This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Grape Vine Café, Wine Bar & Cellar — November 16
Grape Vine Café, Wine Bar & Cellar’s last wine dinner of the year will be a four-course wine pairing featuring the wines of Cade, Plumpjack Winery, and Odette Adaptation.
Courses are:
- Grilled Shrimp Wedge Salad with avocado, tomato, and Louie dressing paired with 2024 Cade Sauvignon Blanc
- Porcini, Ricotta, and Parmesan Gnocchi in a creamy mushroom sauce matched with the 2022 Plumpjack Merlot Napa
- Tenderloin of Beef with pomegranate molasses butter sauce paired with 2019 Odette Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon and 2022 Plumpjack Cabernet Estate Oakville
- Cannoli Bliss with pistachios
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.
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca — November 19
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca at The District at Green Valley Ranch will offer another 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.
The class will begin at 2:30 p.m. Guests must be 21+ to attend, and dietary restrictions and food allergies cannot be accommodated during the event. Space is limited, and reservations can be made here.
Jaleo — November 22
Chef José Andrés will host a Paella Party at his Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan.
Guests will learn the art and tradition of Spain’s most iconic dish, taught by Chef José Andrés himself, as he demonstrates his techniques around Jaleo’s live-fire pit. After the Chef’s demonstration, they will enjoy the paella they helped prepare during a shared meal.
The paella-making party will begin at 12:30 p.m., and the cost is $325 per person. To purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week: Ondori Asian Kitchen
Resorts on the Vegas Strip have been getting a bad rap lately for outlandish resort fees, expensive parking rates, and food and drink at exorbitant prices. So, it’s refreshing to find Ondori Asian Kitchen at the Orleans just off the Strip, a proper dining bargain offering excellent quality, service, and ambience at a highly reasonable price point.
Open for nearly a decade just off the Orleans casino, the dining room is adorned with colorful artwork depicting a panda, rooster, koi fish, shelves lined with miniature sake barrels and decorative bowls, and semi-private booths separated by woven rope.
You could say Ondori brings the best of two worlds, combining Cantonese dishes with a wide selection of sushi and other Japanese dishes. Examples of authentic dishes are the Roasted Peking Duck, Pork Belly Pot, Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Scallions, Beef and Bitter Melon with black bean sauce, and Congee with Salty Pork and 1,000 Year Egg.
For the less adventurous palates, there are several Americanized favorites such as Crispy Orange Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Beef with Broccoli, and Wonton Soup.
If you’re a fan of fried rice, you’ve definitely come to the right place, as there are no less than eight varieties that come piled high on a plate like the Veggie, Salted Fish with Chicken, Shrimp and Chicken Pineapple Curry, Yang Chow, and Egg White with Dried Scallops.
On the Japanese side, there is an eight-seat sushi bar with sushi chefs creating sashimi, bento boxes, hand rolls, and 22 specialty rolls. Examples are the Sex on a Roll with spicy tuna layered on top of eel and avocado topped with spicy mayo and eel and chili sauce; and Who’s Your Daddy with shrimp tempura, krab, avocado, super white tuna, spicy mayo, eel sauce, and a dot of sriracha. You can pair your Japanese options with Japanese beverages, including Momokawa “Diamond” Junmai Ginjo and Tenshi “Love” Nigori sakes, as well as Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin, and Kawaba beers.
A good deal is the lunch special served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with nine choices priced around $16, including General Tsao’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork, and Lo Mein (with choice of chicken, beef, or pork). All come with one spring roll and a side of fried rice.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get to enjoy the delightful service of Elise Cheung, who has worked in the food service industry as a busser, server, and manager since she was in her early teens and as a server at the Orleans since 2008. She is not only efficient, pleasant, and personable, but is also an expert on the extensive menu.
It’s great to see that one can still find deals in Vegas, as Ondori certainly qualifies, with many dishes priced below $20. I should also mention there’s free parking and value-priced shows in the Orleans Showroom steps away, with fun shows in the coming weeks, including Engelbert Humperdinck, November 28-29, Tracy Byrd on December 6, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, December 20-21.
Ondori is open daily from 11:30 am to midnight. To view the complete menu, click here.
Dining News
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés opens at The Palazzo
After opening at the then-SLS in 2014 and holding court at Sahara Las Vegas after the resort reverted to its original name in 2019 until this past summer, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés has packed its bags and moved to The Palazzo.
Just downstairs from The Palazzo lobby and set in the former 20,000-square-foot Dal Toro Ristorante space, the new digs are a Spanish celebration of Andalusian culture with depictions of livestock, flamenco, and bullfighting. There’s a view of the open kitchen and its live fire from every seat in the restaurant, cylindrical metal lights in the lounge area resemble floating candlesticks, and like its Dal Toro predecessor, a covered terrace will allow for year-round al fresco dining.
We can expect the menu of Bazaar Meat at The Palazzo to be quite similar to its predecessor, as the opening menu includes Bushugyu Wagyu from Hasegawa Farm in the Saitama Prefecture, Cotton Candy Foie Gras, Vaca Vieja 8-10 Year Old Black Angus from Stemple Creek, and the Caviar Cone with Ossetra Caviar. New dishes from Executive Chef Frank Medina include Roasted Leeks cooked over a charcoal grill, Live Scallop Ceviche, and Beef Tenderloin Rossini with seared foie gras and périgordine sauce. On the dessert menu is Sphere Graffiti, a chocolate dome inspired by the neighboring Sphere, which guests break open to reveal miniature desserts hidden inside.
The restaurant seats 428 across its main dining room, lounge, three private dining rooms, and covered terrace and is open daily from 5 p.m. For more info and to view the complete menu, click here.
