Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Las Vegas — April 4

Chica. | Janna Karel

Your handy guide on where to eat this weekend It’s the most pressing question of the weekend: “Where should I eat?” Here, Eater editors issue tried and true recommendations for places to check out this weekend.

For a late afternoon brunch: Chica

Janna Karel
Chica.

Dinner at chef Lorena Garcia’s Latin restaurant calls for braised short rib with cotija mash, spicy pineapple margaritas, and dessert in the form of a flaming chocolate skull. But Chica is underrated for its brunch. Beyond the fact that it’s available daily and until 4 p.m., dishes here are vibrantly plated and imbued with bold flavors from the Venezuelan-born chef’s background. Mornings – or, in my case, late afternoon – call for lattes and hand-pressed juices like one of apple, kale, and cucumber. The Mexican Mezze is a heaping starter for the table – a platter of chips and crunchy plantains served with guacamole and two kinds of salsa. Garcia’s Venezuelan arepas are a must-order, available in cheese, cilantro, and beet varieties with nata butter for dipping. They’re especially good if you ask for a side of chimichurri. And a great brunch means orders of entrees that are both salty and sweet. Masa waffles are joyously textured, spread with whipped cream and guava jam, sweet and fruity in a way that complements paisa bowls of rice and beans with eggs, chorizo, skirt steak, fried plantains, and avocado. And the staff here is attentive, providing some of the best hospitality one can find on the Las Vegas Strip. Venetian; 3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109. — Janna Karel, Editor, Eater Vegas
For crunchy tempura: Chamon

Janna Karel
Chamon.

When Chamon first opened, it had lines out the door for months. Part of the hype was due to its attention online. But lines were also long because the restaurant only has a handful of tables and three counter seats. Its self-serve onigiri counter makes for easy meals to go, plastic-wrapped rice balls laden with chashu pork, heart-shaped chicken omurice, and salmon with salty ikura. But to enjoy Chamon’s tempura bowls requires dining in. Chamon stands out as a Japanese restaurant that focuses almost entirely on tempura, with a seasoned batter that fries up super light and crispy. Wait times are recently down to the 15-minute mark, especially if visiting closer to 5 p.m. Settle in for rice bowls piled high with hot and super crunchy tempura-fried shrimp, lotus root, squash, and maitake mushrooms. And bump up the flavor with shakes of chili pepper and smoky matcha salt. 5020 West Spring Mountain Road # 6, Las Vegas, NV 89146. — Janna Karel, Editor, Eater Vegas
For a fast food-style burger: Parlour

Janna Karel
Parlour.

Located in an intimate crimson-hued space in the Fremont East District, the Parlour coffee shop and lounge pivots its attention from lemon ricotta crepes and smoked salmon Benedicts in the mornings to burgers at night. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Parlour hosts its burger happy hours. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the kitchen whips up its own version of Big Macs and Double-Doubles. Parlour’s version of Wendy’s Baconator is served on a bacon fat-toasted bun with bacon cheese and bacon for $10. And the Big Mick is served dripping in special sauce with pickles and caramelized onions on the requisite three buns. The burgers are indisputably better than their fast food counterparts — especially given that the single patty In-N-Out dupe is $5. 616 East Carson Avenue Suite #140, Las Vegas, NV 89101. — Janna Karel, Editor, Eater Vegas