The overall vibe & decor at the original New York location is obviously unbeatable, but this latest outpost of Beauty & Essex, located in the Cosmopolitan, wins where food is concerned.
We waited out the 25-minute wait for our dinner reservation by ordering drinks named Pink Panther & Beauty Elixir at the bar & enjoying them in the gorgeous lounge area.
My group of five ordered a lot:
-- Thai-style deep fried shrimp: my absolute favorite of the night! Next time I'll get an order of five just for myself! My other faves include: crispy vidalia onion rings, chile relleno arepas, & the adorable spoonfuls of grilled cheese & tomato soup dumplings.
-- the seafood dishes, shrimp cocktail & lobster roll, were good, but not great.
-- pulled chicken arepas & short rib mac & cheese sounded delicious, but didn't meet my expectations.
-- By the time the 10 oz. filet & 14 oz. ribeye arrived, we were too stuffed to really enjoy them; next time we'll request that they be served somewhere in between the many smaller courses.
-- did not try: garganelli, pressed jerk spiced chicken, tuna, & braised chicken meatballs.
-- desserts: petite cupcakes, devil's food layer cake (super delicious), & butterscotch pot de creme
I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Chris Santos the night we went & he was so sweet & charming!! I'll have to give B&E in New York a second chance (in hopes of running into him there!) ;)