This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
BJ’s Beer Dinner — March 3
The five Southern Nevada BJ’s Brewhouse locations will host a five-course beer dinner featuring IPAs from some of the US’s best craft breweries.
The dinner will include welcome beer of Goose Island Hazy Beer Hug IPA; Oskar Blues Hazy Blues Juicy IPA with Onion Rings with Sriracha Aioli; Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA with Honey Crisp Chicken Salad; palate cleanser of TBA local beer; New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA with Chicken Tortilla Soup; BJ’s Zany Zitrus Hazy IPA with Fresh Atlantic Salmon with rice pilaf and garlic-roasted vegetables; and Stone Delicious Hazy IPA with Mini White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pizookie.
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and costs $45 in advance and $50 the day of the event (both rates exclusive of tax and tip). Designated driver tickets (food only) are $30. To purchase tickets, click here.
Mission Control — March 6
The newly opened Mission Control, 4450 N Tenaya Way, will host An Evening of Whiskey Exploration with the World Whiskey Society.
Priced at $65 per person and beginning at 6 p.m., this tasting of five rare ultra-premium whiskies led by World Whiskey Society Master Blender Chris Barton will feature a curated selection of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp whiskeys as Barton lends his insights into the flavors, selection process, and craftsmanship behind each pour.
This is a 21+ event; guests must present a valid government-issued photo ID at the door. Mission Control’s complete food menu, cocktails, and premium spirits will be available for purchase before and after the event.
For more info and to purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week: Amaya Modern Mexican
Amaya Modern Mexican opened in late December in the former Holsteins space at The Cosmopolitan, replacing the bovine theme with a Tulum vibe.
The room exudes a rustic elegance that transports you to the lush, tree-canopied tropics of the Yucatán Peninsula. It also has elements that remind you of dining at the beach, namely driftwood branches woven into simulated ocean waves, seashell canopy designs in the ceiling, wicker-backed chairs, and distressed wood tables.
Amaya’s menu is the handiwork of Chef Jason McLeod, who has an impressive 30-year career that has been highlighted by leading RIA in Chicago’s 5-Star Elysian Hotel and garnering two Michelin stars as the restaurant’s opening executive chef during its first year.
Chef McLeod’s menu offers ample representations of gems of land and sea, the foremost being the signature Amaya’s Surf & Turf—a veritable feast with an eight-ounce Wagyu filet, 20-ounce dry-aged NY steak, and chili lime butter lobster tail accompanied by a trio of salsas and warm tortillas. The Birria Short Rib is slow-cooked, and so tender it falls off the bone. It is served with corn purée, pickled onion, and cotija cheese. Although listed under the Apertivo section of the menu, the Charred Octopus is such a generous serving of tender tentacled cephalopod paired with chorizo, guajillo, white bean, potato, pickled onion, and lime aioli that it could easily be an entree. Seared Scallops has a coastal Mexican flair, with street corn risotto, lime butter, and borracho crispy onion. The Big Eye Tuna Tostada is Amaya’s version of an ahi pizza but is served on a tortilla with yuzu aioli, truffle oil, micro radish, and onion. Sizzling Fajitas come with carne asada, marinated chicken, or blackened shrimp but can also be upgraded to include lobster. A standout dessert is the Churro Ice Cream Sandwich with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon sugar, which your server tops with Abuelita Chocolate Sauce.
A limited brunch menu is served daily and includes staples such as Chilaquiles with fried eggs, tomatillo salsa, and cotija cheese; Breakfast Burritos with scrambled eggs, peppers and onions, potato, cheddar cheese, and chorizo; and Churro French Toast with tres leches custard, fresh strawberry, and horchata icing.
If you like entertainment while you dine, show up after 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and enjoy the pulsating beats of DJs, bongos, performances by fire dancers, and other entertainment.
The beverage program offers more than 100 aged tequilas and complex mezcals; high-end whiskeys like WhistlePig 6, 10, 12, and 15; and specialty cocktails like Mano a Mano with Flecha Azul, agave syrup, Seville orange bitters, and cocoa bitters.
This welcome addition to The Cosmopolitan’s restaurant portfolio serves as the resort’s lone sit-down restaurant featuring Mexican cuisine.
For more info and to view the complete menus, visit amayamexican.com.
Dining News
Basilico Ristorante Italiano Commemorates 2nd Anniversary
Basilico Ristorante Italiano, located in the master-planned Evora community in southwest Las Vegas at 6111 S. Buffalo Dr, is celebrating its 2nd anniversary. To mark this milestone, the restaurant offers a tasting menu by Sicilian-born Executive Chef Francesco Di Caudo during its anniversary week from March 12-16.
Priced at $68 per person, and served family style with individually plated desserts, the menu will include antipasti of Pecorino & Black Pepper Crocchetta, Royal Miyagi Oyster with persimmon and kumquat, Braised Meatball with spicy tomato and burricotta, Gnocco Fritto with stracciatella and Italian cold cuts, and Vegetable Sott’olio; Pasta course with Rigatoni Amatriciana, Ricotta Cheese Cavatelli with sausage ragu, and Sottocenere; entrées of Scallops & Oxtail with Tuscan kale and Bordelaise and Braised Short Rib with crispy potato and maitake; and dessert of Vanilla Gelato with espresso espuma and chocolate gel.
Reservations are highly recommended. Secure your table by visiting basilicolv.com or call 702-534-7716.
Bramàre Inspired Italian Launches Aperitivo Hour
Bramàre, which means crave in Italian, is delivering on the meaning of its name by giving guests another reason to crave its cuisine with the launch of its new Aperitivo Hour.
Offered in the bar and lounge Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., a selection of small plates from Executive Chef Joe Valdez priced at $9 includes:
- Salmon Tartare with fennel, orange, Calabrian mayonnaise, and crispy shallots
- Prosciutto with Italian grissini, tomato jam, and parmigiano-reggiano
- Cheese and Salumi with gnocco fritto, calabrese salami, and smoked provolone
- Bruschetta with tomato, basil, olive oil, and saba dressing
- Blue and White Chips with potato chips, gorgonzola, and crispy mortadella.
Bramáre also offers a rotating selection of $9 classic cocktails, including an Aperol Spritz, Manhattan, and Vesper.
Entertainment News
Amy Poehler & Tina Fey Restless Leg Tour — May 3
Following the incredible success of their live sold-out tour, including two sold-out performances at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World in Fall 2023, award-winning comedians and actresses Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will again bring their critically acclaimed Restless Leg Tour to Resorts World Theatre for one night only on Saturday, May 3. The comedic duo will celebrate their thirty years of friendship with an evening of jokes, stories, and “convertainment.”
Tina Fey is best known for her nine seasons as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live, her iconic Liz Lemon character from 30 Rock (which she also co-wrote and co-executive produced), and her roles in several movies, including A Haunting in Venice, Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Date Night, Sisters, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Amy Poehler also made a significant impact during her eight seasons on Saturday Night Live, starred for seven seasons as the beloved character Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, and has appeared in numerous movies, including Wet Hot American Summer, Sisters, They Came Together, Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and Mean Girls.
Doors open at 5 p.m., and the show starts at 6 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here.
