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CONTENTS FEATURES Cover
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COVER FEATURE IS CHAÎNE des RÔTISSEURS AND THE LAS VEGAS CHAPTER which is going strong and has dinner presentations at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Las Vegas. If you haven’t had a chance to be invited to and enjoy a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner you’re in for a rare treat, joining other culinarians who enjoy the best of great food and wine! INSIDE FRONT COVER PAGE 2 IS AN ENDORSEMENT FOR THE KEEP MEMORY ALIVE EVENT CENTER where we have had the pleasure to visit when various events were going on, and we must say its exceptional. Daytime events and night events both have a unique feel inside the domed event center and the parking is open to accommodate large groups of people. www.keepmemoryalive.org THE NEVADA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION INVITES YOU TO THE EPICUREAN AFFAIR, their largest annual fundraiser hosted by The Venetian-Palazzo Resort at The Palazzo Pools, a great evening setting for some of the best food in town paired with exceptional wines and beverages. www.lasvegasepicureanaffair.com BACK COVER IS DEDICATED TO THE UPCOMING “POWER OF LOVE” EVENT presented by the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Keep Memory Alive honoring Veronica and Andrea Bocelli for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of music, entertainment, food and wine you won’t want to miss! Enjoy some delectable cuisine created by celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck and Giada De Laurentiis while sipping on cocktails and fine wines supplied by Southern Wine & Spirits. PowerofLove@KeepMemoryAlive.org
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Hot Off the Grill!
Wine Talk
Page 5
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For the Love of the Craft...
What’s Cooking
Page 6
Page 17
What’s Brewing?
Up Front and Personal
Page 7
Page 18
Nevada Restaurant Association
Getting to know Chef Steve Martorano
Page 24 Product Spotlight
Page 24 Springtime and the Great Outdoors
Page 27 The Bottom Line
Page 8 West Eats East—Japanese Food
Page 20
& Beverage in America
Brett’s Vegas View
Page 9
Page 21
Food for Thought
Chef Alex Stratta Celebrates
Page 28
Grand Opening of Tapas by Alex Page 10
Beer Paired with Pizza at International Pizza Expo
Stratta
PR Spotlight-PR Plus
18 www.lvfnbpro.com
Page 22 Page 12
COVER FEATURE
Chef Talk
Savor the Flavor of the Chaîne
Page 30 Events Ad Index
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 1200 S TORREY PINES SUITE 172 Las Vegas, NV 89146 www.lvfnbpro.com
HOT OFF THE GRILL!
May 2015 Mike Fryer Sr. Editor/Publisher
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Meeting and Dinner Presentation at db Brasserie celebrated Daniel Boulud and Michael Mondavi with an evening of great food & wine supplied by Southern Wine & Spirits and attended by the Las Vegas Chapter Members of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Please check out the Chaîne page in this issue and consider becoming a member of this great organization. More photos posted on our website at LVFNBPRO.com.
Thank you for joining us in this issue of
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please email mike@lvfnb.com
Bob Barnes Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com
Juanita Fryer Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/ Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Karen Kunz Graphic Designer karen.kunz@lvfnb.com
Adam Rains Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com
For all Website Inquires contact webmaster@lvfnb.com
UNLVINO SAKE FEVER HOSTED AT RED ROCK RESORT POOLSIDE was a complete success again this year with many of the local Asian restaurants presenting bites of their menus and Southern Wine & Spirits unfolding their complete Asian Beverage Portfolio, thanks to SWS Luis de Santos. LVFNB Pro had a chance to catch up with SWS’s Larry Ruvo and his lovely wife at this Red Rock event. SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL STAFF ATTENDS UNLVino Grand Tasting at Paris Las Vegas— Covering the late night portion of UNLVino dedicated to the Industry Professionals, were SoCal Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney and SoCal F&B Pro Journalist Lisa Matney, along with Sr. Editor and Publisher Mike Fryer.
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional welcomes letters to the editor. We are always striving to improve this publication and would like to know your comments and thoughts. Here’s your chance to be heard. Send your comments to info@lvfnb.com and they may be published in next month’s issue!
@lvfnb
NOTE: All submissions become the property of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional.
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney
Journalist & Photographer Joe Fogarty
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist Shelley Stepanek
Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid
Journalists Scott & Elaine Harris
Journalist Mitchell Wilburn
Journalist Ben Vaughn
Journalist LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist Ask Dr. Sake 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
SoCal Journalist Lisa Matney
Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Photographer Joe Urcioli
SoCal Journalist Margie Mancino
Photographer Rose Powell-Carver
4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I May 2015
www.lvfnbpro.com
For the Love of the Craft
By Adam Rains Adam has a true passion for food, wine, beer & spirits. He is a barman at CarneVino, a brand ambassador for Brooklyn Brewery and a long-time cocktailian. Adam strives to learn every day and during his career he’s studied at SDSU, USBG, BarSmarts, International Sommeliers Guild and the Certified Cicerone Program. His mantra with both food & cocktails is, “fresh is best.”
I like all whiskeys, rye, bourbon, Canadian, I like it all. But it is like wine: it depends on the occasion—is it before dinner or after, or breakfast over oatmeal! There is no universal whisky for one palate. Palates are very subjective. Out of 450 of tasting genes, 1/3 vary. So everyone’s sensory world is different. All the science refutes that there can be a “best” whisky. I think that there isn’t just one. It’s a hard idea to plant because everyone loves lists and rankings. What producers have you found that can finely balance passion & profit?
It is not often that
you get the chance to meet someone like Heather Greene. She is a super smart, fun seeking, down to earth and whiskey lovin’ lady. In NYC she has garnered the respect of her peers and patrons alike, and has become one of the city’s top Whiskey Sommeliers. She delightfully guides her guests through their whiskey experience without any pretense and gives them morsels of information that can be remembered for a lifetime. From elementary tasting notes all the way down to the molecule, Heather can speak on all levels about the noble spirit. She has a new book called Whisk(e)y Distilled which is perfect for the beverage professional and beginner alike; it takes on whisky from top to bottom. Just before she was to speak at a women’s professional event at the McCall’s Heartland Grill inside the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, we sat down & enjoyed a couple o’drams, talked some shop and sang songs about whisky. Tell me about your new book. It’s a guide for anyone who is curious about the world of whisky. I cover all styles from Japanese, rye, bourbon, to scotch. The set up of the book is about your personal experience and finding your own palate. I talked to some of the leading scientists about how the palate works, on nosing, tasting and olfaction. I strove to examine the mechanics behind aromatics, how they land on our receptors and how that information relates to our brain. What are some trends in whisky that you enjoy and that you foresee coming up? I’m crazy about American rye. I love the spice and the pepper, and everything in the whisky world seems to be growing. A lot of the ryes also make good cocktails. There is a general proliferation of whisky production and consumption and rye is rising with that trend. It is great to see it rebound from the hit it took in prohibition. Before then, everyone was drinking rye; in Pennsylvania alone there were over 5,000 farms that were growing it. I also see the Irish whisky becoming a bigger player. Now with the regulations about how many distilleries you can have being lifted, you will see some innovation there. Irish whisky is up 400% last year and I think that it’s moving away from the shots to more sipping. Not to ask you to pick your favorite “child,” but do you have a whisky that you enjoy most? www.lvfnbpro.com
One that I used to work for, William Grant. They make Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder and Hendricks. That’s why I was with them as long as I was. It was their passion, integrity in product and production. I’m also crazy about the master blender at Glenmorangie; with him at the helm, you will always have a superb whisky. In the US, I think Michters does a great job. I’m truly lucky to work in a field where there are so many good people. Tell me about the “magic in the barrel.” What happens is that the wood in the cask is porous and when you pour in the liquid it gets into the wood and breaks down the starches. There is an interaction between the lignin and the alcohol. Many flavors such as vanillin can occur with many aromatics. It gets more detailed in the book but basically compound molecules will combine and create smell. These lignins release vanillin, which can exist in vanilla pods, wood and vanilla frosting by the way. The wood is long chain starches that is broken down and transformed. There are the pure essence molecules such as Isoamyl Acetate (banana) that can come together in compound flavors which can confuse things (i.e. other flavors like creme brûlée, etc…). You are speaking at the new whisky bar at McCall’s Heartland Grill. How do you like it? The Stratosphere is a great place to stay. They have a big heart and what they are trying to do here is for the populace. They want to bring whisky to the people. It’s wonderful. The title of Whisky Sommelier involves years of study & practice of a spirit that tends to have a masculine connotation. How do you view women in the whisky world? There is a lot of evidence that women were the first distillers. That makes sense to me because women were in the kitchen and it involves heating liquid until it boils. In a way it is just a continuation of a tradition. You have worked as a professional musician. What is your favorite whisky song? That’s easy, “One bourbon, one scotch one beer….” Enter music! May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
what’s
By Bob Barnes
BREWING?
