Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Las Vegas — April 25

The goods at Miznon. | Miznon Your handy guide on where to eat this weekend It’s the most pressing question of the weekend: “Where should I eat?” Here, Eater editors issue tried and true recommendations for places to check out this weekend. For a homestyle Italian dinner: Chicago Joe’s Janna Karel Eggplant Parmesan at Chicago Joe’s. This family-owned restaurant got its start in 1975. And if walking in the front door feels like stopping into grandma’s house‚ you’re not too far off. Chicago Joe’s got its start when the mother and grandmother of the restaurant’s namesake Joe Collura moved from Sicily to Chicago, and then to Las Vegas, to breathe new life into the brick house as a destination for old-world cooking. Take a seat at whichever gingham-clothed table speaks to you. Bread arrives on the table with drinks, but the crisp and buttery garlic bread is worth ordering as a side. The restaurant really shines on the classics: Red sauce dishes that are bright and acidic enough to cut through the richness of a melted cheese blanket. The meat lasagna with Italian sausage is amply filling; the eggplant Parmesan keeps its crisp even under layers of sauce and cheese. 820 S. 4th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 — Janna Karel, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a pita pocket on the go: Miznon Janna Karel Pita sandwiches at Miznon. Chef Eyal Shani’s behemoth HaSalon restaurant at the Venetian Resort achieves incredible feats with seasonal vegetables and a constantly rotating menu. But for a taste of Shani’s cooking on the go — and without the multi-decibel HaSalon experience — the food stall just across the hallway is perfect for a quicker bite. Miznon delivers pita sandwiches packed with flavor: The menu, regrettably written in Comic Sans, describes its pitas whimsically. A mushroom pita is listed as “a whole forest burned on hot steel,” filled with grilled shiitake, portobello, and oyster mushrooms, then drenched in a spicy sour cream sauce with roasted vegetables. The rib-eye minute steak pita comes slathered with drippy tahini and tomato salsa. A bag of cold and crunchy green beans is an underrated side, surprisingly addictive given its modest seasoning of olive oil, lemon, salt, and garlic. The Venetian Resort: 3355 S Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109. — Janna Karel, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For chai cocktails and curry: Tamba Janna Karel Samosa chaat at Tamba. Located in Town Square, this new Indian restaurant combines Indian cooking with a Japanese influence, all served in a chic dining room with cozy rounded furnishings and attentive service. The cocktail and mocktail menus are worth browsing for drinks that blend rich flavors of mango lassi and chai. Start with a bowl of samosa chaat — two samosas formed with crisp pastry and filled with masala potatoes and spiced green peas. They’re served in a shallow bath of savory curried chickpeas that has swirls of chutney and sweet pops of pomegranate arils. Tamba’s kitchen incorporates a josper — the unique combination of an oven and charcoal grill. The josper’s intense heat means that octopus gets a quick sear, resulting in a nearly caramelized exterior with a slightly smoky crust and a tender interior. It’s plated meticulously with vibrant pops of fennel and watermelon radish, dollops of yuzu lime aioli and eel sauce, and a spread of warm cauliflower puree. 6671 Las Vegas Boulevard S., Suite A117, Las Vegas, NV 89119. — Janna Karel, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest