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Back row, from left: Sonny Ahuja, Don Welch & Dan Coughlin (8 East); Chris Sotiropoulos & Grace Keros (Victory Burger & Wings Co.); Derek Stevens, Greg Stevens; Rob Baker, Mo Pierce & Chef Rex Bernales (Project BBQ)
Front row, from left: Donnie Rihn, Yassine Lyoubi, Marco Cicione and Chef Barry S. Dakake (Barry’s Downtown Prime); Ann Lofgren, Paul Saginaw & Steve Mangigian (Saginaw’s Delicatessen)
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Photo
Credits:
Group
Shot – Tom Donoghue Photography
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| Derek Stevens |
LAS VEGAS, NV – When Circa Resort
& Casino opens its doors in
Downtown Las Vegas December 2020, it will unveil an eclectic restaurant lineup
featuring five original concepts from a collection of chefs and proprietors
revered both locally and around the world.
 |
| Paul Saginaw |
Curated
by developer and CEO Derek Stevens, each offering will deliver
something new to the city as part of Circa Resort & Casino:
- Saginaw’s Delicatessen from Detroit
restaurateur Paul Saginaw, marking the first new restaurant
outside Michigan from the masterminds behind Ann Arbor’s famed
Zingerman’s;
 |
| Chef Barry S. Dakake |
- Barry’s Downtown Prime, the first Downtown
venture from Chef Barry S. Dakake;
- Victory Burger & Wings Co. from American Coney
Island’s Chris Sotiropoulos and Grace Keros, the first new concept
from the brand’s founding family in more than a century;
 |
| Grace Keros and father, Chuck Keros |
- 8 East, the first pan-Asian restaurant from Chef
Dan Coughlin;
- Project BBQ by Chef Rex Bernales, the first permanent food truck and Carolina
barbecue joint on the Fremont Street Experience.
 |
| Chef Dan Coughlin |
“While
each owner brings a diverse background to Circa, they are united by the common
thread of having a passion for customer service and the Downtown Las Vegas
community,” said Stevens. “In addition to incredible food, they will all
deliver that spirit of fun and community that is integral to the Circa
experience.”
Circa’s
restaurant lineup will include the following:
Saginaw’s
Delicatessen:
Conceptualized
by Michigan legend Paul Saginaw, Saginaw’s Delicatessen will be his
first restaurant outside of the region. A lifelong fan of Downtown Las Vegas,
Saginaw has collaborated with Stevens to introduce a family-style deli touting
sandwiches “so big, you’ll need two hands to eat them.”
 |
| Ari Weinzweig |
Saginaw
is known worldwide for the iconic Zingerman’s Deli – an Ann Arbor
institution he opened with partner Ari Weinzweig in 1982 – that’s
consistently ranked among the world’s best sandwich joints. A college-aged
Stevens used to line up early for the restaurant’s buzzed-about sandwiches, and
later opened the Coffee Stand at the D Las Vegas, proudly serving Zingerman’s
Coffee.
Saginaw’s
menu will include his famous Reuben and several more of the creative sandwiches
for which he’s known. Traditional delicatessen favorites will round out the
menu, including matzo ball soup, onion rings, salads, latkes, chopped liver,
breakfast specialties and more.
Vintage
glamour and hospitality meet modern innovation and design at Barry’s Downtown
Prime, the new steakhouse concept from Chef Barry S. Dakake and Make
It Happen Hospitality. Barry’s Downtown Prime will deliver the city’s
finest steaks and seafood, fresh tableside preparations, creative cocktails and
a memorable service experience.
 |
| Yassine Lyoubi |
Barry’s
Downtown Prime was developed by 980 Restaurant Consulting partners Barry S.
Dakake and Yassine Lyoubi, which merged with Marco
Cicione and Donnie Rihn to create Make It Happen
Hospitality.
Boasting longstanding careers in the Las
Vegas food & beverage scene, Chef Dakake was at the helm for restaurants
N9NE Steakhouse and Scotch 80 Prime for nearly two decades.
