As I sit down to talk with Jonathan Venegas, general manager for Edge Steakhouse at Westgate Las Vegas, I first find out it's his birthday. Looking back, one of the biggest accomplishments in his life so far is a career he absolutely loves. "I genuinely love what I do," he says.
Born in L.A., he moved out to Las Vegas to attend UNLV and study political science. While attending college, Venegas began working on the Strip, and it piqued his interest so much he decided to leave college and pursue a career in the food and beverage industry.
With a tenacious work ethic he learned from watching his parents, Venegas started at Bellagio in the food and beverage realm and worked his way up the ladder to management positions for not only Bellagio but other properties including Aria and New York-New York. Four months ago he joined Edge Steakhouse. Venegas also uses his talents—he's a certified sommelier and certified beer server—to create and introduce new cocktails and craft beers across the property's beverage outlets.
"But my main focus is Edge," Venegas says. "Being with the guests, there's nothing better than taking care of them with a nice craft beer or nice, handcrafted cocktail. The food can be one end of the experience, but I also want the beverage end to be an experience. That's what drives me."
Besides a successful career, the other big life accomplishment is his family. "It's why I get up and go to work," he says. "I had my birthday breakfast with my kids this morning and now I'm at work. My kids are my motivation and I want them to be proud of me and to show them that it's important to work hard and to love what you do."
Paradise Road
Handcrafted cocktails and craft beers make up the bar program at Edge Steakhouse. The intimate, upscale bar and lounge at the restaurant is the perfect spot to settle in for a smart cocktail like the Paradise Road. "We call this cocktail a two-way street, because you can either use vodka or rum in it," Venegas says. "It's a tropical drink. It's refreshing, and even though it looks and sounds sweet, it's not. It's a great year-round cocktail. It's also named after the street that Westgate is on." This Paradise Road cocktail uses Grey Goose with organic grapefruit juice and cranberry juice, and is topped off with fresh watermelon juice and an edible orchid garnish.
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