Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

True Food Kitchen opens this week at Downtown Summerlin

True Food Kitchen

Lasagna Bolognese at True Food Kitchen.

The newest addition to thriving Downtown Summerlin opens Wednesday. True Food Kitchen, a health-driven seasonal restaurant franchise founded in Phoenix in part by celebrity doctor Andrew Weil, makes its debut in the expansive space formerly occupied by Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar in the mall’s bustling Dining Arroyo.

It’s the first of two Las Vegas locations for the expanding company — the second is set to open at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in 2020 — and the 30th restaurant overall. It’s also a big larger than the average True Food spot, “but I’ll take bigger if it’s a perfect location,” says CEO Christine Barone. “We love the space, especially the patio. We only come to communities where we can have a unique point of view and be different from what’s offered. With the lifestyle people are living here, this is a restaurant that needs to be added to the mix.”

Barone says True Food is on a mission to prove that you can have “absolutely delicious, craveable food” that also happens to be healthy. The menu for lunch, dinner and brunch is plant-based and stocked with fresh ingredients, but there’s more than just vegetables. Sustainable proteins like grass-fed beef round out the offerings.

Appetizers include charred cauliflower with harissa tahini, kale guacamole with grapefruit, cilantro and roasted poblano peppers and butternut squash soup. The Good Earth Kale Cobb salad is popular, loaded with avocado, tomato, Brussels sprouts, radishes, corn and garbanzo beans, and entrée options include pizzas, grain bowls, burgers, tacos and grilled fish. The Unbeetable Burger is a veggie burger patty made with beets and the organic Japanese root kuzu and topped with jicama slaw, crushed avocado and butter lettuce.

“When I need some comfort food, our lasagna is to-die-for awesome,” Barone says. “And my youngest daughter always gets the cheese pizza.”

With its healthy and hearty cuisine, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see members of the Vegas Golden Knights visiting True Food Kitchen, just across the way from City National Arena. That’s something the restaurant is familiar with, as its other locations frequently cater meals for local sports teams.

“That next level of athletic performance is what you’re fueling yourself for,” Barone says. “We’ve done pre-game meals [in other cities] and tons of fans come in and eat with us because of that. We’d be very excited to welcome [the Knights] in and help them play better with awesome food.”

True Food Kitchen at Downtown Summerlin (10970 Rosemary Park Drive #160, 702-863-1000) is set to open on October 23 and will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.