Events
LEV Group Leap Day Menus — February 29
February 29 only appears on the calendar every four years and to celebrate the four LEV Group restaurants are offering special dishes and drinks.
- Fine Company at Downtown Summerlin will have an Extra A.F. (alcohol-free) cocktail with Earl Grey tea, blueberry, pineapple, lemonade cordial, gold glitter and soda water ($11.29) which can also be made with a spirit of your choice.
- La Strega will pour a signature cocktail called The Red Squirrel made with vanilla gelato, Zucca Rabarbaro Amaro, Luxardo Amaro Abano, Old Forester 86, Aperol, black walnut bitters and nutmeg ($17). In addition, they will serve The White Rabbit pizza made with white peppercorn bechamel, braised rabbit, poached organic egg, thyme and oil ($24).
- Harlo Steakhouse & Bar will serve a Leap Pairing complete with a Harlo burger made with Westholme Wagyu served on a brioche bun with Harlo steak sauce, aioli, caramelized onions, market tomato and truffle pecorino, and a half bottle of Stags’ Leap ($45).
- 00 Pie & Pub will offer an Ube Bae cocktail made with Roku Japanese Gin infused with ube puree, Pandan Cocchi Americano and lemon ($16).
Aces & Ales IPA Smackdown — March 15-17
Aces & Ales will host its IPA Smackdown at its Tenaya location on March 15-17. The yearly competition is restricted to IPAs from local breweries and the winning brewery gets the coveted IPA Smackdown belt to keep until next year’s competition and bragging rights for making the best of the most popular craft beer style. In past years this has been a NCAA Sweet 16-style event, with individual matchups and winners advancing, and it still is, but this year it will be a blind tasting to take brand loyalty and hype out of the equation and let the winner be selected solely on taste. This year’s event is also spread out over three days instead of one. On March 17 at 3 p.m. they will stop accepting bracket selections and announce the winner at 4 p.m. Representatives from most if not all of the local breweries will be on property throughout the weekend.
New Restaurant
Wineaux, a “wine market, bar and escape” by James Beard Award-winning Chef Shawn McClain, Master Sommelier Nick Hetzel and restaurateurs Richard and Sarah Camarota, is now open at the UnCommons urban campus across from Durango Casino & Resort.
The 2,500 square feet of mixed retail and bar/lounge space is adorned with natural woods; modern “bubble” chandeliers; layers of stonework; a mix of lounge-style seating with traditional tables, a 10-seat bar and the 12-seat Tasting Table; and retail space will also feature chilled bottles of white and sparkling wines; and a takeaway counter with charcuterie, cheese, smoked salmon, caviar and other luxuries guests can grab on-the-go.
Wineaux’s collection is designed to entice guests to explore and discover great wines and well-versed wine buyers looking to source rare, allocated selections and special wines for their collections. The dynamic and diverse selection ranges from rare icons such as Egon Müller to new finds like Champagne producer Jean Josselin. Wineaux’s expert staff guide guests through the discovery of new wines, either by the glass or bottle for any mood, occasion, pairing or price point. Wineaux will also offer a themed monthly Wine Club and curbside pickup service.
Created by Chef McClain, Wineaux’s food menu is a collection of shareables, snacks and small plates that pair well with wine. Highlights include chilled oysters with cucumber-kosho mignonette; beef tartare with salsa macha and horseradish; Dungeness crab roll served on brioche with stone-ground mustard aioli; foie parfait with a Bordeaux gelee, Asian pear and toasted hazelnuts; and a whimsical almond butter and jelly waffle.
Wineaux is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday; and from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Dining News
Gaetano’s Now Serving Sunday Brunch
Gaetano’s is now serving Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The menu includes some unique dishes, such as Eggs Benedict Cinghiale—braised wild boar ragu, poached egg and fresh tomatoes on English muffin; Eggs in Purgatory—poached eggs, shredded short ribs, Calabrian chili and grilled crostini; and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Carpaccio, a dish inspired by Gaetano owners Nick and Sarah Palmeri’s trip to Milan with Stracciatella Cheese, toasted walnuts, micro greens and grilled crostini. The Frittata del Giorno with mixed greens changes weekly and during our visit featured ricotta, Calabrian peppers and Calabrese sausage. Some Italian favorites, which are also available on the dinner menu are offered, with Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni Vodka and Spaghetti Carbonara. The Avocado Toast has an Italian flair, as the ciabatta bread topped with avocado, two poached eggs and microgreens also includes Sicilian olive oil and bruschetta tomatoes.
