our spanish dynasty.

(Update: Firefly has closed its downtown location.)

Is it completely unnecessary to write about one of the most popular restaurants in Las Vegas? Yes, probably. But perhaps the continuing development of Firefly, which opened its third location in the Summerlin area in October, is more significant than it seems.

Actually, it seems like a pretty big deal. The new restaurant, on West Sahara Avenue in a building formerly occupied by the Tex-Mex chain Z-Tejas, has been packed from the moment the doors were unlocked. Why? Because those of us that live out in the westside suburbs have been making the trip to the original Firefly on Paradise (pic top) for years. Until now, there have been no Spanish tapas restaurants in the well-populated and hungry Summerlin neighborhoods. When chef/owner John Simmons and his crew opened a second location in the Plaza downtown last year, it could have been a risky move. But it wasn't, because Vegas' small but loyal population of downtown hipsters was already in love with the original Paradise location for its tasty and cheap small bites and refreshing sangria. Consider the fact that the struggling Plaza temporarily shuttered its hotel operations earlier this year, and yet Firefly continues to draw patrons to the west end of Fremont Street, and you can see the powerful pull this food has on Vegas.

What's most impressive about Firefly's success is its humble origins. Today, this cuisine is one of the major trends in American eating. There are maybe a dozen Spanish tapas joints around town, and many, many more that use the shared small plate concept as the foundation for experimentation. Julian Serrano in Aria is easily one of the most popular restaurants in CityCenter and even earned a shout-out in Esquire's annual best new restaurant piece, and it's a matter of weeks before superfamous chef Jose Andres opens the Vegas version of his award-winning Jaleo tapas bar in the new Cosmopolitan. And while those two probably will be the best in town, Firefly's three spots will be tied for third. I have eaten at all three Fireflys and from restaurant to restaurant, the consistency is uncanny. Those perfect, crispy chicken croquetas and addictive bacon-wrapped dates are as good as you want them to be, whether you're gazing through the glass bubble downtown or laughing at the drunken cougars in Summerlin.

There are only a handful of Vegas restaurants -- ones actually born in this city and not imported -- as universally beloved as Firefly. One of them is Lotus of Siam, the much-hyped Thai eatery which also expanded recently -- to New York City. If you never thought you'd see the day Las Vegas -- transient, cultureless, dying Las Vegas, they say -- would send some culinary representation to the greatest restaurant city in the world, you're not alone. But it has happened, even if it seemed like a longshot. When Simmons opened his original Firefly in 2003 near the Hard Rock Hotel, nobody in Vegas had ever heard of tapas. Now we can't get enough. That seemed like a longshot, too, but turns out Firefly was ahead of its time. Aren't you glad we caught up?