I first became aware of Lucky Foo’s Restaurant and Bar, late last year, when I started receiving various epistolary communiques (via e-mail, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) from the team led by Michael Fuller.  Fuller and I go way back (probably further back than either of us cares to admit), and I have always admired his creativity and the way in which he’s always had a finger on the pulse of what “works” in various milieus – whether lodging, nightlife, dining, or just Las Vegas in general.

 Yet, due to a combination of my inherent laziness and the restaurant’s location (South Eastern Avenue, just off the 215) I didn’t actually make it there, until late January.  After a medical appointment necessitated my schlepping down to deepest, darkest Henderson; I figured I’d pop-in, unannounced, for lunch, on my home.  So I did.  And it was fantastic!

I got to see my old pal, Jimmy Aston (a Lucky Foo if ever I’ve known one), and he walked me through my first meal, there.  Jimmy had me try two different rolls – the Lemon Roll (a California Roll, with yellowtail and salmon, topped with thinly sliced lemon and yuzu ponzu sauce) and the Lasagna Roll (crab salad and avocado, with yum yum sauce, cream cheese, eel sauce, sriracha, micro greens, and fried shallots) – and I was duly impressed.  Also worth noting, especially for a sushi joint, were the French Fries (double-fried and served with a ginger-ketchup).

Despite being in the desert, you can’t go more than a few blocks without finding a sushi restaurant, here in Las Vegas.  Not just every casino, but virtually every strip mall has got one (obviously of varying quality).  So why should I (or you) drive to the east-side of town to partake, when I’m just blocks away from Naked Fish’s, Sushi-mon, and the amazing Sen of Japan?

Simply put, Lucky Foo’s is so much more than a mere sushi restaurant (though it has that covered, in spades).  As one of the pioneers of the Las Vegas nightlife scene, as we know it, today, Fuller has put together a multi-faceted venue (with a very talented team) that is beautifully designed, with wit, whimsy, and perhaps my favorite mural in all of Las Vegas – a mural by Sean Clauretie, that epitomizes a school I have dubbed Japanimation, and features a Chinese flying dragon, Godzilla, Astro Boy, Badtz-Maru, and a golden Buddha (amongst others).  There’s a veritable assemblage of wooden Kokeshi dolls, and the lighting flatters everyone (which is rather key, when your posted hours are “11am – Late”).

It should be surprising to no one that music plays a key role, at Lucky Foo’s, and they even utilize the Rockbot app, allowing guests to play DJ.  Other concepts, including “Cine-Files” (Wednesday’s movie night) and the Friday and Saturday night supper club, “Nightshift” have already begun to bring together locals from all parts of the Valley, who haven’t seen each other, in years.

But none of this would mean anything if it weren’t for the delicious fare being sent out of the kitchen, by Chef Shawn Giordano, who has, over the past couple decades donned the toque in Los Angeles (Spago Beverly Hills, Granita), Las Vegas (Trattoria del Lupo), and New York (The Park); before becoming a private chef for clients in New York and the Hamptons, who really cottoned to his farm-to-table recipes.

Giordano’s Homemade Ranch Dressing is so good, in fact, that the last time I was there, he prepared me some, to go!  Come back, for Part 2, to read more about the food at Lucky Foo’s, and my interview with Michael Fuller.  Dewa mata!

Lucky Foo’s Restaurant and Bar
Open Daily | 11am – Late
Click HERE for info

Get into it!

In an era that might as well be summed up with the hashtag #OscarsSoBoring, there were actually some folks on the red carpet who were styled to the gods and dressed in a manner we ascribe to movie stars!