After checking out the beer selection at the new Lazy Dog at Downtown Summerlin I was quite happy to see a large portion of the draft list devoted to local brews, with beers from Bad Beat, Banger, Big Dog’s, CraftHaus, Joseph James and Sin City. Adding to the fun are easydrinking house beers, brewed exclusively for Lazy Dog by Golden Road Brewing, in styles of Blonde, American Hefeweizen, IPA, Pale Ale, Red and Stout; and a selection spanning several beer styles with more than 50 choices. Check out the whimsical dog-themed décor with bone door handles, bone tap handles attached to a fire hydrant, dog statues, paw prints and restrooms titled “Good Girl” and “Good Boy.” I also experienced the new Pizza Rock at Green Valley Ranch. The downtown location has a better than average selection, but this new Henderson location has gone a few steps further, with 40 taps, 60 bottles and a fine representation of locals with beer from Bad Beat, Banger, CraftHaus and Joseph James. If you like pizza with your beer you won’t be disappointed, as they have pretty much any style covered, with 11-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani’s pizzas spanning 10 styles. Lovers of nostalgia will appreciate a collection of beer boxes displayed in the trailer of a full-sized 1964 Peterbilt semi, some of which date back to the 1950s.
breweries will be pouring, with Bad Beat, Banger, Barley’s, Big Dog’s, Chicago, CraftHaus, Ellis Island, Gordon Biersch, Hop Nuts, Joseph James, Old School, Sin City, Tenaya Creek and Triple 7; and the SNAFU homebrew club. There will be live music, a DJ, food vendors, a dunk tank with representatives from the local breweries and a best homebrew contest, with the winner receiving a plaque and the opportunity to brew their winning beer at Banger Brewing. Tickets are $25 and proceeds benefit the NCBA. Tickets are available at localsonlybeerfest.com.
hop flavor without the added alcohol. The newly released Slow Ride from New Belgium Brewing delivers a powerful punch of citrusyhop goodness while weighing in at only 4.5% ABV. No less than eight different hop varieties are used, as it’s pitched with Cascade, Target, Nelson Sauvin and Centennial hops in the kettle and dry hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra. To view a collection of entertaining videos of people riding the couch bike depicted on the label, visit newbelgium. com/slowride.aspx.
The 6th Annual Brews & Blues Festival on May 30 at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve from 4 to 8 p.m. will have more than 100 beers and local and regional blues bands performing. Tickets are $35 ($40 at the door) and can be purchased at the Springs Preserve or at vegasbrewsandblues.com.
Atomic Liquors Has a Crowler
Also on May 30, the 9th Annual Lee’s Beer & Tequila Experience with more than 300 beers and 70 tequilas will be held at Westgate Las Vegas from 3-7 p.m. Buy your ticket at any Lee’s Discount Liquor and you can get a 2 for 1 deal for $50. Otherwise, it’s $60 at the door.
photo is courtesy of Atomic Liquors
More Hurrahs for Local Beer
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
Beer of the Month: New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA
May Beery Events On May 16 Aces and Ales will host its 6th Annual Stone Domination, during which its 50 taps will be devoted to Stone Brewing, and Brewmaster Mitch Steele will be popping in to rub elbows with anyone who feels worthy. The night before, on May 15, the Domination will be prefaced by a six-course cigar & beer dinner paired by Stone Brewing’s Dr. Bill Sysak and Aces and Ales Chef Jason Glidden. Both events will be at the Tenaya location. For more info or to reserve, contact misty@acesandales.com or call 702-638-2337. On May 23 Banger Brewing and the Nevada Craft Brewers Association (NCBA) will host the 1st annual Locals Only Beer Festival from 2-6 p.m. in the center court of Neonopolis at the Fremont Street Experience. All of the Henderson and Vegas
IPA is currently the top selling craft beer style and recently the Session IPA sub-style has emerged for those wanting to enjoy full
6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I May 2015
Atomic Liquors has a new toy, a Crowler machine! In case you’ve never heard of such a thing, it’s a gadget that cans any beer on draft within seconds (basically a canning machine for beer). This is possible due to Atomic’s unique packaged liquor license and the historic bar is the only place in Nevada to have one. Manager Rose Signor said, “I think the coolest thing about the concept is that I can send the many tourists that come into the bar home with local brews now, and even specialty rare beers that might only be available on draft.” Stop in to check it out. Atomic is at 917 Fremont St.
As always, great beer happens in Vegas! www.lvfnbpro.com
The Nevada Restaurant Association’s Las Vegas Epicurean Affair Marks Its Sixth Year at The Palazzo on May 21
Photo courtesy of 501 Studios
TAO Nightclub at The Venetian will host the Official After Party for the event, offering complimentary entry to all ticket holders. Proceeds from the evening will fund NvRA’s educational and scholarship programs, including ProStart®, a national high school culinary skill and restaurant management program.
The Las Vegas Epicurean Affair
returns to The Palazzo on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The soiree, sponsored by the Nevada Restaurant Association (NvRA), features many notable restaurants from around the city, along with a premier selection of libations.
ABOUT NEVADA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION Founded in 1982, the Nevada Restaurant Association is the leading business association serving the needs of food service operators in Nevada. As an affiliate of the National Restaurant Association, and together with the NvRA Educational Foundation, the Association’s mission is to promote, protect and educate the restaurant industry, which is comprised of more than 5,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing more than 150,000 people.
Chef José Andrés will bring his culinary magic as the celebrity chef host of the event this year. Named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and awarded “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, Andrés is a pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States. He is known worldwide for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine as well as his commitment to advocating for food and hunger issues. VIP ticket holders will experience an exclusive meet and greet with the renowned chef, as well as enjoy tastes from one of his newest Las Vegas restaurants, Bazaar Meat at SLS. Guests at the Las Vegas Epicurean Affair will spend the evening poolside at The Palazzo indulging in the best cuisine and cocktails offered from establishments both on and off The Strip. “The Las Vegas Epicurean Affair is a must-attend event for anyone who wants the opportunity to taste gourmet selections from the finest chefs, all for a great cause,” said Sebastien Silvestri, vice president of food and beverage for The Venetian and The Palazzo and chairman of the board for NvRA. Participants from previous years have included Bouchon, db Brasserie, Delmonico Steakhouse, LAVO, Mint Indian Bistro, Tao Asian Bistro, Texas de Brazil, Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio, N9NE Steakhouse, Ferraro’s, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, and STK along with many other distinguished restaurants. “We are thrilled to present this event, which for 32 years has provided Las Vegas the opportunity to help fund the educational dreams of high school students interested in culinary careers,” said NvRA president and CEO Katherine Jacobi. “It is an amazing occasion to enjoy many of the great restaurants that have made Las Vegas a culinary destination.” The Las Vegas Epicurean Affair is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2015, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at The Pools at The Palazzo. Tickets can be purchased at www.palazzo.com or any Venetian or Palazzo box office. Tickets for the event start at $100.
www.lvfnbpro.com
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7
West Eats East—Japanese Food & Beverage in America
I
still wonder why we consume Japanese food & beverages or “sushi” in our “burger” eating. Is that only due to our desire to be healthy or live longer by eating them? Do we really want to reach that goal in eating? If so, it could be done by taking only good nutrients and avoiding anything bad? Do you want to live solely with the powders of essential nutrients like protein, fat, carbohydrates and tablets of vitamins and minerals, nothing else, in the form of supplements? Do you really want it without enjoying taste, flavor, texture, companionship, surrounding or other satisfaction in eating? Stop here if you do. If not, please proceed. Japanese food & beverages were recognized as healthy because Japanese looked skinny, active and long living. It was not by a simple observation but substantiated by a scientific survey comparing Japanese Americans in Hawaii with Japanese in Japan some time ago. Most of the former were second or third generation immigrants who were eating the western style diet since their
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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.
