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Issue 12 Volume 16
US $3.95
A Dragon Rises
Lucky Dragon: Las Vegas’ Newest Boutique Resort
SOME WINES ARE WORTH CELEBRATING Celebrate Robert Mondavi Winery’s 50 th Anniversary of uncompromising excellence and generous inspiration.
Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2016 Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA
Enjoy our limited edition anniversary release of 2013 Maestro.
“This is just the beginning.” Learn more at RobertMondaviWinery.com
December 2016
CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER
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Well, it’s almost the end of 2016 and we wonder where it went so quickly. We lost a few restaurants and we welcomed a few more, lost a few good friends and found a few new ones, and the beat goes on! Thank you, our dedicated readers, for all your support and comments over the year, which ultimately help us publish a better magazine month by month. 2016 saw The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional being nominated for the Allied of the Year award by the Nevada Restaurant Association and we sincerely appreciated this “Stamp of Approval.”
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As I said, goings and comings, which brings us to our December issue Cover Feature on the newly opened LUCKY DRAGON HOTEL & CASINO, located just off of the Las Vegas Strip. In the making for several years, it is the only truly Asian casino outside of Asia. ON PAGE 5 ALICE SWIFT SHOWS US SOME ATYPICAL WINES FOR THE HOLIDAYS. From her new home in Hawaii, Alice introduces us to a few new and several older names to look for to better enjoy the holidays from wineries around the world, yet selective to pairing with the holiday season. Check it out! ON PAGE 7 MORIMOTO OPENS IN THE MGM GRAND within the space previously occupied by Shibuya, and except for a few minor detailed signature improvements and a refrigerated showcase highlighting their assorted meats (including Kobe A5), it is pretty much the same layout. This has allowed MORIMOTO to be able to utilize existing cooking stations offering teppan table cooking for the first time in any of his restaurants. Since I love good authentic Japanese food, having graduated from the University of Tokyo and spending additional years in Japan as Operations Director for Denny’s International, I can fully appreciate what MORIMOTO is bringing to the Las Vegas culinary scene. CHEERS! or should I say KAMPAI!
Page 4 Hot off the Grill!
Page 12 Brett’s Vegas View
Page 23 The Big Smoke Las Vegas
Page 5 Wine Talk Atypical Wines for the Holidays
Page 13 USBG Las Vegas
Page 24 Human Resources Insights Customer Service: It’s Rare but You Can Still Experience It!
Page 14 UNLV Epicurean Society
Page 6 What’s Brewing Page 7 Dining out with the Harrises Morimoto Opens at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Page 8 West Eats East Unknown Japanese Veggies & Herbs Page 9 Chef Talk All About Avocados
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Page 10 Good for Spooning tsp. baking company – Now Open
Page 16 COVER FEATURE A Dragon Rises Lucky Dragon: Las Vegas’ Newest Boutique Resort Page 18 Food for Thought Try Outsmarting Yourself During the Holidays Page 20 Product Spotlight Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips Four Holiday Ales with Notable Label Artwork Page 22 Latest Happenings and Wonderful New Restaurants
Page 25 The Bottom Line Tipping: When to Share the Wealth? Page 26 What’s Cooking Page 27 Chef Spotlight Public School 702’s Chef Jeremy Chandler Page 28 Our Picks Page 29 Product Review Book Review Flying Pans— Two Chefs, One World Page 30 Events Ad Index
December 2016 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 2016 Mike Fryer
Sr. Editor/Publisher
Congratulations to all involved in finally putting the RESTAURANT MORIMOTO together. It’s taken several years; first it was to take the place of the Japanese restaurant Japonaise at The Mirage which never pushed through, and when the Shibuya space at the MGM Grand became available, it was a done deal. When I finally cornered Morimoto-San at his opening I asked him (in Japanese) what all the delay was about and he only said (seiji) politics!
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
Juanita Fryer
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Juanita Aiello
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com
LVFNBPro Editorial Director and BJ’s Henderson General Manager Jaimie Uphoff join in celebrating one of the hottest beer styles—barrel-aged beers—which were featured at BJ’s beer dinner last month. For a full reporting on the beers and dishes that were paired, see Bob’s What’s Brewing column on page 6.
Elaine & Scott Harris Editors at Large harris@lvfnb.com
LVFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes sat down with Sous Chef Jeremy Chandler to try the new menu items at Public School 702 at Downtown Summerlin and was so impressed that he just had to write a spotlight article on the talented young chef. Pictured here are Chef’s Swordfish Ban Mi Sandwich and Eggs Benedict Pizza. Learn all about Chef Jeremy and his restaurant’s new menu items on page 27.
Adam Rains
Creative Director juanita@lvfnb.com
Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com
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Website webmaster@lvfnb.com
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The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Journalist Aimee McAffee
Photographer Joe Tholt
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist Shelley Stepanek
Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid
Journalist UNLV Epicurean Society Matthew Cairo
Journalist Mitchell Wilburn
Journalist Kim Trevino
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
Journalist Lisa Matney
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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.
Atypical Wines for the Holidays Each year, as we near the holidays, articles fill with recommendations for wine pairings with typical big feast meals beginning to take over the publishing world. I read about big red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, even Zinfandel to pair your Thanksgiving turkeys, prime rib roasts, Christmas hams, and of course, Champagne to toast the upcoming New Year! I typically do the same, with some recommendations of classic favorites to go with the classic meals. This year, in the spirit of new experiences and adventures, I encourage you to explore outside your typical palate and celebrate the holidays with alternatives to the “popular” wines! Throughout my wine ventures, I’ve discovered lesser known wine regions which are not always the first pick when it comes to the novice consumer. I’ve put together a short list of alternative wines to the crowd favorites for you to try this holiday season. From Chablis (Chardonnay) to Albariño Chablis is a wine region located in the northern part of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French), France, whose wines are made from Chardonnay only. Well known for high-end Chardonnay, the wines are crisp and high in acid, with a chalky minerality that makes it one of a kind. However, if would like to try something comparable, yet unique in its own right, explore the Albariño white grape of Spain, where it is primarily grown in Rías Baixas of Galicia. This wine is sometimes compared to Chardonnay, as it also has the crisp acid and mineral components. However, this wine also contributes an aromatic profile of honeysuckle and white flowers, and unique salinity that makes this wine great with seafood, and oysters in particular. www.lvfnbpro.com
From Burgundy to Central Otago (Pinot Noir) When people think of Pinot Noir, they jump to specific regions: California, France, Oregon, etc. The wines are great and unique in their respective regions, California being the more fruit-forward of the Pinots (with some Old World style exceptions), while France and Oregon produce Pinot Noirs with complex aromas and flavors and the earthy, fine tannins to match. But, if you want a change in style, explore Central Otago. Located in the southernmost region on the South Island of New Zealand, it is also the southernmost commercial wine region in the world. Pinot Noir thrives here as a hidden gem. The fruit-forwardness of the wine, balanced by the intense structure lends to the unique profile of Central Otago’s Pinot Noirs. This wine does have a one of a kind aroma and tasting profile, with a good balance between earthiness and ripe fruit. From German Riesling to Australia If you prefer something a little crisp and sweeter, instead of going for your typical German or American Rieslings, try yet another hidden gem of the world, Rieslings from Australia. In particular, Clare Valley and Eden Valley are both well known for Rieslings produced in a range of styles. The wines are nice and crisp with high acidity, while exhibiting citrus fruit aromas and flavor characteristics. From California Cabernet Sauvignon to South Africa When one thinks of Cabernet, the standard go-to wine regions are likely to be California, France, maybe Washington. But, have you tried Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa? Stellenbosch continues to be a best seller in terms of Cabernet
Sauvignon out of South Africa year over year. Wines from there are fuller bodied, with dark fruit aromas and flavors with dark chocolate, earthy overtones. Constantia, on the other hand, is typically known for its dessert wines, called Vin de Constance. However, Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced here, exhibiting black fruits, but also a unique mint aroma and flavor characteristic that is hard to duplicate anywhere else. From Champagne to New Mexico (sparkling wine) Finally, who can celebrate the holidays and ringing in of the New Year without a little bubbly? Rather than going for your typical Champagne from France, or sparkling wine from California, how about trying sparkling wine from New Mexico? Surprisingly, some of the best Champagne-style wine comes from New Mexico, whose most well-known and largest winery is Gruet Winery. Gilbert Gruet, founder of Gruet Winery, was originally a winemaker from France who decided to explore ideal winemaking regions in other parts of the world. It turns out that southern New Mexico has prime growing conditions for grapes, mimicking the climate of Champagne, France. Gruet makes multiple styles of sparkling wine, from dry Brut style, to slightly sweet Demi Sec, to Rosé. Enjoy your holidays this year, and I hope you reach outside your comfort zones to try some new experiences in the wine world to pair with your holiday fests. Until next month, Cheers and have a Happy Holidays with family and friends~! Alice
December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
By Bob Barnes
what’s
BREWING Aces & Ales has two events this month worth attending to get us through the onset of the winter months. First up is the release of its collaboration with the Temecula-based Black Market Brewing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 at both of its locations. The collab beer is a juicy IPA and in addition there will be six other exclusive Black Market beers pouring, which are usually only available in their tap room. Next up on Dec. 13 beginning at 5 p.m. at its Tenaya location, Aces will give us an early Christmas present: a tap takeover of more than 20 rare Dogfish Head brews (such as Palo Santo; 60, 61, 90, 75 and 120 Min IPA; and Worldwide Stout).
Two Very Outstanding Beer Dinners at Excellent Prices At its latest beer dinner last month BJ’s celebrated one of the hottest styles currently in brewing: barrel-aged beers. I attended the dinner at the Henderson location and noticed a country theme evidenced by servers in western attire and old timey rustic barrels on display. After being welcomed by GM Jaimie Uphoff and enjoying our warm-up beer (BJ’s Oasis Amber), we began with a 100% gluten-free course pairing The Super Salad (so named for its antioxidant ingredients including kale, romaine, quinoa, apples, blueberries, jicama, corn, asparagus, cucumber and tomatoes) with Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel-Aged Hard Cider. Although cider is not beer and is its own unique beverage, we appreciated and enjoyed the bourbon-barrel aged cider, which as Woodchuck/Pabst Area Sales Manager Bill Fehneman related, “its oak, vanilla and whiskey notes, along with the cider’s sweetness, helped to balance the tartness of the salad.” Next up was a very spicy Buffalo Chicken Deep Dish Pizza matched with the first-ever rum barrel aged Piraat from the Belgian Van Steenberge brewery, which was a bold beer with a bold dish. It was also fitting that this beer named for a pirate was aged in a vessel used to hold the buccaneers’ favorite drink. Our first palate cleanser happened to be my favorite all-time BJ’s beer, the annual Grand Cru. Although it is not barrel aged, no one complained, because it is so awesome. Jamie let us know that Grand Cru is a term Belgian brewers reserve for their best beer. This Belgian-style 10% ABV strong golden ale was first brewed in 1999 to celebrate the new millennium and went on to win medals at both the World Beer Cup and GABF. Next we enjoyed Spicy Peanut Chicken with Soba Noodles with another offering from Van Steenberge, Gulden Draak Brewmaster Reserve,
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
a rich 10.5% ABV Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Dark Ale that stood up well to the strong peanut sauce. Our final palate cleanser was Silly Burgundy Barrel-aged Scotch Ale, so named not for foolishness, but for the Belgian town Brasserie de Silly is located in. Recognized as one of the best Scotch ales in the world, each year the brewery ages its renowned brew in a different style barrel, with the 2016 version being Burgundy from the Nuits-Saint-George region of France, in which its blend of caramelized malt and candied sugar from the mother beer was met with fruity, vinous counterpoints from the barrel. We finished with BJ’s trademark Triple Chocolate Pizookie with two big barrel-aged imperial stouts: BJ’s Tatonka Stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrels and Abita Bourbon Street Chocolate Stout with added cocoa nibs aged in bourbon barrels. Both brews brought the complexity of an imperial stout conjoined with notes of vanilla and bourbon.
