Today in Las Vegas Magazine

Mexican Favorites

There’s a lot going on at the South Point these days, what with the new Showroom, plus now, two new restaurants – Baja Miguel’s and Primarily Prime Rib and a spanking-new Tequila bar.

Opening to the smallest of fanfare, such as you would expect from a Michael Gaughan property, is Baja Miguel’s, which, in ‘past lives’ used to be Don Miguel’s and Señor Miguel’s. What’s interesting to note from speaking with the staff is that the draw in returning to the South Point rests solely on one man’s shoulders, that of Michael Gaughan.

The restaurant seats 140 people comfortably, though it seems it can accommodate more. “It’s small, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at it, because of the way the room is designed.” adds Jose Solis, the restaurant’s Room Manager.

Upon seating, you’re immediately served some tortilla chips and three dips – salsa, a bean and cheese dip, and guacamole. Each was delicious in its own right and we would be very hard-pressed to choose a favorite, as we found ourselves giving each one an equal amount of attention. The salsa was spicy and had a good kick to it, the cheese and bean dip was cheesy, savory and surprisingly lighter than the norm; and the guacamole was chunky and creamy.

Don’t fill-up too much on the chips and dips, because the rest of the menu offers such choice selections in each category that you’ll want to sample them all, or at least try to. For starters, we ordered the avocados Baja Miguel and the costa brava. A fresh avocado is filled with shrimp (or chicken salad) and served with chipotle cream. The dish was creamy and rich, and again, the addition of tomatoes, onions and cilantro gave the dish an added zing, complementing the avocado. On the otherhand, the Costa Brava was all fire and spice, though not in a three-alarm-fire kind of way. The avocado and cucumber, as well as tortilla chips served on the side, we assume were there to temper the heat. Serving portions are above average at Baja Miguel’s – while they’re not heaping and ‘supersized,’ they’re still fairly larger than normal, so be forewarned.

On to the main course of pollo baldastano and parillada del norte. ‘Pollo,’ as anyone who is familiar with fast food these days, means ‘chicken’ and ‘baldastano,’ we can only assume is the style of cooking – in this case, stuffed with prosciutto and asadero cheese, then oven-baked in a crushed, red pepper sauce. We’re not exaggerating when we say that you can cut the chicken with a spoon – because we did and it was so tender, juicy and perfectly done and the sauce - a creamy concoction that was a perfect pairing to the chicken and ham.

The parrillada del norte (‘parrilla’ means grill) can best be described as a ‘mixed grill,’ though this is where any comparison ends. Served on a hot skillet, the meat – a combination of pork, chicken and beef – all have savory marinades, rich with herbs and spices. Of the three, the pork was the spiciest, hinting of the most heat; though the beef was my favorite, at once sweet and savory. The biggest surprise was the queso fundido, literally, ‘melted cheese,’ though with the addition of a few ‘luxe’ touches like jalapeno peppers and, my favorite, chorizo. Though served on the side, this could very well be a main course or a fantastic appetizer.

Desserts were a tad too sweet for my taste, though I’m sure they’re well-received by the majority of diners. We’ve seen this selection - churros, fried ice cream, tequila flan, margarita cheesecake - offered in most Mexican restaurants in town. It does have its novelty though, take for example the fried vanilla ice cream which was encrusted with a cornflake-and-coconut crust and topped with a tequila sauce.

Oh, and by the way, to complete the experience, also on offer is a range of cocktails, margaritas, beers and specialty tequilas (as prepared by the Tequila Bar outside the restaurant).

We sampled four from the bar, as a post-dinner drink and just like the restaurant, and everywhere else in the hotel, they didn’t scrimp on ingredients. With 71 different tequilas, plus various house specialty drinks, even the most finicky Tequila connoisseur would find it difficult to find fault.

Baja Miguel’s is a must for its incredible selection and quality of Mexican ‘comfort food;’ added with excellent service and a staff that’s downright friendly and genuinely sincere, and you have an unbeatable combination that makes for a great dining experience.

-Rachel M. Sugay