Las Vegas is full of hidden gems, whether they are nightclubs, museums, shops or personalities. And there are many restaurants and bars that fall into that category. The newest of the Las Vegas gems is a restaurant that opened along with Aliante Station in November.

Pips Cucina and Wine Bar (named after a legendary club in Los Angeles) is the brainchild of Rino Armeni, another of those gems. The founder of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, Armeni is a longtime Las Vegas resident who has worked behind the scenes for years as an executive with Southern Wine & Spirits and as vice president of food and beverage at Caesars Palace. With Pips, Armeni opens his first restaurant (but not his last, he assured us), with a true taste of Italy, the country of his birth.

Unlike those “American Italian” restaurants that are a large part of the Las Vegas restaurant community, Pips brings authentic Italian food to North Las Vegas. Armeni’s inspiration is his mother’s recipes and simple cooking.  

From a traditional vongole (linguine, baby clams, garlic, white wine and extra virgin olive oil) and matriciana (bucatini with guanciale, tomatoes and pocorino cheese) to pomodoro (thick spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce) and gnocchi (flour dumplings with blue cheese sauce), Pips has the basics covered. But for true “peasant” food, tria is truly special. A mixture of fried and fresh hand-cut pasta topped with a delicate cherry tomato sauce, tria is simplicity at its best.

Armeni imports many of his ingredients from Italy, an important element in his favorite recipes.

For meat and fish, Pips also takes great care in choosing the ingredients. The Milanese, a pan-fried and breaded pork chop, comes with arugula greens, red onions and roasted bell peppers. The scallopini is veal scallops with porcini mushrooms gently braised. And a special Napoletana is a truly unique meatloaf Armeni said his mother used to feed him for lunch. The tender loaf is stuffed with mozzarella, capers and mortadella, a uniquely surprising taste when you bite into it.

Armeni’s mother’s meatballs are featured on the polpette, which are meatball sliders along with a rosemary flavored patatine.

Although Aliante Station has a first-class steakhouse, you won’t find a more flavorful steak than is served at Pips, the bisetecca, a 12-ounce rib eye steak complete with parmesan potatoes.

Armeni’s executive chef is not Italian, however—he’s Chinese! But Gerald Chin’s pedigree, which includes a recent “Star Chef of the Year” award, guarantees that he can cook any food to perfection, which he certainly does at Pips.

For such quality food, you would expect prices to match. But at Pips there is no entré greater than $35 and most are much less than that.

The “wine bar” part of the equation ensures that your Pips server will be able to complement your meal with a wine that is both appropriate and reasonably priced.

The décor at Pips is stunning, matching and exceeding the quality that Station Casinos has established at Aliante. But Armeni’s personal touches such as quality linens, fine china and unique silverware make dining a Pips a real night out.

Because Armeni considers food an adventure, he has added special programs at Pips that truly involve his customers. In January, Pips launched a series of winemaker dinners. The first one featured Emanuel Nardi from Nardi Winery, located in Northern Italy. The events include five-course dinners prepared by Chin and include a champagne reception, all for less than $50.

And Pips has also started a list of two-for-one specials every day including pasta dishes (Sunday), chicken Parmigiana (Monday), rib eye steak (Tuesday), filet and shrimp (Wednesday), and 50 percent off all wine, house cocktails and appetizers in the lounge on Thursday.

So there really is no reason to deny yourself one of the best Italian restaurants in Las Vegas. Pips is a truly unique restaurant with a very special owner, who is there each night to meet and greet his guests. Say hello for me.

Pips Cucina and Wine Bar

7300 Aliante Parkway

Sunday-Thurdsay

5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday

5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

702-692-7477

By Roger Gros

Roger Gros is publisher of Casino Connection and editor and publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine, the industry’s leading gaming trade publication. Prior to joining Global Gaming Business, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows. He is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its third edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.