This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
UNLVino — May 2
UNLVino will return to the Thomas & Mack Center for its 50th Anniversary Grand Tasting.
Held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be plenty of fine wines, spirits, craft beer, sakes, and culinary delights prepared by UNLV students and local chefs. Tickets are $100 for general admission and $170 for VIP, which includes early admission at 6 p.m. The proceeds raise scholarship funds for students at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
To purchase tickets, click here.
New Vista Wine Walk — May 3
New Vista will host a wine walk at Downtown Summerlin from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Advance tickets are $53.75, including fees ($60 at the door), and include an eclectic mix of wine varietals from 18 tasting stations along with live entertainment. The VIP Experience (18 Tastings + 10 Additional Premium Tastings) is $106.24, including fees.
Each attendee will receive a commemorative wine glass, a tasting card, and a map outlining the locations of the samples. All proceeds benefit New Vista Community, Nevada’s largest non-profit residential provider supporting people of all ages with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
To purchase tickets, visit newvistanv.org/event/wine-walk.
Fogo de Chão — May 8
Fogo de Chão will host a Dry-Aged and Bourbon tasting event featuring a side-by-side tasting of ribeye and American bourbons.
Held in the Bar Fogo area from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and priced at $45 per person, the event includes bar bites, a tasting of bone-in ribeye, and two 2-ounce pours of your choice of seven select bourbons.
Bar bites include passed appetizers of Brazilian Empanadas, Charcuterie Board, Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Steak, Candied Bacon, Caprese Skewers, Chicken Salad Peppers, Queijo Assado (grilled cheese), and Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese balls); and a side by side tasting of Dry-Aged Bone-In Ribeye aged a minimum of 42 days and Bone-In Beef Ancho Ribeye (2 oz each). Bourbons being poured are Basil Hayden, Angel’s Envy, Woodford Reserve, Bulleit, Knob Creek Rye, Maker’s Mark, and WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week: Aroma Latin American Cucina
Given the unassuming location of Aroma Latin American Cocina (inside a strip mall in Henderson), one would likely not imagine the greatness to be found inside from its uber-talented Executive Chef and Co-Founder, Steve Kestler. One would be wrong.
The décor of the eight-table restaurant is what I would call charming. Several knick-knacks represent Latin American culture, including a very colorful mural, alebrijes (brightly colored sculptures of mythical creatures from Mexican folklore) adorning the walls, rustic red bricks, planted cacti decorating the tables, and large windows that create a bright and cheerful ambiance.
Chef Steve Kestler was born in Guatemala and attended culinary school there before moving to the US in 2010. After cooking in Austin, Texas, for three years, he made a trip to Las Vegas. He was so impressed that he relocated here and spent time at Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro at The Venetian, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SLS Las Vegas (now SAHARA), and EDO Tapas & Wine, before opening his restaurant in late 2021. He garnered so many positive accolades that he became Las Vegas’s solo finalist for the 2024 James Beard Awards.
“Latin American” in this eatery’s name is apropos, as the menu includes cuisine from Argentina, the Caribbean, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. The Beef Short Ribs is prepared with mole, roasted sweet potato, and esquites (corn salad); Peruvian Ceviche is a mix of yellowtail tuna, sweet potato, corn nuts, leche de tigre, and cilantro; Cubanitos is Aroma’s version of a Cuban sandwich with ham, gruyere, braised bacon, and savora mustard served on brioche; and Pupusas contains Salvadoran curtido (cabbage slaw) and lomito (pork tenderloin).
Chef Steve also shared that Asian cuisine is one of his influences: “I’ve been eating Asian [cuisine] my whole life, and it’s one of my favorite cuisines. It’s a bonus to share what I like.” Prime examples include the Enchiladas with gochujang chicken tinga, salsa verde, queso fundido, guacamole, Korean pickles, and kimchi rice, and the Avocado Tartare Spring Rolls with chili lime peanuts, apple, cucumber, kiwi, green tomato, and Thai dressing.
