Lou's Reviews
Arts District
Between the North Strip and Downtown
Esther's Kitchen
Named in the NY and LA Times, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure and more, local chef James Trees offers a seasonal menu of elevated Italian food in a casual environment. You will find meatballs and spaghetti but, as with other dishes, prepared unlike you’ve had before. Get the house made sourdough bread with one or more toppings and create a bruschetta you’ll never forget - before enjoying a main dish equally unforgettable.
Arts District Brewery Row
Starting at the south end of main street walking less than a mile north are four on-site breweries: Able Baker, Nevada Brew Works, HUDL Brewing and Hop Nuts Brewing. Farther up the street toward downtown is the unique Cin-Cin Brewhouse & Seafood Bar and along the way you’ll pass three brewery tap rooms: Servehzah, Voodoo Brewing and CraftHaus, along with two ‘beer-centric’ bars: Silver Stamp and Atomic Tavern. If that’s not enough there are dozens of other bars serving beers in the Arts District
Pepper Club
A sophisticated Marriott boutique hotel in the Arts District is not what you might expect, but the English Hotel is exactly that. Inside (with outside access) is a culinary gem - The Pepper Club, by Chef Todd English. True to its location though, the restaurant environment is 'artsy', with its high ceilings and glitzy décor, lighted by the vibrant colors of the bar, serving as centerpiece of the restaurant. Adjacent to it is an open display sushi bar. There's a brunch that's been called the best in Vegas and a happy hour offering reduced prices on many of the exceptional Asian fusion dishes available on the regular menu. Note: the environment and accompanying prices are disparate from the rest of the Arts District.
Soulbelly BBQ
With its huge smokers welcoming you from outside in front, this restaurant features central Texas style barbecue from Founder and 'Smoker', Chef Bruce Kalman - a James Beard 'Rising Star Chef' nominee and Food Network 'Chopped' champion who also 'Beat Bobby Flay' and was a top five finisher on Top Chef. All those credentials speak to the culinary expertise of chef Kalman, but are contrary to the ambience of this establishment which is a real 'down-home' ultra-casual environment, often with live bands performing on the dining area stage.
Velveteen Rabbit
Modern craft cocktails served amid vintage decor. One of the founding establishments in the fast-growing Arts District. This celebrated cocktail lounge has an interesting, comfortable indoor space featuring local art, vintage furniture, and a new, playfully designed outdoor patio - adorned in pink. Featuring creative seasonal drink menus and a rotating selection of eight specialty beers on tap, this is among the best cocktail bars in Las Vegas - a bold statement to be made in a city full of mixologists but well earned. Note: There is no food available, and you can't bring any in.