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News for Restaurants in Las Vegas
December 2014 Archive

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If you haven't picked a place to eat tonight, you're in luck. Gayot has all the restaurant news for your area right here. Learn which new restaurants have opened in Las Vegas and which restaurants in Las Vegas have recently closed. Find out where your favorite chefs are cooking and locate special events. 

RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Sid’s Cafe has opened at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in the former space of the casino’s High Limit gaming room. Named after owner David Siegel’s father, Sid Siegel, the 200-seat restaurant is set amid large marble columns and rich tones of gold and brown. Menu options range from appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, main plates and desserts. Signature dishes include “The Best Chopped Italian Salad in Vegas,” made with chopped greens mixed with salami, turkey breast and mozzarella cheese, and the “The Elvis Sandwich,” made with peanut butter, grape jelly, sliced bananas --- all battered and fried. The Café is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sid’s Café, 3000 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-732-5111, 800-732-7117.
 
The Excalibur Buffet reopened December 23, 2014, following a $6.2 million reinvention and has been renamed The Buffet at Excalibur. The 34,940-square-foot room seats 610 people, with a variety of booths, banquettes and loose seating, and features an interactive dessert station and six food stations serving a variety of cultural cuisine, such as American, Asian, Italian and Latin. Located on the Castle Walk near the Thunder From Down Under showroom, its hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Friday nights there's a seafood theme, with menu items including crawfish, blue crab, crab legs, sushi, peel-and-eat shrimp and lobster polenta. The breakfast buffet has paninis --- grilled breakfast sandwiches in sweet or savory varieties, and made-to-order omelets. The Buffet at Excalibur, Excalibur Hotel & Casino, 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-597-7777.
 
After a three-year break from operating his own restaurants and working as a consultant for other eateries, celebrity chef Alex Stratta will open Tapas by Alex Stratta in Tivoli Village. The upscale-casual concept will serve modern tapas with prominent Spanish accents. The 2,700-square-foot restaurant, set in the former space of Pizza Lounge, will seat 95, including 38 on the patio, and will feature an exhibition kitchen with vintage ovens, crystal chandeliers and faux-finished floors. The menu will list 50 items, including paella, daily baked artisan breads, a Spanish cheese and cured meat section, fresh seafood, organic meat, poultry and seasonal vegetables. Tapas by Alex Stratta will be open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m.-10 p.m., and for Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tapas by Alex Stratta, 302 S Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89145, 702-570-7400.
 
Michael Mina will replace American Fish at Aria Resort & Casino with Bardot Brasserie, a French bistro, opening January 16, 2015. The new restaurant will pay homage to the café culture of Paris offering traditional brasserie fare, such as foie gras en croute, steak frites, roasted bone marrow with bacon marmalade and the Bardot burger with Comte cheese, caramelized onions and a bordelaise sauce. Designed by Bishop Pass, the décor will reflect the mood of early French film noirs where low lighting and dramatic shadows set the stage for an alluring and mysterious experience, and will feature an open kitchen, a Parisian storefront and 360-degree accessible bar with counter-to-ceiling brass shelving. Bardot Brasserie, CityCenter, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 866-359-7757.
 
Off The Strip, a locals' favorite in Southern Highlands since 2007, has opened a second location, ON the Strip, at the Promenade at The LINQ. The two-story, 11,000-square-foot restaurant is open 24 hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The decor features a contemporary design with dark woods, stone, brick and metals; black chalkboards showcasing inspirational sayings; an open, high-performance kitchen as the centerpiece; and a large staircase leading to the second floor, accenting the height of the 15-foot ceilings. The menu features signature comfort favorites including steaks, chops, seafood and pasta dishes, which will change seasonally. ON The Strip, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, 800-351-7400 .
 

