Your 5 best bets for dining in the week ahead
Solo trip
The food bar at Carson Kitchen is a great place for singles, who can belly up and watch the cooks at work. And the restaurant has introduced some new dishes, including pear and blue cheese flatbread with negroni-infused cranberries.
Date night
Hey, this is Las Vegas, but even here it's sometimes tough to find a bite to eat at 3 in the morning. Enter Hexx at Paris Las Vegas. Hexx recently introduced a late-night menu with breakfast-inspired dishes, including the Hot Mess, a pile of fries topped with pork, barbecue gravy, cheese sauce and basted eggs.
Family fun
If you're looking for something to do with the family this weekend, you can't beat the price for touring the 22nd annual Holiday Cactus Garden at Ethel M Chocolates, because it's free. The 3-acre garden in Henderson is decorated with nearly 600,000 lights, and touring it includes chocolate samples and a chance to see Santa (photos are $10). The garden is open from 5 to 10 p.m. daily through Jan. 1.
For friends
Why wait until midnight — or even 9 p.m., when the ball drops in New York? You can celebrate the new year with a toast at 4 p.m. Thursday at Ri Ra at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place. If you miss it, don't worry; there will be another toast at midnight; the hard-core can share in both.
Something new
Salted Malted Bakery & Creamery has opened at 6584 N. Decatur Blvd., just north of the northern beltway. Specialties include malts, shakes, ice cream and Dole whip; ice-cream sandwiches on cookies or waffles; mini-doughnuts; poutine; and Canadian-bacon sandwiches. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call 702-754-6500.
