It’s time to celebrate the return of an Italian restaurant with fresh flavors and unmatched ambience, a celebrity chef-fueled dining destination that has become one of the Strip’s signature experiences. Giada (855.442.3271) reopened for dinner at the Cromwell in late October, bringing back an exciting menu from food TV superstar Giada De Laurentiis and her team at the resort’s perfectly situated spot overlooking the corner of Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Boulevard. Start with crispy pesto arancini and bacon-wrapped dates with spicy Italian sausages before getting into pasta favorites like lobster ravioli and bucatini with Calabrian chili-spiked pomodoro sauce. Try to save room for mascarpone cheesecake to top off your meal.
Two new Asian eateries are also creating plenty of buzz on the Strip these days. At Aria, the globally renowned restaurant group Din Tai Fung (702.590.8650) has finally arrived in Las Vegas, bringing its impeccable menu of Shanghai-style soup dumplings, noodles, wontons, vegetables and more to one of the biggest, brightest dining rooms on the Boulevard. Warm up here with the house Jidori chicken soup or savory vegetable and Kurobuta pork wonton soup. There’s also something simmering at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian you won’t want to miss and it’s called The X Pot (866.888.9768). Choose your favorite meats and vegetables and cook them in your own customized hot pot with this unique communal experience, and try the chef’s tasting menu for a brilliant selection of seafood and A5 Wagyu beef.
All the Vegas locals are talking about the new brunch offerings at neighborhood favorite Sparrow + Wolf (702.290.2147), an eclectic weekend experience that includes chilled seafood, a wood-roasted country rib sandwich, duck confit cinnamon rolls and a Japanese rolled omelet. Former Strip chef Brian Howard is composing this creative fare especially for Las Vegans, and that phenomenon is also happening in the southwest valley at Heavenly Pies (702.896.0055), a pizza shop from James Beard Award winning chef Luciano Pellegrini. Heavenly goes beyond its pies to offer rustic Italian dishes like lasagna and meatballs made with beef, pork and veal.
There’s always something new in downtown Las Vegas and right now it’s all about Main Street, home of the very popular 2,000-square-foot patio of Nevada Brew Works (702.466.6637). Not only does this hot spot craft its own brews for locals and visitors alike to sample while relaxing on that expansive outdoor space, it’s also serving up Neapolitan-style wood-oven pizzas and bar-food faves like chicken wings, fresh-baked pretzels and fried cheese curds.
Moving beyond the friendly Arts District and into the excitement of downtown’s Fremont Street Experience, the iconic Golden Nugget recently opened the first Las Vegas location of Saltgrass Steakhouse (702.474.2588), a casually delicious place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Share a plate of Range Rattlers, giant jalapeños stuffed with shrimp and cheese, before settling into prime cuts of beef, fresh seafood, or comfort food classics like chicken fried steak and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. There’s something just right for every appetite.
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