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.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/303789
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN MANNASMITH THIS ISSUE THE VERY BEST OF devour: home-style cooking imbibe: beer gardens acquire: vintage wear I f anyplace speaks the language of parties, it's a restaurant that serves more than 50 tequilas on two levels—surrounding a bucking mechanical bull named Chayo—in t he shadow of the world's largest obser vation wheel. This is a fiesta done Vegas-style, but don't let the bull throw you. Chayo Mexican K itchen + Tequila Bar isn't just another venue for beer- goggled bachelorettes. This is elevated modern Mexican cuisine. The first restaurant to open in the new $550 million retail, dining, and entertainment dist rict The Linq, Chayo ser ves contemporar y Mexican food as imagined by a French-trained chef. Ernesto Zendejas was born and raised in Mexico City, where he got his start in the restaurant industry, then studied formally under renowned chef Paul Bocuse at Institut Paul Bocuse, on the outskirts of Lyon. "I wanted to work for him," says Zendejas, "so I did my internship with him" at Brasserie le Nord. "The focus there is on French food, very classic Lyonnaise cuisine with very classic technique." His t raining has informed ever ything on Chayo's menu, from t radi- tional Mexican dishes, like carnitas tacos, pork sopes, and ceviche, to less expected fare, like mini lobster tacos and a sophisticated cilantro cream soup with toasted pine nuts. Opening in pha ses a long w it h T he L inq, t he rest au ra nt ha s seen a n exponential increase in t raffic in the months since its launch. Now that Chayo is settling into its new pace, there's no better patio for imbibing specialty cocktails (try the Office, with lemongrass-infused Patrón Silver, St-Germain, lemon juice, and cucumber soda) in the lively new corridor. The biling ua l room spea ks bot h "subt le" a nd "over t he top": A g ra nite bar, stacked stone walls, and loft-style exposed ductwork are design high- lights, while exuberant touches include colorful papier-mâché Day of the Dead skulls and red, white, and green sombreros in the pattern of a mas- sive Mexican f lag. The huge tequila selection ensures that the staff "bulltender" stays busy, while the bull himself, accompanied by thumping music from the house DJ, keeps patrons entertained. Get thrown off? Just lick your wounds with a shot of tequila. We'd take a fall for that. The Linq, 702-691-3773; chayolv.com V Riding High CHAYO SERVES MEXICAN STREET FOOD WITH FLAIR IN THE LINQ. BY MICHAEL GERARD VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 143 T he G uide BEST OF VEGAS 143_V_BOB_G_Opener_MAYJUNE_14.indd 143 4/21/14 1:11 PM