The Legacy of DW Bistro and Other Restaurants Moving On

When one door shuts, another one opens — or maybe a window — or another business altogether 👀 So let’s talk about the culinary minds behind recent or pending restaurant closures who are finding new ways to share their creativity and talent in Las Vegas.

🍗 DW Bistro

DW Bistro, a West Valley neighborhood favorite for 15 years, made the most of its space at the Gramercy with Jamaican-American recipes, themed brunches, and live music. Like a television show that’s ending its run on top instead of being canceled, chef Dalton Wilson and proprietor Bryce Krausman are closing the restaurant on their own terms, although the brand name may appear elsewhere in the future, perhaps in catering, classroom, or pop-up form.

“We might end up in the virtual realm, we might end up in a food truck, we might end up in another location, but right now, nothing is concrete,” Krausman says. “We're just letting the lease lapse, and letting someone else take over the space.”

For now, enjoy one last cocktail (or three) and plate of jerk chicken waffles as DW Bistro winds things down with the upcoming special events:

🍜 Hot Noods

Chinglish might’ve been too good for the neighborhood, serving authentic, elevated Cantonese cuisine and perfect Peking Duck by chef Po Fai Lam at the Boca Park shopping plaza. It closed last year, but the family business, led by Ken and Kitty Heck, is shifting formats with Hot Noods at the El Cortez, giving Fremont Street a much-needed place for expertly prepared ramen, as well as dumplings and other fast-casual Asian bites.

🍷 Forte Tapas

We were sad to see Forte Tapas and its menu of Eastern European cuisine say goodbye after 15 years in Spring Valley, but owner Nina Manchev is resurrecting the name for a one-night-only Forte & Friends pop-up at Amari in UnCommons on March 13. Manchev continues to supply caviar to Vegas restaurants and is now part of the team at Fortune Events.

🥩 Bazaar Meat

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, easily one of the best steakhouses in Vegas, closes on June 30 after more than a decade at the Sahara, which was the SLS when the restaurant opened. The operation moves to the Palazzo later in the year and Andrés says he won’t reinvent the wheel — or the menu — too much, so expect a fierce dedication to globally sourced beef and Ibérico pork to continue. The chef also plans to open a Mediterranean concept, Zaytinya, at the Forum Shops at Caesars by summer.

🍸 Echo Taste & Sound

Chef Natalie Young does classic breakfast dishes right at eat., but an Asian concept, chow., didn’t last. Neither did Old Soul — something of a dining speakeasy — at World Market Center, which was my favorite of the bunch. Young is back into the groove with Echo Taste & Sound in the Arts District at the new Colorado building, serving up small bites and craft cocktails in a stylish lounge with the sounds of vinyl in the background.