Do This When You’re in Vegas

Matt Villano, JCK’s Las Vegas insider, knows Sin City inside and out.

A writer and editor in Northern California, he covers the city regularly, which is why we tapped him (again) to share his favorite new spots.

Matt Villano

Below, you’ll find Villano’s top recommendations for things to do and places to eat and drink when you’re in town for the 2025 JCK and Luxury shows. For Villano’s full report, however, be sure to read “Strip Teaser,” his feature in JCK’s upcoming print issue, due out in early May.

DINING

The Durango Casino & Resort in southwest Las Vegas

“The name of the game right now in Las Vegas is food halls. Sadly, we’ll miss the new one at the Venetian—it’s opening about two weeks after the show—but it seems that everyone is revamping their food halls to make them fancy pants and upscale. The best of the bunch is way off-Strip at Durango. It’s called Eat Your Heart Out. The Ai Pono Cafe is one of the best Hawaiian restaurants anywhere in the Vegas Valley. And it’s legit—the owner came out from Oahu to get it going.”

MALLS

“Town Square Mall, on the South Strip, is having its heyday. It is home to two of the hottest restaurants in town: The Guest House, an L.A.-style see-and-be-seen California cuisine type of place, and Tamba, which is modern Indian. Town Square also is home to PopStroke, the mini-golf facility of putting greens from Tiger Woods.”

EXPERIENCES

“Area15 continues to innovate—the new John Wick Experience there is a cross between a haunted house, an escape room, and a really terrifying murder skit. At points during the 45-minute attraction, you really feel like you’ve stepped into the movie. Warning: That place is not for kids under 16. Interestingly, it’s the latest attraction from Jason Egan, who has created escape rooms all over the world and is the mastermind behind Las Vegas’ Escape IT, the largest escape room in the U.S. That one is based on the Stephen King books/movies.”

SPORTS

Chicken N Pickle in Henderson, Nev. (photo: Chad Casey)

“Chicken N Pickle is my absolute favorite new spot in the Valley. It’s pickleball! It’s a bar! It’s a restaurant! You could seriously get there when they open and stay until 10 p.m. and never get bored, not even once. Another cool sports experience is CurlVegas, where you can take a class and learn how to curl—as in, the Olympic sport with the big rocks.”

BRASSERIES

“James Trees opened Bar Boheme earlier this month. It’s a French concept, kitty-corner to his Petite Boheme bar. The room is super sexy, with a marble-topped bar and lights with brass palm fronds. The menu is a modern spin on traditional French cuisine. Two things that make the restaurant special: 1) You can build your own seafood towers, picking items a la carte. 2) They have an entire paté program with several different kinds of house-made patés every week. I could make a meal of paté and champagne and be perfectly happy. It’s also worth noting that James R & D’d his French fries for months and has a six-step process that makes them the best fries in Vegas.