Vegas Uncork’d: Grand Tasting, Sip and Stroll

Friday night’s Tasting, Sip and Stroll

Talk about an event! Outside of Caesar’s Palace on their Roman Plaza in a huge tent with over three dozen restaurants, wineries, food and beverage companies represented. Hundreds of people waiting to get in, to see and be seen. Many famous chefs were in attendance, including Wolfgang Puck, Richard Chen, Hubert Keller, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. Silent auction. Book signings by Alan Richman, Dorie Greenspan, Cat Cora, Barbara Fairchild et al. French television crews interviewing French chefs like Joel Robuchon, Daniel Boulud, François Payard, Guy Savoy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera ... What a scene!

Everybody was getting into the act!

A representative from Stella Artois coaxed me into trying this combination of their Leffe Ale with some key lime cheesecake. I sipped the Leffe Ale first. I ate a piece of cheesecake and drank some more of the ale. It was so smooth!! It blended so well together!! The cheesecake and the Leffe Ale didn't fight with one another!! I was blown away!!

Susan Feniger of Border Grill; Eric Klein of Spago Las Vegas; John Curtas of KNPR with One Hot Tamale

Vegas Uncork’d: Sensi

And now for the entertainment portion of the conference: lunch at Sensi.


Host Alan Richman and chef Martin Heierling were doing an almost convincing “schtick as introduction” exchange of
each other’s biography, followed by a description of the luncheon menu. When the Wagyu course was described, I raised my hand to ask a question. Chef Martin referred to me as a Japanese man. I quickly corrected him and identified myself as Chinese. Laughter ensued. The chef replied, saying something like, “That wasn’t in the script!”

Lunch was going to be fun!

Crispy tempura Maine lobster
Malayasian mango slaw, umeboshi plum, sesame citrus soy dressing
Taittinger, cuvee prestige brut, Reims, France

Chinese sausage in the mango slaw? That’s incredible! A European-trained chef who knows the intricacies of Asian cuisine. His experiences over in New Zealand and Asia are noticeable.

Miso-glazed sea bass
Water spinach, lily bubs, lotus seeds & ginger foam
Lergenmüller Riesling “Schäwer”, Pfalz 2005

There was a sweetness when I tasted the sea bass. I definitely noticed the ginger. Chef Martin admitted later that he loves ginger.

Duo of Wagyu Kobe beef
Sugar-cured striploin, spring pea puree, baby porcini mushrooms, tamarind-braised shortrib,
pickled green mango & onion seed grits
Stella Artois

Yes, the beef was paired with a beer. I got to converse with representatives from Stella Artois. The talks were very informative to me. On this occasion, the beer was an acquired taste to me with the beef.

The Lemon drop
Soft meringue, citrus semifreddo, pineapple confit, mandarin jelly & raspberries

That lunch was really good. Martin Heierling is a very talented chef. I would go back and eat there again.

NB I went back and had lunch at Sensi in August 2008. The food was excellent!

Sensi
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 693-7223

Vegas Uncork’d: Sweet Decadence workshop

Sweet Decadence, a Friday morning workshop with Jean-Philippe Maury of Bellagio, drew a very happy audience. Bon Appetit’s editor, Barbara Fairchild, hosted this delectable session. Chef Maury and his assistants demonstrated various pastry techniques to make one plated dessert.




The following components were created for this very delicious dessert:

Yuzu ice cream; Sweet dough; Streusel; Pastry cream; Almond cream; Lemon curd; Cream cheese chiboust; Blueberry sauce; Raspberry consomme.

The result was a warm blueberry cheesecake tart and yuzu raspberry dish on a customized plate.

The blueberry sauce surrounds the cheesecake tart, comprised of sweet cream, almond cream, lemon curd, and frozen chiboust.

The yuzu raspberry dish contains streusel, fresh raspberries and yuzu ice cream. This particular dish has an added feature: a decorative white chocolate dome over the ice cream. When the warm raspberry consomme is poured, the contrasting textures of melted and hard white chocolate, the ice cream, and the streusel are quite noticeable.

Vegas Uncork’d: Payard Patisserie & Bistro

Bon Appétit’s conference, Vegas Uncork’d, started on Thursday night (8 May 2008) with a dinner inside Caesar’s Palace at Payard Patisserie & Bistro, hosted by François Payard and Dorie Greenspan.

It was a small, intimate gathering of about thirty people.

And I finally got to meet Dorie Greenspan! Dorie comes across as a very wonderful lady, very pleasant and down-to-earth. More later ...

I dined with a lovely couple from Canada.

As I was told, the husband didn’t know the real reason for going to Las Vegas until his wife told him ... two hours into their flight.

Attending the food conference was the gentleman’s surprise birthday gift from his wife. Nice little surprise, ehh?

As I was implying, the Payard Patisserie & Bistro is not a huge place,

which made for a nice, comfortable evening.

Dorie Greenspan introduced chef François Payard.

And now, onto dinner ...

