Popular Las Vegas Italian restaurant closes for expansion
For going on three years, chef Dan and Brandi Thompson, owners of D’Agostino’s Trattoria, have been assembling the financing to renovate and expand their restaurant, 4115 S. Buffalo Drive, Suite 115. Now, work has finally begun, with the restaurant temporarily closing on June 15 for the project; a reopening is planned for mid-September.
In the current space (formerly Cafe Chloe), the kitchen will see upgraded equipment, among other improvements, to better accommodate the restaurant and its catering operation. The dining room will be refreshed with new floors, lighting and furniture, and with a separate entrance for mobile orders and carry-out. The website will be redesigned, too.
D’Agostino’s is also taking over the adjacent space (a onetime tattoo parlor) to feature a new wine bar with an expanded wine list, plus cocktails, small plates and a happy your. The expansion roughly doubles the size of the 12-seat D’Agostino’s that sometimes had to turn away customers on busy weekend nights.
What isn’t changing, the couple said, is the menu of Italian and Italian-American standards, the longtime staff and the restaurant’s signature warm welcome. Follow the progress @dagostinos_lv.
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La Madre Canyon Grill, 4195 S Grand Canyon Drive, Suite 101, has unveiled a significant portion of its remodel and an updated menu from executive chef Gustavo Castro. The renovation draws inspiration from the desert, nearby mountains and a midcentury meets Southwest aesthetic, deploying rich earth tones, the texture of stone, patterned tile floors, brushed brass, leather upholstery, custom fixtures, wooden clouds (an acoustic element), and landscape art.
A new private dining room can be opened to or closed off from the main dining room. The room features etched wood panels, custom tables, accent chairs and warm lighting that echo the feel of the larger remodel.
Castro’s menu celebrates Latin home cooking with modern twists. “This menu is rooted in the kind of comforting meals I grew up with: simple, soulful and made to bring people together,” the chef said. “We’ve elevated those flavors just enough to make it feel special, without losing the warmth behind it.” Visit lamadrecanyongrill.com.
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Jennifer Yim, mixologist and training coach at The Cosmopolitan, has been named a finalist in Kástra Elión Vodka’s Chief Martini Officer contest. The brand invited bartenders from across the country to submit their best martini recipe using Kástra Elión, with the winner awarded the title for a year and a trip to Greece. Yim, along with four other finalists, will be flown to Los Angeles in July to compete. Kástra Elión is distilled from Greek olives.
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The Steakhouse at Circus Circus, a fine old-school convocation of dark wood and steakhouse classics, of polished service and gilt-framed images of chops on the hoof, is offering a summer special through Labor Day. The dinner features soup or salad, a filet, choice of side and a glass of wine for $85. Visit circuscircus.com.
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Executive chef Antwan Ellis of Emmitt’s Vegas in Fashion Show mall has introduced new dishes to the lunch menu served from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. We’re talking about a chirashi bowl (tuna, salmon, hamachi, tamago, vegetables), a spicy tuna bowl, surf and turf sliders (shrimp, dry-aged beef), prime rib cheesesteak and steak frites (Prime hanger steak, skin-on fries). Visit emmittsvegas.com.
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Winnie &Ethel’s Downtown Diner, 1130 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 140, has launched a dinner menu, offered from5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays to Mondays, that continues the restaurant’s celebration of classic American cooking.
That means deviled eggs with smoked jalapeño, crisp catfish and corn fritters with Cajun rémoulade, a Best Veg Burger with a buckwheat and shiitake patty, blackened Idaho rainbow trout, Angus meatloaf with black pepper barbecue sauce and, now officially on the menu, baked-to-order (!) chocolate chip cookies — just like Grandma used to make, with a modern zhoosh of Maldon sea salt. Visit winnieandethels.com.
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