Category: Neon Feast

Las Vegas dining didn’t move in a single direction in 2025. While Strip casinos leaned harder into luxury and high-profile experiences, neighborhood restaurants told a very different story — one shaped by geography, resilience, and a growing emphasis on permanence over novelty.

Rather than offering a traditional year-end list of the “Best Restaurants,” this series looks at what the year’s most significant openings reveal about larger trends. (You can find recommendations in over 100 categories at Neon Feast.) When put in the proper context, new openings say a lot about where their neighborhoods are headed — or would like to be.

This second installment focuses on neighborhood dining, where the biggest developments clustered in specific areas rather than across the city as a whole. From the accelerating maturation of the Arts District, to Carson Avenue’s slow recovery from prolonged construction, to the explosive growth of The Bend, these pockets of activity reveal how off-Strip dining continues to evolve — often in ways that feel more grounded and more local than anything happening on Las Vegas Boulevard.

The Arts District

As Arts District development accelerates at a breakneck pace, the neighborhood continues to grow as a drinking and dining destination for both visitors and residents. And while its footprint has expanded in all directions, the heart and soul remain the five blocks of Main Street between Wyoming Avenue and Charleston Boulevard.

The Las Vegas–born Holsteins, which operated for 15 years in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas before shuttering in May of 2024, has brought its gourmet burgers and boozy shakes to a Main Street location between Velveteen Rabbit and Good Pie.

Downtown pioneers Jerad Howard (Vesta Coffee) and Dan Coughlin (Le Thai, 8 East) have joined forces to channel the essence of their favorite Utah snowboarding bar at Viking Mike’s Alpine Yurt Bar, on the corner of Main Street and Utah Avenue.

Chef Natalie Young has closed Eat on Carson Avenue to focus on Echo Taste and Sound — an audiophile’s dream listening lounge that doubles as a restaurant and bar, on the ground floor of the Colorado Building at the corner of Main Street and Colorado Avenue.

And the chef who put this neighborhood on the culinary map has made major moves to consolidate much of his growing empire within a few blocks of where it started. After moving Esther’s Kitchen to a larger location in 2024, Chef James Trees made some serious moves over the past 12 months. His gorgeous French bistro Bar Boheme joined its smaller sister bar, Petite Boheme, on Main Street and Imperial Avenue. And his experimental Ada’s Food & Wine relocated from Tivoli Village to the original Esther’s Kitchen space on Imperial Avenue.

Fremont East / Carson Avenue

Carson Avenue has long been the unofficial Restaurant Row of the Fremont East District. Unfortunately, the city’s plans to make that title official have been delayed, in part due to continuing construction to prepare the street for a new bus route. As a result, it’s been a tough couple of years for the neighborhood.

Neighborhood stalwarts 7th & Carson and Carson Kitchen have carried on through the construction and continue to be two of the area’s best restaurants. This year, however, they’ve gotten some new neighbors that are worth noting — many replacing spots that couldn’t wait out the construction.

The San Diego–based Sayulitas chain has replaced the plant-based VegeNation, blending Mexican and Filipino flavors in what it affectionately refers to as “Big Ass Burritos.” And the Colorado-based Chili Shack has taken over the space at Carson Avenue and 7th Street that previously housed Eat by Chef Natalie Young.

A block to the west, the renovation of the old Post Office building continued this year, with a pair of Las Vegas–based operations joining its culinary lineup. Pachi Pachi is a truly unique jungle-themed concept restaurant designed by the man who created The Golden Tiki, offering some truly Instagrammable dishes (try the Ghost Noodles) and décor (pose in front of the giant pachinko machine). Just next door, Baguette Café brings the French breakfasts, sandwiches, and parties that have made it a hit at locations in Henderson and the Southwest.

The Bend

The area surrounding the curve in Interstate 215, between Durango Drive and Sunset Road, exploded onto the culinary scene in 2023 and 2024, thanks to impressive restaurant collections at both Durango Resort and the UnCommons development. But 2025 brought it to a new level, as The Bend — located just across the freeway from those two — brought a huge collection of restaurants and bars online.

