Las Vegas Mixtape v2: Diving Into the City’s Culinary Gems and Top-Shelf Entertainment — Track #3: Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan

Track #3: Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan

Soon as you walk into the deservedly long-running Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan, the elegant and whimsical decor puts you in the mood to explore chef Jose Andres’ magical Spanish tapas.

A recommended starter on the extensive menu is the “toasted slices of uniquely crispy bread imported from Barcelona brushed with fresh tomato.” The waitress told us that it arrives every day except Sundays, and then it’s toasted at the restaurant. Next came a refreshing Catalan bean salad and the patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli). Looking for a comfort food fix, we melted into the pressed sandwich of Serrano ham and Manchego cheese, following it with the outstanding seared salmon with stewed vegetables.

Andres’ personal touch is evident in the menu’s paella-and-rice section, where he writes, “While heat is important to creating the perfect paella, the real star is the rice. Bomba rice from Valencia or Calasparra from Murcia is the best to absorb all the amazing flavors and to keep perfect texture.” With mouth-watering words like that, I’ll be back for one of the three paella offerings