birth. They showed more typical, American geriatric symptoms like high blood pressure, heart trouble or colon cancer than most of the Japanese in Japan who ate the traditional omnivorous diet. The study implicated the western style diet appeared to be a culprit of our health issues and the Japanese diet could be preventive to causing them. An exceptional issue for the Japanese was stomach cancer, probably because of eating too much bulky rice along with hot, salty liquids like miso soup quickly. Our soup, hot or cold, is usually served before an entrée but after an appetizer, in a flat soup saucer or cup. Many Japanese sip soup first directly like drinking coffee, while we use a soup spoon but do not sip directly. I think a chance of burning our tongue or throat or esophagus or upper portion of the stomach by hot matter seems less than for the Japanese. Not only food and beverages themselves, but also eating habits or table manners also appears to affect the consequences of eating at the table. When it comes to the diets in different countries, particularly in America and Japan, we need a little consideration of respective social backgrounds. Japan is a homogeneous society, which is easy to represent as a nation or mass or dietary habit, while America is a sum of diverse societies or backgrounds, which is not easy to express in one representing word. Therefore, America is often described in a sense of the common measure or maybe the common multiple. Otherwise a particular segment of our society may be mentioned to represent “America.” Besides, Japan is very good with the statistics of manufacturing or consumption by government or industry organizations, whereas we are not, which makes it hard to make comparisons. Another thing, I have noticed, between here and there is that there is a difference in quality or taste even in the same food terms. For an example of a hamburger, ours is a matter of rounding ground beer in palms, which is placed on a grill or in a pan to cook. Theirs starts from mixing ground beef with cooked chopped onion, bread crust and an egg, which is cooked in a pan. My nephew in Boston calls the Japanese one as a flat meatball. Both are called a hamburger but are different in nutrition and taste. Another specimen is of sushi, which is mostly rolled ones here, while Nigiri (a slice of fish or seafood over flat rice ball) is generally recognized as sushi there. Pizza is also popular in Japan with a small scooter for delivery but is made with more processed cheese in the place of mozzarella or other natural cheeses. The difference is due to taste preference, ingredient supply situation or occasionally regulatory reasons. It is a matter of difference but not of which is superior or inferior. We must be aware of such a difference even in the same terms when talking about nutrition and health of the food and beverages on either sides of the ocean. Now, let’s see the difference between what we eat and what they eat routinely. We eat more wheat flour foods in the form of bread, pasta or crust, corn, meat-poultry and its products, milk-dairy products and potatoes, while they eat more cooked rice, wheat-buckwheat noodles, soybean products, vegetables particularly cooked, fish-seafood and sea-veggies. Our health authority presumes something good is hidden in the Japanese diet, while theirs blames the western style diet for contributing to the undesirable. The major difference is due to our carnivorous and their omnivorous natures in diets as a matter of course. Is any particular food liable for being much healthier? An over-all diet is responsible? Can we swing to a healthier diet without jeopardizing our food habits? Do you really want to go beyond sushi for a healthier and longer life? If so, please wait for more stories to come. www.lvfnbpro.com
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Vertical Wine Tasting
By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts a nationally syndicated wine radio show 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
Despite its name, vertical wine tasting has absolutely nothing to do with how you drink wine. It does not require standing or jumping up, nor does it involve a very tall glass. The key to vertical wine tasting is in the selection and order of wines to be tasted. A vertical tasting involves wines from different vintages but all the wines will come from the same winery. If the winery produces more than one type of wine, you would select a single wine from that winery and taste multiple vintages of that specific wine. This is one of the most informative tasting formats because it offers the opportunity to taste the effects on wine caused by weather, growing conditions and changes in wine-making style over time, as well as demonstrating how wines change as they mature. For instance, you might have 5 vintages of Chateau Mouton Rothschild (a famous wine from Bordeaux in France). When you hold a Vertical Tasting, you are learning more about the differences between different vintages rather than the differences in wineries. There www.lvfnbpro.com
is no rule or accepted practice about the number of wines that you need for a Horizontal or Vertical Wine Tasting. I suppose you could just have two wines tasted together and that would qualify. I tend to think that a minimum of three wines or, more usually, 5 or 6 wines makes a more interesting tasting. Some of the wine and food festivals or other big events may have hundreds of different wines available. You can make your own horizontal tasting at one of these events quite easily by limiting your tasting to a particular type of wine from the primary vintage that is being poured. Cabernet Sauvignon is the big daddy of the red wine world. It is the famous grape that is used in the Bordeaux region of France, and is produced in quantity in North America, South America, Italy and
Spain. Cab is a red grape that produces a red wine that is full bodied, rich in all its flavors, firm and able to age for long periods of time in the bottle (depending on the winemaker’s intention, and the region). It is aromatic and deep in all its aspects. Some flavors that can best describe Cabernet Sauvignon are black cherry, cassis and raspberry. These flavors are balanced out with tannins and acids. Besides the fruit flavors present in Cab, there are predominant flavors of tobacco, cedar, oak and dried herbs. Cabernet Sauvignon is a stronger wine that is most often worked up to, usually starting with lighter bodied, mellower reds and graduating to the tannic, very full Cabernet Sauvignon. But if you want to jump right into it and start out with Cabernet Sauvignon, more power to you.
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9
PR Spotlight
PR Plus—a boutique firm with big ideas and a never-ending commitment to bring clients the coverage they deserve
In 1991, the Hard Rock Café
, just a mere six months old at the time, put their faith in PR Plus for the company’s “plus” attitude and rock ‘n roll approach that would become the brand of PR Plus and the heart of the firm’s philosophy. Owner and founder Laura Herlovich left the casino industry and started PR Plus, soon finding long term clients in Station Casinos, Lotus Broadcasting and a variety of entertainment and lifestyle brands. As PR Plus prepares to celebrate their milestone anniversary of 25 years in February of 2016, the owners have never been more convinced that the “plus” in PR Plus is truly what separates the firm from others in the market. As the first PR-only public relations firm to open its doors in Las Vegas, PR Plus was ahead of its time knowing there was a need in the market for putting public relations first and separating public relations from advertising. To this day, the agency feels that separation is more important than ever. With some two dozen public relations firms now in Las Vegas, as well as the introduction of new media outlets and mediums, the art of communication is thriving and of course, there is plenty of business to go around with the growth of the city. Herlovich often says “some days we do more ‘plus’ than traditional ‘PR’ which comes from having a hard time telling
clients ‘that is out of our scope.’” If a client wants to throw an amazing party, PR Plus will plan it – if the client wants a hard-to-get restaurant reservation, they’ll make the call – if a client wants to throw an “elephant brunch” at the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign, just name the date and time! That dedication of going outside the box for their clients is what has kept PR Plus set apart over the years. “I feel more and more that clients are looking for something full service. Even handling community relations or event planning seems to fall out of some agencies’ scopes, but it’s what keeps things fun and interesting for us,” said co-owner of PR Plus, Alissa Kelly. PR Plus likes to say they are ‘lean and mean’ which translates to a boutique firm with big ideas and a never-ending commitment to bring clients the coverage they deserve. Whether on The Strip with clients such as Buddy V’s Ristorante, db Brasserie, Shake Shack and entertainers like Boyz II Men and Terry Fator to off Strip clients such as Chef Kim Canteenwalla and Elizabeth Blau’s trio of restaurants Honey Salt, Made L.V. and the newly opened Andiron Steak & Sea – their commitment is strong to ensuring clients are taken care of from all marketing aspects. A large piece of that commitment is that Kelly and Herlovich are actively involved in each client’s strategic plan and in day-to-day client
10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2015
activity. Three senior account executives assure clients that they will be working with experienced, talented and professional team members who are sensitive to clients’ needs and interested in their successes rather than where their next career move might take them. PR Plus has never desired to be the right firm for every client but does strive to be the perfect fit for the right clients. Each client is looking for a firm that fits their brand, pays attention to their needs, makes them a priority and gets the desired results. “We’re often asked how to tell PR agencies apart and honestly, agencies are like ice cream - you either prefer vanilla, chocolate or some crazy delicious house-made gelato…we like to think we’re that gelato. With rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top of course!” said Kelly. With five senior level team members, PR Plus proactively manages clients including the Pawn Stars, Hash House A Go Go, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, Mercadito, Vegas Indoor Skydiving, The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort, Studio at the Palms, House of Blues and many others. Whether it is local or national, PR Plus has success stories in all genres of media from television and print to radio and online – each outlet important and unique to both the client and the agency. In the end, when a client succeeds, PR Plus succeeds. www.lvfnbpro.com
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Chef Talk Honey
I recently went on a fact finding trip
to Utah to explore the honey industry that is big business in Utah. There are many other states that produce larger crops of honey, but the value of having Utah so close is the ability to get geographically diverse, artisanal flavored honey so easily. Although Utah enjoys the title “The Beehive State,” the top honey-producing states include North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota. Another big producer is California where so much of America’s fruits, vegetables and nuts are grown. This amount of agriculture needs a lot of pollinating, which supports the bee keeping industry. The honeybee is responsible for approximately 80% of all fruit, vegetable and seed crops in the U.S. Bees have been producing honey for millions of years, but honey farming can be traced back to Spain over 8,000 years ago. It has significance in many religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. It is classified by its floral source created by the nectar from which it is made. Approximately one-third of the total human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants (fruits, legumes and vegetables). The statistics behind honey are staggering and amazing. In the layout of the hive, there are three types of bees – Queen, Worker and Drone. The queen may lay 600-800 eggs a day during her 3 to 4 year lifetime. During the spring pollinating season build up that number may go up to 2,000 per day. If the egg is fertilized it becomes a female worker, if it is not fertilized it becomes a drone or a male bee. The females forage for food and take care of the colony. A colony may contain 40,000 to 60,000 bees during the late spring or early summer. Of this number 15,000 will not be out collecting but serving the needs of the hive and the queen. After an egg is laid it takes 42 days for a bee to become a forager. There are 20,000 species of bees, but only 4 produce honey.
Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu 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.
bacteria that might be present. An adult’s immune system can easily fight this infection. • Honey never spoils. • Honey should be stored at room temperature; if refrigerated it will start to crystalize. If this happens you can de-crystalize it by putting the open jar in a pan of boiling water that is taken off the heat. When they come to room temperature the crystals will have disappeared. • For easy measuring and clean-up, coat a measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray before adding honey. • The color and flavor of honey differ depending on the bees’ nectar source (the blossoms). In fact, there are more than 300 unique kinds of honey in the United States, originating from such diverse floral sources as Clover, Eucalyptus and Orange Blossoms. In general, lighter colored honeys are mild in flavor, while darker honeys are usually more robust in flavor. • A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup. • To use honey instead of sugar in cooking you may need to make some minor adjustments to the recipe. You should use equal amounts if it is a cup or less, but for larger amounts you would replace it with ¾ cup of honey. You also need to lower the cooking temperature 25 degrees since honey browns faster that sugar. Additionally you might need to reduce the other liquids in the recipe. For baked goods that do not contain baking soda you would want to add ¼ teaspoon per cup of honey.
To make a half pound of honey, the bees in a colony will visit a million flowers, and will be the lifetime work of approximately 150 bees since a single honeybee will only produce approximately 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. The bees collect the honey to store in the hive for the winter season when flowers are not blooming. The honey also is used for insulation for the winter months. Although honey production is up in the top five honey producing countries in the last 3 years the production in the United States is down 20% during this same time period. One of the reasons for this decline is a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. This scenario was first documented in 1869 and was last seen in large amounts in 2013 with losses of over 20% of the bee population.
Honey Facts
• Do not feed honey to infants under 1 year old because there is a chance that the child’s immune system cannot fight if there are any botulism 12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I May 2015
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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 Senior Learning Design Consultant 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. Email: alice@lvfnb.com
41st Annual UNLVino (2015) 25th, so an impromptu mass happy birthday was celebrated on top of his wonderful Dom Perignon Award of Excellence.
This year, UNLVino landed during
the perfect week of the spring season. As you know, UNLVino is an annual even that begin back in 1974 as a collaboration between Jerry Vallen (UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration), and Larry Ruvo (Southern Wine and Spirits). Forty one years later, the collaboration continues, with the Hotel College and Southern Wine and Spirits working together to put on a great F&B centered event, while funding scholarships for UNLV Hotel College students. Each night, one Dom Perignon Award of Excellence is presented to a special honoree by the students who received UNLVino scholarships to go to the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. Typically, UNLV Hotel College faculty and leadership are also present, and this year was no different. The Hotel College Dean Stowe Shoemaker attended, along with the newest President of UNLV, Len Jessup. It was President Jessup’s first UNLVino, which was very memorable for him. “This event has become a signature event for UNLV, not only because it’s wild and fun, and it’s a total blast, but because of everything it does for the students in our hotel program. The scholars are invaluable; it allows great students to come and be successful in a world-class program.”
Sake Fever
My F&B highlight for the night during Sake Fever was definitely the 200+ pound fresh tuna that was sliced to order! There was plenty of sake and other beverages available during this event, which was held poolside at the beautiful Red Rock Casino and Resort. During Sake Fever, one of UNLV’s very own was the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence honoree: former Dean and current Presidential Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, Don Snyder. As a special surprise, Mr. Larry Ruvo decided to make an exception this year and present two awards during Sake Fever. Rather than only awarding Don Snyder, he also presented Snyder’s wife, Dee, with an award as well, due to the fact that the Snyders really do everything as a team with collaborative support. As Snyder stated, “Dee is a clear partner in everything that we collectively do in this community.”
Bubblicious
Bubblicious was indeed a wonderful night to be outdoors, and the food and wine selections were plentiful. Guest artist Chadwick Johnson also provided the entertainment of the night, and sang a couple special songs to Chef Daniel Boulud (e.g. “Wind Beneath My Wings”), and most importantly, Happy Birthday! Chef Boulud just celebrated his birthday on March www.lvfnbpro.com
beer, spirits, cocktails, etc. The guest singer for the night was Frankie Moreno, and the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence was presented to Chef Steve Martorano. He also offered some words of wisdom to the UNLV Hotel College students and audience. “Never take no for an answer, and never give up. Always believe in yourself. No matter how many times they tell you no, you say yes… If it’s possible for me, Cuz, it’s possible for you!”
Grand Tasting
The biggest event of the series, or grandest, I should say, continued to live up to its reputation. There were a number of great wineries, as well as other beverages, such as
UNLVino continues to play a large part in the community and to the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hotel administration. What a great way to bring lovers of food and beverage together annually, and for a great cause! Don Snyder’s speech during Sake Fever was really representative of the impact UNLVino has, so I will end with an excerpt of this speech. “You can’t have a great community without a great university connected to that community. I will tell you that the Hotel College and UNLVino are the poster child for being connected… This is a wonderful tribute to the legacy that Larry Ruvo and Jerry Vallen created… You’re participating in something that is life-changing for a number of students. The other thing that I’ve been incredibly impressed with is the work experience it provides; we have something like 600 students involved with UNLVino. [It is] a tremendous opportunity to get real-world experience, things that are going to help them build their careers. And so, this event is something that, in all my work with the university and all my work with the community, I’ve not seen anything that touches lives like UNLVino.” – Don Snyder Until next time, Cheers~!
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13
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
Photo courtesy of Fly-N-Fish
Fly-N-Fish…A Shining Culinary Beacon in Newport Beach
Fly-N-Fish Oyster Bar & Grill
is located in the heart of the boardwalk and a short stroll from the Newport Beach Pier. Before it opened in Sept. 2012 this scenic area overlooking the ocean was serviced by either fine dining or casual dining eateries, with nothing in between. Fly-N-Fish is filling that gap, providing a restaurant with fine dining quality but in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant’s name is taken from the soaring fish that leap through the waters just yards away, and a relaxed ambience in the small 56-seat eatery is accomplished via red brick, hardwood floor, wood table tops, a granite bartop, open kitchen, large screen TVs and wall bedecked with photos of the owners’ prize catches over the years. Owners Rick and Steve Lummis have more than 40 years in the restaurant business and proved their acumen for success with their Red Onion location in Newport Beach in the 1980s. They wisely selected Chef Julio Hawkins to run the kitchen, who has a resume spanning more than 30 years, with extremely impressive experiences leading him to the top of his field. Chef graduated from thae California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and has cooked for several celebrities and dignitaries over the years, including Bill Gates and President George H. Bush. Over the years he has held positions at
such renowned establishments as the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle, Wally’s Desert Turtle in Rancho Mirage, Morton’s Steakhouse, House of Blues at Downtown Disney, King’s Fish House, and LAX; provided culinary service to 30,000 guests at golf tournaments; served as an instructor at the Cordon Bleu in Pasadena; and has appeared on TV programs on CBS and the Food Network’s Chef vs. City. Chef is responsible for writing the menus, training his staff and also serves as general manager. He describes Fly-N-Fish as upscale dining in a casual setting without the pretentiousness of fine dining. Chef said, “I get to come to work every day and play in the sandbox. If you have fun in what you do, guests will always come back.” And come back they do. Business was up 38% after the first year and so far this year Fly-N-Fish is on target to register even more growth; and on a Friday or Saturday a two-hour wait is not uncommon. Server Lori Eich, who has been at the restaurant since it opened (as has most of the staff), adds more reasons for the restaurant’s success: “It’s very family, not corporate, and the owners are great. You can’t beat the view and most of the clientele is local. Many of our customers walk here and some come four times a week.”
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As for the cuisine, Chef said, “I want to do classic American fare with big, bold flavors.” He conscientiously follows the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and uses only freshly caught sustainable products and farm to table produce. Everything is made from scratch, including the desserts, and the quality of ingredients and Chef’s vast background is clearly evident in both presentation and taste of his menu items. The most popular dish is the New England Clam Chowder and after tasting it I can see why. Made with chopped clams, potatoes and leeks, added richness is added with bacon and cream. Maryland Crab Cakes are brightened with addition of a Thai chili and papaya-mint salsa. Another must-have dish is the Cioppino, loaded with generous amounts of shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, calamari, crab and fresh catch simmered in a zesty red wine sauce with a touch of curry and saffron to give it complexity and roasted vegetables to add sweetness. The beauty of this dish is how you can taste the seafood, not just tomato. The Saffron Bacon Risotto—a mix of scallops, shrimp, walnut-basil pesto oil and snapped peas—was a seasonal special, but after it was taken off the menu the clientele demanded it be brought back and it is now one of the top sellers. The price point is extremely reasonable considering the view and quality and is surely another reason for the steady stream of customers. Prices at the low end are at $5 (for the aforementioned Clam Chowder); small plates and sandwiches are $12-$17; and house specialties range from $16 to $30. And during happy hour M-F from 3-7 p.m. appetizers including calamari, ceviche, crab cakes, fish tacos and clam chowder are $2-$8; draft pints are $5-$6; and house wine and well drinks are $6. Fly-N-Fish is a bright beacon on the shoreline of Newport Beach, and with the finely-tuned staff and kitchen orchestrated by Chef Julio Hawkins, it’s sure to shine on for many moons to come. Fly-N-Fish is open daily for lunch and dinner. Fly ‘N’ Fish Oyster Bar & Grill 2304 W Oceanfront Newport Beach, CA 92663 (949) 673-8400 www.flynfishoysterbar.com www.lvfnbpro.com
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By Heidi Rains
Up Front and Personal
Heidi Rains is a San Diego native, a wiz of a home
cook and brings life to the desert with a beautiful
garden. Her herbs have been tasted by many and used
by some of the top mixologists in town. She has spent
her whole life living, eating & working in fine-dining
restaurants, cocktailing & bartending on the Strip and she has a thirst for all things delicious.
