Kitchen Confidante: Bao cart opens at T-Mobile Arena — VIDEO | Food

Bao cart opens at T-Mobile Arena — VIDEO

Just in time for the playoffs, former Tao Group corporate chef Marc Marrone has opened a bao cart at T-Mobile Arena. Graffiti Bao, at the top of the escalator from the arena entrance to the Main Concourse near section 12, offers four styles of bao: a cheeseburger bun called Bao Royale, a kung pao chicken bao and a sweet potato and vegetable bao with house-made green curry, plus a dessert bao filled with Nutella and caramelized banana, topped with white chocolate sauce.

Bike give-away at Piero’s

Evan Glusman of Piero’s Italian Cuisine hosted a giant outdoor party in the restaurant’s parking lot Sunday to distribute over 150 bikes to local kids. In addition to getting to pick out a brand new bike and helmet, they got to enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, carnival games, face painting and more. The annual event, and an accompanying scholarship program, are in memory of Glusman’s best friend, Patrick Kelly, who died 17 years ago at age 25.

Partners in tequila

Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar will be in town this week to promote their new collaboration, Santo Fina Blanco tequila. Hagar, no stranger to the tequila biz, calls it “a crisp, old world tequila that John Wayne would have loved.” UNLV grad Fieri says of the product, “There are a few things I know … good food, a good drink and a good time … and Sammy and I are makin’ it all happen with Los Santo.”

On to New York

Sam Marvin, chef/restaurateur of Echo & Rig at Tivoli Village (and the Echo & Rig in Sacramento) will cook at the Beard House in New York on April 24. His event, “Regional Spotlight: The Butcher’s Cut” is $170 for James Beard Foundation members, $220 for non-members. As we previously reported, Diana Edelman, founder of the Vegans, Baby website, has put together the “Vegas Vegans” event at the Beard House on July 10. Joining her will be Oscar Amador of EDO Gastro Tapas & Wine, Stacey Dougan of Simply Pure, Brian Howard of Sparrow + Wolf, Mike Minor of Border Grill and Yuri Szarzewski of Eatt. That one’s $140/$180. jamesbeard.org.

Openings

Uno Mas has opened at SLS Las Vegas, serving fast-casual modernized Mexican from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Frankie’s Uptown has opened in Downtown Summerlin, spotlighting specialty cocktails in an old-school tavern atmosphere.

Trago Lounge has opened at the Tropicana.

James Beard Award-winner Bricia Lopez will open Mama Rabbit Bar at Park MGM in late July. It’ll specialize in mescal and tequila.

David Chang, who has Momofuku at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, is scheduled to open Majordomo Meat & Fish sometime this year in the former Carnevino space at Palazzo.

Free cake!

Las Vegas-born Nothing Bundt Cakes will celebrate the opening of its 300th bakery by giving away Confetti Bundlets at all locations for 300 seconds starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday. (So that’s 3 to 3:05 p.m.) One per person; no coupon or anything else needed. Go to nothingbundtcakes.com to find the four bakeries in the valley.

Sightings

Rapper Rich the Kid at Tao at The Venetian. Actress/singer Brandi Cyrus with her brother, musician Trace Cyrus, at Greene St. Kitchen at the Palms. DJ/actress Caroline D’Amore at Side Piece Pizza and Greene St. Kitchen at the Palms. Actress Cassie Scerbo at Beauty & Essex at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Reality TV star/restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump at the Palm Restaurant at The Forum Shops at Caesars.