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.

attack of the asian burgers!

There are those who would say Las Vegas has no signature food item to call its own, nothing to compare to the Philly cheesesteak, the Chicago dog, the slice of New York pizza, etc. (Nevermind the fact that we have all of those.) To those doubters I offer this: the gourmet burger is all Vegas, baby. Sure, it may not have been invented here, but that doesn't matter. We've got the greatest burgers from across the country, from California's In-N-Out to Illinois' Steak 'n Shake, and that's just the beginning. Almost every hotel-casino on the Strip has its very own upscale burger joint, from Hubert Keller's Burger Bar to Kerry Simon's KGB at Harrah's. Americans never seem to get sick of eating burgers, and Vegas is the most American city you could ever hope to visit. So take that.

But ... I do get sick of eating burgers. I didn't even want to try all the new cowdisc emporiums popping up all over the place. In fact, I was completely burger'd out, until something magical happened ... something Asian happened ... something new was born. The first time I tried an Asian-flavored burger, it was disappointing. The attempt: combine a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich with a hamburger. The flavors were muddled and messy, and it didn't come close to working.

Then I tried Bachi Burger, and despite the previous banh mi letdown, I took a risk and ordered this version from a very interesting menu. Despite a lot of positive buzz about this small-but-hip neighborhood restaurant, I wasn't expecting much. But I was blown away by the flavor explosion of Bachi's banh mi burger, a super-meaty patty of beef, pork and shrimp with a sweet-and-sour tang. The bun is slightly sweet, those necessary pickled veggies and fresh jalapenos are served on the side so you can add as much as you need, and there's even a slice of porky pate to bring some extra authenticity. It's beyond juicy, and really represents the flavors of this Vietnamese standby without sacrificing beefy goodness. And Bachi's menu is full of other Asian-inspired burgers, like the Ronin, which has a fried egg, Japanese coleslaw and miso sauce.

With these awesome new options, I was back to loving burgers, as long as they were Asian. So it was okay, again, to go to some new, fancy, Strip casino's burger place, like Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan, as long as I could order something awesome like the Rising Sun: teriyaki-glazed Kobe beef with threads of fried yam, furikake, spicy mayo and tempura avocado. Holsteins also appears to have mastered the subtle art of infusing Asian flavors into our iconic American sandwich without fucking up what we love most in a burger -- big beef in every bite.

But this blog entry is a PUNCH OFF! and you know what that means ... there was to be a winner. There has to be a king crowned in this Vegas Asian burger battle, and I don't think it gets any better than Fukuburger. Now, keep in mind that when you're eating from a food truck, you can't let hipness be a factor. It's fun to order from a truck, hang with the homies in the parking lot and eat outside, but none of that stuff changes the fact that Fukuburgers are delicious. The number one, standard Fuku is a good starting spot for this menu, with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickled ginger, American cheese and special sauce. The ginger, contrasting nicely with the miso and other flavors in the beef, throws everything into another world of flavor. I also deeply love Fuku's version of loco moco, that Hawaiian gutbuster of a burger over rice with a savory brown gravy. But definitely do not miss the Tamago burger (pictured), with a perfect, oozy fried egg, crispy onions, a little teriyaki and a little furikake with the special sauce. The egg brings a potent richness, and the combination really brings out the fact that Fuku cooks their meat perfectly. It's juicy with a great burn on the outside and pink on the inside, exactly the way a burger is meant to be. That's why these guys are one of the top food trucks in the burgeoning Vegas scene. But wheels or no, Fukuburgers can go head-to-head with the best in the city.

in case you haven't heard, the cosmopolitan is cool.

On Level 3 of The Cosmopolitan, just past the unbelievable presence of a go-ahead-and-play billiards table, hanging on the wall near the Blue Ribbon restaurant, there are some nifty Rat Pack portraits, flashbacks of Frank, Dean and Sammy hanging with pretty girls and being cool. I was looking at them and I wondered: Is The Cosmopolitan the kinda place these guys would hang at? I'm sure these pictures are here to make me think the answer is "yes," to make me believe the last, latest Strip casino-hotel truly does contain the right amount of wrong, to make me imagine the Chairman would be happy to meet for a cocktail in the Vesper Bar just off the lobby. A lot of money has been spent to construct a thick layer of cool around this place, and I don't know how I feel about that, and I don't know if the Rat Pack would have kicked it here. I've never been very cool, but it doesn't take a cool person to recognize when someone or something is trying too hard. The people who assemble and tweak the concept of The Cosmopolitan, under unimaginable, unrealistic pressure to succeed, are trying very hard to make it cool.

And that's why it's so impressive that they seem to be succeeding.

Cool is in the details. It's in the crazy, mind-altering video columns in the lobby, ever-changing installations that make you feel like you stepped into a futuristic movie. It's in the subterranean parking garage, where murals by rebel artists like Shinique Smith, Shepard Fairey and Kenny Scharf confuse regular people who don't use valet. It's in those pool tables and ping pong tables and foosball tables and flatscreens up on Level 4, which is the most laidback casino swimming pool I've ever seen and the only spot with Strip-front cabanas. And cool is definitely in that not-so-secret pizza joint on glorious Level 3, squished between Blue Ribbon and Jaleo, with no signs pointing you in and no signs telling you where or how to order a slice. And damn, it is a tasty slice. From where do these guys order their pepperoni? It's spicy and garlicky and wonderful, and I was trying so hard not to buy into the hype of a hidden New York-style pizza den in a fancy casino. But it tastes so good.

