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
USA Today Wine & Food Experience
October 28
The USA Today Wine & Food Experience will be held at Tivoli Village from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will include tastings of food items from acclaimed local chefs; a live demonstration from Next Level Chef Season 2 Winner, Tucker Ricchio, and Contestant, Mark McMillian; music; and sampling of premier wine, beer and spirits from some of the top mixologists and sommeliers in the valley.
There are several local participating restaurants, including Anima by EDO, Crossroads Kitchen, Evel Pie, Harlo Steakhouse, Hussong’s Mexican Cantina, Ichiza and Kusa Nori. General admission tickets are $65 pre-sale and $80 the day of the event and include a tasting cup, food and beverage samples (while supplies last), access to demonstrations and more.
VIP admission tickets are $100 pre-sale and $115 the day of the event, featuring general admission benefits plus early entry at 12 p.m. For more information, a list of participating restaurants and beverages and to purchase tickets, visit wineandfood.usatoday.com/lasvegas.
Anima by EDO
October 30
Anima by EDO will host an Italian wine dinner featuring the wines of Ferrari Trento and Bertani paired with the creative cuisine of Chef Oscar Amador. The wines being poured will include Ferrari F1 Collaborative Sparkling, Due UVE Bertani, Bertani Rose, Bertani Ripasso and Bertani Amarone. Chef’s culinary pairings will be Burrata Salad with pomegranate, papaya, persimmon, butternut, gooseberry and yuzu; Crab Culurgiones with lobster absinthe pomodoro and tarragon; Veal Sweetbreads; and Crepinette with caper Bearnaise.
The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 and the cost is $175 per person plus tax and tip. To reserve seats email Joe@edotapas.com.
20th Annual Lee’s Wine Experience
November 3
The 20th Annual Lee’s Wine Experience, sponsored by Lee’s Discount Liquor, will take place at the Dollar Loan Center Arena at 200 S Green Valley Pkwy in Henderson from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will feature unlimited sampling of more than 500 wines from around the world, premium spirits, craft beer, seltzers, sake and soju.
Tickets are $80 (plus fees) and a VIP food option is an additional $45. All net proceeds will benefit Lee’s Helping Hand, a non-profit organization that serves local charities. For more info and to purchase tickets click here.
New Restaurant Opening
Fine Company
Fine Company, a new American neighborhood restaurant by Chef Roy Ellamar in Downtown Summerlin at the intersection of Rosemary Park Dr. and Festival Plaza, debuted quietly for breakfast and lunch service in September. The decor features sconces with a brushed brass finish that adorn the interior dining room walls emulating a tree branch. Lending a personal touch are a collection of cookbooks, cutting boards, ceramics and artwork from Chef Roy’s own personal bird’s nest of meaningful objects, enhancing the space as if it were a friend or family member’s home.
Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii surrounded by a family of farmers, foragers and fishermen, Chef Roy Ellamar honed his craft in top-rated Chicago and Los Angeles kitchens before landing in Las Vegas at the prestigious L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand. He later worked at the Bellagio’s Sensi and as Executive Chef at Harvest by Roy Ellamar. Motivated by a desire to shift focus towards the local community, Chef left Harvest in 2021 to travel and gather inspiration for his next venture, with the goal of bringing people together to share great food and fine company in the ‘burbs.
“The local restaurant and food scene has continued to evolve since I arrived in Las Vegas,” states Ellamar. “Talented chefs are moving away from the Strip and putting down roots in the community, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this revolutionary time for our industry alongside my family and friends who’ve all worked so hard laying the groundwork.”
Fine Company serves an all-day menu for brunch and lunch, as well as a soon-to-be-launched dinner menu. The brunch menu is rooted in classics but updated with quality ingredients and technical execution with items including chef’s signature Mom’s Banana Bread with cultured butter, local desert sage honey and Jacobson’s sea salt; Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast with dill-cured Glory Bay salmon, crushed avocado, sourdough toast and oven-dried cherry tomatoes; Green Eggs, No Ham featuring an egg white scramble, spinach, broccoli, kale, mushroom, onion and baby green salad; and The Fine Acai Bowl with overnight chia oats, pitaya yogurt, toasted coconut and fresh berries.
The Share Plates section boasts dishes such as Merguez Stuffed Dates with house-made lamb sausage, goat cheese, piquillo peppers and parsley pesto; Salt & Pepper Shrimp with white gulf shrimp, fennel salad and Szechuan, Calabrian and jalapeno chilies paired with shaved fennel and tangerines; and Whipped Feta & Olives with Valbreso feta, kataifi, olive-raisin caponata and grilled sourdough.
Entrees round out the lunch offerings with a Porchetta Sandwich on potato focaccia with pumpkin seed pesto, giardiniera, pickled red onion and arugula; Fileto Fish with shatter-battered halibut, cherry pepper remoulade, brioche bun and crinkle fries; and the Le Roy Burger, a custom grind of brisket, chuck and short rib with new school American cheese and top secret special sauce.
Fine Company’s current hours are Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More Dining News and Delicious Bites Around Las Vegas
Some Picks for Nacho Lovers
If you consider nachos a food group, or your favorite meal selection, you’ll want to take notice of these restaurants’ creations in celebration of National Nacho Day on Nov. 6 (although you can also enjoy these offerings any day before or beyond Nov. 6).
At The Still Crafts, Drafts, and Eats at The Mirage, the nachos are piled high with the guest’s choice of chicken or steak, queso blanco sauce, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole and oaxaca cheese on a bed of tortilla chips, priced at $22.
No sports bar is complete without a plate of nachos on the menu, and Tailgate Social at Palace Station has its nachos crafted with tortilla chips, nacho cheese sauce, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, jack cheese blend and with guests’ choice of chicken or steak, starting at $19.
At Borracha Mexican Cantina inside Green Valley Ranch, the nachos are crafted with jalapeño cheese sauce, pico de gallo, arbol salsa, sour cream, pickled red onions and jalapeños, starting at $14, with guests’ choice of adding al pastor chicken or carne asada steak.
Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant, located in Downtown Summerlin, offers its “Pancho Nachos.” These nachos start with toasted corn tostaditas forming a crunchy base for easy grabbing, layered with beans and generously smothered in a blend of cheddar and jack cheeses. The nachos are then topped with a blend of diced tomatoes, spicy jalapeños, sour cream and creamy house-made guacamole. Guests have the option to personalize their nacho experience by adding chicken or beef for $21.95 or steak for $22.95.
PT’s Tavern, with several locations throughout the Vegas Valley, is offering Small Bite Nachos. Built on a bed of crunchy tortilla chips and topped with cheese sauce, chili, shredded cheese, olives and jalapeno peppers, it’s priced at $5 (available for dine-in only).
