Peppermill receives 2024 James Beard Award
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) –The iconic Peppermill on the Las Vegas Strip was one of the six recipients of the prestigious James Beard 2024 America’s Classics Award.
The James Beard Foundation announced the recipients Wednesday with Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge named as the Southwest region recipient.
Peppermill opened over 51 years ago in 1972 by Nat Carasali and Bill Paganetti. Located near the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, the restaurant has appeared in movies like Casino and Show Girls and frequented by mobsters and celebrities.
The restaurant announced in December of last year that Pagenetti died at the age of 85.
Known for its over-the-top pink and purple neon lights, fire pits, faux botanicals, oversized drinks in the cocktail lounge, and massive platters of diner classics, the family-friendly restaurant is a place where pit bosses, dancers, bartenders and other Vegas industry folk can come after a late shift.
Peggy Orth began waitressing at Peppermill when she was 17 years old, about a year and a half after the restaurant first opened. Now, decades later she’s the general manager and her son Nicholas is the executive chef. Not much has changed in the last five decades, and that’s just how everyone likes it.
The Restaurant and Chef Awards category, the America’s Classics Award, is given to locally owned restaurants that serve quality food, have timeless appeal, and reflect the character of their communities.
This year’s winners join the ranks of over one hundred restaurants across the country that have received the award since the category was introduced in 1998. They will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