Anesa Causevic…..Atomic Bosnian Bombshell! We’ve all heard of the “European Work Ethic” and being a European girl myself, I know what it’s like to feel compelled to constantly move! move! move! Well, when I asked Anesa why she chose to keep her full-time hostess gig at MGM Grand even after getting another full-time cocktail shift (on graveyard no less!) at Caesars Palace, her answer really stuck with me. She responded casually, “If I am physically able to work both jobs then why would I pass up that opportunity?” This is not a single mother working to support a family nor does she come across as particularly crazy, so I knew that it was her innate genetic coding that summoned this drive to succeed! So how does this young drop-dead gorgeous girl with two jobs maintain her sardonic sense of humor and keep smiling throughout her long days? Well, I found Anesa resting in the booth of a fine dining restaurant between shifts and mined her for details about her life in war-torn Bosnia, taking care of her ailing mother here in Vegas and how she finds the energy to work so hard and still have fun! Tell me about your early days in Bosnia and what brought your family to Vegas? I have little recollection of the war and I was separated from my mother when she went to Germany to find work and left my sister and me in Bosnia. Eventually we were smuggled back to Germany under the seats of a car by a German officer who helped my mother. I remember being terrified by a Serbian militia man with a huge gun, but thankfully he didn’t see us so we made it in. Because we couldn’t gain citizenship in Germany, we were able to gain political asylum in the US. When the war was over we never had any reason to go back so we stayed in Portland, Oregon. In 2005, we moved to Las Vegas for more opportunities but it was then that my mom’s mental health deteriorated from PTSD from the war. Although I excelled in school, I was unable to afford college and could not get grants due to clerical problems www.lvfnbpro.com
with my Bosnian paperwork. It was then that I realized I needed to work hard to succeed in life. Eventually it became clear that it was up to me to care for my mentally ailing mother and so I started working in the service industry. First was for Mario Batali at Otto at The Venetian and then a union hostess job at Fiamma in MGM Grand. I then received the opportunity to work cocktails at Caesars Palace on graveyard with another union shift and I happily took it. How do you manage two full-time shifts and still keep a positive attitude? I do work a lot of double shifts and it is very tiring, but I was able to allow my mother the opportunity to live in a nice home and I believe her wellbeing is most important. The lifestyle that I’ve created for my mom has helped with her mental illness. Creating a good environment for her benefits us both.
Like most Europeans, you travel a lot. Where are some of your favorite destinations and how do you use your experiences to connect with hotel guests? I love seeing differently parts of the world and being around different cultures instead of just clocking in and clocking out. Ultimately, I’d like get a job where I could travel the world. I really enjoy going to tropical places and love going back home to Europe. I really like going to places where I can relax on the beach in a hut. Traveling really helps me connect with guests on a personal level and also when you go to different resorts you learn how to treat guests. I compare and contrast service standards and use those experiences to better service my guests. What do you love most about the service industry and conversely, what are some of your pet peeves with regard to guest interaction? Honestly, I love having fun with guests. As a hostess it’s a way of keeping myself entertained. I like to have personal interactions with guests and make them laugh…if possible. I like to mess with people and catch them off guard to disarm them and make things fun. You meet so many people every day so to keep from becoming a robot you need to make it fun. For my cocktail job my main pet peeve would be….two words…Poker Players! I am also not a fan of very pushy guests who want to run things and question my abilities to do my job. But I always keep smiling! And by the way…good luck trying to break me because I have been through a lot! Being as ambitious as you are, what are your plans for the future? I want to run my own service related business because I think I would be a great leader. I have compassion for people and empathy so I know that I would help others succeed as well as myself. This does not need to be a million dollar operation but something that will keep me happy. I don’t need to be a millionaire to be rich!
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
By LeAnne Notabartolo
Getting to Know Chef Steve Martorano
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 leanne@goodforspooning.com.
At first glance Steve Martorano
is intimidating. He’s a big, well-muscled guy with tattoos like many chefs and cooks these days, but it’s more than that. He cuts an imposing figure. That feeling of intimidation goes right out the window when he utters, “How you doin’?” Immediately I was transported back to my roots and we fell into a very natural conversation. I met with Steve while he was in town for Vegas Uncork’d after just receiving the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence at UNLVino. I was invited to meet with him in a private setting with his lovely fiancé and he was refreshing, charming and unguarded in our interview. Growing up in south Philly, Steve had few choices for a career. He could go into the “family business,” aka The Mob, and spend part of his life in jail like friends and family, or he could work hard and live hand to mouth. He wanted more, but had no vision of what that “more” would look like. His dad owned a neighborhood bar and Steve convinced his dad to let him put food on the menu one night. It was something never considered before, but Steve went ahead and did it. He sold out the room and then his dad said, “Ok, what’s next?” What came next was a series of small business ventures which grew into the business he has now. Steve is passionate about his food. He refuses to compromise on quality at any stage of the process. “Gravy and meatballs are made every day. There are no vats of anything sitting in my walk-in.” Everything on the menu is taste tested by Steve personally. If he wouldn’t eat it at home, it doesn’t go on the menu, no matter how trendy it might be. Steve’s food isn’t fancy; it’s family style and fun. Eating his food was just like eating at my mother-in-law’s table. The pigs’ feet and pork braciole tasted so much like hers that my husband wanted to pick up the feet and eat them with his hands to get every glorious bite off the bones. If you ever had a good Italian American friend and got to eat at their table, this is what Steve’s food is all about. He says that the best compliment anyone can give him is “this tastes just like Mom used to make.” That’s what he is striving for. He is very smart in that he is not trying to please everyone, but he is trying to make the best Italian American food he knows how to make
Steve in the kitchen where you will find him at any of his restaurants. photo courtesy of Caesars
The meatball that made him famous. Photo by Good for Spooning
from the silky gravy, to the flavorful meatball to the al dente pasta. And Steve is not just passionate about his food, but feels responsible for his food. When you go to a Martorano’s and he is in house, you won’t find him touching tables and visiting in the dining room. You will find him in the kitchen, working the line and taking personal responsibility for each dish that enters the dining room. The menu is not extensive, it’s very approachable. The thing that triggered me into laughter, out loud, in the restaurant was Steve’s personal quotes on the menu about his food: no substitutions and how you either “get it” or you don’t. Clearly, I got it, because I enjoyed everything about my Martorano’s experience, from the ambient swing music to the movies on the flat screens to the food itself. And take note fellow restaurateurs; while the lighting was dim in the restaurant, I didn’t need to whip out my flashlight phone app to read the menu,
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it was backlit. A small detail for sure, but one I absolutely appreciated. Despite all of his success, two cookbooks, five restaurants and a recent segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he still feels like a bit of an outsider. He admittedly admires top tier chefs and what they do, but feels he is not like them partially because he is self-taught. His humble beginnings and his self-effacing manner make him immediately likable. He acknowledges he “lucked into” everything. Being a restaurateur was not a dream of his. Unlike other restaurateurs and chefs who KNEW this business was their destiny, Steve had no vision of this being his future. He started cooking to pay the bills and stay out of trouble and in some ways feels he stumbled into success. “I don’t know another guy [in this industry] that came from literally nothing and now has five joints of his own. Do you?” Indeed, both lucky and humble. www.lvfnbpro.com
Brett’s BY
In the Know News
Hooters is opening the company’s largest location poolside at the Palms with a two-story main dining room inside. IKEA broke ground for its Durango Drive store that will have a 450-seat restaurant serving Swedish dishes. Pawn Plaza opening this summer near History channel’s Pawn Stars shop will be the first Strip location for Rick’s Rollin Smoke BBQ and Tavern, Poutine Vegas of Ontario’s Smoke’s Poutinerie and Rita’s Italian Ice. The LINQ opened a Divas Las Vegasthemed gaming pit with six custom blackjack tables celebrating Frank Marino’s female impersonators show.
Fremont Street East’s newest neon sign is Pabst Blue Ribbon’s most iconic character, “Cool Blue.” Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay introduced a pair of Scalloped Hammerheads making it one of only three U.S. aquariums with them.
