Here is the latest restaurant news from around the Las Vegas valley:
1. Big Whiskey's American Restaurant & Bar is celebrating its grand opening at Town Square this weekend. There will be drink specials and more. Big Whiskey's says it has something for everyone with appetizers like wings, sliders, fried pickles and southwest egg rolls; sandwiches and burgers; soups, wraps and salads; daily specials; and kids menu. A special happy hour menu, including half-of food and $3 off select drinks, is available Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. nightly from 10 p.m. to close and all day on Sundays.
2. Momofuku has brought back its beloved Black Truffle Ramen for a limited time. The ramen features crave-worthy vegetarian broth made with chickpea hozon, Lapsang Souchong tea, fresh truffle butter and dried shiitake. The ramen is available during lunch, dinner and late night.
3. Maxie's is now open at The LINQ Promenade. Maxie's menu features ostentatious breakfast and lunch classics, as well as a collection of contemporary deli dishes. Signature breakfast items include Cotton Candy Pancakes, Fruity Pebbles FrenchToast and Peanut Butter & Jelly Tacos. Sandwiches include The Jackpot, which is a triple-decker pastrami and corned beef sandwich with melted Swiss cheese and coleslaw, and The Big Macher, which is a chophouse burger with grilled onions, pastrami, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese. Additional deli staples such as Matzah Ball Soup is also available.
4. The Smashed Pig in downtown Las Vegas has introduced weekend brunch parties and late-night socials. The brand-new brunch menu is a perfectly decadent way to cure any hangover. With Poppy Seed French Toast ($12) and the Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs ($16), socialites will be up and ready for the day (and night) ahead. Famished night owls and brunch enthusiasts alike can choose from $5 Retox options like Mimosas, Bloody Marys, Micheladas and the famed Cinnamon Toast Crunch breakfast shot (fireball & rumchata) for the perfect brunch giddy-up. Night owls can grub on special “Five & Dime” bites, a late night menu infusing gourmet snackable fare with dreamy libations priced at either $5 or $10. Resident DJs spinning high-energy melodies close out the evening every Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. ‘til 1 a.m.
5. Andiron Steak & Sea is celebrating 4 years with a Spring Fling Anniversary Dinner on March 20. Menu highlights include artichoke flatbread, green and white jumbo asparagus, San Francisco Cioppino, Spring Vegetable Primavera, and California Strawberry Pavlova. $69 per person.
6. TREVI Italian Ristorante inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is celebrating National Ravioli Day on March 20 by highlight its ravioli dishes -- chicken and spinach ravioli and ravioli alla vodka. The chicken and spinach ravioli is made with San Marzano tomatoes, parmesan and micro basil and is $26. The ravioli alla vodka features cheese-filled pasta topped with a zesty vodka tomato cream sauce for $19.
7. Shiraz will celebrate the Persian New Year with a traditional meal on March 21. The meal will feature choice of mast o khiar or salad shirazi, sabzi polo mahi (herbed rice with white Michigan fish), baklava and Persian tea or coffee. The night wouldn't be complete without a live performance from Jamshid Alimorad, who is famous for singing in over ten languages! Reservations can be made by phone at 702.870.0860 where only a limited number of seats are available.
8. The theme this month at VegeNation is "Save the Bees." The chef tasting menu for $38 includes a Spinach Salad with strawberries, almonds, goat cheese and lemon poppy seed dressing, followed by gluten free Gnocchi with peas, asparagus, artichoke and lemon and completed with sweet Chocolate Dipped Honey Combs. The menu is available as a coursed meal, or guests can order each dish a la carte. Both locations will offer BBQ Beef and Kimchi Grilled Cheese on Mondays, Popup Taco on Tuesdays, Meatball Ricotta Pizza on Wednesdays, Vegechanga on Thursdays, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto on Fridays and Butternut Squash Raviolis on the weekends. Prices range from $13 - $15 per dish. And, guests can enjoy a Magical Sundae made with and featuring the Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie at the Henderson location March 15-31. Ten percent of all proceeds will be donated back to The Girl Scouts of the USA.
9. Pok Pok Wing at Block 16 Urban Food Hall inside The Cosmopolitan is celebrating National Noodle Month in March by highlighting its Pad Thai Thamadaa. According to Chef Andy Ricker, the recipe goes back a generation and more and uses original ingredients including pork fat instead of vegetable oil, palm sugar instead of refined white sugar, and tamarind juice instead of vinegar.The protein of choice, ground pork, prawns or both combined, are fried in pork fat with the noodles. The protein, noodles, tofu, peanuts and shrimp are covered in Pok Pok’s signature fish sauce, absorbing the sweet yet salty flavors. Finally, fresh herbs, egg and bean sprouts garnish the delectable dish to add vibrant color. The dish starts at $10.
10. If you are looking for a great social hour, just head to Green Valley Ranch or Red Rock Resort. Enjoy an array of food and drink specials available at more than 10 different restaurants from one end of the Las Vegas Valley to the other. From $2 draft beers at Lucille's Bar-B-Que, seasonal bites at Masso Osteria and the $7 menu at the all-new Blue Ribbon Sushi & Grill inside Red Rock Casino to select appetizers at Pizza Rock, half-priced martinis at Hank's Fine Steak and $7 featured cocktails at Borracha Mexican Cantina inside Green Valley Ranch, every palette is sure to find a happy ending.
11. Golden Entertainment is bringing craft beer and craft cocktails to The Strat at the new BLVD & MAIN Taphouse and View Lounge. The design of BLVD & MAIN will honor the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District with pieces commissioned by local artists. The 6,000-square-foot taphouse will combine craft beer and elevated pub cuisine. The 3,000-square-foot View Lounge will offer craft cocktails and small bites. Menu highlights include poutine, buffalo-fried oysters, BBQ short-rib sandwiches, stone-fired flatbreads, brick-pressed organic chickn, apple pie flautas and more. The taphouse will offer a signature beer named the Jaywalker and the cocktail menu will include the Especial Spritz, made with Absolut grapefruit vodka, strawberry puree and Aperol topped with Modelo Especial. Menu bites include smoked salmon flatbread and Maine crab rolls.
12. BEER Park at Paris Las Vegas is offering new weekend brunches featuring electrifying performances by Sinclair Wheeler, DJ Bayati and Chandiss from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday starting March 16. Wheeler will perform at Electric Brunch on Saturdays and DJ Bayati and Chandiss will host Funk Brunch on Sundays. Hearty brunch dieses include the hangover breakfast sandwich made with fried chicken and bacon, a breakfast burrito make with smoked chicken, an open-faced lox sandwich, French toast sticks and more. In addition to BEER Park’s more than 100 beers, the new weekend brunch will introduce several imaginative brunch cocktails, including over-the-top Bloody Marys and bottomless mimosas.
13. The Back of House Brawl will make its debut at The Park on March 23. The late-night foodie event will pair some of the city’s most talented chefs in a battle to create two unique dishes, using secret ingredients delivered moments before the race begins, with only 30 minutes on the clock. Admission to all Back of House Brawl events is complimentary and open to the public. The first brawl will feature Josh Smith (BARDOT Brasserie at ARIA) and Justin Kingsley Hall (formerly of Kitchen at Atomic) against Emily Brubaker (Michael's Gourmet Pantry) and Jennifer Murphy (Gordon Ramsey Hell's Kitchen). All events begin at 9 p.m. with drinks and bites available from popular food truck vendors. The battles begin at midnight.
If you would like to submit an item for a future 13 Tastes list, send an email to joyce.lupiani@ktnv.com.
