Sparrow + Wolf

Sparrow + Wolf is chef-owner Brian Howard's wood-fired New American room in Chinatown — and in 2026 it carries the city's hottest independent credential: Howard is a James Beard Award FINALIST for Best Chef: Southwest (his second finalist run), with local critics naming the room a favorite for the returning Michelin guide's first Vegas edition.

The cooking runs globally-inflected live-fire: the oxtail hummus and Chinatown clams casino are the openers that built the reputation, the hearth-baked lamb lasagna and harissa octopus carry the middle, and the chef's tasting (~$150-200, wine pairing +$75) hands Howard the wheel entirely — the recommended format. À la carte at the bar runs $100-plus a head and takes walk-ins.

The setting is the tell: an unassuming Spring Mountain strip-mall front hiding one of the state's most ambitious kitchens — dinner-only from 5pm (historically dark Mondays), an intimate room the Beard buzz now fills weekly. Adventurous palates thrive; the timid should study the menu first. Book ahead; the finalist news compressed the calendar.