ON AND OFF THE STRIP

Favorite Bistro

Magnifique! French dining runs the gamut in Las Vegas

When you think of French cuisine in Las Vegas, fine dining palaces with acclaimed names of international master chefs dominate the conversation. But it doesn’t have to be a fancy night out; there’s plenty of more accessible and casual French fare worth sampling in this city at cozy bistros, brasseries and cafés sprinkled all over the valley.

The obvious starting point has to be Bouchon (702.414.6200), the landmark Venetian restaurant from influential chef Thomas Keller, open for weekend brunch and dinner nightly in a comfortable, indoor-outdoor space. Separated from the active casino floor in the distinct Venezian Tower, Bouchon remains a serene oasis

unlike any eatery on the Strip, forever focusing on Keller’s modern takes on bistro classics. At brunch, start with oysters or mussels before moving on to quiche Florentine, roasted chicken with bacon-chive waffles, housemade merguez sausage served with eggs (any style), or jumbo lump crab Benedict. Dinner favorites include steak frites with caramelized shallots, leg of lamb with white bean and sausage cassoulet, or escargot with parsley-garlic butter. Be sure to take home some treats from Bouchon’s bakery for your breakfast tomorrow.

When it comes to a true, friendly neighborhood French café, look no further than Ohlala French Bistro (702.222.3522) in the neighborhood surrounding Summerlin. Recently celebrating its fifth anniversary serving diners from all over Las Vegas and Henderson, Ohlala is open for lunch, brunch and dinner and nails everyone’s favorite dishes, from rich onion soup topped with melty Gruyère cheese to sole meuniere, pan-seared in brown butter with garlic, parsley, capers and lemon. The beef burger topped with bacon and Brie is a midday marvel, and the vegan herb arborio risotto showcases the kitchen’s stunning versatility.

Speaking of favorites, the welcoming Favorite Bistro (702.844.4700) along The Linq Promenade is one of the Strip’s easiest crowd-pleasers in the French genre, serving three meals a day with a focus on comfort food and casual ambiance. It’s impossible to pass on a baguette with baked Brie, honey and toasted hazelnuts to get the appetite going, and the classic profiteroles are the perfect meal-ender. In between, consider a croque monsieur sandwich with bechamel, a roast beef-and-provolone French dip sandwich, or seared salmon with sautéed asparagus and ideal beurre blanc sauce.

There’s plenty of people-watching and fun sights and sounds when you’re dining at that Strip destination, but a whole new relaxing world awaits at neighborhood legend Marche Bacchus (702.804.8008), nestled against the man-made Lake Jacqueline in the lovely Desert Shores community. The experience begins with one of the best wine shops in the city, where you can pick your bottle and have it poured for you while dining on the patio and taking in the views and enjoying the celebrated cuisine that’s always being updated and refreshed. An everyday brunch menu was recently launched, offering everything from a truffled goat cheese Napoleon to Prince Edward Island mussels mariniere. Try surf and turf Marche Bacchus-style with seared scallops and Colorado lamb chops, served with potato puree and eggplant caponata, and tie up the experience with a layered pistachio macaron and gelato cake. –Brock Radke

Ohlala French Bistro

Presented by Omega Mart

Omega Mart is ready to bend your mind—in a good way

“I’m all lost in the supermarket/ I can no longer shop happily/ I came here for that special offer/ A guaranteed personality.” Other than the part about being unhappy, these song lyrics by The Clash could have been written specifically about one of the newest, most exciting venues to open in

Photography by Wade Vandervort

Las Vegas for some time: Omega Mart by Meow Wolf, an otherworldly experience with personality to spare.

At first glance, it appears to be just a grocery store like any other, with brightly lit shelves popping with colorful products to stoke your impulse to buy, buy, buy.

But you quickly realize the theme here: Look closer.

As you scan the various cans, boxes, packages and bags, you see that things are not quite what they seem—and that the humorous, askew personality of Meow Wolf is absolutely everywhere. For

instance, the can that you think contains peaches actually says “Canned Beaches,” with the word “Unexpectables” below it. Those “Omega Oranges”? They’re “Boneless and Seedless.” That pack of gum? It actually says “Gom.” And the green-andwhite candy is labeled as “Leprechaun Kidneys.” Those packs of ramen noodles? They’re “Ramen Notes” for when you want discover a whole world behind the scenes to leave a sticky note behind for a friend. by crawling through a tent, slipping through That bottle of “Tomato Milk”? It’s actually a small divide in the wall, or walking into a a phone charger. soda refrigerator. What you’ll find beyond is

The theme continues throughout the a world that can only be described as Tim store, with large displays for bottles of Burton meets David Lynch. medicine (they’re actually mints), fake This part is what really pushes Omega plastic produce, and fake meat products, Mart into the imagination stratosphere. including “Romantic Steak Cakes,” “Tat- This entire area is very nonlinear; you can too Chickens” and “Great Smoky walk anywhere you want at any Muttons.” time. There are hallways with

And at every turn, a store seemingly endless pathways, employee energetically informs Get Tickets at staircases, hidden rope climbs, you of the latest specials—and Meow.wf/lvm hidden doors, interactive dissome will hand you an Omega plays and so much more. Along Mart Access Card, which is the way, marketing analysts ask affectionately titled a “Boop Card.” you questions that make no sense Once you have this in hand, look for (at least on the surface). But you’ll answer stations you can “boop” it at. Depending them anyway, because when in Rome … on the station, you’ll take a survey, answer And if you’re planning on visiting Meow quiz questions or find out information Wolf’s other installations (there’s one in about the store. Santa Fe, N.M., and another in Denver,

Remember what we said about looking Colo.), make sure to keep that “Boop Card.” closer? That applies to the design of the You can use it there, too, and you’ll find store as well. You’ll quickly realize that the that the Omega Mart story is only the store is just a façade. As you explore, you’ll beginning.