Foodcrawling for High Rollers: New Year’s in Vegas

Although Las Vegas is host to numerous conventions and holiday parties throughout the year, New Year’s Eve is still the crown jewel of the Las Vegas calendar. Visitors flock from around the globe to experience the entertainment and atmosphere that Las Vegas has to offer, and no other city in the world can add glamour to the dining experience quite like Sin City. With the wide array of cuisines, delicacies, and celebrity chefs on the Vegas Strip, high-rollers have no shortage of options for top-shelf dining and those that want Latin cuisine, specifically, can find a number of excellent options. Our advice? Keep an open mind and open wallet, or just win big!

Julian Serrano. 3730 South Las Vegas Boulevard (inside Aria Hotel & Casino) 877-230-2742.

At first glance, you'll quickly realize that the über-modern design of this eatery is far from your abuela’s taco shop. The progressive menu of Spanish-style tapas at the swanky Aria Hotel & Casino has more than 40 different small plates, heavy on seafood options like tuna cones, mussels, shrimp, octopus, lobster and monkfish. The menu also includes four tempting paella offerings intended for sharing, including the Valenciana (chicken, pork shoulder, pork chorizo, vegetables, and rice) and the Mixed Paella (lobster, mussels, chicken, pork chorizo, vegetables, and rice). Can't decide? Sample the wide array of dishes with the Signature Tasting Menu for $59, which offers four courses. Thirsty? Add wine pairings for an additional $29. 

Jaleo and é by José Andrés. 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South (inside the Cosmopolitan), 702-698-7950.

With his Spanish tapas venue, Jaleo, celebrated chef José Andrés makes it clear that his menu is one of a kind. Offering a wide variety of creative combinations, such as the Huevo Frito con Caviar (fried organic egg topped with caviar), Ostras Gin and Tonic (oysters with lemon, gin and tonic) and Coca con Frizos de Mar (bread topped with butter and sea urchin), paella is the restaurant’s most popular item and is offered in six variaties. Despite Jaleo's popularity, the most exclusive culinary seat in the city is actually the restaurant within the restaurant, é, which consists of a mere eight counter seats and is typically booked seven to 10 days in advance. If you are lucky enough to get one of these coveted spots, you will be presented with an exclusive chef’s menu that changes daily. The New Year’s Eve the tasting menu starts at $325, with an optional beverage pairing for an additional $250.

Border Grill. 3950 South Las Vegas Boulevard (inside Mandalay Bay) 702-632-7200.

With a considerably more casual atmosphere, Border Grill's flavorful menu is a favorite of Vegas locals and tourists alike. The popular “Too Hot Tamale Assortment,” (one chile and cheese tamale, one Guatemalan tamale, and two green corn tamales) is a must-taste here. Straying from the designer taco menu trend, chefs Mary Sue Milliken of Bravo's Top Chef Masters and Susan Feniger of Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales fame, offer Platos Especials that take center stage with stars like Cochinita Pibil (achiote marinated pork slow-roasted in a banana leaf with cinnamon, grilled onions, black beans, and plantain orange salsa), Pescado Veracruzano (pan seared halibut with onions, olives, tomato, jalapeno, and oregano in a white wine garlic broth) and Kobe Beef Tacos (guajillo marinated kobe beef and grilled pineapple salsa guacamole in handmade corn tortillas). The food is great, but plan ahead because you’ll want to save room for the creative desserts such as the Aztec Chocolate Cake with spicy pecans or Pastel Rufina (puff pastry layers with chocolate chunks, and fresh berries). 

Tacos & Tequila 3900 S. Las Vegas Boulevard (inside the Luxor), 702-262-5225.

Unlike many of his counterparts, Saul Ortiz is doing something radically different in the way of upscale Mexican cuisine — he's sticking close to the classics. Hailing from Mexico City, Ortiz is the newest player in Las Vegas culinary scene with his posh spot: Tacos & Tequila. The menu at this upscale tequila bar, created in collaboration with his long-time mentor, Chef Richard Sandoval, offers a new take on beloved dishes such as shrimp quesadillas and beef barbacoa enchiladas. The menu’s centerpiece are the dozen taco options that feature authentic central Mexico ingredients, including carnitas (slow-roasted pork) with juicy orange segments, pickled onion and habanero salsa, or the alambre (grilled steak) with bacon, oaxaca cheese, chile poblano, onion and cilantro. Chef Ortiz prides himself on the creativity of the bar menu almost as much as his food menu, and the staff is quick to offer up suggestions of the perfect specialty drink to match your order. 

Mundo – A Latin Chic Restaurant. 495 S. Grand Central Pkwy. A-116 (inside the Las Vegas Design Center) 702-270-4400.

If the hip, new nightlife destinations of downtown Las Vegas are your New Year’s Eve destination, then Mundo, located inside the Las Vegas Design center, is the place to get your Latin cuisine fix. As the only high-end Mexican restaurant in the area, the eatery has a beautiful, modern atmosphere to match its carefully designed menu. The menu ranges from the traditional, such as chicken tortilla soup and carnitas, to more unique choices like wagyu skirt steak, ahi tuna tostada and filet mingon chile relleno. There is even an impressive vegetarian menu that includes a garden quesadilla (manchego cheese, Oaxacan cheese, three-bean relish, green chile and pipian drizzle) and vegetable chile relleno (black beans, rice, mushrooms, potatoes and roasted tomato sauce).