At the Pub 365 beer dinner Editorial Director Bob Barnes enjoys hanging out at the cool table with LVFNBPro Photographer Joe Urcioli and Las Vegas Weekly Food Writer Jim Begley.
As usual the fare for this feast was only $35, a bargain, especially considering the exquisite beers we enjoyed. The Tuscany Suites & Casino’s newly opened Pub 365, so named for the number of beers it serves, hosted its first beer dinner last month. Called Flights & Bites, the inaugural event featured the splendid beers of Prairie Artisan Ales, a brewery new to the Vegas market. The beers were introduced by Certified Cicerone Garrick Dicus of Vin Sauvage, the local distributor of the Oklahoma brewery known for its barrel aging and sour beer portfolio. The five-course tasting included Southern Style Fried Tomato with remoulade, arugula and goat cheese paired with Prairie-VOUS Francais (a Brett-conditioned Saison); Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with shu-mai vegetable slaw with 4th Anniversary Ale (Wild Ale aged on ginger); Popcorn Shrimp with chipotle butter with Funky Gold Mosaic (a dry hopped Brett and Lactoconditioned Sour); Skirt Steak with Menonita (a Mexican cheese) grits and chimichurri with Phantasmagoria (a juicy and malty 8% ABV Imperial IPA that was not bitter); and Chocolate/ Coffee Truffle with Prairie BOMB! (13% ABV Imperial Stout spiced with coffee, vanilla, chili, and cocoa nibs). This beer dinner was an incredible steal at only $25. The beers alone would have been worth the price of admission and the delectable dishes were a huge bonus. Kudos to GM Mike Jones and his staff for putting together an incredible beer pairing experience on their first attempt. As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
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Editorial Director Bob Barnes and Pub 365 GM Michael Jones.
Wagonload of beer goodies at the BJ’s beer dinner.
photos courtesy Joe Urcioli
December Beer Events
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.
Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with shu-mai vegetable slaw at Pub 365
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By Elaine & Scott Harris
Dining out with the Harrises
Sommeliers and Editor-In-Chief of Nationally Recognized Cuisineist.com and Vino Las Vegas LLC. They are the Las Vegas City Editors for TheDailyMeal in New York City. Cuisinist@Gmail.com • www.Cuisineist.com www.VinoLasVegas.Blogspot.com www.LasVegasDiningTours.com Facebook:ElaineScottHarris Twitter:TheCuisineist.com Twitter: VinoLasVegas • Instagram : Cuisineist
The Wait Is Over—Morimoto Opens at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
you can’t get enough of and the A5 grilled by Morimoto is one of those things. With eyes wide open and ready to see what was next, we watched as Morimoto prepared and plated another classic dish for us, Japanese A-5 wagyu beef skewers with fresh grated wasabi and chimichurri that melted in our mouth. A gift from the sea finished off our main courses. Morimoto was right on task as always. His salmon and garlic fried rice with iceberg lettuce and scallion could not have been a better way to finish off this part of this gastronomic afternoon of Iron Chef fare and flair. The final brush stroke of this work of art gave us a very sweet selection that we just had to indulge in. Morimoto’s dessert selections were a delightfully decadent finish to a most stunning meal: A visually sensational presentation featuring coconut mango, black forest, chilled soufflé cheesecake, fiery caramel tart, tofu mousse and doughnuts had us sampling them all with upmost awe and appreciation. Looking over the menu, you can’t go wrong with anything here. However, you must try A5 beef sukiyaki, A5 wagyu beef, New York strip and of course A5 wagyu beef filet mignon and A5 wagyu beef rib eye. For nonbeef options, free range organic chicken breast and the Colorado organic lamb chop are excellent as well. Morimoto has many other options as the menu is diverse and of course perfectly prepared. A whole lobster masala, king salmon with fresh asparagus beurre blanc is a nice option as well as nicely seared snapper with Thai curry, mussels, banana and sea beans. Morimoto Las Vegas offers a sushi bar, teppan tables and a main dining room to satisfy whatever mood you may be in. Open 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, Morimoto is a must-stop every time you are in Las Vegas. After all, dining with the crowned Iron Chef is a distinct possibility.
photos by Scott Harris
Las Vegas has a well-deserved reputation as expecting the best in the world and exceeding expectations. This culinary mega city under the neon has brilliant culinary jewels in its crown of which no other city can boast. Recently, a very big jewel was added to the lineup: yet another Iron Chef, Morimoto. Chef Morimoto Masaharu, or known more simply as Morimoto, has now opened his namesake venue in the renowned MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He is known for his unique style of presenting his dishes and locals and visitors have eagerly anticipated partaking of his flair and expertly prepared creations. Our experience could only be described as spectacular. Morimoto invited us to dine at the Teppan Table as he and his world-class staff led off with what we can only describe as an epic afternoon. Morimoto explained, “I have always been inspired by the glamour of the city and wanted to create an experience for my guests. I have always wanted to come to Las Vegas.” This VIP experience was accented by MGM Grand President and COO Scott Sibella, who said, “We officially welcome Chef Morimoto to the MGM Grand. This addition to our culinary choices has certainly elevated our resort and Las Vegas.” Our breath was taken away when we first walked into the venue. The décor is best described as chic modern but with unmistakable homage to his homeland of Japan. The walls are adorned with Japanese artwork from sculptures to paintings. The bar, decked out with a cherry blossom wall, will draw your eyes right into focus for that specialty cocktail or glass of wine. After having a few specialty cocktails created by his renowned mixology team, we then joined Chef Morimoto at the Teppan Grill for what would become an experience that we will not forget anytime soon. Joking with his guests and demonstrating his incredible knife skills while explaining the first dish was a master class from an Iron Chef on multitasking. Our first gastronomic delight of smoked hamachi pastrami paired with smoked Morimoto junmai daiginjo sake set the tone in a most perfect way. It just kept getting better when Morimoto prepared a tasty toro tartare with six different condiments and yes, dashi soy to keep our palates wanting more. Did we just see what could be A5? The Holy Grail may be right at hand. Morimoto certainly delivered and delivered in a very big way. Hand presented by the Iron Chef himself, Japanese A5 sukiyaki with a perfectly soft poached jadori chicken egg was the definitive answer to any gastronomic prayer. There are some things in this world that
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December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7
West Eats East Unknown Japanese Veggies & Herbs More vegetables are appearing at our tables lately and some of them originated from Japan. Green onions, Napa-cabbage, daikon (radish) and eggplants (skinny) are among the common being sold even locally. Garden shops sell young cucumber or eggplant plants in pots that are specified “Japanese.” There are other unknown Japanese vegetables and herbs promising for healthy, balanced diets as well as eye-catching presentations. Visit J-food stores like Nijiya, Marukai, Mitsuwa, or Seiwa in LA and SD areas, where you would see a variety of these kinds and also something new. “Shiso,” green or red (Perilla), you see when your sushi or sashimi is served. The latest addition is “Shishito,” an elongated, conical shaped green pepper, not hot, which is often seen on recent TV culinary shows. Besides, you may have fun growing them at a small patch or planter and using daily, which is often publicized as trendy. Here let’s group them into three groups: sea veggies, hill veggies and exotic J-herbs. Sea veggies: Anything edible has been used by people near beaches including plants from the sea, on shore rocks or beached by rough waves. It appears people only in sub-tropical to cold climate zones have consumed marine and fresh water plants. People in tropical regions like the Pacific islanders seem not to have a custom to eat sea plants from coral seas. In Asia, Koreans or Japanese do so with some Chinese in the southern regions, while, in Europe, nobody around the Mediterranean Sea or the northern Atlantic does. Only Irish utilize them as compost for poor, infertile soil after de-salted. People in Europe have never thought about eating plants from the sea, which may be the reason why the plants from the sea, even edible, were named seaweed or simply kelp. Seaveggies, I prefer instead, for promoting more in our eating. “Wakame,” “Kombu” and “Nori” are among sea-veggies for probable use here. They are good sources of iodine and other minerals, which many Japanese believe are good for maintaining black hair and for smooth excrement. “Wakame,” green in color, the dried ones re-hydrated by soaking in water, is excellent in seafood salad, in soup or vegetable stir-fry. “Kombu” can be used as excellent soup stock (after soaking in water for a certain time)
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By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D. 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.
of the vegetable origin in soup, seafood or vegetable dishes in the place of chicken soup stock. By the way, “Kombu,” or kelp, is a tall marine plant of undersea forest on the northern west and east coasts. “Nori,” you know as a wrapping material of sushi. These sea-veggies are my high recommendation for the new veggies. Hill veggies: This must be a completely new territory in the western culinary arena. Good for cooking and presentation to draw attention or appetite from customers who seek exotic, seasonal, or healthy veggies, hill veggies (my naming in translation) are the general term for edible sprouts or tender portions from shrub trees, ferns and small perennial plants coming out in spring. Among them, “Udo” is my pick for use in salad. “Udo,” white without exposure to sunlight or green if under the sun, has characteristic greenish flavor and crunchy texture to awake your customers’ curiosity and appreciation. “Myoga,” available in summerearly autumn, sold in J-stores and very expensive ($15 or so per three pieces of 2-3 inches bud), has different characters in flavor and texture, and is excellent for salad once sliced. Since I grow “Myoga” in my garden, I would be rich if harvesting a lot. Exotic herbs: “Sansho” is named for a mountain pepper in translation and its leaves are superb for fish-seafood dishes for adding pleasant, pungent aroma and also suppressing fishy odor, often used with broiled, teriyakiflavored sea eel. It is also a good garnishment in presentation. You may grow this shrub tree in a pot in your backyard or on the roof, and harvest leaves as needed. Sansho seeds can be used like black pepper grains by milling. “Wasabi” is nothing new, you may insist, but the “Wasabi” you are using is a powder of many things including horseradish, which you add water to make a wet lump. A “Wasabi” plant is what I am talking about here. It is a real wasabi plant that grows in clean, cold, flowing water. It is a small, short, cylinder-shape root. It is enjoyably appealing and hot-spicy to make you cry with tears. If a real wasabi is served, it must be a true sushi restaurant with a good price. “Mitsuba” is different in aroma but similar to cilantro in appearance. Literally translated into three leaves, “Mitsuba” can be added to salad or soup and boiled like spinach. Its brilliant green leaves show a natural, healthy, “green” image when garnished on a plate. It is easy to grow in a planter as far as watering appropriately. The “Unknown” will be “known” to you but still “unknown” to others if you try ahead. www.lvfnbpro.com
By Chef Allen Asch
Chef Talk All About Avocados
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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.
