6 new and upcoming restaurants in Las Vegas

In the latest dispatches from the Las Vegas restaurant front:

■ Palette Tea Lounge is opening soon in the former Joyful House Chinese Cuisine, at 4601 Spring Mountain Road, in Chinatown. The restaurant, from the owners of famed Koi Palace in San Francisco, has received its business license and key employee for alcohol license, public records indicate. The sign is up, too: black and white lettering and characters, with a matte multi-colored blossom, against a slatted background.

■ Peter Luger Steak House in Caesars Palace, the Vegas outpost of the legendary Brooklyn restaurant (founded 1887), was scheduled to open Nov. 1. But a quick check of the website shows the restaurant has opened early and is taking reservations. Peter Luger is serving daily lunch (look for the USDA Prime Luger Burger) and dinner (key: house dry-aged steaks for two to four). Visit caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/peter-luger-steak-house.

■ Stray Pirate Tropical Cocktails & Effects debuted Oct. 20 at 1321 S. Commerce St. in the Arts District. The bar draws inspiration from a mythical band of pirates who were turned into dogs after entering an enchanted grotto. Christopher Gutierrez, a top local mixologist, owns the bar. The opening menu features six signature tropical cocktails, including a Get It Kraken with Novo Fogo Bar Strength Cachaça, coconut and citrus, and three tropical classics, including a mai tai with Jamaican and Martinique rums, orange curaçao, orgeat and lime. Visit instagram.com/straypiratelv.

■ Sweets Raku, the beloved Franco-Japanese dessert spot that closed in June, recently announced on Instagram that a new concept would debut in November in the same space, 5040 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 3, in Chinatown. The buzz is the replacement restaurant will be a Japanese take on a gastropub and wine bar, as reported by Chinatown Vegas. Visit instagram.com/sweetsraku.

■ Montecristo Cigar Bar is launching at Paris Las Vegas (invites have gone out for a Nov. 2 grand opening bash). The launch, in the former Napoleon’s Lounge, follows the original Montecristo in Caesars Palace. The bar features more than 300 cigar brands, a walk-in climate-controlled humidor and top-shelf spirits for pairing.

■ 3 Little Chicks has opened at 7885 W. Sunset Road, Suite 180, serving chicken classics with a twist, plus vegan and gluten-free options. The new spot comes courtesy of Alexandra Lourdes and Lin Jerome, owners of the Café Lola restaurants and Saint Honoré Doughnuts. Visit 3littlechicks.com.

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During November, bars and restaurants across the valley are offering special drinks, dishes and promotions as part of Month of Memories, a fundraising campaign for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The Center provides no-cost educational, therapeutic and support programming for Alzheimer’s disease. Participating restaurants and other participating businesses: keepmemoryalive.org/mom/drink-and-dine.

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Big Smoke, from Cigar Aficionado magazine, runs Nov. 3 to 4 at Resorts World. The event celebrates premium cigars, whiskies and other spirits, and beers during daytime seminars and two Big Smoke Evening gatherings. Details/tickets: lasvegasbigsmoke.com/index.html.

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Rosa Granados, manager of the McDonald’s at 6360 W. Charleston Blvd., recently received a Ray Kroc Award, which recognizes the top-performing McDonald’s restaurant managers globally. The recognition comes with a trophy, a cash prize and a trip to the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention in Barcelona, Spain. Only 395 managers from 70 markets across the world received the award.

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