This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Taste of UnCommons — October 24
Taste of UnCommons will bring together UnCommons’ award-winning restaurants and bars for an evening of food, wine, spirits, and live music in The Quad.
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., guests can explore tasting stations featuring signature bites and beverage selections from AMARI Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop, Cootoh, General Admission, Rare Society, Todo Bien Tiki Tequileria, and Wineaux. The evening will also feature 10-12 wine & cocktail pairings from featured beverage partners.
Tickets are priced at $75 per person (plus tax). To purchase tickets, click here.
Wine Under the Stars — October 24
Green Valley Ranch will host the 2nd annual Wine Under the Stars, an evening featuring 46 wine tasting selections, gourmet tastings, and live entertainment from an orchestra by candlelight, a saxophonist, and an acoustic guitar player.
Set under the twinkling lights of GVR’s expansive backyard and vineyard, the event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests will enjoy tastings of pours distributed by Gallo featuring Orin Swift, Rombauer, and J Vineyards; Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits will present Jackson family wines, Prisoner and Kim Crawford; Moët Hennessy will present Whispering Angel, Veuve Clicquot, Phelps, and Cloudy Bay; Foley Family Wines will offer tastings by Chalk Hill, Ferrari Carano, Four Graces, and Silverado Vineyards; and Craft Cellars will pour wines from Niner Wine, Patricia Green Reserve, Titus Estate, and Fontanelles.
To complement the wines, Green Valley Ranch’s chef team will prepare a menu that will feature an array of action stations from a live grill offering Westholme Australian Wagyu, carabineros shrimp and blistered shishito peppers; an Italian station with truffle risotto and fresh pulled mozzarella; a seafood station with an oyster raw bar, scallop crudo, and Lobster Louie; a charcuterie grazing table and other samplings throughout offering surf and turf Takoyaki, bluefin tuna handrolls, “Ultimate (Caviar) Tacos,” caviar tots, foie gras and port wine jelly macarons, crab-stuffed artichoke hearts, Cambozola cheese pizzettes, ahi tuna flatbread, smoked salmon pizzettes, shrimp toast, chocolate French Sable cookies, triple chocolate bonbons, boozy cupcakes, and chocolate sea salt pops.
Tickets are $150 per person (plus taxes and fees) and $200 (plus taxes and fees) for 30-minute early entry. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. To purchase tickets, visit greenvalleyranch.com/dining-promotions/wine-tasting.
Honey Salt — October 27
Honey Salt will host its 3rd annual Featherblade Craft Butchery Farm Table Dinner.
Chef Kim Canteenwalla and Featherblade owner and craft butcher Martin Kirrane will come together to create a menu featuring Featherblade favorites and Honey Salt classics.
The farm-to-table dinner will begin with a Modern Shandy welcome cocktail followed by several starters, soup and salad, roasted seasonal vegetables and crispy smashed fingerling potatoes with black truffle aioli and Parmesan, main courses of Creekstone Farm Roast Carved Striploin with peppercorn sauce and Featherblade-Style Porchetta with chimichurri, and Sticky Toffee Pudding with caramel sauce and bourbon-scented whipped cream. An optional wine pairing and CraftHaus Brewery beer pairing will also be available.
To view the complete menu and to purchase tickets, visit honeysalt.com/event/featherblade2026.
Al Solito Posto — October 27
Al Solito Posto will host a four-course collaboration dinner with The Balvenie, the renowned single malt Scotch whisky crafted in Dufftown, Speyside, Scotland.
The menu will include:
- Date, Pistachio & Honey Bruschetta, Taleggio Arancini, and Oyster with Yuzu Kosho & Truffle paired with Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood Cocktail
- Sunchoke & Crimini Cannelloni Ricotta with sage and béchamel matched with Balvenie 16 Year French Oak
- Braised Beef Cheek with creamy polenta and red wine reduction paired with Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask
- Chocolate Torte with raspberry & whipped cream matched with Balvenie 21 Year PortWood
The evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m. The cost is $150 per person (plus tax and tip), which includes a Balvenie gift bag. Reservations are required and can be booked here.
La Strega — October 30
La Strega Executive Chef Gina Marinelli invites guests to dress for an evening of enchantment at the restaurant’s annual Witches Gala.
The evening will begin with a festive welcome cocktail, followed by a roaming feast of passed hors d’oeuvres and eight culinary stations throughout the restaurant. The culinary delights will include Bone Marrow alla Amatriciana with rigatoni, black pepper and Pecorino Romano; Crispy Oysters with Tabasco aioli and bread-and-butter pickles; and Snapper al Forno with Mediterranean tonnato.
During the event, Tarot Reader/Astrologist Sitara Indigo will offer complimentary tarot readings.
Costumes are encouraged, and an appetite is required. The Gala will begin at 8 p.m., and the cost for the 21+ event is $99 per person (inclusive of tax and tip). Secure your spot by visiting La Strega’s Event Page or by calling 702-722-2099.
