December 2015

FO

R

W

M

W

Issue 12 Volume 15

US $3.95

Wine Director Alexandre Brard Introduces the Wine Flight Passport Program at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro

OR

EP

W HOT .LV OS FN & BP STO RO RIES .C V OM ISIT

December 2015

CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER

6

FEATURES Cover

14

23

12 31

COVER FEATURE THIS MONTH IS DEDICATED TO MORELS’ NEW ONE-OF-A-KIND WINE FLIGHT PASSPORT PROGRAM serving multiple flights one great glass of wine each time through their Enomatic machines recently placed there and assisted by the Southern Wine & Spirits Fine Wine Team. Our Wine Journalist, Alice Swift, gives us the details behind this great move by Morels to bring their guests great wine every time!

Cover photo by Audrey Dempsey • Infinity Photo.

BOCUSE d’OR IS FEATURED WITH THE ULTIMO EVENTS THIS MONTH AT THE VENETIAN/ PALAZZO, which is sure to be some culinary events you won’t want to miss. The Bocuse d’Or Team USA is tasked with selecting, supporting and training the United States Culinary Team competing at the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France in 2016. The Ultimo culinary events at The Venetian/Palazzo will, in part, fund the US Team. Take a look at the upcoming Ultimo events and book your place now so you won’t miss the opportunity to be involved…

THE LAS VEGAS HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY HAS LOST ONE OF ITS TRUE ICONS WITH THE RECENT PASSING OF VAN HEFFNER. A longtime Nevada hospitality supporter, Van founded and operated a number of organizations including the Nevada Restaurant Association, Nevada Hospitality Foundation, The Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association and the Nevada Tourism Alliance.

My first and lasting impression of Van is when I went to his office unannounced, to give him a copy of our 1st LVFNB issue in 2003. He was in the middle of an NvRA Board meeting, but went out to meet me and took me inside to meet each of the board members…That’s how Van was!

ELIZABETH BLAU HAS BEEN A MOVER & SHAKER IN THE LAS VEGAS HOSPITALITY SCENE FOR YEARS, so it’s quite fitting that she would be asked to be on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup along with other well known restaurant and hospitality specialists. Check out the full story on Elizabeth’s joining the program and its day and time for airing…

Page 4

Page 12 Holiday Ideas from the Low to the High!

Hot Off the Grill!

Page 13 Wine Talk A Chat with David Robson – Liquor Specialty Wine Steward

For the Love of the Craft Sarah Johnson Page 6 What’s Brewing

Page 14 Destinations: Hotel La Casa Del Camino – Laguna Beach Historic Charm with Modern Day Amenities

Page 7 Chef Talk The Great American Pumpkin Shortage

Page 16 COVER FEATURE Inaugural, One-of-a-Kind Wine Flight Passport Program at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro

Page 8 West Eats East Japanese Food Business Page 9 Food for Thought Healthy Fall & Winter Food Ideas to Get You Through this Weather

20 www.lvfnbpro.com

Brett’s Vegas View

Nevada Restaurant Association Van Heffner, Nevada Hospitality Icon

Page 5

Page 10

Page 23

Page 20 A note from Samuel Merritt: At Bad Beat Brewing Company in Henderson...

Oh Yes, they Can!

Page 24 Product Spotlight Our Personal Picks Page 26 Human Resources Insights Holiday Season: A Time for Reflection and Evaluation Page 27 The Bottom Line Keep your Brand Great with These Simple Guidelines Page 28 ACF Chefs Las Vegas Page 29 Megan Mack’s Latenight Excursions

Page 22 What’s Cooking

Page 30 Events Ad Index

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139 www.lvfnbpro.com

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

December 2015 Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher

The 2015 San Francisco Competitions Double Gold Tour made a stop at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SLS last month and provided a tasting of 43 double gold medal winning wines and 21 spirits. Our Editorial Director Bob Barnes attended and was amazed at the quality of the winning spirits and wines, at least half of which were high end in flavor but not in price. Out of 4,903 wines entered, only 256 received a Double Gold medal and only 174 spirits out of 1,591 received a Double Gold Medal. Pictured here with their brands are Stephen Morocco pouring Tepoz, a triple distilled tequila made with 100% blue agave; and Jose Maria Arreola representing Maracame, the only privately-owned tequila distiller among the top producers of today.

Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional.

For any questions or comments please email mike@lvfnb.com

Bob Barnes

Juanita Fryer

Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com

Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/ Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com

Juanita Aiello

Golden Entertainment Corporate Vice President of Food & Beverage Joe Romano, LVFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes and PT’s Brewing Brewmaster Dave Otto toast to the success of the new PT’s Brewing Company, which will be opening in late January at 3101 N. Tenaya Way in the former digs of Tenaya Creek Brewing. We have no doubt with Dave Otto’s masterful brewing expertise there will be outstanding beer coming forth from the brewery and with the guidance of CIA-Hyde Park graduate Joe Romano the food at the new pub will be well worth a visit as well.

Adam Rains

Creative Director juanita@lvfnb.com

Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com

Advertising sales@lvfnb.com

Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@lvfnb.com

Calendar Submissions calendar@lvfnb.com

Website webmaster@lvfnb.com

Press Relase Submissions news@lvfnb.com

General Information info@lvfnb.com

@lvfnb

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Journalist Aimee McAffee

Journalist & Photographer Joe Fogarty

Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett

Journalist Shelley Stepanek

Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid

Journalists Scott & Elaine Harris

Journalist Mitchell Wilburn

Pre-Press Technician Brandon Yan

Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo

Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Al Mancini

Journalist Heidi Rains

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist Latenight Megan Nicolson

Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown

Photographer Bill Bokelmann

Photographer Joe Urcioli

SoCal Journalist Margie Mancino

Photographer Rose Powell-Carver

4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

For the Love of the Craft Sarah Johnson

By Adam Rains Adam has a true passion for food, wine, beer & spirits. He is a barman at CarneVino, a brand ambassador for Brooklyn Brewery and a long-time cocktailian. Adam strives to learn every day and during his career he’s studied at SDSU, USBG, BarSmarts, International Sommeliers Guild and the Certified Cicerone Program. His mantra with both food & cocktails is, “fresh is best.”

You have done great things for beer in this city but you have been able to travel a bit lately?

Where have you gone?

For sure, we flew into Bend but during the weekend we were fly fishing on the Deschutes River. It’s the first time I’ve actually ever been fishing, so it’s pretty epic for first time out.

Wading belly button deep in a booming river.

It’s pretty wild. But I caught a fish. It was a 26inch wild steelhead on the afternoon of the last day. Then I could go home. It was perfect.

But I just landed my tickets for the Copenhagen beer celebration next year. Very hard to get!

How did you transform an old school beverage culture in a major Strip property?

Well I have a phenomenal direct support, Sean DiCicco, Mandalay Bay Vice President of Food and Beverage. I’ve worked with him for almost 10 years but in different positions within our food beverage department. He had a conversation with me and really challenged me to re-engage, find something in food and beverage that would keep me happy and keep me sticking around, frankly, because he knew I was getting a little itchy and for me that was beer without a doubt. I got to travel and do some education and get my Cicerone certification; that’s really where that came from so that I could have some street credit. I think beer is the one area in food and beverage that Las Vegas on the whole is really under-serving the business of beer. I was also able to sell it to our CFO and President by making a strong business www.lvfnbpro.com

case. I had an opportunity, so politically it was helpful too because I wasn’t really stepping on anybody’s feet because nobody was really passionate about beer making it happen. As you know, being in and around large casinos, the culture really was your three big macro-light lagers and beer was a brand, not necessarily a style. Yes, we’ve had to combat a lot of things and I think it’s not all me, clearly there are a lot of other people doing great work, but in the last three years I think that beer has taken some pretty big leaps forward in Vegas. We still have a long way to go, but it’s encouraging to hear you say that you’re seeing it, so thank you.

Where do you see Las Vegas local beers as of now?

In the last year and a half I think we’ve more than doubled our brewery count in the Las Vegas metro area. There’s still a learning curve for some of them. We’ve come a long way for sure and the scene is changing up a little more now as well.

Who are some of your local favorites?

Yeah, I mean I’ve always loved what Dave Otto did down at Big Dog’s. He can brew some really, really solid beer. He moved on just super recently. I’m stoked to see what he does at the new joint. Dave Pasqual is another one.

He makes phenomenal beers. He, just recently at Chicago Brewing Company, won 2 medals: a gold and a silver.

(Editor’s note: since this interview was conducted Otto accepted the head brewer position at the

photo coutesy Sarah Johnson

Imagine a time when everywhere you turned, bars were fully stocked with a wide array of macro-brewed adjunct lagers as far as the eye could see, all boasting the coldest beer in town. Frosty, freon-filled mugs were like badges of honor ensuring that you wouldn’t taste anything except for basically nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve “enjoyed” too many days and nights filled with too many opened bottles and flattened cans in the binge drinkers paradise that Vegas was (and is), but for those wanting more fulfillment out of beer the landscape was quite desolate. Although quantity was in abundance, we were in the middle of a beer desert. And to think, just miles away a beer renaissance was well under way.

Old styles, new styles, a blending of new & old traditions were being explored up & down the West Coast. At the time, few F&B people in Las Vegas took note and most were very happy with the lucrative status quo. One brave person did notice and almost single handedly brought good beer to the Strip by using smarts, tenacity and passion for the craft. Her name is Sarah Johnson. Starting off on the culinary side and then taking on a vital yet strenuous position in financial planning, she was able to both transform her career and the Food & Beverage Culture of a major Strip casino with her passion for beer. She is a stellar example for Vegas (and the world!) on how to balance economic viability and the love for the craft. On a beautiful October afternoon we discussed fly fishing on the Deschutes, drinking on a desert island, and a Chicago gold. new PT’s Brewing and Pascual took Otto’s position at Big Dog’s) For the new kids, Craft House has done a great job in marketing. They brought in two really stellar brewers with great personalities. They have an adorable tap room and they’re making some noise out there as well so I like them a lot. Bad Beat Brewing is doing good work too.

