Miami Restaurateurs Venture West To Las Vegas

Miami’s 50 Eggs Inc. unveiled a second unit of its Yardbird Southern Table & Bar concept in January, opening a location in The Venetian Las Vegas resort. The 8,000-square-foot venue features popular entrées from the original Miami location, including Llewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken and St. Louis–style pork ribs, alongside new dishes like the smoked Niman Ranch Tomahawk pork chop and the Backyard BBQ Chicken (entrées are $14 to $59). These offerings are joined by a variety of small plates, from pork croquettes and terrines to deviled eggs and fried frog legs ($5 to $17). Yardbird’s beverage program also takes a Southern slant, boasting cocktails like the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade, comprising Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Angostura bitters, blackberry purée, fresh lemon and cardamom, and the Lil’ Red Rooster, made with Patrón Silver Tequila, Veev açai liqueur, Campari aperitif, Luxardo Sangue Morlacco Cherry liqueur and pineapple juice (drinks are $13 to $15). Mixed drinks are complemented by five types of custom ice made on-site. The restaurant’s all-American beer list boasts more than 80 selections ($5 to $30 a draft pour, can or bottle), including several flights, and the wine menu spans domestic and international labels ($10 to $56 a glass; $28 to $2,000 a 750-ml. bottle). Yardbird’s interior displays a large collection of celebrity photography, dating from the 1940s through the ’90s.

Texas Taco Joint Invades Chicago

Featuring a varied menu of globally inspired tacos in an industrial loft space, Velvet Taco opened in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood in February. The restaurant, which has locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, features 15 taco varieties, from Buffalo chicken and crispy pork belly to Mediterranean calamari and raw ahi tuna ($3.25 to $6.75 per taco). The venue also offers whole rotisserie chickens for takeout ($20). The drinks program highlights Margaritas made with lime sorbet ($6.50) and boasts a rotating list of Midwestern craft beers from such breweries as Half Acre, Revolution, Two Brothers and Hamm’s ($4 to $6). A selection of Mexican brews and the Red Velvet dunkler bock from Germany’s Baderbräu Brewery are also available. The space features exposed brick and industrial lighting.

Restaurant Briefs

• The upscale, contemporary steak house Hunt & Fish Club debuted in January in Midtown Manhattan with a menu of fresh steaks, wild game and seafood and an extensive wine list. The 9,000-square-foot, bi-level eatery boasts a black and white interior and a 1960s feel, complete with classic cocktails served at two different bars.
• Chef Mourad Lahlou unveiled an eponymous restaurant in San Francisco in January. A sister venue to his popular Aziza, Mourad offers modern Moroccan food with traditional ingredients and flavors, either à la carte or as a 10-course tasting option. The restaurant also has diverse wine, beer and cocktail lists.
• An upscale tavern with Southern influences, American Food and Beverage opened in Atlanta in January. Joining a location in Fort Worth, Texas, the venue features a wood-fired grill and entrées like duck pot pie, braised pork shank and fried chicken. The beverage menu highlights domestic spirits and cocktails.
• The neighborhood eatery Henri on Fifth opened in Brooklyn, New York, in January with a menu that has roots in Vietnamese, German, French, Native American and African-American cultures. The restaurant and bar offers a seasonal menu of small plates and shareable dishes, as well as specialty cocktails.