A brand-new restaurant makes a splash, happy hours are hot and the food is always fabulous in Las Vegas.
In this weekly update, food and beverage reporter Bob Barnes fills us in on noteworthy restaurant openings and closings, special dining news and culinary events about delicious bites worth knowing about.
Upcoming Events and Dining News
BJ’s Brewhouse
December 4
BJ’s Brewhouse Belgian Beer Dinner
The five Southern Nevada BJ’s Brewhouse locations will host a five-course Prime rib beer dinner featuring winter warmers and holiday beers from some of the world’s best craft breweries.
The dinner will include welcome beer of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Avocado Egg Rolls paired with Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome, palate cleanser of Bell’s Oberon Eclipse, BJ’s new Garlic Shrimp Parmesan Toast matched with BJ’s 24th Annual Grand Cru, Prime Rib and mashed potatoes paired with Samuel Adams Winter Lager, Mini White Chocolate Pizookie matched with Ommegang Everything Naughty, and palate cleanser of New Belgium Holiday Ale.
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $45 in advance and $50 (plus tax and tip) the day of the event. To purchase tickets click here.
Double Zero Pie & Pub
December 13
Double Zero Pie & Pub is partnering with Chef Gina Marinelli of Harlo Steakhouse and La Strega and Trumer Pils for a one-night-only takeover benefitting Project Real.
Held from 6 to 8 p.m., the menu created by chef Marinelli and Double Zero’s Head Pizzaiolo Michael Vakneen will include Seafood Charcuterie with uni crema, fett’unta and pickles; Clam Diavola Pizza with dill panna, Calabrian chilis and preserved lime; and Nutella Tart with toasted marshmallow and biscotti crumble. Each guest (21+) will also receive a welcome beer in a special commemorative custom-etched Trumer Pils glass featuring the logos of Double Zero and La Strega.
Tickets are $50 per person (plus tax and fees), with 50% of all Trumer Pils sales being donated to Project Real, a non-profit that provides Nevada’s K-12 students with free experiences teaching them laws, consequences of breaking them, their rights and how to exercise those rights. Tickets can be purchased through OpenTable.
New Restaurant Opening
Jayde at 16
Dinner with a View
Stellar views of the Vegas Strip at restaurants from high above the city are not easy to find, and once experienced provide an additional reason to dine at such eateries. At the newly-opened Jayde at 16 at the M Resort the Asian fusion cuisine by Chef Fon Littles is as stunning as the view.
As the name implies, the 16th floor atop the M Resort is the setting and the unobstructed Strip view looking to the north is made possible by an outdoor patio and floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the indoor dining room. The room has a warm and inviting feel with hardwood flooring, light wood paneling and comfortable lime green and brown leather seats. A wraparound bar divides the room and on the other side are video aquariums that are so lifelike I didn’t realize they weren’t real until I got closer to them.
Chef de Cuisine Fon Littles was born in Thailand and moved with her family to Australia when she was 15 years old. Her initial culinary training came from working in her family’s restaurant for 17 years and after coming to Las Vegas spent 10 years at Treasure Island before coming to the M Resort, where she gained even more experience working in the buffet, steakhouse and deli before opening Jayde at 16.
Chef describes her menu at Jayde as “Asian fusion, and you can get favorites like soup and sushi and Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai.”
Well recommended starters include the thick-sliced Cucumber Wheels ($10) dressed with rice vinegar and togarashi pepper; Jayde Sushi Roll ($22) with lobster & crab mix, avocado and cucumber topped with tuna, spicy mayo, eel sauce and masago; and Thai Beef Salad ($18) with cherry tomato, cucumber, red onion, mint, radish and tamarind soy dressing, which is so filling and plentiful of grilled ribeye that you might consider it for your entrée.
If you want to splurge, you can opt for the A5 Japanese Wagyu ($65), a 3 oz portion which you cook on a hot stone. But as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of calamari, the one not-to-be-missed for me is the Garlic Fried Calamari ($13) with Sriracha mayo, which just like Goldilocks would say, “is not too crispy or soggy, but just right,” and is definitely the best calamari dish I’ve ever experienced.
Some excellent entrees include Tonkotsu Ramen ($17) with house-made braised pork belly, enoki mushroom and soft-boiled egg; Pad Thai Noodles ($25) with rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, crushed peanut and egg; Honey Walnut Prawns ($35)—tempura colossal prawns with candied walnuts and citrus honey sauce; Cashew Chicken ($25) with green & red peppers, onion, chili, green onion and brown sauce; and Braised Bok Choy ($13) with ginger, garlic, shiitake mushroom and carrot.
