CHEF ROBERT LOMELI BRINGS FUN DISHES TO ATOMIC GOLF

Get you a chef that assigns the same amount of value and care to roasted bone marrow as he does to focaccia bread. Then, meet Atomic Golf's new chef, Robert Lomeli.

The tattooed culinary vet is a victor of the Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games and has helmed the kitchens of some of Las Vegas' best restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand and the Strat's Top of the World. When it comes to great food, Lomeli sweats the technique in the best possible way.

"I've worked with a lot of chefs at a lot of venues who have taught me how to treat food and how to do things correctly. The thing we did here is we focused completely on the product, we focused on the method," Lomeli says. "Nothing is worse than going to a place and sitting down and looking at something that looks great but by the time you eat it, you're left with this feeling [that] something fell flat.

"Every bite you take from this menu, you will look at and say, I was not expecting this."

Lomeli's creativity shines in everything he plates at the Downtown complex, where he's designed three different menus for Atomic Golf's VIP room, Cosmic Lounge and hitting bays. It's not so much elevated bar food to him as it is "fun food. It's a little bit rustic with a lot of class."

"Fun" is a significant understatement. Where else can you get fried chicharrn nachos, smothered in chorizo, house-made queso blanco and pickled jalapeos ? Where else can you find banh mi fries topped with daikon radish, spicy aioli, veggies and a juicy 12-ounce cut of Creekstone Farms New York steak?

The chef has even added a head-scratching lobster popcorn to the menu, with diced lobster tail poached in a decadent beurre mont butter sauce and then served under a mound of freshly popped popcorn seasoned with espelette pepper and black truffle powder.

With so many chef friends nearby in the Arts District, Lomeli acknowledged he needed to step his game up.

"We wanted to make sure we were complementing the neighborhood. We want to make sure we're standing out with them and saying, you can come here, play, have a good snack, and then go see my friend down the road and have a great dinner at their restaurant and be part of that community,'" he says. "We're trying to do the right thing by Downtown and making great food along with all these great chefs. That's why I came to this venue with so much love."

THREE MUST-TRY DISHES

1. Wagyu steak frites

Cosmic Lounge's take on a classic bistro favorite isn't just a plateful of fries and protein, it's a deep-fried and decadent experience worthy of its $74 price point. The melt-in-your-mouth imperial Wagyu strip steak is the star of this dish, amplified by a zesty spread of chimichurri over a bed of fries.

2. Paulie's pizza

Salami and pepperoni make up the dominant meats on this hardy flatbread, and it's elevated by toppings of fresh ricotta, arugula and mozzarella. But it's the peppery chili jam that drives those flavors home, giving this pizza a sweetness and spice so addictive, it's impossible to share.

3. Lollipop wings

Golfing and wings don't always go hand-in-hand, and if they do it's going to be messy. That's why Lomeli created these lollipop wings, shaped almost like a handle so you can pull the meat clean off the bone. Just don't forget to dunk it in some delicious house-made dressing, created from Green Island Danish blue cheese to give it "a little bit of that funkiness."