of avocado are consumed. The highest consumption occurs during Cinco de Mayo celebrations. In Mexico the strike, caused by growers complaining about the fluctuation in prices for their crop, ended in October after a short three week time period. But since then they have produced crops that were smaller in size, exporting a similar quantity of avocados, but they have not weighed the same as in previous years. The growing process: The many different varieties have different harvest times, but the shelf life of an avocado is very long. The storage life is anywhere from two months to eight months, with the Hass variety lasting on the long side of the timeframe. The Hass variety is ripe in April while the Bacon is ripe in December. When the fruit is ripe, it is not yet ready to eat. All avocados are harvested when they are too hard to eat. All avocados require a room temperature ripening process to soften them up to an edible texture. If you buy avocados you know that some are firm and others are still solid. Why should you eat avocados? If you ask me the number one reason is because they taste great, but I understand my taste buds are not the same as others. There are so many nutritional reasons to eat avocados. Avocados, which can weigh up to 3 pounds, are high in Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E. They contain more potassium than bananas so tennis players should start eating them mid match. Although 77% of calories come from fat, it is monounsaturated fat, which is healthy fat, lowering cholesterol and triglycerides and helps reduce inflammation. Avocados can be an alternate to using butter in baked goods. Avocados also contain high amounts of fiber and help the body retain vitamins and minerals from other plant-based foods. Avocados help fight cancer and eye problems including macular degeneration, as well as arthritis, all while helping people lose weight.
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I am not sure if you heard about the shortage and price increase for avocados this month. I am aware of it because I use avocados at work and I enjoy them at home as well. Avocados are more expensive than they ever have been. I have a friend with an avocado farm in Southern California, and I hope he has the ability to prosper from this shortage. The main cause of the shortage is twofold. The first is that there is a strike in Mexico by avocado farmers, and the second is the drought in Southern California. Northern California has received enormous amounts of rain in recent months, with some areas getting over 400% of their normal rainfall. This has helped remove the drought conditions and restrictions in those areas. Unfortunately Southern California has not had the same good fortune. Southern California regions are averaging 65% of their normal rainfall amounts. Since avocados normally grow well in the Southern California environment, especially around the Temecula area, this has affected the crop and the harvest of all types of avocados grown in California. There are 8 types of avocados grown in California, but the most common is the Hass. Other varieties include Bacon, Fuerte, Gwen, Lamb Hass, Pinkerton, Reed and Zutano. The Hass is also the variety that is imported most frequently from Mexico, which is where the avocado originated. Central Mexico was the location where the first avocado plants were recognized. San Diego County has long been the center of the United States avocado industry with 18,000 acres of avocado farms, but Ventura County is looking to take over that role due to cheaper water, about 1/4th the cost, and a lower salt content in the water, which avocados are sensitive to. An acre can produce approximately 16,500 pounds of avocados in a typical year. Even though the first week of November showed an import quantity of over 40 million pounds (70% from Mexico) and a domestic production of over 23 thousand pounds, we have encountered a shortage that has raised the retail price of an avocado to around $1.65 each. The price has risen about 20% since the beginning of September. Wholesale, avocados that cost $30 a case in January are running up to $80 a case now. Consumption has increased greatly in the last generation; in the 1990s per person consumption of avocados ran 1 1/2 pounds and now it is closer to 5 pounds, all while our population increased by 60 million people. The second most avocadocentric holiday or event is the Super Bowl, during which 80 million pounds
Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu
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December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9
By LeAnne Notabartolo
tsp. baking company – Now Open Imagine a disco ball, a glitter floor, simple black and white decor and cases of baked goods. Yeah. Really. Take a little drive to North Las Vegas and find tsp. baking company (editor’s note: they purposely don’t capitalize their name). They just opened on Veteran’s Day and they will be taking the city by storm. At tsp. baking company you will find luscious flavors of cupcakes, oversized cookies and of course, cakes. Do not expect the wild and crazy cakes you can find elsewhere. These are simple, elegant and delicious, saving the cake designer’s sanity for more creative endeavors such as unique flavor combinations. You will also find Lappert’s Ice Cream. The ultra-high butterfat ice cream from Hawaii is only available in two locations in the valley, The California Hotel and tsp. baking company. Kari uses it to craft ice cream sandwiches with the house made cookies. Each one is made to order so you can actually choose two different cookies to sandwich your ice cream. Of course you can get a cone, but why would you want to do that? Kari Garcia moved to Vegas with the Red Robin Restaurant chain several years ago and made Las Vegas her home. She loved to bake, had restaurant experience and wanted a family owned and operated business so she could be there for her family and young kids, so she jumped in and opened her first bakery in 2008. Now, eight years later, one child is in college and one is in junior high and she has a completely different perspective on just about everything. Having learned from her past and the mistakes and challenges she overcame, her focus now is broader in some respects and more laser like in others. After her divorce, and selling her interest in her first business to her former husband and business partner, newlywed Kari Garcia worked with her husband Richard to create a whole new brand doing what she loves. She reinvented herself, and her branding, and is ready to tackle a new neighborhood with sweet treats. She keeps the business in the family with her brother-in-law as one of her bakers and longtime friends and employees that came with her from her previous location. She joked around that tsp. baking company is “woman owned, military family owned and Hispanic owned, so we’re covering all the bases.” Hubby Richard Garcia is active duty Air Force and with that comes challenges that she’s eager to embrace. As a military family they are proud to offer a Military Discount to all active duty and retired military members, just show your ID! Who doesn’t love a cupcake? I know I do! And Kari makes some of the best. Moist and flavorful, not too sweet and the cases are chock full of fun and inspired flavors that you probably won’t find in other places, like the Monkey Bite (It’s named after her husband’s actual monkey bite scar on his hand.) and a “mystery” flavor each month. Here at tsp. baking company you will find only mini cupcakes and when asked why, Kari had this to say, “It allows you have every flavor without the guilt. I was getting a lot of complaints that the buttercream frosting was too rich for kids. They’d eat two bites and then throw the rest away. These are the perfect two bites for kids to enjoy and for adults to have more than one flavor in one sitting.”
Husband and wife team - Richard and Kari Garcia
leanne@goodforspooning.com.
The Beanie - chocolate cake topped with coffee buttercream frosting
When asked about the future of tsp. baking company Kari says, “I envision multiple locations with this as our flagship store. This location is a destination to come to North Las Vegas because I think North Las Vegas gets a bad rap and I think we could use something cool that North Las Vegas can be proud of.” Final words from Kari, “I think in Vegas there is room for everyone with their own specialties. Not everyone‘s tongue likes everything. If you like cream cheese frosting, you go there. If you like buttercream frosting you go here. If you don’t like cupcakes, we have cookies. There is room for everyone’s success if you are willing to work hard. And you don’t have to achieve that success by bashing someone else.” Find tsp. baking company at 6120 N Decatur Blvd #103 North Las Vegas, NV 89130. And visit their website at www.tspbakingcompany. com and sign up for the VIT (Very Important Tongue) newsletter to receive news, seasonal flavor announcements along with upcoming events and promotions.
House specialty Monkey Bite. I was skeptical, but it is delicious!
10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
photos by By LeAnne Notabartolo
Good for Spooning
A culinary event coordinator and live cooking demonstrator, this “Edu-tainer” with more than 1000 demos under her belt lives to cook and eat. She works with chefs at events and learns from them and translates info for home cooks. She is the Chick in Charge of Good for Spooning – read her blog here: www.goodforspooning.com
Oversized cookies for making ice cream sandwiches or to enjoy as is
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Brett’s
By 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 numerous websites. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.
photo courtesy Taco Bell Corp
Masaharu Morimoto, Iron Chef America star, opened Morimoto Las Vegas at the MGM Grand with three distinct dining experiences: sushi bar, main dining room and Teppan tables, plus his first iron griddle menu.
Taco Bell Cantina is a new two-story, flagship 24-hour restaurant on the Strip complete with alcohol, an eight-flavor freeze wall, outdoor patio and occasional DJ. Downtown Grand’s new 160-seat restaurant and bar is Freedom Beat on the casino floor and open 24/7 with free nightly entertainment. Sam’s Town opened its newest dining concept with patio seating in the atrium Mystic Falls Park. The Big Mess Bar-BQ is a genuine smokehouse barbeque restaurant serving classic American fare. Modern cocktail spot The Dorsey will open at The Venetian Dec. 31. It is in partnership with bartender Sam Ross of New York City’s Attaboy and Milk & Honey fame, and David Rabin, creative mind behind many New York City hot spots. Award-winning Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, the famous chef’s only restaurant in the United States, is introducing a new Caviar Room in the lounge. Caesars Palace also introduces Alto Bar, the resort’s largest bar, in the former Seahorse Lounge space adjacent to OMNIA Nightclub with a private dining space for 30 guests. JW Marriott will open a new signature restaurant, the Hawthorn Grill this winter, with a bar area, large cozy dining room and expansive outdoor patio with a waterfall. Charlie Palmer Steak, which opened at the Four Seasons 17 years ago, revealed its new multi-room renovated interior and façade, and new executive chef and pastry chef. Born and Raised, a locally-owned Nevada tavern and lounge, is opening its third location and newest concept in early 2017. Born and Raised CRAFT PUB will be located at the
Grand Bazaar Shops on the Strip adjacent to Wahlburgers, Starbucks and the entrance to Bally’s and have its first retail shop. Sin City Brewing Co. expanded again with a fourth location at Grand Bazaar Shops and has the brewery’s first outdoor seating. Papaya King, New York’s reigning hot dog emporium since 1932, will open its first Las Vegas location across from the Hard Rock Hotel at Harmon Square this year and be nearly three times larger than New York locations. Triple George Grill downtown added more than 15 signature menu items this fall and is introducing new glegan (gluten-free and vegan) dishes. The burger-centric Habit Burger Grill will open a fourth outlet this year at 6482 N. Decatur Blvd. with patio dining.
Entertainment Whirlwind
photo credit MCM- Machado Cicala Morassut
Dining-Beverage Revelations
Cher will debut Classic Cher, a series of special concerts exclusive to North America beginning Feb. 8 in Las Vegas at the new Park Theater at Monte Carlo. So far nine dates are set in February and May. Ricky Martin will also be a resident headliner there beginning April 5 with more dates in June, July and September. Willie Nelson will bring his exclusive production Vegas On My Mind to The Venetian Theatre for a five-night engagement Jan. 28-20, Feb. 1, 3 and 4. Nelson just released a new novel Pretty Paper. The new Cirque du Soleil touring show TORUK – The First Flight inspired by James Cameron’s movie Avatar will be presented at T-Mobile Arena Jan. 18-22. Tenors Of Rock will debut at Harrah’s on Wednesday, Dec. 28 featuring rock anthems sung by five burly British frontmen backed by a full band and dancers.
