Las Vegas appears to be unable to get its fill of José Andrés, as the celebrity chef is set to open his fifth and sixth restaurants on the Strip in the near future. His Mediterranean eatery, Zaytinya, is expected to open at the Forum Shops at Caesars first, followed by another location at The Shops at Crystals in Aria Campus (formerly CityCenter). Andrés, who is credited with bringing the small-plate tapas concept to America, already operates Jaleo, China Poblana, é by Andrés, and Bazaar Meat on the Las Vegas Strip. Exact details for the new restaurants have yet to be revealed, but they are expected to arrive by late 2023 or early 2024.
In addition, Tao Group has announced that Cathédrale, a French-Mediterranean coastal restaurant from the Lower East Side, will open May 1 at Aria. Executive chef Jason Hall and Tao Group Hospitality’s chief culinary officer, Ralph Scamardella, will oversee the menu, which includes an omelet filled with crème fraîche and caviar, a whole Dover sole with lemon caper butter, and a 22-ounce prime aged ribeye with rotisserie leeks. Guests will be welcomed into the 266-seat restaurant through a tunnel lit by flickering candles, and then pass through a metal beaded chain canopy, to find a monumental ceiling installation looming over the main dining room.
Sadly, Stripburger & Chicken has closed, marking the end of its 16 year run at the Fashion Show mall. There has been speculation that Emmitt’s, a new steakhouse from NFL legend Emmitt Smith, may take its place. Meanwhile, China Mama in Chinatown is temporarily closed due to a kitchen fire caused by cooking equipment that wasn’t turned off.
The Venetian has hired Ryan Labbe to operate, and ultimately reinvent, its Dorsey, Electra, and Rosina cocktail lounges. Labbe is the founder and CEO of Las Vegas’ 81/82 Group and opened Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails in the Cosmopolitan. Lastly, Retro by Voltaggio, the first Las Vegas restaurant from “Top Chef” stars and brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, will open May 3 and is now accepting reservations. The one-year culinary residency supplants Charlie Palmer’s Aureole at Mandalay Bay, which closes for good on April 14.