Showbiz Highlights Suzanne Somers will debut her new nightclub show Suzanne Sizzles at the Westgate May 23 and entertain 28 weeks through May 2016. Westgate will also open Suzanne Somers Spa and Suzanne Somers Organic Spa Café. Her new book is TOX-SICK: From Toxic to Not Sick. Celine Dion will resume her show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Aug. 27 with a brand-new look. The Duck Commander Musical opened in the Crown Theater at the Rio transporting audiences to the Louisiana bayou.
Mat Franco, 26, the first magician to win America’s Got Talent, will open a resident show at The LINQ on June 24 after the showroom is renovated. The Golden Nugget is presenting a diverse lineup of acts for its 52 Fridays Concert Series playing weekly. Ariana Grande’s The Honeymoon Tour will stop at Mandalay Bay Saturday, Aug. 29 with Latin superstar Prince Royce. Jim Jefferies, internationally renowned Australian comedian and actor, will visit The Joint at Hard Rock on Saturday, Oct. 3 on his Freedumb tour. For his sixth anniversary at The Mirage, Terry Fator introduced new character ...Rusty the Robot, the prototype robot designed to do all jobs. The Stratosphere’s 8 Pool started a summer Saturday night concert series starring Zowie Bowie featuring Chris Phillips on May 23, June 20, July 4, Aug. 8 and Sept. 7. Hypnotist Justin Tranz appearing in the Tommy Wind Theater recently became the IKEA spokesperson. On tour Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters will visit Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, May 28. X107.5’s Our Big Concert will feature performances by Cage the Elephant, Dirty Heads, New Politics, Big Data and Joywave at the Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan May 28. Route 91 Harvest Festival will return Oct. 2-4. The three-day festival at MGM Resorts Village will be headlined by country music superstars Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen and more. The In Its Entirety concert series continues at Red Rock monthly on the second Friday beginning May 8. Punk Rock Bowling, the three-day music festival downtown May 22-25 will feature 17 late-night club shows, 60+ bands, and three main headliners Rancid, Dropkick Murphys and Refused.
Dining And Beverage News Chinese restaurant Meizhou Dongpo will open its first Nevada location and third in the United States in early 2016 at the Grand Canal Shoppes. Chef Bradley Manchester opened Glutton in a renovated midcentury building downtown for lunch and dinner with an outdoor patio.
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The new 24-hour HEXX kitchen | bar | chocolate at Paris showcases American cuisine, cocktails, and Las Vegas’ first bean-tobar craft chocolate maker. Upscale VISTA Cocktail Lounge operated by Hakkasan Group is opening at Caesars Palace where the Shadow Bar was located. McCall’s Heartland Grill at the Stratosphere has debuted The Whiskey Bar. Michelin-starred Chef Alex Stratta opened his new restaurant Tapas by Alex Stratta in Tivoli Village with a patio. Pizza Rock by 11-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani opened at Green Valley Ranch with indoor and outdoor seating serving lunch and dinner daily. Asian-inspired restaurant WuHu Noodle will open at the Silverton in June with casino floor “patio” seating. Quick-serve Pizza Forte at Sunset Station is owned by family-owned and operated Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Hash House A Go Go opened a new freestanding location in Henderson. PBR Rock Bar & Grill and Rockhouse owner Jonathan Fine has broadened his hospitality empire with the off-Strip PKWY Tavern Taphouse and Grille. Rachel’s Kitchen expanded with a second downtown location offering a limited weekday menu at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. An Australian chain, Gelato Messina, opened its first U.S. location in Downtown Summerlin. The 7th annual Wine Fest at the Golden Nugget hosted in partnership with BACK BAR USA will be held May 15-17. For the first time since 2011, Las Vegas Restaurant Week will take place during one series of dates – June 15-26 – this year. www.lvfnbpro.com
Chef Alex Stratta Celebrates Grand Opeining of Tapas by Alex Stratta
By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
The acclaimed chef has made a name for himself over the past 36 years of his culinary career, and his accolades include two Michelin stars for Alex at the Wynn, James Beard Foundation awards for “Best Chef Southwest” and “Top Dining Destination,” multiple Mobil and Forbes Travel Guide five-star distinctions and numerous television appearances including Iron Chef USA and Top Chef Masters.
Photo courtesy of Robyn Andrzejczak
Chef Stratta is a permanent Las Vegas resident and has spent the past four years working as a consultant (most recently at Marche Bacchus); and now he’s jumped back into running his own restaurants, but this time off of the Strip, with his Tapas now open and two more at the Gramercy are set to open in the fall and winter. During a media presentation Chef talked about leaving the fine dining French and Italian genre to jump into more casual dining Spanish-accented food, saying, “It’s a great change and a challenge after so much French and Italian dining. I wanted to create a warm, inviting neighborhood experience and something more personal than what I’ve done in the past, and bring a level that is more approachable in feel, service and price, a place that people will want to come to a couple times a week.” When asked about the menu Chef responded, “The menu has my interpretation of Spanish dishes as well as traditional ones. All my cooking is based on historical tradition. I am very enamored with Spanish food and am more open now to using Spanish olive oils.” Chef continued, “I’ve put my heart and soul into this concept, studying Spanish ingredients, learning how to cook paella differently than risotto and now I love Spanish ham better than prosciutto!”
Celebrity chef Alex Stratta celebrated the grand opening of Tapas by Alex Stratta, his new 5,401-square-foot concept at Tivoli Village, set in the space formerly occupied by Poppy Den. Chef’s new digs include a 2,000-squarefoot patio with heaters and misters making it possible to accommodate al fresco dining year round. A Spanish flair is evident as the venue is washed in a rustic and rich yellow color palette with red and white accents; wrought iron fixtures; eclectic mirrors in various sizes; original artwork inspired by chefs; and dark wood and light sandstone. During the grand opening celebration staff passed contemporary small plates including fried oyster cups, albondigas, bunuelos and signature sangria and Cava; and Chef Stratta and Chef de Cuisine Nathan Gerard served from a jumbo paella on the patio. www.lvfnbpro.com
Speaking of the paella, there are four varieties on the menu: Artichoke with roasted peppers and aged Manchego; Valenciana with rabbit, snails and broad beans; Mixta with chicken, shellfish and chorizo; and Lobster & Seafood with oven-dried tomatoes and basil. Tapas by Alex Stratta is located at Tivoli Village and open for dinner Monday through Saturday 5-10 p.m. and Sunday 5-9 p.m. Reservations are available by calling 702.483.3555. Keep up with Tapas by Alex Stratta’s events and news on Facebook at facebook.com/tapasbystratta, Twitter and Instagram at @TapasByStratta. For more information, visit alexstrattagroup.com.
May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 21
By Marilyn LaRocque Marilyn LaRocque discovered great food and wine pairings when she became a PR exec in Napa Valley. After 12 years in wine country, she moved to Las Vegas and was senior F&B editor of LUXURY Las Vegas magazine for nearly 10 years. She joined the Chaîne in December, 2004 and is the Vice Chargée de Presse for the Las Vegas chapter.
Savor the Flavor of the Chaîne photos by cashman photo, las vegas
By Adam Rains
Michael Mondavi, Chef Daniel Boulud, and Michael Severino, Vice Conseiller Gastronomique (left to right)
How can a city once known for $4.95 all-you-can-eat buffets spawn an organization devoted to fine food and wine? Skepticism easily escalates when you discover that the group traces its origins back to 1248 and the French Royal Guild of Meat Roasters and that the “sword” used for membership induction is modeled after a larding needle, a device used to insert fat (lard) into meats to help keep them moist during cooking.
M
eet the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, a convivial group enthusiastically devoted to the “pleasures of the table.” Re-established in Paris in 1950 and launched in Las Vegas in 1959, the Chaîne is the oldest gastronomic society in the world. It has chapters in over 70 countries, and there are more than 130 bailliages (chapters) in the U.S. with over 6,000 members. The common denominator among members is their passion for exceptional food and wines. Local, regional, national, and international dinners and events merge these kindred spirits. Because of the Chaîne’s global outreach, members find a warm welcome when in a city where a chapter is located. Las Vegas Bailliage members are an eclectic mix of food and wine professionals, fine wine and food enthusiasts, movers and shakers in the
22 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I March 2015
community, and rising stars in the hospitality industry. Meetings are held at a variety of venues that have ranged from a roving feast among the restaurants at Crystals to Michelin three-star extravaganzas. “The Chaîne is all about shared interests in food and wine and great dining experiences, whether formal or casual,” says Las Vegas chapter Bailli (president) Larry Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, who became the local chapter’s Bailli in 1993. “Vegas is blessed with many celebrity chefs who cook for us; and wine suppliers have excellent, esoteric, hard-to-find, sought-after wines. It’s a very exciting town for F&B. We’ve become known for thinking out of the box.” Ruvo recalls a dinner when the Las Vegas chapter’s first Bailli Nat Hart, then F&B Director at Caesars Palace, included shark fin soup on the menu. “When the soup was served,” Ruvo says, “Caesar, Cleopatra, and some www.lvfnbpro.com
“ Michel Richard’s scallops
Appetizers at Andrea’s at the WYNN
Roman Guards paraded a 10-foot shark with its mouth open throughout the banquet room.”
