This weekly update covers noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, dining news, culinary events, and entertainment news.

Events

Emmitt’s Vegas — May 20

Emmitt’s Vegas at the Fashion Show mall will present the one-night-only Paradice World Whisky Dinner.

The four-course tasting menu from Executive Chef Antwan Ellis featuring dishes from Japan, India, Scotland, and the US will be paired with whiskies from the respective countries by whisky expert Dave Paradice, who will lead an educational tasting of rare and premium pours.

Courses are:

Japan—King Fish Crudo Ponzu Gel with yuzu emulsion and chickweed paired with Hakata 16 (42% ABV)
India—Lamb Risotto with wild mushroom, spring pea, and basil matched with Amrut Triparva (50% ABV)
America—Petite Filet with baby kale, pea purée, compressed radish, and red wine jus paired with Eagle Rare (45% ABV)
Scotland—Butter Cakes with Paradice Bourbon caramel and vanilla gelato matched with The Balvenie Curious Casks 14 (47.8% ABV)

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Emmitt’s private dining suite. Tickets are $187.50 per person (plus tax and tip). To purchase tickets, click here.

Balla Italian Soul — May 21

Balla Italian Soul at SAHARA Las Vegas will host a five-course wine dinner featuring Adriano Marco e Vittorio from Piedmont, Italy.

Courses are:

Anchovy Toast with preserved peppers and mint, and Tomato Gazpacho with watermelon, almond, basil, and agrumato paired with Basarico, Langhe D.O.C. Sauvignon Blanc
Agnlotti: duck and foie gras with hazelnuts, aged balsamic, and currants matched with Barbera d’ Alba D.O.C Superiore
Crudo: beef ribeye, tonnato, hoja santa, mushroom, and smoked EVOO paired with Sanadaive, Barbaresco D.O.C.G
Wood-Fired Pork Collar with roasted pluot, sage, and black garlic matched with Basarin, Babaresco D.O.C.G
Sgroppino with Thomcord grapes paired with Maddalena, Moscato d’ Asti D.O.C.G

The dinner will begin at 7 p.m., costing $175 per person. To purchase tickets, click here.

Pub 365 — May 23

Pub 365 at Tuscany Casino will host a five-course beer dinner featuring Las Vegas Brewing Company.

The pairings are Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun dill dressing, blue crab salad, and pickled onion paired with Electric Blonde Golden Ale; Yellow Watermelon Salad with pickled shrimp, candied Fresno chili, currant tomato, cucumber, and mint matched with Hibiscus Key Lime Sour; Roasted Poblano Mac & Cheese with confit chicken thighs, charred corn, and Jarlsberg Cheddar paired with West Coast Junkie IPA; Truffled Grilled Cheese with truffle aioli, truffle cheese, raclette cheese, black pepper bacon, and peach chutney matched with Pilsner; and Bananas Foster Crepe with vanilla caramel, banana, hazelnut filled crepe, and cacao nib paired with 1677 Stout.

The dinner will begin at 6 p.m., and tickets are $45 per person (plus tax, tip and fees). To purchase tickets, click here.

Pick of the Week: Vegas Unstripped, Another Stellar Event

Vegas Unstripped began in 2018 as a reaction to the Strip-focused Vegas Uncork’d event (now defunct). It hosted dozens of chefs from restaurants off the Strip.

While it is no longer limited to chefs off the Strip, it remains one of the best dine-around events in Las Vegas and offers a chance to sample one-night-only bites and sips from 30 of our city’s top chefs and bartenders.

The 2025 rendition took place on April 27 at the Palms Pool on a beautiful evening. While my summary will not do justice to the astounding excellence I experienced, I am sharing a few dishes that stood out to me. (I apologize in advance for those not mentioned.)

James Beard Award Finalist Chef Steve Kestler (Aroma Latin American Cocina) brought not just one, but four different ceviches: Peruvian Ceviche Passion Fruit Leche de Tigre, Bluefin Tuna Zacapa Ponzu, Crab Shrimp Salpicon, and Aguachile Negro Mixto.

Unstripped Co-Founder/James Beard Award Finalist James Trees (Esther’s Kitchen/Bar Boheme) showed off his Italian cuisine prowess with a Carbonara with agnolotti and black truffle.

Two of the few offerings I liked so much I made room for a second serving of were Chef Luke Palladino’s (Meta-Hospitality/Laguna Pool House & Kitchen) Frittelle, a Southern Italian soul food dish with spaghetti, salami, mortadella, ricotta, and parmigiana topped with a fava bean pesto; and Chef Marty Lopez’s (Scotch 80 Prime) Fried Steam Bun with Australian wagyu, black garlic aioli, and pickled carrots.

World Pizza Champions Member John Arena (Metro Pizza) brought his A-game with a Smoky Eggplant Pizza with sweet and sour eggplant, pine nuts, and raisins.