Butcher and Thief — Carson Kitchen co-creator Cory Harwell offering a steakhouse experience at family-friendly prices.

Evolve Brewing — the first brewery from the Aces & Ales craft bar chain.

Freed’s Dessert Shop — sweet treats from the famed Las Vegas bakery.

Marafuku Ramen — a San Francisco–based chain specializing in Japanese noodles and bar snacks.

St. Felix Las Vegas — a Hollywood import that combines nightlife and dining for the party crowd.

Union Biscuit — a locally owned breakfast and lunch spot specializing in Southern biscuits and gravy.

With Love, Always — the latest smashburger spot from the Las Vegas–based team that also developed the Sorry, Not Sorry gourmet ice cream chain.

The Great Greek — a local chain offering casual, counter-service Greek cuisine.

Coming Soon — Sliceteria by Metro Pizza

Worth Exploring

While the areas above provided some of the most high-profile neighborhood restaurant openings of the year, they didn’t monopolize the conversation. In fact, the two most exciting off-Strip restaurants of the year, at least in this author’s opinion, opened elsewhere.

When Chef Oscar Amador and his partners decided to close EDO Tapas in Chinatown to focus on other new and existing restaurants, he wasn’t ready to give up the intimate space where it all began. So he converted the Jones Boulevard restaurant into a new solo endeavor. Amador Cocina Fina offers creative and elegant fine dining that draws on Spanish and Latin influences, but is never afraid to surprise its audience. It will likely serve as a workshop for the chef to develop new ideas for the other, larger restaurants he has planned for 2026.

In the Desert Breeze Park neighborhood, Chef Dan Krohmer (Other Mama) decided to shutter his breakfast and lunch restaurant Chamana’s Café in order to create an exciting new concept called Durango Social Club. At times, Krohmer uses it to showcase his latest culinary ideas. But when he’s not in the kitchen, the popup spot/culinary incubator invites guest chefs to showcase their own ideas. In the few short months since it opened, Durango Social Club has hosted a fine-dining residency called Lilli by former French Laundry chef Tyler Vorce, a smashburger takeover by the team at In Limbo, and Toddy Shop – The Little Indian Bar food by Hemant Kishore.

For more on restaurant trends in 2025, please check out:

2025 Restaurant Recap, Part 1: Strip Casinos

2025 Restaurant Recap, Part 3: Off-Strip Casinos

Meet Chef Ellie

As Season 24 of Hell’s Kitchen heats up, Las Vegas has its own hometown contender in the national spotlight: Ellie Parker, the 25-year-old Executive Chef of Main St. Provisions in the Las Vegas Arts District. Representing Nevada in the show’s first-ever Battle of the States, Parker has already survived into the Top 9, impressing Gordon Ramsay and viewers with a blend of technical skill, raw competitiveness, and an unmistakably Vegas-honed work ethic.

But long before she stepped onto a soundstage, Parker told The Food and Loathing Podcast that her path into kitchens began at age 12, when she applied to Northwest Career and Technical Academy’s culinary program.

“I discovered my love for cooking just watching the Food Network as a kid,” she recalled.

Parker graduated high school at the top of her culinary class, went on to study Hospitality at UNLV, and cooked in a string of Strip restaurants — including The Venetian, MB Steak, La Cave, ONE Steakhouse, and The Bedford by Martha Stewart — before finding her home at Main St. Provisions.

After joining MSP in 2022 under Chef Patrick Munster, she rose from line cook to Executive Sous Chef. When Munster left for the Fontainebleau, Parker stepped into the Executive Chef role in early 2025 — a full year ahead of her personal goal. It also made her the first woman to run the kitchen at Main St. Provisions, following in the footsteps of chefs Justin Kingsley Hall, Adrian Garcia, and Munster. With owner Kim Owens maintaining continuity on the restaurant’s identity, Parker has helped shepherd MSP’s evolution into a neighborhood favorite known for steakhouse-driven New American cooking blended with eclectic, seasonal creativity.

A New Season of Hell’s Kitchen — and a New Format

Season 24 premiered in September with a new twist: 50 semi-finalists from across the country fought for 20 spots, each assigned to represent their home state. Ramsay split the kitchen into men vs. women on Day One — a dynamic Parker said she was ready for after years as a woman in a male-dominated field.

