Dining
Giada, You Oughta … Come to Vegas
May 22nd, 2013
Who’ll helm the kitchen at Caesars Entertainment's new restaurant in the Gansevoort? The buzz in the investor and foodie community is that it will be none other than Italian-American culinary personality Giada De Laurentiis. While Caesars declined to comment on De Laurentiis’ possible acquisition, the move would make sense. Read more »
Scene Stirs
Freakin’ Frog Owner Launches Freakin’ Lightning
May 22nd, 2013
It was inevitable that UNLV beverage professor, bar owner and the creator of the patent-pending C-STEM spirits tasting enhancement method, Adam Carmer, would enter the market with his own brand of booze. Not surprisingly, it’s a whiskey; Carmer also owns the reservations-only Whisky Attic above his college staple, the Freakin’ Frog. What is surprising is that it’s a spirit whiskey—colorless, nearly odorless and with minimal flavor—not exactly the blockbuster small-batch bourbon or single-malt whiskey aged in a sunken pirate ship that Carmer’s devotees might have expected. (Don’t worry, Carmer assures, the geeky stuff will come.) But for now, it’s about getting the whiskey averse on the same page as the rest of us. Read more »
Cocktail Culture
How to Make Daylight's Clooney Cocktail
May 22nd, 2013
How do you capture sunlight in a glass? Tequila’s a great place to start. The spiky leaves of the blue agave have been soaking up Mexican rays for more than a decade, feeding the piña that, when roasted, mashed, fermented and distilled (to condense a centuries-old process down to a sentence), is tequila, ready for aging or not. In Las Vegas, the Light Group favors Casamigos as the company’s official tequila brand. Read more »
Dining
Brunch a Bunch
This weekend, you’re dining and day-drinking— the summer demands it
May 22nd, 2013
Diner's Notebook
Pop-Up Pizza v. Radio City Pizza
May 21st, 2013
On top of everything else going on Downtown, the pizza scene seems to be strong as well. Pop-Up Pizza, a counter inside the Plaza (1 Main St., 366-0049), may not look like much, but the pizza is terrific—thin-crusted, generously topped and creative. It’s similar to what is served at the “secret pizzeria” joint at the Cosmo (which is not so secret anymore). Read more »
Dining
The Big Pond’s Big Fish
Chef Ho Chee Boon’s chic Chinese hits all the right notes at Hakkasan
May 21st, 2013
Generally, the word “awesome” should be reserved for natural phenomena, such as the Northern Lights or spiritual epiphany. I’m going to break this rule, and proclaim that Hakkasan, the new, nine-figure restaurant/nightclub at the MGM Grand, deserves the label. Read more »
The Bar Nut
Review: Velveteen Rabbit
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves at new Downtown watering hole
May 14th, 2013
There’s a new breed of bar in Las Vegas, and I’m hoping it multiplies. Velveteen Rabbit tried to open quietly on May 1, but a few devotees were just too excited to let the moment pass, myself included. So we flocked. I’ve been here three times since, and with each visit I notice a new detail, something that confirms my suspicion that this place is poised for success: the daily punch that keeps me guessing, the latest art added to the walls, the reasonable prices. Read more »
Cocktail Culture
How to Make Tao's Phuket Cocktail
May 14th, 2013
Part Asian inspiration, part tongue-in-cheek giggle over a name that, if pronounced incorrectly, could earn you at the very least an eyebrow raise from your bartender. Read more »
Dining
Special Delivery
Meal-delivery services with a health-conscious twist simplify even the most complicated Las Vegas lifestyles
May 14th, 2013
A growing trend in Las Vegas, health-conscious meal preparation and delivery services offer programs tailored to your diet and delivered to your doorstep. This type of service isn’t new, but here’s the twist: The food is actually delicious. And flavorful recipes (think grilled filet mignon) attract the most discriminating foodies, while respecting their dietary goals. Read more »
Diner's Notebook
Uncork’d Pops its Top, Boulud Greets the VIPs and Ferraro’s at Night
May 14th, 2013
This year’s Vegas Uncork’d culinary weekend was the best to date. I ate a sensational lunch at Border Grill, highlighted by a terrific lobster and crab salad on a fat, griddled corn cake; a world-class dinner at Joël Robuchon at the Mansion, ministered to by the “Chef of the Century” himself; and a perfect bone-in New York Strip at Old Homestead in Caesars Palace. Read more »
