This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
Borracha Mexican Cantina — May 5
Borracha Mexican Cantina at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from 4 to 10 p.m. with special décor from Espolón Tequila, live mariachi music, a DJ, specialty drinks, and a celebratory cake cutting.
The party will start with a spirited “¡Salud!” as Cointreau treats guest to one complimentary margarita or Cointreau Fizz during the first hour, between 4 and 5 p.m. The party will continue with the vibrant sounds of a mariachi band from 5 to 7 p.m., a festive cake cutting at 7 p.m. and a high-energy DJ set from 7 to 10 p.m. During the party, Borracha’s food menu will be available with shareable starters, street-style tacos, sizzling fajitas, bubbling cheese fundido with housemade chorizo, slow-roasted pork carnitas, chili-lime shrimp tacos, and vegan-friendly nachos and quesadillas.
Special cocktails made with Espolón Tequila will include a Mango Margarita, Blackberry Cadillac, Spicy Paloma, and Grand Margarita. Guests can also enjoy shots of Espolón Tequila Blanco for $11 and Espolón Tequila Reposado for $12.
Hussong’s Mexican Cantina — May 7-8
Hussong’s Mexican Cantina will host an exclusive Tequila dinner pairing featuring award-winning Mijenta Tequila with special guest Mijenta Brand Ambassador Daniela Villasuso.
Held at both its Boca Park (740 South Rampart Blvd Suite #7) and Henderson (3440 St Rose Pkwy Suite #1) locations, the four-course dinner paired with Mijenta-based tequila cocktails will include:
- amuse-bouche of Shrimp Ceviche Tostada w/Agua Chile Verde paired with Mijenta Blanco: “New Beginnings” Pear Sparkling Cava
- Spring Ribbon Salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette and pickled watermelon rind matched with Mijenta Blanco: Watermelon Elderflower Agua Fresca
- Pan-Seared Halibut with black bean puree and citrus jalapeno salsa paired with Mijenta Reposado: “Baja Sunset” Cocktail
- Short Rib Mole with poblano grits and crispy corn matched with Mijenta Añejo: “El Burro Borracho” Cocktail
- Churro Bread Pudding with crème anglaise paired with Mijenta Reposado: Cinnamon Vanilla Spiced Horchata
The cost is $85 per person (plus tax, tip, and fee) and the dinner will begin at 6 p.m. The dinner at the Henderson location will be on May 7 and at Boca Park on May 8. To purchase tickets for the Henderson dinner click here and for Boca Park click here.
Vegas Valley Winery — May 9
Vegas Valley Winery in the Henderson Booze District will preface Mother’s Day with a special blending class for guests to create a one-of-a-kind bottle of Super Tuscan wine with their mom or to give as a gift to their mom.
Students will learn the art of wine blending and create their own unique blend through guided instruction on the art and science of wine blending, while sampling several varietals of wine to use in their custom blend.
The cost of the 90-minute class is $95 per person and includes a cheese and cracker plate to cleanse palate as well as a 750 ml bottle of your custom blend with a customized label. To purchase tickets, click here.
Mastering Bread at Wynn Bread Bakery — May 9
Back by high demand, artisan baker Johann Willar will take guests behind-the-scenes of Wynn’s busy bread bakery and lead guests through kneading, shaping, and baking the perfect baguette. Held in the Wynn Bread Bakery at 11 a.m., and limited to 12 guests, this interactive class also includes a casual charcuterie lunch.
Tickets are $175 per person (plus tax and tip). Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Wynn Concierge at 702-770-7070 or by emailing [email protected].
Gaetano’s Ristorante — May 13
Gaetano’s Ristorante will host Smoke Wagon Distilling Company Founder and Master Blender Aaron Chepenik for a four-course pairing of whiskies from the local distillery.
Courses are Charcuteries with Beehive Bourbon-infused cheese, rosemary crackers, mortadella, and prosciutto di parma paired with Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon; Pappardelle Cinghiale Wild Boar Ragu matched with Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon; Roasted Elk Loin with speck cheesy polenta paired with Smoke Wagon Malted Rye; and Honey Cake and Vanilla Gelato matched with Honey Badger Cocktail made with Son’s Ginger Honey Syrup and Smoke Wagon Straight Bourbon.
Aaron will also be bringing a special bottling for everyone to try at the end of the dinner. The dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and the cost is $125 per person (including tax and tip). To purchase tickets, click here.
Pick of the Week: Cottonwood Station
Cottonwood Station offers scenic indoor & outdoor dining in the historic village of Blue Diamond, inside Red Rock Canyon near Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. The only restaurant in the small town (population of 200+), its customer base is about 70% Las Vegans and 25% tourists, and hikers, mountain bike riders, road bike riders, and climbers looking for refreshment after their excursions.
