DB Brasserie's Robyn Lucas on Lunch Specials, Her Homey Feel Place and More

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. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.

Robyn Lucas spent most of her career as a pastry chefs in kitchens in Las Vegas. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Providence R.I., Lucas took her skills in baking and pastry arts, as well as food service management to the former Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace, where she worked as a pastry cook, but soon was promoted to assistant pastry chef. When the restaurant closed, she worked for Caesars Palace’s bake shop and was part of the opening team for the Bacchanal Buffet. Lucas was recruited to work at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand again as an assistant pastry chef before landing at DB Brasserie at the Venetian as a pastry chef. Now she runs the pastry program for Daniel Boulud. Here she talks about where she goes for lunch specials, where she feels at home and her favorite local watering hole.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?

Kyara Japanese Tapas, Portofino at the Mirage and Sagos Baja Tavern & Lounge on South Fort Apache.

What dishes are most memorable?

At Kyara my favorite thing is their amazing lunch special. For less than 10 bucks they roll out the red carpet with a bounty of options. My roommate and I grab lunch there when we can. I am a huge sucker for the spicy tuna bowl accompanied by soup, salad and tempura shrimp. Hands down the best in Vegas!

Going to Portofino is like going home again. The extremely talented executive chef Michael LaPlaca is not only an old friend, but a former comrade from the trenches. It reminds me of the days when we were both sous at Bradley’s and he would test out new ideas on me. Hands down my favorite dish of his then and now is the wild mushroom gnocchi. They are soft little pillows of pure perfection. Plus they always have some tasty Sangiovese around to compliment my pasta.

Lastly my local watering hole, Sagos, the ultimate place to relax after a hard day’s work. The graveyard guys are old buddies of mine, and know how to show everyone a good time. It is kind of like going to cheers. Then of course there are the late night specials, simply some of the best in town. Don’t miss out on the mountain that is their carne asada nachos. I recommend the la Fin du Monde Belgian style ale to wash your chips and worries away.