I can’t forget to mention Tenaya Creek, who is opening a spot downtown, so I’m super stoked about that as well.

There are some non-traditional beer producing countries and some of them are making great beer now like Italy and Japan.

Where would you see the next worldwide beer boom coming from?

I’ve been hearing some great things out of Russia. That’s one that interests me a lot and I’d like to dig into it a little more, but definitely Scandinavia in general, beer has just exploded there. Brooklyn Brewery, as you know, is all over Scandinavia.

Desert Island Question: If you had to pick three breweries to drink from for the rest of your life, which three breweries would you pick?

Oh boy! I’ll throw out Firestone because I just love them and they don’t make a bad beer.

Belgium, it’s hard to pick any one of them, but I’ll go with the big money prize, Cantillon. Why not? I’ll go the best friend forever route and throw out Moody Tongue, because he hasn’t made a bad beer yet.

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5

what’s

BREWING

By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.

He welcomes your inquiries.

Email: bob@lvfnb.com

What’s on Tap Las Vegas-based Allegiant Airlines is now serving Tenaya Creek Brewery’s Bonanza Brown Ale on all of its flights west of Colorado.

Hats off to Allegiant for supporting local brew!

photo courtesy Big Dog’s Brewing

Richard Lovelady at Gordon Biersch will release his annual Winterbock, an 8.2% ABV Doppelbock, along with a 7.2% ABV Belgian Golden and a robust 8.5% ABV Baltic Porter.

Left to Right: Big Dog’s Cellar & Packaging Director Sam McKinney, Big Dog’s Lead Brewer Amanda Koeller and Big Dog’s Director of Brewing Operations Dave Pascual.

Matt Marino, Director of Brewing Operations at Joseph James Brewing, reports that they will be re-releasing the 2015 Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout in December; and in January or February, the Barrel Smoker (the Smoked Wee Heavy aged in bourbon barrels) and a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Red, a stronger version of its Red-Eye red IPA with coffee, that will be dry hopped after it’s taken out of the barrels to impart a shot of fresh hops at the end. Also now out are several sour beers, which debuted at the sour beer festival held in October at Atomic Liquors.

Beer of the Month: Rogue Santa’s Private

Brewers Play Musical Chairs and Lovelady Reserve Ale Brewing on Track to Open this Spring Just in time for Christmas Last issue I reported that Tenaya Creek was selling its equipment as it moved to its much larger brewhouse on Bonanza Rd. near downtown and the former brewery on Tenaya Way in northwest Las Vegas had been sold to Golden Entertainment, and that the new head brewer will be Dave Otto. Now I can report that Dave Pascual is leaving his position at Chicago Brewing where he had brewed for the past 10 years to take over Otto’s position as Director of Brewing Operations at Big Dog’s. Replacing Pascual in the interim at Chicago is Kyle Cormier, a very talented and experienced brewer who was assistant brewer when the brewpub opened in 2000 and after moving up to head brewer two years later, racked up a collection of 10 GABF and World Beer Cup medals before taking the brewpub’s GM position.

Big Dog’s also promoted Sam McKinney, who has been working in the brewery since 2006, to the position of Cellar & Packaging Director; and Amanda Koeller, a recent graduate of the Master Brewer’s Program at UC Davis, into the role of Lead Brewer. Amanda is now one of two female brewers in Southern Nevada.

Currently under construction, Lovelady Brewing Company, will be a 6,000-square-feet 20 bbl system located at 20 S. Water St. and will be the first ever brewery in Old/Downtown Henderson.

Named for the Lovelady family, it will be a joint venture of Richard Lovelady; his wife Linda; and his brothers Jeffrey, Jerry and Robert. Richard is a UC Davis Brewing graduate and a seasoned, accomplished brewer who has helmed the Vegas Gordon Biersch since its opening in 1997. Plans are to open on March 4, which happens to be Richard’s birthday. As the brewery’s completion draws near, Richard will hand over the reins at Gordon Biersch to Lead Brewer Julio Lanzas.

Lastly, Kenjiro Tomita has left Triple 7 Brewpub to return to his home state to take the Head Brewer position at Crooked Thumb Brewery in Safety Harbor, Florida, and Tom Harwood has taken over the Brewmaster position. Harwood was a brewer at Big Dog’s for two years and most recently was Big Dog’s Director of Sales.

6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

Rogue delivers its annual offering, but you don’t have to be Santa Claus to enjoy this double hopped red ale crafted with Dare & Risk barley and Newport, Rebel & Freedom hops grown on the brewery’s own Rogue Farms.

Unlike most winter seasonals, this is not a winter warmer, but a double hopped version of Rogue’s Saint Rogue Red and while it’s roasty and malty backbone is a good fit for the colder months, its piney, spicy hoppy bite with notes of spruce will please hop heads who see no reason to give up hoppy beers when the temps cool. Adding to the fun is the snowflakes on the bottle, which glisten in the dark.

Brewing Specs: 5% ABV 65 IBU

As always, great beer happens in Vegas! www.lvfnbpro.com

By Chef Allen Asch

Chef Talk

Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu

The Great American Pumpkin Shortage You may have heard by now about the shortage we are about to have on the seasonal pumpkin. We made it through the Halloween season without a problem and the Thanksgiving season has only experienced a minor interruption in total availability. I hope you had your fill of pumpkin related foods, since the real shortage starts now.

The American crop of pumpkins is about half of what the normal yield is... The harvest also ended weeks earlier than normal, which means the production on canned products is probably on hiatus until next year’s fall season. This did not affect the Halloween pumpkin since this pumpkin is a different breed than the ones used in commercial production of pumpkin products.

If you like pumpkin throughout the year you should go to the store and scoop up any canned pumpkin that might be left on the shelves. The Libby Corporation, which produces 80% of the processed pumpkin in the United States, is the leading brand of pureed and processed pumpkin.

If you find a shortage of Libby products, or any other brand in a traditional market, you may want to try Trader Joe’s, which sources its house-branded puree from Oregon family farmers who have had a bumper crop on their orange-stained variety this year.

www.lvfnbpro.com

Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a culinary arts instructor that has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University. He is currently teaching at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.

90% of the canned pumpkin, which is produced by the Sugar Pumpkin, comes from Illinois which experienced very heavy rains this year. Almost all of the pumpkins come from a dozen family farms that surround the one commercial processing plant in the United States. The pumpkin shortage is just one of the worldwide shortages being blamed on changing climate in the United States and around the world. Some other examples include a coffee shortage blamed on higher temperature in the growing environment of the coffee bean plants.

These plants can be moved to higher grounds creating cooler climates but one can imagine the challenge associated with moving all of the coffee plants, the cost as well as the time needed for moving them as well as letting them acclimate to the new environment. Another example is the reduction in the production of chocolate due to drier weather in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the Ivory Coast where the cacao tree is grown in abundance. Another vice being affected by the change in worldwide temperature is beer, due to an endangered hops supply.

Water shortages have affected the growth and yield of hops plants as each plant requires up to three gallons of water per day. Washington State grows over 70% of the country’s hops and they are under watering restrictions due to the drought with 98.5% of the state under a severe drought warning.

products. While it takes lettuce about 70 days to reach maturity (although hydroponically it can take only 3 weeks), it could take many years to replant the cacao and coffee plants while the regrowth of the pumpkins cannot happen until the next season.

Pumpkins, a member of the gourd family, have very little nutritional value. It contains no fat, but also contributes very little nutritional value other than potassium and vitamin A. Pumpkins can grow on six of the seven continents, excluding Antarctica. They also grow well in Alaska during the growing season.

Pumpkin carving has been around for a long time, originating in Ireland where they carved turnips. When they immigrated to the United States they found pumpkins plentiful and they also found them much easier to carve than a turnip. The largest pumpkin ever in the United States was grown in Illinois and weighed 2,145 pounds. It took 93 days to reach that weight.

This was dwarfed by the size of the largest in the world, measured in Switzerland and weighing 2,323 pounds.

There have been shortages of a variety of lettuces in the United States every year for the last three years, but this only yielded a short term price increase for those varieties. The science of growing crops is so detailed that if the lettuce crop is cut short due to heat or rain the growers can tell you exactly when the shortage will end and the prices will return to normal because they understand the growth cycle of the products they grow. The difference between lettuce and the other crops is the growing time of these

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7

By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

West Eats East

Japanese Food Business Ethnic foods first arrived here primarily by migrant workers at the West Coast or immigrants at the East Coast. They stayed within cultural boundaries but spread to other groups or the mainstream if favored.

Japanese migrant workers came, many through sugar or pineapple plantations in Hawaii, to the West Coast for agriculture, mining or other labor intensive works on contract since the 1850’s. Labor contractors and trading companies along with ocean liners set up a scheme to bring their customary foods to minimize annoyance of changing eating habits as if a part of the labor contract. The Japanese food business started from here.

