This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar — November 10
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar will host a four-course wine dinner featuring Turley Wine Cellars with special guest Turley Wine Cellars Director of Sales and Marketing Christina Turley.
Courses are:
- Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese with toasted walnuts, micro greens, and aged balsamic paired with 2023 Turley ‘White’ Zinfandel
- Seared Salmon with creamy corn matched with 2022 Turley White Blend ‘The White Coat’
- Slow Braised Short Ribs with zinfandel sauce and mashed potato paired with 2022 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel and 2022 Turley Rattlesnake Ridge Howell Mountain Zinfandel
- Warm Berry Crumble matched with 2022 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard.
There will also be raffle prizes and discounted bottles. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and cost $125 per person plus tax and tip.
To reserve, call 702-228-9463.
Eataly — November 15
Eataly is continuing its Sip & Savor classes at the Chef’s Table, in which Eataly’s wine experts present a deep dive into Italy’s “micro-countries,” each with its own unique history, food, wine, and culture. The Discover Sicilia class will feature wines from Sicilia, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the birthplace of some of Italy’s most intriguing and cutting-edge wines.
The class will include the history, grape varieties, and traditions of Sicilia, a tasting of six Sicilian wines, traditional Italian aperitivo small bites, a discussion of the flavor profile of each wine with an Eataly Beverage Expert, and tasting notes from the class.
The 90-minute class will begin at 5 p.m. and cost $75 plus fees.
For more info and to purchase tickets, click here.
Basilico Ristorante Italiano — November 21
Basilico Ristorante Italiano will present the final installment of its Art of Italian Cooking series, taught by Chef Francesco Di Caudo. The series features a tasting menu prepared with ingredients available at your local grocer.
This session will be a sophisticated take on classic Thanksgiving dishes with an Italian spin. Chef Di Caudo will demonstrate how to make Zuppa Di Pastinica e Funghi (Parsnips and Mushroom Soup with peppery croutons), Maltagliati Di Castagne (Chestnut Pasta with butternut squash and lentils), Rollatina Di Tacchino (Turkey Breast Roulade with sausage and potato), and Pumpkin Tiramisu.
The class begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, which includes all ingredients and cooking utensils, and an invitation for one guest to dine with you at 7 p.m. to enjoy the feast you created.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week: Roma Kitchen
Recent openings in Southern Highlands fill a void for residents looking for upscale, non-chain dining close to home. Chef’s Roma Kitchen, located on Decatur Boulevard near Cactus Avenue, is one of the newest options. The eatery’s original location is in Henderson.
Co-owner Steven Kennedy said, “After the success of our Henderson location, we decided to expand. Southern Highlands felt like a natural fit, as it is a quickly expanding area and one that currently lacks an expansive array of full-service restaurants.”
There’s a cozy vibe with a black-and-white color scheme: a white tile floor, black curtains, white tablecloths, black booths and chairs, and white brick walls; dark wood paneling on the ceiling; hanging globe light chandeliers; faux olive trees; and an 8-seat bar with a big-screen TV.
The kitchen is helmed by Chef Ricardo Romo, who spent several years working at renowned restaurants on the Strip, such as Michael Mina’s Seablue, STK, Mastro’s Ocean Club, and Beer Park, before he and Kennedy opened Chef’s Roma Kitchen on Horizon Ridge in Henderson.
The menu is the same as that of the Henderson restaurant. The antipasti and insalata sections are so inviting that you couldn’t be blamed for making them your meal. The Grilled Vegetable Salad is loaded with vegetables such as warm broccoli, artichoke, asparagus, cherry tomato, and red pepper. The Roasted Red Peppers and Burrata dish is a simple yet delicious mix of ingredients dressed with olive oil and balsamic reduction.
The bulk of the menu consists of pasta, such as Gnocchi with cream sauce, truffles, and mushrooms; tortellini with prosciutto, peas, cremini, and pink cream sauce; and Pappardelle Alfredo with fresh cream, butter, and parmigiana.
Main courses (which include roasted potatoes and broccoli or pasta) include a mix of proteins, including NY Steak, Pork Chop, Branzino, Chilean Seabass, and Veal Parmigiana. Chicken presentations shine with Chicken Marsala with marsala wine and mushrooms and Chicken Piccata with white wine and capers. Other than the steak, veal, and fish, most are priced between $21 and $26, and portion sizes are generous.
