserve, call 702-228-9463.
Pizza Expo Tailgate Party at Pizza Rock — March 23
Slice Out Hunger will host the Pizza Expo Tailgate Party, a public event/fundraiser to kick off Pizza Expo 2026.
Held in front of the Downtown Pizza Rock location (201 N 3rd St @ Fremont St), Pizza Rock’s Tony Gemigniani, Metro Pizza’s John Arena, and Slice Out Hunger’s Scott Wiener (“The Pizza Show”) will be joined by more than two dozen local and nationally acclaimed pizza makers, including World Pizza Champions and past Pizza Expo winners, slinging pies.
There will be two sessions, one from 4 to 5:15 p.m. and one from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Tickets are priced at $45 in advance and $50 at the door and include unlimited slices during the 75-minute session.
100% of proceeds will be donated to Slice Out Hunger, a national pizza industry charity that helps with local hunger efforts in cities across the country. To purchase tickets, click here.
Honey Salt — March 24
Honey Salt will host Disco Farm Table Dinner, an evening of retro vibes and farm-fresh flavors.
The dinner will include:
- Midori Sour Welcome Cocktail and Pretzel Rolls with grainy mustard butter
- For the Table: Deviled Eggs (classic and truffle); Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms Caps with chorizo sausage & peppers; Wagyu Pigs in a Blanket with smokey ketchup; and Dirty Martini Salad with baby gem radicchio leaves, Castelvetrano olives, blue cheese, and caper vinaigrette
- Main Course: Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf wrapped with bacon, with caramelized onions and tomato jam, accompanied by sides of Double Stuffed Potatoes with scallions and Creamed Green Bean Casserole with crispy shallots
- Dessert: Tutti Frutti Abba Jello Cups—layered strawberry, orange, and berry jello with diced fresh fruit.
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m., and the cost is $85 per person (plus tax and tip) with an optional libation pairing for $29. To purchase tickets, click here.
Palate — March 26-27
Palate, in the Arts District (1301 S Main St), will present a two-night-only 5-course Heritage Tasting Dinner, a collaboration with Palate Executive Chef Sterling Buckley, Chef Joe Friday from Friday Foods Inc in Toronto, and Chef Andre Penato from Dre’s Cakes in NYC.
The curated seasonal menu includes:
- Amuse of Benne Seed Biscuits with apricot jam and sorghum butter (Chef Joe Friday and Chef Sterling Buckley)
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with pickled red onion, parmesan cheese, and honey bacon vinaigrette (Chef Joe Friday)
- Dirty Rice Risotto with Tasso ham, duck confit, and trinity salad (Chef Sterling Buckley)
- Shrimp & Grits with cheddar grits, ham hock, and etouffee (Chef Joe Friday)
- Buck’s Brisket with Buck’s Spice Rub, cornbread bao buns, pickles, and soda sauce (Chef Sterling Buckley)
- Toffee Pudding with rum raisin and butter pecan ice cream (Chef Andre Penato)
The cost is $93 per person. Reservations are recommended and can be made via Palate’s Instagram or at palatelv.com.
Vegas Unstripped — April 26
Vegas Unstripped, an annual not-for-profit chef-driven curated food event, will again be held poolside at the Palms Casino Resort from 6 to 9 p.m.
Produced by Eric Gladstone and Chef James Trees, Unstripped features one-night-only original dishes from more than 40 of Las Vegas’ most acclaimed and creative local chefs, accompanied by cocktails from many of the city’s best bartenders. Chefs are challenged to create unique dishes for the night, reflecting their culinary passions, and are requested to attend and serve guests personally.
Participating chefs for 2026 include Oscar Amador (Amador Cocina Fina), John Arena (Metro Pizza, Truly Pizza, World Pizza Champions member), Johnny Church (Johnny C’s Catering, Chopped winner), Bruce Kalman (SoulBelly BBQ, Chopped winner), Brian Howard (Sparrow + Wolf, Spaghetti On The Wall Hospitality, James Beard Semi-Finalist), Dylan Jobsz (Esther’s Kitchen), Marty Lopez (Scotch 80 Prime), Gina Marinelli (La Strega, Harlø Steakhouse, James Beard Award Semi-Finalist), Jackson Stamper (Ada’s), Yuri Szarzewski (Partage, Le Club), Joe Swan (High Steaks Vegas), James Trees (Timeless Hospitality Portfolio, James Beard Award finalist), and Joe Valdez (Basilico Ristorante Italiano).
