James Beard Award winner set to open new Italian eatery

“We’re doing Italian a little differently, focusing on aperitivo culture and well-prepared, wood-grilled flavors, while keeping pastas and pizzas close to our hearts.”

So says chef Shawn McClain of the mission at highly anticipated Balla Italian Soul, which is scheduled to debut in October at Sahara Las Vegas. The James Beard Award winner is opening the restaurant with his business partners, Richard and Sarah Camarota.

The menu “embraces the lighter, brighter and more seasonally driven aspects of Italian cuisine,” the restaurant said in a statement. What does that mean on the plate?

The menu

Antipasti with Calabrian peppers, heirloom beans and marinated octopus, say. Or shellfish toast with clams, mussels, calamari and ‘nduja (a spicy, spreadable sausage). Or lamb tartare with preserved lemon and ricotta salata. Pastas? They include squid ink shells puttanesca and linguine with crab and chilis. Pizzas like classic Margherita and ‘ndjua with confit potatoes and smoked cheese issue from the wood-fire oven.

That wood fire also is harnessed to prepare dishes like broccoli di Ciccio (an heirloom variety) with lemon zest and garlic, romano beans with anchovy vinaigrette, sea bream with lemon and fresh herbs, Delmonico pork steak with black garlic and a 22-ounce Prime grade bone-in ribeye.

Aperitivos are essential to the Italian soul. On the list: a classic Campari Negroni, a Negroni Bianco with Fords gin and Luxardo Bitter Bianco, a Venetian Aperol spritz with prosecco and a Remetto Fresca mingling Tito’s Vodka, Marsala and grapefruit shrub syrup. The restaurant also will offer Italian beers and Italian-forward wines by the glass.

The look

Balla Italian Soul, designed by Innovativo Design of Vegas, seats 120 and faces the Strip. A glass charcuterie station welcomes diners to the bar area. A brick ceiling recalls Roman wine cellars. Wood and brass fixtures point the way toward the main dining room, garnished with Italian photography and lighted olive trees.

McClain, the chef and co-owner, has opened eight restaurants across Vegas, Detroit and Chicago, earning three James Beard nominations, a Beard win in 2006 for Best Chef: Midwest, and Chef of the Year from Esquire magazine. He first came to Vegas in 2009 to open Sage and, later, Five 50 Pizza Bar, both in Aria (and both now closed). His Libertine Social debuted at Mandalay Bay in 2016 and still operates today.

At the new restaurant, David Grates joins as general manager. Michael Vargas serves as executive chef under McClain, and Pedro Becerra-Carrizales Jr. and Jamie Gonzalez serve as sous chefs. Balla Italian Soul will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

A previous version of this story said the opening would be Sept. 30. The opening has been delayed.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ItsJLW on Twitter.