Durango resort announces plans for Eat Your Heart Out food hall

In Las Vegas casinos, food halls are the new buffets, the new occasions for multiculinary and multicultural grazing. In the past five years, at least five halls have opened at major gaming properties, including two in December: Proper Eats in Aria (which replaced the buffet) and the food hall in the Fremont downtown.

Now, Durango resort, the $750 million project from Station Casinos taking shape in southwest Vegas, has announced that Eat Your Heart Out food hall will debut with the launch of the property in fall 2023.

The 25,000-square-foot space, designed by Hatch Design Group, features 11 food and drink outlets that mix new-to-market and established local purveyors, with dine-in and counter seating and a roomy terrace.

When Stations unveiled Durango in October 2021, “we outlined the amenities that were set to be part of the project, and a unique food hall was always part of the plan, so it’s exciting to be able to finally share the news about Eat Your Heart Out and the partners we put together,” said David Horn, Durango’s vice president and general manager.

Here’s a quick hall pass:

New-to-market concepts

■ Ai Pono Cafe: Chef-owner Gene Villiatora, who once cooked in Summerlin post-“Top Chef,” brings the aloha from Orange County with Hawaiian street food such as Da Roots Plate (short rib, ahi katsu, ahi poké) and Ahi Katsu (breaded tuna with miso-hot mustard-sweet soy reduction).

■ Fiorella: James Beard Award-winning chef Marc Vetri expands his partnership with Station Casinos (i.e., Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock Resort) with an outpost of his busy Philadelphia pasta bar offering daily handmade pastas, antipasti and desserts.

■ Irv’s Burgers: This Los Angeles institution, founded in 1946, is known for classic roadside burgers, dogs and fries. Such as: Irv’s Double (twice the meat) and Irv’s Dog (all-beef) and chili cheese fries, along with a BLT, a pastrami sandwich and a tuna sandwich on a sesame bun.

■ Prince Street Pizza: The signature slice at this downtown Manhattan pizzeria is a crisp, thick-edged square topped with pepperoni cupping pools of oil. Prince Street also serves rectangular Sicilian pies like a Buzzy Broome (house vodka sauce, fresh muzz, Pecorino Romano), and round Neapolitan pies like a Green Machine (pesto, muzz, ricotta).

■ Uncle Paulie’s: This shop, inspired by the founders’ memories of New York neighborhood delis, celebrates breakfast sandwiches (pesto, egg, provolone), cold sandwiches (mortadella with pistachio Parmesan spread) and hot sandwiches (eggplant or meatball Parm). Sides range from tuna salad to dill pickles.

■ DRNK: Eat Your Heart Out introduces this place to imbibe, including colorful frozen drinks, at the center of the food hall.

Local favorites

■ Yu-Or-Mi Sushi: A small hip Japanese restaurant expanding from downtown Vegas with fresh sushi, craft cocktails, specialty sakes and fine Japanese whisky. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are on the menu, too.

■ Shang Artisan Noodle: From its West Flamingo Road kitchen, Shang Artisan Noodle delivers a contemporary twist on the traditional Chinese craft of hand-pulled noodles. The menu encompasses dumplings, noodle soups such as beef or pork belly, dan dan and other sauced noodles, and rice and chow mein dishes.

■ Nielsen’s Frozen Custard: This Henderson staple, with a new store in Red Rock Resort, is expanding again, offering its rich creamy signature treat in a host of flavors, toppings and combinations.

■ Oyster Bar: Palace Station’s popular oyster bar debuts at Durango with counter seating and trademark items such as freshly shucked oysters, housemade chowders, warming gumbo, pan roasts and seafood pastas.

■ Vesta Coffee: Founder Jerad Howard opened Vesta in 2016 to source, roast and serve specialty coffees from around the world. Vesta also now sells its coffees through Sprouts and Whole Foods Market. Breads and pastries such as organic sourdough, brioche and laminated croissants are made in-house. The coffees also will be served in the resort lobby.

Among the other food and drink options planned for Durango: a Mexican spot from Clique Hospitality, a sports lounge from Fine Entertainment, a coastal grill restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You and a steakhouse created by Danny Ye, property executive chef, and team.

For more information, visit durangoresort.com or follow @DurangoResort and @EatYourHeartOutLV on social media.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ItsJLW on Twitter.