I already wrote about it, but allow me to distill the message here: The Cosmopolitan had to go out on a limb, had to be different in order to survive. It is aiming for a specific audience, one other Vegas venues are targeting, and a big, big part of capturing this audience is crazy good food. The restaurant experience is the new Vegas entertainment, and that means making food and service and atmosphere something visitors are going to rave about on the plane or car ride home. While I have only sampled the most accessible, most casual Cosmo eateries (so far), it's safe to say this place is doing just that: providing delicious in a very cool way.

Among the munchies on Level 2 are Holsteins, a burger joint created by the company behind LBS in the Red Rock Resort, and China Poblano, an eclectic Chinese-Mexican concept from the famed José Andrés. At Holsteins I ate duck fat fries and blue cheese kettle potato chips, an outstanding Japanese-themed burger, and sampled a housemade mini-sausage -- longanisa on white bread with borracho beans, cheese and fried pork skin sprinklings. The flavors were impressive, and it is difficult for a burger joint to stand out among its brethren on the Strip. Holsteins seems like it will. At China Poblano ... I ate everything. I couldn't stop eating everything. Tacos of freshly made tortillas stuffed with carnitas, then spicier barbecued pork, then perfectly sweet lobster, then beef tendon with oyster. A deep, rich, red posole with chunks of fatty, tender pork and avocado and chicharrones to drop on top. Another great soup, called Ten Treasure, with shrimp, bok choy, tofu and more in a clean, light broth. A tiny braised pork gordita, rich and corny and properly greasy. Savory, crispy lamb potstickers. I know this is making you hungry for Chinese and Mexican food at the same time, and now you can get it, on the Las Vegas Strip.

Of course, more exploration will come. We must try Andrés' tapas and paella haven, Jaleo. We must try both of Scott Conant's spots, Scarpetta and DOCG. We must eat French at Comme Ça and sushi at Blue Ribbon, and eventually we will make it to the priciest and probably least accessible restaurant here, Estiatorio Milos. And in between, there likely will be many more slices of secret pizza. When it comes to food, cool shouldn't be much of a factor. But it is. It's tough not to get caught up in the cool of The Cosmopolitan, but it's easy to appreciate how tasty it is.

vegas gets mobile tasty.

Fueled by Twitter and persistent word-of-mouth, the gourmet food truck trend has officially arrived in Las Vegas. "Local" cuisine is but one of a million ways Vegas is under the influence of Southern California, and at least two of the street food carts/vehicles I'm about to shout out are directly inspired by the famed Kogi BBQ Korean taco trucks of Los Angeles. Nothing wrong with that.

But this ain't L.A. Even though we've got plenty of transplants in Vegas -- people from every major city and every point in between, really -- there aren't as many hipster foodies dwelling in the desert. This group is growing, no doubt, but Vegas gets knocked for lacking culture and the same criticism can be levied here. It's the only explanation for the notorious dominance of chain restaurants like Olive Garden and P.F. Chang's in the daily newspaper's annual Best of Las Vegas reader poll. So ... can the concept of gourmet roach coach succeed in Las Vegas? Is the populous willing to endure blistering heat, stand outside and munch on mini-burgers and Asian tacos? Does the city have enough ambitious innovators to build an exciting, all-access street food tribe? So far, it's looking good.

It starts with Slidin' Thru (pictured), the slider-slinging crew on patrol all over the valley in a truck emblazoned with colorful illustrations. Its young creator, Ric, blasts out the day's location online, sweats through lunch and dinnertime shifts in the cramped, oven-like environs with a couple of dedicated cooks at his command, and gives plenty of "window love" to his faithful following, which seems to be growing exponentially by the week. They love the attitude, they love the novelty of hunting down the slider truck, and they really love the great grub. Freshly formed Angus beef burgers come in a variety of flavors, like barbecue with crispy onions, bacon, sweet sauce and caramelized jalapeno, or Greek-style with feta cheese, ripe tomato and cucumber dressing. Specials include pulled pork mini-sandwiches or baby French dips, and the sweet potato fries are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. It's simple, good food, sharply conceptualized, and if this food truck thing does take off in Vegas, you gotta hail Ric as the godfather of it all.

Burger truck number two is called Fukuburger. The offerings here are full-sized and somewhat Japanese, perhaps because its creators, Colin and Rob, were servers at the most money-makingest Pan-Asian restaurant in the country. These guys may also be bringing that edgy, after-hours vibe from Tao, since they seem to be targeting the late-night crowds and recently set up camp in their big red truck near the Hard Rock Hotel when the Sunday Rehab pool party let out. The burgers are marinated in mirin, sake and yuzu for a unique beefy taste. Toppings can be pickled ginger and daikon, fried eggs, crispy onions, bacon or wasabi mayo.

