CONFIDANTE

New spot for lobster

Cousin’s Maine Lobster is opening an outlet Wednesday in the Smith’s Marketplace store at 9710 W. Skye Canyon Park Drive. The opening will be celebrated with a Champagne bottle sabering and toast at 4 p.m. and gift-card giveaways at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. The celebration will continue Thursday at that store and the one at 8525 W. Warm Springs Road, which also has a Cousin’s, with giveaways at noon, 2,4and6p.m.

Strat to close Fellini’s

After more than two decades, Fellini’s Ristorante Italiano atthe newly rechristened Strat will close in April to make way for a new concept. The move will follow the opening of the new BLVD & Main Taphouse next month.

Executive chef departs

In other Strat news, parent company Golden Entertainment has eliminated the position of corporate

executive chef, most recently held by local fine-dining veteran Johnny Church. The company currently has no plans to replace Church, who previously served as executive chef of Aureole and has worked for top Las Vegas chefs such as Rick Moonen, Andre Rochat, Jean Joho and Michael Mina. Church is keeping tight-lipped about his next move.

Restaurant Week dates set

Mark your calendar now for this year’s Las Vegas Restaurant Week. The event, which gives foodies the chance to experience specially priced meals at some of the city’s top

restaurants while raising money for local food bank Three Square, will once again last more than a week, running June 17-28. Over those 12 days, restaurants across Southern Nevada will offer prix fixe menus ranging from $20 to $80, with a fixed portion of the cost going to Three Square. Last year’s Restaurant Week raised more than $230,000, which provided approximately 690,000 meals for food-insecure residents of Southern Nevada.

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Kitchen Confidante? Email hrinella@reviewjournal.com or amancini@reviewjournal.com.