{"id":34634,"date":"2022-10-28T19:42:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-29T02:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/?p=34634"},"modified":"2022-10-28T19:54:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T02:54:50","slug":"downtowns-la-comida-changes-hands-set-to-become-la-mona-rosa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/downtowns-la-comida-changes-hands-set-to-become-la-mona-rosa\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown’s La Comida Changes Hands, Set to Become La Mona Rosa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A downtown favorite, La Comida, has been sold.<\/p>\n

This would typically be dismaying news, but the acquisition was by none other than downtown champion Ryan Doherty, so the venue is in good hands.<\/p>\n

La Comida will become a new Mexican concept, La Mona Rosa.<\/p>\n

“La Mona Rosa” is Spanish for “the sound Rosa makes when you do that thing where you spell out the alphabet with your tongue.” Probably.<\/p>\n

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Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because the next thing doesn’t sound all that different from La Comida.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“La Mona Rosa” may also translate to “The Pink Monkey” (we’ll get to why in a minute) but we like our version better.<\/p>\n

Anyway, as we mentioned, La Comida was purchased by Ryan Doherty and his Corner Bar Management.<\/p>\n

Doherty is sort of like the Derek Stevens (owner of Circa, The D and Golden Gate) of Fremont East.<\/p>\n

Doherty has a number of venues in the neighborhood: Commonwealth (and its speakeasy The Laundry Room), Park on Fremont, Discopussy, Lucky Day, Cheapshot and We All Scream, all located in the Fremont East entertainment district.<\/p>\n

Doherty also has Peyote at Ferguson’s Motel and Oddwood at Area 15.<\/p>\n

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Ryan Doherty makes places with food, drink and soul. And we don’t even believe in souls, so that’s really saying something.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The La Comida move is part of Doherty’s master plan, to make his collection of bars and restaurants and nightspots on Fremont East more than the sum of their parts.<\/p>\n

He says the goal is to “stop inviting people to any individual venue and start inviting them to experience the neighborhood.”<\/p>\n

Doherty’s collection of quirky spaces have definitely accomplished the goal of making Fremont East a destination worth checking out, especially for those who enjoy music and bar-hopping.<\/p>\n

The backstory is Ryan Doherty has been pestering the owners of La Comida, Jenna Morton and Michael Morton, for some time about acquiring the space. The duo is also behind La Cave at Wynn, Crush and Greek Sneak at MGM Grand and One Steakhouse at Virgin.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: The Morton connection is why one of our all-time favorite bartenders, Johnny O’Donnell, can now be found at One Steakhouse at Virgin, having spent years behind the bar at La Comida.<\/p>\n

La Comida opened in 2013.<\/p>\n

The Mortons are apparently in discussions to open a new La Comida “in a resort hotel property.”<\/p>\n

La Mona Rosa will keep La Comida’s seven-foot pink neon monkey (hence the name of the restaurant) “as an homage to Jenna and Michael.” In other words, it’s just an awesome sign, so no sense breaking what ain’t broken.<\/p>\n

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Today’s proof we’ve literally taken photos of everything in Las Vegas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The restaurant will stay open as La Comida until La Mona Rosa officially debuts in late October, 2022.<\/p>\n

According to a news release, “Executive Chefs Daniel Arias and Isidro Marquez-Castillo, who are also at the helm of Corner Bar’s popular downtown restaurant, Peyote, will curate a menu for La Mona Rosa. The cuisine will celebrate Mexico’s diverse regions, robust flavors and culinary techniques through traditional dishes that will be complemented by craft cocktails.”<\/p>\n

Bottom line: It’s tortillas with meat, cheese and\/or vegetables. Before this starts a kerfuffle, send your hate mail to this guy.<\/p>\n

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