Export, import, custom clearance, warehousing, distribution, logistics to the western states from Seattle or San Francisco, a port of entry then, and sales at the locations where migrants settled down, were done. Soy sauce, miso, rice, Kombu or Nori sea-veggie, radish pickles, you name it among the foods brought in. Today such trading functions thrive at key ports like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and other sea or airports. They were the core of food business, which was often invisible behind the scenes. The first visible one was grocery stores selling these ethnic items. Some of them still exist reminiscent of the early ones while others have come later. Katagiri in New York (100+ years old), Nakata Market of Japan on Rainbow in Las Vegas and Nak’s in Menlo Park, CA are examples. Some small stores grew to good size supermarkets like Uwajimaya in Seattle. The larger ones like Mitsuwa, Marukai or Nijiya in California were latecomers for the growing population of Japanese residents and sojourners in a new wave of economic activities and oversea education. In the last several years a new stable class of Asian nationals have gone there for healthy Japanese foods. Several of the merchandise is from Japan with the original packages and labels or directly translated ones along with the import regulatory requirements in English. They are basically ethnic stores where the mainstream people need to ask many questions.

Some ethnic foods like tofu were locally made firstly at home or by the cottage industry at every settlement, which was the dawn of ethnic food

Traditional yet New Perfect Soy Sauce Flavor without the Color!

A golden color white soy sauce No burnt dark soy sauce flavor No darkening color in cooking Remarkable for sea foods, veggies, pasta, fusion and natural foods www.whitesoysaucefood.com 8 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural science-technologybusiness consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science at Cornell University, is involved in teaching, research and business in major-beer, micro-beer, soft drinks, sake, sea salt, rice, white soy sauce and other areas both in Japan and the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles.

“Ask Doctor Sake” was his last series in this journal.

manufacturing. Some grew to large food processing particularly since the 1960’s, such as soy sauce by Kikkoman in Wisconsin and Yamasa in Oregon, instant noodles by Nissin or Maruchan in California, tofu

by House Foods in California, dumplings by Ajinomoto in Washington, Tobikko (raw fish eggs often in colors used in sushi rolls), soba (buckwheat) noodles, pickles and many others. Today you may buy many basic Japanese items in the Asian section of supermarkets and even at Costco, imported or domestically manufactured.

Some migrant workers decided to stay permanently for family or economic reasons. Among them, some moved to Little Tokyo in L.A. or Japan Town in S.F. to live together with their people, just like other ethnic groups at Little Italy, Chinatown, Little Saigon, etc. Eating out was almost a must for these city dwellers. One of my records shows that a restaurant in Little Tokyo served more than two thousand 10 cent meals a day in 1930. In the 1950’s such ethnic restaurants started serving those who had experienced Japan in addition to ethnic residents and visitors from Japan, like Tokyo Sukiyaki at a corner of Fisherman’s Wharf and Azume at a college town, Ithaca, NY, where I had a part time job of serving and cooking. Sukiyaki and tempura were major orders with no trace of sushi. Teriyaki of beef or chicken followed, which enabled a beef bowl chain, Yoshinoya, to open as the first chain restaurant of the Japanese taste. Then Japanese restaurants hopped out in big cities and suburbs serving various Japanese-style meals all over the country.

In the 1980’s due to our concern over health, Japanese foods got recognition for healthy, long living. Sushi came into our eating. Japanese restaurants became almost synonymous to sushi bar. Though it is an American style, sushi may cause heart attacks to authentic sushi people in Japan for its appearance, taste and eating surrounding. Visitors from Japan exclaimed “that is not sushi!” Here in our market that is our sushi.

Creative roll sushi, Carousel Kaiten sushi, started at Miyake in Palo Alto, CA, and 75-85% of sushi restaurant owners of Korean origin are primary driving forces to the current sushi progress. Sushi is now a must item even at a Chinese or seafood or cruise ship buffet. Many ethnic foods are generally consumed only at restaurants or in to-go style at home. Cooking ethnic food is not difficult but may be too foreign to start, though I have seen a sushi making set in a cooking book section of a major bookstore.

I am sure you can make sushi but are not tempted to because you need lots of gadgets and ingredients. You had better buy it to-go or eat it at a restaurant. Thus restaurants must be at the center of the ethnic food business. More to come about Japanese restaurants later. www.lvfnbpro.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Healthy Fall & Winter Food Ideas to Get You Through this Weather

By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid

The west coast winter months are already upon us and they will only get worse before they get better. Most of us tend to gain weight during the winter as we eat denser foods, are less active and our appetites and metabolisms shift with the change in light and temperature. Our vitamin D levels decline, our moods suffer, we sit inside more watching TV, we reach for comfort foods and our waists grow. You don’t have to let the cold weather affect you so much. There are ways to keep the winter blues and bulge away. It takes some dedication and paying attention to what you eat, but you can do it!

Homemade Tomato Soup

Let’s Check Sunlight – I know, this isn’t technically a food to talk about, but it is important. Scientists aren’t completely sure why or how yet, but vitamin D is linked to weight. People with higher levels tend to store less fat. On the better days, try to get about 20 minutes of sun exposure with your arms uncovered. You may also want to look into a supplement for a couple months.

We Need Water – Hydration is vital to the body’s function. Water is often overlooked when we aren’t out in the sun hiking, biking, running and sweating, but we need it during the colder months as well. This is especially true as heaters and fireplaces can dehydrate us pretty quick. Water also helps us feel fuller longer when we drink it with meals or even before.

Love Vegetable Soups – Soup is a comforting dish any time of year, but especially during the winter. Most vegetable soups are also very low in calories while providing plenty of warmth, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Tomato is my favorite and I have a tomato soup recipe (see below), but there are many more to try.

Don’t forget about vegetable stews and chilies too for a hearty way to stay warm and healthy.

Use Root Veggies – Your body craves carbohydrates during winter.

Your metabolism is firing faster to keep your body temperature from dipping and your genetic history is telling you to prepare for famine.

Carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and turnips will fill you up, provide the carbs your body craves and actually supply nutrition too. Roast them with garlic, onion, and a bit of olive oil to bring out fantastic flavors.

www.lvfnbpro.com

Enjoy Lentils or Beans – Beans and lentils are inexpensive, filling and stuffed with complex carbs. Lentils cook much faster than beans, so they make a very easy way to keep you feeling content this winter without waiting hours for your meals. Add them to soups, tacos, burritos, chili and even your stir fry.

Fall and Winter Produce – Some fruits and vegetables are best when harvested in the cooler season. Take advantage of these being at their best. Pomegranate, beets, Brussels sprouts, persimmon, kiwi, leeks, guava, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, cauliflower, lemons, oranges, parsnips, pears, turnips and winter squash are all exceptional this time of year. They are all also much better than the rich desserts we might reach for instead.

Good Fats – We don’t need a ton of fat and protein during the winter months, but a little of the best kinds goes a long way to keeping our brains working right, our hormones balanced and our metabolism humming. Avocado, coconut oil, nuts and nut butters, and all kinds of olives in moderation are a good thing to add to your cold weather diet.

Try Warming Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne, turmeric, garlic and black pepper should all be used more often this time of year. They add color, flavor, warmth and powerful antioxidants to any meal. The health benefits of cinnamon, ginger and turmeric are also very impressive. Don’t forget the herbs either. Chive, cilantro, rosemary, parsley, oregano and mint tend to survive into the cold season and can liven up your dishes. Try my Tomato Soup too, you’ll like it.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 inches of a large leek, sliced and rinsed 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 ribs celery, chopped 6–8 medium tomatoes, diced 2 medium carrots, chopped 12 ounces vegetable stock 2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon molasses 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder Salt and pepper to taste In a tall soup pan, heat the oil and sauté the leeks, garlic and celery until the leeks are golden and translucent. Add carrots, tomatoes, and raise heat to high. Stir for 5–10 minutes as the tomatoes soften and break down. Add vegetable stock, spices, vinegar and molasses and lower heat to medium. Simmer for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender or allow it to cool slightly before blending it in a traditional blender or food processor in small batches. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or fresh herb of your choice.

This recipe is super easy and takes under 30 minutes to make. It can be frozen and saved for those winter months when good organic tomatoes are harder to come by and the warming comfort of tomato soup can do the most good, or eaten whenever you need a boost.

Yield: 4 servings

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9

Brett’s

Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numero us websites. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.

Email: jackiebrett@cox.net

Prevailing Entertainment With “new” music, design, technology and finale, Blue Man Group opened at the Luxor in their renovated theater where they first started.

Hong Kong Café opened at The Palazzo featuring the fusion of Asian cuisine with Western fare. The new restaurant replaces ZINE Noodles Dim Sum, Chef To’s acclaimed restaurant.

Rock of Ages will close at The Venetian Jan. 3, 2016, and move to the Rio. Evil Dead The Musical closed at the V Theater at Planet Hollywood and reopened at The Tommy Wind Theater on the Strip.

The Las Vegas Strip at midnight on New Year’s Eve will party with fireworks deployed from 11 casino rooftops.

A $75 million renovation on the original 587room Roman Tower at Caesars Palace will be renamed the Julius Tower. First guests are expected Jan. 1 with the renovation’s completion planned for April.

South Point Arena and Equestrian Center’s Priefert Pavilion opened Budweiser’s first custom designed mobile Clydesdale Bud Pod.

Donny and Marie celebrated seven years at the Flamingo and signed an extension through 2016. The duo will be the first new wax figures unveiled at Madame Tussauds at The Venetian in 2016.

Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood has new stores: Anime Revolution, Vegas Print Factory and One Monarchy.

Luke’s Lobster is a new outdoor seafood shack located Stripside at the Fashion Show mall.

The culinary event Ultimo – A Weekend of Excellence, hosted by The Venetian and The Palazzo, will take extravagance to new levels, Dec. 17-20 with lavish feasts from awardwinning chefs.

The D downtown revealed 11,000 square feet of meeting and convention space on the 12th floor that includes “Man Cave” party rooms.

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort is back to being known as Lee Canyon, which was its original name when it opened in 1963.