Vegas is blessed with many celebrity chefs who cook for us; and wine suppliers have excellent, esoteric, hard-to-find, sought-after wines. It’s a very exciting town for F&B. We’ve become known for thinking out of the box.
”
in Kansas City, MO; The Biltmore in Ashville, NC; and Three Village Inn at Stonybrook, NY. The winner heads to Budapest, Hungary, for the international “cook off” on September 11.
Although the Las Vegas Chaîne’s April dinner at Daniel Boulud’s db Brasserie The Young Sommelier competition is at The Venetian eschewed bacchanalian sponsored by the Société Mondial du excess, the evening certainly celebrated Vin, the “wine connoisseur” section of the with gastronomic fireworks. Celebrity Chaîne. Finals are being held in midchef Daniel Boulud was in the kitchen; and Maître Rôtisseur Chef Michel Richard, Andre May in Santa Barbara. The International famed vintner Michael Mondavi, whom Agassi, Steffi Graf, and Competition is on September 24-26 in the evening honored, poured wines from his Bailli Larry Ruvo (left to right) at the Las Vegas Adelaide, Australia. In 2012, Christopher P. portfolio during the five-course meal. Less Chaîne dinner prepared by Bates, General Manager and Executive Chef at scandalous than escapades of Cleo and her Chef Richard. Hotel Fauchere in Milford, PA, took home both consort but still entertaining, both men revealed the U.S. and International Young Sommelier “gold.” details of their involvement in food and wine. Upcoming dinners are planned at Mario Batali’s B&B After a written test online, high scorers participate in regional Ristorante at The Venetian and Michael Mina’s Bardot at Aria. competitions consisting of a blind tasting of six wines and a standardized service test. The two-day national event includes a one-hour written test, The Chaîne is also committed to education, sponsoring annual blind tasting, and multiple services tests. The three top finalists then vie competitions for young chefs and young sommeliers and providing before a live audience. scholarships to help aspiring hospitality industry hopefuls realize their career goals. “This is important not only to those who compete but also to “The Chaîne’s competitions are very important,” Ruvo asserts. “The the future growth and excellence of the hospitality industry,” Ruvo states. hospitality industry is becoming more of a profession, with servers better informed about what’s on the plate, chefs better trained about sourcing Young chef competitors receive an identical mystery “market basket” ingredients, and sommeliers with more in-depth knowledge about wines. containing a few key ingredients which must be included in a threeThe Chaîne not only wants to promote today’s great chefs and vintners but course meal for four people, designed and prepared in four hours. Competitions are held at regional, national and international levels. The also young chefs and talented sommeliers who are the hospitality industry’s future.” 2011 U.S. winner, Chef Reilly Mehan, also won the International Young Chef Competition. The 2015 U.S. finals are being held in Las Vegas For general information about Chaîne des Rôtisseurs access www. at Le Cordon Bleu, where from June 12 through 14 nine young chefs chaineus.org. For Las Vegas information, will contend for top honors. They hang their toques at such diverse contact sgraham@southernwine.com. properties as Sheraton and JW Marriott resorts; Blue Hills Country Club www.lvfnbpro.com
March 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT At the Heart of Every Busy Kitchen Executive Development Chef of Major Products Chris Enright recently volunteered at Discovery Charter School in Newark, New Jersey to teach a group of 8-12 year olds how to cook. Chris demonstrated just how easy it is to create a simple salad using both the Major Mari Base Marinades and the Major Fruit Bases with only a few key ingredients.
huge flavor while being simple to deliver. A change in marinade can add a different flavor profile and extend your menu options exponentially,” commented Chef Chris. On this occasion, Chef Chris and the students prepared Piri Piri tacos using halal meat marinated with Piri Piri Mari Base together with a clementine citrus slaw made from napa cabbage, orange supreme, sliced red onions, cilantro and a clementine sour cream using the Major Clementine Fruit Base.
The collection of six students really enjoyed themselves and it was safe to say the afternoon was an overriding success, with another date pending for the early part of next year.
The dish, which takes minutes to create, is just one of hundreds of salad dishes that Major has developed in response to today’s quick and simple demand for food on the go. With ease of use and simplicity in mind, the range of Major Mari Bases lend themselves very well to being used in salads, sauces, burgers, soups, fillings, pizzas, rice and pasta dishes, sandwiches and wraps.
“It was a great afternoon and I’d really like to be involved again. The children were really well behaved and took everything on board, listening and making suggestions. The products work great with something so simple, as they add
The range includes 11 flavors from around the world from Tandoori and Moroccan to Barbecue and Fajita. Following the success of this year’s session, another demo class is being scheduled for the early part of 2015, and everyone at Major is really excited!
By Shelley Stepanek
Springtime and the Great Outdoors The weather is beautiful, the colors are alive, so let’s try a little outdoor dining this spring.
McCormick & Schmick’s, a favorite around the country, is easy to get to, with plenty of complimentary valet parking and a lovely little patio to try. The restaurant was remodeled in 2014, and now holds two fully private rooms for special events. The happy hour is Mon-Fri from 5-7, where you can easily dine on the patio for just a snack or a full course meal. There is a chef’s special daily, and they even have a membership rewards program for all their frequent diners. Famous for its seafood, McCormick’s menu is wide and varied. Speaking from experience, the patio is great for a private mixer, as I hosted one there last week for 60, with the Joseph James Brewing Company showcasing their brews. 335 Hughes Center Drive. 702-836-9039. One of my all-time favorites in Las Vegas is the incredible Lakeside restaurant situated on the Lake of Dreams at Wynn. Offering both indoor and outdoor dining, featuring classic seafood, their concept of Farm to Table has moved to “Ocean to Table” here with Chef David Walzog’s unparalleled brilliance in combining unique tastes. There is also prime-aged steaks and chops for anyone wanting to vary. The hourly water show in front of the patio on the Lake of Dreams continually changes and amazes diners. Actually a dinner and show together. Open nightly from 5:30-10:30. Tableau, located in the five-story Wynn Tower Suites, can host diners in the conservatory, which provides a stunning view of the pool, or on the outdoor patio. Coming into spring there is seasonal offerings, including a garden frittata with Tuscan kale, asparagus, zucchini, roasted peppers and cipollini onions, a blue crab and sweet pea soup and grilled prawns with quinoa and asparagus. They are open for breakfast Mon-Fri from 7-11:30 and lunch until 2:30. Brunch is served on the weekends from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
24 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I May 2015
To highlight one more incredible place, Sinatra at Encore, has a cozy outdoor patio, surrounded by a lunch garden, marble fireplaces, and allows guests to feel they are in a Tuscan garden. This is the only restaurant that can use the name Sinatra, approved by the family. Open for dinner nightly from 5:30-10:30 p.m. Before or after dinner, be sure to see Steve Wynn’s new show, ShowStoppers. If one should desire to head out to Boulder City, stop at Milo’s Cellar. Located in the heart of the old town, Milo’s showcases numerous wines. Their outdoor tables give you an open view of passers by. They make croissants, sandwiches and plenty of fresh salads. Wednesday night is ½ off wine for the ladies. Sunday brunch or for a quick bite after Saturday at the lake, Milo’s is always friendly. Upstairs is a 4 room bed and breakfast for a surprise getaway idea. 538 Nevada Way, Boulder City. 702- 293-9540
www.lvfnbpro.com
The Bottom Line
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.
Balancing Healthy and Indulgent Menu Options
More and more diners
are expressing a desire for healthier dining options, and this growing market certainly warrants restaurants’ menu revisions. At the same time, however, consumers are also up on their indulgent dining choices. Samestore burger sales, for example, have increased from last year. To add to the complexity, the same people are just as likely to fit into both categories…even over the course of a single day! So how is a restaurant supposed to cope with these polar trends for both healthy and hearty? The answer, quite simply, is to tack on a little bit of both to your menu.
Understanding Consumer Psychology The most efficient way to understand your target customers is to group them into segments, typically by taste preference in a restaurant’s case. Few diners, however, will ever fall into the same segment every time. Sure, someone may be vegetarian, but that’s not going to stop them from ordering a lite salad for lunch followed by an eggplant parmesan with extra cheese for dinner. On the other hand, a man who frequently feeds his inner child with Dr. Pepper ribs and mac ‘n’ cheese may want to buck the trend one night with a turkey burger. Additionally, restaurants must always be mindful of members of the group who don’t necessarily fit their target profile. Spouses, children, business clients and friends along for the ride may not have your place as their first choice, but incorporating variety to appeal to these people may ‘wow’ them enough to come back on their own. Restaurants cannot predict what mindset their customers will have on arrival, but they can prepare for the possibilities through an adequate array of offerings. Ingredient-specific food trends will come and go, but the menu itself should always carry a healthy variety [no pun intended] of healthy and hearty options.
