Ho-ho-holiday offerings are back in Vegas, starting with tasty Turkey Day deals.
Bob Barnes
In this weekly update, food and beverage reporter Bob Barnes fills us in on noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, special holiday dining news and culinary events about delicious bites worth knowing about.
Upcoming Events and Holiday Dining News
The Golden Tiki
November 22
The Golden Tiki is inviting everyone to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with the return of their annual “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” celebration from 7 to 9 p.m.
The festive pre-turkey day event will feature all of the treats from the iconic holiday TV special paired with fall-inspired tiki creations from Beverage Director Adam Rains. The classic Charlie Brown “menu” will include jelly beans, popcorn, pretzels and buttered toast, served on the ceremonial ping pong table. Guests are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Charlie Brown character.
Reservations via the website thegoldentiki.com/reservations are strongly recommended, but walk-ins will also be welcome per availability. The regular cocktail list and menu will be available. Must be 21 or older to attend.
Locale Italian Kitchen
November 23
Locale Italian Kitchen is offering a special to-go meal for four, complete with all of the holiday fixings for $125.
The meal includes housemade Locale Sourdough Bread with roasted garlic butter; Caesar Salad with housemade Caesar dressing, romaine and garlic croutons; Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with rosemary-infused turkey gravy; sides of Roasted Baby Carrots with lemon and parmigiano crumble, Sourdough Bread Stuffing with crispy pork belly and roasted garlic butter, Garlic Sweet Potato Puree with Calabrian chili butter and Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with white wine; and Heirloom Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Amaretto caramel and toasted pecans. Family style additions are Rigatoni Alla Vodka or Linguine Alfredo for $35, and with added grilled chicken or Italian sausage for an additional $15; and 42 oz Creekstone Tomahawk Ribeye for $100.
Dinners can be ordered by calling 702-330-0404 and will be available for pick-up Wednesday, November 22 from noon to 6 p.m.
CRUSH
November 23
CRUSH, Morton Group’s American grill at MGM Grand, will offer a holiday feast on Thanksgiving served from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. The featured entrée, priced at $38, includes Citrus-brined Turkey Breast with bacon, sausage and vegetable stuffing alongside mashed potatoes and cranberries. Additional festive sides will include Roasted Squash with braised kale and pine nuts; Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Polenta; Green Beans with crispy pancetta and parmesan; and Yam Gnocchi with brown butter and sage sauce, priced at $16 each.
CRUSH’s regular menu will also be available. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made at www.crushmgm.com or by calling 702-891-3222.
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
November 23
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SAHARA Las Vegas will feature a special Thanksgiving tasting menu from 4:30-9:30 p.m. for $120 per person. The menu includes Croquetas de Espinaca (spinach-béchamel fritters), Green Bean Casserole with wild mushrooms and crispy shallots, creamy Delmonico Potatoes with cheddar cheese, Spiced Cranberries with mandarins and cinnamon, Butifarra and Cornbread Stuffing with confit piquillo peppers, Bill Niman Ranch Heritage Turkey sous-vide breast and confit leg served with traditional gravy and Postres (pecan brownie, pumpkin cream puff, apple cinnamon roll cake).
The regular dinner menu will also be available. For more information or to make a reservation, click here.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib
November 26-29
Lawry’s Holiday Theater will make its grand holiday homecoming with showings Nov. 26-29 at Lawry’s The Prime Rib, as guests can enjoy Lawry’s cuisine while taking a journey back to Yuletide in Victorian England at the Cratchit home with a live performance of Dickens’ classic tale. The menu features a Spinning Bowl Salad with fresh sourdough bread; choice of 8-oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef, Oven-roasted Salmon or Vegetarian Entrée of the Day all served with accompaniments; chef’s choice of dessert; and LavAzza Coffee and Harney & Sons Tea.
Showings of the holiday dinner theater are at 6 p.m. with adult tickets for $115 and $69 for children under 12. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing Michelle Rizzo at mrizzo@lawrysonline.com, or calling 702-893-2223 (ext. 205).
WhiskyFest Las Vegas
December 2
Whisky Advocate will host WhiskyFest Las Vegas at Resorts World.
Held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the event will offer an opportunity to sample hundreds of whiskies from around the world—including single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, rye, Tennessee, Japanese, Canadian, French, Taiwanese and craft-distilled whiskies—with distillery representatives on hand at their pouring booths. Tickets include a commemorative Glencairn crystal nosing glass, program booklet, gift bag, admission to educational seminars on a first come basis, a gourmet buffet served throughout the evening and hundreds of whiskies to sample.
General admission tickets are $295 and VIP (with early admission at 5:30 p.m.) are $375. For more info and to purchase tickets visit https://whiskyadvocate.com/whiskyfest/las-vegas.
More Holiday Dining News and Delicious Bites Around Las Vegas
LAVO’s Party Brunch
LAVO’s Party Brunch Is Back
LAVO’s Party Brunch at The Palazzo has returned for the fall and winter seasons until the pool season resumes in March. Served every Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. with the expansive terrace overlooking the Vegas Strip opening at noon and the main room at 1 p.m.