Some of the more unique offerings were Chef Sterling Buckley (Palate) showing his funky twist on soul food with a Uni cornbread with blue cornmeal; Chef Jackson Stamper and Advanced Sommelier Kat Thomas (Ada’s Food + Wine) with a very creative Black Garlic Cotton Candy; and Daniel Schneider (Wild Fig) showing off the wild in his restaurant’s name with Smoked Beef Cheek Tacos with a black cherry mole sauce.

As for the sips, I especially enjoyed a Pink Pony with Tito’s Vodka, Aperol, St. Germaine, and fresh grapefruit from the legend and godfather of Vegas Mixology himself, The Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim (Libertine Social); a Sicilian-inspired Cognac-based Old Fashioned by Gaetano’s Ristorante Co-Owner Nick Palmieri (his restaurant’s best seller); and a delightful Roman Twist rum tiki drink from The Golden Tiki’s Tikimaster Adam Rains.

Dining News

pastaRAMEN Pop-Up at Resorts World

pastaRAMEN, the Wafu-Italian dining concept from James Beard Rising Star Chef Semifinalist Executive Chef Robbie Felice, is making its way to Resorts World for a one-month pop-up.

Launching on May 15 and hosted at Bar Zazu, the menu will feature Chef Robbie Felice’s signature Japanese-Italian cuisine, melding Italian and Japanese ingredients, techniques, and flavors. An all-new menu will also offer exclusive sake offerings from HEAVENSAKE, the Franco-Japanese sake brand crafted in collaboration with renowned Chef de Cave Regis Camus and some of Japan’s most revered breweries.

The journey to Las Vegas is a homecoming for Chef Felice, who worked for four and a half years at B&B Ristorante at The Venetian, eventually rising to the role of Sous Chef and overseeing the Salumi Program for multiple Las Vegas locations. “Las Vegas was a pivotal part of my culinary journey and I couldn’t be more excited to return with something as special as this pastaRAMEN pop-up,” said Chef Robbie Felice. “We’re crafting a completely new experience, one that will introduce guests to a fresh take on Wafu-Italian cuisine.”

pastaRAMEN will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and seating will be limited to 100 guests per night. For more info and to reserve, click here.

Frey Ranch Distillery Quickly Sells Out Commemorative Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition

The Fallon, Nevada-based Frey Ranch Distillery, one of the only true farm-to-glass American Whiskey brands, celebrated a decade of distilling and five generations and 170 years of operation of the family farm with the launch of a limited-edition whiskey aptly named the Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition.

To commemorate the milestone, co-founders Colby and Ashley Frey collaborated with one of the most renowned palates in whiskey—Master Blender Nancy Fraley—to handpick Frey Ranch Master Distiller Russell Wedlake’s favorite single barrels made from the five grains grown on the Frey Ranch farm (non-GMO dent corn, winter wheat, winter rye, barley, and oat).

A testament to the popularity of this distillery is that all 500 bottles of the 121.14 proof Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition, priced at $249.99, sold out after being available in the Frey Ranch tasting room beginning April 26 and within 17 minutes of going live in the online store the following week.

This special creation is already on its way to becoming a collector’s item as others following in the series will likely become. Look out for the next Harvester Series from Frey Ranch, which will release a new edition each year. In the meantime, check out their other expressions (such as Straight Rye, Farm Strength Uncut Bourbon, and Straight Bourbon) at your favorite liquor store or restaurant. You can also purchase bottles and sign up for the newsletter for updates at freyranch.com.

Entertainment News

Palm Tree Beach Club Now Open at MGM Grand

Las Vegas is constantly reinventing itself, replacing the old with the new. Such is the case for the Palm Tree Beach Club, which has replaced Wet Republic at the MGM Grand.

Along with the new name comes new management, with Tao Group Hospitality bringing its proven excellence in nightlife, dayclubs and great food and drink.

Speaking of food and drink, the food menu includes Avocado Toast, Lobster Rolls, Street Tacos, Ahi Tuna Poke, Sushi, Pizza, and Mango Glazed Chicken Sliders; and the drink menu offers bottle service, margaritas, mojitos, specialty cocktails like Base Tan (Flecha Azul Reposado Tequila, Chareau Aloe, Lemon, Red Bull Red Edition Sugarfree Watermelon), and frozen drinks such as Miami Vice (Bacardí Tropical Rum, strawberry, and frozen coconut).

The poolside atmosphere is enhanced by a lush aesthetic along with music from top-tier DJs. The lineup for the coming months includes DJ Shift, Steve Aoki, Frank Walker, Tiësto, Deorro, Kygo, Chris Lake, Alesso, and Fisher.

Private cabanas with plunge pools are available for those wanting a bit of privacy or space for a group. For more info and to purchase tickets or reserve a table, cabana, or daybed, visit taogroup.com/venues/palm-tree-beach-club-las-vegas.