The interior and patio are adorned with photos, memorabilia, and artwork representing the scenic area and the wild burros often roaming the area, and an interesting eye-catcher at the entrance is an old truck which doubles as a de facto sign for the restaurant. Adding to the homey and unique aspects are heated benches on the outdoor patio and long communal tables inside made from reclaimed wood from the building’s original workshop and garage. Large windows offering views of the surrounding terrain give a feel of dining al fresco even while indoors.
Brian Fisher, an avid mountain biker for 35-plus years, had been a patron of the restaurant since it opened in 2018. When it came up for sale last year, he was encouraged by his wife and friends to purchase it, and did so because, “It takes a bit of insanity to run a restaurant, and I’m crazy.”
The kitchen is helmed by Chef Richard Tapia, who has an excellent culinary resume. Chef worked with the late, legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Chef Kerry Simon at Simon Restaurant & Lounge at Palms Place and at Carson Kitchen when it first opened, and later with owner Cory Harwell after Kerry passed away, before coming to Cottonwood four years ago. Chef Richard takes care to offer more healthy preparations: There is no deep fryer and instead an air fryer is used, and he uses no seed oils, only olive oil.
In keeping with the healthy aspects, several salads are offered, such as Beet with roasted red and gold beets, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and balsamic reduction on a bed of greens or spinach.
Several signature thin crust pizzas are baked in an Italian pizza oven they’ve named Large Marge, with options such as Meat Lovers, Vegetarian, and the unique Pork Belly Fig with ricotta base, crispy pork belly, dried figs, fresh basil, and balsamic drizzle.
Paninis are a big hit here, with highlights of Pesto Chicken with marinated chicken thigh, shredded mozzarella, spinach, and tomato; and Veggie Sando with grilled portabellas, marinated artichokes, grilled red peppers, goat cheese, balsamic reduction, bechamel, and basil on triple sourdough batard.
The restaurant doubles as a coffee shop, as house-brewed coffee made with locally roasted coffee beans and organic loose-leaf teas are joined with a variety of scones, muffins, turnovers, and other baked goods baked in-house daily. There are also breakfast items like Breakfast Plate (eggs, potatoes, and toast), Breakfast Burrito, Pancakes, and Breakfast Pizza.
The eatery is to be commended for carrying a 100% local rotating tap beer list with beers from Nevada breweries including Able Baker, Beer Zombies, CraftHaus, and Tenaya Creek. Fisher says, “We’re trying to do something different here. The local breweries’ beers are really good, and our customers love it.” A good way to sample a variety of them is to opt for the flight of your choice of four 5-oz pours for $15.
Weekends are the busiest times, and it’s not too unusual to find 20 bikes lined up out front. Happy Hour is Tue-Fri from 4 p.m. to close, offering 25% off alcohol and $2 off appetizers. Hours are Tue-Sun 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more info and to view the complete menu, visit cottonwoodstationeatery.com.
Dining News
Naxos Taverna Names New Executive Chef
Naxos Taverna at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa has named Sani Hebaj as its new Executive Chef, bringing his extensive culinary experience and fresh vision to the Greek restaurant.
A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Hebaj most recently helmed the kitchen at Villa Azur at The Venetian. Prior to that, he collaborated with restaurateur Todd English on a variety of projects, including launching The Beast at AREA15, and served as executive chef at some of NYC’s iconic venues including The Plaza Hotel and Dabble at the Conrad New York Midtown.
Chef Hebaj has unveiled new menu items including:
- Pan-Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with tomato and olive ($59)
- Spanakopita with Kefalograviera cream ($17)
- Lavraki with green tomato, scallion, dill, lemon, and olive oil ($19)
- Tuno Crudo with yogurt glykopikros ($19)
- Souvlakia sta Karvouna for two with filet mignon, chicken, vegetables, tzatziki, muhammara, Greek trio, and fresh pita ($110)
CliQue Bar & Lounge Closing Temporarily
CliQue Bar & Lounge at The Cosmopolitan will temporarily close its doors on May 1 for a full remodel.
The 2,500-square-foot lounge, which is at the center of The Cosmopolitan’s main casino floor and accommodates up to 133 guests, has been open since the resort first opened in 2015. The renovation, set to be completed in early fall, will be led by award-winning designer Peter Max Bowden and the team at Petermax Co., the same design team behind the recently debuted Amaya Modern Mexican, a new restaurant by Clique Hospitality for Gen3 Hospitality at The Cosmopolitan.
Entertainment News
Paiute Spring Festival — May 3
Howard Hughes and local partner Nuwu Art will present the second annual Paiute Spring Festival at Downtown Summerlin from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. There will be live performances of melodic songs from Bird Singers and Dancers from the Nuwu (Southern Paiute) and other regionally connected groups. Nuwu Wonumeegah, a Las Vegas Paiute dance troupe, will share a variety of Native American Pow Wow dances with attendees. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase original handcrafted items and fine art from Paiute vendors and other Native Southwest artisans. Children and all ages will be welcome to participate and create with Nuwu Art workshops.
For more info and for the complete schedule, visit summerlin.com/event/paiute-spring-festival.
