Leslie Ventura
Story Archive
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A&E
Natalie Young’s Old Soul warms up World Market Center
Thursday, March 28, 2019 The menu is approachable without being predictable, blending East Coast dishes with Southern-style flair.
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A&E
Sweet meets savory at Wynn’s Urth Caffé
Thursday, March 21, 2019 The Wynn cafe offers breakfast all day, including green tea pancakes, stuffed French toast and a spicy chicken sausage and potato omelet, along with a bevy of lunch options.
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Noise
Local music notes: Chameleon Queen, Inhuman Again, King of Heck and more
Thursday, March 14, 2019 The brainchild of singer and guitarist Memo Jesus Inzunza, Chameleon Queen fuses disparate influences: ’70s Japanese psych-rock acts such as Shintaro Sakamoto, jazzy lounge rock from the likes of Yura Yura Teikoku, plus T. Rex, The Beatles and Of Montreal.
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Fine Art
Left of Center’s female-focused ‘Transitions’ emphasizes the unexpected
Thursday, March 14, 2019 “People are expressing themselves in different ways that were hidden before and not talked about. It gives you a chance to say, ‘Here I am. I want you to see that these are concerns of mine and areas that affect me deeply and areas that have changed my whole life.’”
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A&E
Nuro Bistro’s Hainan chicken rice could change your life
Thursday, March 14, 2019 The bird is poached, served skin-on and accompanied by a bowl of chicken-stock-seasoned rice and three sauces.
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Taste
Shake it up! Ding puts a fresh twist on bubble tea
Thursday, March 7, 2019 An old-school Street Fighter arcade game is a nice touch, too.
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News
A cupcake with a side of health care
Thursday, March 7, 2019 In 2011, Joy Hoover launched the Cupcake Girls nonprofit in Las Vegas to provide sex workers and adult entertainers with varying levels of assistance—at AVN, Cupcake Girls offered rest, relaxation, food, goodie bags and massages. But since its inception, it has been responsible for supporting hundreds of clients with intensive case management; medical, dental and mental health services; legal counsel and more.
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A&E
New Cosmopolitan Chinese restaurant Red Plate seats you at the head table
Thursday, March 7, 2019 The gourmet multi-regional eatery is small, luxurious and modern, decked out in black, gold and deep and distinguished red.
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Sports
Aces Carolyn Swords spending offseason serving Las Vegas community
Sunday, March 3, 2019 Like many WNBA players, Las Vegas Aces center Carolyn Swords was used to spending the offseason playing overseas ...
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A&E
Taste and tradition: Cipriani brings a historic Italian brand to the Wynn
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 The Las Vegas location is bold and sexy, with nautical touches that pay homage to the original Harry’s Bar, which sat along the canals of Venice.
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Noise
New local music videos debut at Dam Short Film Fest
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 Among the handful of Nevada-based films screened at last week's shorts fest was a few music videos for local acts.
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A&E
How to Eataly: Five musts at Park MGM’s new Italian marketplace
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 The first Eataly opened in Torino in 2007, and since then the Italian marketplace has expanded to more than 37 locations worldwide.
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Features
Vegas-based porn star Charlotte Sartre talks diversity, Dostoyevsky, puppets and more
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 I discovered the internet a little too early and got really curious with Googling. I was like, you can type in “boobs!”
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Features
Exploring the dating lives of local porn performers
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 “I felt like I was always being used as a tool, like, look at this hot porn girl I hang out with. They treated me like [my porn persona] instead of my actual self.”
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A&E
Vegas scene veteran Aaron Archer keeps his first album raw
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 His lo-fi, garage-rock style permeates the project—a collection of songs he wrote years ago, recorded on an 8-track in the singer’s bedroom.
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A&E
The Texas-style Mama Bird serves up must-try fried chicken
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 I went for the biscuits and gravy, and then I returned for the chicken.
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Features
When you press pause on Chinatown’s grub, relax and recover along Spring Mountain Road
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 Aritaum’s prices can’t be beat. Where else can you get face masks for $1.50 apiece?
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Adult
Five toys to try from AVN's Adult Entertainment Expo
Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 New products from Bad Dragon, Tenga, Midori and more.
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A&E
When open format DJ Maria Romano hits the booth, nothing can distract her
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 She’s a regular at Drai’s, and hip-hop is where her heart is.
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Fine Art
Gig Depio’s giant, desert-inspired paintings must be experienced in person
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 Depio’s 11-by-40-foot Moapa mural works as a Nevada time capsule, traveling to the time of industrialization and the type of “creative destruction” that naturally occurs when trying to make life more hospitable.
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News
Volunteers help out at nearby national parks during shutdown
Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 The government shutdown, which began December 22, is the longest on record, causing national parks to rely on volunteers and donations to stay open.
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Taste
Seek out the next stop on Ruse Vegan Kitchen’s tasty Valley tour
Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 The chef and her partner prep everything—like the wheat and cannellini bean-based proteins—in a commercial kitchen, then load up their cars to sell at farmers’ markets or outside bars, where everything is cooked to order.
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News
New executive director 'inspired' to lead Gay and Lesbian Community Center
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019 The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada this week announced the appointment of John Waldron as its new executive director ...
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Noise
Resolve to rock: Local music figures declare their goals for 2019
Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 Among them: creating new music, touring more, learning a Sting song and finishing an astronomy opera.
