British pub marks Boxing Day with special dinner

Today is Boxing Day, and it'll be celebrated in style beginning at noon at the Crown & Anchor British Pub, 1350 E. Tropicana Ave. A dinner of prime rib, roast potatoes, green beans and Yorkshire pudding, plus Christmas pudding with brandy sauce or sherried trifle, will be served for $19.95 per person.

The Crown & Anchor also will celebrate the new year twice on Wednesday -- the first at 4 p.m. (the magic hour in England), with complimentary champagne and party favors. ...

Simon at Palms Place, 4381 W. Flamingo Road, will start the new year with a whimsical new Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on New Year's Day and Sundays thereafter. The $38-per-person brunch will have buffet stations including the White Trash table (fried chicken in a basket with waffles, pigs in a blanket, deviled eggs), the Panini and Thin Things station (grilled-cheese sandwiches such as brie and honeycomb), a sushi station and the Candy Bar station, and a la carte dishes also will be available. There's a $12 menu for those younger than 12. Oh, and pajamas are the "encouraged attire." ...

La Focaccia Authentic Italian Bistro, 8975 S. Eastern Ave., has introduced a family-style menu, which starts with an antipasto platter, moves on to a platter of assorted pastas and one of assorted entrees and ends at a platter of assorted desserts. With coffee and tea included, it's $19.95 per person for two or more. The restaurant also has create-your-own-salad and create-your-own-pizza options, in addition to a variety of appetizers, salads, pastas, panini and more. Call 650-9800. ...

One Six Sky Lounge has opened on the 16th floor of the Eastside Cannery, 5255 Boulder Highway. The lounge has a menu of small plates served tapas-style (such as an ahi tartar trio, beef carpaccio, coconut shrimp skewers and mac and cheese fondue) and a wide selection of specialty cocktails. The lounge opens at 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m. with half-price martinis and a free food sampling. ...

Joseph Carr wines will be featured in a dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Spiedini at the J.W. Marriott, 221 N. Rampart Blvd. With an entree of fennel-and-garlic-crusted crown roast of pork, the four-course dinner is $68 per person. For reservations, call 869-8500. ...

The Zagat 2009 Las Vegas guide has been released, with surveyor ratings of hundreds of the area's restaurants. It's available in bookstores, at www.zagat.com or by calling (888) 371-5440. ...

For more restaurant news, visit the Vegas Voice blog on reviewjournal.com.

Send information to Heidi Knapp Rinella, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. You also can send faxes to 383-4676 or e-mail her at hrinella at hrinella@ reviewjournal.com.