News Bytes

Andre’s and Alizé Offering 35% Discount on All Wine During Early Dining
In celebration of Andre’s 35th Year Anniversary, Andre's at Monte Carlo and Alizé at the Top of the Palms will offer a 35 percent discount on any of its vast collection of wine, if ordered before 6:30 p.m. The discount is being offered throughout 2015. To reserve Andre’s at Monte Carlo, call 702-798-7151, or to make a reservation for Alizé, call 702-951-7000. Andre's Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-798-7151.
 
Early Evening Prix-Fixe Menu Offered at N9NE Steakhouse
N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort is offering an early evening menu served nightly from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Priced at $59, the three-course prix fixe includes a complimentary chef’s gift; two wine pairings; a salad and soup combo; an entrée selection of organic chicken, Delmonico rib-eye or North Atlantic salmon; and flourless chocolate cake served with blood orange sorbet. N9NE Steakhouse, Palms Casino Resort, 4321 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89103, 702-933-9900.
 
Portofino at The Mirage Serving an Exclusive $100-a-Slice Lasagna
Portofino at The Mirage is serving a $100-a-slice lasagna aptly named "Diamond and Gold." The dish is loaded with layers of pasta stuffed with porcini mushrooms, Iberico ham, prosciutto di Parma, 24-month-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, buffalo mozzarella and Kobe bolognese. It's topped with “foiefredo” sauce (Alfredo sauce infused with foie gras) and a finishing touch of White Diamond truffles, shaved tableside, and glittering gold flakes. Designed by executive chef Michael LaPlaca, this exclusive lasagna dish will be served through December 31. Portofino, The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-791-7354.
 
Spago Serving Retro Throwback Menu December 15-19
Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace will celebrate its 22nd anniversary by serving its throwback menu, featuring retro pricing and 24 original menu items from when the restaurant first opened its doors in December 1992. The dishes will include house-smoked sturgeon with crisp potato galette and horseradish cream ($13); crisp tempura shrimp with Thai basil aioli ($13); sautéed Maryland crab cakes with red pepper coulis ($12); crispy Petaluma quail with mandarin glaze ($12); yellowfin tuna ”steak frites’’ with horseradish potatoes, spinach and an Armagnac peppercorn sauce ($25); steamed salmon with jasmine rice, Asian vegetables, ponzu and chili oil ($22); and Cantonese-style roasted duck with wild huckleberries, ginger and stir-fried baby bok choy ($25). Spago, Caesars Palace, Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-369-6300.
 
BLT Burger at The Mirage Serving Holiday Menu December 22-28
BLT Burger at The Mirage will serve special, holiday-themed menu items this year. They will include mushroom-truffle bisque with grilled crostini for $12; prime rib burger with horseradish cream, baby arugula, grilled onions and au jus for $20; gingerbread pudding with pumpkin ice cream and cinnamon crème anglaise for $12; and eggnog shake made with vanilla ice cream, eggnog, vanilla whip and candy cane dust for $8, or spiked with Makers Mark for $12. BLT Burger, The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-792-7888.
 

Chef Shuffle

Brian Howard, the corporate executive chef at Comme Ça at The Cosmopolitan, has announced his departure. His replacement is Daniel Ontiveros, who previously held positions at Thomas Keller's Bouchon at The Venetian and Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand, before working his way up from executive sous chef to chef de cuisine at Comme Ça. Comme Ça, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-698-7000.
 

Closings

CLOSED FOR GOOD
Take your taste buds on a walk down memory lane! Check out our exclusive closed restaurant database for Las Vegas to virtually visit your favorite dining spots from yesteryear. Aristocrat, R.I.P.

December 6, 2014, was the closing date for Sirio Ristorante at ARIA Resort & Casino. The Italian restaurant from the Maccioni family had been in operation since the resort opened in 2009 and joins its sister restaurant Osteria del Circo, which closed in September after 15 years of operation at Bellagio. The Maccioni family still has one restaurant in Las Vegas, Le Cirque at Bellagio. Sirio Ristorante, Aria Resort & Casino, CityCenter, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, no phone.
 

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in Las Vegas

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