12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
photo credit Michael Muller
Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
Billy Idol: Forever, which kicked off a residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay last March, is extended into March and May 2017 with Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens. Due to an overwhelming demand, Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood has added eight additional shows in April 2017. Flamingo headliner Jeff Civillico had knee surgery and is projecting his return-to-work date as Feb. 6. A favorite Las Vegas band for more than 40 years, the Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, is back at The Lounge inside the Palms with weekly 10:30 p.m. shows on Monday nights. The final two performances of Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah’s are Dec. 4 on the 60th anniversary of the legendary night the show’s story is about.
Off The Grid News Tivoli Village revealed its new extended layout, which includes the center piazza and grand-scale retailer Restoration Hardware (RH), a luxury home furnishings brand. Starkly dramatic Kelly Cardenas Salon - A Paul Mitchell Focus Salon opened at Hard Rock Hotel. It’s owned by business partners, celebrity stylist Kelly Cardenas and nightlife veteran Marc Jay. HEXX Kitchen + Bar at Paris has introduced a chocolate and wine tasting menu, which includes three wine offerings, each paired with a specific HEXX chocolate. Several new retailers such as fashion haven A’GACI and a dog-friendly Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar opened at Town Square while H&M unveiled its newly renovated store after completing a 6,500-square-foot expansion. The Mob Museum downtown has a “Ready to Roar” exhibition of Prohibition-Era fashion and culture from the 1920s and early 1930s running until February 2017. www.lvfnbpro.com
By Cody Fredrickson
USBG
Cody Fredrickson is the USBG Las Vegas Secretary and has been a USBG member since 2012. He is currently the Lead Mixologist at Bound By Salvatore at The Cromwell Hotel and Casino.
Las Vegas
photos by Cody Fredrickson
WHEN BARTENDERS GET CHARITABLE!
When the 2015 council of the USBGLV (United States Bartenders Guild Las Vegas Chapter) took over, led by President Kristen Schaefer, they made it a major priority to do everything they could to give back to the city and the people here that need it the most. By the end of 2015, the chapter had raised over $2,700 dollars for Toys For Tots by doing monthly raffles at their round table meetings. They also raised over $1,200 for Toys 4 Smiles Las Vegas (www.toys4smileslasvegas.org), a charity that makes high quality wooden toys from donated wood and distributes them throughout the valley to children in need of a smile. The USBGLV rang in the New Year with new charity opportunities and partnerships. In 2016, they teamed up (even more so than in the past) with The Helen David Relief Fund and also decided the yearly local charity would be The Shade Tree (www.theshadetree.org). The Shade Tree provides shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis. As of the writing of this article, the USBGLV has raised $2,500 for The Shade Tree! The Helen David Relief Fund was established by mixology legend, Tony Abou-Ganim, to assist women in the bar industry who are taking on breast cancer with dignity and courage! The Helen David Relief Fund has been involved in a multitude of USBG events, both in the Las Vegas chapter but the national USBG as well. To date, the Helen David Relief Fund has raised over $30,000!! The main extravaganza is “For The Love of Cocktails” taking place from February 9-11. This is a week of
C O C K T A I L
O F
T H E
amazing events ranging from a “Meet The Masters” wine dinner to the “Grand Gala” where they showcase local mixologists with their specialty cocktails. (fortheloveofcocktails.com) The Helen David Relief Fund has combined fundraising with health awareness by creating the TAG Bike Ride with the leadership of Tony Abou-Ganim and Moniek Pullen. The ride tasks riders to raise donations to inspire and encourage them to finish the 40 mile scenic trek! The first ride was held here in Las Vegas in 2015 but this year we have seen it expand to rides in Orlando, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles. This has been a truly amazing opportunity to raise breast cancer awareness and donations but also show the importance of personal overall health in an industry where it is often swept under the rug. Then comes the “Beard-Off” event on November 30 at 10 p.m. at The Sand Dollar Lounge! The event was created by Las Vegas barman and mixology extraordinaire, Adam Rains. In conjunction with The Helen David Relief Fund, the Beard-Off will feature some local beverage industry pros that will go clean-shaven for a good cause. It will surely be a hilariously awesome event that will take the famous facial hair from the likes of Adam Rains (CarneVino), Keith Baker (Mickie Finnz), Bryan Bidgeman (The Cosmopolitan) and many more! For more information on the “Beard-Off” and future TAG Bike Rides, as well as ways that you can donate to this spectacular cause, please visit facebook.com/ HelenDavidReliefFund.
About the USBG
M O N T H
"Oil Money" By Cody Fredrickson
2 oz J.R. Ewing Bourbon .5 oz cold press coffee .5 oz charred cinnamon Demerara syrup .25 oz Campari Dash of Angostura bitters Place all ingredients into mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with orange peel.
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The United States Bartenders’ Guild is comprised of spirit professionals dedicated to the art of the craft of Bartending. For information on how to join, please go to www.usbg.org.
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December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13
UNLV Epicurean Society
By Matthew Cairo
photos courtesy Matthew Cairo
Matthew Cairo, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collective of food and restaurant enthusiastic students, where he is on the leadership staff. Originally from San Diego, he moved to Las Vegas to feed his desire to learn all that he can about restaurants, food, and the tourist industry.
During the last month the Epicurean Society has been a storm of activity. We participated in our Third Annual Epiktoberfest, hosted 70 high school students from Japan for a French culinary lesson and planned our last two events for the year. Our 3rd Annual Epiktoberfest was highly educational and a very successful event for our club members. In tandem with the Beverage Club we hosted over 50 people serving a range of beers, hosting a raffle, organizing small activities and serving a variety of passed food and a buffet. The front of the house was managed by Club President Ariel Larson, who oversaw both setup and management of the club’s front of the house volunteers. Culinary education leaders Kevin and Jacob worked side by side with me as I directed the back of the house volunteer club members as we prepared the meal. We prepared Potato Pancakes, Schnitzel, German Chocolate Bites, Spätzle, Beer Cheese, Pretzels, Braised Red Cabbage and Streusel. We had a raffle hosting several gift baskets and Octoberfest-themed gear, a picture wall, corn hole and live music. All in all, the event was a huge success. I can’t wait to see how the event goes next year!
In addition to this event, the Epicurean Club worked closely with Chef Sandoval in welcoming 70 Japanese students over two separate classes. Over these classes we instructed the students in the preparation of a trio of French dishes. The three dishes were a Classic Nicoise Salad, Bouillabaisse with shrimp, snapper, mussels and clams, and Crème Brulee with fresh berries. Over the three-hour class groups of 4 Japanese high school students were assisted by a UNLV student volunteer while they prepared their recipes. For those of us volunteering, it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with people from another culture and work around a language barrier. It was interesting to teach others proper kitchen skills without the ability to directly communicate. I found miming and directly showing my group the most effective way to demonstrate the correct methods. Luckily we had two translators to assist in very important messages as well as the initial demonstration by the Head Chefs. At the end of November, we’ll be hosting a Barbeque for the UNLV Hospitality Clubs at the UNLV Community Garden and then a holiday social for the student body of UNLV. UNLV has a community garden that has dozens of raised planting plots. Chef Sandoval
14 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
acquired two plots for the Hospitality School to use. Earlier in the semester we planted a host of things including carrots, lettuces and rosemary. Right now we have two huge basil plants growing: one Italian, one Thai. The event will be a social for all the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Hospitality College clubs to get together. Before the semester ends the Epicurean Society hopes to give the student body of UNLV a break from cramming information before finals week with a winter social. We’ll be playing movies, having an ugly sweater contest and other events. In regard to food, we’ll be preparing homemade hot-cocoa, apple cider, tamales, soups, donut holes, winter cookies and gingerbread people. We’re hoping this event will be a relaxing break for the students as well as an opportunity to bring in new club members in the next semester. Next month will be my last issue before I pass off the Epicurean Society’s journalist position to another club member while I take over as President of the club in the upcoming semester. I’ll be sure to return once that position is over and I find myself back in Vegas. I promise to leave you in good hands. Until then, enjoy the company you keep and the restaurants and bars that bring you together.
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A Dragon Rises
Lucky Dragon: Las Vegas’ Newest Boutique Resort By Bob Barnes
Cover and feature images courtesy Lucky Dragon
Situated at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 3 and is the first Vegas casino resort designed from the ground up to open since 2010, and is also the first to create an authentic Asian cultural and gaming experience. Sitting on three acres of land, the new resort offers five contemporary Chinese-focused restaurant concepts, three bar/lounges, 27,500 square-foot casino, spa, retail outlets and a hotel featuring 203 contemporary rooms (including 22 suites) that combine China’s rich culture with modern day luxury and amenities. Unique features are signage in Chinese first and English second, a staff of more than 750 employees – more than 70 percent of which are bilingual – and the city’s only indoor/outdoor high-end tea garden and lounge, led by Tea Sommelier Lola Zhao.
Restaurant Collection
San Francisco’s Willy Ng of renowned restaurants Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux consulted for Lucky Dragon to open the resort’s five restaurant concepts. Ng’s Koi Palace is widely regarded as one of the best dim sum restaurants in the Bay Area.
Dragon’s Alley
Pearl Ocean
Inspired by the vibrant night markets dotting the streets throughout Taipei and Beijing, Dragon’s Alley features a rotating menu of regional delicacies with fresh (and live) seafood, dim sum, barbecue, boba tea, and much more. The seating area features 325 seats in a dynamic environment with Hutong brick, reclaimed from former government housing in Beijing, as well as authentic street art sculptures. Weekdays: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Weekends: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Pearl Ocean features dim sum and a live seafood room joining the main dining room, where guests can select live exotic seafood flown in daily to be prepared in both traditional and modern culinary styles. The 240-seat restaurant also offers private dining opportunities. Weekdays: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Weekends: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Phoenix
Bao Now Located adjacent to the main gaming floor, the eatery features dim sum, soups, rice, noodles, congee, boba tea and other dishes meant to be consumed on the go; and a diverse offering of teas and coffees. Open 24 hours
Dragon’s Alley
Featuring 60 seats, a private balcony and a finely curated wine list, this fine dining venue boasts a menu of cutting-edge culinary trends found throughout modern China, such as Kurobuta pork, deer tendon, abalone and countless other rare and expertly prepared delicacies. Weekdays: 5 – 10 p.m. | Weekends: 5 – 11 p.m.