The dessert menu includes Italian favorites like Tiramisu and Cheesecake, as well as locally made gelato in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Pistachio flavors and Mango/Raspberry sorbet.
A range of cocktails is offered, like a Cadillac Margarita with tequila, Triple Sec, lime, and Grand Marnier; an upscale bourbon selection with the likes of Whistle Pig Ten-year Rye and Eagle Rare; and nearly 50 wines mainly from California and Italy.
There’s also a spirits locker program, in which guests may reserve a permanent, monogrammed locker to fill with the spirits and wines of their choice, which will be available each time they visit the restaurant.
Roma Kitchen is a welcome addition to the Southern Highlands area and one of only a few Italian options you’ll find outside of the locals’ casinos located miles away. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Dining News
Sushi Roku Offering 50% Discount for Local Residents
Sushi Roku at the Forum Shops at Caesars is celebrating its 20th anniversary and offering 50% off its entire menu to locals from November 11 through the 14.
The menu includes signature sushi rolls, seafood, robata skewers, and Japanese-inspired dishes. Guests must show proof of residency to receive the discount.
La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway Serving Special Prix Fixe During F1 Weekend
Renowned restaurateurs Jenna and Michael Morton’s La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas will offer a grand prix fixe four-course menu during F1 race weekend, November 22 through 24.
Priced at $175 per person, the menu includes a choice of Hamachi and Tuna Crudo with pickled cucumber and truffle ponzu or Baby Kale Salad with shaved apples and goat cheese topped with an almond vinaigrette; four-ounce Lobster Tail with roasted tomato risotto and broccolini; choice of eight-ounce Filet Mignon with creamy white polenta and mushroom fondue, seven-ounce Sea Bass with asparagus and half-boneless cioppino broth, or Roasted Chicken with baby heirloom beets and lemon butter; and chef’s selected dessert items.
In addition, La Cave will extend its all-you-can-eat butler-style tray passed brunch, priced at $69, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For an additional $64, it will offer bottomless Kete Botanical spritzes and bottomless champagne from the prestigious French wine house Collet.
Top of the World Serving Dutch-themed Prix Fixe During F1 Weekend
Top of the World steakhouse towering 844 feet above the Las Vegas Strip inside The STRAT, will offer The Champion’s Tasting Menu during the F1 race weekend Nov. 21-24.
The four-course prix fixe menu draws inspiration from the Netherlands, home of the reigning three-time world champion and defending Las Vegas race winner Max Verstappen. Priced at $90 per person, it includes Bitterballen—fried beef meatballs with spicy mustard bechamel; Stamppot—rookworst sausage with potato, turnip, sauerkraut, kale and horseradish; Lekkerbekje and Frietjes—beer-battered cod, fried potatoes, roasted garlic aioli, curry sauce, and malt vinegar aioli; and Slagroomtaart—lemon sponge cake served with Chantilly cream and fresh berries.
Echo & Rig Offering Annual Thanksgiving Feast
Echo & Rig will offer its annual Thanksgiving Feast, featuring oven-ready turkey from Diestel Family Ranch and heat-and-serve sides to serve at your home.
The full menu, which serves 6-8 and is priced at $265, includes oven-ready Diestel Farms whole turkey (14-16 lbs), brown sugar yams, roasted autumn vegetables, dinner rolls, traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. All sides are pre-cooked, and instructions for heating are included. All items are also available à la carte.
Pickup will be only at the Echo & Rig Las Vegas location at Tivoli Village. Available pick-up times are Wednesday, November 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday, November 28, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
To place your order and reserve your pick-up time, visit www.echoandrig.com/thanksgiving.
Entertainment News
Helldorado Days Rodeo — November 8-9
The Helldorado Days Rodeo (formerly known as Las Vegas Days Rodeo), an annual cowboy-themed event celebrating Las Vegas’ tribute to the Wild West with two nights of rodeo, will be held at the CORE Arena outdoor equestrian center adjacent to the Plaza Hotel & Casino.
The rodeo will begin at 6 p.m. each night and feature seven events: breakaway, bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, and bareback riding. The Helldorado Days Rodeo also features related western-themed events, like mutton busting and a Whiskerino contest, and a historical exhibit area.
General admission to the rodeo is free, but reservations are recommended and are available online. Guaranteed, elevated VIP seating for $20 per ticket plus taxes is also available for purchase online. For more info on the rodeo and other events, click here.
