Building on the desire to bring an approachable edginess to the southwest, lunch means a larger audience for locals and those wanting a destination experience
Popular with adventurous connoisseurs and casual diners alike, Anima by EDO is a creative food paradise nestled into Las Vegas’s southwest corridor.
Anima announced this very softly on Sunday using social media stories–the kind that disappears–not a static post. A simple graphic that said “Lunch, Anima” lasted approximately 15 seconds.
Of course, I jumped on it and reached out to managing partner Roberto Liendo to confirm what I saw and was able to arrange a reservation for two for the launch of lunch.
Lunch is the most important meal of the day
Lunch is an important meal in Spain, says chef-partner Oscar Amador. “For me, lunch is very important because I’m Spanish; lunch is maybe the most important meal [of] the day. And I wanted to, you know, bring here something more fresh: [both] in plates and ingredients, I wanted to do something very, very light but at the same time, you know, keeping [it in line with] the concept that we developed here at Anima and EDO. And [we wanted something] maybe a little more casual and at the same time keeping the best quality of ingredients.”
Liendo agrees and talks about their collective experiences as a driving force.
“During our trips, through Barcelona, as well as Los Angeles, and other areas, we had a lot of fun having lunch,” says Liendo. “And what we found is that we fell in love with the vegetables, with the freshness of the food, the simplicity of the flavors. And we really wanted to bring that to Las Vegas. We’re gonna bring something new, something with a Spanish touch [and an] Italian spin to it. Something light [for] the table that you can share {and have] just as much fun as you have for dinner. Chef [Amador] can translate that, and he really surprised me with this new menu. So we’re very excited to introduce this to Las Vegas and Summerlin area.”
Explore An Inspired, unique menu
A few of their dinner menu must-haves are on the lunch menu, with a slightly different twist from the evening version, but the majority of the menu is made up of all new dishes.
We chose an array of dishes to try, including the Snow Peas and Bosc Pear salad with a ginger and miso dressing, a touch of rich toasted sesame oil, black garlic, figs, and hazelnuts. There is a dinner version with scallops, but this one is lighter for lunch.
We also tried the Oxtail and Black Trumpet Mushroom Croquettas with romesco sauce; the mushroom toast; and the Kurobuta Pork Meatballs with house ricotta.
All of it was full of fun textures, depth of flavor, and interesting combinations, but I have to say, the highlight of the meal was the Mortadella Agnolotti with spinach, pistachio pesto, and parmesan. They hit it with a bit of brown butter and just a dash or two of chili and created perfection on a plate.
My dining guest, LeAnne Notabartolo of the blog goodforspooning.com, said it was one of the best dishes she has eaten all year, complimenting the texture of the pasta and noting that all the components worked beautifully.
Of note: I would be remiss if I didn’t share that the “GINTONICS” specialties (as labeled on the menu) are just as delicious at lunch as they are known to be at dinner.
The Deets
Anima by EDO (Inside the Gramercy)
Address: 9205 W Russell Rd #185, Las Vegas, NV 89148
Lunch: Monday-Friday , 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner: 7 days, from 5 p.m., last seating at 9 p.m.
The feature images are courtesy of Bronson Loftin.
