If there’s one thing Manhattan chef Angie Mar has mastered as well as her famous—and delectable!—duck flambé, it’s the art of throwing a party. Back in 2019, Mar celebrated the launch of her cookbook Butcher and Beast with a chic dimly-lit soiree, where, in a nod to the book title, guests were served meaty rib eye bones as passed hors d’oeuvres—no cutlery in sight. Fast forward to 2024, and Mar’s Lunar New Year party at her West Village hotspot, Le B, saw Martha Stewart holding court in the kitchen as gold confetti showering a crowd noshing on caviar and fried chicken. It was perhaps inevitable, then, that Mar would eventually bring her glamorous, indulgent brand of celebration to Las Vegas.
To mark the 2025 Lunar New Year and celebrate the Year of the Snake, Mar decamped NYC for Sin City, hosting her annual bash at Delilah at Wynn Las Vegas. Among the 250 guests were friends in town from New York (designer Bach Mai, art consultant Sharon Coplan, and perennial party girl Dianne Brill); hospitality executives Scott Sartiano and Elizabeth Blau; models and twin sisters TK Wonder and Cipriana Quann; and Blake Abbie, Christine Chiu, and Jessica Wang.
The night kicked off with a big band performance and endless pours of Hennessy cocktails. While Mar presided over the festivities (dressed in an all-black Carolina Herrera suit and Tiffany & Co. jewels), guests navigated a sea of butlered canapes and decadent carving stations. On the menu: heritage pork and truffle dumplings, Beijing duck with traditional accompaniments, pineapple fried rice, Wagyu pigs in a blanket, heaps of The Only caviar, and an iced raw bar cascading with shrimp, king crab, and Main lobster. The decorative details were just as noteworthy—from the white orchids in glass vases to the Chinese gongs and gleaming Christofle platters.
To those in attendance, yes, that was Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) dancing when NYC DJ duo The Muses took to the stage, and indeed, there were five traditional Chinese lion dancers (aptly followed by a number performed by classic Vegas showgirls).
Before sneaking a few guests into the kitchen for an impromptu dessert tasting (we were partial to the mini carrot soufflé), Mar took to the stage to thank everyone for coming and the Wynn for playing host. She also left us with one of her favorite Lunar New Year well wishes. “Gong Xi Fa Cai,” she recited into the mic. The Chinese saying is “not ‘Happy New Year,’” she explained, but rather, “I hope you get rich!”
