INTERVIEW: Anthony Meidenbauer

Anthony Meidenbauer is executive chef and partner with Block 16, which operates Holsteins at The Cosmopolitan, LBS Burger at the Red Rock Resort and Pink's at Planet Hollywood.

Most recently you've opened Holsteins at The Cosmopolitan. Going through this menu, there is a ton of stuff beyond burgers and a lot of fun snacks.
A lot of stuff we do, there's a lot of work that goes into what you put on the table. With the pork belly bun, you think it's just pork in a bun, but it's so flavorful and it takes some time to do it right. It's a Niman Ranch all-natural pork belly and we cure it in Asian flavors, ginger and citrus zest, braise it for four hours, press it, chill it, cut it in pieces and fry it crispy and serve it in a little steamed bun. Super simple, great flavor. We always start the meal out with every table getting popcorn. For example, one has truffle oil and white truffle salt to season as it's popped, and it comes out to every table so you get a little snack. We're trying to be playful and fun.

We do a Philly cheesesteak in a spring roll. It's something everyone knows about, but we take eggroll wrappers, fill them with skirt steak that we char-grill, pepper jack cheese, and then the classic Philly is always served with ketchup - our house ketchup, which we call udder sauce. Another one is the lobster corndog. Again, something everyone knows, but we're using slipper tail lobsters from New Zealand, with a nice sweet flavor, and a roasted jalapeno dijonaise underneath. Who doesn't love fried stuff on a stick? One of our biggest selling appetizers is also something super simple. We call it artichoke guac. It looks like guacamole but it's basically a Middle Eastern version of tortillla chips and guacamole. So we take pita chips toasted with zatari spice, and then serve with hummus fortified with piquillo peppers, three kinds of olives, capers, and a whole bunch of artichokes, puree it and fold it so it looks like guacamole. When you cruise through the menu, you see a lot of familiar things that we've made fun.

You're doing so much more than burgers.
For us, the burger joint moniker doesn't fit. We're a burger joint on steroids. It really doesn't fit. It's more like a gastropub, a burger-centric gastropub. We make our own foie gras, we make our own pâté, and we do our vegetables special for that dish. For the duck tacos, we make confit. The idea is to come in with a group, four to six people, to order a few snacks and share, maybe get a burger, and we have desserts made for sharing, too. It's a fun atmosphere. No matter what you order, you have some ideas of stuff you want to order next time you come in. We want people to try everything.

Is Holsteins the natural progression from LBS Burger?
LBS, originally, we wanted to be more expansive with the menu, but where we are at dictated our menu and clientele. Out in the suburbs in Vegas people aren't as exploratory with food as they can be when they come to the Strip. So we stuck with what works best there. When people want to have fun and try different stuff, they come here. If you live here, you don't come to the Strip often. A lot of the stuff is similar, sauces and things like that, because we make them all fresh every day. It definitely was a progression moving forward here at Holsteins, and we are definitely able to explore and do some more fun stuff. The kitchen is three times the size, too, and that's great, so it makes our execution a little easier. An example of something different we're doing here is housemade sausage. We make five different sausages right here. The Greek is a lamb sausage with feta and a bunch of herbs and spices, served in a little hot dog bun with olive relish, some feta cheese and a little chickpea harissa on the side.

As a chef, is it rewarding to have that progression where you are a little more free to experiment?
I think any chef has a surplus of ideas. Every time you go out to eat or read a magazine or see something, you're always thinking how you can take that idea and spin it. Our company has been working on a lot of different little projects for the past three years, but the economy hasn't always allowed everything to happen. Plus we have a great group of chefs that we work with back there, and everything is very collaborative. Everyone comes up with ideas and plans to make things work so we can put great food on the table.

How has it been working at The Cosmopolitan so far, and working with the other restaurant partners?
We all work as partners throughout the property, we have meetings, discuss issues and even though obviously we're not involved in others' menus, we all work together and share constructive criticism to help each other out. It works really well. Everyone in the property has been great. We're all here for the success of the whole property, and everyone needs to be successful for it to work.

The Cosmopolitan has some terrific qualities that set it apart. It feels more intimate because it is small, the way it's laid out. They took a weird plot of land and got real creative with it. One of the most successful things is how the parking is subterranean. Some of these huge casino-resorts, you have to walk 10 or 15 minutes to get to the casino floor or get to anywhere. Here, you can come for the first time and be in the casino or at your restaurant in a minute, and I think that's huge, especially for locals. Locals don't like to walk through the entire casino. And the look and feel of the place is definitely different from anything else, and the technology is really cool.

It seems as if your company and staff have a heads-up on opening in this brand new property, since you already work on the Strip at Planet Hollywood and at a completely different resort company at Red Rock. Does that give you a different perspective on operating?
We definitely have a strategic advantage, hands down. During the opening, a lot of the restaurant partners here that are from out of state had no idea what to expect. We have done as much work as we can to help them out. When you're working in a resort with an odd size and a lot going on, there are a lot of issues, logistically, things like getting products here. But I can just get it from my other properties and bring it over. So that's definitely an advantage.

Where were you before you got together with Block 16?
We've been together for three years. I was at Wynn for three years in room service, and I'm still good friends with a lot of people over there. I've been in town almost 10 years now, and it's still a small town. You see the same people over and over again.

How did your team manage to bring the iconic Pink's hot dogs to Vegas?
Billy Richardson, one of our principals, has been here for many years and has a lot of great relationships with influential people. That gives us opportunities to meet with people and talk about projects. Planet Hollywood was trying to get to Pink's, because for its theme, what could be better than to have a 70-year-old, classic L.A. spot like Pink's right here in Vegas? We got involved, the Pink's family really liked us, and we got to learn all about their culture, where they came from and what they've done, and see their operation. And they wanted that badly. They weren't going to just hand over that brand to anybody. They are starting to expand now that they have a feel for it, but staying mainly in California. So they gave us the greenlight and it's been open for about a year and a half. It's such a great location, and it's the exact same stuff as in L.A. There are people who will say, "Awe, this isn't the same," but the Pink's people have been very, very serious about it so they could share that it's the exact same product. Of course, it's not 70 years old, it's not going to have the same charm and celebrity following as the original, but that's what we are shooting for. But it's absolutely the same food, even if the experience has a Vegas spin on it.

Before Pink's, you opened LBS, which as you said, is a little more of a straight-ahead burger concept. How is LBS different from so many other burger joints?
LBS was our first, our baby. What we do at Holsteins is different, but not any better or worse, just different. But there are a lot of burger places, and they're all the same. They have the same few appetizers, some sort of smothered fries or chips, and a bunch of burgers. We didn't want to be that. We called it a Burger Joint to give you the idea that we're concentrating on the burgers. I try not to say "gourmet" because that word is stuffy, and the place is anything but stuffy. Holsteins is the same way. We get people coming in a suit, and people coming in a jogging suit. Old, young, everybody. Yeah, "gourmet" is kind of a four-letter word to us.

