Here is a roundup of the latest restaurant news in the Las Vegas valley:
1. IKEA is celebrating summer and the longest day of the year with its annual Midsummer Smorgasboard on June 21 at participating stores. The menu includes mustard and dill herrings, eggs with Najad salmon, marinated salmon with salmon sauce, pickled cucumber, red skin potato salad, cabbage salad, shrimp salad, Swedish and chicken meatballs and Lingonberries, boiled potatoes with dill butter, fresh strawberries with cream strawberry cake, chocolate gooey cake and more. Tickets for IKEA’s all-you-can-eat buffet are available for only $16.99 per person / $4.99 for kids 12 and under, or at a discounted rate for IKEA FAMILY members ($12.99 per person / $2.99 for kids 12 and under). Seating is limited, so those who are interested are encouraged to purchase tickets early at their local IKEA store.
2. VegeNation and SecretBurger have teamed up for an event on June 23. Chef Donald is passionate about disrupting what people think about vegan food, so he's created a plant-based burger even the biggest meat eater will love! Chef's off-the-menu creation features a Beyond Meat burger stuffed with jalapeno nacho cheese and mushrooms, served with a side of loaded fries and a glass of sangria.
3. Eataly Las Vegas invites guests to experience the culinary action of Chef Shaun O'Neale, FOX Network’s “MasterChef” Season 7 winner and author of "My Modern American Table." Chef O’Neale will serve a three-course dinner on June 23, taking guests on a culinary journey through Tuscany with perfectly paired wines and an unforgettable dining experience. Cost is $120 per person plus tax and gratuity.
4. T-bones Chophouse & Lounge at Red Rock Resort is gearing up for the season with two all-new menu offerings including its Fireside Bites and Happy Hour. Highlights of the Fireside Bites menu include beef carpaccio rolls (arugula, red wine vinaigrette, fried garlic, crispy mushroom), chef’s selection of sliders (chef's daily selection of prime beef sliders), fresh lobster roll (lemon aioli, pretzel roll) and more. In addition, guests looking to go big, can enjoy the seafood jackpot complete with Maine lobster, shrimp, oysters, crab cocktail, and king crab. Happy Hour offerings include Caesar salad bites (baby romaine, prosciutto, parmesan cheese), Hawaiian tuna tacos (Hawaiian tuna, soy reduction, guacamole), and tomato caprese vol-au-vent (heirloom tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese, balsamic, puff pastry) and libations such as Berry-Licious (Don Julio blanco, Cointreau, fresh berries, agave nectar, fresh lime juice), White Cosmo (Ketel One Citroen Vodka, white cranberry juice, Cointreau, fresh lime juice), and Black Pearl (Malibu coconut rum, Grand Marnier, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, ginger beer).
5. Rock & Reilly’s is offering a brand-new weekend brunch. All entrees are pieces at either $10, $11 or $12. Traditional breakfast favorites include 3 Eggs & Bacon; French Toast; the Breakfast Burrito; Corned Beef Hash; a variety of Benedicts; a quinoa bowl with eggs; Irish nachos; Reilly’s Caesar salad; Margherita flatbread; and the All-American Reilly Cheeseburger. Served 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
6. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand has partnered with Twist by Pierre Gagnaire at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas to bring an exclusive, chef-driven culinary experience to guests for one-night only at Twist on Thursday, June 27. Guests will enjoy a collaborative, five-course tasting menu jointly created by John Miranda, Twist’s chef de cuisine, and Jimmy Lisnard, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon’s executive chef. A wine pairing also will be available for an additional cost. Cost is $350 per person plus tax and gratuity.
7. Fergusons Downtown continues its unique monthly beverage experience, Pour in the Alley with a night under the stars with: Rum in in the Alley on June 29, from 7-10 p.m., tickets are $30 and up; Rose and Champagne in the Alley on July 27 from 7-10 p.m., tickets are $30 and up; Kombucha in the Alley on August 10 from 5-9 p.m., tickets are $20 and up. Pour in the Alley takes place at 1031 Fremont St. Tickets are available at fergusonsdowntown.com.
8. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar has introduced new loaded fajitas. Guests can choose sirloin steak, chick or shrimp, served on a sizzling skillet and smothered with a hearty serving of hot queso. Each order of fajitas is also sprinkled with crispy Applewood-smoked bacon, and served alongside fajita vegetables, Spanish rice, warm flour tortillas, a blend of cheddar cheeses, guacamole, lettuce, a lime wedge, sour cream and house-made pico de Gallo.
9. Smith & Wollensky Las Vegas is now open inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian hotel-casino. The steakhouse recently celebrated its grand opening with a ceremonial ribeye cutting. The new two-story steakhouse features a warm inviting atmosphere, impressive wine wall, peek-a-boo view into the dry-aging butcher room, intimate 18-seat bar, intimate all-glass private room, and more. Menu highlights include starters and chef inspired dishes such as roasted beets (whipped goat cheese, pistachios, truffle honey); grilled bacon (burnt orange bourbon gastrique, pickled red banana pepper, green and opal basil); twin stuffed lobster tails (jumbo lump crab meat, fine herbs, drawn butter); lamb chops (roasted corn purée, mint and cilantro pesto); and more. Exclusive to the Las Vegas location, guests can indulge in a one-of-a-kind American wagyu Snake River Farms whole roasted porterhouse (64 oz. dry aged, crispy Yukon potatoes, served on a Himalayan salt block). Open 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. – Midnight Friday and Saturday.
10. The first Las Vegas Latin Food & Wine Festival, a street market celebrating Latin flavors and culture, is happening June 29. Chef Claudia Sandoval, season six winner of FOX’s primetime TV series “MasterChef,” will headline the event and share her culinary secrets through an exclusive cooking demonstration. There will also be live entertainment, including traditional folkloric dancers. The all-you-can-eat-and-drink festival is happening in the Augustus Ballroom. Tickets are $151 plus general admission.
11. A brand-new section on the menu at Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar features 8 cicchetti or Italian small plates, including deep-friend Roman-style artichoke, eggplant scarce, Bufala milk stracciatella cheese; baked zucchini blossoms, Mediterranean anchovies, raw Mediterranean prawns and fried dough. Pastas include 32-york parsley taglierini and Ligurian narrow, flat pasta.
12. Big Chicken, NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-casual chicken restaurant in Las Vegas, just brought back the popular Uncle Jerome sandwich as a permanent menu item. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich topped with lettuce, mayo and pickles on brioche bun, quickly became one of the most popular sandwiches on the menu. The sandwich is a creation by Jerome Crawford, O’Neal’s longtime bodyguard.
13. Giada at Caesars Palace has extended its brunch to 7 days a week. This delicious brunch menu includes an unlimited, full-service omelet station with cacciatore turkey breast, Tuscan seasoned beef tenderloin, chilled shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, charcuterie, endless lemon ricotta cookies and more. Guests can also add on a wine package or some of Giada’s favorite cocktails, including the “G” or “Bellissimo” cocktails. Brunch is available in the newly renovated wine bar area of Pronto by Giada, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you would like to submit an item for 13 Tastes, send an email with photos to joyce.lupiani@ktnv.com.
