Viva Las Vegas! A Travel Guide To The Best of 2017

Then, you can expect sweet success at Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar at The Cosmopolitan (3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd), which puts a playful, approachable spin on familiar home-style desserts and savory snacks. Menu highlights include cake truffles and birthday cake, plus specialty items like MilkQuakes—a blend of house-made soft serve and delicious sweet bites in out-of-this- world flavor combinations such as strawberry and corn and sweet potato pie—and alcohol-infused fancy shakes in cereal milk white Russian, fancy fruity, and fancy chocolate cake malt. Iron Chef’s Masaharu Morimoto has similarly brought his high-end brand to the MGM Grand (3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd), serving up delicacies such as tuna pizza with anchovy aioli, olives and jalapeno, oyster foie gras with uni, and his signature ‘angry’ chicken in a 5,542 square foot Yabu Pushelberg-designed space. The restaurant has thinly stenciled, floor-to-ceiling glass, wooden table tops, black and white exotic photographs by Yasumichi Morita, and a black and white mosaic sushi wall showcasing traditional Japanese symbolism in a modern style. Soothing grey and warm dusty rose hues carry through the bar and lounge, with additional artistic touches like a red and white rope statue, a life-sized bust of Morimoto crafted by acclaimed Brazilian sculptor Mozart Guerra, and the glass- enclosed carving room.

Moving on to The Venetian, you’ll find Chica (3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd), a refreshing take on home-style Latin cuisine courtesy of celebrity chef Lorena Garcia of Top Chef Masters. Diverse menu features include modern takes on classic global cuisine from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, among others, with ambiance that follows suit. Expect to nosh on dishes like asado negro arepas, with house-made anise and piloncillo arepas stuffed with braised short rib, and garnished with pickled onions and cilantro; Meyer lemon rotisserie chicken with Peruvian purple potato salad, fresh hearts of palm and herb chimichurri; tuna ceviche made from tuna nikkei in an apple- infused leche de tigre; kale lime chopped salad tossed in a citrus vinaigrette, topped with sour green apples, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and croutons, and marinated Churrasco steak served with thick-cut fries and an herb chimichurri and creamy Huancaina sauce. The room pays homage to Garcia’s Latin roots with vivid colors and chic contemporary accents, while the kitchen features a built-in rotisserie wall and custom Churrasco grill, alongside a state-of-the- art cold bar.

Don’t miss Sugar Factory at the Fashion Show Mall (3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd #1240) either—which offers everything from pancakes and sweet and savory crepes to salads, burgers and pizzas, as well as spiked beverages like the signature 36-ounce alcohol-infused smoking candy goblets. Other standouts include Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s Blue Ribbon (3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd),  which debuted its new American cuisine at The Cosmopolitan in June; the re- imagination of Charlie Palmer’s Aureole at Mandalay Bay (3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd) with a new menu focused on surf, root and ranch foods; Libertine Social, a gastropub from James Beard Award-winning chef Shawn McClain at Mandalay Bay (3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd); Michelin- starred chef Bryce Shuman of New York’s Betony Primrose Restaurant at The Park (3782 S Las Vegas Blvd); and Gordon Ramsay’s impending Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace (3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd).

And what would your Sin City experience be like without all those Vegas-specific attractions? Indulge your inner teenager by checking out five of your favorite ‘90s pop heartthrobs and their Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life show at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood, and sate your outer adult with Magic Mike Live at the Hard Rock Hotel, which pays homage to the hit films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL, as conceived and co- directed by the film series’ star, Channing Tatum. You’ll also want to pop by I Am The Greatest: Muhammad Ali—a never-before-seen look into the boxing great’s life life—at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (3600 Las Vegas Fwy). The exhibit, which runs through September 30, features unseen video footage, family photos, rare personal heirlooms, stories from his closest friends, torches and participation medals he received in the 1960 Rome Olympics, as well as an autographed pair of boxing shorts and gloves that he gifted to Elvis Presley. Then, NightSwim is an evening pool party series at The Wynn (3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd)— which happens to be the only one that lasts all weekend long.

CHEF LORENA GARCIA

The established restauranteur and chef is also the author of two cookbooks; host of the Emmy-nomi- nated El Mejor de los Peores for Fox Life; co-creator, executive-producer and host of Nickelodeon’s Food Hunters; and competed on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.

TELL US ABOUT THE RESTAURANT’S NAME.
‘Chica’ really describes its spirit. Being a woman chef, and staffing my kitchen with more than five to 50 percent women—and celebrating Latin food and culture—’Chica’ just seemed right. And it’s fun.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE FIRST LATINA CELEBRITY CHEF ON THE STRIP?
I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but it’s a great responsibility and we’re working hard every day to make it as great as it can be. As women, and especially Latina, we get judged on a different scale. My team is working hard every day to exceed all expectations. I am so proud to be sharing my culture and my cooking with the world.

WHAT SETS CHICA APART FROM THE REST?
The best thing about Chica is that it’s one of a kind. There are no other fine-dining Latin cuisine restaurants. What we are doing—showcasing the flavors and ingredients, techniques and heritage of a collection of South American countries, including Argentina, Peru, Brazil, my home Venezuela and Mexico—is totally unique.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BRINGING EXTRA GIRL POWER TO THE STRIP?
The women chefs are an incredible community. Of the three [existing female restauranteurs on The Strip, GIada de Laurentiis, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken], I am closest to Mary Sue. She has been an incredible supporter and friend to me—always very kind and ready to answer any questions. In fact, Mary Sue and Susan’s long-time chef at Border Grill, Mike Minor, is now running my kitchen.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE RESTAURANT AND MENU ITEMS?
Chica is the restaurant of my dreams—a place to showcase all of the flavors and cultures of the Latin American world. We designed it to look like the court- yard in an old Venezuelan villa, with modern touches of course. The menu is a celebration of Latin cook- ing—from Mexico right down to the tip of Argentina. We’ve created a ceviche bar, as well as a ‘wall of fire’ for Brazilian rodizio, a rotisserie and grill.