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: Finney’s Crafthouse
Finney’s Crafthouse Living Up to Its Name
Last month, Finney’s Crafthouse opened in Downtown Summerlin, marking the SoCal chain’s 17th location and its first outside the Golden State.
Founded in 2016 by twin brothers Greg and Brad Finefrock (pronounced Finney-frock), the family-friendly restaurant is named for their high school nickname, the “Finney brothers.” “Opening our first location outside California is a major milestone for our family, and Downtown Summerlin feels like the right place to begin this next chapter,” said Greg Finefrock. “We look forward to becoming part of the neighborhood and giving the community a place to gather for dinner with the family, a bite with friends, or cheer on their favorite team.”
Set in the former space of Wolfgang Puck Players Locker, spanning 5,395 square feet indoors with an additional 2,434-square-foot dog-friendly patio with heaters and misters, the 245-seat restaurant has a comfortable feel with rustic century-old red brick walls and reclaimed wood panels; a large US flag; large windows delivering natural light; an outdoor patio equipped with misters and heaters; 20 HDTVs across the dining room, bar and patio; and a neon sign spelling out “Craft Beer Spoken Here.”
The scratch kitchen puts out 21 appetizers across several cuisine styles, including Coconut Shrimp, Cheesesteak Eggrolls, Buffalo Cauliflower, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, and Nashville Chicken Sliders, all priced from $11 to $17.
The stars of the entrees are the A5 Wagyu Burger ($18, ribeye from Shiraoi Farms, Japan, with bacon and pepper jack) and Pastrami Reuben ($18, uses the same meat provider as the Los Angeles icon Langer’s Deli).
In the mood for pizza? You have eight choices of flatbreads here with the likes of Gary’s Pepperoni ($16, four cheese blend and mini pepperoni cups), Prosciutto and Arugula ($17, olive oil, four cheese blend, parmesan, onions, garlic, and hot honey), and BBQ Chicken ($17, house-made barbecue sauce, four cheese blend, corn, onions, chilis, and cilantro).
What goes better with pizza than beer? It’s here that Finney’s lives up to its Crafthouse moniker, with 30 rotating craft beers on tap grouped by style characteristics: Light, Fruity, Hoppy, Toasty, and Malty. Best of all, the majority of them are beers brewed locally, and pouring during my recent visit were Able Baker Atomic Duck, El Pato Loco, and Honey Dip Imperial Stout; Beer Zombies Zombie Duck Hunter and Rotating Sour; Big Dog’s Black Lab Stout and Dirty Dog IPA; CraftHaus Sumo Stomp, Cuckoo Dark Lager, and Tropical Forrest Hazy IPA; Evolve Fresh Jealousy IPA; Las Vegas Brewing Hyper Glow Hazy IPA; Lovelady Hopatomic Imperial IPA; Mojave Punk Lemonade Cider; and Tenaya Creek Aviators Blonde.
Deeper discounts are available during weekday Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with four food items priced at $7 (Chicken Tenders, Grilled Cheese & Soup), $8 (Chicken Quesadilla, Mini Cheeseburgers), and $9 (Coconut Shrimp, Carnitas Nachos). Drink deals are any of the 30 drafts for $6, House Wine $7-$9, Well Drinks for $7, and Select Cocktails for $7-$9.
Finney’s appears to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and those further east only have to wait till January when a second location is expected to open at Town Square.
Hours are Mon–Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more info and to view the complete menus, visit finneyscrafthouse.com/locations/summerlin.
Dining News
Las Vegas Pizza Festival Announces VIP Chefs
If pizza is your favorite food group, you may have already bought your tickets to the 6th annual Las Vegas Pizza Festival taking place on Nov. 14 at The INDUSTRIAL Event Space from 1 to 4 p.m. Now another incentive to get your tickets fast is the announcement of the participants in the VIP segment.
Rebellion Pizza’s Ryan Perras and Ricky Lewis will be showcasing Rebellion Market for VIP guests while also slinging their signature pies in General Admission, and Golden Boy Market & Deli Chefs Scott Arn and Ramtin Yashar (veterans of Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain and L.A.) will bring their kitchen experience to the art of the sandwich.
VIP also means one-hour early entry at 12 p.m.; a private lounge with seating and private climate-controlled restrooms; live entertainment; a commemorative tasting glass; culinary bites from the VIP chefs; and unlimited pours from local breweries Big Dog’s Brewing Company, Beer Zombies, Neon Desert, and HUDL, along with other alcoholic beverages.
Final-tier VIP tickets are $167 (21+) and Tier 2 GA tickets are currently $82. Both are going fast, so head over to vegaspizzafest.com to secure your tickets ASAP.
