A Mexican Restaurant Debuts in Downtown Las Vegas with Homemade Corn Tortillas

Dan Krohmer of Other Mama fame opens La Monja with a menu of coastal Mexican fare on Wednesday night. Look for menu items like seafood ceviches, handmade masa, and Nixtamal corn tortillas. La Monja, across from Krohmer’s Hatsumi at Fergusons Downtown, also features a full bar with tequila and mezcal as well as a patio out front.

For the restaurant’s art and decor, Krohmer partnered with his childhood friend, artist Brent Patten, to create a space and vibe representative of the art and culture of their hometown community in Sacramento complete with a mural of a nun, the namesake of the restaurant.

Noel Flores leads the kitchen at La Monja. The Las Vegas native got a head start in the restaurant world when he began working at age 16. He’s worked under chefs such as Jose Andres, Aitor Zabala, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, and Lorena Garcia during his career, and then moved to Mexico City to become a stagiere for Jorge Vallejo’s acclaimed restaurant, Quintonil. Flores then opened Vegas’ Meso Tortillas, which supplied Nixtamal masa and tortillas to local restaurants.

Some of the teased dishes include pescado a la talla with grilled bass with salsa verde, la barbacoa with fresh ground tortillas, shrimp empanada with chipotle shrimp, spinach tamales with lengua, and a quinoa lentil salad with a guajillo cashew vinaigrette.

La Monja, 1028 Fremont St. Suite 195, 702-848-3530. Open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight.

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