No offense to the James Beard Award winning chef Julian Serrano, but our visit to his new Vegas restaurant was really designed to be nothing more than a pit stop before the serious lounging began elsewhere. But we had some good eats and drinks while we were there and the menu was interesting enough that Jason and I would definitely consider a return visit. The cuisine is classic Spanish and features a wide array of tapas, paella, and seafood - it seems like a really great place to come with a large party and share plates of delicious food all night long. The great thing about this restaurant is that it's open for lunch as well as dinner, so you and your friends could conceivably show up at 11AM when the kitchen opens and keep the food-n-booze train chugging along for a twelve hour tour. Now that's our kind of chew-chew-chew!!
Serrano is located right smack in the middle of the Aria, and by that I mean that it's actually open on three sides to the hotel's restaurant row. If you are looking for a quiet, romantic spot for dinner this might not be the best place but if you want a casual environment with lots of energy then you've probably found a home.
You will never forget where you are ...
We arrived during peak dining hours and headed straight for the bar, which was quite large and comfortable. I really liked the decor which was bright and playful - I'm a sucker for glass apothecary jars filled with bright, pretty, colorful items that can be eaten or added to a beverage or both!
Pretty jars all in a row ...
For our beverages at this location Jason and I ordered red sangria and white sangria - both were quite good but I still prefer the red.
Red and White Sangria
Catherine ordered Tuna-Raspberry Skewers for her snack: Ahi Tuna, Molecular Raspberry, Wasabi, and Sesame Seed. She wins the award for coolest presentation in a tapas selection. Rumor has it that these tasted pretty damn good, too.
Tuna-Raspberry Skewers
Continuing my insatiable vacation fromage quest, I ordered Serrano's cheese platter (their words, not mine). While the cheeses themselves were fine, and actually quite tasty, the presentation was ... lacking. Actually as I look at the picture today I wonder if I might have been the first customer to ever order their cheese plate - that might explain why it showed up looking like the bartender's five-year old assembled it in the side kitchen. And added a quince slug for good measure.
Cheese Platter? More like Cheese Splatter!
The cheeses above in no particular, sloppy order were: Cana de Cabra (goat); Manchego (sheep); Cabrales (cow); and La Serena (sheep). As I previously mentioned, this wasn't going to win any awards for presentation but the cheeses were good and were at least products of Spain, which is more than I can say for that tragic cheese offering at Stratta.
For his snackaroo Jason selected the Mixed Seafood Ceviche: Shrimp, White Fish, Octopus, Cilantro, and Lime Juice. As is often his wont with these types of dishes he asked for, and received, extra tentacles. I didn't try this but have been told by reliable sources that the ceviche was "fargin awesome."
Mixed Seafood Ceviche
Pardon me, but your octopus is staring
So there you have it - short and sweet but a definite treat. Serrano is absolutely worth a repeat visit and the menu really deserves more time than we were able, or willing, to give it that night. Whaddya say we get a big 'ol group together and stop in a for a round of drinks and tapas in April?
1 comment:
that was one ugly cheese plate! Jason's looked yummy though. ;)
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