Local restaurateurs John and Tabitha Simmons are partnering with self-described “home cook of the obsessive vegan variety,” Amelia Cooper, to create an entirely plant-based menu for their newest venture, The Graze Kitchen. The vegan restaurant is set to open in late spring in the same complex as the Simmons’ restaurant Firefly* at 7355 South Buffalo Dr.
Leading up to the restaurant’s opening, the Simmons and Cooper have been hosting pop-ups and virtual cooking classes. The menu for this week will include a seitan piccata with garlic-lemon pilaf, roasted romanesco and chocolate mousse.
What Now Las Vegas spoke with the owners on Tuesday to see what more is in store. In February, they plan to offer a take-home meal complete with the sounds, smells and flavors of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.
The menu will include plant-based crab cakes as appetizers, gumbo with rice for the entree and king cake beignets for dessert. A QR code inside the meal box will link to a Spotify playlist of New Orleans jazz.
“You can make your kitchen into Bourbon street, dance around and celebrate one of the coolest times of the year in one of the coolest regions of our country from the comfort of your own home,” Cooper said.
The Simmons’ restaurant Firefly* was founded in 2003 and specializes in seafood tapas and other Spanish-style dishes. Firefly* is also known for its sangria and cocktail happy hours. Tacos & Beer, on the other hand, is much more self-explanatory; their most popular items include pork al pastor and chicken tinga tacos. Tabitha Simmons explained that she is vegan-curious, opting for a primarily plant-based diet.
Cooper, on the other hand, has been vegan for seven years. When the pandemic pulled the rug out from under her hair and makeup artistry brand Amelia C & Co., she began producing and selling vegan meal prep kits. Among her clientele was restaurateur Tabitha Simmons, who proposed a partnership to start a vegan restaurant.
“It was a paradigm-shifting experience for me because I had cultivated this really vibrant, strong career as a hair and makeup professional,” Cooper said. “So to have such an abrupt shift, it was like, wow, this doesn’t happen in real life. It’s such an amazing opportunity.”
According to their Instagram, The Graze Kitchen takes inspiration from grazing, foraging, or otherwise receiving plant-based nourishment. As the vegan movement grows across the U.S., Simmons and Cooper have noticed a demand for more vegan restaurants in Las Vegas.
“To say we’ve cultivated a really beautiful vegan community in Las Vegas is an understatement,” Cooper said.
The Graze Kitchen plans to open this coming May.
“We’ll have good music, good lighting, great service, great-tasting food that fills your belly and fuels your soul,” Simmons described. “We want it to feel like you’re coming into our home and we’re serving you amazing food in an awesome environment with great service.”
Until then, the Graze Kitchen Instagram will be updating their event calendar for future take-home vegan meals and zoom cooking classes. The next event will take place Saturday, Jan. 30.