Bao Now
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Cha Garden Led by Las Vegas’ only tea sommelier, Cha Garden features an extensive list of more than 50 teas sourced directly from generationsold tea farms throughout Asia. The indoor area features a variety of bar and soft seating options to enjoy tea and yum cha (light snacks, akin to Chinese tapas) in a casual or formal service atmosphere. Open 24 hours, the pool area features cabanas by day that double as private tea huts at night for guests to gather in an intimate setting to chat, drink, eat, listen to music and watch international TV programming. Punctuated by a delicate waterfall, mosaic murals, powerful oak trees and a shoreline swimming pond, the space offers tranquility while enjoying a worldclass tea experience unlike anything else available in Las Vegas. While tea is the focus of the venue, it also features a full bar. Weekdays: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. Weekends: 9 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Pearl Ocean
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Gaming
The casino game mix is heavily focused on popular Asian games including Baccarat and Pai Gow, and the property boasts two high-end gaming lounges designed with the discipline of Feng Shui to bring luck and good fortune to its guests. The gaming floor is centered on the lively Pagoda Bar, surrounded by an open balcony to the second floor where additional dining and gaming options overlook the heart of the action. The signature design element of the casino is the 2.5-story, 1.25-ton glass dragon sculpture anchoring the building’s energy and bringing wealth and good fortune to the casino’s guests. The casino offers 37 table games:14 Baccarat, 11 EZ Baccarat, four Blackjack, two Fortune Pai Gow, two EZ Pai Gow, two Roulette tables and one table each for Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Three Card Poker. 287 slot machines include Asian-themed games such as Duo Fu Duo Cai and China Shores; traditional casino staples such as Megabucks, Wheel of Fortune and Buffalo; and 12 electronic table game terminals where players can make wagers on live Baccarat and Roulette games. An ultra-luxurious VIP gaming lounge on the second level boasts six Baccarat and two EZ Baccarat tables and provides every convenience to high-end players such as multiple private banquet dining options, a relaxing lounge, private spa access, full cash and cage services and 24/7 butler service to cater to every need.
Hotel/Accommodations
Standard Rooms Standard rooms measure 400 square feet and blend modern amenities with rich Asian cultural flair with a signature wall mural that evokes the peace and tranquility of ancient China; and tea brewing equipment and a complimentary offering of imported house tea selections. Modern amenities include 55” flat screen TV’s with in-room entertainment options and a variety of Asian language programming, the most Chinese programming of any standard TV package anywhere on the Vegas Strip. Suites The resort’s 22 standard suites average 625 square feet and in addition to the amenities of the Standard Rooms, most have Strip-facing views and offer an additional spacious seating area and larger bathroom. The top floor holds
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Q&A
with Vice President of Food & Beverage Bill Gragg the Penthouse Suite, which is reserved for Lucky Dragon’s most exclusive clientele. At approximately 1,300 square feet, it spans the entire width of the floor, with panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip as well as the surrounding mountains, a grand foyer entryway, guest powder room, luxurious living room, soaking tub, formal dining space suitable for catered meals and butler service.
Pool Experience
Lucky Dragon’s pool features a peaceful shoreline similar to a pond, with oak trees, mural wall, fountains, six luxury cabanas and a lounge and dining area where guests can enjoy the tranquility of the pool and tea garden experience at any hour of the day or night.
Spa
The 4,500 square foot Sothys Spa includes four treatment rooms (including one wet treatment room and one couple’s room) offering a full range of scrubs, massages and total relaxation techniques; a reflexology room with six stations for foot rubs; men’s and women’s locker rooms; and a lounge for guests to relax and refresh at their own pace before or after their treatment. The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional would like to congratulate Lucky Dragon on its opening and wishes the new boutique resort much success and Feng Shui to all of its guests. 300 W. Sahara Ave luckydragonlv.com 702-889-8018
What makes Lucky Dragon different from all of the other resorts in Las Vegas? We cater to a very specific clientele: specifically Asian, with quite a bit of Chinese. Everything we do is targeted towards that particular demographic and a lot of our marketing efforts are going into northern and southern California, Vancouver and Mainland China. What motivated the owners/developers of this project to go with an all-Asian theme? Other resorts—such as Wynn, Caesars and The Venetian—are going after a very small percentage of the Asian clientele, the high-end gamer, which is 1-2% of the Asian market, where we are targeting 98%. What do you see as the best aspects of Lucky Dragon that will make it successful? Definitely the food. We have Pearl Ocean, which is serving traditional Cantonese, and when I say traditional, I don’t mean old style, but the current trends happening in China today. Phoenix is our fine dining Chinese restaurant with very luxurious Chinese products such as abalone and sea cucumber. Dragon’s Alley is designed to be much like a night market with different stations: noodle, robata grill, dim sum, dai pai dong (fresh seafood) prepared to order, and also boba tea and Asian desserts, so it’s a very eclectic mix. Can you tell us about the grand opening and any final comments? It featured 10,000 fire crackers and probably one of the largest lion dancers to ever hit Las Vegas. We’re really trying to bring a very authentic experience so when you come into the hotel it feels like you are in China. Chinese is always the first language and English is the second. As for the food, some of the menu items are not the most comfortable for western clientele, but something that is very comforting to the Asian palate, and that’s really what we’re going for.
December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Try Outsmarting Yourself During the Holidays
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
Part of the problem is portion control. When we eat out—the biggiesizing, the super-sizing, the value-added concept—has done a number on what we think is the proper portion. Now, it’s in our brains that for something to have value, bigger is better. It’s not good for our health. It has biggie-sized us. Better choices are good carbohydrates such as whole grains and, for diabetics, intact grains like a farro, wheat berry or quinoa salad. Eat the intact grain instead of processing it into flour. Fruit and vegetables, beans. But Americans aren’t into eating much of that stuff. They are into eating white bread, white rice. French fries are certainly their vegetable of choice. Bottom line: If it’s there we will eat it. We are paying more attention to external cues than we are to internal cues.
For about 1/3 of Americans that are considered obese and the others just shy of that category, the holidays represent a very real threat to maintaining good health. But the holiday season doesn’t have to lead to stretchy pants and clogged arteries. Yes, Americans typically gain one to two pounds during the holiday season. While that doesn’t seem to be dramatic it tends to stick and accumulate. On the other hand, the holidays are our best excuse to get together and eat real food with friends and family. Thanksgiving dinner has 4,500 calories and that’s before eating breakfast, lunch and snacking after. The average amount of calories for a day is typically 2,000.
The French and other cultures push away from the table when they are satisfied. We push away from the table when we can’t move. One idea is definitely to not eat at all-you-can-eat buffets. Share appetizers. Share a whole entrée. While I’m not an advocate for taking food with you to a restaurant go ahead and take half home. So, take the best of what is offered, not all of what is offered. Outsmart the overeating by going for the smallest plate. We know that if people take more food, they will eat more. Drink out of tall slender cups, not squatty short cups. Squatty holds more volume. Never go to a dinner party hungry. Find reasons to get up and walk at work. Sign up for holiday running/ walking events in your neighborhood. Plan for winter fun. Don’t over-schedule yourself, so you can schedule in exercise. Remember what exercise does for our brains. It’s associated with drop-in stress hormones; it improves our mood and increases our energy. Those are all things that we need during the holiday season.
Allan Karl’s best-selling book FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection has been a #1 best-seller in three Amazon categories.
FORKS brings the world to your table: An around-the-world adventure story. A colorful photo book with more than 700 color photographs. A global cookbook with 40 signature recipes. Why would someone sell nearly everything he owns, pull roots, and travel for three years--alone--on a motorcycle? One day Allan Karl woke up to discover that he was unemployed and his marriage had ended in divorce. Allan looked at these forks in the road of his life as an opportunity to both follow a lifelong dream and pursue his passions. He hopped on his motorcycle and traveled around the world--alone. After three years and 62,000 miles of riding, through 35 countries on 5 continents, he returned home only to set out on another journey--to share the truths he’d uncovered and the lessons learned during his adventure around the world. Between these pages, Allan shares the discoveries, cultures, and connections he made on this global adventure. Through stories, color photos, and the flavors of real local food, FORKS brings his adventure to life and the world to your table: the kindness of strangers, the beauty of humanity, the colors of culture, and the powerful gift of human connection. Every photograph, story, and recipe in this book presents readers with an opportunity to witness new cultures, taste exotic flavors, or journey into dangerous and unknown territories. Every experience is an opportunity to connect with others. The second edition of FORKS is widely available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstores everywhere. Autographed and personalized signed copies are available on the FORKS website www.forksthebook.com. 18 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
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Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips
Four Holiday Ales with Notable Label Artwork By Bob Barnes Holiday Ales, also called Winter Warmers, typically appear around the prelude to winter and are usually robust malty ales. While in past years, most were infused with some of the same spices you can expect to enjoy in your holiday meals, modern versions tend to use hops as the main spice. Here are four quality releases from breweries that can always be counted on to provide annual novelty brews for the season. El Camino (un) Real
Full Sail Wassail Winter Ale
Brewed since 2010, a prime example of spices infused in a brew is this three-way collaboration between 21st Amendment, Stone Brewing and Firestone Walker. Brewed and canned by 21st Amendment, it takes its name from the historical mission trail El Camino Real (the Royal Trail, now Highway 101) that linked the 21 Spanish missions throughout California and also links the three breweries together. A dark strong ale that floats between a stout and an IPA, it incorporates indigenous ingredients that grew along the Camino Real in the 18th and 19th centuries by missionaries and Native Americans: dried mission figs, pink peppercorns, fennel and chia seeds. It brings a slight herbal, fruit and spice note that matches nicely with the malt and hop complexity. The label’s artwork is a psychedelic depiction of a cassette tape with Side A and Side B, reminiscent of the playlist for the epic road trip on the 101 the trio of brewers—21st Amendment Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan, former Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele and Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson—took to visit each mission, which led to the creation of this brew. 9.5% ABV, 76 IBUs
Full Sail also can be counted on to deliver its annual Wassail, a tradition it has maintained since 1998, and which has won a whopping 21 World Beer Championship awards dating back to 1995 and as recent as 2016. This year’s Wassail is brewed with a range of caramel and dark chocolate malts giving it a deep mahogany color and full malty body. Full Sail Brewmaster Jim Kelter said, “We use a blend of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasant hoppy aroma and finish creating a deliciously balanced beer that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, it’s a Christmas miracle.”
Full Sail Wreck the Halls The name of this beer gives you a hint to the season it is promoting. The Hood River, Oregon brewery releases this beer annually as part of its limited-release Brewmaster Reserve series, but this is the first year it has been offered in six-packs. The six-time World Beer Championships medal winner is a hybrid of an American-style ale and a winter warmer which Full Sail Executive Brewmaster Jamie Emmerson describes as “an intriguing blend of Centennial and Cascade hops providing elegant citrus notes balanced by a backdrop of a rich caramel malt body, dry hopped to amplify the aromas and flavor.” The hand-drawn artwork on the label is the creation of Portland-based TWEEQiM Creative Lab’s MiQ Willmott and conjures the festive spirit of a holiday party gone just wild enough. 6.5% ABV, 68 IBUs
20 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
7.2% ABV, 56 IBUs
Deschutes Jubelale Another beer with a slew of awards is this annual treat from the Bend, Oregon Deschutes Brewery, with nine medals stretching from 1990. This winter warmer has been helping us get through the onslaught of the coldest season since 1987, with this year’s version marking its 29th anniversary. The brewery’s dedication to art is evident, as it has selected a local artist each year to illustrate the label. The 2016 version features Bend, Oregon artist Karen Runae’s piece entitled “First Snow,” and was created through a centuriesold process called marbling. Known for its malty and dried fruit character, this year’s Jubelale continues that tradition and its use of EKG hops, which are lightly herbal and spicy, enhances the flavor profile and balances the malt. Deschutes Brewery Brewmaster Veronica Vega said, “Out of all our seasonals, Jubelale gets the most conversation about differences from year to year. I personally think this is tied to the amount of special memories that are created during this time of year, when the beer is consumed. So every year, the sentence ‘best year ever’ is repeated throughout the season in our brewery.” 6.7% ABV, 60 IBUs
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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.