How do you see Holsteins changing and evolving?
We're going to start moving into spring and summer, so some lighter fare. As it gets warmer, people want to eat fresher and lighter, so we're working on those changes. It won't be a complete change. We also plan to roll out a few large plates so people that don't want a burger and don't want just snacks can go with a steak or fried chicken, something like that, which will still fit our theme. I don't think anyone will think of this place as just a burger joint.

In March, there will be a new sportsbook opening in The Cosmopolitan, right next to the entrance to Marquee on the second level. We're going to be serving our food in the sportsbook, so it will continue to get busier and busier. Our lunch crowd keeps coming, it's doing well. The late night is doing well. We stay open until 2 a.m. in the lounge area, and that works well when the club is open. As the club grows, especially in the summertime when the poolclub and dayclub operation gets rolling, it's going to really contribute to what we're doing.

INTERVIEW: Scott Conant

Scott Conant is executive chef at Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

So you are days away from opening in Las Vegas...
I can't believe it. It's crazy. I've had my team on the ground and I've been in L.A. lately, because we just opened in Beverly Hills. But I can't believe it is here.

We know Scarpetta was originally slated to be in Fontainebleau, and now of course, it's at the Cosmopolitan. How long have you been looking at Las Vegas?
Yes, I had a deal with Fontainebleau, and when that fell by the wayside we had the opportunity to talk to Cosmopolitan. When I was talking with the CEO (John Unwin) it became clear that I would be crazy not to do business with this guy. He's a great partner and he's very passionate about his product and the brands he aligns himself with. He seemed really enthusiastic about having Scarpetta, and when we saw the size and space, we thought it was too big and we were worried about losing the soulful aspect of what Scarpetta is all about for me. This will be the fifth restaurant. We have a product we know works, and we really like to focus on the positive aspects of it moving into any new location. So we decided to cut it in half, and put the D.O.C.G. wine bar in there. Now we've got 150 seats, which is manageable, and we will have two brands there. And opening in Vegas, yeah, it's something we've been working with for a while now.

How do you feel about the buzz that's been building for this resort? Cosmopolitan talk is becoming something of a phenomenon since it's another big, new place on the Strip opening in these rough times for Vegas.
It feels like there has been a little buzz. Developing things has been a very exciting experience, getting ready for Vegas. Maybe the best part has been spending time with (the other Cosmopolitan) chefs and restaurateurs, picking each other's brains. It feels like a fluid concept. I think the customer experience will be a great one here. And among the different restaurants, there is a real sense of camaraderie and community. With everything that's been going on in Vegas, it is a little scary to open a new resort. There is a little fear attached. But we all feel like we're in this together, we want this resort to win.

What is the concept behind D.O.C.G.?
The name D.O.C.G. (Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) in Italian stands for the highest quality in wine, so that's the reason for the name. It's guaranteed quality. What will you eat there? Pizza, baked pastas, fun stuff. It's not meant to take itself too seriously. It is there to make people happy, and not everyone wants to go to a high-end restaurant every night. It's about creating something that has value for the customer, something that may be lacking in Vegas. I saw what Todd English did with his pub (at CityCenter) and that excited me.

Will Vegas' Scarpetta be different from New York's?
I always say there's really something that works about it, and I'd be crazy to change it. There will be plenty of things that will add some Vegas style, like the view of the Bellagio fountains, which is very cool. There will be a chef's table and two private dining rooms. It looks exciting, it looks Vegas, the colors are a little different, but the overall feel and soul of the space is the same. Each location of the restaurant has that, and it's all about the quality of the staff I surround myself with. It's not me, it's we. We have a great team, and the soul comes from the knowledge of the people around us. It works. So far we've been able to really capture it in different locations. A lot of the feel comes from the rustic elements in the design, woods and leathers. It's kind of urban Milan meets rustic.

Italian cuisine on the Strip is a very crowded field. How will these restaurants set themselves apart?
There's a lot of great Italian restaurants in Vegas. Our product is a little more unique. What we do is offer those modern components without sacrificing full flavor and approachability, and that balance kind of sets us apart. There's also a benevolence between Italian restaurateurs, which helps. But yes, there are dishes we are known for that set us apart, definitely the spaghetti with tomato and basil, which seems to follow me around quite a bit. Also the polenta. These sound like simple dishes. But that's what it means, what Scarpetta means is to grab a piece of bread and sop up what's on the plate. That's the kind of satisfying experience we want customers to have.

Is there a focus among the restaurants at Cosmopolitan to attract locals down to the Strip?
Our goal is to be inclusive. We don't want people to feel like this is a place you go to only once in a while. We have very approachable dishes on both menus. Scarpetta is fluid enough that it could be a special occasion dinner, but the food is not excessively rich, so you could go there once a week. I want to make the prices sensitive to the market, too, not just to tourists but also to people who are here and want to go out and enjoy themselves. I feel like that is another goal of the resort.

You are all over the place, on TV, doing cookbooks, opening restaurants left and right. What else is coming up?
Knock on wood, Bevery Hills is going great. Really our main goal is to always make these restaurants the best they can possibly be, to surround myself with the best team members and make sure everyone has the same goals in mind: to make people happy, make great food, and keep the ambience in line with the experience and the menu. That always requires effort, and to stay relevant on top of all that is pretty tough. I have had a good share of success but that doesn't mean we can't get better all the time. I do give a lot of effort and I love what I do, and I have so much fun teaching younger cooks and chefs as well as learning from all the people we work with, and implementing their experiences into what we do on a daily basis. Ultimately, a better customer experience is the goal.

INTERVIEW: Alex Stratta

Alex Stratta is was executive chef at Alex and Stratta in Wynn Las Vegas. He previously operated the former Renoir in the Mirage.

 What is new at Alex?

Alex Stratta: About two months ago we changed the menu format a little, bringing in the new market menus. So that makes our format into three different categories: the tasting menu, the prix fixe and then market menus, which are limited offerings. We made it so that instead of swinging between a whole bunch of stuff, we're really focusing specifically on the market, that's what's driving everything. And the cherry on top is that we change it every day or so depending on the markets in L.A. I met a lady who’s a forager. She's been working for 20 years hooking up small growers and farmer's markets up and down the California coast, really finding the best of the best. It's stuff you've never seen before. It's stuff I’ve never seen before, like fingerling limes, which are black on the outside, and the inside is like little pearls of caviar. It's a special citrus, and we're finding stuff like this, so exclusive it's basically grown in someone's backyard. So we're finding ways to feature things like those. We get a couple days advance to plan when we get the list of what's coming. It's really motivating my chefs and helping the development of this program, which is all about creating an exceptional and unique experience.

Working with farmer's markets is not necessarily new to Vegas restaurants, although it seems to be catching on quickly on the Strip. It sounds like these market menus are a little more exclusive.

It's definitely ultra-specific. We are one of her few accounts. It gives us the flexibility of doing whatever we want and changing whatever we want to. We can take ingredients like these and either keep it simple or put them in an unusual combination, maybe with a rare type of seafood. We can find incredible cherries from one farm, endive from another, and maybe you'll have them with grouse from Scotland. Whatever we are working with, we are keeping it within the scope of the cuisine. We don’t veer too much from basic French and Italian tradition. I will introduce Asian product but it's always executed with classical technique and the same thought process. Every chef says "I put my own spin on it," but really what we're talking about is getting back to basics, getting the best ingredients in their season done as simply as possible.