Season’s Greetings

Authentic Southern Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão opened its second Las Vegas’ location at Downtown Summerlin with an outdoor patio.

America’s Got Talent finalist Piff the Magic Dragon debuted his one-hour solo show at the Flamingo. For the holidays, his show will become Piff’s Piffmas Piff-Tacular Dec. 21-30.

Producers of X Burlesque, X Rocks and X Comedy have opened X Country, a late night kick’n topless revue at Harrah’s.

The Fountains of Bellagio in collaboration with Bruno Mars revealed a new water show set to his song “Uptown Funk.”

House of Blues headliner Carlos Santana unveiled a commemorative display.

Dining Delights

This month Caesars Palace is opening the luxurious Beijing cuisine fine dining eatery, which is the seventh Mr. Chow Asian restaurant location.

Westgate opened its newest Tuscan-inspired villa restaurant Fresco Italiano featuring hearty Italian favorites served family-style.

Carbone making its first domestic expansion outside New York City’s Greenwich Village opened at Aria.

Chef and Emmy Award winning television host Guy Fieri will open El Burro Borracho at the Rio in early 2016 with authentically prepared Mexican dishes.

Wynn Las Vegas’ signature seafood restaurant was renamed Costa di Mare with Executive Chef Mark LoRusso at the helm.

As part of the Miracle Miles Shops’ Harmon Avenue redevelopment, Buffalo Wild Wings is open while southern steakhouse Texas Land & Cattle will begin cooking up grilled creations in 2016.

Chef Natalie Young’s 70-seat eatery Chow downtown offering fried chicken and Chinese cuisine has added lunch options.

Happening Highlights

Starwood Resorts Worldwide will convert the Lux 289-room tower, one of three at SLS, to its first W-branded hotel in Las Vegas by September.

Rivea, the first location in the United States, and Skyfall Lounge by Michelin-decorated Chef Alain Ducasse opened at the top of Delano.

Hakkasan Group has announced its next nightlife venture will be JEWEL at Aria opening in the former HAZE Nightclub space next spring.

Intrigue will open Apr. 28, 2016, in the space Tryst nightclub occupied at Wynn for 10 years.

Stoney’s Rockin’ Country after a renovation reopened at its old stomping grounds at Town Square and has an American flag made of 2,256 beer cans.

10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

Terry Fator: The VOICE of Entertainment Presents A Very Terry Christmas show is taking place at The Mirage through Dec. 24.

Legends in Concert is performing its annual holiday show through Thursday, Dec. 24 at the Flamingo with Taylor Swift, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson impersonators.

Opportunity Village’s annual Magical Forest is a winter wonderland with lights, entertainment, rides, food, etc. running Thursday-Sunday through Jan. 3.

Ethel M Chocolates’ 22nd Annual Holiday Cactus Garden is lit up through Jan. 2 for free viewing nightly by the public.

The holiday drive-thru light show Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is celebrating 15 years with millions of lights twinkling along a 2.5-mile course nightly until Jan. 3.

For the fourth year, The Cosmopolitan has created a public winter wonderland with The Ice Rink at Boulevard Pool. www.lvfnbpro.com

CUSTOM BLENDED HERBS and SPICES MADE LOCALLY IN LAS VEGAS • Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants • Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience • Custom packed Herbs and Spices • Custom Spice Blends • Private labeling • Now Certified Kosher

6960 W Warm Springs Road #130 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 (1/2 block west of Rainbow Blvd)

702-642-1100

• Open to the Public • Restaurant Quality Spices, Herbs, and Blends • Over 250 Spices, Herbs and Blends • Sold by the Smidgen, Pinch, Dash, Ounce or More • Foodservice Pack Sizes Available • Blended and Packed on Premises • Sign up at www.thespiceoutlet.com

6960 W Warm Springs Road #150 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 (1/2 block west of Rainbow Blvd)

702-534-7883 • www.thespiceoutlet.com Mon-Sat 10am - 6pm

Holiday Ideas

from the Low to the High!

Nove Italiano

Cut and Taste

By Shelley Stepanek Shelley Stepanek is President of DSA, the oldest non-profit tourist association in the state, along with being on the board of ticket brokers. Shelley has previously owned three restaurants.

Beginning Nov. 2 The Cosmopolitan welcomes the return of The Ice Rink at the Pool as it transforms into a winter wonderland of skating. Overlooking the Strip, guests can skate on 4200 sq. ft of real ice, dine on Cashew Butter and Roasted Strawberry Jam sandwiches, hot chili, or Cheeseburgers among numerous picks. From hot chocolate or spiked cider to all kind of drinks, here is a terrific opportunity to take the family out and have fun. Every 30 minutes between 6-10 there will be a “light snowfall” with extending flurries thru the evening hours. No reservations needed for this experience.

Chef Charlie Palmer’s Steakhouse in the Four Seasons will put together a customized dinner for groups of 13 or more for the holidays, designed as your wish for your private events. Visit www. cpsteaklasvegas.com to see what packages are offered at one of the finest steakhouses in Las Vegas.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers 35 Steaks & Martinis. They will be serving special New Year’s Eve dinners, featuring Shigoku Oysters (6 for $24) with cucumber pearls, pickled shallots and Sevruga Caviar, along with Foie Gras Bonbons, Lamb Vadouvan with saffron-basmati and pine nuts, Truffle-Crusted Diver Scallops, or a 3 pound lobster, baked and stuffed with jumbo lump crab. There will be spiked eggnog or espresso martinis for two at $30.

Nove Italiano at the Palms Casino will be offering three New Year’s Eve special menus. Priced at $79-$119, there will be four-course dining along with wine pairings. Starting at 5 p.m., the $79 menu includes a Chef’s Whim followed by a choice of one Formaggi, Caesar salad, Calamari or Shrimp Francese, a mid-course of either Lobster Mexaluna, Nove Seafood Pasta, or Rigatoni, a side of potatoes, broccoli or meatballs, and ending with a dessert of Bread Pudding, Tiramisu or Torta Mascarpone.

On the high end side, we have numerous options at the Wynn and Encore. Both Costa Di Mare and Lakeside will be serving incredible feasts at $395 p/p. For a sample of Lakeside’s menu, starting with a champagne toast, there will be Toro Sashimi with Caviar, Maine Lobster Bisque, White Alba Truffle Gnocchetti, choice of Hawaiian Snapper or Snake River Farms Strip Loin, following by an intriguing array of petite pastries, cake and candies. Settle in for a long evening with this luxurious dinner.

Throughout the whole holiday season Cut and Taste Corporate Catering will be happy to host from 200 to 20,000 guests. The Cut and Taste team has more than 25 years of combined experience and pride themselves on their high quality events for onsite, offsite, wedding or any occasion. They are the exclusive caterer for the World Market Center and preferred caterer for the Keep Memory Alive Events Center.

Alex Barnett at 440-554-6937 would love to talk with you. www.CutandTasteLV.com

877-456-RIDE(7433)

www.designateddriversinc.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL SPECIAL 2-MONTH BASIC MEMBERSHIP $118 VALUE

JUST $39

Membership includes $20 off up to five rides per month - an additional $100 savings!

Call to sign up

Use promo code XX2376MG 12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

Wine Talk with Alice Swift

By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been a resident of Las Vegas since July, 2011, and is currently an instructor as well as a Ph.D. student at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. She also works as Learning Design & Development Business Partner for MGM Resorts University. Check out her website at www.aliceswift.com for the dish on wine, technology, or even both! She is happy to take suggestions for article topics or inquiries.

A Chat with David Robson – Liquor Specialty Wine Steward “Life’s too short to drink bad wine” ~Anonymous

Smith’s Liquor Specialty Wine Steward David Robson, S. Las Vegas Blvd. and Windmill Ln. location

This month, I made my first visit to the Smith’s supermarket off of S. Las Vegas Blvd. and Windmill Ln., and there I met David Robson, who is the Liquor Specialty Wine Steward for that location. He is a gentleman whom I would describe as the epitome of superior hospitality guest service. While there, I learned about the many gems that Smith’s has to offer.

This particular location is a one-stop variety shop. You can check out their all natural and organic produce and meats section, drop by Murray’s cheese area to pick up some amazing cheeses, and then stop by the extensive wine section to pick up anything from a five-dollar bottle of wine, to a high-end red wine, champagne, or even dessert wine (like ice wine, my favorite)!

They hold themed events to showcase their wines, cheeses, and other products, sometimes with special guest hosts such as winemakers and producers. During their most recent event called Taste of Italy, the store cracked open a wheel of parmigiano reggiano and had coffee and wine tastings.

This concept works to attract clientele by offering more diverse and interesting selections that can introduce customers to new experiences. They do try to source unique wines, but also have a range of recognizable labels, like Rombauer, Caymus, Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel.

Robson has worked very hard to build up the reputation of his store location, and has even built up a “client-list,” so to speak. This list is made up of home consumers, business owners, personal shoppers to the stars, other wine purchasers, etc., who continue to go back to Smith’s specifically to see Robson. His personalized service, attention for detail and very obvious passion for what he does really shines and I can see why customers refuse to go to anybody but him.

During my time there, we tasted a few different wines that would go well with holiday meals, such as the Conundrum white wine blend, and the Dao Pessimist red wine. These wines went very well with our beautiful cheese and cured meats plate that was prepared by the Murray’s cheese staff. My favorite cheese was the Cambozola, which is a blend of camembert cheese and gorgonzola, with chocolate shavings on top, which paired beautifully with the Pessimist wine.

Robson’s secret to success: • No matter what you want to sell somebody, or what you think is a good wine, don’t ever undervalue what they want.