On the sweet side are Panna Cotta with Fiori di Sicilia (citrusy vanilla), granola, fresh berries and orange honey; and Marsala French Toast made with Pannetone fruit bread, Marsala wine, powdered sugar and bananas.
There are also beverage options of bottomless (90-minute limit) Prosecco Val d’Oca, Prosecco Val d’Oca Rose, Mimosas and French Blanc de Blancs for $34; pitchers of Aperol Spritz, White Sangria and Red Sangria for $32 each; and Italian themed cocktails such as San Marzano Bloody Mary made with San Marzano tomatoes, Skyy Vodka, spicy salami, Sicilian Castelvetrano Olives and olive juice.
Neon Feast just celebrated the second anniversary of its launch. The first-of-its-kind restaurant guide and reservation app created by acclaimed local author and journalist Al Mancini was curated by top local chefs, restaurateurs, journalists (including yours truly), critics and influencers and is a welcome alternative to hostile Yelpers. The app is quite easy to use, as it utilizes searchable filters and lists that include cuisine types, neighborhoods, beverages and areas of interest (such as special occasion, view, outdoor dining and live music). Speaking of the now-thriving app, Al said, “We now have between 30,000 and 35,000 unique users a month making multiple visits to Neon Feast to find a place to dine, and since our launch, over 400,000 people have come to Neon Feast over 1.25 million times seeking restaurant recommendations. I’m very proud of those numbers, because a lot of people who really love the local restaurant scene, many of whom have made their careers within that world, or reporting on that world, spent a lot of time helping me assemble these lists of recommended restaurants, to make sure there is something on this app for everyone.” Neon Feast is available for download through app stores for both Apple and Android, or you can go to neonfeast.com.
For plenty of insider foodie info, you’ll also want to check out Al’s Food and Loathing podcast, which features the lowdown on what’s new, what’s hot and what’s delicious through his conversations with the chefs, bartenders, journalists, and other experts who know where to go and what to order when you get there.
Entertainment News
Eight Lounge Hosting Showcase of Local Artist David Leiserowitz
Eight Lounge, the cigar and cocktail lounge at Resorts World, has more than cigars and whiskey to offer patrons of the arts, as they will host the debut solo showcase of local self-taught artist David Leiserowitz. Entitled “From Nothing to Something,” the exhibition highlights Leiserowitz’s broad variety of styles and techniques prominently focusing on a contemporary blend between realism and cubism, and the collection explores the abstract with the deconstruction of familiar objects, characters and figures to invite the viewer to experience and contemplate the relationship between familiarity and novelty. The exhibition will open with a private showing from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29, and will then be open to the public during regular lounge hours until its closing at 3 a.m. on Monday, March 4. The lounge is open from 4 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to close Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the event click here.
- Neon Feast – Al Mancini with Flowers and Kegs courtesy of Al Mancini
- Gaetano’s Panna Cotta pic by Bryan Kuhl
- Gaetano’s Roasted Red Bell Pepper Carpaccio pic by Bryan Kuhl
- Eight Lounge Lounge and Bar photo credit Mike Kirschbaum
- Chef Shawn McClain courtesy of Wineaux
- Wineaux overhead of red and rose with charcuterie photo credit Bronson Loftin
- David Leiserowitz courtesy of Eight Lounge
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Bob Barnes began his food and beverage writing career in 1998 as Regional Correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and wrote the Nevada Beer Nuggets column from 1998-2019. He was Editorial Director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional from 2012-2021 and has covered Las Vegas for Gayot since 2010. He continues to contribute to Gayot, writing the Gayot Las Vegas Restaurant News, features on new restaurants, and beer and spirit reviews. He also writes regularly for Off The Strip, The Vegas Voice, Neon Feast, and Las Vegas Magazine.