Tickets are $160 (plus $7.64 fee). Proceeds cover chef expenses as needed and then support local underserved charities serving the community. This is a 21+ event. For the complete list of chefs and to purchase tickets, visit vegasunstripped.com.
Want more events? Check out our new Food Events Calendar at foodandloathing.vegas/calendar-of-events. It’s quite extensive, with one or more listings for virtually every day.
Pick of the Week
Ohlala French Bistro Bringing a Taste of France to Summerlin
This French bistro is as authentic as you will likely find in Southern Nevada, with both décor and cuisine matching up to deliver a taste of France. Located in a strip mall on the SE corner of Lake Mead and Rampart, the small but comfortable dining room has a relaxed, classy vibe, with black padded banquettes and chairs, dark-wood tables, crystal chandeliers, wine barrels, and black-and-white photos of locales in France.
Owner/Chef Richard Terzaghi brings a huge dose of authenticity. The French-born restaurateur has worked every job in the industry and has owned and operated four restaurants in San Francisco (opening his first at 29) over several years. After tiring of the high taxes in California, he moved to Las Vegas and opened Ohlala 10 years ago.
Richard’s menu is likewise quite authentic, and you won’t find anything on it that you wouldn’t in his native France. Examples are French Onion Soup, a less salty version as it is made with veggie instead of chicken broth; Escargots in parsley butter, shallots, and garlic; Roasted Red Beet Salad with French goat cheese, orange wedges, and vinaigrette; Warm Crusted Pistachio Goat Cheese with a whopping 27 North Africa spices, onion confit jam, honey, and crostini; Duck Magret—pan seared duck breast with a delectable old fashion-style mustard sauce served with French style green beans; Le Croque Madame with brioche, bechamel, ham, and gruyere topped with a fried egg. Richard shared that he’s half Italian, so not surprisingly, you can enjoy a handful of pastas, including Fettuccini with salmon and cream sauce and Carbonara Pasta with fettuccini, bacon, onions, and cream sauce, topped with raw egg yolk.
The weekend brunch menu offers three Benedicts: Campagnard (smoked ham), Norvégien (spinach and smoked salmon), and Legumes (zucchini, spinach, and tomato). There are also several traditional French omelets and egg sandwiches, such as Omelette 3 Fromages (3 eggs with gruyère, brie, and goat cheese), Le Provençal (eggs, onion, zucchini, and tomato), and most of the lunch/dinner menu items.
Finales are Chocolat Liegeois (chocolate and vanilla ice cream) with homemade chocolate ganache and homemade vanilla whipped cream, Creme Brûlée, Chocolate Mousse with salted caramel and vanilla whipped cream, and Lemon Pie with meringue.
French dining would not be complete without French wine to pair it with, and here they have that covered. The list boasts about a hundred mostly French varietals, including Château Pey Latour 2020 Merlot-Cabernet, Famille Perrin CDR Reserve AOC 2022 Rhône Blend, and Château Gardut Haut Cluzeau 2022 Le Revelation Bordeaux.
If you’re (very) lucky, you’ll get to enjoy having Nikki Jezik as your server. A native Las Vegan, it appears she has a calling as a server, as she is both efficient and extremely personable. Nikki previously worked at Black Out Dining, Hennesey Tavern, and Panevino and has been at Ohlala for eight months. She enjoys coming to work because: “It’s family here. Both the guests and the staff are open-hearted and genuine, and that keeps me coming back daily.”
While 70% of the clientele are repeat customers, diners hail from all parts of the Vegas Valley. It’s not surprising, as prices are reasonable, everything is made from scratch, and the ambience and cuisine are exactly like you would find in France.
Ohlala French Bistro is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more info and to view the complete menus, visit ohlalafrenchbistro.com.
Dining News
Siena Italian Trattoria March Madness Specials
Siena Italian Trattoria & Deli will celebrate “Siena Madness,” a limited-time drink promotion available Tuesday, March 17, through Monday, April 6, during the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
Guests who purchase any entrée can enjoy a wine flight with three 1-ounce pours of select wines by the glass for $1. Guests can also opt for $2 house martini flights or $2 house tequila flights, each featuring three 1-ounce pours. The specials are not valid with happy hour or any other promotion.
Siena Italian Trattoria & Deli is located at 9500 W. Sahara Ave. To view the complete menu and to make a reservation, visit sienaitalian.com.
