VEGAS RESTAURANT ROUNDUP: Ciao Bella Vita, Parm to Aria’s Table, Spirits Lost

Posted on: April 18, 2024, 10:36h. 

Last updated on: April 18, 2024, 02:00h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

Las Vegas restaurateur Sergio Montegrande has closed all three of his Bella Vita Italian restaurants, which have been locals favorites since he opened his original Henderson location in 2015.

Bella Vita founder Sergio Montegrande has some bad news for fans of his Italian restaurants. (Image: Bella Vita)

Usually, when this happens, eateries leave a pleasantly worded note on their social media accounts, and/or their physical front doors, thanking longtime customers for their patronage without explaining the closure.

But we know what happened with Bella Vita because of 19 wage complaints filed with the Office of Labor Commissioner, lawsuits from three food vendors, and a March bankruptcy filing showing a total of 53 creditors seeking $914,684 in unpaid claims.

Montegrande told KLAS-TV/Las Vegas that he overextended last year by opening his third restaurant, in Boca Park, at the same time that inflation began eating away at profits from his Henderson and Blue Diamond locations.

“I want to take this moment to offer an apology to anyone I have disappointed or hurt in any way,” he told the news organization in a statement. “I acknowledge and accept full responsibility for my actions and decisions that have fallen short of the mark, causing frustration and confusion. Please know I am committed to learning from these experiences and making things right no matter how long it may take.”

The original Parm Famous on Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy. (Image: Parm Famous)

Dining Ins & Outs

Parm Famous Italian, the eatery launched in Manhattan’s Little Italy in 2011 by Michelin-starred chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, will open its first non-East Coast location at the Proper Eats Food Hall at Aria later this spring.

Unapologetic Los Angeles deli Fat Sal’s has applied for permits to open its first Las Vegas location at 450 Fremont St. downtown, according to What Now Vegas. Unsurprisingly, Fat Sal’s is a calorie counter’s nightmare, its namesake sandwich consisting of ribeye steak, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fries, brown gravy, and mayo on a garlic hero.

Lost Spirits Distillery at the off-Strip AREA15 entertainment complex will close on April 29, taking down with the ship its 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea restaurant. The venue is staging a $500 “Last Supper” on closing day.

Mae Daly’s Fine Steaks and Whiskeys will open soon at 2211 S. Las Vegas Blvd, a block north of the Strat. According to the eatery’s website, it’s named after the sassy proprietor of Mae Daly’s Saloon, an infamous Prohibition-era Las Vegas speakeasy. (Don’t believe every website you read, however. She’s fictional.)

Also coming to the area by the Strat is Mo’ Bettahs, the Hawaiian-style chain that debuted in Vegas last year. Its third Vegas location is being built at 333 W. St. Louis Ave.