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Award-winning chef Nicole Brisson is now overseeing culinary operations at Amari Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop, the beloved neighborhood Italian restaurant at UnCommons in southwest Las Vegas. Brisson, whose culinary talents have received widespread acclaim, has created a new menu focused on seasonal ingredients along with dishes that are established favorites among the restaurant’s regular guests.
A cornerstone of Las Vegas’ culinary scene, Brisson joins Amari while also overseeing her two acclaimed Resorts World Las Vegas restaurants, Brezza and Bar Zazu. Her approach reinforces the restaurant’s neighborhood Italian-American spirit, centered on handcrafted pasta, wood-fired pizza, and welcoming hospitality that has defined Amari since its opening.
“Amari has always been about creating a place people can return to again and again, whether it’s for a casual weeknight dinner or something a little more special,” said Brisson. “With this menu, I’m building on that foundation, keeping the dishes guests already love while introducing new flavors and seasonal ingredients that keep things fresh, approachable, and exciting. ”
The refreshed menu reflects Brisson’s philosophy of approachable sophistication, balancing new seasonal dishes with the familiar flavors guests expect. New entrees showcase this approach, with additions such as a bone-in 120-day dry-aged ribeye for two served with charred lemon, vine tomato, and ristretto; Amari chicken parm with mozzarella, parmigiano, and house tomato sauce; marsala beef cheek ravioli with roasted mushrooms and chive; ricotta agnolotti with garlic confit and espelette; and the coastal Skuna Bay salmon with artichoke and nardello pepper salsa rosso.
Longtime guests will continue to find signature favorites throughout the menu, including ricotta meatballs, lumache bolognese, spaghetti pomodoro, and squid-ink campanelle with crab, shrimp, and tomato-uni butter. Pizza remains a cornerstone of the menu with favorites including margherita, spicy calabrese, and mushroom fontina with black truffle béchamel, available with an optional 3g black winter truffle. The result is a menu that feels both fresh and familiar, with lighter preparations and expanded options that lend themselves to everyday dining.
“Nicole is one of the most respected chefs in Las Vegas. The fact that she’s bringing her vision and her standards to Amari is a real statement about what UnCommons is becoming,” said Jim Stuart, partner at Matter Real Estate Group, the developer of the UnCommons campus. “Guests who know her work at Brezza understand what that means, and guests who are discovering her for the first time through Amari are in for something special.”
Brisson has also made key additions to Amari’s leadership team. Chef Kyle Johnson, a Las Vegas native with nearly two decades of culinary expertise and a former corporate executive chef at MINA Group, has been named director of operations. Luis Gonzalez, most recently with the acclaimed local restaurant Sparrow + Wolf, is now serving as general manager.
Amari’s retail program further enhances the experience, anchored by the largest amaro collection in Las Vegas. More than 90 varieties line the restaurant’s signature wall, spanning a wide range of styles, including an extensive selection of Fernets and rare bottles such as Amaro Ulrich, Amaro 72 Toro, Antico Amaro Noveis, Petrus Boonekamp, and Botanika Angelica, as well as a collection of wines available by the bottle. The retail offerings also include thoughtfully curated selections of artisanal Italian specialties, such as small-batch olive oils and vinegars, as well as dry-aged steaks meticulously crafted by Brisson.
Alongside the new menu and retail offerings, the restaurant has expanded its hours of operation and is now open seven days a week to better serve the southwest Las Vegas community. Seated lunch service is now offered daily starting at noon, and happy hour is now available daily from 3 to 6:30 p.m. throughout the bar, lounge, and patio. The restaurant is open for dinner until 9 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, complementing the restaurant’s delivery program, available noon to close, seven days a week.
Reservations and more information are available by calling (725) 285-0450 and by visiting www.AmariLV.com.
