Former ‘Top Chef’ Contestant Bruce Kalman Now Plans a Barbecue Restaurant in Downtown

Former Top Chef contestant Bruce Kalman plans to plant his flag on the Las Vegas dining scene with a barbecue restaurant just south of the Arts District in the Gateway District.

Kalman tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he plans to open Soulbelly BBQ at 1327 Main St., inside a former gas station originally built in 1966.

Kalman originally moved to Las Vegas to work as the executive chef of LEV Group open Scuola Vecchia, Italian for old school, in the Brio space at Tivoli Village with chef James Trees at Esther’s Kitchen. Kalman is no longer involved in that project or with LEV Group.

He co-owns Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market in Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles and appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15. Kalman also has BK Brinery, an artisan pickle company.

Recently, he’s offered pop-up experiences to showcase some of his barbecue, serving dishes such as pork butt and beef brisket served with beans and slaw and barbecue spiced cracklins last month and salt and pepper beef short ribs, Carolina pulled pork, and chipotle cider glazed chicken drumsticks at DW Bistro at the Gramercy over the weekend. He pops up next at 18bin in the Arts District with a dinner on October 17 featuring Texas brisket and pulled pork.

The RJ reports he plans to open in early 2021.

• Chef to bring barbecue restaurant to Arts District [LVRJ]

• Former ‘Top Chef’ Contestant Plans to Open an Italian Restaurant at Tivoli Village [ELV]