Recently, TravelsinTaste.com had the great pleasure of dining with Executive Chef Julian Serrano at his namesake restaurant, Julian Serrano at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas' newly opened CityCenter. Because it's a true departure from his other Vegas restaurant, Picasso at the Bellagio -- instead of the classic French cuisine that's served at Picasso, Julian Serrano is dedicated to tapas-style dishes like ceviches, paellas, tiraditos and the like -- we spent our meal with the esteemed chef discussing his vision, his city and his menu.

Our first question for Chef Serrano was: What's your favorite part of your new restaurant? "The best thing about it is that I serve the food I grew up with," he answered. "I am originally from Spain and have been wanting to do something like this for many years. For one reason or another it didn't work, but in this case -- with the company being my partner's -- it is a super marriage. My partners are people who I trust and like to work with, and I think they feel the same way about me. The best way to start a business is having personal relationships with your partners. In this case, relationships, food, service and location are all working well, and they have been working well together for 12 years."