Photos by Shelley Stepanek
Latest Happenings and Wonderful New Restaurants
By Shelley Stepanek
SUSHI ROKU rolled out its winter menu last month, at a lovely sit-down for the media on November 10th. The Innovative Dining Group has added quite a few new items and recipes for the fall and winter celebrating their 12th year at the Forum Shops. Starting with an exquisitely prepared light green Yukai cocktail decorated like a beautiful Xmas present, Sushi Roku knows how to put on an elegant experience. Executive Chef Haruhiko Takeshita prepared all the new dishes and came out to explain each one. I started with Brussels Sprouts Chips fried in truffle oil and dipped with sea salt. Next on the appetizer menu was Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi on a slice of kiwi, with yuzu jelly, and Maldon sea salt, followed by Hamachi Serrano with garlic, and yuzu ponzu. Marinated Tuna was a soy-marinated Hawaiian tuna with kizama wasabi and was perfectly cooked as was the Filet Mignon Tobanyaki with garlic truffle ponzu, asparagus and mixed mushrooms. Each dish hits your tongue with tiny explosions of new and exotic tastes. The Truffle Tempura Roll with cucumber, topped with avocado and wasabi truffle soy and the Lotus Root Tempura consisting of chopped shrimp, curry salt and chili ponzu dipping sauce were all enjoyed. Most of the items will remain into the spring, but as time goes by some will be out of season and of course new ones will appear. Topping off our evening was Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a Pumpkin Spice Russian cocktail. Some of the new items are not on the menu, so you can ask what the server would suggest. You can dine with a beautiful view of the Strip, or just stop by at happy hour after shopping for some appetizers and a relaxing time. With a bar, lounge, large dining area and a private dining room, holding up to 28, this is a great location for whatever the occasion. Sushi Roku has a great happy hour where you can partake in a lot of new items that are seasonal. The restaurant will be open on Xmas and will be full of spirit and merriment. Sushi Roku also has locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Pasadena, along with a host of other sister properties including the fabulous BOA Steakhouse. All restaurants in the Innovative Dining Group are known for their expertise and taking care of the tiniest details. Located on the 3rd floor of the Forum Shops. 702-733-7373 www.innovativedining.com/restaurants/sushiroku MERCATO DELLA PESCHERIA, the newest restaurant to go in The Venetian/Palazzo shopping area, comes straight from Venice. On St. Mark’s Square in The Venetian Casino, Mercato Della Pescheria serves extraordinary Italian seafood. Taking over the Wolfgang Puck location, 22 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
and opening earlier this summer, you cannot get a more authentic Italian atmosphere. With both inside and patio dining, this huge place will seat you immediately and start you with fresh bread in an empty tomato can. All the pasta is made fresh on the premises daily, along with a full seafood bar and a large cheese stand. There is a great happy hour menu, plenty of Italian beers and Bellinis to try, and unlimited starter dishes. The Sea Bass baked in parchment is a sure bet, recommended as one of the favorites of the staff. The Shrimp and Lemon Pasta features perfectly cooked large shrimp with a wonderfully lemony taste. The Seafood Salad with octopus is a tasty dish to try first. The homemade Tiramisu is only made three orders at a time, so it is perfectly fresh. The hustle and bustle of St. Mark’s Square and the entertainment every hour right next to the outdoor dining is a definite plus. One of the managers, Mirko, stopped by and couldn’t have been more helpful with the menu. Mercato Della Pescheria is in the process of building another location in Miami. 702-837-0309 http://mercatodellapescheria.com/lasvegas LEE’S WINE EXPERIENCE annual event was another wonderful success. Moved this year to the Thomas & Mack and held on Nov. 11, the whole stadium was filled with hundreds of vendors of wine, beer, hard ciders, tequilas and just about everything that the fabulous Lee’s stocks. Thousands of people turned out to say hello to lots of annual friends and bid on silent auction items. Music played and taco vendors were there for those that needed a little food. Priced at $60, $70 at the door, this is a truly worthwhile event. Put it on your list for next year. FREEDOM BEAT is the newest downtown restaurant, taking over two spots in the Downtown Grand Hotel. With a stage and dance floor, bands play nightly and change weekly. The restaurant features large booths, high-top tables, a long bar and plenty of atmosphere. Wide open with plenty of space, the sounds of the band fill the casino. With wood walls and plenty of decorations, this is a fun place to go. The menu consists of a wide variety of favorites. From spiced wings, to fried tator tots, oysters on the half shell, to chicken pistachio pesto, grilled elote-style Mexican corn, pot roast sandwiches, pork belly eggs Benedict, you’ll find something for every palate. Open 24 hours, and with a private room for up to 30, stop by FREEDOM BEAT. 702-953-4343 www.downtowngrand.com/eat/freedom-beat www.lvfnbpro.com
By Joe Urcioli
The Big Smoke Las Vegas
Guinness and Smithwick’s
KetelOne Oranje
Tricolored cheese tortellini & focaccia bread
photos by Joe Urcioli
Johnny Walker scotches
An abundance of goodies collected at The Big Smoke.
I had the pleasure of covering the Big Smoke Las Vegas event for The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, attending on the evening of Saturday, November 12. Held at The Mirage Events Center, and hosted by Cigar Aficionado magazine, this event was attended by about 1,700 cigar smokers from all parts of the US. The cost was $325 per person, with a portion of the net proceeds donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Cigars was the name of the game on this night. Guests received a book with 37 coupons to exchange for cigars and were also given a canvas tote bag to hold all the goodies they received. When all was said and done, guests had collected 42 cigars, cigar cutters, a humidor humidity control sample, a Macanudo flash drive and the latest copy of Cigar Aficionado magazine.
CIGARS
FOOD
Here is a listing of the premium cigars given to the guests: Aging Room, Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente, CAO Flathead, Casa Turreno, Cornelius & Anthony, Diamond Crown, E.P. Carrillo, El Arista Big Papi and Pulita, El Galar, Esoinosa, Foundry, H. Upmann Yarguera, Herrara Esteli, Joya de Nicaragua, La Aroma de Cuba, La Flor Dominica, La Galera, La Gloria Cubana, La Palina, Macanudo, Mbombay Gaaja, My Father Cigars - Don Pepin, Nat Sherman, Norteño, NUB Connecticut 460, Oliva Serie O, Padron, Plasencia, Por Larrañaga, Que Sada, Rockey Patel premium, Tatuaje, Ventura, Victor Calvo, Zander-Greg, A.J. Fernandez. The longest line was at the Rocky Patel station where Rocky and Nish Patel were autographing and taking pictures with patrons.
In prior years the food was from various named restaurants in Las Vegas. This year the food was all catered by The Mirage, and there was no shortage of it! There were a number of carving stations and various other culinary delights to select from, including Turkey Sliders, Pulled BBQ Pork Sliders, Chicken Waffle Sliders, Grilled Portobello Sliders, Beef Hot Dog Sliders, Focaccia Bread, Tricolored Cheese Tortellini and Penne Pasta. There were also numerous desserts to choose from.
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LIBATIONS There were plenty of drinks for all to imbibe. Pouring were: Crown Royal (Black, Vanilla, Deluxe and Cornerstone), Ketel One Oranje, Jack Daniels Sinatra Select single barrel selection, Diplomatic Rum, Tincup Mountain
Whiskey, Bushmills single malt Irish Whiskey aged 10 years, Casa Noble Tequila, Clarendelle Bordeaux, Guiness and Smithwick’s beer, Taylor Fladgate 20 year port, Fonseca Porto Bin’27, Johnny Walker (Red, Black, Green and Gold Label Reserve) and Talisker 10 single malt Scotch whiskey aged 10 years. If you couldn’t find something to like on this list then you probably don’t like to drink. All in all everyone seemed to have a great time. Not surprisingly, there were smiles and laughter throughout the center. Considering the amount of cigars one received, along with the outstanding food and libations provided to guests, the cost of admission is well worth it. If you are serious about enjoying cigars, this is one event you will not want to miss next time around.
December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23
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
Customer Service:
It’s Rare but You Can Still Experience It! Are you able to remember, like I am, what customer service used to look like in the not-sodistant past? I’m not referring to what it looks like these days where you, the customer, end up with all the effort, making all the calls— doing all the work—to clear up a problem that you didn’t create. That’s clearly NOT what I’m talking about. What I’m referring to is the old fashioned, real “let me take care of that for you” kind of customer service that exists only in our dreams or our imagination. How long has it been since real customer service existed? Was it just a couple of years ago or more like a long distant past that we can barely remember? Most experiences today are atrocious interactions, whether or not they occur face-to-face or over the phone, where some unaware and self-absorbed imbecile focuses on the hassle that you represent and the amount of work it might take to correct your situation instead of how important it is to retain you as a customer. I can’t think of a situation lately where I didn’t immediately get an attitude over the phone from some “agent” who never stops talking long enough to hear you, let alone address your problem. “Calgon, take me away!” I want to go back to the days when employees truly valued you, the customer, and treated you with the respect and consideration you deserved, the days when your business was “valued and appreciated.” And it was understood that nothing was more important than making it right for you. But I had an experience recently at a beautiful resort hotel that helped to renew my faith not only in people but also in the concept that true “customer service” exists and is not a long forgotten art. It is alive and well in small pockets and microcosms of our guest service society. You must understand, when you stumble upon it, that you are so lucky—no blessed—to be able to experience it. Well, here’s my true-to-life story. But names have been changed herein to protect the innocent and the idiocracy. In my recent travels, I stayed
at a resort hotel in one of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain regions. It was beautiful, rustic and not too expensive. My stay there had a purpose; however, it was so serene and relaxing that I found that I was able to really enjoy the entire experience with my family because of the ambiance. Upon my departure from this lovely hotel, and as I stopped at the Front Desk and proceeded to check out, I spoke to a very nice young gentleman who took my final payment and asked how my stay was. “It was beautiful and so relaxing,” I said. He responded sincerely with … “we are pleased that you had a pleasant stay. This is (fall) a beautiful time of year to be here and yet we tend to be less busy than you’d think.” Then he proceeded to charge a small balance due to my credit card of $51 and printed out my receipt. I left with a smile on my face. Since I live in Nevada, I had a few hundred miles distance to drive to my home, so I knew I’d have to stop for gas before reaching my final destination. At a location down the road I stopped for gas and pulled out the same credit card to pay for the gas that I’d used at the hotel to check out. To my surprise it was declined. I found this to be unusual and quite surprising since I knew that the balance on this card was small and nowhere near the limit. So, I decided to find out what was going on. With today’s amazing technology, it was easy for me to quickly pull up the details of my credit card account on my cell phone and upon viewing the recent transactions, I discovered that the $51 charge had turned into an amazing $5,100 charge against my account by the hotel. Needless to say, I was horrified and got just a little bit excited! My first instinct was to call the credit card company and report the error and start the process of reversing the charge, but I ran into a roadblock from some snotty agent who told me …“Ma’am, there is nothing we can do until the charge clears because it currently shows pending.” Hastily I pulled out my hotel statement and contacted the hotel Front Desk from the gas station to address this frightening scenario. I got ahold of a clerk at the hotel by the name of Gage, and proceeded
to tell him what had happened. He not only listened attentively, but also proceeded to ask some key questions about recent charges made by their hotel, as well as inquired as to the bank from which this account was issued. I gave him the phone number for the credit card company and he proceeded to contact a representative and worked with them, on my behalf, to reverse the charges and correct this error! Then, within about 20 minutes he called me back, informed me of what he’d done and gave me not only the name of the person he spoke to at my credit card company but the confirmation number for the reversed charges. He had done the entire job to correct this situation without excuses, complaining, or telling me that I’d have to fix it myself. As a result, the errant charges were removed within hours instead of days. I was so impressed that I not only called his boss the next day but also sent an email outlining my pleasure with how this guy took charge and resolved this egregious situation without hesitation or excuses. I have to say, I was so much more than pleased, I was beaming from ear to ear for an entire day. It has been a long while since I have felt that good about a customer service interaction and outcome. So, my final words of wisdom to all of you are to: keep your wits about you, be courteous but persistent, and know that there are competent, professionals out there who know the value of honest-to-goodness customer service. Keep the faith because even if it’s rare, you CAN experience true customer service just like I did!
