When chef Mike Minor struck out on his own with his Truck U Barbeque food truck two years ago, he was on a mission. He wanted to blend his passion for slow-smoked, home-style barbecue with the authentic Mexican cuisine he had perfected during his decade-long gig as executive chef at Border Grill. But he also planned to use Truck U as a stepping-stone to something bigger.
Something bigger is here, and it seems a perfect fit that Minor’s next step will be collaboration with Kent Harman. The pair worked together for years at Border Grill, Minor in the kitchen and Harman running the restaurant operations, and today they officially announced they’ll be opening Bandito Latin Kitchen & Cantina on Flamingo Road just east of the Strip.
“Bandito has been something Mike and I have been working on for the past year and we are so proud and excited to see it begin to come to life,” Harman said in a statement.
Mike Minor
Speaking to Las Vegas Weekly, Minor echoed his partner’s excitement. “Kent really brings the best out of people in the front of the house,” he said. “We were known for kick-ass customer service at [Border Grill] and listening to our guests. Our style of hospitality is all about blowing people away with great service, drinks and food, and nobody does it better than Kent.”
Bandito, planned to operate for lunch, dinner, late night dining and weekend brunch, is in the late stages of development with construction scheduled to begin in early summer, targeting an opening in late 2016 or early 2017 on Flamingo between Howard Hughes Parkway and Paradise Road.
Bandito’s menu will showcase Minor’s take on Latin and Mexican foods, infused with a variety of roasted, smoked and slow-cooked meats.
“If you were thinking Truck U is going away, it’s really not,” Minor said. “The things I’ve been working on the last two years will be incorporated on this menu, so you can walk into Bandito and still get a burnt-ends burrito or fried chicken tacos. I want people to know we are thinking outside the box with Latin food from all different regions.”
Minor has also been developing tamales that incorporate barbecue mole into the masa, filled with smoked gouda and brisket. He’s also planning to serve paella and family-style cochinita suckling pig dinners at Bandito. Tortillas, sauces, salsas and desserts will be made fresh daily, juices for cocktails will be fresh-squeezed and meats and produce will be sourced responsibly.
Minor and Harman believe the restaurant’s location will enable them to cultivate a diverse dining audience of both locals and tourists. “It’s great for everybody,” Minor said. “It’s centrally located and easy for people who don’t want to deal with the Strip, but close enough that we’ll be able to create some huge fans out of conventioneers.”
Minor will be at Downtown’s MTO Café on Sunday, March 13, hosting a viewing party for his appearance on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen and sharing some food and information about Bandito.