Has that thought process or mission changed over the years, or did you change your mission when you came from Renoir to create Alex at Wynn Las Vegas?

That's an interesting question. I think the mission has become even more solidified. When I first came to Vegas to work with Mr. Wynn at the Mirage, what I wanted to do was the finest, high-end, European-style fine dining. I was talking about five stars, and he wasn’t very aware of that stuff. He was introduced quickly when his hotel got five stars. But I told him that’s what I wanted to do, and through the years we went through everything and really accomplished the goals we wanted to achieve. When I heard he was opening this hotel, I made a phone call and said, "If you are doing fine dining there, I’m your guy, I want to take this to the next level." And of course, we were speaking the same language. We both wanted to outdo ourselves. We needed a bigger, grander stage than Renoir. Alex provided that. We were off and running as soon as we opened in May, We got our five stars in September or October, just knocked it out of the park. I give the credit to the staff but also to Mr. Wynn’s commitment to what we were doing. It's just getting better and more refined now. Business is starting to pick up again. Everybody took a beating last year, especially in high end. It was a challenge. But luckily, we have the Wynn brand and that gives us opportunities. And I have a tremendous crew. Devin (Hashimoto, chef de cuisine at Alex) has been working with me for many years now, and he has developed his own style within what we do. The repertoire has grown to full, we work on ideas together, and the process unfolds naturally. It's great. It's so important to have other ideas, and when you have guys like this working with you, you can’t say no. The enthusiasm we have is just getting better. 

Is it difficult to maintain a balance between fine dining at Alex and the more casual Italian restaurant Stratta when both are on the same property? 

At first I tried the balance but I soon realized they are two different animals and have to be approached in completely different ways. My involvement, the basics of quality food and service, genuine hospitality and efficiency, all that is the exact same language. But as far as what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, what Alex means to the hotel and what Stratta means, there are two different dynamics. For me as restaurateur, as chef, it teaches me a lot. I'm still sticking to my basic fundamentals, focusing on ingredients and consistency. But as an entrepreneur, you're talking about a restaurant that does 12 million a year and 600 covers a day versus one that does 5 million at 70 or 80 covers a day. We have had times when we've done 70 covers at Alex and made as much as doing 500 at Stratta. But it's always about hospitality. For me, it’s the same passion.

Were you concerned with the transition from fine dining to the lower price point and different dynamic at the Italian restaurant?

I’ve worked in fine dining my whole career, and that’s what people are expecting when they come to my restaurants. For me, it was just showing flexibility, maybe a lighter side, and not taking myself too seriously as a chef. Not everything has to be this whole process of "let’s see what I can do to push myself to the fullest." What is it that people want to eat? What if I could create that place that would be the place go to with family if you just want a pizza? I think a chef has to have room for that in his repertoire. A lot of chefs are doing casual now, but I didn’t do it because of everybody else. It was an opportunity to show it's not all about foie gras and truffles all the time. Whether it's a coffee shop or fine dining, you have to have the basics in order to diversify and grow. I was executive chef at a hotel that ran nine restaurants, so I had that diversity in my background. I kinda wanted an Italian version of Alex at a little more casual level, but as we understand the guest, people like stuff they are familiar with, so let's do the best representation of that familiar food we can do. We came to a happy medium, and the place is incredibly successful.

Some Vegas chefs have a hard time finding that happy medium, being able to do what they need to do while still addressing the taste level of the guests. 

I certainly didn't think I'd ever be doing chicken alfredo pasta, but you know, I have no problem giving people what they want. Just do it well. I think it comes with maturity as a chef. And I get to have it both ways. I can get my kicks at Alex. They are two different worlds, and I'm proud of what we accomplish at both. I'm very proud of the service at Alex.

You've been in Las Vegas for 12 years now. What do you think is coming next?

On a micro level, I’d say more late night dining availability. A lot of places can look to the success and formula at the hotels that have that energy between nightclub and restaurant, like we have here at Wynn and Encore. Stratta is open late and does very well with the late-night crowd.

You probably have not had the time to explore restaurants at CityCenter, and now we've got the Cosmopolitan opening soon.

Citycenter, I have not been focused on at all. But I have twin 3-year-olds, so anything outside of work is, you know, headed that way. But I do know the food and beverage director at Cosmopolitan, who came up through ranks with me. I know what they’re trying to do over there, and I think that team is going to be very strong. They have a very organic approach to the whole thing. They're bringing in Jose Andres and Scott Conant. They are both the real deal and they will put out great restaurants. They’ll do well. I don’t know about the hotel, traffic, flow, all those things I couldn’t predict. I'm sure they’re on pins and needles. It's a good time to open and a bad time to open. Without a lot of people coming through, you can really get your wheels going, but you're not going to hit your numbers. The short term thinking would freak you out, but long term, it’s a good thing. You can pace yourself, and you can change things quickly. But I think Cosmopolitan will be a nice addition, a complement.

So where's the dining hot spot for twin 3-year-olds?

You would think we wouldn't be able to go eat at a lot of places, but they’re very adventurous. They eat sushi, and we go to Mexican restaurants.

You're kinda the Mexican food guru now. Since Las Vegas Weekly did a feature on your love for Los Antojos, you've got every foodie and critic loving that place.

Isn't that funny? I went to talk to that lady shortly after that happened, and I told her, "I wish I got that much press for my restaurant!" I feel like the pope when I go in there. I’m so happy for them, though. I suppose it is still a hole in the wall, but their food is just done really well. Actually it was introduced to me by a busser. I haven’t gone in a while.

So now you are in charge of finding the next great Vegas hole in the wall. Give me a good pick.

There are so many great ones in Chinatown, Raku, Monta. I'll tell you, I think I might have been to Pho So 1 five times in a week. It's great, very consistent. It's always good, and the service is great. And you know, you can’t even cook a meal for yourself for six bucks. It's amazing how low the prices are. I get the number 14. Just go and tell them you want the one Chef Alex likes. It's got the tripe and the tendon and all the good stuff chefs like to eat.

INTERVIEW: Jet Tila

Jet Tila is was executive chef at Encore's Wazuzu.

How did you become part of the Wynn-Encore stable of restaurants? Were you recruited, or how did it happen?
Jet Tila: I think it was 2007 and I was just doing my thing in L.A., teaching, moonlighting at different restaurants there, and I was doing a lot of consulting in those days. I got a cold call from Elizabeth Blau, and she was telling me I was on their radar. They wanted to do Pan-Asian at Encore. It was such a cold call that I really thought someone was messing with me. But I played it cool, I was going along with it. I wrote a menu concept and sent my resume and they called back and said, "Let's do a tasting." So now I know this is for real, so let's do it. The whole time I knew in my bones they were not going to hire me. I don't have the normal pedigree. I didn't spend 20 years at any restaurant. I've had a varied career so far: I was at the L.A. Times, I've been in management, I was at Bon Appetit. I've really kinda tailored my career to have fun and do these different things. I'm not a restaurant dog. So we did the tasting. It was like nine courses in 45 minutes, and everybody was there. I came in for two days with one day for prep, and I cooked my ass off. I was working out of Richard Chen's kitchen at Wing Lei and he was just an amazing resource and inspiration. So they told me to stay a little longer and I thought this might be for real. And I flew back to L.A. with a contract in hand. In my opinion, I think coming into it, I was not necessarily what they were looking for. It was more a matter of just leaving it all here. This was my one shot, and I wasn't really nervous because I didn't think they would hire me. I was able to just relax and cook.


