Wilson Barrera is exactly where he was meant to be. For a decade he worked at Palms as a food runner, busser, lifeguard and bar back. “I would always run into Barry (Dakake) from N9NE Steakhouse; we crossed paths many times and I got to know him,” Barrera says. “Now I’m a bartender, my first bartending job, at his restaurant. Ever since I started I’ve been chopping at it and making the moves.”
Barrera has been with Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa Resort & Casino since its doors opened, and he says he has found his dream job. “I’m here for the long run; these guys know it.”
Barrera has mad love for Dakake and the other owners of Barry’s. “They’ve come up in the industry themselves,” he says. “They guide us—guidance is a big thing. They have other projects that they’re working on and told me about and said, ‘I’m their guy.’ So I’m all in. They’re not just my bosses, they’re mentors and they’re friends.”
And, under their tutelage Barrera is thriving. He’s revamped the menu, with a goal to make the bar one of the top 50 in the country. “Bartending called out to me,” he says, when talking about his early career. “… (I’m) always striving to do better, be better. I wake up and think about cocktails.” It’s about the service, too, says Barrera, that’s also a big part of being a great bartender.
“I make people feel comfortable,” he says. “You smile, make them feel at home, make them want to come back. Make them feel like royalty—that’s the type of energy we give.”
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Libation: L-O-V-E
One of Barrera’s recent cocktail creations is the L-O-V-E. It’s a mix of Grey Goose Essences strawberry and lemongrass vodka, lychee syrup, Aperol, lime juice and egg whites. The brush of raspberry compote along the outside of the glass makes this cocktail over-the-top delicious.
Benefit: Order the espresso martini. “I promise it’ll be the best one you’ve ever had—it’s all about the froth,” Barrera says.
Circa Resort & Casino. circalasvegas.com
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