• Don’t ever discourage someone from drinking what they like or how they like it.

• Always be respectful, and remember where you came from. www.lvfnbpro.com

Final Thoughts: “I really take ownership of [everything] I do.

I offer a service of courtesy and knowledge. I don’t believe I’m overbearing, but am humble.

I’m very approachable, and I like what I do. It’s fun to have wines that people typically don’t see, and that’s what we strive to do. It’s been a very positive experience working with Smith’s.

I just believe in keeping it fresh and unique, and not letting your personal arrogance get in the way. Let me help you choose something special for you.”

Stop on in to the Smith’s location off S. Las Vegas Blvd. and Windmill Ln. and say hello to David Robson...perhaps I will see you there!

Cheers, Alice

Fun Facts: • He used to be a butler for MGM Grand for 9 years. Even though he had always been in the food and beverage industry, he took on the challenge and had a great experience working as a butler.

• His favorite dog breed is called borzoi, which is a Russian wolf hound.

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13

Destinations

Hotel La Casa Del Camino

Laguna Beach Historic Charm with Modern Day Amenities

By Bob Barnes Photos by Ralph Palumbo

The historic mission-style building at the corner of Cress Street and the Coast Highway, known as Hotel La Casa Del Camino, is described as a Mediterraneanstyle boutique hotel. I found it to be a delightful haven with historic charm mixed with modern day amenities. The hotel quickly became a local favorite for the Hollywood elite when it opened in 1929, and was the second hotel to open in Laguna Beach.

Some vestiges of its early 20th century beginnings remain, such as the original wood framed mirrors in the hallways, beams in the lobby, glass chandelier and room numbers above the guest room doors. The aforementioned modern amenities include air conditioning, free wifi, flat screen HD TVs, safes and mini fridges in every room.

Speaking of the rooms, all are unique and vary in size and price. Rates begin at $149 in the winter and $189 in summer, a bargain considering the primo beach location. We stayed in the Billabong Men’s Room, a very comfortable and inviting space bedecked with a three-dimensional art piece with images of surfers, palm trees, and the Billabong logo cut into reclaimed wood; striking painted surfboard with an image of the sun setting over the ocean; a reclaimed-tree coffee table; and most importantly, a full-on unobstructed view of the ocean. The Spanish rooms are quaint and take one back to the past with intricately hand-carved cabinets and headboards made in Spain, hardwood floor and antique-like light fixtures, all of which are made to look old, but actually are not.

One of the main reasons to visit Laguna Beach is its beautiful beaches.

Although the hotel’s website lists it as a block from the beach, it’s actually only mere steps to the winding stairway that leads to the intimate secluded Cress Street Beach, a sandy cove with a phenomenal view with the only rocks being the majestic formations embedded in the sand. The hotel provides beach towels, and helpful staff deliver and set up comfortable beach chairs and large umbrellas.

14 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

In addition to the free ocean views and gorgeous nearly private beach, other perks are that the hotel allows small pets, with an additional fee of $35 and refundable $150 deposit; offers free parking (something very hard to come by in Laguna); and a complimentary full breakfast. Served in a room with al fresco dining in a lovely courtyard with Spanish tile and a soothing fountain, your morning meal choices include a wide range of options including scrambled eggs with spinach and asparagus, bacon, sausage, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, muffins and Danish. Making the meal all the more enjoyable is the delightful Alina, who oversees the room assisting guests with her welcoming personality and cheerful helpfulness.

Other culinary delights are provided by the hotel’s two restaurants: Rooftop Lounge and K’Ya Bistro. The Rooftop Lounge is worth the price of admission for the view alone, a sweeping 180-degree view of the surf and sand, and is equipped with wood floor, tables and chairs; heaters; and sizeable umbrellas. An assortment of sandwiches are served during lunch, such as Shrimp Club and Seared Ahi, and appetizers are served during lunch and evening hours. Be sure to try the Burratta Bruschetta, which because of its unique presentation, doesn’t get soggy since all of www.lvfnbpro.com

the toppings are placed in the center of the dish; Peruvian Style Crab and Shrimp Ceviche with corn, onion, peppadew, sriracha and an unusual but welcome addition of sweet potato; and the Hawaiian Ahi Poke, served with won ton chips, seaweed, onion, spicy soy and wasabi tobiko. The most popular cocktails are the mojitos, which come in flavors of strawberry, tropical, mango, wild berry, champagne, ginger and bojito (Red Bull); and the house-made Sangria composed of red wine, peach schnapps, brandy, fresh berries and a splash of O.J. and ginger ale. Prices are extremely reasonable, with pricees ranging from $6-$12 for drinks and $6-$17 for food items, one of the reasons this lounge is a popular place for locals to meet up, especially during sunsets.

Located on the first floor off of the lobby overlooking the Coast Highway, K’Ya Bistro offers both indoor and al fresco dining. The décor harkens back to the roots of the hotel with historic black and white photos, wall scone lighting, warm colors of beige and red, black wood tables and floor-to-ceiling arch windows. Here you’ll find fine dining quality without attitude or high prices. Being a connoisseur of risotto, I gave my enthusiastic stamp of approval to the Lobster & Truffle Risotto, enhanced with asparagus, caramelized onion and white wine. The Spiced Garlic Shrimp was another winner, with an accompaniment of Spanish butter beans, spinach and scrumptious romesco sauce. Try to save room for the restaurant’s signature dessert, Banana Pecan Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream and bourbon sauce. Like the Lounge above, the prices are surprisingly affordable, with most items priced at around $10. And, an incredible deal can be found during the daily happy hour from 4:30-5:30 p.m., with any food item offered for half off with purchase of any cocktail, beer or wine; plus $5 deals on select appetizers, beer, mojitos, martinis, well drinks and select wines by the glass.

Overseeing the kitchen, which turns out the menus for both restaurants, are Executive Chef Craig Connole and Sous Chef Greg Pugliese. Connole has been at the hotel’s restaurants for nearly 11 years and has been cooking in hotel kitchens since he was 19, with previous experience in well-regarded hotels including Four Seasons, Meridian and Ritz-Carlton.

This boutique hotel has much to offer with an optimal location and will prove to be easy on your pocketbook. You may come for the magnificent view, but you’ll want to return again and again for the high quality and very reasonable pricing of both its rooms and restaurants. www.lvfnbpro.com

La Casa Del Camino Hotel 1289 South Coast Highway Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-497-2446 www.lacasadelcamino.com December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 15

Inaugural, One-of-a-Kind Wine Flight Passport Program at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro

By Alice Swift Photos by Audrey Dempsey • Infinity Photo

Restaurant Manager Christian Clinton and Wine Director Alexandre Brard

Instead of traveling on multiple flights around the world to different countries as a tourist, guests can now travel through different “flights” of wines from a variety of countries, all during a guest’s dining experience at Morels.

When visiting Las Vegas, tourists come to sightsee the beautiful hotels on Las Vegas Boulevard. They want to gamble a little, and of course enjoy some of the most unique, one-of-a-kind food and beverage experiences in the city that never sleeps. People come for the celebrity chef experience, the unique themed restaurants and buffets, and of course, who doesn’t enjoy some quality seafood and a good steak? Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the city is a gem of a restaurant tucked away in the lobby of The Palazzo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. If you haven’t been, Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro is a must-dine restaurant, with something for everyone.

Being that the restaurant name has the keywords “French” and “Steakhouse” in it, of course Morels specializes in French cuisine as well as a selection of dry- and wet-aged steaks. However, don’t be misled… there is also a chilled seafood bar for those who love their oysters and other delicacies under the sea. For the cheese and cured meats lovers, there is also a cheese/charcuterie bar, with over 60 selections from around the world.

Then, of course, there’s the wine. With over 400 varieties of wine around the world, the wine list has received Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. The selection focuses primarily on French and California wines, yet there are wines from other old and new world regions, proving that there really is something for everyone. For those who prefer to have wines by-the-glass or tastings, Morels offers up to 50 wines by-the-glass on a day-to-day basis, which is made up of sparkling, white, red and dessert wines. Not only does Morels offer an extensive wine list, but also has a wide selection of specialty liquors and artisan beers to match.

The primary management team at Morels is made up of Lou Hirsch (General Manager), J.L. Carrera (Executive Chef), and Alexandre Brard (Wine Director). Recently, the team decided to take on a new approach to their wines-by-the-glass program, with the help of their Enomatic wine pouring/ preservation system and Southern Wine and Spirits. I sat down with Wine Director and Certified Sommelier Alexandre Brard to learn more.

Brard has been with Morels since 2010, his five-year anniversary being in December of 2015. Prior to his tenure at Morels, he worked for a number of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants, such as Joël Robuchon, Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Switzerland and L’Espérance in France. In addition to being a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Brard has also continued his professional development by obtaining his Certified Beer Server certification through the Cicerone program. He has a clear passion for wine, and works hard to make wine enjoyable and understandable for all guests dining at the restaurant. Lou Hirsch, General

Fun Facts about Alexandre Brard: 1) He was once Alexandre Brard, private butler to the Prince of Italy.

2) He plays a multitude of instruments, including piano, guitar, drums, and even enjoys spinning on turntables to house and trance music!

3) He makes his own homebrewed beer with 11 different batches so far, and even makes beer bread with his concoctions! Brard may like his wines, but it is difficult to make wine from home. Beer only needs four ingredients: water, grain, hops and yeast… easy, right?

www.lvfnbpro.com

Manager at Morels, finds that “working with Alex is a pleasure every day.

He brings a commonsense approach to a profession that can sometimes seem snobbish, and he is definitely not snobbish.” This is something that I can attest to, as Brard has a very down-to-earth personality that makes him very approachable to ask any wine related questions without feeling the pressure of the arrogance that sometimes exists in the wine world.