Before that, what was your previous Vegas experience like?
It was from being a child and coming here with my family. I was one of the arcade kids who would get dropped off while the parents go to the casino. My dad was a big player in the '80s. Later on, like everyone else, I came out a couple times a year to party my ass off. As far as restaurants go, like most people, I think you see a lot of big names but never really felt like it was the exact same experience you'd get from those names in other cities, like in New York. Very few people really cook their asses off all the time, and now I understand more why. The numbers here are just crushing. Sometimes you have to tailor your approach in fine dining, and this is one of those places. You can be working in a great Michelin restaurant doing 80 a night, and then here you're doing 200 to 300. It's crazy. And you don't really understand it, the different approach, until you see it.


Traditionally, Asian restaurants on the Strip have been Chinese or sushi, and then more recently we've seen this all-encompassing Pan-Asian label a lot. With that in mind, how did you develop the menu and concept for Wazuzu?
I cook like what I lived in L.A. I'm a Chinese kid by blood, growing up in Thai restaurants, and I'm a total blend of the San Gabriel valley where I was born. There you've got Chinatown in the west, Thai-town, where I really grew up, and Little Tokyo. All of them are inspirations and part of my life experience. My angle on Pan-Asian is a little different. I've got these three cores that I'm super comfortable doing, and that has translated into some dishes you're not going to see anywhere on the Strip. Where are you going to see Nasi Goreng (a Malaysian fried rice dish) on the Strip? At the end of the day, I feel like I know Asian people and they want it hot and dirty, and they want it authentic and clean. This is not the place for fusion. I think that approach is dead or dying.


You've blogged about restaurant critics and would-be critics, and one of the reactions to Wazuzu and other ethnic restaurants on the Strip is that there is a certain amount of watering down that has to be done to the cuisine in order to appeal to the masses. Yet you seem like a purist. Do you feel like you have to compromise your cooking?
I think my heart is pure. But you really have to respect guys like Mr. Wynn who are going to give a kid a few million dollars to play with in terms of restaurants. It's a bigger problem I have with reviewers sometimes. At the end of the day, our bosses know their market. If I cook the first menu I wrote for this restaurant, 40 percent of the dishes are going to get returned. It's a little too foreign, a little too weird. I think I'm one of the few white coats who has seen it from both sides, and I sympathize with both sides of this ballgame. Chefs need to understand that writers need something to write about. Writers need to understand it's not easy to build a restaurant. We spend all that money, and we have to recoup that. Now, we see it's coming to a point in time where we, the chefs and restaurants, have a voice, and that's on the internet. Back in the day, critics would throw something out there, and the restaurants would never have the chance to respond.  But going back to the food, I think I'm as authentic as I can be for my property. I'm definitely somebody who fights for my food. There is integrity in my food, and if you're an honest and traveled diner, you can pick apart my menu and say, "I get it." If you're just going to do a snapshot review, you can pick apart anybody. And as far as working with managers, there's always this line where you're going to push and pull with each other. They're giving me a voice so even when they reign me in, I can understand why. I wanted to do stuff like little suckling pigs here. Everyone raves about Momofuku, and I naively wanted to create something like that. But that doesn't work here. That can't work when you have more of a captive audience instead of regulars. 

You still write, you blog, you pop up in a lot of articles and at events, and you have become pretty active in the restaurant community in Las Vegas in a short time. How important is that to developing your restaurant and your brand?
There is some calculation there. I feel like anyone who is good at what they do understands that it's important in this day and age to embrace technology and good marketing and public relations. It is genuine, for me, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm cool like that. I'll take advantage of any outlet possible to get my food out there, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it. I want to know who's who in my community and I try to stay plugged in to what's going on.


You've written a little about local places you like. Do you get to eat out a lot? And what are your Vegas favorites so far?
I'm like you. Most writers are genuine adventurers. Unfortunately I live in the culinary wasteland of Las Vegas known as Henderson. I mean, I love it where I live, but outside of Grimaldi's, Settebello and a few others, there's not a lot. Chinatown is amazing. In some ways it's bigger than the area I grew up in. It's vast, and it's going to take a long time to really get through it. My short list is Krung Thai, Raku is another one, KJ Kitchen for Cantonese, HK Harbor is another one. For Indian, I do Origin India. The naan bread there is some of the best I've had. It's always such a personal thing, what's good or bad. Pho So 1 is dope. I really don't get to eat on the Strip so much. Like so many in the corporate chef world, I'm taking a cut and eating on the Strip is so expensive. So that's my short list for now.

INTERVIEW: Jean Paul Labadie

Jean Paul Labadie iswas executive chef at Marche Bacchus in Summerlin.

You were born and raised in Puerto Rico. You have a Spanish and Italian background, but you're known for cooking French food. How does that diversity influence your style?

Jean Paul Labadie: I was born in Puerto Rico and spent my first 19 years there on the island. My grandparents on my mom's side are Spanish, and then my great grandparents, one is French and one is Italian. They all cooked a lot, but especially the French side of the family, and that's how I got stuck with a French name. But of course I studied French technique in school, and then when you're in America, nothing is sacred. You take it and turn it and put your own twist on it. But there is a lot of diversity in my background and even though we are a French bistro, we offer these different things. There are some Asian items on the menu, because those tend to be a little lighter. Sometimes the French menu can get a little heavy, especially these days when so many are trying to eat healthy. But all the chefs here grew up differently, and we have those influences on the menu.

You spent many years working for Emeril Lagasse's company, under him in New Orleans and then here in Las Vegas at Emeril's in MGM Grand and Table 10 at Palazzo. What was it like working with such a big name?

Most of my family has been in New Orleans for forty years, so I was always in and out of the city. After I went to school and started cooking, I figured, my family is there, I've got a spare bedroom there and it would be a great place to work. I was lucky to get hired at Emeril's right away. This was before he was on TV. He was still in the restaurant, in the kitchen all the time, and I learned a lot from him. Then when it was time to open in Vegas, because I am bilingual in English and Spanish, they took me. But yes, I was with Emeril before he became what he is now, and that was a cool thing for us. We saw this chef that was so great, to come from Commander's (Palace) and opening his own places, and then doing all this other stuff, TV and more. We saw it all happen before our eyes. He went to just this awesome chef to an owner of an empire he created all on his own. Him and his partners, they did it from the ground up, and he's still one of the hardest working people ever. He always led by example. He was always in the kitchen, always telling us what he was doing. He was a great teacher.

