BAR + BISTRO is Bringin’ it Downtown
“It’s about friggin’ time,” was all ELV could think to himself as he took bite after bite of terrific tapas at the newly minted, completely overhauled Bar + Bistro downtown. Some of the items cost as little as four bucks (for fantastically-fried sweet potato fries), and everything tastes like there’s someone who cares about it in the kitchen (unlike some other “tapas” bars around town).
That’s because somebody does — in this case one, Beni Velázquez — a chef who has turned this moribund space into a place foodies can flock to with relish. Even if you’re a Summ-R-Lamer who can’t bear to leave the cosseted confines of your monochrome MacMansion and your cookie-cutter corporate dining, you will find plenty to like in Velázquez’s cheesy mac ‘n cheese, definitive Cuban sandwich (in mini-bite form!) and do-it-yourself fish tacos that are better than what’s found in many a joint with “fish tacos” in its name.
ELV still hates the dark, small, art-bar-themed room — a leftover from Enrique Tinoco’s tenure — but the new, art-lined dining room, bar, and outdoor patio, are groovy-cool, and best of all, Velázquez’s food is now every bit the equal of the updated decor.
Take our word for it.
Head downtown.
Things are starting to happen.
One of ELV’s dinners for three came to $60, and a lunch for two with two glasses of wine, a ton of tapas (and a $20 tip), came to $100.
BAR + BISTRO
107 East Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89104
702.202.6060
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
July 3rd, 2011 at 4:57 am
Glad to see another fine establishment has opened downtown ELV. But truly, downtown has a looooonnngggg way to go before anything is “starting to happen” there (other than the prelude to an afternoon tryst.)
In the spirit of trying to jumpstart this mostly vacant scrap of desert, I’ve come up with a few slogans that our fine councilmen and women are free to adopt:
Downtown Las Vegas:
“Home of Zappos- the shoe company”
“You won’t have to walk far”
“Come for the drinking, stay forever”
“Visit our family friendly mob museum”
“Enjoy our block and a half”
“Coulda been a contender”
“Our homeless are nicer”
“Try our five great bars and restaurants”
“Pick up some crap at First Friday”
“Neglected since 1952″
July 8th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Worst service ever…white wines served at 75 degrees…waiter clueless that he served wrong wine to wrong person. Food took too long for lunch and was mediocre at best…John they must have known u were coming….served our food to another table saying server had wrong table number on order….Will never return….one word…BAD.