This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
Bark for Brews — October 5
The 6th annual Bark for Brews, hosted by Vegas Pet Rescue Project, will be held at HUDL Brewing in the Arts District from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
The event will have adoptable dogs, live music, caricature artists, raffles, silent auction items, HUDL beer, and SoulBelly BBQ food. Tickets, priced at $35, include a t-shirt, collectible pint glass, a single pour of HUDL brew, and a raffle ticket.
While the event is open to well-behaved and leashed dogs, human attendees must be 21+. To purchase tickets, click here.
Basilico Ristorante Italiano — October 8
Basilico Ristorante Italiano will present the third installment of its Art of Italian Cooking series, taught by Chef Francesco Di Caudo. The menu will feature a tasting menu prepared with ingredients available at your local grocer.
This session will feature the Lazio region, famous for its rich history, beautiful architecture, and ancient Roman ruins. Chef Di Caudo will demonstrate how to make Suppli Di Funghi (mushroom rice croquette with truffle aioli), Rigatoni Amatriciana (pasta, guanciale, passata di pomodoro, and Pecorino Romano), Saltimbocca Di Pollo (sous vide chicken breast, prosciutto, sage, and spinach), and Maritozzo Alla Panna (sweet Roman bun and vanilla Chantilly cream).
The class begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, which includes all ingredients and cooking utensils. At 7 p.m., one guest will be allowed to dine with you to enjoy the feast you created.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Rebellion Pizza — October 13
Rebellion Pizza will host Eat This Comedy, a night of laughs, drinks, and a special pizza dinner.
The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with welcome bites and a cocktail, wine or beer, followed by a special menu of unique creations by Rebellion Pizza owners Ricky Lewis and Ryan Perras from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The evening continues with a comedy show featuring Jason Harris and three other comics from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
All-inclusive tickets are $80 ($87.21 including fees) per person. For more info and to purchase tickets, click here.
Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke — November 1-2
Cigar Aficionado‘s Big Smoke will be held at Paris Las Vegas. The evening sessions are from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and are priced at $350 for general admission and $450 for VIP (with early admission at 5:30). Attendees receive 30+ premium cigars from participating cigar companies, including Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente, Cohiba, Montecristo, Rocky Patel and Romeo Y Julieta; samples of premium spirits, whiskies and beer; and an extensive selection of food.
While it’s not a food and beverage event per se, having attended this event in the past, I can attest that the food and drinks are top-notch. So, if enjoying fine food, drink, and premium cigars appeals to you, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
For more info and to purchase tickets, visit www.lasvegasbigsmoke.com.
Pick of the Week: Azzurra Wine Bar
Azzurra Wine Bar, located at 314 S. Water St. in Henderson, is just steps away from its sister restaurant, Azzurra Cucina Italiana. It shares the space with the daytime coffeehouse Public Works Coffee Bar.
The interior seats 46 guests in the main room and retail wine store space, and the outdoor patio can host 24 additional guests. Décor elements include Henderson street signs, an attractive mural of Water Street, communal tables, and a vintage phone booth.
GM Samantha Remer created the food menu. Standouts are Bruschetta with whipped ricotta and hot honey, a Charcuterie Board with a rotating assortment of meats, cheeses, Marcona almonds and honey fig jam, Chicken Pesto Panini on ciabatta bread, and Meatballs with veal, beef and pork (the lone menu item by Chef Alessandra Madeira of Azzurra Cucina Italiana).
Brunch is served on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it includes Avocado Egg Toast, Bacon Bagel Sandwiches with mortadella and Swiss, assorted pastries, and Bacon, Florentine, and Italian Quiches.
The wine list, also crafted by Remer, is unique, with several global fine wines not found elsewhere hailing from the US, Italy, France, Greece, South Africa, Portugal, and Spain. There are about 25 choices by the glass and more than 75 different wines by the bottle to enjoy in the space or to take home, such as Brunello Di Montalcino, Tuscany; Fitch Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, 2019; and Chablis, Raoul Gautherin & Fills, Loire Valley, 2022. If you plan to dine at Azzurra Cucina Italiano, you can purchase a bottle at 25% off and take it to the restaurant with no corkage fee.
Azzurra Wine Bar is open Tuesday-Thursday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To view the complete menu, click here.
Dining News
Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas Announces Partnership with Wolfgang Puck
Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas, a 171-unit high-rise set in a private 12-acre enclave within MacDonald Highlands in Henderson, has announced The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group will be the sole food and beverage provider within the first residential towers. “I have always been driven by a desire to share my passion with others, inspiring them to cultivate vibrant lives on their own. The unparalleled location and natural beauty surrounding Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas [is] the ideal backdrop for culinary creativity and innovation,” said Wolfgang Puck.
The culinary concepts will be open to the public, and each menu will be crafted to complement the venue. Options will range from fine dining in the signature restaurant to casual bites in the bar and lounge.
Currently under construction, more than 50% of the units are already sold; the homes will have unobstructed panoramic vistas of the Las Vegas Strip and access to private chef services, exclusive wine cellars, multi-level resort-style pools, an event lawn, a library, screening room, and a full-service wellness center.
For more info, visit www.lasvegasprivateresidences.com.
Black Lagoon Pop-Up at Evel Pie
The Black Lagoon’s award-winning Halloween pop-up, masterminded by bar industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, is returning for its fourth year. The pop-up is a cocktail experience that pays homage to the macabre with a splash of goth and metal and will haunt 35 bars across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
One of its stops will be Evel Pie at 508 Fremont St., steps east of the Fremont Street Experience. The Evel Knievel-themed pizzeria will be decked out with Halloween décor and serving Black Lagoon cocktails from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1. No reservations are needed, and guests are invited to show up in costume.
A sampling of the libations featured on this year’s menu include:
- Siren’s Song: Aged Rum, Lot 40 Rye Whiskey, Giffard Caribbean Pineapple, Spiced Oat Orgeat, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, lime, saline and Bitter Queens Caribbean Bitters
- Nosferatu’s Rise: Coconut Washed Lot 40 Rye Whiskey, cinnamon, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, saline, and Bitter Queens Caribbean Bitters
- Hex Appeal: Fords Gin, Honeydew Melon Cordial, Lemon, Lustau Dry Vermouth, seltzer, saline, and Absinthe.
Entertainment News
The Conjurors Presenting Halloween Edition of Cabin of Wonders Show
During October, The Conjurors will present a Halloween edition of their Cabin of Wonders show inside The Venue at The Orleans Hotel & Casino.
World-renowned magicians Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb blend magic and mind-reading with spine-tingling tales and brand-new, never-before-seen effects that promise to baffle even the most skeptical minds.
The Conjurors have appeared on TV shows such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Huckabee, Good Morning Britain, and Tokyo MX, and are resident magicians on Masters of Illusion.
Tickets start at $29.95, plus taxes and fees. Guests must be seven years or older to attend.
To purchase tickets, click here.
