3 new Vegas restaurants, including a Korean bakery

In the latest Las Vegas restaurant reconnaissance:

Ppang Co., a Korean bakery (ppang means “bread” in Korean), just debuted at 3620 S. Jones Blvd., off Spring Mountain Road. The menu offers breads, cakes and pastries, savory baked goods, sandwiches, pizza breads, coffee drinks, milk and fruit teas, and smoothies. One must-try: puffy Mont Blanc pastry cylinders topped with caramel, sweet syrup and assorted nuts. A bright airy dining room with ceiling beams offers seating for enjoying baked goods and beverages, including tables for larger groups. Ppang occupies the former Ssoju Korean Pub. Call 702-780-4677.

■ Le Cafe du Val, 1550 E. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Henderson, unveils its expanded space (more seating, new wine bar) and its new brunch dishes and cocktails. Among the items are classic steak tartare, merguez lamb sausage skewers and short rib shakshuka. Some of the cocktails are red and white sangria and a trio of mimosas (blood orange, lavender, peach). Chef David Gazzano and his wife, Carmen Barbur, own Le Cafe du Val and its sister restaurant, Le Cafe du Sud, in Southern Highlands. Visit lecafeduvegas.com.

■ The Co-op Frosé &Eatery is now open off the Hilton lobby at Resorts World. As previously reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the shop, specializing in frozen wine slushies, counts a Heisman Trophy winner among its investors. Besides frosés, The Co-op offers salads and sandwiches. Visit rwlasvegas.com/dining/co-op-frose-eatery.

■ Chefs Michael and Sara Tarantino, owners of Tarantino’s Vegan on South Rainbow Boulevard, have added another restaurant to their plant-based portfolio with their recent purchase of Graze Kitchen, 7355 S. Buffalo Drive, Suite 2, at Warm Springs Road. “It’s been one of our favorite restaurants, and we’re looking forward to adding to the already fabulous menu with more homemade, gluten-free items and raw items,” Michael Tarantino said. New hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Visit facebook.com/ilovetograze.

■ Winnie &Ethel’s Downtown Diner, the winner of a free $1 million diner in The Great Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway in May 2022, is finally open at 1130 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 140, in the Huntridge Center (entrance facing South Maryland Parkway). The menu features diner breakfast classics and sides, soups and salads, sandwiches, desserts (including milkshakes and sundaes), and children’s dishes. Visit winnieandethels.com.

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Milpa, the Mexican restaurant celebrated for its masa made in-house using traditional ingredients and methods, is serving Mexican holiday specials through Jan. 31. Look for champurrado hot chocolate made with Oaxacan chocolate ($5.50); atole, a hot corn and masa drink with cinnamon and sugarcane ($4.50); and tamales, made from blue and yellow corn masa, with fillings such as braised chicken ($6) or rajas roasted chiles with cheese ($5).

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Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria &Bar, 9785 W. Charleston Boulevard, has introduced a list of top-tier wines at competitive restaurant prices. Among the current 16 releases are Rombauer chardonnay ($55), Copain pinot noir ($45), Justin Isosceles Bordeaux-style blend ($70) and Bibi Graetz Super Tuscan ($92). Happy hour at the restaurant runs 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays with a $10 food menu, 50 percent off well drinks and wines by the glass, and $5 for all beers. Visit domdemarcos.com.

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Alexxa’s at Paris Las Vegas, with one of the best Strip-side terraces on the boulevard, has introduced two new specials. From 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, the restaurant is serving 1 pound of snow crab legs with fingerling potatoes, garlic-herb butter and lemon for $34.99 (add USDA Prime flat iron steak for $15.99). On Wednesdays, also from 5 to 9 p.m., there is slow-roasted prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and jus for $32.99. Visit alexxaslasvegas.com.

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Amari Italian Kitchen &Wine Shop in the UnCommons development, 6825 Tom Rodriguez St., Suite 101, is now serving two family-style brunch options from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting at $45 per person. Among the offerings are drinks from the mimosa, bloody mary or mocktail bars; big-eye tuna crudo with citrus and fennel; Caesar salad; house pizzas and focaccia; and rigatoni with beef and pork bolognese. Visit amarilv.com.

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