What made you want to leave the big restaurant scene on the Strip to come to Marche Bacchus?
When you work with someone like Emeril, you have to agree, it's the Emeril show. No matter how good you are, it's still his show. And I agreed with it. I enjoyed running his restaurant. That was great at that point and I was able to develop my own system under his. After 14 years -- and I'm not comparing myself to Emeril in any way -- I thought I have the skills now and it's time to do something myself, to market my own name. It was just time for me to do my own thing. This allows me that focus, to focus on Jean Paul.


What are the differences between running a restaurant on the Strip and doing it in the neighborhood?
People tell me all the time, "Oh you must be so relaxed now than on the Strip, it must be so much easier." But really, it's not. On the Strip you have so much volume, and you are just taking care of your name, but there you don't see the same people every week or even every month. At a local restaurant, you really have to bring your A game every single day. On the Strip, a high roller might come in and spend a bunch of money and you'll never see him again. You don't have that luxury in a neighborhood restaurant. The kitchen is much larger there and it's easier to work, and you're staff is much larger. Here, it's just you and your sous chef, really. You can't delegate too much. The buck stops with you. And you don't have the luxuries of the Strip, you don't have an office. You're doing your paperwork on the kitchen counter. There are just a lot of things you have to do on the fly and be more hands on. Sometimes on the strip, as an executive chef, you become more of a manager and you're not on the line so often. Here I'm on the line four or five nights a week, on top of doing all that other cool stuff.


Marche Bacchus always has been known for its lakeside views and wine program, and now in the last year since you've been there, the cuisine is earning a reputation of its own. What was your strategy in enhancing this restaurant?
It was a challenge, especially with the lunch menu. It has been very popular over the years and everyone knows it. They said, the regulars just want to come in and have a lobster croissant. People said don't touch that sandwich. It was just, let's have a bottle of Riesling by the lake with a lobster croissant. But on the other hand, you have to give something new a chance, be patient with me. Some things we kept, and others not. But the main thing was going back to the basics. Now we are roasting our own bones, makeing our own stocks, soups and sauces. That wasn't done here before, and it's a tough challenge to take on. Sometimes you don't want to mess with the equation. If it worked well, why change it, right? But why would I want to come in and do the same thing that was done before? Everyone here understood that, and now the menu is more complicated. You know, our tuna dish takes four pans to complete it. Our salmon, before it took three and now it takes six different spacs on the line to work on. These are the little details, but that's what we are doing: coming in and breaking it down, the traditional French style, and rebuilding it. One thing we completely re-did was the onion soup. We're just taking more time with it, really caramelizing the onions, cooking it down 45 minutes to an hour. I guess, with things like that, we really complicated our lives a lot. But it's definitely better for our guests.


You've been cooking in Las Vegas for quite some time now. How have you seen the restaurant scene change over the years?
It's funny because when I first came here, it was just Emeril and Wolfgang (Puck). We were the only two celebrity restaurants in the city so we were always busy. Now you have all the Food Network names here and the competition on the Strip went nuts in just two or three years. We really had to re-invent the wheel every year just to compete. And that translated into the neighborhoods. In Summerlin, it used to be just Rosemary's. When that place opened, people went crazy because now you have a Strip-quality restaurant in the neighborhood, and then other places started popping up. Now we have places like Vintner Grill, Nora's and others and the competition in our neighborhood is almost as strong as it is on the Strip. And we've got that locals factor so you have to do all you can because when people have extra money to spend, they want to know they're spending it well when they go out to eat. They want to know the food will come well prepared and it's not going to be a crapshoot. We are still a little off the beaten path, and I think people still think of chains first when they decide to go out. But there are a lot of people coming back to us now because they forgot about Marche for a while and they are curious about visiting again.


You have lived in the area for a few years. Where do you and your family like to eat?
It varies a lot. If I'm not cooking for or taking care of the family, or eating at home after work, we like to go to the late night places. You know, you are tasting all through work, all night, but you never sit down to have dinner or a glass of wine. We eat sushi often after hours. Sushi Mon is one of my favorites. For something different we might go to Sedona. They have a nice bar area and a nice menu. And then of course you have places like Kona Grill with its crazy happy hours.


What is coming up at Marche Bacchus?
Well we are about to change a lot in the next week or so, the first week of March, for spring. We won't change the whole menu, but we'll do about three items in each category, appetizers, salads and entrees. The weather is going to nice very soon and of course we have that great view of the lake. Those tables are going to fill up fast so it's definitely time to start making reservations.

INTERVIEW: Carlos Guia

Carlos Guia is executive chef at The Country Club at Wynn Las Vegas, and also known as the chef of the former Commander's Palace restaurant in the former Aladdin.

How did your path lead to Wynn Las Vegas in 2008?
Carlos Guia: I ran Commander’s Palace for seven years, opened it and closed it, and then I had the opportunity to open Louis’ Las Vegas and Louis’ Fish Camp (at Town Square). We had issues with the economy then, with opening on time. We paid a lot of money for overtime construction to make sure Louis’ would open on time, and it did, and then we sat there for five or six months until the mall picked up business. We had good reviews, good feedback from locals, but it was just time to move on. With everything going on, I knew I wanted to find a great property that appreciates food, backs their people, and just a good culinary environment where everyone appreciates what we do for a living. I was lucky to land a spot at SW Steakhouse with David Walzog, where I was chef de cuisine for eight months, and then I was very happy to move on to the Country Club.

How do the two steakhouses, Country Club and SW, coexist or work together within the same resort?
They offer very different environments, even if the cuisine is similar. David Walzog has his own style and I have my own style. The steaks may be similar and the method of cooking them, but when it comes down to appetizers, seafood and the rest of the menu, we both kind of put our own spin on things. SW is a little hipper, a little more upbeat, while we are more relaxed. Country Club has a very serene environment overlooking the golf course and the waterfall. When you walk into the room, you don’t feel like you’re in Las Vegas. It feels like some other place, just a different feeling. To have that on the Strip is something new. It’s completely relaxed.

How do you go about setting Country Club apart from so many other steakhouses on and off the Strip?
I just try to take all my past experiences, growing up in Venezuela, living in New Orleans, traveling in Europe and working in New York City, and let those experiences shine through. I have a pretty diverse background in cuisine. I have classical French training but I like to do my Southern American and Caribbean flavors. Of course, those Southern roots come through, and there are people who expect to see shrimp and grits or gumbo, so I like to work that stuff in when I can. In the summer we put a watermelon gazpacho on the menu to cool off, with the jumbo lump crab. And I think the foie gras gumbo is pretty special.

How does your experience working at Wynn compare to New York, New Orleans and other places in your background?
We all really care about what we do, and there is a good amount of freedom here to express ourselves through food. It's kind of like, here is the restaurant, what can we do with it? The mold was already here: it's a new American steakhouse. Luckily I have a diverse American cuisine background, and it's so varied and such a great palate to work with. I just came in and -- I don't want to say, did my greatest hits -- but looked at the menu to see how I could really make it my own, being nice and diverse, offering a great variety.

