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BELOW: THIS ISSUE: 10 FABULOUS YEARS Among other dishes, owner-chef John Simmons heartily recommends the paella. ABOVE: The vibe is the same as at the other locations, but the original Firefly, on Paradise Road, attracts a younger crowd. LEFT: Owner-chef John Simmons myself liquid so I had flexibility," he says. "I didn't even get married until I was 40." Fittingly, following his stomach inspired the concept for Firefly: Seeking sustenance after long nights in the kitchen, he would head out for a late bite, only to be met with huge meals as his only option. He continually found himself ordering several small plates in lieu of an entrée. "I'd rather taste a bunch of things than order a two-pound steak and baked potato," A DECADE IN, THE PIONEERING FIREFLY TAPAS he says. And thus, with a colleague from Mon Ami Gabi, he moved forKITCHEN & BAR CONTINUES TO EXPAND WHILE ward with his idea for a tapas-style restaurant. DISHING OUT SMALL PLATES WITH BIG FLAVOR. The name is derived from kitchen lingo: "fire" (to cook) and "on the fly" BY CATHERINE DE ORIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR (quickly), referring to how his kitchen functions. Simmons admits that his definition of "tapas" is fairly loose, although the heart of the menu is Spanish. "There was no need to reinvent the wheel," he says. Given the n a city teeming with mammoth hotels and corporate-backed restau- ubiquity of tapas these days, the idea may not seem novel, but no one was rants, it's unusual to come across a business—let alone a wildly successful doing this in Vegas 10 years ago. "Most people didn't know what tapas one—owned by a single individual. Yet around the corner from the Strip were, and the ones who did complained that what we were serving weren't is just that, the locally loved Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar. Having just tapas," Simmons says. Fast-forward a decade, to waiting times of almost opened a third thriving location, in Henderson, and entering his 10th year two hours, as well as visits from celebrities like Rachael Ray, Holly as a business owner, chef John Simmons has a lot to celebrate. His story, Madison, David Copperfield, and Anderson Cooper. Getting to this point wasn't easy, however. Initially, an empty dining however, is not one of overnight success but rather a somewhat longer tale of vision, passion, and perseverance. "I wanted all or none," Simmons says. room was Simmons's daily view. Slowly, Strip employees began wandering in, and they spread the word to tourists. But even having customers pre"So I went after it—and I got it all." sented a struggle of sorts, since no food purveyors would He moved from his hometown of Chicago to Las offer him a line of credit. His start-up capital, cobbled Vegas in 1999 when Mon Ami Gabi opened and he together from friends and family, was gone and he had was hired to be its executive chef, a position he held for to run the restaurant from check to check. "All my four years. Yet Simmons always knew that his calling credit cards were maxed out," he says, "and I had picked was to have a restaurant of his own; he was hungry for the opportunity and lived his life accordingly. "I kept continued on page 94 —JOHN SIMMONS tapas turns 10 I "I wanted all or none. So I went after it. " 92 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 092-094_V_SC_SMD_MAY/JUNE_13.indd 92 4/19/13 11:33 AM