New over-the-top offerings this year include Waffle Abbondanza, a giant waffle brunch board filled with waffles, chicken, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, fresh fruit and all of the toppings; Giant Flaming Dutch Pancake with Cointreau-macerated peaches, seasonal fresh fruit and meringue; and Cornetto Gigante, a royal icing glazed giant croissant with raspberries and gold leaf. For sipping with friends, the Candyland Chalice includes an entire bottle of Absolut Elyx Vodka, Pama Pomegranate Liqueur, pineapple, lemon, Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit and Fever Tree Ginger Beer presented in a giant ice snifter with assorted candy garnishes and cotton candy.
The Vegas Dinner Show Lives On
The Vegas dinner show was a staple back in the 1950s to 1970s, and while it’s mainly a thing of the past, there are a handful of dinner/show packages to be found, including these two options.
Buddy V’s Ristorante
Buddy V’s Ristorante and Atomic Saloon Show Package
Buddy V’s Ristorante and Atomic Saloon Show, both at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, have joined forces to offer an exclusive dinner and a show package for all performances Tuesday-Saturday evenings for the combined price of $200 per ticket.
The menu includes a welcome cocktail, antipasto choice of Caesar Salad, Tomato & Basil Soup, Grandma’s Meatballs, Smoked Ricotta, Toscano Salad or Calamari; entrée choice of Rigatoni Bolognese, Shrimp Scampi, Cavatelli con Burrata, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Grilled Salmon, Chicken Piccata or Chicken Marsala; and dessert choice of Cannoli, Tiramisu or Cookies & Cream Cheesecake. Showgoers have the option to dine pre- or post-show, with pre-show beginning at 5 p.m. available for the 9:30 p.m. show only. Buddy V’s also offers the full menu for guests wishing to order other favorites.
Package tickets are available by calling the Spiegelworld Call Center at 888-966-0404 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Firelight Barn
Family Dinner Show
The Firelight Barn is a family operation offering performances by the Jackson Family along with an optional dinner. Located at 546 S Boulder Hwy in Henderson, the décor of the showroom/dining room invokes an Old West feel, with backdrops of a jail, saloon, livery stable, trading post and rustic phone spool wood tables.
The music for the most part is country, as the four multi-talented family members, known as Mama’s Wranglers, play the fiddle, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, drums, keyboard and bass and in addition to the singing you might see some clogging/tap dancing. The meal, catered by Boulder City’s Fox Smokehouse BBQ, consists of Pulled Pork Sandwich with Cowboy Beans, Caesar Salad, beverage and dessert, but you can opt for a chicken or vegetarian meal.
Tickets are $26 (with discounts for veterans and children) and an additional $14.50 for the dinner. Purchasing tickets in advance is required. For more info, the show schedule and to purchase tickets visit www.firelightbarn.com or call 702-518-7464.
The Sand Dollar Lounge
The Sand Dollar Lounge Miracle on Spring Mountain and Sippin’ Santa on Main
The Sand Dollar Lounge is bringing the holiday cheer to Las Vegas with the return of its annual Miracle on Spring Mountain and Sippin’ Santa On Main running from Nov. 20-Dec. 31. The nostalgic holiday experience is complete with themed cocktails and nearly $100,000 worth of over-the-top holiday decorations that are in itself worth showing up to view the spectacle. Returning for its fourth year at The Sand Dollar Lounge, in addition to the Winter Wonderland décor there will be nightly entertainment, pizza pop-ups with celebrated local chefs and festive cocktails served in specially-made holiday glassware which will be available for purchase. The cocktail menu will include:
- Christmapolitan—Vodka, Elderflower, Dry Vermouth, Spiced Cranberry Sauce, Fresh Lime, Rosemary, Absinthe Mist
- Marshmallows & Unicorns—Gin, Vanilla Liqueur, Velvet Falernum, Cherry Liqueur, Cardamon, Black Pepper, Marshmallow, Lemon, Egg White, Tiki Bitters, Soda
- Jingle Balls Nog—Cognac, Cream Sherry, Almond Milk, Cream, Egg, Vanilla, Nutmeg
- Yippee Ki Yay Mother F****r!—Barbados Rum, Rhum Agricole, Trinidad Overproof Rum, Ube and Coconut Orgeat, Acid-Adjusted Pineapple Juice
Returning for the second year at The Sand Dollar Downtown at The Plaza Hotel & Casino, Sippin’ Santa On Main will have guests saying “Aloha” from the North Pole, with a tropical, relaxed, well-tanned spin-off of the Miracle holiday experience. Featured will be tiki-inspired cocktails and kitschy décor (imagine Santa on a surfboard instead of a sleigh and palm trees instead of pine). The cocktail menu will include:
- Surf Nut—Gold Puerto Rican Rum, Apricot Brandy, Fresh Lime, Caribbean-Spiced Coconut Water, Cream of Coconut
- Sharkey’s First Christmas—Vodka, Aquavit, Melon and Walnut Liqueurs, Fresh Lime and Pineapple Juices
- Jingle Bird—Bourbon, Pineapple Rum, Apertif, Fresh Lime, Pineapple, Jingle Mix
- Yule Tide—Tequila, Applejack, Fresh Lime, Maple-Cranberry Syrup
