As Ahern Hotel’s culinary lineup evolves, “Master of Brunch” Chef Bruno Morabito opens each day with industry-challenging deals.
UPDATE 3/13/23 – Chef Joel Ott has notified VEGAS 411 that TRATTORIA BY CHEF JOEL has been officially renamed OTTIMO PIZZA KITCHEN. Construction will begin soon on a new bar within the restaurant, and a “soft opening” is set to commence beginning March 20th.
OTTIMO PIZZA KITCHEN will continue to serve daily breakfast, weekend brunch (both by Chef Bruno Morabito), lunch, and casual Italian cuisine for dinner. A massive new pizza oven has already been added to the kitchen, and Chef Bruno’s HOOPS BREAKFAST specials will start on March 14th (see below). Click here to view the current menu and operating hours of OTTIMO PIZZA KITCHEN.
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Back when I operated VEGAS UNFILTERED BLOG, my slogan was “Probably biased. Definitely honest”. Not much has changed since it was integrated with VEGAS 411. Even today, some readers can’t grasp the notion that it’s okay to have passionate opinions when writing about the what’s/where’s/who’s/why’s of a particular subject.
So when it comes to my thoughts on AHERN HOTEL, people still scratch their heads. “Ahern, really? Isn’t that the place that….?” All this tells me is that those folks haven’t been there yet. If they had, they’d realize that the rosy-red boutique hotel near the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard is unlike anything else in town. In a very good way.
Case in point: TRATTORIA By Chef Joel. Already operating under a second name after the exit of Chef Marc Sagrizzi (details are foggy, but that’s neither here nor there), the casual Italian eatery is about to be reimagined and retitled again. I’ll be sure to cover that when the time comes, but for now, TRATTORIA is still my favorite go-to for breakfast.
If you didn’t catch my initial piece on AHERN HOTEL, I called it “Sin City’s Biggest Secret”. There have been numerous follow-ups since then, which have covered hotel stays, culinary options, plans for expanded entertainment, and seasonal activities. Yet inevitably, I return to Chef Bruno Morabito and those fabulous breakfasts.
Last week, I had the honor of celebrating my 60th birthday with a stay at the Ahern. The following morning, Chef Bruno Morabito (above, left) greeted me with his usual ear-to-ear grin….and a very humorous surprise that will stay between us. Personalized service is another thing that sets this hotel apart – and it’s presented by a winning team.
The first thing I noticed during my visit was a change to the weekday special. TRATTORIA’s $2.99 eggs/bacon/toast special was gone but had been replaced by a quartet of mouth-watering deals. Sensing another article, I decided to order and sample three of the choices. Each one far exceeded what you would expect for the price.
The first to arrive was a Spicy Chicken Biscuit (above, $4.99). A boneless hunk of breaded chicken is topped with a hard-fried egg, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey, and served on a fresh-baked biscuit along with hot, crispy breakfast chips.
Next was a Seasonal Fruit Bowl ($4.99) served with hearty granola and a mini pail of honey yogurt. It was followed by Country Ham-N-Eggs (below), a four-ounce bone-in grilled ham accompanied by two eggs, seasoned breakfast potatoes, and a choice of toast for $6.99.
I’m not the kind of guy who enjoys sweets for breakfast, so I didn’t sample the remaining $4.99 menu selection. It’s a Chocolate-Chip-N-Caramel Waffle (below), housemade with sourdough batter and topped with chocolate chips. Caramel is drizzled across the top, and the waffle is served with butter and maple syrup.
Photo courtesy of Mike Davis, FOX5 Vegas
All four of these Rise-N-Shine specials are available Monday through Friday from 7 am to 9 am. Of course, a full breakfast is available every weekday from 7 am until 10:30 am. Chef Bruno’s legendary brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays from 7 am until 2 pm. You can view the full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus by visiting here.
With his usual creative flair, Chef Bruno welcomes March Madness with a collection of MARCH HOOPS – Vegas Style breakfasts. Available from 7 am to 9 am for a mere three weeks, they’ve been given whimsical names in keeping with the theme.
3-POINTER includes three pancakes, three eggs, and three strips of bacon for $12. DOUBLE-DRIBBLE serves up two eggs, two sausage patties, seasoned potatoes, and a choice of toast for $12. THE BRACKET is a slam dunk of two sunny-side eggs over a jalapeno bacon & chive waffle (also $12). For $17, the whole team can enjoy NOTHING BUT NET, a feast of one 6 oz N.Y. strip, two eggs, potatoes, and toast.
Work continues on the future JOEL’S CHOPHOUSE, and Chef Joel Ott has informed me that TRATTORIA‘s upcoming reimagining will cleverly integrate his name with an Italian dining term…along with a really big pizza oven.
We’ll have to wait a while longer until those events are ready to be revealed, but some lucky guests have already experienced a peek at the new steakhouse through a series of special dining events. You can sign up to learn more about other promotions and upcoming activities by visiting here.
So if you’re craving an excellent breakfast, above-par lunch, or superlative dinner with an amazing wine collection that won’t break the bank, head to AHERN HOTEL. With its convenient location mere steps from the Strip, free parking, brand-new rooms, and no resort fees, you might even want to stay the night.
AHERN HOTEL is located at 300 W. Sahara Avenue. Call 702-214-4800 for room reservations or visit their official website.
