The 23 Most Important Las Vegas Restaurant Openings of 2019

"Back in 1977, the UNLV men’s basketball team was riding a high, taking coach Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels into the NCAA Tournament only to lose by one point to North Carolina in the Final Four. The team, nicknamed the Hardway Eight, may not have been national champions, but they turned Las Vegas into a sports town. Now Henderson has its own ode to the team with Hardway 8, a bar and restaurant from Bryant Jane and Lyle Cervenka, the co-owners of Starboard Tack. Consulting chef Johnny Church, formerly at the Golden Gaming and Aureole, to name a few, created the menu that includes a corned buffalo Reuben, porchetta sandwich, grilled vegetable panini, and a hero with prosciutto, mortadella, and hot copa. Buffalo fried oysters, a charcuterie board, and deep-fried mozzarella make the starters menu, while fish and chips, rabbit sausage bangers and mash, pappardelle pasta, 24-hour braised porchetta, and Tenaya Creek Bonanza Brown beer can chicken make the entrees." - Susan Stapleton