NOW OPEN: CELEBRITY CHEFS MICHAEL AND BRYAN VOLTAGGIO DEBUT ‘RETRO BY VOLTAGGIO’ AT MANDALAY BAY
Turn back the clock at the Voltaggio Brothers’ limited engagement Las Vegas restaurant, celebrating the iconic food, drinks and vibe of the 80s and 90s
Television stars, judges and celebrity chef icons Michael and Bryan Voltaggio are dropping the raddest one-year culinary residency in Las Vegas with Retro by Voltaggio, now open at Mandalay Bay. The carefree era when dial-up internet was fast and mixtapes were the move, is revived through the minds of the Voltaggio Brothers with an original restaurant inspired by the tastes, sounds and pop culture of the 80s and 90s.
“The concept of Retro is really a story about Bryan and me, from childhood through our professional careers,” said Chef Michael Voltaggio. “We had a shared vision for our first Las Vegas restaurant to deliver an entirely different concept and guest experience to the Strip’s dining scene, while also paying homage to our shared culinary journeys. Retro brings our story to life and we cannot wait for Mandalay Bay guests and visitors to be part of it all while creating their own special memories.”
Chef Bryan Voltaggio said, “Retro is all about taking nostalgic, familiar dishes of the past and elevating them to a new level. From baking melt-in-your-mouth pizza rolls with fine meats and cheeses to preparing homemade pot roast with Wagyu beef, along with serving top-shelf appletinis and craft wine coolers, there will be great flavors that elicit fun memories. We want our guests to recognize the dishes they’re reading on the menu, then be totally surprised and intrigued by what is delivered to the table.”
A Taste of Retro’s Menu
Classic snacks, drinks and family dinner staples celebrate their next life at Retro by Voltaggio in the hands of the award-winning culinary duo:
- Voltaggi O’s: The brothers’ version of the canned childhood favorite is made with handmade anellini ringed pasta, pomodoro sauce emulsified with brown butter and a massive meatball
- Wagyu Beef Pot Roast: Mom’s pot roast is transformed into a modern-day fantasy with this wagyu indulgence served alongside potatoes cooked in beef fat, and Nantes carrots
- Pepperoni Rolls: A nod to the staple afterschool snack, Retro’s rolls wrap a warm and crisp bread around San Marzano marinara, basil and gooey stracciatella cheese
- Cheese and Crackers: Not your typical cheeseboard. Airy pork rinds, dusted with BBQ spice, are served with a pimento coulis nestled in a cloud of whipped brie
- Shrimp Cocktail: Poached wild Baja shrimp arrives on a bed of frozen aerated coconut that provides an extra layer of flavor to complement the house made cocktail sauce
Retro’s cocktail program invites guests to revisit endless nights spent living life to the fullest with friends swigging Southern Comfort, sipping on appletinis or enjoying malt liquor from a paper bag. While the nostalgic drinks are infamously beleaguered in the beverage community, Retro breaks with previous conceptions, reclaiming each legend with fresh-pressed juices, high-end spirits and house-made syrups resulting in twistedly vintage and visually spectacular sips, such as:
- Appletini: Inspired by the old-school version, this vibrant cocktail combines Midori and fresh Granny Smith apple juice and is topped with egg white foam and matcha powder
- Fuzzy Navel: A modern take on the classic Fuzzy Navel, the Navel-Gazer incorporates Ruffino Prosecco, peach, orange and honey
- Soco & Lime: The new-age variation on the SoCo Lime pairs Southern Comfort 100 and Old Overholt Bonded with lime juice and apricot liqueur
- Retro Farms Wine Cooler: The iconic wine cooler of the 80s meets its grown-up self with the Retro Farms Wine Cooler featuring sauvignon blanc, yuzu juice, gin, basil and mint, ceremoniously uncapped tableside
- Brass Monkey: Playfully saluting the time-honored tradition of drinking from a brown paper bag, this sharable 40 oz. malt liquor comes aptly dressed and is meant to be passed around the table for guests to pour into their individual glasses of house made sorbet for a phat combination
Retro by Voltaggio is open Monday – Saturday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Reservations can be made by visiting Mandalay Bay online or at 702.632.7401.
ABOUT CHEFS MICHAEL AND BRYAN VOLTAGGIO
Natives of Frederick, MD, chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio are known for their creativity in the kitchen and their family-first attitude when it comes to cooking. The brothers became famous when their sibling rivalry caught attention on the Emmy award-winning seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef. After Michael won Top Chef in Season 6, (Bryan came in 2nd), the brothers combined forces to build a restaurant empire together that includes modern seafood restaurant Estuary at CityCenterDC’s Conrad hotel and fine dining steakhouse Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at MGM National Harbor.
Michael and Bryan appear regularly on the Food Network as judges, hosts and competitors. They are featured together and separately across several programs as they continue to push the culinary envelope on and off camera.
ABOUT MANDALAY BAY
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is set on 120 lush acres featuring Mandalay Bay Beach, a tropical pool paradise with real sand. The Michelob ULTRA Arena, award-winning restaurants, exhilarating entertainment, unique shopping, Shark Reef Aquarium and the 2-million-square-foot convention center combine to make Mandalay Bay a captivating Las Vegas resort destination. The resort offers three distinct hotel experiences: Mandalay Bay with 3,211 luxurious rooms and suites reflecting a modern tropical ambiance; Four Seasons Hotel, a AAA Five Diamond hotel offering 424 rooms and suites; and the luxury all-suite Delano Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay is operated by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mandalaybay.com, call toll free at (877) 632-7800, or find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.