This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news
Events
Monzú Italian Oven + Bar — September 17
Monzú Italian Oven + Bar will present a five-course wine dinner featuring Italian wines from Eros Spinozzi Selections, paired with Chef Giovanni’s selections.
Courses are:
- ‘Nduja with gorgonzola, prosciutto, and fig jam paired with 2023 Dogliotti Moscato D’Asti DOCG, Piedmont
- Shrimp over Cannellini with lemon butter sauce matched with 2024 Simone Capecci Ciprea Pecorino
- Potato-Filled Pasta with Lamb Neck and Mushroom Ragu paired with 2019 Simone Capecci Qvinta Regio
- Wild Boar Stew with farro porridge matched with Recchia 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, DOCG, Veneto
- Triple Milk Cheese with braised leeks and hazelnuts from Piedmont paired with 2022 Reva Grey Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Langhe DOC, Piemonte
- Chocolate Eggplant Mousse with sour cherry preserved in syrup matched with 2019 Recchia Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto
The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The $225 per person all-inclusive ticket includes tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
The Feast — September 19
The Feast, a centerpiece event of the Wynn Revelry by Chef’s Table, will bring together culinary stars for an immersive grand-scale tasting.
Held on the Wynn Event Pavilion and Lawn from 7 to 10 p.m., participating chefs include Serigne Mbaye (Dakar Nola, New Orleans), Camila Fiol (Fiol Dulcería, Santiago, Chile), Doug Psaltis (Asador Bastian, Chicago), Rodolfo Guzmán (Boragó, Santiago, Chile), Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson (Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Ontario, Canada), Álvaro Clavijo (El Chato, Bogotá, Colombia), Asma Khan (Darjeeling Express, London), Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa, Wynn Las Vegas), Alejandro Chamorro (Nuema, Quito, Ecuador), and Jaime Rodríguez (Celele, Cartagena, Colombia), among others.
General Admission tickets are $295 (plus fees). VIP tickets, with early access at 6 p.m., specialty cocktails, exclusive tastings, opportunities to interact with featured culinary stars, and entry to the Chef + Celebrity Cook-Off, are $600 (plus fees). The Cook-Off will feature several chefs, including Sarah Glover (The Wild Kitchen), Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), and Chintan Pandya (Dhamaka and Semma), teaming up with social creators to recreate signature dishes in a friendly competition.
For more info and to purchase tickets, visit lasvegasrevelry.com/the-feast.
The Village Festival — September 19
Boyd Gaming will host The Village Festival at the Orleans Arena from 2 to 10 p.m.
The all-ages free event will offer live music, cultural performances, a fireworks show, island-inspired food, arts and crafts, a bar, and shopping from more than 150 vendors.
To register as a vendor, click here.
Eureka! — September 24
The two Southern Nevada Eureka! locations will celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with a three-course Whiskey Dinner featuring iconic whiskey pours.
Courses are:
- Korean Beef Frachos with Sidewinder Fries, shaved ribeye, and gochujang sauce paired with Buffalo Trace Bourbon
- Steak & Frites with 8 oz steak, chimichurri, and signature fries or Seared Salmon with beurre blanc and ripped fingerling potatoes, matched with Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon
- Carrot Cake with bourbon maple whipped cream and candied pecans paired with Stagg Jr. Bourbon
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., and the cost is $60 per person (plus tax and fees). To purchase tickets for the Henderson location, click here; for the Fremont St. location, 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: Beauty & Essex
Beauty & Essex Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with New Menu
Beauty & Essex, the restaurant at The Cosmopolitan by celebrity Chef Chris Santos, is celebrating its 10th year with a refreshed food and beverage menu.
The restaurant replicates the pawn shop/restaurant/lounge concept which originated in 2010 in NYC. Upon entering, you’ll encounter an operating pawn shop selling an assortment of guitars, watches, and jewelry. Beyond is a 10,000-square-foot space celebrating the beauty of jewels in all forms, with a chandelier made of thousands of draped pearls, a corridor lined with framed vintage lockets, and dining rooms in metallic and jewel-toned hues with glamorous lighting.