SIPS Drinkery House Pop-Up at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is welcoming SIPS Drinkery House, honored by The World’s 50 Best Bars as the World’s Best Bar in 2023, as part of the resort’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
Known for its outstanding mixology, carefully selected ingredients and clever presentation, the Barcelona-based SIPS Drinkery House will take over VISTA Cocktail Lounge from Oct. 31 through Dec. 31.
Founded in 2021 by bartenders Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez, the Barcelona bar combines innovative technique and familiar flavors to deliver memorable cocktails. “Knowing that an iconic global institution like Caesars Palace recognizes the excellent hospitality and cocktail creativity of an independent bar in Barcelona proves that what’s made with purpose will be remembered by many,” said Simone Caporale, Co-Founder of SIPS. “We’re so excited to bring SIPS to Caesars Palace and translate the cocktail experience into great memories in Las Vegas.”
Some of the creations that will be available are Purple Rain, an elegant, modern take on a whiskey sour with bourbon mellowed with wild sour honey and beetroot; and Mosaic, with pisco brandy and aromatic woods from the Amazon rainforest, served in a painted glass reminiscent of Barcelona’s modernist art movement.
VISTA Cocktail Lounge is located near Amalfi by Bobby Flay and Dominique Ansel Las Vegas, and the SIPS pop-up will be open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. For more info or to make a reservation, click here.
Michael Mina Bellagio Conservatory Dining Menu
Michael Mina Bellagio has introduced Conservatory Dining, a new culinary concept inspired by the changing seasons of Bellagio Resort & Casino’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.
Five times annually, Chef Michael Mina and his culinary team will debut a tasting menu celebrating the Conservatory’s spring, summer, harvest, holiday, and Lunar New Year displays through seasonal ingredients, inventive flavors, and artful presentation.
The 10-course Autumn Harvest Tasting Menu is available now for $295 per person (plus tax and tip). The tasting includes dishes such as Petrossian Caviar with bosc pear purée, Maine Lobster with shaved fuyu persimmon, Monterey Bay Abalone with pickled butternut squash, Day Boat Scallop with cauliflower ravioli, Ahi Tuna with sunny-side-up quail egg, Duck Confit with seared Hudson Valley foie gras, and Prime Brandt NY Strip with celery root purée and black truffle sauce.
An optional wine pairing is available for $150 per person, with a premium pairing offered for $300 per person.
Reservations are available Wednesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and may be made online or by calling Bellagio Concierge at 702-693-7111.
Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen New Seasonal Menu
Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen at 10516 Las Vegas Blvd. South near Cactus Avenue, is celebrating the arrival of fall with a new limited-time menu.
The autumn food menu features a variety of seasonal dishes, including Seared Scallops with Mango Salad featuring Japanese U10 scallops with a fresh Thai-style mango salad ($25); Ribeye Crying Tiger—Isan-style marinated New Zealand Angus ribeye with traditional nam jim jaew sauce ($52); Pumpkin Curry with Duck with kabocha pumpkin and roasted five-spice duck breast topped with a special red curry ($35); Pineapple Fried Rice—jasmine rice stir-fried with curry powder, pineapple, shrimp, chicken, egg, cashews, raisins, and house-made Thai compound butter ($29); and Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sangkaya Faktong) features creamy, pandan-scented coconut milk custard baked inside kabocha pumpkin ($14).
Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen is open daily from noon to 10 p.m. For more info and the full menu, visit blueorchidthaikitchen.com.
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.
Gino Ferraro, founder of the landmark Ferraro’s Ristorante, joins us this week to talk about his new autobiography, “From Calabria, An American Dream.” Other guests include Hard Hat Lounge owner Frank Sidoris and the CEO of the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, Dr. Bobbi Damrow. We also have restaurant reports from Gemini and Al, a Happy Hour report from Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan, news, and more.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Trick-or-Treat Under the Sea: Shark Reef Aquarium Celebrates Halloween with Annual “Hallow-Reef”
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay will bring back its Hallow-Reef, transforming its underwater tunnels and exhibit into festive corridors adorned with seasonal decor, jack-o-lanterns, and trick-or-treaters.
On October 30-31, children ages 12 and under are invited to trick-or-treat throughout the aquarium from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and participate in interactive classroom games from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Children ages 5-12 visiting in costumes will receive a special $5.00 admission rate (children ages 4 and under are complimentary) redeemable at the Shark Reef Box Office.
There will also be an on-site Community Blood Drive with Vitalant at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (near Shark Reef) on Friday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All participating donors will receive one (1) complimentary admission ticket to Shark Reef Aquarium valid through Dec. 11, 2026 and complimentary self-parking at Mandalay Bay on the day of donation.
Shark Reef Aquarium features more than 2,000 animals, including sharks, giant rays, endangered green sea turtles, piranhas and a Komodo dragon, as well as the Undersea Explorer VR Theater. Shark Reef Aquarium is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can buy tickets online, and pricing information is available here.
