Milos Chef Jesse Maldonado Dishes on His Favorite Restaurants in Las Vegas

Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren’t unearthing. To help guide readers to these potential discoveries, Eater Vegas enlisted some of the city’s food players to share their recommendations for a feature dubbed Dining Confidential.

Estiatorio Milos chef Jesse Maldonado got his start in the culinary industry in Arizona, where he moved after growing up in Mexico. His career kicked off at Mastro’s in Scottsdale, and then moved on to Brio Tuscan Grille, The Cheesecake Factory, Crave, Nisi/Philoxenia Group in Miami, and finally Estiatorio Milos in Miami before he moved to Las Vegas. Maldonado, a former law student who found his dream in cooking, heads up the kitchen at the Greek restaurant at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Here he shares some of his favorite restaurants he’s discovered in Las Vegas.

Do you remember your first trip to Vegas? What happened that was memorable?


Of course. Fifteen months ago, I came out from Milos Miami to support the Las Vegas team, and I never left.

What made you decide to move to Las Vegas?


I like the city. It is still growing, and this is such an exciting time to be here. It’s amazing to see Milos continue to grow as well, and I love this new challenge in my career.

Where do you like to eat breakfast in Las Vegas?

I’m not someone who eats breakfast too often. Since I’m at work almost every night until after midnight, I’m not really thinking about breakfast at 7 a.m. However, if I do, I like Stacks & Yolks. I like their variety of pancakes and the Philly skillet with chopped steak, onions, and mushrooms served over home fries with cheese.

What about lunch?

I like to go to El Dorado Cantina and have the chicken enchiladas. I’m salivating right now just thinking about it.

If you’re going out for dinner, which restaurants do you like to frequent? What makes them special? Any dishes you can recommend?

I recently tried 8oz Korean Steak House and have to say it is one of my new favorite places. Their meat selection and quality is on point.

Where do you like to dine for a special occasion?

Mastro’s Ocean Club. I love their food but if nothing else, just for their butter cake.

Are there any brunches in town you like to frequent?

DW Bistro, of course. I love their chilaquiles.

Let’s say you want to hang out with your friends after work. Where do you like to go?

Tacos & Beer. I love to go there after service and order a whole spread for the table. We eat it family style — tacos, nachos, everything.

• All Coverage of Estiatorio Milos [ELV]

• All Dining Confidentials [ELV]