Commander's Palace was truly a great restaurant and a lot of people were sad to see it close. What happened, and was there a plan to re-open in Las Vegas?
I was in New Orleans working with the Brennans for about three years, I left for two, and they asked me back to open Commander's Las Vegas. This was in 1999, and I thought, I'm not sure about Las Vegas. The second or third time they asked, I looked into it more seriously. It was still very up-and-coming then. Bellagio had opened, and the Venetian was on the way in. It was developing a lot more. So how could I say no to a world class restaurant with so much trust in me? I took the opportunity. Then the whole situation with (closing) and the Aladdin's bankruptcy ... there were a lot changes in management, and it was pretty early on, about three years in, that we decided as a group to see if there was a better place to be. But it took too long, about four years, to get out of the lease. There was a plan to re-open in early 2007, but at the time a lot of the rents were astronomical. We're talking $130 per square foot. It's really hard to make money at those levels. So I have to give it to the Brennans for knowing what they could do. They eventually opened Commander's in Destin, Florida. But they had been looking for a management contract, a hotel or restaurant group that wanted to use them as a flagship restaurant and let them run it. It didn't happen. But I still talk to Brad Brennan all the time, he still lives in Las Vegas, and he's still looking. Things are not the same as when we first opened. We had a great following, but it was a 350-seat restaurant and the plans were to scale that back so we'd be packed every night. It's hard to say now. But you never know.

How has the restaurant landscape changed in your time in Vegas? Do you think the poor economy will leave a lasting effect on Vegas' dining reputation?
It's definitely a place that’s growing every day, and there are still a lot of great chefs coming in. I've always enjoyed Las Vegas. After living in New York City for eight years, there are things I miss about that. But when I came here I learned there is a lot to do if you want to do it. But if you want to live in the suburbs, that's good here, too. I probably do a little bit of both. I like to do charity events, throw some support to local students and schools. I try to get out sometimes, but I also like my peace and quiet. As for the economy, that's a topic my friends and I have talked about a lot. There are a lot of different issues and expectations. But what we've decided is to keep pushing ourselves and make sure that when our guests come in, they are fully satisfied. People may not be spending as much but we still need to make them happy and make them want to come back. I don't know if the economy can ruin the city's reputation.

What do you think Las Vegas needs to continue to grow into a great restaurant city?
It's actually been growing a lot throughout the years, and I don't want to say it has slowed with the economy. I like the way neighborhood restaurants are coming up more, and it's a little more spread out instead of being concentrated just on the Strip. It's great to have different ethnic cuisines popping up instead of just French, Italian, and the steakhouse. Honestly, I don't get out to try restaurants as much as I should. When I get some time I like to spend it at home and do a little cooking with the kids. But the way I feel about food is definitely a passion, and I like to show that on a menu. I was just doing an interview the other day and talking about signature dishes, and I was saying you can call it a signature dish if you like but if it doesn't sell, it's not truly a signature. At Country Club, we'll bend over backwards to make a guest happy. If people are in the mood for something new, this is the place to be because we'll do whatever we can. As long as we have the capability, anything's possible.

INTERVIEW: Kerry Simon

Kerry Simon is executive chef at Simon at Palms Place. He previously operated Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Las Vegas.

You've made some serious moves lately. How do new developments keep things fresh for you as a chef and restaurateur?
Kerry Simon: Change is always good, and finding home is also good. It's nice to be moving around a bit, finding the right people to do things with. There have been really big changes in Vegas in general. It’s a breath of fresh air to be working with the Maloofs (at the Palms). George really built me out a great restaurant, and to be so involved in it is spectacular.

How different did you want the Palms restaurant to be from Simon at the Hard Rock?
I just thought it was the next stop. I spent a lot of time looking at plans over and over. I really wanted a green restaurant, but also something that if you look at it, you can see it’s a Kerry Simon restaurant. It has a sushi bar, a fireplace, the pool area, and a lot of stone behind the bar. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

When you're starting over, do you feel pressure to please the following you've built at other restaurants?
I am in a business that is already very challenging. Working with the Maloofs and with all the promotion they do, it’s pretty incredible. But I'm always challenging myself. I can take nothing for granted, and that goes for the client as well. With this restaurant, we wanted to do what Simon was but make it new and improved. In a way, it was like growing up.

As far as the menu, is it tough to pull off the balance of presenting what your audience is calling for while bringing in something new?
Yes. As soon as I pull something off the menu that’s been around for a while, they order it. They complain. But we're ready to do anything. If I take the sea trout tandoori off, I’m still prepared to make it. We have this California pizza with tuna, crab, a wasabi base on it, and it's not on the menu now but people order it so we’re ready for it. At the end of the day, it's not how the menu is. The food has to be great, and we have to be ready to please people.

Your Sunday brunch is developing quite a following and has an attitude all its own. What is the genesis of bringing back such an old tradition?
Well I really thought Vegas needed a brunch, I felt like in all major cities there’s places that do brunch, and what a place for it: in front of the beautiful pool. But it had to be reinvented. We had to figure out how to do it in a unique and interesting way. So we get everybody together and have meetings, really intense meetings, trying to figure out the whole thing. What are the stations? What’s the marketing going to be? We get it perfect and then it's unleashed. People are coming in pajamas, there are nurse's outfit, girls in lingerie, and the bloody mary bar. Now everybody is doing a bloody mary bar. Every time I pick up the paper I see an ad for a new brunch with bloody marys, mimosas. I didn’t invent it. But what we did do is create something fun, an escape for you and your friends. It just clicked. But we didn't just do it. It's busy now, but that's a process, a long process to figure it out and then do all the hard work.

CatHouse is an entirely different experience. How would you describe that scene?
Cathouse started out as more European and it's gone through zillions of changes. It's really just a constant growth there. It's just different, a different kind of mindset. We fooled around with different stuff to see what works and what doesn’t, and at the end of the day it's a lot of steak and potatoes.

You've had multiple experiences on and just off the Strip. Is there a big difference running a restaurant from a place like Luxor to a place like the Palms?
Who is the operator? That's really the question you’re asking. When you work with Steve Wynn, he has this thing in his head already. He has visualized it differently than other people and he knows what he wants. It's much different than what you step into when you're doing your own thing. You have to create a vision for a restaurant that, really, it could be anywhere, but it has to say this is us. What’s the feeling of that? It's me ripping things out of magazines for a bunch of years, gathering all this info then trying to decipher what we’re gonna do with it.

You've been in Vegas long enough to appreciate the unique problems the city and restaurants here are facing today. How do you think the economy will affect the development of Vegas as a great dining destination?
I think it's gonna be pretty solid. First off, it feels like things are springing back a little bit. Casinos can withstand certain things. Certain restaurants will never have a hard time. There are so many talented chefs to continue. Restaurants which are not taken seriously may fall to the wayside. I think people are looking for ... not a deal, but what they’re getting for their money. It seems what they eat and drink tends to be a little more average priced.

Can you predict what the restaurant scene will look like in the next few years?
It's a tricky question. Pricing has changed. Two weeks ago the Palms had one of highest room prices in Vegas. It's hard to predict what will happen next. I'm open to going back to what Vegas was, more approachable for everybody, because it seemed like it was getting up there. Vegas should be more approachable. That’s where I’m at already. I want to be able to have people come and enjoy themselves. That's what it's all about. I never wanted to be in any way in that (higher) price range. But if you buy prime meat in my restaurant, you're still paying for it. Meat is expensive. But I think it's bouncing back. This is going to turn into a positive. Eventually it will stabilize and all move forward. Vegas is the same attraction it always was.

