Press - El Segundo Sol

 Sol Food Outdoor patio and basic Mexican tricks give El Segundo a good chance at the Fashion Show October 21, 2010 By Max Jacobson It might be tempting to think of El Segundo Sol, which replaced Café Ba-­‐Ba-­‐Reeba earlier this year, as a metaphor for restaurant trends on the Strip. It’s not a valid one, though. True, many restaurants have closed or scaled back this year due to competition, the economy and a general tightening of the purse strings. Charlie Trotter at the Palazzo is no more. Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay closed in early September to reopen as a tapas restaurant, the very concept that didn’t work at Fashion Show, where El Segundo Sol is housed. So when Rich Melman, chairman of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant enterprise, pulled the plug on his Spanish-­‐themed restaurant and replaced it with an upscale Mexican concept, it wasn’t because of the recession. The real reason was that, despite a five-­‐year effort, Spanish food at a mall on the Strip didn’t work. The opening menu at Segundo reinforced that point. It had red-­‐snapper Veracruz, rotisserie pork al pastor and other authentic dishes created by veteran chef Terry Lynch. And they didn’t take. So what we now have is a conventional Mexican restaurant where everyone comes for a margarita and a plate of fajitas, with a few tricks such as guacamole made in the middle of the restaurant. Apparently, that’s what the public wants. On my last two visits, there were more people in the restaurant, on the patio and at the bar than I ever remember at Ba-­‐Ba-­‐Reeba. And why not? In the autumn, when the weather is glorious, sitting out on this exposed patio along the bustling Strip is heaven. Guacamole is a nice place to start. It’s not bad guacamole, although it could use more soul—meaning more aggressive spicing. Appetizers are, in fact, the best part of the menu. Chipotle Caesar salad has lots of toasted pumpkin seeds and the market-­‐fresh seviche goes wonderfully well with the warm, house-­‐made tortilla chips. If you fancy queso fundido, the melted cheese dip, don’t have it with chorizo, which makes it unreasonably greasy. And the best strategy is to order elotes from the Street Taco stand adjacent to the dining area. Elote is Spanish for corn on the cob, here nicely grilled, and slathered with chipotle mayo. It’s the one dish I’d be happy to eat over and over again. Cheese crisps, a.k.a. Mexican pizzas, are just a gimmick. The best one has spicy ground beef and tastes like a Southwestern cheeseburger. Taco platters are served with usual suspect side dishes such as Mexican rice (workmanlike) and black beans (more interesting). The best meats are the uncommonly tender short ribs and the flavorful carne asada, made from marinated skirt steak. My cilantro-­‐and-­‐lime-­‐marinated jumbo shrimp fajitas were predictably flavorless. Let’s face it. If you aren’t paying for Santa Barbara or spotted prawns, you’re getting ’em frozen, pally. And I like enchiladas about as much as a headache, so I can’t say how they were. But I can attest to the terrific prickly pear margarita, a nice red sangria (like they had at Ba-­‐Ba-­‐Reeba and the delicious chocolate cake for dessert. All in all, this is a pretty slick operation, and probably the best match for a shopping mall. The question is, do you really want to eat in one? http://weeklyseven.com/dining/2010/october/21/sol-food
1/25/2011
Viva Mexico | Your Guide to Mexican In…
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Published September 10, 2010
Viva Mexico
Your Guide to Mexican Independence Day
THE PARTY
Partying with Ms. Mexico at Blush
Technically , the big day ’s on Thursday , but y ou’v e nev er
been one to stand on ceremony —particularly when a flock
of pageant girls from the Señorita Mex ico US contest are
inv olv ed. Tonight, they ’re decamping to Blush to pique
y our interest in Latin-A merican colonial history —and
any thing else that needs piquing.
411:
Sep 1 0 , 1 0 :3 0 pm , Blu sh a t t h e En cor e, 7 0 2 -7 7 0 -3 6 3 3
EL REY
Elvis Lives at Tacos & Tequila
Somehow, Elv is’s passionate support for Mex ican
independence nev er quite made the headlines (possibly
because we made it up), so T&T is correcting the injustice
with a balloon-stomping tournament and a taco-fueled
Elv is costume competition. Ex tra points will be awarded
for a well-accented “muchas gracias.”
411:
Sep 1 5 , 8 pm , Ta cos & Tequ ila a t t h e Lu x or , 7 0 2 -2 6 2 5225
THE MUSIC
The Tequila Library at El Segundo Sol
The Lux or’s agav e-minded outpost has possibly the
perfect place to raise a glass to Mex ico—a priv ate room
with ov er a hundred sty les of tequila—and they ’re
bringing in a liv e mariachi band to get y ou in an
appropriately patriotic mood. In honor of independence,
they ’ll ev en giv e y ou half off their usual happy hour prices
—just as Mex ico’s founding fathers decreed.
411:
Sep 1 6 , 3 -6 pm , El Seg u n do Sol, 3 2 0 0 La s V eg a s Blv d S,
7 0 2 -2 5 8 -1 2 1 1
THE TECH
Hologram Burlesque at Lolita’s
If y ou want a more forward-thinking celebration, Lolita’s
will be tempting patriots with life-size holographic
projections of burlesque dancers. Y ou’ll also hav e a
urbandaddy.com/articles/print/11219
1/2
1/25/2011
Viva Mexico | Your Guide to Mexican In…
powerful house margarita at y our disposal, but that’s
v ery , v ery real.
