Bad news first: Two young, chef-centric local restaurants are done. David Clawson Restaurant in Anthem, one of our picks among the Best New Restaurants of 2014, closed this week, with chef/owner Clawson telling Eater Vegas he finally ran out of money to keep it going. On the opposite side of town, Tapas by Alex Stratta at Tivoli Village is preparing to shut down. A spokesperson for the restaurant said Tapas will be moved out of Las Vegas and Stratta will change the concept to something more appropriate for the surrounding demographic.
Some doors close, others open: MR CHOW, the Beijing-style restaurant with European service that expanded to Beverly Hills in 1974 and currently has six locations in London and the United States, will open at Caesars Palace in December. Fukuburger, the Vegas-born food truck that spawned a location at the Linq before moving south on the Strip to the Hawaiian Marketplace, should open its second local restaurant in the coming days on Jones Boulevard just off Spring Mountain Road—rightfully returning to its Chinatown roots. And Tacos El Gordo, the utterly delicious Tijuana-born taco shop that closed its wildly popular Strip location late last year, will return to that location just north of Encore, possibly re-opening in early November. Tacos El Gordo also maintains its original Las Vegas restaurant on East Charleston and a new outlet in North Las Vegas on Losee Road.
Ferraro’s has announced Francesco Di Caudo as its new executive chef, a native of Sicily who has also worked in the kitchens of Zeffirino, Terra Rossa, Circo, Sinatra and Canaletto. Don’t worry, Di Caudo is working closely with the Ferraro family, who expanded their business with new concept Pizza Forte this year.
Speaking of Gino Ferraro, he was named NVRA Champion of the Year at the recent 2015 Nevada Restaurant Association Culinary Excellence Awards. Other honorees: Juyoung Kang, bartender of the year; Jin Caldwell, pastry chef of the year; Michael Severino, restaurant ally of the year; José Andrés, culinarian of the year; and David Robins, restaurateur of the year.
RM Seafood at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place partners with Napa Valley’s Whitehall Lane Winery & Vineyards for a pairing dinner on November 3 at 7 p.m. Six wines will be sampled with five courses including pistachio-crusted kona kampachi and pan-roasted True North salmon with sunchoke-farro hash. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased by calling 702-632-9300.
Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar is hosting a wine pairing dinner featuring William Hill Estate wines on November 5 at 6:30 p.m. The four-course menu will include sea scallops with citrus confit, hot sesame oil-seared Scottish salmon and Dr. Pepper-braised short rib with pecorino-truffle mashed cauliflower. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 702-878-5505.
Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse at the Golden Nugget is featuring Schramsberg Vineyards at its November 5 wine dinner, at 8:30 p.m. Its five courses include cold-smoked oysters, butter-poached sea scallops and crispy skin duck breast. Tickets are $175 and can be purchased by calling 702-386-8399.