SMASHBURGER SLOWDOWN? JAMES BEARD SHENANIGANS?
The Starters
ETR fave Aroma Latin American Cocina might have taken five months to move from Henderson to Chinatown. But once it did, it hit the ground running. Just a month after opening for dinner only, chef Steve Kestler (ignoring John’s advice…) announced via Instagram that starting July 2, lunch will be served Thursday–Saturday, 11am–3pm. Still, it’s great news for the neighborhood — and even for John, who rarely eats after 5pm…
More from the 'gram: Earlier this week, chef Stephen Lee’s In Limbo Burgers pop-up, which slings at Petite Boheme Mondays and Tuesdays, announced you can order your burger with a thicker 7oz beef patty (almost a half-pounder). The post says the bigger patty is “more juicy” and “more satisfying” than their regular smashburger, hinting at something closer to steakhouse-style. Are we sensing a decline in smashburger dominance, and a (welcome) return to beefier burgers?
+=? We're not gonna lie; we've scarfed cold pizza from the box over a cup of coffee in the morning. So when we heard that Henderson’s Dark Moon Coffee Roasters and the southwest’s Smash & Slice (smashburgers & pizza) are teaming up to open a breakfast and lunch eatery near Allegiant Stadium, we were intrigued. Giddy Up (which replaces a previous SkinnyFats) will focus on coffee and breakfast burritos — a solid mix for the surrounding blue collar industrial parks — plus salads and wraps at lunch, avoiding the use of seed oils the whole way.
Can a new Chinese-fusion restaurant — Yu By Sijie, from the folks behind Chinatown’s Special Noodle — break The Curse of Tivoli Village? The Summerlin-adjacent center has long been a challenge for retail and restaurants, proving that it takes more than faux Italianate village vibes to charm the suburbanites. There are some successes (Al Solito Posto, Echo & Rig), but the turnover (adios, El Dorado Cantina) is notable. Maybe Asian-fusion is the magic bullet, given that a number of the folks in the ’hood likely held court at Malibu Chan’s on West Sahara Ave back in the day.
Spilling the Tea
Did we inadvertantly trigger a New York Times investigation into the James Beard Awards? After our (well, John's) scathing critique of the selection of chef Sarah Thompson (of Wynn’s Casa Playa), we’re told the Times — which investigated the Awards in 2020, and again in 2023 — is considering another look at the process. Is pay-to-play going down? If so, is it hidden behind an apparently innocuous event-hosting grift, as John postulated? We’re confident the NYT will sniff it out…
Speaking of awards… Way back in 2004 (three years before the iPhone!), chef Alain Ducasse helmed the sexy and ornate Mix — a top-floor restaurant and lounge at THEhotel (don’t blame us). More than just a see-and-be-seen spot, Mix earned Michelin stars in 2008 and 2009. With its view, its crowd, and its notorious urinals overlooking the Strip, Mix was a hot ticket for a hot minute. But hot tickets eventually cool, so in 2015, after THEhotel rebranded as Delano Las Vegas, Mix became Skyfall Lounge. Now, after 11 years, it’s time for the sky to fall again. Sources suggest a July closing for a remodel and rebrand. It's hard to beat the view, so here’s hoping they can reignite the energy…
Pet Peeve of the Week
Paper napkins in a nice restaurant... Why, just why? Is laundry that expensive?
–Julie M
Order of the Week
The Cheese Plate @ Viking Mike’s Alpine Yurt Bar
In the Las Vegas Arts District, some bars ambitiously treat food as more than a boozy afterthought. Take Viking Mike's — the coldest yurt on Main Street in the middle of summer. Beyond an adventurous cocktail list, the kitchen here turns out everything from house-made Bratwurst, to Chicken Schnitzel and Beer Cheese Soup. But for those who want something lighter, the aptly-named Cheese Plate stands ready. It delivers hard Alpine cheeses accompanied by house-made caraway toast, pickles, and peppers — all in a snackable size built to share… or not!
