In Vegas, a Bonito Michoacán’s Menu Is a Scrapbook of the Best Dishes from One Family’s Early Days in Mexico | Eater Vegas

"Behind the chile-rimmed pint-size margaritas at Bonito Michoacán in Las Vegas’s Chinatown I found an immigrant family story of survival and triumph: the restaurant honors the Barajas and Valenzuela families’ Turicato, Michoacán roots and is filled with traditional masks from Tocuaro, pottery from Capula, a wooden beam ceiling, and a cheerful palette of teals, oranges, mustards, reds, and pinks with arched windows facing the Strip and the Palms. I learned that the original Bonito opened at Jones Boulevard and Harmon Road in 1996 and later moved to its current spot on Decatur Boulevard near Twain after a rent hike, a move marked by early struggles (broken A/C, permit trouble) and an odd discovery of buried St. Jude statues that the family believes changed their luck once removed; one statue now greets guests in the entryway. Chef Humberto Valenzuela, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and took over the kitchen in 2008, bases the menu on a family catalog of 150+ recipes that have been adapted for an American audience (many plates come with rice and beans) but retain their Turicato stories: mole Turicato is cooked daily in 25-gallon batches and should let you taste all 13 ingredients (including chile pasilla, chile guajillo, New Mexican peppers, pepitas, almonds, walnuts, bread, and Mexican chocolate), camarones zarandeados is a family grilled-shrimp recipe refined into a smooth emulsion, steak al cognac and the sentimental steak a la Coca-Cola “Mama Chelo” recall family memories, Enchiladas Michoacánas echo Turicato street stands with in-house tortillas griddled after dipping in sauce, and Carnitas Michoacán are slow-cooked in copper pots from Santa Clara del Cobre; Valenzuela even compares making mole to Like Water for Chocolate, saying his emotions while cooking can change the result." - Susan Stapleton