Solo Dining Review: Isla at TI

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Isla Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar

Isla Mexican Kitchen is a very casual name for a not so casual restaurant at Treasure Island, Las Vegas.  Isla is one of Chef Richard Sandoval’s restaurants–Sandoval being a James Beard award winner and native of Mexico.  I was happy to be able to try this restaurant on the last night of my September trip to Vegas.  When I walked in solo, the host offered to seat me at the bar, which is open to the casino. Normally, I would consider dining at the bar in hopes of conversing with other solo diners, but in this case, I had already spent some time there the previous day (it is also a video poker bar), and I knew people were allowed to smoke there.  No way was I going to smell cigarette smoke during my meal, so I requested a table in the dining room instead.

Isla

Isla is a lovely, “upscale casual” restaurant that, unlike its lounge, is walled off from the casino and its accompanying noise.  Designer Jeffrey Beers is responsible for the restaurant’s look.  (Having now eaten in several restaurants designed by Beers–Isla, Olive’s at the Bellagio, Bluezoo in Orlando, and the Buffet at TI–I have become a huge fan of his style.)  You definitely know you’re in a Mexican restaurant as soon as you walk into the room, and not just because of the Latin music playing in the background.  The  paintings on the walls feature the vivid primary colors–blue, red, yellow–prevalent in Mexican art.  The tables are a solid wood and those around the perimeter of the room have leather bench seating (very comfy).  There are plenty of two-top tables and it has an open kitchen, though I wasn’t sitting in a position to watch the action.

They do know how to treat a solo diner well here.  One of the friendly young waiters showed an interest in my DSLR camera, so we chatted for awhile about it.  It was a nice way to pass time while I waited for my food to arrive, and since the restaurant wasn’t very busy yet, I didn’t feel too guilty monopolizing his time for a few minutes. I also became quite fond of my waitress when she called me senorita instead of senora; I chose to believe that was because she thought I looked young, and not because I wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.  (I like foreign languages that allow you to choose your own meaning of words. Heh.)

Chips and Salsa trio

Even though Isla is well-known for its one hundred-plus varieties of tequila, I was in a beer mood, so I ordered a Corona to go with my entree, the Chipotle Shrimp.  The waiter brought me my beer along with fresh tortilla chips and a salsa trio.  My favorite was the chunky pico de gallo, which had very fresh flavors that all stood out on their own and blended well together.

Chipolte Shrimp

The Chipotle Shrimp was a fabulous dish. The variety of flavors, colors and textures was a winning combination. The shrimp came atop refried beans and the most amazing rice and a vegetable mixture consisting of corn, diced tomato and cilantro.  The chimichurri marinade on the grilled shrimp was slightly spicy, but not overpowering. I could have done without the refried beans (I’m not a fan), but everything else was delicious.  This was a perfect capstone meal for my time in Vegas.  I’m even going to go out on a limb here and say this is the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. Then again, we don’t have an overabundance of quality Mexican restaurants in Vermont, so I have limited experience.  But I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes Mexican food, as well as to anyone looking for an enjoyable solo dining experience in Las Vegas.

The total cost of the meal before tip was $33 (the Corona was $7–ouch), and it was worth every penny and then some.