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. 24 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
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The Bottom Line Tipping:
When to Share the Wealth?
Tipping is a special part of American hospitality culture. Most aren’t aware that the term ‘tip’ originated as an acronym: to insure promptness. Anyone who has ever dined in New Zealand, where tipping is not customary, knows what it’s like for your order to take 45 minutes at a coffee shop and two hours at any full-service restaurant. Most would agree that tipping culture elevates the restaurant world, as well as many others, to higher levels of service. On the other end of the spectrum, tipping can tear a service staff apart. Servers can upsell without shame to drive up an average check and their corresponding tips, alienating customers as a result. Some groups will shun those who don’t ‘pull their weight,’ driving down workplace culture. And then there’s the clash between the front and back of the house and corresponding laws, where chefs may feel that they’re being cheated out of the tip pool. So how do you capitalize on your service staff’s tip-based motivation while keeping your product and culture at bay? Best to think critically about your staff and how the following internal tipping models can apply:
Pooled House One of the most common tipping models is a pooled house, where every service staff member will combine their tips into one ‘pool’ and then split the total evenly amongst themselves.
The pros: A pooled house is the best way for everyone to hedge their performance. People have good days and people have bad days, and this allows everyone to find a happy medium. It also allows beginning servers to enjoy greater monetary rewards earlier on, motivating them to learn from senior staff.
The cons: Top performers will feel weighed down, not wanting to continue pushing themselves if their extra tips are going to be fractioned off later on. In some circumstances, especially where most of your business is cash, some servers may not report all their tips in the first place.
Use this model if…
• Your staff enjoys a positive, open and honest team culture • Your transactions are largely non-cash • Your staff performs on a relatively even level across the board and there are no consistent slackers www.lvfnbpro.com
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.
Individual Tips In this model, servers keep all of their own tips, splitting them only with designated team members such as bussers, chefs and others who work in their sections.
The pros: Allowing servers to keep their own tips rewards top performers and motivates them to continue exceeding expectations. On the other end of the spectrum, this model can also motivate underperforming servers to up their game, knowing that they won’t be able to lean on their peers to pick up the slack. Also, if a server is nefarious enough to not report their tips, this will not have as large an effect on the entire staff [though you should absolutely intervene for the benefit of the bussers and other support staff].
The cons: This model could lead to higher turnover, with underperformers seeing additional factors as preventing them from increasing their tips—not being assigned the right sections, getting skipped over for ideal shifts, etc.
Use this model if… • Your staff is more polarized in skill level • You can risk higher turnover for low performers to preserve your top performers’ longevity
Hybrid Model This approach combines the first two methods into a system that can potentially mean the best of both worlds. Here, it’s really up to the management team to tweak distribution in a way that best suits their staff. There’s nothing set in stone about a hybrid model, so more critical thought and analysis is required. A basic example would be for the staff to pool half their tips, with individuals allowed to keep the remaining 50%. Top performers would still take a bigger piece of the pie, but underperformers won’t feel as down and out. The risk, however, is that you can potentially endure the cons of both models. You may still have staff members not reporting tips, and those at the low end may still feel alienated. Meeting in the middle may be a win-win, but depending on your staff’s perceptions it could be a lose-lose. The key here is understanding your staff. If you’re thinking about changing your tip structure, talk to the people who you think will have the biggest voice in private. They will be your most valuable tools in determining which model to go with. December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 25
By Bob Barnes
What’s Cooking
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
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio has been a prime jewel at the Bellagio since the resort’s opening in 1998. Now after a $1.1 million renovation last year that expanded its patio seating from 35 seats to 70 allowing more to enjoy the spectacular view of the dancing fountains, we have more reasons to rediscover this Vegas gem. Speaking of gems, the jeweled chandelier at the restaurant’s entrance gives a preview to the elegance inside. Rest assured there are plenty of seats near the large windows providing a prime view of the Eiffel Tower and water/ light show, but another spectacle is the beautiful presentation and culinary mastery that Executive Chef Robert Moore and his team in the kitchen turn out. After working for a dozen years in the Big Apple with culinary luminaries such as Sam DeMarco, Chef Moore came to Las Vegas and worked as Sous Chef at Sensi, before moving over to take the executive chef job at Prime in 2006. After being tapped as chef de cuisine to open Vongerichten’s Jean George Steakhouse at ARIA in 2009 he returned to his executive chef position at Prime in 2015. Chef Moore continues his practice of letting the quality of ingredients take the starring role in his creations, and has the luxury of picking from the collection of herbs that are grown on the roof of the Bellagio. Every dish comes with beautiful presentation, such as the Ribbons of Tuna appetizer with breakfast radish and ginger soy marinade; or Roasted Baby Beets Salad beautifully adorned with apple, ricotta and quinoa. At Prime steaks are supreme and live up to the eatery’s name. The Peppercorn Crusted New York Strip is a generous 14-oz serving, as is the 18- or 28-oz Bone-in Rib Eye and 22-oz Porterhouse; and the A5 Japanese Wagyu comes in filet, New York or rib eye cuts. All of the Prime meats can be paired with soy-rice wine, Bearnaise or peppercorn sauces.
photos by Dick Palcic
Food with a View—Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio
Prime has more than beef to offer, and seafood is done equally well here, with stellar choices of Caramelized Sea Scallops with spaghetti squash, pumpkin seeds and soy-yuzu broth; Roasted Atlantic Salmon with mushroom crust and lemon emulsion and herbs; and Chilean Sea Bass with crunchy potatoes and lime-garlic sauce. Complementing the superb fare is a voluminous wine list with more than 700 choices and an extensive bourbon/whiskey selection that includes Bakers and Templeton Rye. The delectable desserts are true works of art and dramatic displays. The Prime Cinnamon Bread Pudding comes covered with a chocolate dome shell; when it arrives, your server pours hot caramel onto it allowing it to melt onto the dessert. Also impressive is the Rum Glazed Donuts—five different flavors of donuts on raised pedestals atop a canister which emits smoke (from dry ice) when a button is pressed. Prime is considered by many to be one of the most gorgeous dining rooms in the world and it’s doubtful you’ll find a classier restaurant in Las Vegas. Thankfully its cuisine and presentation lives up to its magnificent environs, making for an enchanted dining experience that is quite hard to beat. www.bellagio.com/en/restaurants/prime-steakhouse
As you enter this secluded refuge just off of the South Point Casino, you are met with an assemblage of tributes to the old west and the modern day cowboy. The décor includes a colorful mural depicting a chuckwagon with pots cooking over a fire, photos of saddles, rustic earth tones, smoked chandeliers and mahogany wood panels. Overseeing the kitchen is John Romine, who has been the Room Chef for 10 years, beginning five months after the restaurant opened. While not a Las Vegas native, he has been living in the area for 30 years and fittingly attended Silverado High School in Henderson. All of the outstanding menu recipes are his. Starters worth indulging in include the extremely rich and flavorful Lobster Bisque with Cognac; Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail enhanced with heart of palm and lemon citrus vinaigrette, which is presented beautifully in a cocktail glass overflowing with a mountain of crab; and Seared Sea Scallops topped with baby spinach and warm bacon dressing. It’s highly unlikely you will leave hungry, as all entrees come with Silverado Salad and baked potato, mashed potato or garden vegetable. The salad is not your average house rendition; tossed and served tableside, it is comprised of Boston bib, romaine, la rossa (red leaf), marinated artichoke, hearts of palm and champagne vinaigrette. The steaks are the true stars of the show, such as the 28-day dry-aged Prime 14-oz NY Strip, Roast Prime Rib that is 2 inches thick and 16-oz Bone-in Rib-eye which can be charbroiled or blackened. A variety of add-ons include port wine demi, green peppercorn sauce, Oscarstyle King crab and bleu cheese crust. Other outstanding non-steak entrees are Beef Short Rib braised for 24 hours and simmered with Crown Royal Maple Whisky; Chicken Silverado— sautéed chicken breast topped with teardrop tomatoes, cippolini onions and a lemon beurre blanc sauce; line-caught Grilled King Salmon with garlic butter sauce; and Colorado Lamb Chops with port demi-glace. Complementing the fare are several wines by-the-glass and a monthly rotating special which during our visit was the bottle of Rodney Strong 26 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
photos by Dick Palcic
Silverado Steak House—Cowboy Elegance
Merlot we enjoyed for $20. For every bottle sold $1 is donated to the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, a worthy local charity dedicated to ensuring scholarships and unique mentorship opportunities to financiallyunderprivileged students pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. Desserts are also Chef Romine’s creations and I highly recommend his Warm Apple Crumb Cake, a cross between a coffee cake and a sponge cake that comes with candied pecans and a luscious Crown Royal Apple crème anglaise. If you’re lucky, or smart enough to ask, you may be served by Kelly Rasp, one of the best service professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter. She is extremely knowledgeable about the menu, steaks and meats used and does a phenomenal job describing menu items and making them sound delectable. Kelly said, “If you enjoy the food like I do, it’s easy to describe it.” Silverado Steak House is a dining venue where you can relax in a casual yet refined atmosphere and splurge on fine dining without spending an exorbitant amount, with appetizers ranging from $9-$18, most entrees $25-$39 and steaks from $35-$49. southpointcasino.com/dining/silverado-steakhouse www.lvfnbpro.com
Chef Spotlight
Public School 702’s Chef Jeremy Chandler We all know teenagers who procured a fake ID so they can drink before reaching the magic age of 21. But how about a 12-year-old who lied about his age so he could work in a kitchen before reaching the age of 16. That 12-year-old is now a 28-year-old talented chef, Jeremy Chandler. Born in California and raised in New Jersey, he spent four years at an eco-resort in the Caribbean before being called to return to the West Coast. Now after completing a year in the Public School 702 kitchen in Downtown Summerlin his hard work has been rewarded and he has been promoted to Sous Chef. Chef Jeremy says he likes the approach of Public School in offering “super approachable food in an inviting, welcoming ambience.” Chef Jeremy is also proud of the fact that 90-95% of the menu is made from scratch in-house, including the pizza dough. He went on to add, “I love the atmosphere here and how our menu has chef-inspired comfort food in which we can introduce ingredients some may not be used to.” Case in point is an item new to the menu: Swordfish Ban Mi Sandwich, made with the white fish marinated for 24 hours in teriyaki and served with a mix of cabbage, carrots, basil, lemongrass, mint, cilantro and a sweet Thai chili sauce. Another new menu item is not so new. The Eggs Benedict Pizza had been on the brunch menu, but was so popular and requested so often that it has now graduated to the full-time menu. After tasting it I can see why, for toppings of Brussels sprout leaves, Grana Padana cheese, prosciutto, hollandaise, a touch of horseradish and cayenne and two fried eggs make the difference between creating a good pizza or a great one. Although Public School is known for their well-crafted beer selection, with unique locally-brewed beers such as Bad Beat Morning Payoff Imperial Breakfast Stout and CraftHaus Citrone Gose, its Craft Cocktail menu also makes the grade. New A+ creations include the Sage Advice with a house-
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photo by Stephanie Allred
By Bob Barnes
made sage syrup, Anchor Junipero Gin, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and Crème de Violette; and Winter Break with spiced rum, egg white, maple syrup, cinnamon and whipping cream. Make it a point to make your way to Public School 702 at Downtown Summerlin to meet Chef Jeremy and be ‘schooled’ on the comfortable atmosphere and very approachable ‘educational’ menu.
