Events
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar — February 25
Grape Vine Café Wine Bar & Cellar will host a four-course wine dinner featuring Black Stallion Estate Winery, a small-batch winery on the Silverado Trail in Oak Knoll District of Napa. Pairings are Market Greens with roasted beets, herbed goat cheese, strawberries, pistachios and lemon vinaigrette paired with Black Stallion Chardonnay; Grilled Lamb Chop with mushroom risotto matched with Black Stallion Prestige Limited Release Red Blend; Slow-braised Shortrib with cabernet sauce and mashed potato paired with Black Stallion Prestige Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon and Black Stallion Prestige Limited Release ‘Gaspare’ Cabernet Sauvignon; and Lemon Gelato swirled with limoncello sauce. There will also be raffles and discounted bottles. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the cost is $115 per person plus tax and tip. To reserve, call 702-228-9463.
Eataly Las Vegas — February 29
In honor of Leap Year, invited by Julius Caesar while in Rome, Eataly Las Vegas at Park MGM will transform into a haven of Italian wines, cocktails and bites. From 1-4 p.m. there will be 16 unique vendors stationed throughout the traditional Cucina del Mercato and there will be complimentary beverage tastings, exclusive wine discounts and food available for purchase throughout the event. Tickets are free while available.
Brew’s Best Craft Beer Festival — March 16
New Vista’s 15th annual Brew’s Best Craft Beer Festival, in partnership with Nevada Beverage Company, will be held at The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin from 2-6 p.m. Attendees can expect unlimited sampling of more than 100 beers from several of our local breweries and breweries from across the US. During the event there will be viewing options of live feeds of March Hoops, a variety of backyard games and food for purchase from an array of food trucks. General admission tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door and VIP tickets (with early admission at 1 p.m. and access to exclusive additional liquid libations) are $60 in advance and $70 at the door. Proceeds will directly benefit New Vista, Nevada’s leading non-profit supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities providing services, training and housing to people living with IDD in Southern Nevada. This event is 21+.
Pick of the Week
Celebrated chef, restaurateur and James Beard Award-winner Michael Mina has had an impressive and storied career, and there are now more than 30 restaurants in his MINA Group. He began his residence in Las Vegas 25 years ago when he opened Aqua and has now added Orla at Mandalay Bay. It’s the first of its kind for Chef Mina, blending the flavors of the Mediterranean and Greece with bold, aromatic spices of the Middle East.
Orla is situated in Mandalay Bay’s Restaurant Row in the former space of Fleur. The dining room has been redesigned to resemble an outdoor promenade with olive trees, a mosaic tile floor and street lights under tall ceilings rendering an open and airy feel.
The concept reflects Mina’s heritage, as his mother is Egyptian and his father is Greek. Chef shared that the menu includes dishes that are the most near and dear to his heart, including some of his mother’s recipes that he experienced during his childhood growing up in Egypt.
The Fish Market section of the menu features several gems from the sea, like Lobster Salad with blistered peppers, avocado and mango (Chef shared that eating mango in Egypt is akin to pineapple in Hawaii). The salt-baked Sea Bream with shaved zucchini and oregano vinaigrette makes use of a clean and simple technique that Chef Mina related was brought to Egypt from Greece. The Phyllo-Crusted Petrale Sole with smoked dukkah, golden raisins and turmeric butter is yet another example of the intermingling of ingredients from the Mediterranean region.
In addition to the seafood dishes, there is an array of charcoal-grilled meats, such as Spice-Roasted Rohan Duck with smoked beet cream, freekeh and sour cherries; Roasted Lemon Chicken with feta and mint; and Black Harissa-Grilled Lamb Chops with ‘yemista’ stuffed squash and roasted pepper. Vegetables come to the forefront in dishes such as Saganaki with roasted wild mushrooms, honey and metaxa; Roasted Pumpkin & Lentil Soup with black kale and pumpkin seed tahini; and Orla Salad with butter lettuce, crisp apple, walnut and poppy seed yogurt.
Complementing the fare is more than 1,600 wines focusing on wineries throughout the Mediterranean region including Lebanon, Santorini, Croatia, Sicily and Corsica with some vintages dating back to the 1940s.
Desserts are highlighted by a Greek frozen yogurt sundae cart rolled out to your table with 24K golden thyme honey, toasted pistachios and a labneh frozen yogurt.
Orla is open daily from 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Dining News
Balla Italian Soul Offering Locals Discounts
Balla Italian Soul
Chef Shawn McClain’s Balla Italian Soul at SAHARA Las Vegas is offering exclusive deals for Nevada locals and industry professionals with proof of valid Nevada or industry ID. On Tuesdays, steaks are 50% off, including the 20-ounce bone-in ribeye with roasted garlic and rosemary (regularly $86) as well as the 16-ounce NY strip with dried tomato and salsa verde (regularly $72). Wednesdays feature 50% off all bottles of wine from the wine list that includes sommelier-selected varieties and handpicked bottles from northern, central and southern Italy. In addition, after an initial visit locals and industry professionals can receive a VIP Local Card which provides perks including access to premier experiences, offers for future visits, access to wines with special pricing, featured menu items not available to the general public, upcoming seasonal items and complimentary dishes and drinks.
AREA15 Launches New Signal Lager
AREA15 has announced the launch of its brand-new Signal Lager, a Mexican-style lager created in collaboration with and brewed by local Able Baker Brewing. Now available exclusively at AREA15’s food and beverage destinations, including Oddwood Bar, LIFTOFF Ride and Asylum Bar + Arcade, the lager is light and crisp showcasing a gentle malt sweetness that is balanced with a delicate touch of hop bitterness, resulting in a clean and refreshing taste.
Entertainment News
Atomic Museum Hosting Event Detailing Iconic Miss Atomic Bomb Photo
On Feb. 21 the Atomic Museum will present “Stories from the Atomic Age: The Evolution of Miss Atomic Bomb.” Held in the Rodgers Auditorium at 1 p.m., historian and Atomic Museum founding member Robert Friedrichs will host a conversation about the famous “Miss Atomic Bomb” photograph of Copa showgirl Lee A. Merlin standing in the desert with her arms stretched high to the sky, wearing a beaming smile and a mushroom cloud bathing suit. Event attendees will learn about the mysteries behind the people and circumstances that led to the creation of the iconic photo and other compelling and intriguing pictures from the Atomic Age. Admission is complimentary for museum members or with museum admission. Discounts are available for seniors (65+) military/first responders, Nevada residents and children under 18. Space is limited and seating will be on a first come, first served basis.
- Brew’s Best event pic courtesy of Brew’sBest
- Mandalay Bay Dining – Orla dining room courtesy of Mandalay Bay
- Miss Atomic Bomb courtesy of Atomic Museum
- Orla food pic courtesy of Mandalay Bay
- Orla cold mezze assortment courtesy of Mandalay Bay
- Eataly wine pic courtesy of Eataly Las Vegas
- AREA15 Signal Lager courtesy of AREA15
- Chef Michael Mina pic courtesy of Chef Michael Mina
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Bob Barnes began his food and beverage writing career in 1998 as Regional Correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and wrote the Nevada Beer Nuggets column from 1998-2019. He was Editorial Director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional from 2012-2021 and has covered Las Vegas for Gayot since 2010. He continues to contribute to Gayot, writing the Gayot Las Vegas Restaurant News, features on new restaurants, and beer and spirit reviews. He also writes regularly for Off The Strip, The Vegas Voice, Neon Feast, and Las Vegas Magazine.
