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Shawn McClain’s FIVE50 Pizza Bar Now Open at Vegas’ Aria Resort & Casino

FIVE50 Pizza Bar, the first casual concept from James Beard award-winning Chef Shawn McClain, is now open at ARIA Resort & Casino (FIVE50 Pizza Bar – Photo credit MGM Resorts International). 

Following the success of Sage, his first restaurant at the property, Chef McClain’s newest Las Vegas outpost is serving up wood-fired pizzas, flavorful small plates, artisanal charcuterie, international cheeses, seasonal salads, handmade pastas and decadent desserts, all complemented by an impressive collection of carefully selected craft beers.

Photo credit MGM Resorts International.

Designed by celebrated architect David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, the industrial-chic space blends the warmth, soul and nostalgia of classic pizzerias with the social energy and edgy vibe of the best bar scenes. All aspects of the iconic FIVE50 atmosphere are elevated with a concentration on craftsmanship and the use of the finest natural materials; a design highlight and focal point is the custom mural by CYRCLE, a Los Angeles-based street artist collective. Style is also at the forefront with a bold, fresh take on traditional uniforms, conceived by the FIVE50 team and designed by Las Vegas fashion designer Barbara Bell. To round out the experience is a signature music soundtrack with genres ranging from classic rock and rebel country to old school hip hop and indie pop.

Photo credit MGM Resorts International.

FIVE50 Pizza Bar Features: 

• Farm-Fresh Fare. Known for his ability to create complex yet approachable flavor profiles, Chef McClain’s dynamic culinary expertise is exemplified with the diversity of FIVE50’s menu – which features signature pizzas, Italian-inspired specialty dishes and home-style desserts – all prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Highlights include:
• Pizza. FIVE50’s 16-inch pies are baked to perfection in a wood-fired oven; the crispy crust blends properties of New York and Naples-style pizzas, but is a signature creation of Chef McClain’s. Elevated with rich sauce and creamy cheese, flavors range from traditional to gourmet such as the Gotham, topped with pepperoni, sausage, salami, mozzarella and Grana Padano; and the Farmstead, with prosciutto, crème fraiche and country olives, finished with an over-easy farm egg. Other unique varieties include the clam-topped North Beach and Truffle pizzas. Guests also can create their own with choices of more than 20 toppings.
• Specialties. Accentuating guests’ dining experience, FIVE50 offers an eclectic Meat & Cheese Bar featuring artisanal charcuterie and international cheeses. Flavorful small plates include Wood-Fired Clams and Linguica Sausage, Marinated Octopus Crostini, and Creamy Polenta and Farm Egg, to name a few. FIVE50’s salads feature the best of seasonal produce with refreshing flavors such as Arugula and Fennel, and Heirloom Tomatoes with Burrata Cheese for summer. All pasta is hand-rolled daily; signature pastas include such options as Ricotta Cavatelli with pistachio pesto; and Pigs & Truffles, a rich, pork shoulder cannelloni with spinach, béchamel and summer truffles.
• Dessert.  Home-style sweets with a gourmet spin offer the perfect ending to meals at FIVE50. Guests can enjoy an array of indulgences such as Milk Chocolate-Lavender Custard served layered in a miniature mason jar; the FIVE50 ‘Beer’ Float with caramelized banana, malted milk ice cream, salted caramel and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout; and a unique Ice Cream Sandwich, with a choice of ice cream flavor served between two pizzelle cookies and paired with a sip of Italian soda.
• Craft Beers. With more than 50 beers offered, FIVE50’s all-American draft selection features 11 microbrews on tap with a focus on regional American craft varieties. Its eclectic bottle list showcases the best beer from around the globe. The menu includes seasonal offerings from labels such as Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada and Las Vegas microbreweries, Tenaya Creek and Big Dog’s; tried-and-true craft favorites such as Stone Arrogant Bastard and Rogue Dead Guy Ale; and premium imports like Chimay and Unibroue. FIVE50’s beverage program is rounded out with three gluten-free beers, four ciders, an extensive by-the-glass wine list and specialty cocktails to satisfy all kinds of thirsty guests.
• Iconic Interior. Designed by Rockwell Group, FIVE50’s architecture and aesthetics celebrate the craft of pizza with a palette of natural materials that reveal the maker’s hand, reflecting the restaurant’sculinary philosophy. Rockwell Group designed and selected furniture produced by small U.S. manufacturers and made from reclaimed materials. The restaurant isdefined by three dynamic spaces: a reinterpretation of the classic pizza slice counter; a bustling main dining room with a spalted maple wood wall and a custom horseshoe-shaped bar; and a semi-private dining area that seats up to 10 guests, featuring a charred wood wall and a brass chain-link curtain.
• Street Art. Commissioned for the restaurant, a vibrant, one-of-a-kind mural – the city’s first by LA art collective CYRCLE – reaches 15 feet high and spans 60 feet along the top of FIVE50’s undulating wall. The black-and-white collage of vintage photos and iconography is a nod to America’s young rebellion eras (1940s-60s) as well as Las Vegas’ timeless, celebratory identity. Using mixed mediums and techniques, the work playfully examines history’s generational divides while seeking to inspire dreamers of today with CYRCLE’s regionally tailored manifesto, “We are Vegas! We never die!” boldly inscribed.
• Fashionable Uniforms. Taking inspiration from trendsetting neighborhoods of New York City, Los Angeles, Milan and Paris, staff uniforms are a statement in and of themselves; conceived by the Five50 team and custom designed by Barbara Bell, a Las Vegas native. Complementing the urban and sleek-yet-casual attire are signature sneakers, which include men’s red high-top Converse, created exclusively by designer John Varvatos; and vibrant, metallic high-tops for female bartenders and servers.
• FIVE50 Fun. What’s in a name? FIVE50 is inspired by the prime temperature at which McClain’s wood-fired pizza is cooked. Guests on-the-go can enjoy sizeable pieces of Chef McClain’s signature pies for $5.50 at the restaurant’s slice counter, which also serves two draft beer choices.

Located off ARIA’s casino floor adjacent to the Race & Sports Book, FIVE50 Pizza Bar is now open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight; the slice counter is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.