Spaghetty Western just adds to restaurant-strong Southern Highlands

There’s not a lot going on commercially in the predominantly residential Southern Highlands, but the place sure does know how to breed restaurants.

It started with Off the Strip, which has grown with the community for seven years through boom times and bad and recently opened a location on the Strip. Next, I discovered Barcelona Tapas Bar, which is still going strong, and the charming Rise & Shine. Tucked sort of between them all is the newish Spaghetty Western, adding Italian flavor to this microcosm of the dining world.

I was tipped off about Spaghetty Western by a friend, and I loved the whimsical name that indicated some depth to the people behind it. They turned out to be expats from various parts of Italy, with an American-born manager who serves as a gracious hostess and welcome interpreter.

What’s different about Spaghetty Western? Speck, for one, which I’d never seen on a local menu. This lightly cured Italian ham, much akin to proscuitto but way easier to pronounce, starred quite nicely in the Pasta Speck ($12.95), which was billed as also containing peas and mushrooms in a four-cheese sauce. The sauce sounded kinda heavy and almost kept me from ordering the dish, but while it did indeed have the layers of flavor that would indicate a blend of cheeses, it was a light treatment. The linguine we ordered (there are other pasta options) was perfectly al dente, and there was a surfeit of both speck and mushrooms in the deftly balanced sauce. One mystery: Where were the peas? I don’t know if they were left out unintentionally or if the restaurant had run out, but their absence left a void that a touch of green would’ve filled nicely.

We’re guessing someone at Spaghetty Western has a bit of a soft spot for mushrooms, which works for us. A starter of House Mushrooms ($8.95) was betrayed by a clumsy menu description; it actually was two pieces of bruschetta with mushrooms and cheese and two with marinara and mushrooms, centered by a mound of garlicky ‘shrooms, and far more than the sum of its parts.

And chicken Parmigiana ($13.95), to give a classic a try. It was a nice rendition, the chicken thicker than most, which provided for more flavor but still crisply crusted and moist inside.

Spaghetty Western’s decor is simple, its service pleasant and efficient (although water in paper cups next to wine in glasses was sort of jarring).

I feel sure it’s been welcomed to the neighborhood, because it fits right in.

Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Email Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at reviewjournal.com or bestoflasvegas.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.