Restaurant Week extended; all-female culinary event is planned

Las Vegas Restaurant Week has been extended through Friday. Find participants, menus and the amount to be donated to Three Square food bank for each meal sold, at helpoutdineoutlv.org.

By women, for everyone

Jolene Mannina, founder of the Back of the House Brawl culinary competition series and SecretBurger, which features limited-edition, off-the-menu dishes served at various local restaurants, is organizing a 100-percent-female-operated culinary event, Picnic in the Alley. Set for Oct. 6 in The Alley across from Fergusons Downtown, it will feature the food and drink of more than a dozen local female chefs, restaurateurs and mixologists. Among the participants are Elizabeth Blau (Andiron, Honey Salt, Buddy V’s), Gina Marinelli (La Strega), Nicole Brisson (Locale), Jennifer Murphy (Hell’s Kitchen), Sonia El Nawal (Rooster Boy Cafe), Emily Brubaker and Cathy Stamm (Cured & Whey), Crystina Nguyen (District 1) and Rose Signor (formerly of Atomic Liquors). Early-bird tickets, which are $100, go on sale Tuesday at secretburger.com. A portion of proceeds will go to Dress for Success Southern Nevada for its efforts to help women gain financial independence.

Moonen’s next moves

During Norm Clarke’s “Conversations With Norm” at The Smith Center on Sunday, Rick Moonen shared what he’s been up to since closing his Mandalay Bay restaurants. The Las Vegas resident is master development chef for the national steakhouse chain Perry’s and is working with them to develop a new brand, Carve. He describes the concept, set to debut in Austin around October, as “an American grill (with) live fire, pizza oven and different woods — a little bit more chef-y and much more approachable than the steakhouse.” With regard to Las Vegas, he says they’re looking to bring a Perry’s here “as a possibility.” But when asked if that will be the first new Rick Moonen project we’ll be seeing here, his reply was “stay tuned; I can’t answer that,” adding, “you never know; something could always happen.

Openings and two (temporary) closings

The aviation-themed Flights has opened at the Miracle Mile Shops. The company’s first location outside California serves shareable entrees, tapas and cocktails, including “flights” of both food and drink — trios that elaborate on a theme. Hours are 9 a.m. to midnight daily; visit flightsrestaurants.com.

■ Paris Las Vegas’ rooftop patio-style restaurant, Beer Park, has opened an indoor space. Annexed from Chateau nightclub, it’s designed to look like a living room or game room and opens onto the outdoor space through a series of garage doors. The addition, which includes a new bar with 20 taps, doubles Beer Park’s capacity to about 800 people. Grand opening is set for July 12 with a VIP party hosted by Shaquille O’Neal.

■ Canyon Ranch Spa + Fitness at The Venetian has opened Truth & Tonic, an apothecary-style spot with a menu that emphasizes the healing benefits of various ingredients. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; canyonranch.com/las-vegas.

■ Jade Asian Kitchen & Noodles has opened at the JW Marriott Las Vegas, serving Pan-Asian cuisine at dinner daily and lunch from Friday through Sunday. jadelv.com.

■ Also revealed at “Conversations with Norm”: Sunday was chef Gustav Mauler’s final day before retirement. His Spiedini Italian Ristorante is being taken over by JW Marriott Las Vegas, and closed this week in advance of a July 10 reopening.

■ Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, 4480 Paradise Road, is closed until Friday as it undergoes renovation. The restaurant is scheduled to reopen Saturday, offering the next installment in its Summer Regional Menu Series, highlighting the cuisine of Trentino through July 11.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.

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