In a mini – mall outside of the Las Vegas Strip in Spring Valley / Southwest, lies an Italian food excursion that makes you feel like you’ve landed in Rome and not Las Vegas. The food, the hospitality, the entertainment, all rolled up into one big terrific experience.
Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar is a casual Italian restaurant established in 2021 by two sisters, Axenia and Marina Cobzac, from Moldova. Their Italian recipes are from North, South, and Central Italy. Chef Helio really implements old and new world recipes. Their product for their amazing dishes is, for the most part, imported from Italy. Offering the best wine pairing and variety of cocktail selection. From what I could tell, they have many repeat diners in and around the Las Vegas area.
Axenia came to the United States as an exchange student in 2012, in a summer program, and she didn’t speak English. Axenia learned English pretty quickly so she could have a chance at a brilliant career. She worked a few jobs in retail but found that Las Vegas was affordable and wanted to stay and become part of the business empire in the city. Axenia and her sister started Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar, which means sister in Italian, at the end of 2021. Covid was still lingering, but they made do with their recipes and this off the strip location. Many of their customers are from word of mouth, and from a prominent presence on social media. They were also on Fox 5 TV early on. The sisters live close to the restaurant, so it makes it very convenient for them to be ever present at their establishment. In their community, everyone knows them as the sisters. They are very close and do just about everything together. This sisterhood has brought a huge success story to their lives and to their restaurant.
Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar has entertainment every night. Tuesday, the night I was there, was violinist Harry Hovakimian. He started studying the violin at age 7. He won several city competitions and was accepted into the conservatory in 1986. Harry earned a Master of Arts in Music in 1991 and moved to Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1998, Harry moved to Detroit, performing at the Russian Bear restaurant and teaching at AGBU Alex Manoogian School. He played at The Fiddler from 1999 to 2011 and composed music for films from 2010 to 2013.Harry released a Christmas album in 2011 and formed the jazz band Knights of Onyx in 2016, releasing “The More You Say” in 2018. He relocated to Las Vegas in 2020, where he continues to perform. His music was uplifting and a great backdrop to my amazing meal.
Here’s What I Tried:
Cocktails:
Espresso Martini, with espresso, vodka, Kahlua, and Baileys Irish Whiskey. This martini is super rich and smooth, like a milkshake, but even better.
Cosmopolitan, with vodka, triple sec, lime, and cranberry juice, served very cold and extremely refreshing, just perfect.
Traditional Vodka Martini, of course, I had to order my favorite cocktail, and it did not disappoint.
Antipasta:
Crab Cake, homemade crab cakes served with tartar sauce. It has good, subtle crab flavor, a nice way to start my meal.
Sauteed Mussels and Clams, cooked in a garlic white wine sauce, it has so much garlic, it is really lush and delicious.
Insalata:
Spinach Salad, with organic spinach, feta cheese, caramelized walnuts, cherry tomatoes, and pears, in honey lemon dressing. I loved this salad; everything was farm fresh, and the dressing really made it for me.
Primi:
Seafood Pasta, with homemade tagliatelle pasta mixed with shrimps, mussels, clams, and calamari, in red sauce. I would order this every time. The pasta was a bit al dente, and the seafood was so fresh, and it all tasted really fantastic.
Mushroom Risotto, with Italian risotto in creamy sauce, with sautéed mushrooms. This is a subtle flavored risotto, and a huge portion at that, it really hit the spot.
Lobster Ravioli in lobster sauce, huge round raviolis with a nice sweet light tomato sauce, a must-have menu item.
Secondi:
Seabass, with capers, saffron risotto, and broccoli. The seabass melts in your mouth, super fresh and tender, a fish lover’s dream.
Wine:
William Hill, Chardonnay, 2023, CA. This wine paired so nicely with the seabass; it is rich and buttery, just the perfect pair.
Cricova, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2024, Moldova. This wine went great with any of the red-sauced pastas.
The interior is very tastefully done, with Axenia doing all of the design herself. It is bright and cheery, but very elegant as well.
Axenia wants you to know that her dishes are all made from scratch and made to order; most other establishments in Las Vegas do not have freshly prepared foods. She wants her customers to feel like they are in someone’s home, to be super comfortable, and come back for more at Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar.
Next time you’re in Las Vegas and want to experience a traditional Italian restaurant where the locals go, that is away from the craziness of the strip, try Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar. Like me, you will be very glad you did.
Le Sorelle Restaurant and Bar
5875 S. Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV. 89118
702-485-2744
//lesorelle.us/
