Celebrity chef Giada to greet fans at Las Vegas Ballpark
Celebrity chef and author Giada de Laurentiis will present a specialty menu of such dishes as caponata and marinated olives and mezzi rigatoni with vegetable Bolognese and will greet guests and pose for photos Saturday at the Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Aviators. The event is available to Club level guests who purchase the $40 Chef Tasting Series experience, or $55 for non-Club-level ticket holders. Availability is limited, and game-ticket purchase required. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Keller coming to Wynn
Wynn Las Vegas has announced that a restaurant from culinary great Thomas Keller will open at the resort in the fall of next year, replacing The Country Club. No word yet on the scope or nature of the restaurant. Keller’s Bouchon Bistro at The Venetian opened with that resort’s Venezia Tower in 2004 and has been his only valley restaurant.
Ike’s has arrived in Vegas
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, a San Francisco cult favorite, will celebrate the grand opening of its Fashion Show mall location Thursday with free sandwiches for the first 50 people in line. Follow Ike’s on Instagram and you can get a $5 sandwich all day, including such favorites as the Menage a Trois, which is Halal chicken with three cheeses and sauces, or Meatless Mike, with vegan meatballs, marinara and pepperjack cheese.
New for Las Vegas at Ike’s is the High Roller Menu, with wagyu roast beef, sliced prime rib and Ike’s White Truffle Dirty Sauce on sandwiches such as the $100 Howard Hughes, which serves two and has two pounds of meat plus duck bacon, and the $69 Queen of Hollywood’s Royal Cheesesteak, with added mushrooms, and Bugsy Siegel, with added salami, ham and turkey. Two other Las Vegas specials are Don’t Put Me on the Backburner, $12.50, which has roast beef, jalapeno bacon, silver barbecue sauce, cheddar and American cheeses (and a vegetarian option) and the Silver Slipper, $10, made with vegan fried chicken, cheddar and American cheeses. The menu has more than 500 sandwich options, many of which are vegan, vegetarian and/or gluten-free. loveandsandwiches.com
Almost-free food!
In honor of National French Fry Day Saturday, PT’s is offering $1 french fries at all locations.
And in honor of its new Beyond Burger, Yard House, which has multiple locations in the valley, is offering half-off all burgers through Thursday and Monday through July 18.
Slices at midnight
How do you top off what may be the year’s craziest “house party”? You order some pizza, of course. And in the case of the Jack Daniel’s House No. 7 party that took over the Thunderbird Hotel last weekend, you order it from Evel Pie. As the bash was approaching its scheduled midnight end on both nights, the Sin City Roller Girls surprised the packed house by skating through the grounds with a late-night snack from the Fremont Street hotspot. The combined orders for both nights consisted of 70 pies: 64 cheese, five pepperoni and one gluten free.
Foodie trip giveaway
If you’ve ever wanted to dine your way through Vietnam, Khai Vu has a contest for you. The District One Kitchen & Bar and Mordeo Wine Bar chef is giving away a seven-day trip for two to Ho Chi Minh City, where he’ll lead a guided three-day food tour, to one lucky District One customer and a guest. Guests who purchase the restaurant’s signature lobster pho or a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne between now and Labor Day will receive one entry into a drawing for the trip. Purchasing the pho paired with Dom Perignon and a shot of Hennesey X.O. Cognac will earn you two entries, as will a bottle of Dom on its own.
Openings
Ritchie McNeely’s in The District at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson will throw a launch party for its members-only Century Club this weekend. The Century Club, which will cost $100 to join, will include assorted perks and swag, including a cubby in the private whiskey locker and a personal “whiskey book” to chart your progress as you drink your way through its 100 exclusive whiskeys. Make it through them all, and you’ll get your name engraved in the cubby.
Freshii has opened at the Palms, serving a health-conscious menu of breakfast items, soup, salads, wraps, bowls and more, tailored to various dietary restrictions. It’s open 24/7. freshii.com
Sightings
UFC fighters Paul Felder with his striking coach, and Urijah Faber with his family at separate tables at Sake Rok at The Park. UFC featherwieght champion Brian Ortega at Mercato della Pescheria at The Venetian. UFC Hall of Famer Rashad “Suga” Evans with friends and family at Mott 32 at The Venetian. Kardashian pal Larsa Pippen and singer Ally Brooke at separate tables at Beauty & Essex at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Singer Kehlani at Tao at The Venetian.
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.
Have an item for Kitchen Confidante? Email hrinella @reviewjournal.com or amancini@reviewjournal.com.