This humble nature has resulted in the restaurant’s vision for new wine program that will begin in mid-December. The concept is a unique twist to the standard wine flight tastings that one would experience in a typical restaurant. Morels calls it the Wine Flight Passport program, which was created in partnership with Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada. Restaurant guests will be provided with a “passport,” which will have 24 wines listed, along with a space for a stamp. Each time a guest buys a glass of wine from the passport list, they will get a stamp for that wine. When you purchase ten glasses of wine, then you receive a free glass of wine. Instead of traveling on multiple flights around the world to different countries as a tourist, guests can now travel through different “flights” of wines from a variety of countries, all during a guest’s dining experience at Morels.

Now, there are some unique stipulations to this Wine Flight program. The wines on the list are all big and bold red wines, which are poured through a 24-bottle Enomatic wine pouring and preservation system. This makes logical since Morels is primarily a steakhouse, and red wines do pair well with red meats. The Enomatic system has been in place since the restaurant’s opening; however, what sets this restaurant apart are the types of wines that will be poured through the system. Morels offers guests the opportunity to try a variety of wines they may not typically try or purchase. The launch, anticipated to begin in mid-December, will come just in time for the holiday celebrations and festivities!

Additionally, external to the program, there are two additional wines poured that are typically part of the reserve wine lists, and are rarely poured by the glass. The two wines that will be poured concurrently with the Wine Flight program will be Opus One, and a first-growth Bordeaux red wine.

For standard wine tasting options other than the Wine Flight program, customers have the option to receive 1 oz, 5 oz, and 8 oz pours. This can potentially help guest decide what wines to select as part of the Passport.

Morels has always provided a great value for their wines, and strives to keep margins lower so that they can provide a better experience and value for their guests. Prior to the launch of the new program, Brard chose to maintain a standard wines-by-the glass menu that was catered to the larger audience and demand, with a somewhat level price point for selection.

With the launch of the Wine Flight Passport program, Brard wanted to shift the philosophy by raising the quality level of the wines in order to give a broader experience for those dining in the restaurant. Customers now have the chance to explore new wines that are atypical of the standard wines by the glass selection.

Currently, the most expensive glass of wine on the Passport is Tignanello, valued at approximately $60 a glass. There are a number of other wellknown producers and wine types on the Wine Flight Passport, such as Penfolds, Stag’s Leap, Caymus, Antinori, Châteauneuf du Pape and Côtes du Rhône wines.

Use this holiday season to take a “flight” around the world from your wine glass, with the Wine Flight Passport program at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro. The wine list is sure to impress, and the more you “travel,” the more stamps you get towards a free glass of wine! Hope to see you there!

Cheers and Happy Holidays! ~ Alice December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17

Ment’or proudly invites you to our Bocuse d’Or Team USA National Selection ®

In January 2015, Team USA made culinary history by winning the Silver Award at the Bocuse d’Or. Join us as four candidates compete live in a display of culinary excellence for the honor to represent the USA at the 2017 Bocuse d’Or competition.

USA Competition Thursday, December 17, 2015 9:00 a.m.

Team USA Celebration Gala Thursday, December 17, 2015 8:00 p.m.

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino

http://www.venetian.com/entertainment/events/ultimo/event.html

Special Thanks To:

A note from Samuel Merritt, Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada’s Director of Beer Education and Quality Assurance: Bad Beat Brewing Company Head Brewer Westin Barkley and Founder/Owner Nathan Hall

At Bad Beat Brewing Company in Henderson...

Oh

YES, they

CAN!

Producing 1,000 cases (24,000 cans) of 3 styles of beer in the first month, Bad Beat Brewing Company’s new canning line is earning its keep and contributing to the brewery’s impressive growth in Henderson. Cans of Ringer Pilsner and Bluffing Isn’t Weiss Hefeweissen (previously only available on draft), and Hoppy Times IPA started rolling off the line last month. Our team at Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada is proud to distribute them and excited to show them in the marketplace.

By now, you’ve probably heard cans are the ideal package for beers with big flavor. If you haven’t, please see the useful chart below or look it up on the internet (such as this article on the subject

by LVFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes… www.ora.tv/beergeeks/article/2015/8/4/can-it).

Cans are one of the fastest growing segments of the beer landscape and according to the Brewers Association (www.brewersassociation. org), craft can volume has increased by nearly

photos by Audrey Dempsey • Infinity Photo

2 million barrels (or ~1% share of the total U.S. beer market) and have contributed a bit less than 20% of the craft category’s total growth from 2011-2014.

When thinking of the brewery canning line, many of us think of a huge, noisy factory situation with thousands of cans whizzing by at breakneck speeds. Things at Bad Beat are a bit more modest and hands on and this is what the heart of local, craft brewing is all about.

This shiny new canning line, which they’ve affectionately named The Hammer, is about the size of an upright piano and dutifully fills and

crowns around 1,400 cans per hour.

The frosting on the cake here is that Bad Beat has sold all 24,000 of these cans at an impressive velocity. This rate of sale is not only ensuring the freshness of these great beers, but is bolstering considerably the growth of another dedicated craft brewery here in Nevada. The early success of these cans from Bad Beat confirms a wise capital investment in our local beer scene and for that we’re grateful. Expect to see the Bad Beat cans at many retailers in the coming months as the pipeline gets filled. Very happy holidays to you and we remain at your service.

Are cans the ideal package for beers with big flavor?

Pros of Canned Beer

Cons of Canned Beer

• Make beer taste like metal. Umm, only if you put the can in your • Eliminate all light so beer within is impervious to skunking mouth. Pour the beer in a glass. You deserve to smell and taste it.

• Have no headspace so aromatic oils from hops do not oxidize • Only cheap, crummy beers come in cans. Ok, just don’t tell our • Get beer colder faster and keep beer colder longer than bottles friends at Bad Beat, Big Dog’s, Great Basin, Sierra Nevada, • Are ideal for outdoor use; bottles break and get dangerous New Belgium, Victory, Brooklyn, Firestone Walker, Pizza Port, • Are cheaper to recycle, lessening environmental impact Speakeasy and Magic Hat, oh and Pabst, yeah, especially Pabst • Are lighter and cheaper to ship, lessening environmental impact • I don’t like the way cans feel in my hand. Too bad, they’re better • Take 40% less refrigerated space, lessening environmental impact for the planet we have to share with you.

20 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

NOW AVAILABLE IN CANS! Proudly Distributed By

By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.

What’s Cooking

photo by Bill Milne

He welcomes your inquiries.

Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Elizabeth Blau Appearing on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup photos by Marie Buck Photography

CNBC has announced its popular series, Restaurant Startup, a show that brings two teams of restaurateurs, who pitch their idea to a group of investors, will be including primo Las Vegas restaurateur Elizabeth Blau on its panel in three episodes of its 2016 season. Elizabeth is co-owner of Honey Salt, Made LV, Andiron Steak & Sea and Buddy V’s, and is widely credited with helping to transform Las Vegas into a world-class culinary destination as she helped design several of the restaurants at Bellagio and Wynn when both resorts first opened. Also, a regular member on the panel is Joe Bastianich, who co-owns several Vegas restaurants at The Venetian including Carnevino and B&B. The program will air on Wednesdays beginning January 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Chef Labadie Unveils New Menu at Searsucker 4310 W Tompkins Ave Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-645-0049

www.jayssharpening.com • customerservice@jayssharpening.com

Mobile Service Our mobile service vans provide sharpening services on-site to even the largest resort properties, without disrupting workflow.

Commercial Knife Exchange Program We furnish sharp knives to your kitchen on a weekly or biweekly rotation schedule.

Jay’s Sharpening Service

Cutting Board Resurfacing & Replacements

Arville St

Equipment Sales We offer top-of-the-line knives, culinary tools, kitchen supplies and replacement parts.

W Harmon Ave

Steak & Table Knife Re-Serration / Sharpening

W Tropicana Ave

22 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

Since Searsucker opened at Caesars Palace in April, Chef Jean Paul Labadie has been wowing us with his adroit mastery of creating beautiful dishes with a mix of ingredients not always seen together. Now he’s gone even further, with a menu comprised of 70% of new items, and is allowing his Puerto Rican heritage to come out, with several items containing healthful ingredients, noticeable spice and some preparations commonly found in the Caribbean island. The new items include Shrimp Ceviche & Coriander Toast with agua chili, cucumber and pickled banana; Scallops with plantains, piquillo peppers, duck confit and rum glaze; and Shrimp Scampi with spaghetti squash, garlic and lemon. Two rather unique dishes are: Tomato, Burrata & Olive—a bruchetta that you build yourself, with ingredients served separately from the bread, so it doesn’t have a chance to get soggy; and Fish & Chips made with Brazilian sea bass (yes, really!), which is served with a breaded and fried carcass of the fish, allowing you to pick it clean just as they would in the islands. A new dessert is the PB&J—profiteroles with berry gelee and peanut butter gelato. In addition to the menu upgrades (which is unique, different from other Searsucker locations), the restaurant invested $15,000 in new plates and serving boards. www.lvfnbpro.com

Van Heffner,

Nevada Hospitality Icon

Van Heffner, a major contributor to the evolution of the Nevada Hospitality Industry, passed away at age 70 following an extended illness. He founded and operated several associations; most notable of these are the Nevada Restaurant Association, Nevada Hospitality Foundation, the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association and the Nevada Tourism Alliance. Van was the longest serving State Restaurant Association representative to the National Restaurant Association. He was President and CEO of Heffner & Associates, Inc. from 1979 until his retirement in 2012. Van was passionate about expanding Nevada tourism and provided leadership to both industry associations and government commissions to foster industry collaboration that helped to transform Nevada’s image from one of gaming to that of a full service, family oriented vacation destination.