Siegel’s Bagelmania Passover Dinner
Siegel’s Bagelmania is accepting online orders for individual Passover dinners or a full holiday feast of traditional holiday dishes for pick-up March 31 through April 9.
Available for take-out only, individual Passover dinners for $34.99 each include choice of one starter (chopped liver or gefilte fish), an entree (half roasted chicken with matzo stuffing or tender brisket with house made gravy), one potato dish (a large latke with cherry applesauce or roasted potatoes with caramelized onions), and a vegetable dish (green beans or carrot tzimmes). Each Passover dinner includes matzo and charoset, house-made matzo ball soup, and assorted holiday desserts.
The Siegel’s Bagelmania Passover Feast includes all the items of the individual dinner menu and serves 8-10 people for $329.99. All menu items are also available à la carte.
Orders must be placed at siegelsbagelmania.com/passover.
Che Fico Pizzeria Pop-Up at Moneyline Pizza & Bar
Moneyline Pizza & Bar at ARIA Resort & Casino will host an exclusive pop-up with Che Fico Pizzeria from March 19–21.
The acclaimed Bay Area restaurant will fully take over both the dining room and slice counter of Moneyline Pizza & Bar on the casino floor next to the sportsbook. Che Fico classics being served by the slice or whole 20” pie will include Pineapple Calabrian Chili Bomba (with Che Fico’s signature housemade Chili Bomba), Pepperoni and Long Hots, Tomato Pie, and Broccoli Rabe White Pie.
Non-pizza options will include Calabrian Chili Bomba Wings, House-Made Mozzarella Sticks, Che Fico Chopped Salad, Caesar Salad, Suppli al Telefono (Roman-style cheese-filled rice croquettes), Marinated Warm Olives, Grilled Sourdough Bread with charred spring peas and burrata, Dark Chocolate Budino, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Meyer Lemon Sorbetto.
The Che Fico Pizzeria Slice Counter will be open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. on March 19, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on March 20, and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on March 21; and the Dining Room 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on March 19-20 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on March 21.
Andiamo Steakhouse Prix Fixe Deal
Andiamo Steakhouse at the D Las Vegas is offering a prix fixe menu featuring a three-course selection of salad, entrée, and dessert.
Available daily from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., the menu options include:
- choice of Caesar Salad, Iceberg Wedge, or Italian Chopped Salad
- Steak Diane featuring two 4 oz medallions topped with wild mushroom brandy cream sauce served with truffle whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus; Grilled Salmon with herb-roasted farro and pistachio pesto; Chicken Piccata with two 3 oz medallions in a lemon-caper white wine butter sauce over capellini; or Shrimp Scampi sautéed in garlic lemon butter sauce and served over house-made linguine
- Tiramisu with espresso- and Kahlua-dipped ladyfingers, whipped mascarpone crème, and dark chocolate shavings; or Cheesecake topped with a selection of fresh berries
The cost is $60 per person, with a $20 split entrée fee.
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, only a sliver of the show, but Al has some pointed words about the drive to rid restaurant kitchens of toxic culture — as recently personified by René Redzepi, the founder and celebrity chef at the iconic Danish restaurant Noma. As for the usual show: VegasPublicity.com’s Don Chareunsy sits in for Gemini this week to tell us about some of the great places he’s been dining, and comments on opera and Timothy Chalamet. Al offers some restaurant reports and some news. Nicole Mouskondis of Nicholas and Company speaks to him about being honored at this year’s Chefs For Kids gala. Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan has a Happy Hour Report. And we have interviews with Scott Sherman of Ri Ra, Nick Palmeri of Gaetano’s, Legacy Club bartender Tiffany Namh, and Lili chef Tyler Vorce.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Rail Bike Tours Along Historic Railroad Corridor
The Nevada State Railroad Museum, located at 601 Yucca Street in Boulder City, has launched a new outdoor attraction that offers visitors a hands-on way to explore Southern Nevada’s desert landscape and railroad history: Rail Bike Tours.
The tours allow guests to ride pedal-powered rail bikes directly on historic railroad tracks stretching from Boulder City to Railroad Pass and back. Each tour covers approximately eight miles round-trip and lasts about 90 minutes. Guides travel with the group throughout the ride, sharing insights into the area’s historic rail lines, the role railroads played in Southern Nevada’s development, and answering participant questions.
The tours operate Monday, Thursday, and Friday at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Pricing is $90 per rail bike, with each bike accommodating up to four riders.
For more info and to purchase tickets, visit boulderrailroadmuseum.org/rail-bike-tours.
