This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.
Events
Fogo de Chão — January 16
Fogo de Chão will host a Wagyu & Wine tasting event featuring a side-by-side tasting of ribeye and wagyu ribeye with South American wines.
Held in the Bar Fogo area from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and priced at $49 per person, included are bar bites, a tasting of ribeye and wagyu ribeye, and three 3-ounce pours of your choice from four select wines.
Bar bites include passed appetizers of Beef Empanadas, Brazilian Deviled Eggs, Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Steak, Black Pepper Candied Bacon, and Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese balls), and a side by side tasting of Ribeye and Wagyu Ribeye (2 oz each).
The wines poured are Jorjao Malbec, Eulila Red Blend, O’Leao Red Blend, and Sonhadores Cabernet.
To reserve and purchase tickets, click here.
The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails — January 29
The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at The Cosmopolitan will celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake in style, honoring the traditions of craftsmanship and refinement with more than a dozen premium Japanese whiskies.
The whiskies offered include Akashi White Oak, Yame 10 Year, Yamazaki 18 Year, and Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 21 Year, among others.
The Barbershop will also be serving two Japanese whisky cocktails made with Suntory Toki Japanese whisky: Danger, with Suntory Toki, Cointreau, and City Lights Cherry Lemon Shine; and Six String Sling, a twist on an Old Fashioned featuring Suntory Toki, Drambuie, and Angostura bitters served over flavored guitar-shaped ice in a glass with a commemorative guitar pick. Both cocktails are priced at $18.
Pick of the Week: Don’s Prime
Don’s Prime was one of the original restaurants to open at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in late 2023 and one of two steakhouses gracing the resort.
It’s a bit like going back in time, as the ambiance exudes old-school elegance, class and service, with three color-themed dining rooms (green, blue and red), a semi-circular bar displaying a plethora of fine whiskies, marble pillars, plush furnishings, white linen tablecloths, soft lighting, and tableside service of desserts such as Chocolate Mousse and Grand Marnier Souffle.
The kitchen is in excellent hands, for the very accomplished Executive Chef Patrick Munster is at the helm. The CIA-Hyde Park graduate has quite an impressive resume and brings a wealth of steakhouse experience, having previously earned accolades for his work at SW Steakhouse at Wynn (where he spent 10 years), One Steakhouse at Virgin Hotels, and Main Street Provisions (where he was named “Chef of the Year” in The 2022 EATER Awards).
I opted for the Snake River Farms American Wagyu NY 10-ounce strip steak upon Chef Patrick’s suggestion. I was also treated to a taste of the Cross Creek Wagyu, sourced from 100% Japanese beef raised in Colorado, both of which were as good a steak as I’ve ever experienced. The wagyu steaks are dry-aged in-house for 30-45 days and are so flavorful that sauces are not needed, but if you are so inclined, you can select from peppercorn, bearnaise, chimichurri, bordelaise, creamy horseradish, and house steak sauce.
Other winners on the menu include Wild Mushroom Risotto with black truffle and parmesan; Big Eye Tuna Carpaccio with Calabrian chile aioli, crispy garlic, lemon oil, and wonton crackers; and the Potato Gratin side made with a trio of cheeses.
The beverage program is befitting a fine steakhouse with hundreds of superior brown spirits like a Pappy Van Winkle collection, Eagle Rare 10, and Weller 12, and a refined beer selection with some of my favorite Belgian beers, including the hard-to-find Westmalle Trappist Tripel and Rochefort Trappist Tripel.
It appears the clientele appreciates the quality of ambiance, service, food, and drink, as the restaurant is quite full every night, primarily when one of the many conventions takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center across the street.
Dining News
CHĪ Asian Kitchen Offering Specialty Items for the Lunar New Year
CHĪ Asian Kitchen at The STRAT will celebrate the Lunar New Year with several specialty items from January 29 to February 2.
The New Year specials include SHÉ PÍ Cocktail crafted with Patron El Cielo Tequila, yuzu, ginger, honey, and coconut clarification, priced at $17; Duck Noodle Soup and Tri-Color Dumplings, priced at $45; and Gochujang Glaze Pork Belly with blistered asparagus kimchi fried rice, priced at $22.
To reserve, call 702-380-7711 or visit thestrat.com/restaurants/chi-asian-kitchen.
Amaya Modern Mexican is Now Open at The Cosmopolitan
(see banner photo, credit to Jose Salinas)
Led by Michelin-starred Chef Jason McLeod, Amaya offers coastal Mexican cuisine, innovative cocktails, and a menu highlighting Mexico’s rich flavors and communal dining traditions. Standout dishes include the Surf & Turf, a large serving of an eight-ounce wagyu filet, 14-ounce dry-aged NY steak, chili lime lobster tails, and a trio of salsas; Birria Short Rib with corn purée and pickled onions; and Whole Grilled Angry Fish served with mustard frill and garlic butter sauce.
The bar showcases a sizeable collection of aged tequilas and mezcals alongside inventive cocktails like Mano a Mano blending Flecha Azul Tequila with Seville Orange Bitters and Smoke & Mirrors—a smoky mezcal concoction with a hint of chocolate.
For more info and complete menus, visit amayamexican.com.
Entertainment News
The Docksiders – Yacht Rock Experience
Those who enjoy the Yacht Rock music genre are advised to take note that The Docksiders will be performing their version of the beloved soft rock hits of the 70s and 80s in the 1923 Prohibition Bar at The Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes during select weekends in January, February, and March.
Led by three-time Grammy Award nominee Kevin Sucher, The Docksiders perform Michael McDonald to Christopher Cross, and everything in between, and attendees can also get into the spirit of the high seas by donning their best nautical attire and captain’s hats.
Shows take place at 8:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $65 per person, including entry to watch The Docksiders and one handcrafted specialty cocktail. For $98, guests can purchase the Arctic Bundle package, including one ticket to The Docksiders with a VIP table seat, one handcrafted specialty cocktail, one souvenir captain’s hat, entry to their sister attraction, Minus5° ICEBAR, one handcrafted specialty cocktail at the ice lounge, and a boozy Dole Whip treat, to-go.
To purchase tickets, visit www.1923lv.com/entertainment-venetian/the-docksiders.
