Alberto Corrales, assistant general manager of S Bar at Mandalay Bay, has spent his whole career in the hospitality industry. Growing up in Southern California, Corrales’ first job was at a family-owned, old-school Italian restaurant. “That’s where I cut my teeth and really where hospitality was ingrained in me,” he says.
In 2005, he moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV’s hospitality program. From there, the sky was the limit for Corrales. He’s worked in Wolfgang Puck’s fine-dining restaurants, fine-dining spots at Wynn, Gordon Ramsay’s steakhouse at Paris and David Chang’s Momofuku. “Believing in the chefs that you’re working for and being able to add to the experience, whether it’s through cocktails, food or experience—that’s the beauty of culinary and hospitality, to be able to transport people to a different time or country,” Corrales says.
This year, Corrales left the fine-dining realm and entered the city’s nightlife scene with S Bar, joining the venue right after it opened its doors at Mandalay Bay. “To be able to put everything that I’ve learned throughout my career and put my fingerprint on something that could be potentially great, that’s all our aspirations are—to make whatever we open and create great.”
Inside the swanky S Bar, Corrales is responsible for “making sure that everyone leaves here with a smile. We have the chance to be a part of someone’s special day, whatever it may be, and we should relish in that.”
Corrales is grateful for the opportunities the hospitality industry has afforded him, and says he’s truly happy he chose this path; looking back on building his success in Vegas, it was a no-brainer. “Vegas is the mecca for service and hospitality,” he says. “I’ve lived abroad, been to 28 countries, I’ve been all over the U.S., and nothing compares to the hospitality and service you get in Vegas.”
Libation: Pineapple Sour
When it comes to the small plates at S Bar, it’s all about comfort food that’s been elevated. Think lobster mac and cheese, waffle fries with truffles and caprese salad with strawberries. And when it comes to the cocktail menu, it’s all about craft cocktails that are twists on traditional favorites. One of the most-popular examples is the pineapple sour, their twist on a whiskey sour. The smoky, flavored cocktail is a mix of Westland American single malt whiskey, lemon juice, simply syrup, pineapple juice and a spritz of Ardbeg Scotch.
Benefit: Mention the secret phrase, “Everything you touch turns to gold” and see what happens next!
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