The 56-year-old Chef Chris Santos visited with media at a dinner tasting on Aug. 20 and spoke with Food and Loathing’s Al Mancini. When asked to reflect on the past 10 years, Chef said, “I never imagined I was going to open here in Vegas, or be here for 10 years and thriving, as busy as we’ve ever been. We have an amazing team here. Everyone comes to work and wants to be here and is proud of what we’re doing here.” When asked what menu items will never be taken off the menu, he pointed out the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Dumplings, Chicken Meatballs, and Spaghettini (with zucchini, parsley pesto, lemon, parmesan, and sunny-side-up egg). His favorites on the new menu are Crispy Eggplant Fries (which he said he can’t stop eating) and the Banh Mi Sliders (because banh mi is his favorite thing in the world to eat).
The newly refreshed menu is quite a revamp, with 12 new savory dishes and five desserts. New arrivals on the Raw Bar menu are Hamachi Aguachile with cucumber, avocado, red onion, and guajillo oil; and Burmese-Style Scallops with ginger, garlic, chili, and coconut rice.
Debuting Shareables are Hokkaido Milk Bread & Cultured Butters with olive oil & sea salt, Calabrian chili, and truffle butters; Tacos de Papa with poblano potato, crema, and tomato consommé; Banh Mi Sliders with pork patty, foie pate, and pickled daikon; and Shishito “Poppers” with honey chili crisp, bacon, and roasted pepper spread.
For the table to enjoy are Gochujang-Glazed Roasted Chicken with miso butter, sweet corn, sesame cucumbers, and chicken jus; Japanese Charcoal-Grilled Branzino with escarole, n’duja, and summer squash; 38 oz Tomahawk Ribeye with salsa Negra, gremolata, and seasonal peppers; and Crispy Eggplant with tomato gastrique, parmesan, and bread crumb.
New desserts include Ube Tiramisu with coconut ladyfingers, ube mascarpone cream, and coffee tuile; Blushing Pearl with lychee mousse, raspberry compote, and sponge cake; and Carrot Cake with cream cheese and caramelized pecans.
An assortment of creative cocktails includes Old Money with Woodford Reserve, pandan, black lemon, and spiced demerara; Queen of the Night with Belvedere Vodka, Seventy One Gin, lychee, and fassionola; and False Idol with Codigo 1530 Blanco Tequila, Combier Coconut, lime, almond orgeat, and aged rum float.
Locals take note: on Mondays, those with local ID can take part in Beauty Mondays and get a chef’s selection menu featuring signature dishes for $55, and ladies enjoy complimentary champagne service in the Pawn Lounge after 8 p.m.
Congrats to Beauty & Essex and Chef Chris Santos for bringing excellence to The Cosmo for the past decade. Here’s to 10 more and beyond. To view the complete menu, click here.
CREDIT: Al Mancini
Dining News
MICHELIN Guide Comes to Town and Bestows Awards
Las Vegas has been without an active MICHELIN Guide since the 2009 edition. Now, 17 years later, and after regrouping Las Vegas into the newly created Southwest selection, an awards ceremony was held at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on August 26 to unveil those deemed worthy.
The Michelin Guide began in 1900 in France when tire company founders André and Édouard Michelin published a free travel handbook to encourage motorists to drive more and buy replacement tires. Today, the Guide represents a coveted recognition as the best of the best, with categories of Two Stars (“excellent cooking worth a detour”), One Star (“high-quality cooking worth a stop”), Bib Gourmand (“good food at moderate prices”), and Michelin Selected (considered good, but not quite “one star” good).
The Las Vegas winners are:
- Two Stars: Joël Robuchon (the only two-star recipient in the Southwest).
- One Star: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon; Restaurant Guy Savoy; é by José Andrés
- Bib Gourmand: China Poblano; Esther’s Kitchen; Yen Viet Kitchen
- Michelin Selected: Anima by EDO; Bouchon; Cote; Estiatorio Milos; Gymkhana; Kabuto; Kame Omakase; Lamaii; Michael Mina; Mott 32; Partage; Pho Ga Bac Bac; Ping Pang Pong; Soulbelly BBQ; Sparrow + Wolf; Stubborn Seed; Wing Lei
For a report from Al Mancini on the awards ceremony, visit foodandloathing.vegas/michelin-stars-fill-the-las-vegas-night.
