Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.
Chris Starkus and J.R. Starkus at RM Seafood. [Photo: Sara Talesfore]
It’s not often that you find two brothers working together at the same restaurant. But that’s just what Chris and J.R. Starkus do at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay. Chris is the chef for the restaurant, finding new ways to make sustainable seafood sexy. J.R., the older of the two, is the head bartender there, mixing up seasonal cocktails to go with his brother’s finds. Together they share their favorite places to eat when they’re not at RM Seafood.
Chris Starkus:
"A few of my favorite places are Hue Thai's Sandwiches, Vintner Grill and Setebello Pizzeria Napoletana. At Hue Thai's Sandwiches, I love the sardine and duck liver pate sandwich. At Vintner Grill, I like their cheese and wine selections. At Setebello, my favorite is any of their pizzas. I’m not picky so I like to change it up every time I go.
"I love Hue Thai because it is a quick and easy place to grab a sandwich before work. Vintner Grill has one of the best outdoor dining atmospheres off the Strip. Setebello is close to my house so it is good food and convenient for me.
"I love to visit Valley Cheese and Wine in Henderson and go to their wine workshops. Bob [Howald] and Kristin [Sande] are great people and make it an experience every time I go. I’m a road cyclist as well and just love riding the Red Rock loop and all around town with the Green Valley cyclists on my day off."
JR Starkus:
"A few of my favorite places are Marché Bacchus, Vintner Grill, Mon Ami Gabi and First Food and Bar.
"I love cheese and anywhere I go I always get the cheese plate I can't help it. Vintner Grill makes their own and Marché Bacchus always has a great selection. Mon Ami Gabi has great bread and of course the escargot! Garlic, butter, bread and wine..say no more.
"I love the way First Food plates the food. I look forward to going simply to see what the chefs have come up with in terms of creative ways to make comfort dishes! At Marché Bacchus, I love the wine selection and of course the view of the lake. It's so relaxing out there.
"I'm always looking for new, small, interesting places to eat. I love to bring the family out and just make a day of it. In Vegas you just don't know what you're going to find so sometimes just taking a drive and stopping at a random place is a great way to go."
· All Dining Confidentials [~ELV~]