INTERVIEW: Linda Rodriguez

Linda Rodriguez is executive chef at Hachi, the modern Japanese restaurant at the Red Rock Resort.


When the Red Rock Resort opened in 2006, Hachi was not part of the restaurant lineup. It took a little while longer to finish the restaurant up. How did that work?
Linda Rodriguez: Actually it was about a year before everything was set up, just a year. It was still dirt and sand when Red Rock was opened They just couldn’t find a chef to create a restaurant in time. But for me it was a good deal that it wasn’t opened by somebody else, that it was fresh and built right in front of our eyes. It gave us time to really prepare for training and staffing and menu development.


And this was your first adventure to Vegas from New York?
Yes, I came from New York. I had been living there almost 20 years. I was born in the Philippines and both my mom and dad are from there. I came to the States when I was seven years old. We traveled around, stayed in California a little while, and then my dad was stationed in Japan for three years. Then we came back to Florida, and from there I sort of headed out and worked in a lot of restaurants, from there to Louisiana. I was in New Orleans a little while, and it was there I started cooking. My experience before then was waiting tables, bartending. Not until Louisiana, where I worked for a classical French restaurant in Baton Rouge, did I get in the kitchen. There was a lady chef there who kinda inspired me. We got really close, she let me in her kitchen, and I started training there. She really pushed me to go to school, to go to CIA in New York. So drove all the way from the South up to New York and went to school. On weekends I would go to New York City since it was just a couple hours train ride away, and I really tried to knock on doors of really nice restaurants in New York and try to work for free. I saw a lot of exposure doing that. After school I had to go back to the city. I thought, why not stay? It was so vibrant, the food capital, and I moved in with a friend in the city and eventually found my place. I worked in a few places. My first paying job was at River Cafe in Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge. And after a couple years I heard about this Japanese restaurant coming called Nobu. Nobody knew it at the time. But I was able to get my foot in the door and I got a job at Nobu. Ever since that, I've been doing Japanese, ever since. And that gave me the opportunity travel to Europe and open Nobu in London in the Metropolitan Hotel. It was an awesome experience, and that’s where I met my husband. After London, I came back to New York and thought I'd stay with Nobu, but I ended up getting hunted down for my first executive chef job at BondSt. I was there for nine years. I also had the opportunity to go to Mexico City for two years and open a restaurant from the owners of Bond St.


You really have been all over, and worked in some of the most intense restaurant cities in the world. Has that experience made it easy or difficult to develop your own style?
It has helped me to cultivate my style a lot. With my classical French training and experience at a classical school, with working in Baton Rouge with a really great lady chef, and with my Asian background -- she was French Vietnamese, also, so she was cooking classical French in the restaurant but at lunchtime cooking Vietnamese, Chinese, Cajun, Indian -- it has given me this great base. Everything else came with that. I was very fortunate to have someone that really took me under her wing. A lot of what I do comes from her.


So how did you end up in Vegas at the Red Rock?
I was in New York. I was getting calls from Vegas all the time, headhunters. Usually I'd hang up. But I drew interest in this one because it's not on the Strip. We were thinking of doing our own place in Brooklyn. But it was really expensive. So we thought, let’s talk to Station Casinos. We had no idea what Station was. We talked to them, and they agreed to fly us over to check on the property in Summerlin and see Vegas. Last time I was in Vegas I was really young, and it was just desert. I didn’t remember much of what it was. It has grown so much, and it's especially beautiful over here. And it sure beats New York weather. We saw the property and talked to all the people, checked everything out, did research, and decided to take a chance.


What made you want to stay away from the Strip?
I'm just so used to local clientele. I've never been to the Strip, not since I was little. In my mind it was just a place for tourists. I never really knew how big it was over here right now. But, you know ... I wouldn’t work in Disneyland. I didn’t want to be stuck working in that kind of vibe. Finding out Station Casinos was more local, that seemed more attractive. And we have a lot of regulars.


Did Station always want a Japanese restaurant?
It was always going to be Japanese. I told them they were crazy. They wouldn’t listen to me.


Have you tried lots of Japanese and sushi restaurants around town and in your neighborhood?
We've hit them all, just to see how far sushi has gotten in Vegas. The difference is the East Coast is more traditional, while the West Coast is more...


California?
Yeah. and that did change our thoughts about what kind of sushi we were going to do. For a while, we were still feeling it out, but I think finally we're feeling it right now. Traditional is boring. It has to be fun.


So now that you're settled, what are your impressions of the restaurant and food scene in Vegas?
It’s definitely here. Maybe it's five years behind, especially with sushi. It’s weird. I never thought seaweed salad would sell here but it's selling like hotcakes. I didn’t think people would appreciate the different colors and textures, or the different kinds of textures in fish. I really didn't know if they would order it or not. Things are bit more exotic on the fish side at hachi, but we're introducing it slowly. It's not bad. We're trying to educate without being too pushy. In New York, you can put cod sperm in a martini glass and people would order it just to try it out. Here, you have to be more careful, ease it in a little bit, introduce it. Give it a try. It can be frustrating sometimes but I don’t mind it, because in a way we're kind of lifting up the community a little bit.


Where do you like to eat when you get a chance to try something new?
We mostly eat at Chinatown. It's pretty good. Thank god they have a Chinatown here. We found a couple cook places recently that we like in the neighborhood. Nora’s is pretty good. We wanna go back again. Marche Bacchus also is okay. Little by little we are finding places. We’re just simple people, too. We like to go somewhere the food is cooked properly. It doesn’t have to be foo-foo. I think Summerlin is missing a great bistro place. Most of time we eat Asian, Malaysian food, Thai food. Authentic Asian things are here, and for Indian food you can find a couple places that are pretty good.


What do you think is most unique about the Hachi menu right now?
The small plates are working out pretty good. We know we have to bend a little bit with the economy, so we really worked those plates out, the cost and the presentation. It gives people more tastes. You can order vive or six different things instead of just appetizer and entree. We don’t get to go out too much but when we do, when I find a good place, I know I want to try everything. So that's why we're doing the 38 under 8 menu. And we didn’t want to call it tapas. It's just 38 under 8 right now.



Is working in a big, beautiful casino resort everything you thought it would be?
I really had no idea. I was so green. I've never worked in a corporate or casino environment in my life. And I've learned a lot along the way. It's tough to get a light bulb changed. It’s corporate. You can’t just fire people like you used to. "I got to talk to who?" But I've learned a lot about that stuff, how to manage in the corporate world. My husband says I'm good at it but I just try to treat everyone right, go through the process. If I had to do it again I would really pinpoint everything so it wouldn’t be difficult. But so far I enjoy it. I really do. When we took this opportunity in a casino, we thought a lot about taking a risk, or what happens if don’t like it. Really, we are so lucky here because of the economy. If we tried doing it on our own in Brooklyn or New York, we'd be going through hardships like a lot of people. The casino draws people in, and they definitely help with advertising and PR. We are very fortunate to be in a beautiful casino like Red Rock.

