FOR ALL of its parlour tricks, smokes, mirrors, and vices—like stepping into a green telephone both with burger and hash browns at hand into the world of “Absinthe”, where romance, lust, acrobatics, and comedy thrusting every fibre of your body into a state of euphoria—Las Vegas is a celebration of the human spirit.
The city, rising from sand, is an ode to mankind’s capacity to imagine being everywhere and nowhere at once, Vegas sets the stage for the fabrication of what we all as people crave: unforgettable moments.
Las Vegas skyline
Performers at Cirque de Soleil “O”
So now that I think about it, it really shouldn’t have surprised me that along with world-class experiences— Cirque du Soleil’s iconic “O”, a play on the french word for water, will leave you gasping for air—, comes a culinary scene to match.
After all, there’s no better way to truly connect with others—old friends and new—than through that vital, universal life force that brings us so much joy and comfort: food. Forget the buffets, Las Vegas is nothing short of a gastronomic paradise.
Winners of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in Las Vegas
Having just hosted the 50 Best Restaurant Awards in June, the city is clearly eager to get the attention of the industry’s finest, confidently inviting them to come play. The thing is, beyond its Strip, a wave of chefs—many decorated with James Beard nominations—set up camp to show a different side of Las Vegas to a traveller interested in more than shiny lights and the ringing of slots.
Sparrow + Wolf, outside the Vegas Strip
Chef Brian Howard at Sparrow + Wolf (global cuisine with classical techniques), Chef DJ Flores at Milpa (Mexican cuisine), Chef Oscar Amador at EDO Gastro Tapas, Chef Steve Kestler at Aroma Latin American Cocina, and Kimberly and Josh Mcintosh at Milkfish Bakeshop (Philippines-inspired sweets) cater to globetrotters looking for wildly intimate and deeply personal experiences revolving around the dinner table.
Entering the Arts District
My highlight? The Arts District in Downtown. It’s buzzing with creative energy and a palpable sense of camaraderie between businesses within walking distance of each other. There’s no shortage of options, from apothecary-inspired cocktail bar, Velveteen Rabbit, to Garagiste Wine Room’s curated, rotating selection of international wines (that you won’t find at the Strip).
Unpretentious and neighbourly, you would’ve never guessed this spot for wine lover’s a 2023 James Beard “Best Bar” Award national finalist. A 5-minute walk down the road: Esther’s Kitchen, the jackpot.
From the minute you take your first bite of the sourdough bread with its selection of jams and spreads, to the very last bite of desert, Chef James Trees—a James Beard nominee for the Best Chef Southwest Award—intentionally ups the ante, course after course, bite-by-bite.
Esther’s Kitchen, in the Arts District
Don’t get me wrong, the Strip boasts some truly unbelievable spots. Like the dapper LPM Restaurant & Bar at the Cosmopolitan. Down to its very last detail, this Mediterranean restaurant’s inspired by the life of French artist/writer/socialite, Jean Cocteau.
At Resorts World Las Vegas, 2020 James Beard semi-finalist Chef Nicole Brisson shines at her restaurant Brezza, and then, of course, there’s secret gems hidden in obscure corners beyond the glowing casino chandeliers, like The Vault, the sexiest speakeasy you’ll ever see—if you’re able to find it, anyway. Hint, it’s at the Bellagio.
I tried to visit a second time, but I couldn’t find it. Wayfinding’s a fickly beast when you’re everywhere and nowhere at once—Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, 19th Century Paris, 20th Century New York, and the Mojave. My memory betrayed me, as I wandered around the hotel’s casino-labyrinth, where every winding corner with a blackjack table leads to another identical winding corner with a blackjack table. Or maybe, like a mirage in the scorching Las Vegas desert, it was never really there.
by Regner Ramos
For more, www.visitlasvegas.com and www.lvcva.com