Travel and Leisure: UnCommons
By David Morris | Published on March 13, 2023
This Las Vegas Neighborhood Is Transforming Thanks to Incredible Restaurants and a $750-million Casino — and It's 10 Miles Off the Strip.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DURANGO, A STATION CASINOS RESORT VIA TRAVEL AND LEISURE (LINK AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE)
Ten miles off the strip, the 40-acre UnCommons enclave is going to have an exciting year.
Travelers visiting Las Vegas know the city's biggest attraction is the Strip, followed by Fremont Street. But an influx of investment is transforming another part of Sin City — namely its southwest corridor, just 10 miles off the Strip — into a culinary hub.
The newly built UnCommons is slated to roll out an impressive collection of restaurants throughout the year while Durango Resort and Casino is launching in the fall. Both destinations aim to draw locals but also attract travelers visiting the Strip. (Las Vegas received more than 32 million visitors in 2021.)
UnCommons is a 40-acre, $400-million urban outdoor shopping and dining destination. Currently open are outposts of two Los Angeles–bred eateries: Urth Caffé and SunLife Organics. The former, which already has an outpost on the Strip at Wynn Las Vegas, offers coffee, teas, healthy fare, and baked goods. The latter is known for it its selection of superfoods in the forms of bowls, smoothies, and cold-pressed juices. Also open are Mercadito, a bodega-style sandwich shop that also sells grocery staples, and Teaspoon, a boba tea shop.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNCOMMONS VIA TRAVEL AND LEISURE (LINK AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE)
There are 25 other food and beverage concepts in the works. Fourteen of those will be housed in a food hall called The Sundry — the brainchild of chef Michael Mina. It's scheduled to open in the spring. Here, you can order chili-rubbed al pastor tacos made with fire-roasted cauliflower at chef Ray Garcia's reincarnation of B.S. Taqueria, which closed in Los Angeles during the pandemic. The only other full-service restaurant in the 20,000-square-foot space is Mizunara — a Japanese whisky and temaki bar specializing in open-style sushi hand rolls under the helm of San Francisco–based chef Shotaro "Sho" Kamio.
Other eats will all be available through a QR-coded menu and delivered to guests seated throughout the two-story space. Think chicken sandwiches by chef Matt Horn at Kowbird; grilled meats from James Beard-nodded and Bravo Top Chef alum Bruce Kalman at SoulBelly; and Michelin-recognized Indian fare courtesy of Alejandro Medina and Rajat Parr at Dhaba Ji. These are in addition to Japanese street food emporium Gyu+; Mexican steakhouse J. Blanco; Peruvian Nikkei (Japanese Peruvian cuisine) restaurant KAIYŌ; Portland-born ice cream purveyor Salt & Straw; tiki tequilería (read: speakeasy) Todo Bien; and sports bar General Admission.
UnCommons developer Jim Stuart told Travel + Leisure that other notable concepts are in the pipeline. This includes the Florentine sandwich shop All'Antico Vinaio, which has locations throughout Italy and in New York. It's known for serving one of Saveur's “world’s best sandwiches," the signature La Schiacciata del Boss (made with prosciutto Toscano, pecorino, and truffle cream).
James Beard Award–winning chef Shawn McClain, who is behind both Mandalay Bay’s gastropub Libertine Social and Sahara’s Balla Italian Soul, has been tapped to open a wine-focused lounge called Wineaux. In addition to curating a wine club, there will be wine tastings, small bites, and retail with a delivery component for locals.
This fall, the area will further transform into a stand-alone destination when the $750-million Durango Resort and Casino opens. Durango will offer visitors 83,000 square feet of gaming, a race and sports book, 200 rooms, 20,000 square feet of event space, and a 25,000-square-foot food hall. The “Eat Your Heart Out” food hall will feature 11 food and drink outlets. Visitors can expect outposts of popular national brands: Los Angeles' Irv’s Burgers; New York’s Prince Street Pizza; Philadelphia’s Fiorella by Marc Vetri; and Hawaii's Ai Pono Café.
There will also be local favorites within the resort, like Shang Artisan Noodle; Vesta Coffee; Nielsen’s Frozen Custard; Yu-Or-Mi Sushi Bar; Drnk bar; The Oyster Bar modeled after the popular Palace Station outpost; and four other restaurants.
“Every detail has been carefully curated, from hand-selected creative concepts to venue design," said David Horn, vice president of Durango Casino and Resort, in a press statement obtained by T+L. "[It brings] together a playful culinary epicenter and includes a variety of options to choose from based on preference, taste, or mood."
Article Link: This Las Vegas Neighborhood Is Transforming Thanks to Incredible Restaurants and a $750-million Casino