I went to an Italian American Psychedelic Dinner in Las Vegas. It's exactly what it sounds like
Over the top characters.
Reimagined menus.
Entertainment to remember.
There are no words to fully describe an "Italian American Psychedelic dinner" other than it's exactly what it sounds like: a mind-altering dining experience.
If you are looking for a unique experience, nothing is more "Las Vegas" than Superfrico at The Cosmopolitan.
Combining classic Italian dishes with a reimagined modern spin paired with the boundary-pushing Opium show by Spiegelworld, this is not your ordinary night out in Sin City.
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TPG visited Superfrico and attended the Opium show during their grand opening in October.
Getting there
You can't walk into Superfrico like you would a regular restaurant. You'll need to make a reservation ahead of time. It's in the Cosmopolitan hotel and casino across from their upscale buffet, Wicked Spoons.
If you're not looking closely, you'll miss it as it looks like the entrance to a club.
In many ways, that's what you're entering -- a party in a club complete with unique mixed drinks and a DJ playing on the ones and twos.
As soon as you enter through the purple doors, you are immediately transported into a rocking house party.
Some guests arrived early for drinks while they waited to enter the venue for the evening Opium shows.
For a complete experience, book a dinner reservation and tickets to the show.
Trust me, it will make a lot more sense when you are having dinner at Superfrico.
Superfrico
If you were to take what it would be like stepping into a psychedelic dream served with Italian food, then you would have Superfrico.
This fully integrated dining and entertainment concept created by Spiegelworld opened its doors this fall and combines the unexpected with intended "chaos."
Superfico creators describe it as "ultimate be-all, end-all, taste-all house party where the world’s most kickass creatives cut loose and do their thing—in the kitchen, behind the bars, on the walls, under the bed—and everyone’s invited."
If you've ever been to a Spiegelworld show, then you know that Superfrico's Italian American Psychedelic dinner is totally on-brand: an all sensory, interactive live experience.
Most of the same characters that are part of the Opium show in the space next door mingle and perform around you as you have dinner.
Their presence is unavoidable -- with many of them often interrupting you while you are eating to ask you to partake in a challenge or watch them dance.
While I appreciated the show before the show, having less interruptions would have been ideal to fully enjoy the meal.
Sometimes it was hard to tell if certain dramatic situations in the dining area or bar space were real or actors in the show -- part of the "chaos" of this experience.
The space
The other "chaos" you walk into is literally the space where this all takes place.
(Photo by Leezel Tanglao/The Points Guy)
The psychedelic part of this experience is the decor and artwork that adorns the dining room and bar.
It's like walking into an acid trip dream while watching performers entertain and charm you between dishes.
The food
While the artwork and actors compete for your attention, the real star of this experience is the food.
The menu is curated and created by "International Pizza Czar" chef Anthony Falco and executive chef Mitch Emge of The Cosmopolitan. The drinks are by James Beard Award-winning mixologist Leo Robitschek.
Drawing from recipes and traditions of Sicilian cuisine, the menu offers a taste bridge between the old and new.
From the chicken parm to the OG square pizza, the menu combines core Sicilian flavors with a reimagined, bold approach.
Each dish is infused with rich flavors that linger after each bite.
Next to the dining room, there's a speakeasy called the Ski Lodge, which transports you from Las Vegas to a snowy escape in Aspen or Jackson Hole.
With drink names like Salty Sled Dog and Southside Snowplow to Slava's Snowstorm, they offer that extra kick after a filling meal at Superfrico.
Opium
Next door in the same space is Opium, the show by Spiegelworld. Spiegelworld is not your childhood Circus Circus.
Spiegelworld is famous for combining live entertainment with elevated old-school circus acts and "genre-defying" experiences.
In addition to Opium at the Cosmopolitan, it also runs "Absinthe" at Caesar's Palace and "Atomic Saloon Show" at the Venetian Resort.
I didn't know what to expect as I took my seat in the theater in the round set up for the 10 p.m. Opium show.
This is the first show I've attended with this many people in an indoor enclosed space since the pandemic started. To be honest, it made me anxious to be around so many people not wearing their masks (even though the policy is to keep them on unless you are actively eating or drinking). I kept my mask on during the entire 75 minute show.
The Opium show is set in space and is most definitely not for kids.
The entire show is a raunchy journey through space filled with explicit sex-crazed cadets with gravity-defying acrobatics acts.
Bottom line
If you're looking for an experience that combines food and entertainment in Las Vegas, Superfrico and Opium should be part of that list. It's everything, and nothing, you would except from an Italian American Psychedelic dinner and raunchy journey in space. It's the "chaotic" party invite you actually want on your calendar.