The Strip's Newest Endless Italian Brunch Just Landed At SAHARA, And It Has Us Thinking About Saturdays Differently

Balla Italian Soul at SAHARA Las Vegas has rolled out a Saturday-only endless brunch called Ciao Bella, led by James Beard Award winner Chef Shawn McClain, and it is a fun reminder of how much energy a proper Italian midday spread can bring to the Strip. Here is what is on the table, and how we think about our own weekend spread.

A New Reason To Save Your Saturday

Brunch on the Strip has long belonged to bottomless mimosas and breakfast standards, so it caught our attention when Balla Italian Soul at SAHARA Las Vegas turned its weekend service into a full Italian affair. The new offering, called Ciao Bella Brunch, runs every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and starts at $55 per person, with endless service capped at two hours per table so the kitchen can keep the pace lively without the line backing up.

What makes it stand out is the intention behind it. Rather than bolting a few Italian dishes onto a standard brunch template, the restaurant built the entire spread around chef-driven Italian cooking, live entertainment, and the kind of loose, sun-soaked energy you would expect from a European seaside town on a summer Saturday. It is a small but telling shift in how Strip dining rooms are treating brunch these days, less an afterthought and more its own showcase.

What's Actually On The Table

The menu, developed under James Beard Award winning Chef Shawn McClain, reads like a tour through Italy's most shareable dishes. Guests can work through whipped ricotta, burrata with melon, tomato arancini, and beef carpaccio before moving into heartier plates like fusilli carbonara and a wood-fired pizza. Dessert leans just as classic, with tiramisu and cannoli rounding things out.

On the drink side, the bottomless spritzes and mimosas do the expected work, but the standout is an Affogato Martini Flight, a playful trio of mini martinis built around the flavors of the traditional Italian affogato. Premium add-ons carry an extra charge, which is a fair trade for keeping the base price accessible while still letting guests splurge if they want to.

Why It Matters Beyond One Restaurant

One brunch menu is not a trend by itself, but it lines up with something we have watched building on the Strip all year. Italian dining rooms that used to lean almost entirely on dinner service are now investing real menu development into weekend midday hours, treating brunch as a chance to show range rather than just reheating dinner favorites in smaller portions.

It also reflects a broader shift in what Las Vegas visitors and locals want from a weekend. A two-hour, chef-led Italian spread with live entertainment is a different pitch than a standard buffet line, and it is one more sign that the city's Italian dining scene keeps finding new hours of the day worth showing up for.

We love seeing that energy on the Strip, and honestly, it makes us want to lean into our own weekend spread a little more too. There is something about a slow, shared Italian meal, whether it is brunch or a Saturday night table with us, that just makes the day feel like it counted for something.

What A Great Italian Brunch Spread Should Always Have

Ciao Bella got us talking in our own kitchen about what separates a forgettable brunch from one people actually plan their Saturday around. Here is what we think a proper Italian midday spread needs.

1. Something creamy to start: Whipped ricotta, burrata, or fresh mozzarella sets the tone before anything heavier hits the table.
2. At least one fried bite: Arancini or a light fritto misto gives the spread a bit of crunch and keeps the pace from feeling too precious.
3. A pasta that travels well: A carbonara or a simple aglio e olio holds up in a shared, unhurried setting far better than anything overly delicate.
4. Pizza on the table, always: Even at brunch, a wood-fired pie earns its spot, especially when the crust can stand up to a slower, grazing pace.
5. A dessert that is actually Italian: Tiramisu or cannoli beats a generic pastry case every time, and it gives the meal a proper finish.
6. A drink with a little personality: A spritz or a playful riff on an Italian classic, like an affogato-inspired cocktail, keeps the table loose without overshadowing the food.
7. Enough time to actually enjoy it: Endless brunch only works if the pacing lets people relax, not rush through courses to beat a clock.

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