Dive into a chic Italian hideaway where traditional pasta dances with inventive flavors, all served with warm, attentive hospitality that makes dining a delight.
"With touches of coastal Italy, and a menu of light and flavorful pasta, chef Shawn McClain brings seasonal Italian fare to the Sahara Las Vegas. The domed and tiled ceiling floats over a dining room decorated with small trees and twinkling fairy lights, rustic setting for casarecce — a dish of chewy noodles in a tangy sauce brimming with tomatoes, garlic, and Calabrian pepper — and Roman-style pizzas, like the Gotham with cured meats, pomodoro, and fennel pollen." - Janna Karel
"With touches of coastal Italy and a menu of light and flavorful pasta, chef Shawn McClain’s Italian restaurant inside the Sahara celebrates all things pasta, pizza, and Aperol spritzes. His Roman-style pizzas incorporate the crust that McClain developed when he was running Five50 Pizza Bar. And Balla’s pasta dishes, like the casarecce — a dish of chewy noodles in a tangy sauce brimming with tomatoes, garlic, and Calabrian pepper — draw on flavors that are bright, vibrant, sometimes citrusy, and often a little spicy." - Janna Karel
"James Beard award-winning chef Shawn McClain serves a robust and hearty garganelli in a spiced fennel sausage ragú with stracciatella cheese that explodes with flavor. Conversely, a plate of casarecce is bright with flavors of tomatoes, basil, garlic, and Calabrian pepper — light enough to keep you on your feet even after wrapping up with a heaping bowl of tiramisu." - Janna Karel
"One of the best celebrity chef restaurants in Las Vegas and one of the most affordable." - Janna Karel
"If you need an escape from the constant dinging of slot machines, then stop by this Italian restaurant at the recently renovated Sahara Hotel. The best seats are by the enormous, twinkling olive trees near the windows with a view of the Strip—this is where you should start your meal with a spritz or negroni before exploring the mostly Italian wine list. The burrata served with grilled focaccia is a must, and we’ve had a brussels sprouts salad with pear, squash, and pancetta vinaigrette that could convert any brussels hater. The rigatoni with scampi and bone-in ribeye are solid, but the antipasti are where the ingredients and flavors really shine. Everything on the menu is shareable, making it perfect for double dates or groups who want to linger. " - emmy kasten
