5 meals to have in Las Vegas this week

Beach Bird

If Mandalay Bay is about as close as you’re going to get to a beach this summer, you can always pretend — maybe with the help of the Beach Bird from Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken at Downtown Summerlin. It’s crisp fried chicken topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, brown mustard, an all-beef hot dog and french fries, sprinkled with malt vinegar and sea salt. Available through the end of the month, it’s $8.95.

Tequila-pairing dinner

How’s this for nontraditional? The tequila-pairing dinner that starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cantina Laredo in Tivoli Village starts with fried avocado with aioli, plus quinoa and vegetable soup and has entree choices of filet with pasilla Coca-Cola sauce or crab poblano enchiladas. The four-course dinner (dessert is rice pudding with orange preserves) is $59.99. Call 702-202-4511.

‘Summer of Beer’

It’s the “Summer of Beer” at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Downtown Summerlin, with the foamy fun beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. For the first dinner, the menu of ahi tuna poke, lau lau salmon, Kalua pig and pineapple shaved ice with coconut tapioca pudding will be paired with beers by Kona Brewing Co. It’s $45 inclusive; call 702-202-6300. Other dinners are planned for July 11 (Joseph James Brewing Co.) and Aug. 8 (Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.)

El Benedicto

Who needs eggs Benedict when you can have El Benedicto? The dish — flat-iron steak and eggs — is on the new cafe menu at Barley’s at 4500 E. Sunset Road in Henderson. Other choices include battered green beans, hummus three ways, a Sriracha peanut butter bacon burger and more.

Brunch at Sid’s

Sid’s Cafe at the Westgate Las Vegas has introduced a new brunch menu, available from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Among the choices: Cinnamon Dough Waffles, Croque Madame, grilled watermelon and burrata and a New England lobster roll.