VEGAS DINING NEWS: Crazy-Famous Chicago Eatery to Pop Up at Bellagio, Vegas’ Oldest Steakhouse Gets Bearded
Posted on: February 25, 2026, 04:13h.
Last updated on: February 25, 2026, 04:18h.
- Alinea’s six-week residency at the Bellagio’s Michael Mina space is now open for bookings
- The pop-up serves as the grand finale for Chef Grant Achatz’s 20th anniversary global tour
- Bob Taylor’s Ranch House was named a 2026 James Beard America’s Classic winner
In a major culinary coup for Las Vegas, the world-renowned Alinea is heading to the Bellagio for a six-week residency this spring.
Alinea is the Chicago restaurant that redefined fine dining as “avant-garde performance art.” Opened in 2005 by Chef Grant Achatz and restaurateur Nick Kokonas, it is widely considered the pioneer of modernist cuisine (often called molecular gastronomy) in the U.S.
From April 16 to May 31, 2026, Achatz and his team will take over the Michael Mina restaurant space. The engagement will serve as the grand finale of Alinea’s 20th anniversary tour, which previously sold out stops in Brooklyn, Miami Beach, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, and Big Sky, Montana.
“Las Vegas has always been willing to think big and take risks,” Achatz said in a statement. “There is a real history here of chefs, operators and teams pushing hospitality forward, not just in scale but in creativity and craft. Bellagio understands how to create experiences that feel both bold and thoughtful, and that makes it a meaningful place for us to share what Alinea has been building for the past twenty years.”
Though its Michelin Guide rating was recalibrated from three stars (exceptional) to two (merely excellent) in November 2025, Alinea remains one of the most decorated and sought-after dining experiences in the U.S., having previously secured “Outstanding Restaurant” honors from the James Beard Foundation.
Demand for seatings is expected to be so high, you can’t make reservations. You need to buy tickets here: www.bellagio.mgmresorts.com/alinea.
A Ranch Hand
Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas, has been named one of six annual recipients of the James Beard America’s Classics Award. (Many people think the Golden Steer is the oldest, but it’s not. (We caught it lying about its age.)
The America’s Classics Award recognizes “locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal that serve quality food and are beloved by their communities,” according to the foundation. The honor’s only other Las Vegas recipient was the Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge in 2024.
Bob Taylor’s will be honored at the James Beards (considered the Oscars of food) on June 15 in Chicago.
This year’s other James Beard America’s Classic Award recipients are the Oyster House in Philadelphia; Eng’s in Kingston, New York; Figaretti’s Italian Restaurant in Wheeling, West Virginia; and the Serving Spoon in L.A.
Dining Ins & Outs
Big B’s Texas BBQ, a South Texas-style smokehouse with two locations in Las Vegas, is headed to the former McDonald’s space at the Plaza, a scoop broken by Vital Vegas.
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