Category: Neon Feast

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5 Great Oyster Happy Hours

Oyster happy hours Las Vegas

You can find them year-round, but oyster “season” is currently in full swing – and will be through April. And while they can be pricey, Las Vegas still has some great deals on the little mollusks, many of which are limited to Happy Hour menus. They shuck, and you suck – but at least the bill won’t.

Basilico (6111 S. Buffalo Drive) – This Italian restaurant located within the Southwest Valley’s Evora apartment complex has a great Happy Hour, seven days a week from 4 to 6 p.m. But Wednesdays are special, because that’s the day they add $1 oysters. There’s a 6-oyster minimum on the deal, which will still leave enough room in your belly for the salads, pastas, flatbreads, beer, wine and cocktails of the everyday Happy Hour menu, all of which are priced between $5 and $10.

Palate (The Arts District) – A sister restaurant to Basilico (above), Palate also offers $1 oysters every Wednesday, as an addition to their usual Happy Hour menu, which is available Wednesdays through Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 and Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:00. Other deals include $5 beer, $8 wine, $9 cocktails, and small bites from Chef Sterling Buckley from $7 to $10.

Proper Bar at Proper Eats (Aria) – Proper Bar, adjacent to Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall, is the only part of the food hall that offers a Happy Hour promotion, and it’s a good one if you like Oysters: Blue Point oysters for $2 each and specialty oyster enhanced cocktails from $9 to $16 each. Try the Mezcal Kicker (Fresh Blue Point Oyster, Mezcal, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, Jalapeño, Sea Salt) or keep it simple with a half-dozen oysters for $2 bucks-a-shuck. You can take advantage of the Oyster Happy Hour promotion every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Momofuku (Cosmopolitan) –Celebrity Chef David Chang’s Cosmopolitan flagship is known for combining Korean, Japanese and American influences with signature dishes like bao buns, ramen and a large-format roasted duck. From 3 to 5 p.m., seven days a week, their Social Hour Menu has ten items priced at $10 or less, including a half dozen
oysters for $10. You’ll also find draft beer for $8, Highballs for $10 and wine or sake for $12.

Sugarcane (Venetian/Palazzo) — Located on The Venetian/Palazzo Restaurant Row, just across from the Voltaire Theater, Sugarcane offers modern American food with global influences, with a heavy emphasis on their raw bar and sushi offerings. Their two weekday Happy Hours, which run from 3 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight every Sunday through Thursday, include a few Spanish dishes, but lean heavily into the seafood side of the menu. That includes Chef’s selection oysters for $2.50 each. Wash them down with one of four $7 craft beers, or a nice selection of cocktails and wine for $8 apiece.

Discover more oyster happy hours at Happy Hour Vegas.

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Where To Eat Caviar On The Las Vegas Strip

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.

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Downtown Las Vegas Pizza Tour

Downtown Las Vegas Pizza Tour

Downtown Las Vegas is hot. The Fremont Street Experience, Fremont East and The Arts District have all had major makeovers within the last decade, thanks to pioneers like Derek Stevens, Tony Hsieh and James Trees. And the Huntridge District seems poised to join them.

What may surprise visitors and locals alike is the proliferation of amazing and distinctly different pizzerias. If you’re a casual pizza fan, that means you can find a great slice in any Downtown neighborhood. If you’re a serious pizza fanatic, you may want to consider plotting your own DTLV Pizza Tour.

The Neon Feast restaurant guide lists 14 of the best pizzerias throughout the valley, with a separate list of five great pizza spots in Downtown Las Vegas. Here’s a short rundown of those picks. (Click the links for more information on each.)

Good Pie (1212 Main St.)

Good Pie Las Vegas

With a slice window out front, plenty of indoor seating, a great bar program and a cool vibe, Good Pie is an Arts District institution. The signature style is Grandma Pies: thin-crust rectangular pizzas made with dough that’s been fermented for three days, topped with high-quality tomato sauce and cheese. Rotolo is so dedicated to keeping this Long Island-born style alive, he’s decorated the restaurant with photos of grandmothers. But Good Pie also offers Brooklyn Round, Sicilian and Detroit-style pies. If you want to get more creative, ask about the Fried Pizza with burrata or the Detroit Stuffed Chicken Parm.

Pop Up Pizza (The Plaza)

Pop Up Pizza at The Plaza Hotel Casino Las Vegas

Located in the lobby of The Plaza, Pop Up is award-winning pizzaiola Michael Vakeen’s most traditional creation. It’s extremely casual, with counter service and a handful of tables, and décor that maintains an NYC vibe with a Beastie Boys-inspired mural and other Big Apple references. All of the pies and slices are made with California tomatoes, sausage from Chicago and Brooklyn-born mozzarella. Among the available toppings for the round and square pizzas, you’ll find Creamy Onion Spinach & Mushroom, and Hot Pepperoni.

Pizza Rock (201 N. 3rd Street)

Pizza Rock Downtown Las Vegas

Thirteen-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani has received just about every accolade imaginable for his California and Las Vegas restaurants, and is in the process of opening franchises for his Slice House brand across the country. But this location of Pizza Rock (there’s another one in the Green Valley Ranch casino) offers more styles of pizza than any of them. We’re talking Napoletana, Romana, Classic American, Classic Italian, Grandma, Sicilian, Detroit, California, Chicago Cracker Thin Crust, New York/New Haven and even Gluten-free in the dining room and bar, with New York slices available at the 3rd Street window.

Evel Pie (508 E. Fremont Street)

Evelyn Pie Downtown Las Vegas

Combining Evel Knievel fandom with a punk rock aesthetic, this East Fremont pizzeria serves New York-style slices in a dining room packed with memorabilia and a pinball machine, and has a back patio perfect for bands. Try a signature rattlesnake slice as you people-watch the tourists, punks, and hipsters who collide here from early afternoon until late into the night. The real surprise is how good the pizza tastes, even without the theme. So if the gritty, irreverent atmosphere isn’t for you, grab a whole pie or a few slices to go.

Yukon Pizza (1130 E. Charleston Blvd.)

Yukon Pizza Downtown Las Vegas

This family-run shop near the historic Huntridge Theater has earned a devoted following, particularly after winning a top prize at the International Pizza Challenge. The pizzas are built around a sourdough starter that dates back five generations, originally cultivated in the Yukon Territory during the Klondike Gold Rush. The result is a rich, crackly and chewy crust with an astounding depth of flavor. Expect a mix of traditional Neapolitan pies and offbeat creations, such as Sausage & Kale or the garlic-loaded “You Had Me At Garlic,” each one powered by that unique dough.