N E W S // r e v i ews // i n t e r v i ew S
Organically grown up Shawn McClain was a relative unknown in Las Vegas. With the opening of Sage, he’s officially a rising star By Al Mancini
Shawn McClain wants people to question his food — with questions like, “How was that done?”
PHOTOGRAPHY By SABIN ORR
When CityCenter’s Aria opened in December, it featured restaurants from at least six of Las Vegas’ most successful chefs and restaurateurs, and one New York superstar. Yet it’s the local debut of Chicago’s Shawn McClain, a relative unknown in our town, that’s emerged as the resort’s top culinary destination. McClain’s gorgeously appointed contemporary American dining room Sage quickly captured the attention of foodies in Las Vegas — and across the country. Fewer than three months after Sage opened, the New York Post named it one of the “10 top tables” on the Las Vegas Strip, and The James Beard Foundation chose it as a semi-finalist for 2009’s best new restaurant in the country. McClain’s no stranger to attention. After spending seven years in the kitchen of Chicago’s legendary Trio, the chef ventured out on his own. Today, he runs three of The Windy City’s
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