Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

How to Make Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna
Oregano and Lemon

The breathtaking Vetri Cucina is located on the 56th floor of the Palms Casino Resort with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip. A most memorable meal high atop the Las Vegas skyline inspired me to re-create an amazing burrata salad featuring a captivating black truffle vinaigrette.

Here, my recipe is inspired by Chef Marc Vetri’s il viaggio di vetri cookbook. Fresh pasta, the highest quality ahi tuna, fresh oregano and lemon harmonize in a dish that is both simple and extraordinary. The raw tuna is kissed with the heat from the just-cooked pasta, keeping the fish at its purest taste.

This ahi tuna (aka yellowfin) is not treated with carbon monoxide to artificially preserve the bright color of the flesh (a practice that has been banned in the EU). As a result, the color ranges from to pale pink to grayish pink which is normal and healthy.

How to Make Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna Recipe

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Cocktails in the Las Vegas Subway?

Try a Smoky Dirty Martini!

Cocktails in the Las Vegas Subway?

Try a Smoky Dirty Martini!

It fits the mood…

A little while back I wrote about a fantastic dinner and the chef’s very clever Dirty Martini Salad at Diner Ross at The LINQ Hotel Las Vegas. What I neglected to share was how to get there… curiously, you must enter the diner only through a secret subway station entrance.

Cocktails in the Las Vegas Subway?

Dirty Martini Salad

Cocktails in the Las Vegas Subway?

Sip delightful cocktails to the music and trippy sounds of an occasional train passing through the “tunnel” while awaiting your dinner reservation.

Cocktails in the Las Vegas Subway?

Inspired by the fabulous Dirty ol’ Martini served in the subway, here is my version:

A Smoky Dirty Martini

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Dirty Martini Salad

Diner Ross Dirty Martini Salad

🥬 🍸 🫒 Dirty Martini Salad 🫒 🍸 🥬

The annual 2024 Eater Las Vegas Awards celebrate the city’s top culinary achievements from the past year, spotlighting standout restaurants, late-night hang-outs, and bars that have made an impact on the local dining scene.

Diner Ross: Best New Las Vegas Restaurant 2024

Stepping into Diner Ross at the LINQ Hotel feels like entering a nostalgic dream of 1970s New York City. Past the glittering silver-tiled breezeway reminiscent of a disco ball, the restaurant charms with its retro aesthetic: orange booth seating, dusky green walls decorated with vintage album covers, and a staff dressed in paisley prints and jumpsuits. It’s a playful yet sophisticated take on themed dining.

While the design grabs your attention, it’s Chef Anna Altieri’s menu that truly shines. She reimagines comforting classics, starting with her signature popovers—fluffy delights served with butter and jam or elevated options like foie gras and caviar.

In addition to earning the title of Best New Restaurant, Diner Ross was just recently featured on Eater Vegas’s list of Where to Find the Best Salads in Las Vegas, thanks to the Chef’s Dirty Martini Salad. This dish layers bibb lettuce with martini olives, juniper, pimento, Roquefort cheese, and a touch of lemon for balance, offering a salad that’s as indulgent as its namesake cocktail. Pair it with an actual dirty martini for the full experience.

Diner Ross is more than a restaurant; it’s an experience that artfully blends nostalgic charm with modern culinary excellence. And it’s really fun!

Diner Ross Dirty Martini Salad

DIRTY MARTINI SALAD
bibb lettuce, martini olive, juniper, pimento. roquefort, lemon, chive

Diner Ross Las Vegas

Diner Ross and Dirty Martini Salad Recipe

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A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A Passion for Pasta

Signature Series by Fontainebleau Las Vegas

In honor of National Pasta Day, Signature Series by Fontainebleau presented the “art of pasta” with detailed demonstrations of handmade and extruded styles which was led by acclaimed Italian-born Chef Stefano Chiarugi.

Attendees were able to learn more about pasta from the Chef and watch him demonstrate how to make the various pastas. We were able to then practice hand-rolling trofie, prepare the tortelli filling, and hand-form the tortelli by folding the dough over to form a half moon, then drawing the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet-shape.

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A fabulous three-course pasta dinner followed the demonstration. The menu included the pasta shapes, pesto, and pumpkin filling learned in the class. The classic Italian wine pairing was courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas Master Sommelier Kevin Reilly.

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A PASSION FOR PASTA
with Executive Chef Stefano Chiarugi

ANTIPASTI

Saffron Arancini and Gorgonzola Cheese
Loaded Focaccia Pugliese
Caramelized Fresh Fig and Prosciutto di Parma
served with
Aperol Spritz

PASTA MENU

Trofie Pasta with Creamy Basil Pesto
Confit Cherry Tomatoes, Smoked Provola Cheese

Tortelli Filled with Roasted Pumpkin and Bufala Ricotta
in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Chitarra Pasta with Black Truffle-Braised Duck Ragu
Aged Parmesan Cheese

Focaccia Romana for the Table

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Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

The invention of spicy tuna on crispy rice is attributed to Katsuya Uechi, a renowned chef from Japan who later became well-known in Los Angeles. Chef Katsuya is credited with conceiving this dish for a diner who wasn’t particularly fond of sushi, at his eponymous restaurant, which first opened in 1997 in Los Angeles.

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Nobu Matsuhisa is recognized with popularizing spicy tuna on crispy rice. While Katsuya Uechi is credited with the original concept, Chef Nobu played a significant role in bringing this dish to the global stage. Crispy rice with spicy tuna became one of the signature dishes at his restaurants worldwide.

Nobu Paris Las Vegas

Nobu Paris Las VegasNobu Paris Las Vegas

Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna
Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice Recipe

Spicy Octopus Crispy RiceHere, inspired by Nobu’s “Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna,” I make crispy rice cakes using an onigiri mold and top the crispy rice with slices of avocado, spicy octopus, and jalapeño for colorful appetizer. The combination of the crispy rice base and the spicy, creamy octopus creates a textural and flavorful contrast that makes it such a delightful bite.

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