New and delicious Las Vegas staples are hitting the scene, just in time for the holidays.
In this weekly update, food and beverage reporter Bob Barnes fills us in on noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, special December dining news and culinary events about delicious bites worth knowing about.
Upcoming Events and December Dining News
Yukon Pizza
December 9
Originally operating out of Vegas Test Kitchen, Yukon Pizza earned a cult-like following with its nearly 125-year-old sourdough starter, and opened its first official location in the Huntridge Center at 1130 East Charleston in December 2022. Now the pizzeria will celebrate its one-year anniversary as a brick-and-mortar space with a neighborhood celebration that gives back to both fans and those in need. The all-day celebration will include food specials, $1 slices, raffle prizes and the shop’s second annual toy drive for local children in need. Fans can stop in all day with a new, unwrapped toy to enjoy the festivities from noon until 10 p.m.
Sinatra
December 12
In honor of the legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra’s birthday, Wynn Las Vegas in partnership with Tina Sinatra and noted Sinatra historian Charles Pignone, will host a multi-course dinner at its Sinatra restaurant. The event will celebrate Sinatra’s birthday as well as the release of a new music collection, Frank Sinatra Platinum, marking the 70th anniversary of his landmark signing to Capitol Records. His daughter Tina, along with Pignone, will share stories and remembrances throughout the event, as well as host a Q&A with attendees.
A three-course menu curated by Sinatra executive chef Chef Theo Schoenegger, who cooked for Sinatra himself, will recreate some of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ favorite dishes. The menu will include Maine Lobster with baby beet and citrus salad; Egg Yolk-filled Ravioli with bufala ricotta, fine herbs, Parmigiano Reggiano hazelnut butter and white truffle; Mediterranean Sea Bass with Manila clams and white wine tomato broth or Veal Milanese and Eggplant Parmigiana with baby arugula salad; and Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse Fedora with Jack Daniel’s milk-chocolate panna cotta.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $250 per person inclusive of a welcome cocktail, dinner, tax and gratuity. Additional Frank-inspired “Greatest Hits” cocktails will be available for purchase throughout the evening from famed mixologist Mariena Mercer Boarini. To purchase tickets, click here.
The Sundry
December 18 and December 20
The Sundry food hall at UnCommons will host two gingerbread house decorating sessions on December 18 and 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. During the session parents of children 6 years or older are invited to join in on the fun and decorate along with their child while an experienced elementary school teacher helps with the decorating. Participants will be guided through the gingerbread house decorating process, providing helpful tips and ensuring everyone leaves with a beautifully decorated creation.
Tickets are priced at $50 per gingerbread house along with a variety of decoration candies and frosting. The class is limited to a maximum of 30 participants. To purchase tickets for the December 18 session click here and for the December 20 session click here.
Hanukkah Dinner Celebrations
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca at Green Valley Ranch will celebrate Hanukkah with eight nights of specialty dishes from Dec. 7-15. Selections include homemade Challah Bread served with honey butter, priced at $10; Traditional Potato Latkes served with smoked salmon, capers, dill, crème fraîche and shallots, priced at $15; Beef Brisket topped with a red wine demi-glace and served with glazed rainbow carrots, pearl onions and sweet potatoes, priced at $29; and Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding topped with vanilla ice cream, kosher chocolate, caramel sauce and fresh mint, priced at $10.
Honey Salt will offer a Hanukkah dinner menu from December 7-9 available for both dine-in or take-out from 5 p.m. to closing. Priced at $52, it includes choice of Matzo Ball Soup with braised chicken and Grandma’s chicken broth or Potato Latkes with house apple sauce and sour cream, Roasted Jidori Chicken with autumn vegetables and Israeli couscous or Slow Roasted Brisket with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato & prunes tzimmes, and Sufganiyot Donuts with berry preserves. Dishes are also available individually, with Latkes and Matzo Ball Soup priced at $12, Jidori Chicken $31, Brisket $35 and Donuts $10.
The Market Place Buffet at the JW Marriott Resort in Summerlin will add more than a dozen Hanukkah dishes to its dinner buffet from 4 to 8 p.m. December 7 to 15. Soup and salad offerings include matzo ball soup, turkey salad, pickled herring, egg salad and matzo crackers. Hot dishes include potato latkes, noodle kugel, tzimmes, baked chicken with caramelized onions, pulled BBQ brisket sliders and beef stew. At the carving station, the buffet will feature rotisserie herb chicken, beef knockwurst and roasted turkey. Dessert will include challah bread pudding, assorted macaroons and beignet black. The Market Place Buffet is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Siegel’s 1941 at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino is offering a three-course prix fixe Hanukkah menu available December 7 to 15 from 5 to 10 p.m. The menu includes choice of Chicken Livers and Matzo Ball Soup or Tossed Green Salad; Brisket of Beef or Roasted Apricot Chicken, both served with Potato Latkes, Kasha & Bowties and Steamed Broccoli; and Sweet Raisin Kugel or Ice Cream. The Hanukkah menu is $23.95 with a players card and $28.95 without a players card.
New Restaurant Opening
Curry Pizza House
The fast-casual restaurant chain Curry Pizza House, featuring a fusion of traditional Italian pizzas and Indian ingredients, has opened its first Las Vegas location at 4700 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 110 across from UNLV.
Made with fresh house-made dough, the unique pizza creations include Curry Chicken Masala with curry sauce, bell peppers and diced masala chicken; Butter Chicken with sweet shahi sauce, diced tomatoes and diced butter chicken with hints of turmeric, chili powder and cumin; Palak Paneer with pesto sauce, spinach, masala paneer, ginger and garlic; and Aloo Chaat with house red sauce, marinated potatoes, mint and cilantro. Pizzas can also be customized with sauces including white garlic, curry and BBQ; and toppings such as chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and marinated gobhi.
Traditional pizzas including pepperoni, cheese, veggie, and cauliflower and gluten-free crust options; baked masala chips; and seven different flavor options of baked wings are also available. The full Las Vegas menu can be accessed here.
Curry Pizza House is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
More Dining News and Delicious Bites Around Las Vegas
Ellis Island Ellis Family Holiday Nog
The Ellis Island Casino‘s yearly Ellis Family Holiday Nog, now in its 21st year of commercial production, is now available for purchase.
The dairy-based beverage was made with 2,000 eggs, 275 gallons of spirits and a few secret ingredients to produce 5,800 bottles.
The closely guarded family recipe has a tradition that began when Ellis Island owner Gary Ellis’ grandfather, Frank Ellis, Sr., learned about the recipe from a fellow passenger on a ship taking him from Italy to the US back in 1953. In the 1980s, after his grandfather passed away, Gary Ellis found the recipe and began making small batches in his home kitchen and it is now produced at the company’s Silver Reef Brewing Company in St. George, UT.
The Holiday Nog is available by the glass ($10) or by the bottle ($40) and can be purchased until it’s sold out at Ellis Island Casino, the Mt. Charleston Lodge or any of the 14 Village Pub locations.
