We’re not sure why it took so long to get legendary Chicago chef, cookbook author and TV personality Rick Bayless to open something on the Las Vegas Strip. (Actually, Bayless was a consultant of sorts at the former Diego at MGM Grand, now the site of the Jonas Brothers’ restaurant Nellie’s Southern Kitchen.) But it’s happened, and it’s worth fighting your way into the renamed Celebrity Food Hall at Caesars Palace to eat a crispy chicken torta, his version of a Cuban sandwich with bacon and avocado, or a carne asada and mushroom quesadilla. This newly opened fast-casual joint is called Tortazo, and the flavors are big and bright—very necessary to stand out in a casino food hall these days.
And it’s not the only new addition to the eating emporium just across from the Colosseum. New York star chef Esther Choi has opened Mokbar, serving her high-energy interpretation of traditional and modern Korean dishes, including her famous spicy and sour gochujang chicken and pan-fried vegan dumplings. And “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro brings another casual Italian offering to the Strip with Buddy V’s Pizzeria, serving sausage, egg and cheese or hot roast beef sandwiches, and classic New York-style slices of “Boss Pizza.” If you’ve discovered his hidden gem Buddy’s Jersey Eats across the Strip at the Linq, you already know this stuff is gonna be good.
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