December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 27
By Adam Rains
Our Picks
Adam has a true passion for food, wine, beer & spirits. He is a barman at CarneVino, a brand ambassador for Brooklyn Brewery, long-time cocktailian, and the Social Media Chair for the United States Bartenders Guild in Las Vegas. 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.”
photo by Adam Rains
B&B Ristorante
In the true Italian way, Mario Batali has been obsessed with freshness and being “in season” before it was even cool. This dedication to seasonality is exemplified by the Capellacci di Zucca at B&B Ristorante in The Venetian. These Stuffed Pasta are filled with roasted winter squash that are sweetened with a touch of local desert honey, all tossed in a delightfully rich Luigi Guffanti butter sauce. This handmade delight and its soft textured filling are lifted even further by the nutty crunch of crushed Marcona almonds. For the aromatics, fried crispy sage is placed upon the top. B&B Ristorante takes regional Italian cuisine very seriously & this pasta does not disappoint. B&B Ristorante, The Venetian www.bandbristorante.com
photo by Adam Rains
Herbs & Rye
As many of us in the industry well know, Herbs & Rye is our spot for late night cocktails and shenanigans. In addition to properly executed Scofflaws, Fernet or the newly created, “Imperial” with chartreuse & Miller High Life, they are regaled for their steaks and memorable sides. Out of the many delicious cuts, the king may be the Ribeye. Wonderfully marbled, juicy, soft textured and rich, it is what one graduates to from the Filet Mignon. Head Chef Mariano Ochoa, since before his time as a dishwasher, has long studied the art of the butcher. With these 21-day wet-aged wonders, they are grilled, rested and finished with a balsamic butter. This Ribeye has a wonderful sear, and as a bonus, the Ribeye and all of the steaks are half off from 3-7 p.m. and 12-3 a.m. For a side, try the new Whiskey Shallot Potatoes. They are smashed Idaho potatoes tossed with a cream & enriched by an Old Granddad Whiskey shallot reduction. Oh Man! Herbs&Rye, Valley View & Sahara www.herbsandrye.com
photo by Bryan Pierzga
Echo & Rig
Bryan Pierzga at Echo & Rig is doing big things. He is very active in competitions, the USBG, and is always looking for new flavor combinations. For this concoction, he utilizes the herbaceous and berryrich Sipsmith Sloe Gin, along with delightfully delicate Lillet Blanc. To contrast both of these, he employs the bitter tones of Campari, and for an aromatic and textural twist, he tops it with a rosemary-infused Jack Rudy Tonic foam. With the garnish of rosemary and sloe berry, it looks as good as it tastes. Echo & Rig, Tivoli Village www.echoandrig.com
28 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
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Product Review By Bob Barnes
PAUL JOHN INDIAN SINGLE MALT
Well-known for years in India where it is distilled, Paul John released their range of award-winning single malts in 2012 and its whiskies are now found all over the globe. Its list of awards is voluminous and includes Liquid Gold Award 2016; Wizards of Whisky-World Distiller of the Year 2014; Wizards of Whisky-Asian Distiller of the Year 2014, 2015, and 2016; and Jim Murray Liquid Gold Ratings place each whisky from 94.5 to 96.5. Distilled in Goa, India, the tropical climate naturally accelerates the maturation of the single malt whiskies in American white oak barrels. A heritage variety of six-row barely that is harvested in the foothills of the Himalayas is distilled in a copper pot still and non-chill filtering helps retain the original color and taste. Here is a rundown of the four single malts I had the privilege of sampling. Brilliance: Non-peated, aged minimum of 5 years, 46% ABV…The barley generates juicy richness with a finish of cocoa and spices. Edited: Hint of peat, aged minimum of 5 years, 46% ABV…grassy barley followed by gentle peat that intensifies, followed by chocolate mint and mocha and a sweet finish. Classic Select Cask: Non-peated, aged minimum of 7 years, 55.2% ABV…bourbon Manuka honey-liquorice mix with toasted honeycomb. Peated Select Cask: Heavy-peated, aged minimum of 7 years, 55.5% ABV…strong smoke, layers of crisp sugars, muscovado and demerara and a hint of spice and Dominican-style cocoa. The makers of this exquisite brand suggest to savor these single malts it is best to allow it to breathe for at least ten minutes. Paul John single malt varieties are imported by Domaine Select Wine & Spirits and are distributed by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in Southern Nevada and Southern California. MSRP range from $48 to $90 per 750 ml. pauljohnwhisky.com
NIGHTSHADE TEQUILA LAUNCHES WITH FIVE VARIETIES TO BRING PREMIUM CRAFT MARGARITAS TO THE READY-TO-DRINK CATEGORY
According to 2016 Nielsen studies, the margarita has been declared the most popular cocktail in the US. But sometimes you might not want to get out the blender and ingredients and mix one up. You actually don’t have to, thanks to Nightshade’s Premium Margaritas, which come already mixed and ready to drink. Nightshade Tequila is capitalizing on one of the fastest growing segments of the spirits industry, ‘ready-to-drink’ beverages. The 15% ABV Classic Lime made with custom-blended Blue Agave Silver Tequila, Triple Sec, lime and natural cane sugar, was a 2015 WSWA Silver Medal Winner in the Ready to Serve Category, and was the version I sampled. I found it to be as good as or better than others I’ve enjoyed in restaurants and bars and for sure better than ones I’ve mixed myself. It’s also worth noting that it’s gluten free and only 187 calories for an 8 oz serving. Nightshade’s other varieties are Hucklarita (made with huckleberry, blueberry and marionberry), Papayarita (with papaya), Ruby Redarita (with red grapefruit) & Choclarita (with three types of chocolate, two cinnamon varietals and a touch of Serrano pepper). Nightshade Tequila is distributed in California by Pacific Wine Distributors and the MSRP is $19.99. www.nightshadetequila.com
Book Review - Flying Pans—Two Chefs, One World By Bob Barnes More than just a cookbook, the title refers to the travels of the two authors as the book chronicles the voyages of Chefs Bernard Guillas and Ron Oliver of the renowned Marine Room restaurant at The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in La Jolla, California. This culinary tome is written in a conversational, reader-friendly style which encourages cooking. It will appeal to a wide audience and takes readers everywhere from Thailand to Brazil, as each page begins with notes by the chefs about their visit to the country the recipe hails from. Flying Pans contains several unique and helpful sections, such as Kitchen Drawer, which explores the chefs’ top 20 favorite tools; Out Of A Bind, providing ingredient substitutions; and Stock Options, teaching the foundation of sauce making. An excellent read and with beautiful photography of each dish contained in the book, it’s no wonder this book has garnered awards, including the IACP People’s Choice Award: Best Cookbook in America in 2011. For more info visit http://twochefsoneworld.com.
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December 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29
EVENTS
AD INDEX
Welcome back to our Las Vegas edition of Food & Beverage Pro. Now that we come to the end of 2016 we are looking ahead to this month and the coming months in 2017 for some local and regional events well worth your consideration for attending.
Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100
December 9-11 The 4th Annual Ultimo - A Weekend of Excellence, hosted by Venetian/Palazzo, is perhaps the most extravagant culinary event of the year in Las Vegas, and will include lavish feasts and exceptional experiences from an all-star lineup of chefs and wineries from around the world. www.venetian.com/entertainment/ultimo
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 28 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128
Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698
Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715
page 27
Nevada Restarant Association page 31 www.nvrestaurants.com
Bivi Vodka www.bivivodka.com 631-464-4050
page 11
Robert Mondavi Winery robertmondaviwinery.com
page 27
Southwest Gas www.swgas.com/foodservice
page 30
Designated Drivers www.designateddriversinc.com 877-456-7433
page 15
Don Julio donjulio.com
page 19
Uncle Steve’s www.unclestevesny.com 718-605-0416
FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection www.forksthebook.com
Page 18
January 17 the Nevada Restaurant Association will hold its Annual Meeting of the Members at Siena Golf Club during which the 2016 directors and committee members will be honored and the incoming 2017 officers and directors will be inducted. www.nvrestaurants.com On January 27 the Prostart Invitational, with 80 Nevada high school students competing in Culinary, Knife Skills, Management and Cake Decorating competitions, will be held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. www.nvrestaurants.com March 27-29 the Nightclub & Bar Show comes to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the largest beverage and bar show in the world, with unlimited tastes and treats! Don’t miss it. www.ncbshow.com March 27-30 the Pizza Expo returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center with the world’s largest pizza, ingredients, products, and service expo, including demos and contests plus samplings all day long! www.pizzaexpo.com
page 32
Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049
White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com
page 9
page 21
page 2
page 8
COME GET A TASTE OF WHAT’S
Cooking in Our Kitchens! Try before you buy! We offer the latest in Commercial Foodservice Equipment. EFFICIENT - save energy and time controls ensure consistent results
We carefully select all our demonstration equipment to be:
PRECISE - accurate temperature controls ensure consistent results
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www.swgas.com/foodservice
✆ 30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2016
For more information, call Lorri Davidson at 702-876-7368, or email Lorri.Davidson@swgas.com.
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You are Invited
2017 Annual Meeting of the Members Tuesday, January 17th 2017 10.00 AM to 11.30 AM Siena Golf club 10575 Siena Monte Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89135 There is no cost to attend but registration is required Join us at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Members for an opportunity to learn more about the NvRA. Show support as the 2016 Directors and Committee Members will be recognized for their efforts and dedication to the NvRA. Induct and welcome the 2017 Officers and Directors on board as we begin a successful new year of promoting, protecting, and educating the restaurant industry.
More inforamtion at www.nvrestaurants.com
• 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 Bends • Private labeling • Now Certified Kosher