ML - Vegas Magazine

2013 - Issue 5 - September

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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TASTE SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED continued from page 80 lobster enchiladas come in two varieties, Pueblo and Cabo Azul. Javier's, however, is most famous for its crab enchiladas. "They are always a staple," Sosa says. Every dish uses the highest-quality ingredients: Think Kurobuta pork, Prime Angus beef (all center-cut steaks), Dungeness crab (100 percent leg meat), Jidori chicken, Maine lobster, and fresh seasonal fish sourced daily. And if it can be made in-house, it is, including the sauces, moles, salsas, and chips. Since no meal is complete without one of the restaurant's hand-shaken margaritas, try the Javier's signature variety, made with a special blend of sweet and sour mix, Espolón reposado, triple sec, and Grand Marnier. "It's sweet, so you don't realize how strong it is," Sosa warns. If you're more of a straight shooter, you can pick your poison from the gnarled metal tree sculpture bearing bottles from a collection of more than 80 types of tequila. Javier's Take down a Patrón Silver, the most frequently diner Kobe ordered shot, or indulge in a single-malt Bryant. Scotch-quality tequila, like the Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario edition or Clase Azul Ultra Añejo (which will set you back $250 –$300 a shot-sized serving, to be sipped). But whether you plan to shoot or sip your tequila, it's always served in a tequila flute. "That's how it is served in Mexico," says Sosa, "and that's the way to drink it, out of the flute." Aria Resort & Casino, 866-590-3637; arialasvegas.com V 82 HOLY MOLE! Bone-in chicken breast with brown mole sauce. Mole is a rich, savory sauce that can take a laborious eight hours or more to make. Ground dried chilies give mole its signature bite; they're combined with a variety of ground nuts, often chocolate, and an average of 20 other ingredients, then cooked low and slow to produce the complex smoky, spicy flavor. "Our moles are unique," Sosa says. "We don't measure anything in the kitchen for it." No recipe is required for either of the restaurant's versions—brown poblano and green verde— because the same women have been making it at Javier's for 18 years. Sosa's favorite way to enjoy it is a chicken enchilada poblano, with brown mole and cotija cheese over the top. PHOTOGRAPHY BY IMEH AKPANUDOSEN/GETTY IMAGES (BRYANT) ABOVE: The elaborate wood carving in the dining room illustrates the Mayan creation myth and modern Mexican history. LEFT: Octopus ceviche. Margaritas at Javier's are carefully constructed from fresh fruit, fresh juices, and premium tequilas before being hand-shaken into a frothy, refreshing libation. Sosa Only premium explains that it's tequilas go into important to shake the drink the margaritas at Javier's. so everything blends well and you taste the tequila, orange, and lime in each sip. "A frothy top shows it was shaken very well," he says. The menu has myriad options, including spicy jalapeño (shaken only once lest it get too spicy), cooling cucumber, and exotic tamarind, as well as an organic version sweetened with agave nectar. Sosa recommends a Don Julio reposado margarita on the rocks with salt, for a properly balanced cocktail. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 080-082_V_SC_Taste_Opener_Sept13.indd 82 8/5/13 7:47 PM

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