Bazaar Mar Chef Picks Her Favorite Local Dishes

Daniela Romero, head chef at Bazaar Mar by José Andrés inside the Shops at Crystals, points to the Po Boy José as her go-to bite at her own kitchen. Priced at $16, the item sits on the Little Sandwiches portion of the menu and consists of a steamed and fried brioche bun holding fried baby squid, a Basque stew called pelayo, aioli and pickled peppers.

Romero prepares the sandwich by opening the steamed bun and filling it with a stew of squid, onions, green bell pepper and aromatics. She deglazes that mixture with wine, which she describes as a way to bring out sweetness in the dish, then finishes it with puntillitas, the baby squid, and pickled peppers for acidity. "It's this very complex little sandwich you can eat in two bites, very hearty but well balanced at the same time," she said. "I crave them."

Romero leads the kitchen at Bazaar Mar. She worked on the opening team for the same restaurant concept in Miami and Chicago before taking the post in Las Vegas. Her route into cooking began in Honduras, where she learned dishes from her grandmother and family.

Her work with the restaurant's seafood program followed her time alongside José Andrés. "Before that, it fascinated me how little I knew about seafood," she said. "But [Andrés] is from the Catalonian area [of Spain], so to see him talk about it and share his passion for it, it was a great challenge and learning experience every day."

Romero said sourcing that seafood in Las Vegas carries an advantage. "Working with seafood in Las Vegas is even easier than any other part of the country, because it's so close to California, and it's so simple to get product in because we are one of the largest food capitals in the U.S.," she said.

For a meal outside the Strip, Romero returns to Anima by Edo for its eggplant parmigiana, listed at $19. The preparation layers thin slices of eggplant under a parmigiano espuma, with tomato powder and a basil crisp. "And I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but that is the one dish I definitely enjoy," she said. "It's very surprising, not the heartiness we are used to, but filled with flavors."