Sin City is bidding farewell to Chef Roy Ellamar, who is set to exit on September 21 to open a new eatery at Graton Resort & Casino in Sonoma County, California. Chef Roy Ellamar leaves Las Vegas with an impressive track record but lingering questions. Ellamar made a significant name for himself by launching Harvest by Roy Ellamar at the Bellagio in 2015. However, he perplexed many by departing from the restaurant six years later, even as it continued to operate under his name. Similar unanswered questions persist after the celebrated culinary maestro founded Fine Company at Downtown Summerlin, only to abandon it eight months later.
A billboard depicted in a rendering of a mixed-use development proposed for the former Riviera site on the north Strip has sparked speculation among parrot heads. The rendering includes an advertisement for a new Las Vegas Margaritaville, coupled with a thrill ride featuring coconut-shell swings. Although this seems to be wishful thinking, the late singer Jimmy Buffett’s restaurant brand has hinted at a potential return to Sin City.
In other dining news, the Avenue Café, a brunch spot at MGM Grand, will permanently close after business on November 17. MGM has announced that its replacement will open in February 2025, although it remains tight-lipped about specific details. Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill has now reopened at the Venetian, following a remodel that had closed the establishment in June.
Bank Atcharawan, the sommelier, chef, and restaurateur known for Las Vegas eateries such as Chada Thai & Wine and Lamaii, is set to launch a Thai fusion restaurant called Jipata at 3460 Arville St. this fall, according to What Now Vegas. Restaurateurs Andy Zhoa and Maya Kwong, known for Las Vegas Chinatown’s Xiao Long Dumplings, plan to open a second location at 6945 S. Buffalo Drive, as indicated by building permit paperwork. Downtown’s Good Pie pizzeria is gearing up to open a second location on October 14 at 835 Seven Hills Drive in Henderson, in the same storefront previously occupied by Angelina’s Pizza.
Additionally, Crab N Spice is adding a third Las Vegas location for its All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Boil, featuring king crab for $32. The new location will debut this fall in Chinatown at 3455 Arville St.
