Now You Can Sample Future Siegel's 1941 Dishes at Cafe Cortez

Siegel’s 1941, the new 24-hour restaurant taking over the former The Flame Steakhouse at El Cortez, may be on ice until sometime this spring, but now you can sample some of the dishes before it opens. Cafe Cortez is serving three dishes during March as a sneak peek of the menu. Try the shrimp scampi with linguine for $16.95, fried calamari with marinara sauce for $8.95 and the French onion soup for $5.25.

Last word had a May opening penciled on the calendar. The name Siegel’s 1941 references mobster Bugsy Siegel, who co-purchased the resort in 1945 for $600,000. El Cortez was originally built in 1941.

The venerable Downtown hotel and casino shuttered The Flame Steakhouse in August to make way for the remodel. A local's favorite, The Flame was best known for its prime rib and seasonal stone crab dishes. Both have been consistently promised to return on the Siegel's menu.

The makeover will include a complete upgrade, adding vintage decor touches and  "archival artwork" to create a concept described as a "step back in time, when steaks were steaks and wine was wine."