Rí Rá Celebrating Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day
At the authentic Irish pub Rí Rá at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place it seems every day is St. Patrick’s Day, but as it does every year, its week-long celebration, Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day,will not only offer a special menu, but also donate 20 percent of the proceeds to benefit HELP of Southern Nevada, a local nonprofit helping individuals, families and youth overcome homelessness and build pathways toward self-sufficiency.
Available from Sept. 14-20, the unique Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day menu featuring authentic Irish dishes includes:
- Steakhouse Burger: beef patty topped with Irish Cheddar, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and Ballymaloe stout sauce on a brioche bun ($18.95)
- BBQ Chicken Flatbread: flatbread with Guinness BBQ sauce, shredded mozzarella, grilled chicken, and green onions ($15.95)
- Rasher and Leek Chicken: chicken breast stuffed with Swiss cheese, rasher and sautéed leeks baked with a breadcrumb crust and served with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and asparagus ($25.95)
- Kilbeggan Salmon: salmon fillet stuffed with crab, cream cheese, shrimp and dill, topped with a seafood cream sauce and served with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables ($30.95)
- Whiskey Caramel Bread Pudding: vanilla-cinnamon bread pudding finished with whiskey caramel sauce and whipped cream ($12.95)
For more info and to reserve, visit rira.com/las-vegas.
Eataly Summer of Pesto
Eataly is extending its new Summer of Pesto program, which honors the tradition of pesto with a regional culinary tour from North to South Italy, through the end of September.
Served at La Pizza & La Pasta, the program includes five regional pestos:
- Pesto di Basilico ($26)—housemade Mezzi Paccheri pasta, basil, Grana Padano, Granarolo Pecorino Romano, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and EVOO
- Pesto Trapanese ($28)—housemade Mezzi Paccheri pasta, cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds, garlic, Granarolo Pecorino Romano, basil, and EVOO
- Pesto di Rucola ($28)—housemade Mezzi Paccheri pasta, arugula, Grana Padano, garlic, and lemon zest
- Pesto di Pistacchio ($29)—housemade Mezzi Paccheri pasta, toasted pistachios, Granarolo Pecorino Romano, basil, oregano, and parsley
- Vacanze Romana Pizza ($30)—Mozzarella di Napoli, Leccino olives, cherry tomatoes, arugula pesto, Ferrarini 18-Month Prosciutto di Parma, Pecorino Fondue, and olive oil
To complement the menu, Eataly is also offering two pesto pairings by the glass: Gavi di Gavi Castello di Santa Vittoria from Piemonte and La Boncia Chianti Bindi Sergardi from Toscana, each available for $10 per glass.
La Pizza & La Pasta is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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.
The celebration of all things food is back on the weekend of September 18th at Wynn Las Vegas. Al gets a preview from Chef Jeff Ramsey of Mizumi. Also in this episode: Chef Chris Santos reflects on ten years of Beauty & Essex at The Cosmopolitan. And we get a preview of Ri-Ra’s unique tradition, “Halfway to Paddy’s Day,” from Ri-Ra’s Jennifer Spriggs. Al and guest co-host Don Chareunsy share some recent dining experiences, and they comment on word that Lotus of Siam and Naxos Taverna & Oyster Bar are closing. And, as always, a Happy Hour Report from Happy Hour Vegas’ Andrew Morgan.
To listen, click here.
Entertainment News
Blues Traveler to Headline Bel-Aire Backyard’s “Poolside Concert Series” on October 11
The multi-platinum GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Blues Traveler will bring its 1990s harmonica-driven, jam-infused sound to the Bel-Aire Backyard’s Poolside Concert Series.
Blues Traveler emerged from Princeton, New Jersey, in 1987 and became a defining act of 1990s alternative rock, blending blues, rock, and improvisational jam. Frontman and harmonica virtuoso John Popper is at the center of that sound. With 14 studio albums, more than 10 million records sold, and over 2,000 live performances, the group is known for its lead singles, “Run-Around,” “Hook,” “But Anyway,” and “Carolina Blues.”
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $69.17 (including fees before taxes) and are available here.