Mr. Heffner spent the majority of his work life in service to Nevada. Mr. Heffner addressed challenges through a variety of avenues, including lobbying for change at local, state and federal government levels. He helped lead the industry to set vision and strategies that expanded the scope of higher education programs to modernize hospitality services. To that end, he was a founding member of the UNLV National Advisory Board of Directors for Harrah’s College of Hotel Administration.

Additionally, Mr. Heffner worked tirelessly to encourage cultural diversity programs, employee development and assistance programs, and to incorporate total customer experience as a driving factor for business decisions. Mr. Heffner also lifted the bar on hospitality services by founding linkages to the International Food Service Executives Association, Cultural Diversity Council, and the National Energy Coalition.

Over his distinguished career, Mr. Heffner served in several appointed leadership roles - including the Nevada Tourism Commission, Nevada Commission on Economic Development, Nevada State College Foundation, Nevada State Medical Board, and the Advisory Board for Hotel & Motel www.lvfnbpro.com

Van Heffner

Management magazine - all to further promote a positive, family oriented, humanitarian image for Nevada. Mr. Heffner was also a published author, including his Serving Alcohol with Care series which has educated millions of servers worldwide and helped minimize hospitality business risk. He also authored Impression Management and Retail Merchandising for the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Health Specialist (2005), Southern Nevada

Anyone who knew Mr. Heffner soon became aware of Van’s highly intuitive and spiritual nature. After his wife, Joan, was healed after battling breast cancer, he wrote two Inspirational books: Love Dances (1995) and Harmony (1999). Van Heffner’s awards and honors reflect a notable life of a service and include: Honorary Registered Environmental

Award (1996).

Health District’s Public Health Hero Award (1999), Nominated for the Pearson National Literary Award, Washington, D.C. (1999), Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Tourism Award (1998), Mediators of Southern Nevada, Peacemaker of the Year Award (1997) and Clark County Humanitarian The Nevada Restaurant Association and the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association held a celebration of life ceremony in November at the Bootlegger with the Honorable Lorraine HuntBono as speaker honoring his accomplishments for the industry.

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | The Ultimate Stock that allows you to just cook!

Major Chefs’ Elite Stock Base Pastes are made using only the finest of ingredients. Use to add authentic flavor direct to a sauce or dish. Simply mix in or dilute for perfect results every time.

Use as a base for soups, stews, casseroles, pie fillings, gravies and broths. Available in 1lb, 2.5lb and 10lb tubs, the Major Elite range comes in 29* flavor-packed stock base pastes including beef, vegetable, chicken, porcini mushroom, clam and garlic.

With a taste just like your own house-made stock, the Chefs’ Elite range is ideal whenever you require a rich flavor delivery offering consistency and saving & important preparation time.

It’s so simple to make a classic brown sauce using Major Chefs’ Elite Beef Stock Base Paste. Serve with your favorite cut of steak to create an incredible dish that will leave you wanting more. www.majorproducts.com *includes no msg and low sodium flavors

Carson Kitchen

Border Grill has a new dessert menu created by executive chef Jamaal Taherzadeh. Pictured here is the Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake presented with fudge sauce, salted nuts, bananas and berries, and topped with a scoop of almond ice cream.

Carson Kitchen in Downtown Las Vegas celebrates Repeal Day on Dec. 5 with its signature Bee’s Knees cocktail, made with hana gin, fresh lemon and smoked honey and priced at $12. The unique flavor of smoked honey resonates with a rich sweetness and hints of aromatic spice, making this Repeal Dayinspired cocktail truly authentic.

Tilted Kilt

photo courtesy Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcakes Run, run as fast as you can in order to catch the gingerbread man! Cupcakes, that is! Sprinkles Cupcakes at The LINQ Promenade features the favorite holiday flavor in a spiced ginger cake topped with cream cheese frosting dusted with cinnamon sugar adorned with a gingerbread man.

24 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

Le Central

photo courtesy Caesars Entertainment

photo courtesty Tilted Kilt

Tilted Kilt’s San Patricio Street Tacos shown here are a mix of Mazina tortillas, cabbage-cilantro mix, salsa verde, green chili pork, cilantro-onion relish, fried corn tortilla chips and fire roasted tomato salsa.

photo courtesy Carson Kitchen

Border Grill

As the weather turns colder, the recently revamped Le Central at Paris Las Vegas is serving up The Smoking Manhattan, made of Woodford Reserve infused bourbon, sweet vermouth and real smoke from a stateof-the-art smoke gun, available for $12 throughout December.

Bellagio Ricardo Murcia, Assistant Director of Beverage at Bellagio, has crafted a tasty Holiday Margarita, which is being served at Petrossian Bar, made with Herradura Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, brown sugar syrup, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and apple cider and garnished with cinnamon sugar rim apple slice and cinnamon stick.

photo courtesy MGM Resorts International

photo courtesy Big Tom Photography

OUR PERSONAL PICKS

www.lvfnbpro.com

By Linda Westcott-Bernstein

Human Resources Insights

Linda Westcott-Bernstein has provided sound human resources advice and guidance to Fortune 500 companies and others for over 25 years. Linda has recently re-published her self-help book entitled It All Comes Down to WE! This book offers guidelines for building a solid and enduring personal work ethic. You can find her book on Amazon or Google Books.

Phone: 702-326-4040 Email: Vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com

Holiday Season: A Time for Reflection and Evaluation

The holiday season is the perfect time for embracing the importance of family and friends. It’s a time to reflect on what we’ve done in our life and maybe even how we’ve made a contribution to the greater good.

This applies not only in our personal lives but also in our work life. As we prepare to welcome in a new year and make some new resolutions, why not resolve to reflect on and evaluate the one thing which truly matters most: Are we a good person, do we care about the welfare of others, and do we treat others with the respect they deserve?

So much of human nature is to judge others by our situation and standards. While that is our frame of reference, it is not appropriate or accurate to theirs. Just the other week, I met with someone about a new job. This person was very open about her life and situation, and shared with me some very private information.

This woman was in an abusive situation and wanted desperately to escape it. It was easy for me to think … “I’m glad that’s not me … I’d never let myself be manipulated by anyone.”

And suddenly, almost as quickly as those thoughts popped into my head, I realized that I was behaving judgmentally. I was clearly unable

How can we honestly evaluate our goodness, our contributions in our work and personal life? We can start with an evaluation of ourselves by considering a few potential challenges…

Do we…

• reserve our judgment of others?

• treat others with respect and consideration?

• act in a way this is considerate of other’s opinions?

• honestly assess our weaknesses as well as our strengths?

• try to understand the differences in others and embrace them?

to comprehend not only what her situation was but how she came to be in it. It was cold and uncaring of me to think that I had any comprehension for her dilemma or situation.

The goal and intent of a good human resources (HR) philosophy and practices is to help us all remember and reflect on what is truly important in life, the welfare of others. HR is there to help good people make good decisions by understanding the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between emotion and intellect.

Please, never forget that there is no weakness in compassion, there is only the cold reality of indifference.

This is the perfect time of year to remember and embrace that so important Golden Rule – while reflecting and evaluating our own characteristics – “Treat others the way in which you’d like to be treated.” To me, it really comes down to some very basic concepts for life and living… have compassion for your fellow (wo) man and endeavor to be fair, considerate and compassionate in all aspects of your life.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

HR Question of the month: Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com.

Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.

26 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

The Bottom Line Keep your Brand Great with These Simple Guidelines

By Ben Brown Ben is an MBA candidate at USC’s Marshall School of Business, specializing in hospitality marketing and analytics. He has served as a food & beverage strategist with MGM Resorts, as well as reviewed more than 200 Las Vegas restaurants with CBS Local and Examiner. com. Contact him at Ben@lvfnb.com.

Consistency is the X-factor that separates a successful restaurant from its counterparts. Elite restaurants aren’t defined by expensive décor, trendy ingredients, celebrity chefs, or even great food. Elite restaurants are defined by the perceptions of their customers. Great food and atmosphere certainly help shape a good brand, but the true performance metric is how accurately a restaurant lives up to the reputation it wants to create for itself. It’s up to you, the restaurateur, to clearly define the experience you want to create, and then ensure that this experience rings true through every step of the meal.

To add color to this broad claim, let’s look at two proven brands: Joël Robuchon and McDonald’s. About as opposite as can be, these establishments share one thing in common: consistency. Joël Robuchon, a Michelin-starred legend of Las Vegas, built its reputation by serving the finest food made from the finest ingredients in one of the finest dining rooms with the finest servers. More importantly, however, is that Joël Robuchon’s customers fully support these selling points. Nowhere does this restaurant fall short of the illustrious experience it seeks to create.

McDonald’s has achieved its success in a very different way. Claiming to be ‘in the real estate business rather than the hamburger business,’ McDonald’s has made itself accessible to nearly every person in the country [and many across the world]. The key here is also consistency— that hamburger will taste the same whether you’re at a McDonald’s in California, New York or China. Few people will claim McDonald’s to be anywhere near the best burger they’ve eaten, but they go back because the restaurant stays true to its reputation for convenience and affordability.

Joël Robuchon and McDonald’s are extreme examples, but in each case both the restaurant and its customers agree on the balance of taste, value, atmosphere and service. There is clearly no right or wrong way to balance these attributes, but only successful restaurants will carry this same balance throughout the customer experience.