Complementing the Asian fusion cuisine are a handful of Asian beers such as Lucky Buddha, Japanese whisky like Nikka Coffey Grain, a dozen wines both by the glass and bottle, soju, sake and cocktails like the Lychee Mai Tai (with Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, lychee & lime juice and Amaretto).
This spot has been the home to a handful of other restaurants that have come and gone, but after experiencing Chef Littles’ adept use of ingredients to make wonderful flavor combinations, I’ll wager this rendition will be here for quite some time. And furthermore, the portions are plentiful, the prices are reasonable and the view is free of charge.
Jayde at 16 is open Thursday-Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. Elevators are located near the west side casino entrance.
More Dining News and Delicious Bites Around Las Vegas
ONE Steakhouse
ONE Steakhouse Tomahawk Feast for NFL Rodeo Fans
ONE Steakhouse, the acclaimed steakhouse by restaurateurs and brothers Michael Morton and David Morton at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, will welcome rodeo fans during the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) from Dec. 7 to 16 with its renowned 18-pound Tomahawk Feast. Serving 10 to 12 guests, the Feast includes a dry-aged 18-pound USDA Prime tomahawk steak carved tableside and served with six sides. It is priced at $1,400 and requires a 24-hour advance notice to order.
Also offered is the Cowboy Cut Steak, a 24-ounce USDA Prime Certified Black Angus bone-in ribeye, available exclusively during NFR. ONE’s menus also include surf and turf selections, 6-ounce Japanese Satsuma Wagyu, baked short rib rigatoni featuring whipped burrata, fennel-crusted salmon served with marble potatoes and lobster butter, a collection of bourbons and a vast wine cellar with highly-rated varietals from around the world.
Weekend Happy Hours
Most restaurants have weekday happy hours, but those with weekend specials are harder to come by. Here’s a quick rundown of some offering weekend happy hours and some every day of the week.
Park on Fremont at 506 Fremont St. has “Gnome Hour” Fri.-Sun. from 4 to 6 p.m. and Wednesday to Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. with the Gnome Hour special—choice of classic burger or chicken sandwich and bartender’s choice of draft beer for $15; Pot of Fries with classic, bbq or truffle seasoning for $5; Garden Onion Rings for $7; Park Fries topped with ground Angus beef marinated in chipotle whiskey, queso asadero cheese and jalapeno mayo for $9; draft beer for $5; wells for $7; cocktail of the day for $9; and White Claws for $5.
Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant at Downtown Summerlin offers happy hour exclusively in the cantina Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7p.m. and Monday to Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. Select appetizers and drink specials include $3 off house and flavored margaritas, well cocktails and house wines. In addition, from 3 p.m. to closing on Sundays, Pancho’s hosts Tequila Sundays with 50% off on all tequila pours, with a selection of over 40 premium tequila brands to choose from.
PT’s Tavern, with locations throughout the Vegas Valley, offers a daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. and midnight to 2 a.m. The deal is 50% off drinks, including wines by the glass, premium spirits, craft and import beers and domestic beer such as Michelob Ultra and Modelo. Plus, at tavern kitchen locations a 10-inch pepperoni or cheese personal pizza is $6.
AMARI Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop at UnCommons hosts happy hour daily from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in the bar, lounge and on their open-air patio. The menu includes specials on AMARI’s light bites, such as Arancini made with beef and pork sausage and taleggio for $10; Herb Focaccia with garlic cream for $5; Margherita Pizza for $15; and chef’s selection of salumi and cheese with housemade bread for $15. To complement the bites, a glass of red or white wine is $11, a bottle of Peroni is $8, fernet is $10 and the cocktail of the day is $12.
La Mona Rosa, at 100 S 6th St just south of Fremont, offers its happy hour Thursday through Sunday from 3-5 p.m. with Jicama Ceviche Tostada, Taco de Carnitas and Taco de Pollo a la Parrilla for $3 each; Chips, Guacamole and Salsa for $6; the 2×1 signature MonaRita for $17; cocktail of the day for $10; Madre Desert Water for $5; and wine by the glass for $7-$10.
Ada’s Food + Wine at Tivoli Village now offers its happy hour daily from 2 to 5 p.m. with 50% off boards and bottles of wine. Evel Pie at 508 Fremont offers a daily happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m. that includes $3 pints of Evel Ale, PBR, Coors Light and Budweiser; $5 well cocktails; and a whole pie and pitcher of beer for $20.