Leverage Personalization Preparing a menu that caters to body [read: healthy] and soul [read: not] does not have to entail extensive changes in inventory or back-of-house operations, and nor should it. The easiest option is likely the most profitable—customization.
www.lvfnbpro.com
Let’s take the burger as an example. Many establishments offer one, and it so happens that intriguing burger add-ons are all the rage right now. A restaurant can easily transform their basic burger option to include extensive upsell opportunities: Healthy—turkey patty, veggie patty, no bun, no cheese, wheat bun, gluten free bun Hearty—add bacon, double meat, double cheese, add signature sauce, onion strings These are just a few of the seemingly endless list of bells and whistles used to modify burgers nowadays. However, each one becomes quite easy to implement as long as you have other items that use the same ingredients. Creating a web of dishes from the same ingredients will expand your offerings and appeal across the nutrition spectrum, as well as reduce the risks associated with unsold food.
Keep Your Brand Intact
and vice-versa. If a new item is closely related to a pre-existing item on the menu, consider listing it as an add-on/variation within the same line. Dedicating entire sections to healthy and hearty is definitely okay, as long as these sections don’t deviate too far away from your menu’s current offerings [as well as follow the facets listed above]. As trends fade in and out at an increasingly faster rate, restaurants are finding it even more difficult to satisfy these ever-changing needs. The most successful establishments will certainly respond to these trends, but in a way that keeps their brand intact and keeps their operations at status quo. Innovation and consistent change is quintessential to the industry, but these facets should never come at the cost of your restaurant’s identity. Do add healthy and hearty menu options for your customers, but be sure that you’re making the most out of your menu expansion in the process.
While offering both healthy and hearty options adds tremendous value to a restaurant’s reach, be sure to not take it too far to the point where your variety clouds your identity. If you run a smoothie shop, feel free to include a chocolate or peanut butter based option, but don’t feel pressured to form half your menu from those bases. A burger joint doesn’t have to serve a dozen organic salad options; a veggie burger may be all the place needs. Your most important marketing tool is your repeat customers. Keep their favorite items on your menu. Talk to them, and certainly their guests who they bring along, frequently to assess their satisfaction with your menu. Only toy with an item if it’s not selling. If you’re going to add a healthy or hearty option, think about how that item relates to the rest of the menu. A smoothie shop doesn’t need to sell burgers,
ON TAP AND IN BOTTLES THROUHOUT SOUTHERN NEVADA LAS VEGAS’ ORIGINAL BREWING COMPANY ww.bigdogsbrews.com May 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 27
By Bob Barnes
Beer Paired with Pizza at International Pizza Expo
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
about ways to differentiate your restaurant as a better beer destination. • Train servers about the beers on your menu. • Beware of dirty beer glasses—bubbles sticking to the side of the glass is a tell-tale sign. • Foam is 25% beer, so having excess foam is wasting beer. • Serving at 38° will have less foaming, but most ales should be served at 40-45°. The warmer the beer, the more flavor and aromatics.
Bob Barnes and New Belgium Brewing Brewer Jamie Mastin at the Craft Brewers Pavilion
• Using proper glassware appropriate for a beer’s style enhances aromatics and your customer’s beer experience. • Like bread or milk, beer is perishable, so cold storage is essential.
Photos by Joe Urcioli
• Not cleaning your draft lines every two weeks is comparable to serving an opened bottle of wine that is two weeks old. • Craftbeer.com has a free PDF on 140 beer styles and pairing beer with different types of food.
Julia Herz speaking at the International Pizza Expo as Doug Ferriman makes pizza in the background
The 31st annual
International Pizza Expo rolled into town March 22-26 and set up shop at the Las Vegas Convention Center as it does every year. Something it has been doing in recent years is spotlighting beer, America’s beverage of choice and its close relationship to pizza, American’s favorite food. In addition to a Craft Beer Pavilion on the trade show floor with more than a dozen breweries showcasing their products, a focus on pairing beer with pizza was evident through two presentations. Up first, speaking from the Demonstration Stage, was CraftBeer.com Publisher and Brewers Association Craft Beer Program Director Julia Herz; and Doug Ferriman, owner of Crazy Dough’s Pizza in Boston and 2014 Best of the Best Bake-Off Champion. Herz and Ferriman presented three pizzas (created and made by Ferriman) paired with beer, of which the spectators were treated to tastes of. First up was a Margarita with crushed tomato puree, fresh mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olive oil that was matched with Left
Coast Del Mar St., a Dortmunder Export Lager— Herz pointed out the hops balance the sweetness in the tomato sauce. A spicy Sriracha Chicken with Pierce Wing Ding-breaded chicken chunks, red bell pepper and Frank’s Sriracha Sauce was paired with Lagunitas IPA—Herz related that the residual sugars calmed the heat of the Sriacha. The finale was a rich mix of smoked duck bacon, garlic and dried cherries topped with a cherry balsamic glaze that was paired with Stone Brewing Smoked Porter, with its smoked character joining in with the smokiness of the bacon. While Ferriman expertly put the pizzas together, he and Herz pointed out that there are now 3,400 breweries in the US; IPA is currently the top selling craft beer style; beer is more complex than wine and more useful for pairing; and people no longer want the same beer every time. Following are tips Herz and Ferriman shared
28 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I May 2015
• Carbonation in beer works well with pizza because it lifts fat off of the tongue, and gets you ready for the next bite. • Serving beer in a frosted glass is like forcing your customers to taste the inside of your freezer. Plus, excess cold masks the flavors in a craft beer. Another pizza and beer pairing was presented by one of New Belgium Brewing’s original brewers, Jamie Mastin. Titled Outside the Pizza Box, he dished up and demonstrated Cheese Pizza and how the cheesy goodness plays with the caramel maltiness of Fat Tire versus the fruityhoppiness of Slow Ride Session IPA; Chicken Sausage Pizza complemented by the slightly sour Snapshot Wheat Beer; and Dessert Pizza matched with the subtle sweetness and roast notes of 1554 Black Lager and Portage Porter. Based on this increased exposure it would seem that beer is a growing component of the International Pizza Expo, and it appears to be a match made in heaven. www.lvfnbpro.com
Events
ad index
MAY
May 17-20
Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100
page 11
Las Vegas Brews and Blues Festival page 32 vegasbrewsandblues.org 702-822-7700
May 2
May 21
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 16 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128
Lee’s Beer & Tequila Experience page 7 www.leesliquorlv.com/giving-back 702-451-0100
May 23
Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715
Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698
page 25
May 26
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse page 30 www.bjsrestaurants.com 702-851-8050
Monday Night Flights
page 26
702-832-1000
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs www.chaineus.org 973-360-9200
page 15
Nevada Restaurant Association page 19 www.nvrestaurants.com 702-878-2313
Con Arts Las Vegas www.conartslv.com 702-260-3320
page 16
Power Of Love www.keepmemoryalive.org 702-263.9797
page 34
page 12
The Spice Outlet www.thespiceoutlet.com 702-534-7883
page 11
June 6
Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049
page 16
Todd English P.U.B. www.toddenglishpub.com 702-489-8080
page 29
June 7
JCCNV www.jccnevada.com 702-428-0555
June 9-11
Keep Memory Alive Event Center page 2 www.kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com 702-263-9797
RECON-Global Retail Real Estate Convention LVCC www.icsc.org
NATIONAL BEEF MONTH NATIONAL SALAD MONTH Wine Spectators Grand Tasting Mirage www.winespectator.com/micro/show/id/grandtour-intro
NVRA-Epicurean Affair Palazzo Pools www.lasvegasepicureanaffair.com
May 5-7
Locals Only Beerfest Neonopolis localsonlybeerfest.bangerbrewing.com
National Hardware Show LVCC www.nationalhardwareshow.com
May 6-8
ACF Chefs of Las Vegas Dinner Meeting Lawry’s www.acfchefslasvegas.org
WTE-World Tea Expo Long Beach CC www.worldteaexpo.com
May 30
May 6-10
Lee’s Beer & Tequila Experience Westgate Las Vegas www.leesliquorlv.com/giving-back/
San Gennaro Feast www.sangennarofeast.com
May 8-9
May 30
Rock in Rio www.rockinrio.com/usa/
Annual Blues & Brews Festival Springs Preserve http://www.springspreserve.org
May 13-15
HD Expo Mandalay Bay Resort www.hdexpo.com
JUNE
NATIONAL DAIRY MONTH
May 15-16
Rock in Rio www.rockinrio.com/usa/
May 16
New Vista Wine Walk Tivoli Village http://winewalk.mobi/
May 16-19
ACF Chefs of Las Vegas Chef of the Year Awards Dinner South Point Hotel www.acfchefslasvegas.org
New Vista Wine Walk Town Square http://winewalk.mobi/ NRA-National Restaurant Show Chicago CC www.restaurant.org/show
Licensing Expo 2015 Mandalay Bay Convention Center http://www.licensingexpo.com/
page 27
www.downtownsummerlin.com/eventscalendar
White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com World Tea Expo www.worldteaexpo.com
page 8 page 15
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