Jaleo By Jose Andres at the Cosmopolitan - A Little Bit About a Lot of Things A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

February 26, 2014 Jaleo By Jose Andres at the Cosmopolitan

Talk about glitzy! The Cosmopolitan hotel is easily accessible from the Hilton by a bridge. Jaleo is located on the 3rd floor of the East Tower. Note, if you are coming in through the bridge, you will enter on the 2nd floor. Here is a view of the Chandelier Bar.

Jaleo is by Jose Andres, who you may recognize from his wildly popular restaurant in Washington, DC. The restaurant it bright and fun – and has 8 seats at a chef’s table if you want that truly memorable experience. The restaurant can get a bit noisy at times and is certainly buzzing by the time we get there.

We grab a nice seat in the back, perfect for people watching.

Love the bold colors here. All the dishes were creatively plated (one even comes out in a shoe!) fresh and flavorful. The menu is well thought out and extensive, so there is something for everyone. Note, if you are ordering paella, it does take 45 minutes – so be prepared to wait.

Three queso ($26) Top: San Simón con garapiñado de frutos secos (Galicia) A smoked cow’s milk cheese paired with homemade nut brittle, Middle: Rey Silo Blanco Con Albaricoques Y Almendras(asturias) intensely flavored cow’s milk cheese with pimentón, paired with apricots and Marcona almonds; Bottom: Rey Silo Blanco Con Polvorón De Piñones (asturias) intensely flavored cow’s milk cheese with a pine nut crumble cookie. I loved the top cheese the best – the other two were a bit too “stinky” for me. All the pairings were delicious, I especially loved the cookie!

Tortilla patatas ($12) Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions – classic and delicious.

Chistorra Patata ($11) Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in crispy potato – basically sausage wrapped in a potato chip – YUM!

Gambas al Ajillo ($16) shrimp sauteed with garlic, another classic, loved this dish and the presentation was beautiful.

Bruselas de jamo ($10) Brussels sprout leaves with grapes and apples – so bright and fresh – another great dish!

Torrejas ($15) our waitress likened this to French toast. There was a hint of orange zest inside and it came topped with apples. Not one of my favorite desserts, but it was still good. The service was good – our waitress was attentive and food came out promptly. Dress here was stylish and trendy although there were certainly people here who were much more dressed up.