Take some time to think about every touchpoint your customer goes through while they are at your restaurant. Make adjustments as needed to ensure that your experience stays consistent throughout the customer journey. Start with the easiest items to change:

Hostess Attentiveness

Your hostess is often the customer’s first point of contact. Whether speaking with prospective customers in person or over the phone, it is imperative that your hostess reflects your establishment’s ideals. In a high-volume setting, this means getting down to business with quick responses on wait times and a fluid handoff to servers. In a fine dining

www.lvfnbpro.com

setting, however, a hostess should make guests feel at home before they even take their seat. If you have multiple hostesses at the front during a low-traffic time, they should speak with prospective customers as a group rather than ‘handing them off’ to one another.

Server Attentiveness

Servers in more casual settings are responsible for serving food as efficiently as possible. As the price point rises, the need to develop rapport and create relationships grows proportionately. As an owner or manager you must make sure that these patterns ring true. Body language says it all—customers see right through fake smiles and notice if they’re not being tended to. Monitor your floor to keep customer service consistent with your brand.

Bread

If your restaurant prides itself in serving quality food, your bread [or its equivalent] should be on the same level, if not better. Just as the hostess is the customer’s first service contact, the bread is their first impression of your food and will set the tone for the rest of the meal. Skimping out on the bread will lead customers to question where else you’re cutting costs.

Price

Different price points naturally attract different audiences, but successful restaurants will keep their menu mix within the same general price range.

Pricing items too far apart will alienate your customers, making them think that the more expensive items are grossly overpriced while the cheaper items must lack quality.

The easiest way to know if you need to make changes: gathering feedback. Monitor online reviews, invite writers to visit periodically, and, of course, talk to your customers directly. You want their words to mirror the restaurant’s brand as you see it. The key is consistency, and making many small changes over time will refine your restaurant to reach its desired image.

December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 27

By Juanita Fryer

ACF Chefs Las Vegas

Juanita is currently a culinary student at UNLV, previously at CSN and is the ACF Chefs of Las Vegas liaison journalist working at South Point Hotel’s main kitchen in the garde manger department.

Born and raised in Asia, she brings a unique view to this industry page!

For inquiries and suggestions email Juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com

In October, Chefs for Kids hosted its annual Chefs for Kids golf tournament. Being that it was held during the month of Halloween, each hole was dedicated to a trick or a treat.

Sponsored by Brown Blankfeld Group, after each hole you definitely left with a smile on your face. Held at the Painted Desert Golf Course along with beautiful weather, this event definitely brought out several golfers in support of the cause.

The holiday season is here! Once again we are calling out all industry professionals, students or just anyone who would like to be a part of a diverse and elite meeting of alike people. We are having our monthly meeting at the Main Street Station the last Tuesday of December at 6 p.m. There will be collection of new toys for the Annual Chefs for Kids Toy Drive.

Later in January, Le Cordon Bleu College will be presenting “The Farm” at the January monthly meeting; this will be based on sustainability and will consist of heavy hors d’oeuvres.

We are definitely looking forward for your attendance at the American Culinary Federation or ACF, events and meetings. We are heavily involved in the community and your attendance is a great way to network and socialize with all those that share the same passion in the Culinary Industry.

For more information and to view a schedule of events, please visit: www.acfchefslasvegas.org.

28 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

By Megan Nicolson

Megan Mack’s Latenight Excursions

Megan Nicolson was raised in Las Vegas, where she has resided for the past 21 years, and has been involved in the nightlife industry for 10 years. She attended UNR and graduated with a BS of Animal Science and Pre Vet Med.

I don’t know about you, but just because Halloween is over doesn’t mean my sweet tooth is gone.

Full steam ahead into baking season, homemade cookies and delicious bite sized morsels. Oh, and pies. Cannot forget those pies. And the great thing about Vegas is that all of these treats and traditions are offered all year long. There are specialty stores and restaurants based around a confectionary’s dream. The Sugar Factory, It’s Sugar, Serendipity 3, Jean Philippe Patisserie, and The Cheesecake Factory are just to name a few places that have marketed their successful spotlighting on desserts.

Well move over Willy Wonka, there’s a new kid on the block, well to get technical, the Boulevard.

Hexx Kitchen and Bar features a twenty-four-hour dining experience located right on the Strip inside Paris Hotel and Casino. They actually are in the old location of The Sugar Factory.

My girlfriends and I went for a nice dinner, some sweet libations and the chocolate. Yes, that is correct, they have a chocolate factory. For an appetizer, we all agreed that the crispy broccolini was delicious. It’s flash fried with Thai chili, citrus, and golden balsamic. Who knew a vegetable could be so satisfying. The girls then shared a charcuterie type dish, but instead of bread it came surrounded with a huge pretzel. Inside the pretzel cutouts were slices of cured meats, aged cheeses, whole grain mustard and blueberry compote. This too was amazing; the only request we could’ve had was that it would’ve been better with an oven-warmed pretzel, but nonetheless satisfying. I wanted something a little more substantial to eat, so I took the server’s suggestion and ordered the roasted sea bass. It came skin on, crispy and just enough salt, atop a couscous, tomato and spinach medley drizzled with pesto and dusted with pistachios. Absolutely a must have. Now to the sweet side of the meal, which began with our first cocktail, a barrel-aged chocolate Manhattan. It consisted of Ecuadorian cocoa nib-infused Breckenridge bourbon, carpano antica sweet vermouth and chocolate bitters served with an ice sphere and a brandied cherry. It was so tasty I had two. Now on to the headliner, the chocolate tasting and the tour. It is a true bean-to-bar production, using only two ingredients in their chocolate. They showcase five different countries from which they get their cacao beans: Tanzania, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Madagascar. Those beans mixed with organic palm sugar makes the five dark chocolate bars featured in the restaurant and candy store. Guests are welcome to watch the process and taste all the varietal differences while being explained the different notes in each bar. Each bar is nut, diary and gluten free. The top seller is Ecuador, which happened to be all our favorites as well.

From bittersweet chocolate to a bittersweet farewell of one of Vegas’ luxury nightclubs. This month marked the end of Tryst Nightclub, which was located inside the Wynn Hotel and Casino. Tryst, meaning a private, romantic rendezvous between lovers is exactly what the club depicted.

Sensual red velvet carpets and booths with gold fixtures, dim lighting and an intimate dance floor that showcases the majestic ninety-foot Wynn waterfall that cascades into a private lagoon. Tryst was one of the first contemporarystyle forward nightclubs that opened a little over ten years ago. They revolutionized high-end bottle service offering chocolate and strawberries with champagne before it was customary. All industry personnel came for the closing party, to say goodbye to the predecessor of XS and welcome in the new venue that is going to replace it named Intrigue. It is going to be a new nightlife concept that won’t be based off EDM (electro dance music) based DJs. It will be an ever-changing spot, so the look and experience will keep people coming back. They will still continue to focus on a smaller demographic, holding 1,200 people, whereas the new mega clubs are more about quantity and not quality. They believe the room and the patrons will make the experience everlasting, not music spun by an overpaid DJ. Rumor www.lvfnbpro.com

has it that they will also have a club inside the nightclub that will be invite only and banning any social media, letting the old tradition of actual personto-person conversation have center stage again. Intrigue is scheduled to open April 28th, 2016.

Hexx Kitchen and Bar:

Tryst/Intrigue Nightclub:

3655 Las Vegas Blvd S

3131 S Las Vegas Blvd

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Upcoming Worthy Events: (December) DMX’mas at Foxtail (13th) NYE with J. Cole at Light (31st) NYE with Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill at Drai’s (31st)

ON TAP AND IN BOTTLES THROUHOUT SOUTHERN NEVADA LAS VEGAS’ ORIGINAL BREWING COMPANY ww.bigdogsbrews.com December 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29

EVENTS

AD INDEX

December Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100

December 2

NvRA-Nevada Restaurant Association Mix & Mingle Isabela’s Seafood www.nvrestaurants.com

December 5

Winter Brew’s Best Hand-Crafted Beer Festival The Green at Town Square www.brewsbestlv.com

December TBA

ACF Chefs of Las Vegas Christmas Dinner Meeting www.acfchefslasvegas.org

December 17-20

Ultimo—A Weekend of Excellence The Venetian/Palazzo www.venetian.com/ultimo

30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2015

page 11

Keep Memory Alive page 2 Event Center www.kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com 702-263-9797

Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 28 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128

Ment’or www.mentorbkb.org

page 19

Bad Beat Brewing www.badbeatbrewing.com 702-463-4199

page 21

Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698

page 25

Bocuse d’Or Team USA page 18 National Selection www.venetian.com/entertainment/events/ ultimo/event.html

Niigata Sake Festival http://sakenojin.jp/english 025-229-1218

page 30

Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715

page 29

The Spice Outlet www.thespiceoutlet.com 702-534-7883

page 11

Designated Drivers www.designateddriversinc.com 877-456-7433

page 12

Todd English P.U.B. www.toddenglishpub.com 702-489-8080

page 31

Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049

page 22

Ultimo www.venetian.com/ultimo

page 32

JCCNV www.jccnevada.com 702-428-0555

page 12

White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com

page 8

www.lvfnbpro.com

A Weekend of Excellence December 17-20, 2015

of celebrity chefs and the most incredible culinary experiences anywhere.

Visit venetian.com/ultimo during this four-day dining tour de force.

JEROME BOCUSE

GAVIN KAYSEN

DANIEL BOULUD

THOMAS KELLER

DARIO CECCHINI

JAMES KENT

JOSIAH CITRIN

JEAN PHILIPPE MAURY

OLIVIER DUBREUIL

ROLAND PASSOT

SHAUN HERGATT

RICHARD ROSENDALE

JEROME JACOILLOT

PHILIP TESSIER

TRACI DES JARDINS

MING TSAI Special Thanks To