HIP RESTAURANT OFFERINGS ANTE UP THE FLAVOR

Not too long ago, downtown Vegas was down and out — a destination to no one. As urban revitalization has charged through, however, hip eateries are popping up in once-derelict buildings, and downtown is becoming a hot spot for artisan fare and cutting-edge cooking. From ugly stepsister to culinary Cinderella, today downtown is a mini Portland or Austin — with just a hint of neon-infused Vegas glam. One of the latest to enter the downtown the weekends and watch the bar transform food scene is Therapy, an uber-cool into a chic lounge with dancing, two-level gastro-lounge. Creative dishes live local entertainment and deejays. Include In the Gnudi, baked ricotta Eat — The Breakfast & Lunch Joint, with truffle honey, fig jam and roasted is a small eatery on the ground floor of almonds, served with a cranberry and an apartment building. Chef and owner walnut crostini; and Devils on Horseback, Natalie Young wanted a comfortable bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with restaurant where she could cook and almonds and truffle goat cheese. Take a engage the guests, “sort of like eating seat at the 32-foot-long bar and choose at my house” — which is exactly what from more than 40 craft and 10 draft Eat is. Serving up American comfort beers, plus and an array of signature classics prepared with Chef Young’s cocktails. Hang around long enough on French-culinary-trained twist, using locally sourced, sustainable, organic ingredients whenever possible, Eat is a lively, welcoming hub of activity and neighborliness. Dishes include pancakes with chicken-apple sausage, scrambled eggs and corned beef hash, and chicken fried steak. The striking interior also keeps it local, with much of it created by local artists — from the fixtures to the murals and the wood pieces.

Housed in a renovated mid-century building complete with the oak ceiling from its original 1955 construction, Glutton is also worth a trip to the city’s core. Despite its rather off-putting name, Glutton has a subtle menu, created by chef and owner Bradley Manchester, starring savory meats, locally sourced produce, house-made pastas and seafood flown in fresh from the Pacific Northwest.