Mexican food is just fun. Every meal feels like a celebration, and if you need further proof, have a meal at ¡VIVA! by Ray Garcia. Everything about this restaurant is adventurous and upbeat. From beginning to end, this experience is guaranteed to produce a smile that will continue long after you’ve had dessert.
You’ll want to start with some queso fundido for the table—a true flavor bomb with three cheeses, chili poblano, tomato fondue and caramelized onions, which you scoop up with tortillas. Wash it down with a ¡Viva-Rita!, made with blanco tequila, fresh lime, agave and salt air foam. For a distinctly different Mexican sip, try the Al Pastor Old-Fashioned, made with Rittenhouse rye, Planteray pineapple rum, piloncillo, guajillo, anise, aromatic bitters and citrus oil.
You can definitely go the classic route here with chicken or lobster enchiladas, Baja shrimp tacos and carne asada, but you might want to take a slight detour and try delights like the Peruvian scallops, accompanied by yuzu, tomatillo, avocado and pichuberry, or a vegan tamale that will win over even the heartiest carnivore with its delicious blend of calabacitas, mole verde, olive relish and vegan feta.
Even the sides here are an adventure. Refried lentils, mixed with cotija cheese and epazote, and papas, crispy fingerling potatoes smothered with chili manzano and cotija cheese, are both vegetarian, while esquites, a blend of corn, bone marrow, serrano chili and cotija cheese, is distinctly not.
Resorts World Las Vegas, 702.676.6020. rwlasvegas.com
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