On the Strip: Sugarcane

Chef Timon Balloo’s Sugarcane raw bar grill (The Venetian, 702.414.2263) serves some of the most eclectic and exciting cuisine on the Las Vegas Strip. The delicious innovations begin with the open and airy restaurant’s everyday brunch menu, a favorite of business travelers looking for more than a quick coffee on the way to the convention.

Avocado toast, crispy smashed potatoes, steak frites and tomato burrata salad are better ways to start a day in Vegas. Return for happy hour when fresh oysters, mini salmon poke bowls and bacon-wrapped dates are perfect cocktail complements. Gather the gang for dinner when you’ll need partners to attack chilled seafood towers and share items from the menu of ceviches and crudos.

As for other small plates like crispy duck leg confit with a waffle and mustard maple sauce or Korean-style beef short ribs with kimchi pickles, well, you might want to keep those to yourself. There’s no end to the creativity coming out of this kitchen, so be ready for intense flavors. –Brock Radke

Off the Strip: Valencian Gold

The valley’s newest fast-casual concept Valencian Gold (7960 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702.776.7707) focuses on paella and other Spanish foods prepared along an assembly line of fresh ingredients. First, choose a paella base (chicken, seafood, mushroom-chickpea or harvest grains) and then greens (arugula, romaine, spinach, supergreens). Next, load up on protein (grilled chicken, steak, lamb, shrimp, beans or vegan ratatouille). There are also several items to top paella bowls, including a delicious charred broccoli dip with Manchego and Parmesan cheeses. –Leslie Ventura

#trending: Catch

Catch (Aria, 877.230.2742) quickly established itself as one of the Strip’s spots to see and be seen, and especially as a new Vegas Instagram hotbed. But don’t let those extracurricular activities outshine the food. Two cold dishes are among the hottest menu items: the Catch ceviche, layered with Alaskan king crab, Maine lobster, shrimp, scallop and mango in a bright blood orange ponzu sauce, and the signature toro tartare, a rich combination of decadent raw fish, caviar, wasabi and soy sauce. –Brock Radke