This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events and entertainment news.
Events
Honey Salt — April 15
Honey Salt’s next farm table dinner will focus on flavors of the Mexican Riviera and will collaborate with Casamigos Tequila with an optional tequila pairing.
The dinner will include a welcome cocktail of Lady Blau – named for owner/restaurateur Elizabeth Blau – (Casamigos Jalapeno Blanco, orange liquor, and lime). The following courses will offer Tlayuda (crispy blue corn tortilla, black beans, queso Oaxaca, and chili de arbol), Red Snapper Escabeche (seared snapper, sweet & sour pickled vegetables, and cilantro), Picadillo Empanada (spicy beef, potato, roasted peppers, cotija, and salsa verde), Pozole Rojo (chili-roasted pork, hominy, green cabbage, shaved radish, and lime), Chicken Tinga (stewed chicken, adobo, cotija, pickled onion, and avocado crema), Nopalitas Salad (grilled cactus, roasted corn, cilantro, jalapeno, tajin, and lime) with cilantro rice and tortillas for the table. The dinner will conclude with warm Churros and Dulce de Leche for dessert.
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m., and the cost is $65 per person, plus the optional Casamigos drink pairing for $35 (plus tax and tip). To purchase tickets, visit Honey Salt’s event page.
Nth 2024 Ultimate Whisky and Spirits Experience — April 15-19
The Nth 2024 Ultimate Whisky and Spirits Experience will be held at Wynn Las Vegas. Events include master classes with tasting flights of some of the rarest and finest premium whiskies; whisky and cognac pairing dinners; an opportunity to meet whiskey distillers, master blenders, and experts; and the Mainn Tasting on April 19 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with more than 200 of the world’s finest premium whiskies from top-tier brands, wine, spirits, champagne, and gourmet hors d’oeuvres.
Four ticket packages are available. For more details, the complete schedule, prices, and to purchase tickets, visit www.universalwhiskyexperience.com.
New Restaurants
Crash N Burn has opened in the former space of Telemundo television studio on the 3rd level of Neonopolis at The Fremont Street Experience. Entertainment options include four lanes of Duck Pin Bowling, several vintage videos and live-action games and, coming later this summer—open-air sky diving on the building’s roof. The venue is family-friendly by day, with a club-like atmosphere in the evenings, complete with DJ and dancing.
The décor stays true to the eatery’s name, with spray-paint murals on the walls depicting Evel Knievel’s famed jump and plane and car crashes.
Great pains were taken to bring in a skilled kitchen team. Kitchen manager Michael Lapena is a CIA-Hyde Park graduate with ample experience in NYC and DC, and Jorge Chavez honed his culinary skills at The Venetian’s Canonita and Chica’s. Chef Lapena says, “We have ambiance and décor that’s over the top and our collaborative chef team has put together a menu to match, doing as much as possible without muddling the product.”
Chef Chavez echoes his sentiments: “The food is matched with the drinks and is not too crazy, but enough to shout out Vegas, such as our burger, which defines us.”
The burger is The Crash N Burn Burger—two 4 oz Angus smash patties dipped in a signature burn glaze and topped with serrano aioli, house-made onion jam, and blistered peppers with a mini bottle of Tobasco inserted into the bun for good measure. Also living up to the name is the Nash-Vegas Hot Chicken Sandwich enlivened with a Nash-Vegas hot sauce.
Not-to-be-missed appetizers include the Blackjack Pancetta Fries—the house-special thick-cut sidewinder fries dressed with crispy pancetta and spicy honey; and the quite meaty Lollipop Wings with a house-made Asian-inspired sauce. An over-the-top dessert is the Profiterole, a massively gigantic serving with pate a choux, pastry cream, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
The beverage program is overseen by longtime industry veteran Freddie Delatorre, who describes their offerings as “approachable, well-rounded drinks that are tasty without being too boozy.” He employs little nuances to take the cocktails to the next level, such as using specialized syrups produced locally by the Dress the Drink company and making sugar cubes in-house that are not processed and melt easier for a silkier effect. Examples of the creativity are Purple Rain, an homage to the iconic singer Prince, which is a visually appealing cocktail with Blue Empress Gin, violet liqueur, triple sec, and egg white; and After Burner with Agave De Cortes Mezcal, spiced pear liqueur, spiced demerara and bitters.
There’s also a better-than-average beer list, with local beer representation, including Able Baker Atomic Duck, Beer Zombies Duck Hunter IPA, Big Dog’s Peace Love & Hoppiness Pale Ale, HUDL High Hatter Pineapple Hefeweizen, Las Vegas Brewing Chantilly Cream Ale, and Lovelady Paleo Peanut Butter Coffee Porter.
As free parking is now a rarity in tourist corridor destinations, it’s nice that Crash N Burn will validate your Neonopolis parking ticket.
Dining News
595 Craft and Kitchen now offers daily lunch specials from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., all priced at $12.
The specials include several sandwiches and wraps, all of which come with a side of house-made chips, such as Avocado Toast, Edamame Hummus Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Craft Burger, Signature BBQ Pork Banh Mi, Ginger Garlic BBQ Chicken Banh Mi and Sweet Chili Glazed Crispy Cauliflower Banh Mi.
There are also three fresh salads offered: Mixed Green Salad with grilled chipotle chicken tossed in choice of citrus vinaigrette, buttermilk ranch, or blue cheese; Classic Wedge Salad with blue cheese crumbles and pork belly lardons; and Napa Cabbage Salad with candied peanuts, grilled ginger garlic chicken, and candied peanuts tossed in rice wine vinaigrette.
Fogo de Chão has launched its new Fogo For $44 menu. The menu option includes the Market Table with plant-based proteins, imported charcuterie, fresh soups, and salads; continuous tableside service of signature Brazilian cuts of meat that are butchered and prepared in-house and roasted over an open flame including the Picanha (the prime part of the top sirloin), Fraldinha (the bottom sirloin), Double Bone-in Pork Chop, and more; Brazilian sides dishes of warm Pão de Queijo
and seasonal potatoes; and choice of dessert including Tres Leches Cake, Crème Brûlée, or Chocolate Brigadeiro. In addition, guests can add premium cuts, including Wagyu NY Strip or Dry-aged Tomahawk Ribeye and seafood options a la carte.
Entertainment News
Chalk It Down! Arts District Chalk Festival — April 21
The first annual Chalk It Down! Arts District Chalk Festival will be held on the 18b streets of Colorado and Imperial, which will be shut down for the free, family-friendly event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The inaugural chalk festival will feature colorful 5-foot x 5-foot pavement creations by local artists competing for a $1,000 prize on the sidewalks in front of sponsoring businesses on Main Street, Commerce and surrounding streets.
Market in the Alley will be hosting an expanded monthly market during the festival with 50+ local artisans, vintage curators, food purveyors, and small businesses. A Kids’ Zone near Dig It Coffee Co (located at Casino Center and Colorado) will feature many activities and programming specifically for kids, including glitter gel, skate lessons, and chalk art spaces. The Discovery Children’s Museum will host local children’s book illustrator Joseph Watson, who will host storytime and interactive drawing activities.
There will also be special ticketed adult workshops, such as silversmithing, sponsored by Market in the Alley, and Horsetrailer Hideout will create a beer garden with a stage for local musicians to perform on Imperial Ave.
For more information about the festival or to apply to compete as a sidewalk artist, visit www.mainstreet.vegas/chalkfest.