411:
Lolit a ’s Ca n t in a & Tequ ila Ba r , 6 6 0 5 La s V eg a s Blv d
#2 0 7 , 7 0 2 -2 7 2 -1 3 8 9
THE COCKTAIL
The Cocktail of Sovereignty at Fusion
It’s not a v ictory without a toast, so Fusion is offering a
concoction dubbed El Grito de la Independencia, mix ed
together from strawberries, lime juice, limoncello and, of
course, tequila. It tastes like a cross between a margarita
and freedom.
411:
Th r ou g h Sept em ber , Fu sion Mix olog y Ba r a t t h e Pa la zzo,
7 0 2 -6 0 7 -7 7 7 7
Ur banDaddy is a free daily em ail dev oted to bringing y ou
the single thing y ou need to know ev ery day about y our
city . It's free. The opportunity won't be around forev er.
FORW A RD
IN V ITE
SAV E
Only w hat you need to know .
© 2011 UrbanDaddy. All Rights Reserved.
urbandaddy.com/articles/print/11219
SHA RE
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Bright Ideas El Segundo Sol shines with inventive Mexican dishes and truly tasty margaritas By: Jack Houston Photographs By: Sam Morris October 10, 2010 Somewhere in between the tenderest, most toothsome short rib tacos and the second cucumber mint margarita, El Segundo Sol proves why it’s one of the Strip’s hidden gems. Operated by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, which also runs the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi and Joe’s Stone Crab, El Segundo Sol makes the most of its streetfront space, wedged in between Ra Sushi and the Lettuce-­‐owned StripBurger outside Fashion Show mall. The open-­‐air patio is perfect for letting in the fall air, and the adjoining street taco stand has been popular with after-­‐hours partiers looking for a quick, satisfying bite. Strands of Christmas lights strung between the patio’s trees perfect the whole cantina vibe, even before you get to the menu, which is big on easy-­‐to-­‐love staples like taco and fajita platters, tamales, enchiladas and quesadillas. Guacamole is made to order at a table in the front of the restaurant, and it arrives in a traditional molcajete, creamy and addictive as ever. The market-­‐fresh ceviche features tuna flown in daily from Hawaii and is served with Mexican saltines that blow away the familiar American crackers. It’s not often we go crazy over margaritas—most seem to be either too watered-­‐down or simply too sweet—but the cucumber mint is a revelation, especially for its rim, a lively dusting of cumin salt that is savory and affecting. For those who can’t get enough sugar, the frozen strawberry and prickly pear varieties go down deceptively easy—ah, what devilish spirits lie behind that veil of sweetness. Tacos cut to the heart of what we love about El Segundo Sol, and in that, their platters are all well-­‐
prepared and fully packed with rice, black beans, pico de gallo, sour cream and the restaurant’s special-­‐
recipe tortillas. The Baja fish tacos, fried tenders that fill the plate, are among the most popular, but the short ribs are not to be missed. The meat arrives simmering in a small cast-­‐iron pot, and from that moment on, it’s a race to see how fast you can work through the tortillas. (Unofficial time: extremely fast.) House-­‐made churros are among several desserts worth your time. The flan of the day (coconut on our visit) was superlative, creamy and eggy in all the right places, and the traditional tres leches cake does right by all those that have come before it. The El Segundo Sol experience concludes with the strands of tiny white lights leading us out into another Las Vegas night—our hunger replaced with happiness, the meal completed but the many food flashbacks still to come… Outside Fashion Show 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 11:30 a.m.-­‐11 p.m. Sun., 11:30 a.m.-­‐midnight Mon.-­‐Sat. 702.258.1211 http://lasvegasmagazine.com/2010/10/08/bright-­‐ideas/ May 5, 2010 El Segundo Sol celebrates Cinco De Mayo and shares their guacamole recipe Yield: 6-­‐8 servings INGREDIENTS: 1 large plastic mocajete plate or bowl 5 medium sized avocados 1½ tablespoon serrano pepper, with seeds and diced 1½ tablespoon white onion, minced ¨ü teaspoon garlic, minced ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 1½ lime 6 tablespoons roma tomato, deseed and cut into medium dice 3 tablespoon cilantro, chopped Note: Be sure avocados are ripe, without bruises and still have their stem remaining at the top INSTRUCTIONS: In a clean and warm mocajete or bowl, place serrano pepper (with seeds), minced white onion, minced garlic, kosher salt and lime. Using a spoon, mash all ingredients together and allow to macerate. Using a serrated knife, slice the avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice the avocado in the peel into large chunks. Using the spoon, add the avocado to the mocajete. Stir and mash ingredients together for 20 seconds. Guacamole should be fairly chunky. Finish with roma tomato and chopped cilantro and stir. Clean the edges of the mocajete with the spoons and pile the guacamole in the center. Transfer to storage container, cool and refrigerate. http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12430556