“I’ve watched the show since season one,” she said. “This is what he’s always done. But I had never worked with all women before in a kitchen… it was very unique.”

The early episodes also highlighted the emotional rollercoaster of living in an isolated production bubble. “It is very isolating,” she explained. “No phones, no smart watches… nothing. But it kept my head in the game.”

Pre-Season Reflections: ‘The Opportunity of a Lifetime’

When Parker spoke to Food and Loathing shortly before the season premiered, the excitement — and nerves — were clear.

“It’s the weirdest feeling in the world,” she said. “Everyone says they want to be on TV… it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what I lived through.”

She also revealed how she was cast: Hell’s Kitchen reached out directly through Main St. Provisions’ social media, not the other way around.

“I couldn’t believe it at first… little me? Why me?” she said. “But now I think it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Where the Season Stands Now: Top 9 Status and Real Competition

When Parker joined Food and Loathing again after Episode 9 — the last to air before Thanksgiving — she had just made it into the Top 9.

“I didn’t even think I was going to make it this far,” she admitted. “But I’m glad I have.”

The show’s interpersonal tensions, she said, are very real.

“It was like 70% Real Housewives and 30% cooking,” she joked. “At the time, it was true dislike [for certain contestants], real disdain.”

But even in the drama, there were bonds — such as her friendship with vegan chef Carrie Marie, whose elimination hit hard.

On the cooking side, some challenges pushed her far outside her comfort zone. A recent French-cuisine task was “very difficult,” she said, because “I’ve never worked with French cuisine… and there were no thermometers, no clocks. You’re cooking proteins blind.”

What She’s Teased About Future Episodes

Parker was careful not to reveal any true spoilers, but she hinted that upcoming episodes introduce ingredients and tasks she had “never worked with before,” and that at least one major challenge — involving multi-tier baking — was far outside her wheelhouse. (“I am not a baker,” she laughed.)

She also confirmed she would love to win the show’s grand prize: a Head Chef position at Foxwoods Resort Casino. While she loves Las Vegas, she said she’d welcome the chance to broaden her horizons, even joking about discovering last call for the first time during her time in Connecticut.

How to Watch Hell’s Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen: Battle of the States airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on FOX (returning December. 4 after the holiday break). Full episodes stream on Hulu the following day.

For more on Ellie Parker, you can hear her conversations on
The Food and Loathing Podcast (links below will be embedded in final draft):

• February 2025 interview (background)
• September 2025 pre-season interview
• November 2025 post-Episode-9 interview

And learn more about Main St. Provisions at:
https://www.neonfeast.com/listing/22020337-main-st-provisions

Visit Main St. Provisions at 1214 S. Main St. in the Arts District

Nobody does luxury like Las Vegas, where a small but significant portion of visitors are always looking for a way to make their experience a little extra. In the restaurant world, that might mean touches like freshly shaved truffles, edible gold leaf or, of course, caviar.

Up and down The Strip, chefs have found that adding a touch of briny sturgeon roe can take any dish, from appetizers to entrees, to a new level. (And let’s be clear, when a foodie talks about caviar, they are only talking about sturgeon eggs.) Many restaurants offer cute little caviar snacks to entice the curious. Some have gone so far as to create seasonal caviar tasting menus. And others pull out all the stops with elegant spins on traditional service. The result: caviar is more popular than ever in Las Vegas.

You can probably find caviar in most of Las Vegas’ more luxurious resorts – if you look hard enough. These four properties, however, have some of the best offerings on The Strip.

Bellagio

Michael Mina

Caviar is prepared tableside at celebrity chef Michael Mina’s Las Vegas flagship, on a cart dedicated exclusively to the delicacy. Options include three distinct types of sturgeon roe: Imperial Golden, Tsar Imperial Daurenki, and Royal Baika. You can get one, or a flight of all three, in a classic presentation. But I prefer the Caviar Parfait the chef created for his wife on their honeymoon, which layers caviar, chopped egg, diced salmon and horseradish crème fraîche atop a tiny potato pancake.