INTERVIEW: Mario Batali

Besides being one of the most recognized chefs in the world, Mario Batali has a stake B&B and Enoteca San Marco at the Venetian and CarneVino at the Palazzo.

Your newest Vegas restaurant is Carnevino at the recently opened Palazzo resort. Why did you decide to open your first steakhouse, and how did you settle on this approach?
Mario Batali: I love the simplicity of the steakhouse experience but always felt short of options eating at one. We combined perfect American beef with the magnificence of the Italian table and came up with Carnevino.


Your other Vegas eateries are B&B and the more casual Enoteca San Marco, both in the Venetian resort. How do those menus and dining experiences play off each other?
Each has its own feel, menu, chef and style. The most casual is Enoteca, which is open all day for anything from an elaborate four-course meal to a simple pizza and a gelato. B&B is the full magilla for dinner only and is a bit more formal and ambitious, along the lines of our flagship Babbo in New York City.


You chose to expand your empire into Las Vegas after the celebrity chef wave had been in full swing for several years. Was that intentional, or what influenced the timing of Mario Batali in Vegas?
It took us a long time to find the right place and deal ... Rob Goldstein and Lou Silvestri had a lot to do with it. We do not like the idea of a licensing agreement so we actually own the restaurants with the Venetian and really enjoy the collaboration.


Do you spend much time in Las Vegas? Do you get to try other restaurants?
I am there every six weeks and almost never leave the Venetian and Palazzo, except to play golf.


How would you describe the culinary reputation of Las Vegas versus a more established dining city like New York?
Vegas is in the top three gastrodestinations in the country due to the incredible variety of options and the serious nature of the competition.


You've been popping up lately on a lot of episodes of "Iron Chef America." If you could battle one chef, who would it be?
Tetsuya (Wakuda, Japanese-born chef based in Australia).


What is your newest project, or what is keeping you busy right now?
Right now I am chilling for the bulk of the summer with my wife and kids. In the last 16 months we have opened five restaurants, I shot my new TV show for PBS in Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow and I wrote two books. I am gonna work on my short game for a month or two.

INTERVIEW: Todd Clore

Todd Clore is chef/owner of Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson.

You've worked all over and created a very eclectic career before settling in Vegas. Is there any one place that has impacted you most as a chef?
Todd Clore: Everywhere I've worked has affected me in some part or another. My whole career has been high-end fine dining, and I've tried to take what they gave me and really push the boundaries every place I've been. We've always tried to purchase the best products we can find, and that's something I've never changed. Now, with my own restaurant, I figure it's only up to me to screw it up. I buy absolutely the best. That's my whole philosophy. As long as I do my thing, respect the ingredient, cook it naturally and simply and present it beautifully, my job is done. I've always done it that way.


Why did you decide to open Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson?
I moved to Henderson in 1995 and just fell in love with the place. I have a family, I have two kids, and it was and is a great place for us. The problem was I like to eat, and there really wasn't any place in Henderson to eat. I still don't think there is very many. You don't want to take your kids and go to the Strip. So we have our restaurant and it's close by, and we've had a lot of friends and neighbors, even in the beginning, that have discovered us and kept coming.


So how do you think Henderson stacks up with other parts of town, off the Strip, when it comes to dining?
I guess it ends up depending on the people who are making the big decisions, the guys opening multi-billion dollar hotels and shopping centers. That has been the deciding factor on where the restaurants go around our neighborhoods. There are some great restaurants in a place like Summerlin, but if you look at the rest of the offerings, it's really become a mecca for corporate dining. Everything is chains. And Henderson is like that as well, when you look at what has developed in areas like Green Valley Ranch and Anthem. If you're looking for true, independent restaurants that have lasted, there are maybe 20 in town. But I really like our area. It's friendly. We have great clientele, and we get tourists, too. Most of our clientele is coming from within five minutes of here, but we get tourists, too, and that comes with building a destination restaurant. I guess the Green Valley Ranch area might be the center of dining in Henderson, but when I moved here, it was this area. This was where everything was happening.


Your restaurant certainly has received its share of acclaim. How do you describe its style and cuisine?
We call it unique not to be pompous, but honestly because we didn't know what else to call it. I get in modes where I just fall in love with an ingredient or a cuisine, and you'll see it all over the menu, whether it's something Thai or French. You'll see a lot of different expressions of that, and then I'll tire of it and go somewhere else. It is kind of a fusion. You're going to see a lot of the continental offerings you might see elsewhere, rack of lamb, fish, a filet. But we assure you it will be prepared uniquely and very well in that realm. By that I mean if it's a French dish, it's going to be really French. We like to give our clientele a lot of options, the food is going to be tasty and we're not afraid to use bold flavors.

Has the menu or the restaurant changed much over the years?
I'm rewriting the menu every day. I had some guests recently that came in eight days in a row, and I don't think they had the same thing for dinner twice. That's something that's not really possible at other restaurants. I'm taking them different places. And our changes are really based on the seasons. Heirloom tomatoes just came back in so we're going to do a couple different things with heirlooms. Same with soft shell crabs, but I'm blowing through those as fast as I can get them. And when the season ends, it's over. When halibut season is over, I won't serve halibut again until it comes back up to our standards. Nothing is frozen. We won't do anything that's not in season. I don't do that. The quality isn't where I want it to be so I'll take it off the menu until it is. And I think that gives our customers a lot of confidence that if we have it, it's going to be good. And it gives us the opportunity to showcase different things.


How does running your own restaurant compare to cooking on the Strip?
A little slice of heaven, whatever that may be, that's what owning your own restaurant is like. I did 10 years hard time and that was enough for me. I say that as a joke, but working for a big corporation like that is kind of like being on a big boat in the middle of the ocean. There are 300 people driving that thing but no one is making their own decisions. In a hotel environment on the Strip, it's hard to change anything. By the time you get all the VP's signatures and all that junk, the year is up and you might as well be running the same menu. I ran the Sterling Brunch at Bally's for nine and a half years, and that was my saving grace because I changed that menu every week. We seldom repeated anything, and that was the only thing that kept me going. I kind of got to be the independent guy in the corporate environment, and without that I wouldn't have lasted. It's just not my style.


Where do you take people to impress when you get visitors from out of town?
I take people to the Strip. I take them for the architecture and for the grandeur. Most of my friends are in the restaurant business and at a certain point you just go to look, see what's going on and have fun. There are some good places on the Strip and very few cities that have the type of dining we have there. We're very blessed with that. All it does is take everyone else's game up that much higher. What's phenomenal today will be passe' tomorrow. You've got the stars ... Picasso, Guy Savoy, Robuchon, Alex, all the big names like that. The next hotel to open will be Encore and you wonder what they'll do there. It's always a step up. It's a great place to be. But I just get to be this guy in Henderson. I love to get national attention. I get to feed all the GMs and chefs. I'm just doing my own thing and having fun, and I don't have to deal with all that crazy.