Tomato Gelee with Monk Fish & Tomato Salsa
Chartogne-Taillet “Cuvee St. Anne” Merfy, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France

Asparagus Salad, Artichoke & Tamarind Dressing
Skouras Moschofilero 2007, Peloponnese, Greece

Braised Short Ribs, Mashed Potatoes and Baby Carrots
Trapiche Single Vineyard Malbec, Vina Francisco Olive 2005, Mendoz Argentina

Actually, the short ribs were not beef short ribs.

It was boneless veal. It tasted very good, but they were not short ribs.

At this point in the evening, Dorie Greenspan sat at our table.

That's correct, I had ...

Dessert with Dorie

Seared Pineapple with Thyme & Coconut Sorbet
Slow Baking Apple, Cardamine Streusel, Granny Smith Sorbet


Milk Chocolate Payard Candy Bar with Gianduja & Caramel Glaze
Palet d’Or, Hazelnut Succes, Marquise Chocolat & Crispi Wafer
Lustau Moscatel Emilin, Jerez, Spain

My opening Vegas Uncork’d experience started out well. It gets better later.

Payard Patisserie & Bistro
Caesar’s Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 731-7292

A Las Vegas Luncheon at Fish Camp, y’all

On a Thursday morning, I made my way over from the MGM Grand to the Monte Carlo Resort to check-in and get myself ready for a few days of Vegas Uncork’d. Although it wasn’t part of the official conference, my luncheon appointment at Fish Camp at the Town Center was spent in the presence of culinary celebrities. Local food critic John Curtas, Chef Louis Osteen of Lous’s & Fish Camp, and food writer Alan Richman were seated in one of the booths at Fish Camp, good ol’ boys havin’ a good ol’ time and eatin’ good Southern food and talkin’ about ... (Hey! What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas, you know what I mean??)

My friend and I were at another booth across the room, watching them from a distance. I was chompin’ on one of their salads: Peppery arugula greens, buttermilk blue cheese and candied pecans tossed in a roasted pecan oil, cane vinegar and molasses vinaigrette. Afterwards, it was on to "the Lowcountry's finest shrimp and grits." It tasted great. However, the shrimps could have been spicier for me.

After I finished my lunch, I decided to walk over to the other table where the three culinary celebs were, in order to see what they were eating for lunch. I went back to my table with a plate of fried oysters and fried alligator. I rarely eat fried oysters, usually the fresh raw oysters. The fried oyster tasted okay. I’ll try them again, in limited portions for now. And as for the fried alligator, it tasted like chicken, sort of ... It’s really a mind-over-matter issue. Our server told us that eighty per cent of their customers order the fried alligator.

The three gentlemen walked on over to our table to sit and chat for a while. We had a good conversation. Chef Carlos Guia came by our table later and introduced himself. The former executive chef of Commander’s Palace is now at Louis’s/Fish Camp. I’m glad things seem to be working out for Chef Guia.

No, I didn’t have any dessert for lunch. I’ll be having dessert later that night over at Payard Patisserie & Bistro, one of the opening events of Vegas Uncork’d.

Fish Camp
Town Square
6605 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas NV 89119
(702) 463-3000
http://www.louislasvegas.com/fishcamp.html

The night before Vegas Uncork’d

Twas the night before Vegas Uncork’d and all through the town,

Hotel rooms along the Strip were seemingly not to be found.

Until I talked with a reservationist from MGM Grand

And she pulled out a room for me upon demand.

Now for a little repast, a bit of repose,

Time to wash up and put on some nice clothes,

And off to dinner with a member from eGullet,

To L’Atelier, to Robuchon, Man! You got to love it!

I arrived at the restaurant and noticed at the end of the bar

An older gentleman waiting from afar.

We greeted each other, I mentioned my name,

But in Vegas, we could change to someone else or stay the same.

I’ve eaten at L’Atelier previously, but him, never before,

I’m surprised, I’m amazed, quelle scandale, what an uproar!

Admittedly, to this French restaurant he had to be swayed

By a local friend, a lawyer, the decision was made.

The question of the moment: What’s for dinner, what to eat?

Small plates, a la carte, a glass of wine to make things complete?

At L’Atelier, we chose the discovery menu,

That would be a great introduction to this foodie venue.

Le menu découverte, mon ami l’a choisi

Et j’ai voulu le même chose, moi aussi.

But for the main entrée, differently we selected

He the quail and I the lamb, We’re ready! Let’s get connected!

Le citron, le thon rouge, le homard, l’asperge verte,

Each course beautifully presented in this culinary concert.

L’oeuf, la sole, et moi, l’agneau (au lieu de la caille),

We savored each course, gastronomically pleasing to the eye.

Le thé glace vanille et la mangue,

Desserts that tasted so soothing to the tongue.

After finishing dinner at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon,

I wouldn’t mind repeating this, like a culinary chaconne.

What creativity! What a genius! Joël Robuchon he is.

Continual innovations one must have to stay in this biz.

Now to get ready for Vegas Uncork’d at its various sites,

And Bon Appetit to all, and to all a good night!

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 891-7358