Petrossian Bar

Located just off the Bellagio lobby, Petrossian is ideal for daytime tea, late-night cocktails, or caviar at any hour. Owned by the most famous family in the caviar world, it’s no surprise that several of their best products are offered with the classic accompaniments. What might surprise you are the caviar-infused small bites, which include tacos, deviled eggs and tuna cones. Snack on them while people-watching and enjoy the live pianist in the lounge.

Wynn Las Vegas

Pisces Bar & Seafare

Wynn’s elegant new lakeside seafood restaurant offers classic caviar service as well as small bites. The former is meant to be shared by the table and includes anywhere from 27 grams to 100 grams of Golden Ossetra roe alongside the classic accompaniments of blinis, crème fraîche, chives, egg whites, egg yolks and shallots, for between $250 and $725. For curious newbies, Chef Martin Heierling also offers bumps of Kaluga caviar with salmon and whipped kefir on airbread for $50 apiece, and “classic caviar” on Iberico Ham Croquetas, adorned with gold leaf, for $48.

Delilah

Wynn’s sultry supper club offers refined cuisine with old-Hollywood glamour to create the perfect atmosphere for a caviar indulgence. Ossetra is served with delicate waffles, egg mimosa, and crème fraîche. Indulge as you listen to a jazz singer, or perhaps a famous pop performer, belt out classics on the small stage positioned in front of a stunning art deco bandshell. But don’t snap a selfie; Delilah has a strict no-photos policy.

Caesars Palace

Restaurant Guy Savoy

French master Guy Savoy and his team of Las Vegas chefs have no trouble making use of caviar in all sorts of dishes. None, however, are as beloved as the signature Colors Of Caviar appetizer, created specifically for the Las Vegas restaurant. It’s a savory parfait with layers of caviar, caviar crème, green bean purée and warm sabayon sauce, offered on both the tasting and à la carte menus.

Caspian’s Rock & Roe

Located in the space that was once home to Cleopatra’s Barge, Caspian’s is part lounge, part music venue. Drop by the front lounge to sample caviar-based snacks like tacos, deviled eggs, and lobster rolls topped with roe. The bar program offers playful cocktails. And when you’re done here, the Montecristo cigar lounge (just a few steps away) ia a great place to continue the luxury experience. But before you leave Caspian’s for a smoke, make sure to check who’s performing in the live music speakeasy, assuming you can find the secret entrance.

Resorts World Las Vegas

Aqua Bar & Lounge

Aqua was originally known as Caviar Bar, before broadening its focus to celebrate a wider range of seafood. But sturgeon roe still features prominently on the menu. Chef Shaun Hergatt offers six varieties of his own brand, Caspy Caviar, including a luxurious Golden Ossetra. They offer it with traditional service, and atop appetizers like Steak Tartare, Sushi Rice Cakes, Shrimp Toast and Wagyu Toast.

Wally’s

Caviar is featured on a dedicated menu at this spinoff of a beloved Beverly Hills wine shop, alongside charcuterie and fine cheeses. Service is traditional, with four options on the caviar — Reserve Ossetra, Polish Ossetra, Polish Siberian and Kaluga Imperial — priced from $150 for 28 grams of the Kaluga to up to $1,800 for 250 grams of the Reserve. The menu even suggests the perfect beverage to accompany each.

Crossroads Kitchen

First things first: Crossroads Kitchen is a plant-based (vegan) restaurant that does not use any animal products, so no, they don’t serve real caviar. But vegan chef-to-the-stars Tal Ronnen is a master at offering plant-based alternatives to non-vegan dishes. And when he came to Las Vegas, he created vegan “caviar” to channel this city’s luxury vibe. It’s made from kelp, which gives it the ocean notes you want in caviar.

For more seafood recommendations, check out the Neon Feast list of Las Vegas’ Top Seafood Restaurants.

For more luxury dining, Neon Feast also has a list of Places To Eat When Money Is No Object.

For something on a budget, you should read this month’s Las Vegas Advisor story on Oyster Happy Hours, by our friends at HappyHourVegas.com.