Lyoubi served as general manager for N9NE
Steakhouse and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and most recently held the title of
director of fine dining at the Palms Resort & Casino.
Overlooking
Circa’s sportsbook, Victory Burger & Wings Co. will be an all-star sports
bar experience. Developed by Chris Sotiropoulos and Grace
Keros – third-generation owners of Detroit’s 102-year-old American
Coney Island – the menu will offer simple items, executed flawlessly.
Gameday staples will include five specialty burgers, wings and appetizers. Following the same business model that made American Coney Island successful for more than a century, the new Circa concept will feature fresh, high-quality ingredients, made to order, in a fun and lively atmosphere.
The
star of the show will be the Victory Burger, featuring a ½-pound patty
made with a proprietary blend of Angus beef, short rib and brisket topped with
a secret sauce.
In
an homage to the Midwest, Victory also will serve a twist on the beloved
Michigan Olive Burger. Crispy and meaty, diners will love the hearty portions
of wings and signature dipping sauces, and no meal will be complete without
Victory fries and a pour from its excellent beer selection.
Guests
can watch the sports action via TVs throughout the space in addition to a prime
view of the massive three-story screen in Circa’s sportsbook. The venue will
have its own radio booth, where fans might spot their favorite sports talk show
conducting a broadcast on gameday.
Inspired
by metropolitan Asian food markets, 8 East will offer Chef Dan
Coughlin’s creative takes on pan-Asian cuisine. Spanning Chinese,
Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai dishes, 8 East will have a hip,
high-energy atmosphere punctuated by great music and communal dining.
A key player in sparking the Downtown food movement with hotspot Le Thai, Coughlin will introduce new fusion dishes and techniques at 8 East that he’s been keeping in “the vault” – previously tested both at his Thai restaurant and at home for family and friends.
 |
| Sonny Ahuja |
A key player in sparking the Downtown food movement with hotspot Le Thai, Coughlin will introduce new fusion dishes and techniques at 8 East that he’s been keeping in “the vault” – previously tested both at his Thai restaurant and at home for family and friends.
His
menu will be full of shareable dishes such as Coughlin’s GaPow basil chicken
pot stickers, dumplings, wontons, skewers and steaks. Each will be served with
signature Chinese, Szechuan, Shangdu
and Thai sauces, amongst others, offering unique flavor combinations for guests
to explore.
A
beverage program curated by Sonny Ahuja and Don
Welch of Downtown Las Vegas’ Bin 702 will feature
rare Japanese whiskies and sakes, in addition to specialty cocktails.
Serving
up a Southern festival of gourmet smoked meats, Project BBQ at Circa will be
Fremont Street Experience’s only permanent food truck and its first Carolina
BBQ joint.
 |
| Rob Baker and friend |
Conceptualized
by Chef Rex Bernales, along with partners Rob Baker, Mo
Pierce and Steve Hamlin, Project BBQ’s menu will offer
pulled brisket, pork, chicken and more. Its “Garbage Bowl” will include
handmade potato chips covered in its signature meats and decked out with a trio
of Carolina BBQ, beer and cheese sauces, then topped with applewood-smoked
bacon and coleslaw.
Situated on Circa’s
exterior, Project BBQ will spill out onto the Fremont Street Experience with a
built-in “backyard” for communal gathering. Guests can dine on picnic tables
and sip cocktails from Circa’s Fremont Street Experience bar as they enjoy
spectacular light shows from Viva Vision overhead and live music from
surrounding concert stages.
Circa
Resort & Casino will be Downtown Las Vegas’ first ground-up casino resort
since 1980. The integrated resort will feature a massive pool open 365 days a
year, the world’s largest sportsbook, luxury rooms and suites, and much more.
Additional
details will be announced in the coming months. For more information, please
visit www.circalasvegas.com.
Please visit circalasvegas.com or
follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @circalasvegas to stay up to date
with more developments.
MEDIA
CONTACTS:
Angela
Ciciriello
Circa
Resort & Casino
Director
of Advertising & PR
Natalie
Mounier / Alaina Curry
Kirvin
Doak Communications
(702)
737-3100