Lazy Dog Restaurants Everything But The Turkey
If you prefer to cook a turkey at home but not be bothered with all the traditional fixings, Lazy Dog has you covered.
Their Everything But The Turkey package, designed to serve six and priced at $39.95, includes four family-sized sides of Cheesy Creamed Corn, Creamy Mac + Cheese, Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes, and Parmesan-Herb Sweet Corn Stuffing. The meal also comes with housemade Country Gravy, and you can add a Huckleberry Apple Cobbler for $10 or a bottle of select red or white wine for $10.
Preorders are available November 5–20 for Thanksgiving pickup November 25–26, and December 8–20 for Christmas pickup December 22–24.
To place an order, click here.
Hakkasan Grand Peking Duck Menu
Hakkasan at the MGM Grand will serve a prix fixe menu centered around the restaurant’s signature Peking Duck.
Served November 24-29 and priced at $138 per person (plus tax, tip, and beverages) for parties of two or more, the menu includes:
- Appetizers of Hakka Basket with royal jade king crab, langoustine har gau, pumpkin dumpling, wild mushroom, and truffle; Spicy Mango Salad with crispy taro, pecan, pomelo, and lemongrass vinaigrette; and Wok-Seared Scallops with brown butter black bean sauce
- Entrees of Signature Peking Duck served with pancakes, cucumber, and scallion (add 30g “The Only” White Sturgeon Caviar for $98); Roasted Chilean Seabass with bumble beer honey; and Wagyu Ribeye with deep-fried corn ribs
- Sides of Wok-Fried Green Bean with lily bulb and dried chili; and Hakka Noodle with himeji mushroom, egg, and bean sprouts
- Chef’s Creation for dessert
Hakkasan is open Monday-Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Wednesday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Ellis Island Selling Holiday Nog
Ellis Island’s yearly Ellis Family Holiday Nog, now in its 23rd year of commercial production, is available for purchase.
The dairy-based beverage fortified with bourbon, rum, brandy, and spices is a closely guarded family recipe with a tradition that began when Ellis Island owner Gary Ellis’ grandfather, Frank Ellis, Sr., learned about the recipe from a fellow passenger on a ship taking him from Italy to the US back in 1953; in the 1980s, after his grandfather passed away, Gary Ellis found the recipe and began making small batches in his home kitchen.
The Holiday Nog is available by the glass or by the bottle ($35) until it’s sold out at Ellis Island Casino and all Village Pub locations.
Golden Hour Hockey Specials at Proper Eats
Proper Eats Food Hall at ARIA is offering specials on game days of Las Vegas Golden Knights Hockey games at its Proper Bar.
The new “Golden Hour” special, one hour before puck drop of each Golden Knights home game throughout the season, offers all draft beers and classic cocktails for $8. Classic cocktails include the Espresso Martinis made with Absolut Vanilla and Kahlúa, Old Fashioneds made with Basil Hayden bourbon, and Margaritas made with Tres Generaciones tequila; and beers on tap include Modelo Especial, Sam Adams Lager, Stone Delicious IPA, and Sierra Nevada IPA.
In addition, during any Las Vegas home or away game, guests wearing a jersey representing the Golden Knights NHL hockey team will receive a free draft beer of their choice.
Cheba Hut Offering Free Subs
National Sandwich Day was November 3, but the counterculture toasted-sub brand Cheba Hut will celebrate its own 2nd annual Nugsgiving with FREE subs for everyone on November 18.
The sub shop will say, “Forget National Sandwich Day, and instead, party with us for the Chebasphere’s own original holiday with free food, good vibes, and zero gimmicks.” Anyone showing up from 4:20 p.m. to 10 p.m. can receive one free 4” Nug-sized sub or an order of Pretzel Nugs with honey mustard, no app or purchase required.
For a list of Cheba Hut locations, visit chebahut.com/locations.
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.
Al and Gemini are back together this week, with an interview-heavy episode recorded on the newly extended patio of Nine Fine Irishmen in New York New York. In addition to chatting with the Irish Pub’s Senior Restaurant Operations Manager, Teague Smith, they also share conversations with Echo Taste & Sound’s Natalie Young, author Kim Foster, Durango Social Club’s Dan Krohmer, In Limbo’s Steve Lee, Joe’s Prime Seafood Steak and Stone Crab’s Dave Quillen, and the comedic, wine-guzzling stars of “In Pour Taste,” Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh. We also have restaurant reports, news, and Andrew Morgan’s Happy Hour Report.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Glittering Lights Returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Glittering Lights, Las Vegas’ drive-through holiday spectacular at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has returned for its 25th season.
Illuminating nightly, rain or shine, from November 7 through January 4, this year, an extra half-mile with one million more lights has been added, bringing the total to three miles featuring over six million lights and 750+ displays. New features include: Elf on a Shelf, with larger-than-life Elf on the Shelf figures throughout the park crafted entirely from Christmas lights; and Tribute to the Movies, featuring representations of iconic holiday movies such as Rudolph, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Frosty the Snowman, Polar Express, and The Grinch.
There are several themed nights with giveaways and specials such as opportunities to see the course by bike or by ATV/UTV, a pet costume contest, Santa Tram & free photos with Santa, east-coast NYE countdown complete with fireworks, 5K Run and 1-mile Walk through the Glittering Lights, and nights with free admission to veterans, active military, first responders, and teachers. Show up with your furry family members on Mondays and get treats for your tail-wagging friend, and bring a donation for Goodwill, and get $10 off at the gate.
Glittering Lights is open daily, from 5-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5-10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. Ticket packages range from $25 to $129. For more info, the full season calendar of events, and to purchase tickets, visit www.glitteringlights.vegas.