The ultimate bargain is the tacos (available on the lunch menu only), priced at $7 for two, which are piled so high with protein that you’ll need to eat a bit before folding the tortilla. Options include pork belly, carne asada, chicken tinga, and shrimp.
The star of the dessert menu is the Pastel de Queso, which the Chef says contains ingredients his mother likes to eat for dessert: caramelized plantains, candied pepitas, guava puree, and cheesecake mousse, topped with champurrada (a Guatemalan cookie) crumble.
Brunch, served on weekends, features several items from the lunch and dinner menus, along with breakfast favorites like the Breakfast Taco, Chilaquiles, French Toast, and the Oaxaca Fried Egg Sandwich.
I found the restaurant a bit tricky to locate, so here are some tips: The center is on Green Valley Parkway, just north of Sunset, and anchored by a La Bonita Market. Aroma is on the opposite end of the center towards Sunset, across from H&R Block.
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brunch is served on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more info and to view the complete menus, visit aromacocinalv.com.
Dining News
CUT New Happy Hour
CUT by Wolfgang Puck at The Palazzo/Venetian is elevating the happy hour experience with its new special: Handrolls and Highballs.
Available daily in the lounge from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the offering features several fresh handrolls from the raw bar all priced at $12 including Vegetable with daikon and cucumber, Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna with chili mayo and masago, Alaskan King Crab with Korean chili and cucumber, New Zealand King Salmon with avocado and togarashi, and Japanese Yellow Tail with yuzu kocho and scallion.
Also priced at $12, the Highballs include Suntory South Side, made with Suntory Roku Gin, lime, and mint; Japanese Elderflower, featuring Suntory Toki Whisky and elderflower tonic; Black Dragon, crafted with Oolong-infused Nikka Days, lemon, and soda; and Harvest Moon, combining Italicus, lemongrass ginger syrup, and yuzu soda.
I Heart Sushi Pop-Up Inside F The Bar
F The Bar at Fergusons Downtown is hosting a pop-up of I Heart Sushi.
Served every Thursday through Sunday now through May, several dishes are available, including more than a dozen classic rolls, premium rolls, hand rolls, baked rolls, and sushi burritos; Hawaiian BBQ Wings; Ahi Poke Nachos; Spam Masubi Bites; and Green Tea Ice Cream.
To view the complete I Heart Sushi menu, visit fergusonsdowntown.com/foodmenu.
New Spring-Inspired Menu at Carversteak
Carversteak at Resorts World is welcoming the season with an array of spring-inspired offerings.
Curated by Carver Road Hospitality Executive Chef Daniel Ontiveros, new dishes include Hudson Valley Foie Gras: cranberry pain perdu, almond, pink peppercorn, and kumquat marmalade ($34); Alaskan Halibut: pan-roasted halibut topped with fennel, watercress, and Castelvetrano olive-tomato vinaigrette ($52); Seared Scallops: artichoke, fennel, marble potato, and baby leek “Vichyssoise” ($52); Colorado Lamb: Dukkah spice-crusted double chop, tinkerbell peppers, and sauce piperade ($82); and Tuxedo Chocolate Cake: espresso chocolate sponge, milk and white chocolate ganache, and OREO cookies ($18).
Entertainment News
The Lights Fest — June 14
The Lights Fest, a family-friendly sky lantern festival that allows guests to illuminate the desert sky with biodegradable lanterns, will return for another event.
The event will begin at 4:45 p.m. at the Mesquite Motocross at 970 Peppermill Palms Blvd., just outside of Mesquite and 75 miles from Las Vegas. The festivities will include a dance party featuring local music artists, food trucks, interactive entertainment, and the signature lantern launch scheduled to take place at nightfall.
Early bird tickets are available for $53 plus tax and fees for guests ages 13 and above (includes one lantern and a marker for decorating), $12 plus tax and fees for children ages 4 through 12 (includes a Fun Kit but no lantern), and children aged three and under receive free entry. There will also be a $30 parking fee per vehicle on the day of the event.
For more info and to purchase tickets, visit thelightsfest.com/las-vegas.
