There are some dishes you remember long after they’re gone — the bacon toffee pudding at Harvest or the cauliflower shawarma (pictured above) at POTs. These two outstanding local eateries, along with Flock & Fowl and Johnny C’s Diner, are among those that have recently closed. But their chef-owners are still in town, so we’re pulling for a comeback! Here’s what we know …
The Snack Wagon Takeovers at Harvest by ROY ELLAMAR were heavyweight foodie events drawing guest chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Hubert Keller cooking alongside Ellamar. Guests were invited to plan their menus, and Ellamar worked in concert, plate for plate, with his visiting masters. He recently announced he’ll be opening a new restaurant in Downtown Summerlin next year. No word yet if the Snack Wagon Takeover will be there too.
Johnny C’s Diner was a Guy Fieri fantasy, hidden next to an RV resort and housed in a ’50s-style diner. JOHNNY CHURCH used his high-end French techniques to elevate breakfast classics such as steak and eggs and omelets. Church says he plans to reestablish Johnny C’s in a new location, as well as opening a commissary kitchen.
Whether it was steamed buns inside a nail salon (Great Bao), chicken and rice in a strip mall (Flock & Fowl and Every Grain), or Asian-American fare in an off-Strip casino (Fat Choy), SHERIDAN SU’S soul shined through every dish. Maybe there’s a space inside a garage somewhere he can transform next?
In a town of unique dining, POTs managed to distinguish itself — by serving vegan Egyptian food in a westside shop that owner IMAN HAGGAG made feel like her living room. Haggag now sells the spices that made her plates so memorable.