Giving Back Never Tasted So Good Project Dinner table gives new meaning to enjoying a familystyle meal with complete strangers. The monthly community pop-up event started two years ago and quickly turned into one of the most popular social gatherings in town. Here’s how it works: Notable chefs prepare several courses using ingredients from local growers (such as Quail Hollow, which produces fruits and veggies, and Herbs by Diane). Guests dine and socialize at a long banquet table while artists like guitarist Glenn Nowak jam the night away. Proceeds from each event go to a local charity, such as Safe Nest and Shade Tree, and to date, more than $52,000 has been donated. In FIve Words ... A plate with a purpose don’t MIss … The next Project Dinner Table is on September
8 at Town Square on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Bellagio executive chefs Roy Ellamar and Edmund Wong will prepare an End of Summer Fare feast featuring a barbecue, including Skuna Bay salmon, Pitman Farms beer-can chicken and grass-fed beef. dId You KnoW … There’s more to do at this affair than just eat. Take pictures at a Photoboxi photo booth, drink beer and cocktails by Bacardi, and peek inside gift bags, which include the quirkiest of items (such as neon-colored condoms). $140 per person Project Dinner Table Las Vegas, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., projectdinnertable.com –Laura J. Downey
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers With Exotic Flair One of our favorite recent trends has been the Asianization of allAmerican comfort foods. Local spots bachi burger and bulDogis have taken everything we love about the humble burger and hot dog and infused them with some Asian persuasion. In FIve Words ... Asian fusion knows no bounds don’t MIss ... We love Bachi Burger’s transformation of the
Vietnamese banh mi sandwich into a burger, creating a patty from pork and shrimp, then topping it with grilled pâté and serving it with sweet and spicy nuoc cham and pickled vegetables. Buldogis embellishes upon the humble hot dog and piles their all-beef franks with thinly sliced, marinated Korean beef bulgogi, Asian slaw and bulgogi mayo. dId You KnoW … The trend has paid off well for both restaurants. Bachi Burger was recently featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Buldogis has opened a second location closer to the Strip, ensuring that their Korean-influenced burgers and dogs are getting maximum exposure. Bachi Burger, 470 E. Windmill Lane, Suite 100, 702.242.2244; 9410 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 150, 702.255.3055; bachiburger.com Buldogis, 2291 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 102, 702.570.7560; in MVP’s, 6120 W. Tropicana Ave.; buldogis.com
vrated.com | aUgUSt 2012 49