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Fine Art
Traveling art exhibit 'Axis Mundo' highlights the work of LA's queer, Chicanx community
Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 Many of the artists in the exhibition were impacted by the AIDS crisis, which contributed to the disappearance of their histories over time.
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Food
Try these best new Las Vegas restaurants to get 2019 off to a tasty start
Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 Make the rounds to the best restaurants in las vegas in 2019.
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Noise
Concerts, albums and Las Vegas releases: recapping a busy year in music
Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 Janelle Monáe, David Byrne, St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, Robyn and more.
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A&E
Las Vegas’ best new restaurants of 2018
Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 Here are the best restaurants in Las Vegas in 2018: Esther’s Kitchen, NoMad, Cleaver, Block 16 and beyond.
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A&E
Momofuku’s Feast of the Seven Fishes brings Asian flair to an Italian holiday tradition
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018 Savor a whole branzino straight off the plate, or make lettuce wraps with rice, ginger scallions, pickles and Bibb lettuce.
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A&E
Tacotarian serves up 14 tasty varieties of non-meat tacos
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018 “Vegan” and “Mexican food” rarely share the same sentence.
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News
Harm Reduction Center runs out of free Plan B pills in just a few days
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 Each pill can normally cost $35 to $60 each.
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News
How to pick the perfect hiking shoes
Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018 If you’re just beginning to explore the outdoors, you might not realize the importance of a good pair of hiking boots.
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Noise
Local music news & notes: New EPs from Wax Pig Melting, Olan and World Tension
Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018 Last month, Wax Pig Melting also released a lyric video for “Noise Meditation,” a Nirvana-esque track that harkens back to the ’90s in the best of ways.
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Features
Explore temperature extremes in Nevada’s hot springs
Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018 From Gold Strike to Tecopa and beyond.
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Print
Heather Lang Cassera delivers the story of a lifetime through poetry
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 In her new chapbook, I Was the Girl With the Moon-Shaped Face, Cassera’s world is filled with desert imagery, youthful nostalgia and a relatable realm that reflects on memories both delightful and pained.
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A&E
Shiraz’s wide-ranging menu mixes the best of Indian, Persian and more
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 Executive Chef Jainine Jaffer loves creating imaginative off-menu specials like paneer poutine and rooh afsza (rose syrup) tiramisu.
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Stage
Meet former showgirl Kady Heard, the swiss army knife of Majestic Repertory Theatre
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 The dancer, singer, burlesque performer and former Jubilee! showgirl has worked toward becoming a top-tier entertainer since she was a little kid.
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Noise
Josh Coutts proudly flies the ska flag with his 7-year-old radio station and live events
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 “We’re here to support gay, straight, blue, green—it doesn’t matter what color you are. Music is music, people are people.”
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A&E
The restlessly creative Ang Kerfoot makes music, theater, visual art and more
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 The self-described “sage-burning hippie wizard” is no stranger to taking on multiple projects. “I stay moving,” she says. “It keeps me sane.”
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A&E
Greek Sneek delivers quality Mediterranean food to the Strip
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 Take a brisk walk through a speakeasy style hallway and you’ll find yourself inside a modern and photo-worthy oasis.
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A&E
Flock to Cleaver for steaks, seafood and memorable cocktails
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 The 16-ounce ribeye delivers a melt-in-your-mouth experience, while the 120-ounce Cleaver ribeye—serving five to eight—is a serious showstopper.
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A&E
The Damned’s Dave Vanian talks politics, the Stones and more
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 We caught up with frontman Dave Vanian while he was at home in London to talk the band’s history and influence, its 2018 album Evil Spirits and its upcoming show in Las Vegas.
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News
Passion for thrift stores inspires couple to open downtown shop
Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 There’s a new thrift store in downtown Las Vegas, and if its wares aren’t reason enough to give vintage pickers a reason to visit, its name is ...
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Taste
Veggy Street makes plant-based eating easy
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 These burgers pack plenty of savory umami and meaty mouth-feel without trying to imitate any one flavor.
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A&E
This year, UNLV’s Barrick Lecture Series embraces diversity and the spirit of the unconventional
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 Incoming: filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, comedian and producer W. Kamau Bell and award-winning photojournalist Annie Leibovitz.
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Taste
MGM brings many of its top chefs and restaurants together for three days of culinary activities
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 The Chef’s Table EPICurean Experience series at Mandalay Bay will offer a variety of fun dining moments all weekend long.
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A&E
Las Vegas karaoke legend Danny G. leaving Dino’s after 18 years
Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018 This Las Vegas entertainment legend has a simple philosophy in going about his craft: “When I went into karaoke, I wanted to share the stage with people — not just hand them a microphone,” Daniel Gobel said.
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A&E
Monthly party Soft Leather celebrates two uninhibited years in Las Vegas
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 “You want to try something new, show a little bit of skin? Our slogan is dress to sweat, and that really shows on the dancefloor.”
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A&E
Mordeo brings a Spanish splash to Chinatown
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 Fusion is an overused word, but Mordeo succeeds at it, blending classic cooking styles, like grilling Mexican elote skewers with Japanese binchō-tan charcoal.
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Food
Good luck choosing among La Cantine’s vast sandwich array
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 Those looking for a taste of Paris will be transported with Le Pate, a minimalist classic with duck liver pâté, romaine and cornichon on a baguette.