What’s cooking: Local delivery service, foodie events planned

Delivery alternative planned

After spearheading a campaign to temporarily limit the fees third-party delivery services can charge restaurants, Tacotarian owner Kristen Corral is offering an alternative. She’s joined forces with the Iowa City, Iowa-based delivery co-op LOCO, which is owned and operated by local restaurants and promises commissions starting at 15 percent, with the goal of lowering them over time, compared to the 30 percent or more charged by many of the large national apps. LOCO also promises higher wages for drivers. Set to launch around the end of April, it’s already signed up nearly 30 restaurants. Follow on Facebook and Instagram to learn more; interested restaurants can email kristen@umbrellaconsultingteam.com.

Ada’s to reopen Saturday

Ada’s at Tivoli Village will reopen this Saturday with a new concept. It’s been transformed into a wine bar with a small menu of Spanish and Mediterranean small plates and shareable dishes. All of the servers are certified Level 2 sommeliers. The menu includes such dishes as duck confit panini, braised oxtail jam and wild mushrooms with Taleggio cream, sunnyside egg and sherry vinegar. The wine selection, which will be rotated frequently, currently features bottles from $35 to $105 and glasses from $9 to $20.

Kalman plans popups

Top Chef alum Bruce Kalman is bringing his Soulbelly Barbecue to Fremont Street as he awaits the completion of his brick-and-mortar location on Main Street. Starting this weekend, he’ll host four weekly Soul Belly pop-ups at The Kitchen at Atomic, 927 Fremont St. — from 3 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Kalman, who turns 50 on Tuesday, is planning to celebrate early with a burger pop-up Monday at Vegas Test Kitchen, 1020 Fremont St. Reserve online at secretburger.com; a limited number of walk-in spots will be available.

Fish market at La Strega

La Strega chef Gina Marinelli will offer fresh seafood during the fish market at her restaurant from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. La Strega is at 3555 S. Town Center Drive.

Free chocolate!

Hershey’s will celebrate International Women’s Day Monday by giving a free limited-edition “Celebrate SHE” milk chocolate bar to the first 1,000 people who visit Hershey’s Chocolate World, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Celebrating meatball day

Two local restaurants will celebrate National Meatball Day Tuesday. Trattoria by Chef Marc at the Ahern Hotel, 300 W. Sahara Ave., will give a free pasta and meatball appetizer to each table with an entree purchase per person. And Carmine’s at The Forum Shops at Caesars is offering Meatball Madness, 12 softball-sized meatballs with marinara and cheeses atop a spaghetti crust with garlic bread, which serves four to six people, for $68.95.

Special menu for locals

Buddy V’s in the Grand Canal Shoppes now offers local residents Mi Familia Locale from 5 p.m. to closing Tuesdays. It’s a three-course dinner with entrees of bucatini carbonara, Nonna’s Lasagna al Forno or Chicken Parm, plus antipasto, dessert and unlimited cheesy garlic bread, for $30.95, dine-in only. The restaurant also is offering family packages for takeout from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. They’re $75 to serve two to four people, $125 for four to six. Call 702-607-2355.

‘Maiz revolution’ at test kitchen

Chef Mariana Alvarado is bringing her “maiz” revolution to the Vegas Test Kitchen every Tuesday. The menu changes weekly; menus, prices and reservations are at secretburger.com.

Stripburger reopens

Stripburger & Chicken, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, has reopened for the first time in more than a year. It currently opens at 3 p.m. weekdays; beginning March 15, hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m Sundays through Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter. Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.