[nggallery id=947]

For the uninitiated, “sick” is chefspeak for outrageous, 0ff the hook, mesmeric, ethereal, celestial, canonical and/or mind-blowing.

In other words, it’s pretty cool.

Which pretty much sums up what José Andrés and crew are doing right now at their paella pit — a cylindrical fireplace in which individual wood* fires are built underneath huge paella pans — simmering and smoking this Catalonian classic, just like they do in the old country.

There’s nothing like in Vegas….or anywhere else in America for that matter….and the whole operation has to be seen to be believed.

And since ELV’s tasty snaps are often the same way, we thought we’d post these in advance of our full rundown/review.

That may take a little while, though, because we’ve been a little busy.

JALEO

In The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino

3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.698.7950

http://www.jaleo.com/index.php/contact/las_vegas

* Andrés tells us all the wood is local and purchased from a wood purveyor/broker near Nellis AFB. ELV didn’t know there were such things as “wood brokers.”