SOL Mexican Cocina, the vibrant epicenter of Baja-inspired gastronomy that graced the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, is bidding adieu to its patrons this autumn. With the desert sun setting on September 30, whispers of its imminent closure rustle through the palm fronds of Nevada after a document fluttered into the state’s files, signaling an end to its culinary fiesta less than two sun-soaked years since its inception.
Nestled within the kaleidoscopic mirage of the Las Vegas Strip, where once the spirited echoes of Border Grill resided until May 2018, SOL Mexican Cocina’s doors will soon close. The current cadre of seventy souls who breathe life into the establishment find themselves in the throes of impending transition, their future as uncertain as the spin of a roulette wheel.
FM Restaurants HQ, LLC, guardians of this desert jewel, were compelled to unfurl the banner of forewarning last week, obeying the decree of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which insists on a ninety-day clarion call for all who tread toward large-scale employment upheavals.
The silence hangs heavy on the digital front. Neither Instagram’s whispering scrolls nor Twitter’s rapid-fire missives share a coda to SOL Mexican Cocina’s Las Vegas serenade from its steward, the Xperience Restaurant Group. Yet, in the unforgiving arena of Las Vegas commerce, where the hunter and the hunted play their endless game, one truth remains: establishments falter solely at the hands of lackluster business.
But all is not lost for the devotees of SOL’s culinary artistry. The Xperience website charts a constellation of locations where the spirit of SOL abides—Playa Vista, Newport Beach, Denver, Scottsdale, Irvine, and the luminous New York. And like a phoenix set to rise from the ashes, Boston awaits its own SOL Mexican Cocina genesis.
As flavors blend and cultures collide, Il Toro E La Capra, a testament to MexItalian fusion, will shimmer under the spotlight at 6435 South Decatur Blvd. Helmed by Javier Barajas, the culinary maestro behind the esteemed Lindo Michoacan lineage, the restaurant sets the stage on August 23 for a noon rendezvous with none other than Donald Trump. With the theater set and journalistic eyes trained, the Republican figure will articulate his battle cry for a “no taxes on tips” decree. Behind closed doors, away from the public’s gaze, Il Toro E La Capra’s ambrosial offerings will meld with political machinations.
Elsewhere, Vegas whispers of comings and goings in the dance of dining establishments. Gjelina, lauded in Manhattan and LA for its farm-to-table tapestry, teases its emergence at the Venetian, a jewel in the crown of a $1.5 billion renovation. La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at The Wynn, cloistered away for a three-month transformation, reemerges from its chrysalis on August 21, inviting patrons to once again savor its enigmatic offerings. Vdara’s Vice Versa Patio & Lounge flirts with renovation, while Boathouse Asian Eatery at Palace Station bows out on September 1, heralding the eventual arrival of Chinatown’s beloved China Mama.
Amidst all this upheaval, a void gapes on downtown’s 124 S. 6th Street; The Donut Hole relinquishes its sweet occupation. This hole, once filled with sugary confections, may not beckon another doughnut proprietor so soon. Its predecessor, Donut Bar, too had vacillated between presence and absence since 2016 until this year. Yet, from the depths of history and tradition, Carl’s Donuts and Pastries endures, a sentinel since the 1960s at 3170 Sunset Road, steadfast in its pursuit of pastry perfection.
Finally, The Chicken Shack, nestled at 4412 N. Rancho Drive, succumbs to closure by the Southern Nevada Health District on August 12, having accrued thirty demerits. In the capricious world of Las Vegas’ culinary roulette, some bets win, others fold, but the game—eternally—plays on.
