Nicole Brisson Heads Off-Strip With Italian Restaurant Amari

Following the successes of Brezza and Bar Zazu at Resorts World Las Vegas, chef Nicole Brisson and hospitality veteran Jason Rocheleau are debuting their third restaurant, Amari, at UnCommons this winter.

The Italian restaurant planned for southwest Las Vegas will feature hand-crafted pasta and pizza and a market where guests can purchase a bottle of wine to enjoy in the restaurant or take home.

“We really wanted to do something that kind of went back to mine and Jason’s roots, like those more American Italian neighborhood style restaurants where it’s very much pizza and pasta-centric,” says Brisson, who previously opened Eataly at Park MGM, and Locale Italian Kitchen in Mountain’s Edge.

In 2021, Eater Vegas awarded Brezza the Restaurant of the Year award for its coastal Italian cuisine. In March 2022, Brisson and Rocheleau teamed up to open the tapas restaurant and European cafe Bar Zazu.

Brisson and Rocheleau’s move to the $400 million, 40-acre mixed-use UnCommons campus marks the continuation of a trend of restaurateurs moving off-Strip.

“You’re seeing all of these people who had incredible restaurants going off-Strip,” says Rocheleau. “Over the last five to eight years, off-Strip is really emerging. And that’s where you’re going see a lot of the culinary talent settle into. And it’s needed.”

Brisson says the move to UnCommons puts the restaurant right in her backyard.

“Right now, a lot of mine and Jason’s worlds consist of a lot of conventions that really drive our business. It tends to be about what’s in town and you curate experiences around those individuals,” says Brisson. “I think we’ve got a great clientele in Vegas. I feel like the off-Strip community is demanding a premium product and a higher-end product. And I think a lot of our clientele will be our friends and peers. I think it’s going to be like home everyday.”

Brisson and Rocheleau are still firming up the menu for the nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant but Brisson envisions a signature lasagna bolognese, a tableside Caesar salad, and traditional antipasti sourced from local farms to be among the dishes.

The market in front of the restaurant will also offer take-home versions of some dishes and quarts of bolognese and pomodoro sauces.

Amari will join at least eight other bars and restaurants when UnCommons opens, including the Coffee Class, a tiki tequilería called Todo Bien, and a sports lounge called General Admission.