Things have been moving fast for the local chef tandem of Daniel Arias and Isidro Marquez-Castillo. After impressing Downtown diners with their seafood-focused pop-up concept the Black Pearl at Vegas Test Kitchen, the two were recruited by Corner Bar Management to helm the kitchen at Peyote in February, resulting in the boutique Fergusons restaurant to shift its menu and incorporate Mexican and South American dishes.
Now that Corner Bar has acquired the former La Comida space on Fremont and Sixth from the Morton Group, Arias and Marquez-Castillo have been tasked with creating a new, vibrant Mexican concept. The result is La Mona Rosa, which reflects both men’s upbringing and travels through the various regions of Mexico and pays homage to beloved family recipes.
“Peyote was something that happened so quick. [Corner Bar founder] Ryan [Doherty] followed what we did with Black Pearl, we did a tasting, and just said let’s do it,” Arias says. “Over time we kept telling him about our other concepts, and when this came up, we presented them and let him choose.
Isidro Marquez-Castillo (left) and Daniel Arias
“This is the stuff Isidro and myself grew up eating. We just want to celebrate Mexican cuisine here.”
After a short closure for slight renovations, La Mona Rosa soft-opened on January 6 with a grand opening and full menu unveiling set for February. It might be just a few blocks away from Peyote, but being right off Fremont East makes a big difference for the operators and their audience.
“This is one of the best locations we could ever have, and especially having the Corner Bar team known for clubs and the nightlife scene, teaming up with them and combining those things together,” Arias says.
The cuisine could serve as a sort of tour through specific regions of Mexico, including tamales rojos ($12) from Oaxaca, pozole from Jalisco, and spicy salsa macha from Veracruz. Cochinita pibil ($25), the traditional Yucatan dish of slow-roasted pork wrapped in banana leaves, is something of a centerpiece.
“There’s a big punch of flavors there, from the achiote and citrus [marinade] and then toasted cinnamon, cloves and more,” Marquez-Castillo says. “You get everything in one bite, and it’s amazing.”
Marquez-Castillo says he’s most excited about sharing his mother’s Oaxacan mole with guests, one of three mole sauces that will be on the dinner menu. There are complex techniques and a plethora of ingredients that go into the dish, and mole is a bit misunderstood, he says.
“The thing about mole is you either like it or you don’t,” Marquez-Castillo explains. I want to twist it a little bit to make it more approachable for everyone. We’re trying to introduce all these flavors slowly, and once everyone likes it, we’ll go full throttle for stronger flavors.”
There will be plenty of familiar options like tacos, tostadas, queso fundido and enchiladas to facilitate that journey, and La Mona Rosa will carry on La Comida’s legacy for carefully curated cocktails, with a menu by head mixologist Dakota Granados. Weekend brunch is expected to be a draw.
“I think the Latin world has expanded a little bit more around the States, and now’s the time to do whatever you want to do” with Mexican food, Arias says. “Americans and everyone around the world are traveling to Mexico more, and they understand these dishes. We’re trying to showcase that.”
LA MONA ROSA 106 S. Sixth St., 702-600-3196, lamonarosalv.com. Thursday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m.; brunch, Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
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