When Circa Resort & Casino opens its doors in Downtown Las Vegas December 2020, it will have a restaurant lineup of five original concepts.
Curated by developer and CEO Derek Stevens, the new offerings are:
- Saginaw’s Delicatessen from Detroit restaurateur Paul Saginaw, marking the first new restaurant outside Michigan from the people behind Ann Arbor’s famed Zingerman’s;
- Barry’s Downtown Prime, the first Downtown venture from Chef Barry S. Dakake;
- Victory Burger & Wings Co. from American Coney Island’s Chris Sotiropoulos and Grace Keros, the first new concept from the brand’s founding family in more than a century;
- 8 East, the first pan-Asian restaurant from Chef Dan Coughlin;
- Project BBQ by Chef Rex Bernales, the first permanent food truck and Carolina barbecue joint on the Fremont Street Experience.
Circa’s restaurant lineup will include the following:
Saginaw’s Delicatessen
Saginaw has collaborated with Stevens to introduce a family-style deli touting sandwiches “so big, you’ll need two hands to eat them.”
Saginaw is known worldwide for Zingerman’s Deli – an Ann Arbor institution he opened with partner Ari Weinzweig in 1982 – that’s consistently ranked among the world’s best sandwich joints. A college-aged Stevens used to line up early for the restaurant’s buzzed-about sandwiches, and later opened the Coffee Stand at the D Las Vegas, serving Zingerman’s Coffee.
Saginaw’s menu will include his famous Reuben and several more of the creative sandwiches for which he’s known. Traditional delicatessen favorites will round out the menu, including matzo ball soup, onion rings, salads, latkes, chopped liver, breakfast specialties and more.
Barry’s Downtown Prime
Barry’s Downtown Prime is a new steakhouse concept from Chef Barry S. Dakake and Make It Happen Hospitality, offering steaks and seafood, fresh tableside preparations, creative cocktails and a memorable service experience. Evoking a throwback vibe, Barry’s will aim to bring guests back to the classic cool of the 50s and 60s.
Barry’s Downtown Prime was developed by 980 Restaurant Consulting partners Barry S. Dakake and Yassine Lyoubi, which merged with Marco Cicione and Donnie Rihn to create Make It Happen Hospitality. Boasting longstanding careers in the Las Vegas food & beverage scene, Chef Dakake was at the helm for restaurants N9NE Steakhouse and Scotch 80 Prime for nearly two decades. Lyoubi served as general manager for N9NE Steakhouse and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and most recently held the title of director of fine dining at the Palms Resort & Casino.
Victory Burger & Wings Co.
Overlooking Circa’s sportsbook, Victory Burger & Wings Co. will be an all-star sports bar experience. Developed by Chris Sotiropoulos and Grace Keros – third-generation owners of Detroit’s 102-year-old American Coney Island – the menu will offer gameday staples including five specialty burgers, wings and appetizers.
The star of the show will be the Victory Burger, featuring a ½-pound patty made with a proprietary blend of Angus beef, short rib and brisket topped with a secret sauce. In an homage to the Midwest, Victory also will serve a twist on the Michigan Olive Burger. There will also be hearty portions of wings and signature dipping sauces, plus Victory fries and a wide beer selection.
Guests can watch the sports action via TVs throughout the space in addition to a prime view of the three-story screen in Circa’s sportsbook. The venue will have its own radio booth, where fans might spot their favorite sports talk show conducting a broadcast on gameday.
8 East
Inspired by metropolitan Asian food markets, 8 East will offer Chef Dan Coughlin’s creative takes on pan-Asian cuisine. Spanning Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai dishes, 8 East will have a hip, high-energy atmosphere punctuated by great music and communal dining.
A key player in sparking the Downtown food movement with hotspot Le Thai, Coughlin will introduce new fusion dishes and techniques at 8 East that he’s been keeping in “the vault” – previously tested both at his Thai restaurant and at home for family and friends. His menu will be full of shareable dishes such as Coughlin’s GaPow basil chicken pot stickers, dumplings, wontons, skewers and steaks. Each will be served with signature Chinese, Szechuan, Shangdu and Thai sauces, amongst others, offering unique flavor combinations for guests to explore.
A beverage program curated by Sonny Ahuja and Don Welch of Downtown Las Vegas’ Bin 702 will feature rare Japanese whiskies and sakes, in addition to specialty cocktails.
Project BBQ
Serving up a Southern festival of gourmet smoked meats, Project BBQ at Circa will be Fremont Street Experience’s only permanent food truck and its first Carolina BBQ joint.
Conceptualized by Chef Rex Bernales, along with partners Rob Baker, Mo Pierce and Steve Hamlin, Project BBQ’s menu will offer pulled brisket, pork, chicken and more. Its “Garbage Bowl” will include handmade potato chips covered in its signature meats and decked out with a trio of Carolina BBQ, beer and cheese sauces, then topped with applewood-smoked bacon and coleslaw.
Situated on Circa’s exterior, Project BBQ will spill out onto the Fremont Street Experience with a built-in “backyard” for communal gathering. Guests can dine on picnic tables and sip cocktails from Circa’s Fremont Street Experience bar as they enjoy light shows from Viva Vision overhead and live music from surrounding concert stages.
Circa Resort & Casino will be Downtown Las Vegas’ first ground-up casino resort since 1980. The integrated resort will have a massive pool open 365 days a year, the world’s largest sportsbook, luxury rooms and suites, and more.
Additional details will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit www.circalasvegas.com.
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