If it feels to you like Beauty & Essex just got here—that it couldn’t possibly have arrived at the Cosmopolitan a year ago—you’re not alone. “It’s been an incredible whirlwind,” says chef and restaurateur (and Chopped star) Chris Santos, who also opened Vandal in New York and B&E in LA in the last year. “What was great for us was being able to bring what we established in Vegas—kind of a dream team of chefs that we put together for the opening—and translate that to the next project. The LA opening was a breeze, because we had been together. There’s nothing more fun than the process of opening a restaurant. There’s a lot of creativity that goes into it.”
Creativity has been the guiding force behind the menu at B&E Vegas, where Santos and his team have added about a dozen dishes since debuting on the Strip. “We’re definitely selling more of the larger-format plates, a lot of steaks and oysters,” he says. “It’s that kind of crowd.”
The restaurant is offering a special first-anniversary package for that crowd—diners who are ready to celebrate—consisting of a white- or gold-tone locket from the pawn shop-inspired retail store with a roasted lobster tail and Spanish chorizo arancini and a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque rosé ($958 total).
Santos says more new dishes are coming later this summer, but for now, he’s more than happy about the way B&E has fit into the Vegas and Cosmo dining landscapes. “I think when you look at the [Cosmo] portfolio you have to see it as among the strongest of any hotel on the Strip, if not the strongest,” he says. “It’s great to be a part of that, and we’re in it for the long haul. The Cosmopolitan continues to attract a lot of restaurant-savvy guests, and we fit right in.” Beauty & Essex at the Cosmopolitan, 702-737-0707; Sunday-Wednesday 5-11 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 5 p.m.-midnight.