On the cool and sweet side, Philly's Famous Italian Ice is run by an incredibly friendly couple named Jim and Tanya, and they serve some pretty great treats out of a truck or a cart at various events and gatherings. They've been around a bit longer than these new guys, a couple of years now, but they're moving around more and capitalizing on the splendor of social media. Light, refreshing Italian ice (I like banana, sour apple and pineapple a lot) is not a tough sell in Vegas, as it hits the spot in a way the old ice cream truck never could.

There are more trucks and carts serving up street food (and stuff you don't usually get on the street). There are quite a few burgeoning taco carts sprinkled about. A few hours ago I ate some delicious Korean tacos, flour tortillas stuffed with marinated, grilled pork, kimchi, a crispy and sour Asian slaw and a handful of cilantro, from a six-week old trailer posted up at Lee's Liquor on Lake Mead Boulevard near Buffalo Drive. It's called HanShikTaco, and it's a one-man show. His name is Ron and he's too busy making tacos right now, but soon he'll have a website up and I wouldn't be surprised if there are several red taco trailers all over the place in a matter of months. It's good stuff, and it's really too cheap to be this good, and that's kind of the thing with street food. It's too good to be true. It's 110 degrees out there right now, but I think I can take it for a couple more tacos.

the odd burgers of blt.

We've been to eat at BLT Burger in the Mirage a few times now, and it has been pleasant each visit. But what initially seemed to set the place apart from its upscale burger shop competition -- namely the interesting blend of beef in its signature burgers and off-the-wall options like a lamb tandoori burger -- provided nothing but disappointment during a Labor Day weekend trip to the Strip.

In a fine and festive mood after a few tropical cocktails on the Rhumbar patio, we took our normal seats at BLT's bar and perused the menu, destined to experiment. Would it be that weird lamb burger, with mint-cilantro yogurt sauce? Sounded a little scary. Maybe a salmon burger with avocado and watercress? Too soft. We decided on two crazies: the Asian "banh mi" pork and shrimp burger with pickled veggies, cucumber and sriracha mayo, and the Tex-Mex, beef with jalapenos, chili, avocado, salsa, cheese, and onion sour cream.

Wrong on both. Sounds like that Tex-Mex has way too much shit on it to actually taste the burger, huh? Yup. The chili was kinda bland, there was corn in it (which is fine but a little weird spilling out of your burger) and the only definitive taste was the heat from the jalapenos. That interesting blend of beef is a combination of sirloin, chuck, brisket and short rib, a tasty concoction with enough fatty flavor and beefy goodness. But it's so lost under this pile of mush. The Asian burger (pictured) was a different problem; the firm shrimp and pork patty held up but the toppings were useless. There was no sign of sriracha in this saucy mess, the radish and carrot were only slightly pickled and there was no spice, removing any similarity to our beloved banh mi sandwiches. The consistency of the burger was problematic as well. It reminded me of a kitchen accident from long ago, when my household was given the gift of elk. A friend had shot one and had it butchered into various forms: ground elk, steaks, jerky, elk sausage, etc. One day, craving burger, I grabbed one of the unmarked meat packages in my freezer, thawed and cooked one up, and when I chomped into it I realized it was sausage, not burger. It doesn't work, nor does this Asian burger. Odd flavor, odd texture, no good. On the plus side, BLT's sweet potato fries and onion rings are tasty.

Now, the fancy burger joint rankings look like this: 1-Burger Bar, 2-BLT, 3-LBS, 4-StripBurger.

blt.

At the Mirage, BLT does not stand for bacon lettuce tomato. It stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, and this restaurant company and its namesake, the acclaimed French chef, opened BLT Burger here last summer. It is one of the newest gourmet burger joints in Vegas, along with the respectable LBS way out west at the Red Rock Resort.

After one lunch at BLT Burger, it is my favorite burger spot in the city, besting Hubert Keller's Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay. I have yet to try the infamous Bradley Ogden bar burger, but right now I have no problem saying the rather simple "BLT" burger here is the best one I've had in Vegas. (Note: The best hamburger I've ever had in my life, hands down, all time, is the Awful Awful at the Little Nugget in downtown Reno. I don't know if that place still exists or still serves this thing, but it wins.)

This great Vegas burger is seven ounces of certified Black Angus beef, double smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and sauce. It's definitely the meat, a blend of sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket cuts of the cow, that makes the difference. The taste is rich and satisfying, and yet somehow putting one of these babies down doesn't kill you. It's light. With a Hoegaarden draft, it was a damn near perfect lunch. I wish I hadn't ordered the fried pickles, though, which were soft and pillowy tempura shit when they should be crispy and salty.

But I must go back, because look at these menu choices: an American Wagyu beef burger, a Colorado lamb tandoori burger, a veggie falafel burger, and holy fuck, an Asian banh mi burger made of pork and shrimp with pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber and sriracha mayo. Seriously? Oh, sriracha, how I love you ... long live the rooster sauce. All this plus sliders, shakes, fries and rings, barbecue brisket nachos, salads, s'mores and a macaroon ice cream sandwich. Damn. Is this my new favorite lunch on the Strip?