Thunderbirds, Martinis, and Jell-O — It’s All Retro at Safta 1964

Safta 1964. | Wynn Las Vegas For his new restaurant, chef Alon Shaya imagines his grandma driving to Las Vegas in the ‘60s and hosting a rager It wouldn’t be the 1960s without Jell-O. And chef Alon Shaya plans to have Jell-O, and a lot of it, at Safta 1964, a new restaurant taking over Jardin at the Wynn Las Vegas on April 4. Shaya got his culinary start in Las Vegas in the ‘90s and has since gone on to open restaurants like the highly acclaimed Safta (Hebrew for grandmother) in Denver, Colorado, and Saba (Hebrew for grandfather) in New Orleans. With Safta 1964, Shaya returns to Vegas with an eye on the romanticized era in which his grandmother grew up — with all the charm, style, and flavors of the 1960s. “It’s the prequel,” Shaya says. “It’s going back in time to Safta in her 20s, jumping into a Thunderbird convertible and heading to Vegas to throw a party.” Shaya first announced his plans to open a Vegas restaurant in 2022. At that time, the plan was to debut a new restaurant in the 14,000-square-foot space with an adjacent 90-foot-tall waterfall that used to be in the Intrigue nightclub at the Wynn. It was projected to open in winter 2023. “As we kept thinking about the restaurant we wanted, the idea of bringing Safta to Vegas felt like the best idea,” says Shaya. The Safta 1964 residency will take over the Jardin space for about a year — though Shaya says he’s still interested in doing something more permanent later on. Wynn Las Vegas Falafel at Safta 1964. In Denver, Shaya’s Safta restaurant uses his grandmother’s recipes, with flavors from his home in Israel, as well as those of Morocco, Turkey, Palestine, and Greece — among others. For 1964, he’s making everything a little more retro and extravagant. Spreads and dips will come served on cake stands. Hummus gets a sprinkle of shaved black truffle. A dish of bright, herby falafel is plated with creamy tahini, bright green zhoug, and a tangy mango amba sauce — creating the plate of a bold ‘60s-era colorways. Shaya says a Lebanese-style beef tartare is made “extra” with a quenelle of osetra caviar. And sablefish, often found in Jewish delis, will be prepared as paprikash, then pan-seared and stewed in the amber marinade with dumplings. Wynn Las Vegas Hummus with caviar at Safta 1964. The Jardin restaurant was last used as the setting for chef Min Kim, formerly of Mizumi, for Min’s Test Kitchen. Now, during the residency, the indoor-outdoor conservatory-style restaurant will get a retro makeover with custom table settings, flower arrangement centerpieces, and a ‘64 Thunderbird motif. “It will be a big surprise how the Thunderbird plays into the vision and decor,” says Shaya. As for the Jell-O, Shaya is using flavors like fresh pomegranate juice to arrange elaborate molds of jiggly dessert, which will be wheeled around the room and carved tableside. He says it will all feel very high-end, and very Vegas. Wynn Las Vegas Hummus at Safta 1964. Wynn Las Vegas Dumplings at Safta 1964. After graduating from culinary school in 1998, Shaya interned at Napa at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, one of the first true French dining rooms in a casino. In 2015, he won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef: South,” after opening the Italian restaurant Domenica in New Orleans. And now, 1964 is the fifth restaurant for Shaya and his wife Emily’s Pomegranate Hospitality group. He calls his return to Vegas a homecoming. “Vegas opened my eyes to the possibilities in this industry,” he says. “It felt like nothing was impossible.” Safta 1964 will be open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Reservations are open now. Wynn Las Vegas Harissa roasted chicken at Safta 1964. Wynn Las Vegas Salmon filet at Safta 1964.