Co-owner’s decades of experience bring charm of old Vegas to the Wine 5 Café

One doesn't have to go to the Strip for exotic-tasting dishes. A new eatery has opened in the Target shopping center at Cheyenne A venue and Tenaya W ay. Wine 5 Café, 3250 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 110, offers old -school Las Vegas hospitality and dishes that will make you sit up and take notice. But then, they come from the genius of an executive chef.

"It's American food with a Kenyan touch," said Celestino "Tino" Garcia, the co-owner and manager.

The high-end tasting cuisine comes without the high-end prices. Seared salmon, for example, is less than $12. So is the rib-eye steak.

Garcia said the unique dishes, combined with all fresh ingredients and made-by-hand techniques, are what set Wine 5 Café apart. Even the steaks are cut by the chef.

His favorite? The samosa, an appetizer best described as an eggroll filled with spinach and beef.

Chef Gracie Njoroge said patrons will notice the creativity and unique taste of the dishes.

"They ask for the salmon, but it's not what they expected," she said. "People go, 'I've never had anything like that.' "

Wine 5 Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishes include the Nairobi City Park tacos, a Southwest chicken ciabatta sandwich, a Cojita salad, rib-eye steak, blackened chicken, grilled shrimp, a pork roast sandwich and a red-wine spiced burger.

Diner Cheryl Basso remarked on how she wasn't sure how her meal would taste.

"I ordered green chili," she said. "To read about it on the menu, you'd think it was an odd combination, but it was wonderful."

Pat and Sally Verd live in the area. Even though the eatery had been open only a month, they consider themselves regulars, citing the presentation, price point and amount of food served as reasons they keep returning. Then there's the personal touch they get.

"How many times do you see the manager come out and chat with you?" Pat Verd said. "I mean, and be genuine about it. You don't get that any more."

Wine 5 Café seats 68. The old Las Vegas ambie nce at which Garcia excels -- h e has 55 years in the restaurant business, 23 in Las Vegas -- is furthered by Frank Sinatra on the sound system. When you're ready to leave, someone from the staff sees you to the door .

"It's not one of those 'get you in, take your money and get you out' places," Sally Verd said.

Another diner, Dean Naito, said he rates eateries by how welcome they make one feel.

"You can tell there's pride of ownership here," he said.

Wine 5 Café is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, call
462-9463.

Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.