Marc's creates comfortable atmosphere

Marc's World Cuisine is less than 7 months old, but chef and owner Marcus Ritz is already making changes to accommodate diners and other guests in his neighborhood.

The restaurant at 7290 W. Lake Mead Blvd., at the corner of Tenaya Way, recently renovated its bar area to create a comfortable yet upscale lounge feel. The change was welcome at the Feb. 7 grand re-opening, where the restaurant gave away gift certificates and bottles of wine to grateful diners.

Ritz said the refurbishment, which included ditching the booths-in-the-bar look for relaxed sofas and coffee tables, was designed to make customers feel at home no matter what they want to do in the lounge.

"It looks like your living room in there now," he said. "It doesn't matter if people want to come in and have some cocktails and meet with friends, or sit down together and have a whole meal in the lounge. It's whatever you want."

The Italian-infused, East Coast-style restaurant opened last August and quickly established a reputation for serving a diverse range of dishes. While the look of the lounge may have changed, the menu has not.

Ritz still finds time to mingle with his guests in between preparing classic pastas, seafood or veal dishes. Some menu items have already become popular mainstays, such as the Filet Mignon Saltimbocca and the lobster and crab cakes.

The expansion of the lounge, which included the restaurant obtaining a full liquor license to appease the martini crowd, runs parallel to the expansion of Marc's wine list, which now numbers more than 80 selections.

"We wanted to create something for another kind of crowd," Ritz said. "There's a big young professional crowd on the West side of town. There are a lot of comfortable lounges like this out on the Strip, but they're so crowded you can hardly get in. Here, you park your car, and right here."

Marc's runs a happy hour in the lounge from 4 to 7 p.m. during the week, and the restaurant stays open until later hours Thursday through Saturday.

Ritz said the desire to attract additional clientele hasn't shifted attention from the main dining room.

"We still and will always cater to the family-style diners," he said. "We started out wanting to be known as an affordable, gourmet neighborhood restaurant, and that's still our goal."

Marc's World Cuisine can be reached at 562-1921.


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