Executive Chef Danny Ye talks about the selection of meats and dry-aged fish available on the menu at Nicco’s, a modern American steakhouse inside the new Durango Resort, Monday Dec. 4, 2023.
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Daniel Ye’s culinary career has taken him to all the industry hot spots: Los Angeles, nearly a decade in New York kitchens, and San Francisco.
Now, he’s in Las Vegas as the executive chef at Durango Resort, the $780 million Station Casinos property that opened Tuesday on the 215 Beltway and Durango Drive.
Transitioning his career to Las Vegas was an easy decision, he said, because of the city’s strong food scene reputation. And more important, getting to be part of the new venture was appealing — something he was immediately sold on when speaking with the company’s leadership and hearing their culinary vision.
He calls the past year a “labor of love” in preparing for this week’s opening, especially at Nicco’s Prime Meats & Fresh Fish, where he was the leading force behind the steakhouse’s menu and concept.
He talks nonstop about the menu and urges you to try a little of everything because “we want you to get a small taste of all the flavors.”
The design of Nicco’s emphasizes luxury, including sliding doors that open the establishment to outdoor seating, an intimate dining room, a waterfall and glass-enclosed veranda. It’s for guests seeking an upscale experience, officials said.
But, Ye stresses, it’s unlike other high-end options on the Strip that might be serving a visitor once while they are in town. “We want you to keep coming back,” he said. “You have to know your audience and focus on what they want.”
The attention to finalizing the menu was a group effort, Ye said. Most of the foundation was in place, but the last details involved months of taste testing and feedback.
Those meals with company executives help reaffirm Ye’s appreciation for his new venture.
The menu is all about sourcing from the finest meat purveyors, fresh and dry-aged fish markets and from-the-farm produce markets, officials said. And they aren’t only getting the prime cuts. Other parts of the animal come to Durango for various recipes, Ye said.
“We have much respect for the process here,” he said.
Nicco’s fresh fish seafood display is situated in front of the open kitchen and includes items flown in daily, with a raw bar, caviar and crudo menu part of the experience. Ye recommends starting the meal with the seafood platter, which includes oysters and clams.
In addition to dry-aged steak, Nicco’s is introducing to Las Vegas a grilled dry-aged branzino.Los Angeles-based fish purveyor Liwei Liao, who has supplied seafood to celebrity chefs in Southern California, is providing the dry-aged Mediterranean branzino to Nicco’s.
Reservations at Nicco’s are booked through the end of the year, officials said. And Ye can’t wait to serve the guests.
“It’s like the anticipation of graduating college or birthing a baby. It’s finally here,” Ye said. “You need an audience for some things in life, and an audience is coming (this week).”
In addition to Nicco’s, the signature dining options at Durango include: Mijo Modern Mexican, Summer House and The George Sportsmen’s Lounge.
