August 2014

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August 2014 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3www.lvfnb.com

August 2014

CONTENTS10

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FEATURESCover FRONT COVER FEATURE for August is dedicated to the Bartenders

Extravaganza called ‘Flip, Shake & Pour’ which was organized by Tommy Rocker’s and OZONE Vodka to benefit Kerry Simon and his FMSA-Fight MSA campaign in conjunction with the Keep Memory Alive Center. Special thanks go to the organizers, Tommy Rocker, Ken Hall and Jim Kleiss, as well as sponsors Stumbras with its OZONE Vodka.

Story by Joe Fogarty

10 WINE TALK WITH ALICE SWIFT gives us a first-hand look at the revolution of single-serve wines, which has hit a high in popularity, especially during the summer season.

31 THE CULINARY ACADEMY OF LAS VEGAS is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the ‘First Annual Taste of Hospitality’ taking place at the Mirage Pools on September 18. This should be quite the event with many of the Las Vegas premiere Strip restaurants participating and includes craft beers, wine and cocktails. And to make you feel even better about what you are spending for the ticket, all proceeds will benefit the students of the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas.

BackCover BACK COVER FEATURES VISSTUN CUPS, which by the way, will

be exhibiting at the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center August 17-19. The unique printing process actually prints the cup exterior first and then makes the cup. This gives you the opportunity to have 360 degrees of artwork on the cup. Additionally, the cups are upper shelf dishwasher safe, so can be reused over and over again for a big savings.

Page 4Hot Off the Grill!

Page 5For the Love of the Craft...

Page 6 What’s Brewing?

Page 8 Ask Doctor Sake…

Page 9 Food For Thought: Ready for Summer Grillingand Sipping

Page 10 Wine Talk

Page 11Kerry Simon’s Hard Rock Installation

Page 12What’s Cooking?

Page 13Fryer’s Favorites

Page 14 ChallengeCobia

Page 15Chef Talk

Page 16COVER FEATURE Tommy Rocker’s and Ozone Vodka Come Together for aBartenders Extravaganza toSupport Chef Kerry Simonand FMSA.

Page 18 These Girls Have It— Kudos to Our Female Certified Cicerones®Danielle Grams

Page 20Laughlin ChefsFood Fest

Page 21Dining with the Harrises

Page 22A Champagne Tutorial byE.C. Gadstone at Delmonico Steakhouse

Page 23FlashPour Invention MakingPouring More Efficient

Page 24Brett’s Vegas View

Page 26Human Resources

Page 27New Spots and Old Favorites

Page 28Product Spotlight and South Point Hotel & Casino’s Chef Keith Norman Talks Food Safety

0EventsAd Index

4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I August 2014 www.lvfnb.com

Bob BarnesEditorial [email protected]

Crystal MarieBrand Ambassador & [email protected]

For all Website inquires contact [email protected]

Adam RainsBeverage [email protected]

August 2014Mike FryerSr. Editor/PublisherThank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please [email protected]

Juanita FryerAssistant To Sr. EditorACF Chefs Liasion/[email protected]

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional1200 S TORREY PINES SUITE 172

Las Vegas, NV 89146www.lvfnb.com

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional

@lvfnb

Looks like our friends at Tilted Kilt have been making the right moves recently in

reopening a location here in Las Vegas at The Linq. And according to the feedback we get from the Caesars execs, it’s doing

quite well! Additionally, Tilted Kilt’s execs have recently secured the PR

services of one of Las Vegas’s top firms, whom LVFNB is proud to be associated with, Preferred Public Relations headed

by Michelle & James Woodrow. Good going Tilted Kilt!

Tales Of The Cocktail 2014 in New Orleans recently wrapped up and our congratulations to our fellow USBG members on a job well done! If you

haven’t attended this great spirits event you should consider going in 2015.

LVFNB’s dear friend and associate Tony Abou-Ganim ‘The Modern Mixologist’

shined at Tales of the Cocktail and is shown here with one of his favorites,

Tito’s Vodka...Cheers, Tony!

Bad Beat Brewing Company opened its

doors in July and no one was as pleased as Owner

Nathan Hall and Head Brewer Weston Barkley.

See what’s brewing at the “Booze District” in Editorial Director Bob

Barnes’ What’s Brewing

JournalistBen Vaughn

JournalistLeAnne Notabartolo

Journalist Ask Dr. Sake

K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

JournalistRebecca Rajkowski

Journalist Chef Talk

Allen Asch

Journalist On the Edge With Al Mancini

Al Mancini

JournalistRyan

Wieczorek

Journalist HR Insights

Linda Bernstein

Pre-Press TechnicianBrandon Yan

Journalist & PhotographerJoe Fogarty

Graphic DesignerKaren Kunz

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View

Jackie Brett

JournalistShelley Stepanek

Journalist Food for Thought

Les Kincaid

JournalistsScott & Elaine Harris

Journalist Mixology-ology

Mitchell Wilburn

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Journalist Green Restaurant Association

Michael Oshman

Journalist Wine Talk

Alice Swift

Journalist Epicurean CornerVictoria Pindrik

JournalistBen Brown

PhotographerBill Bokelmann

PhotographerJoe Urcioli

PhotographerDanette Chappell

PhotographerRose Powell-Carver

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 [email protected] and they may be published in next month’s issue!NOTE: All submissions become the property of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional.


For the Love of the Craft

By Adam RainsAdam has a passion for food, wine & spirits.

He has completed the BarSmarts program and is a Level 2 Sommelier. A supporter of farmers markets, his mantra with cocktails and food is

“fresh is best.” His podcast, “Las Vegas Cocktail Weekly,” can be downloaded for free on iTunes.

www.lasvegascocktailweekly.com

From within the seas of blue agave and through the rolling hills of Jalis-co, the air is thin, especially during the day because the agave breathes at night. Throughout the heartland of Tequila, in the town of Tequila, it all became clear to us. Something caught our imaginations, enlivened us and enriched us. The locals describe Tequila not only as a place, but as an emotion linked to history and culture. Far from being just a product, Tequila is a way of life. I can truly say that this Agave-based spirit is now a part of me, it is now in my DNA. Tequila is a wonderful combina-tion of history, culture, topography, and life!

With 43 other bartenders and beverage professionals we set out for Jalisco on this Fortaleza Tequila sponsored trip. Three of us from Vegas were a part of the group: Ramón Ordoñez from Gordon Ramsay Pub, Sam Bracamontes of the newly opened Restaurante Guadalajara and Zac Montano of Wirtz Beverage; we set out to learn with open hearts. We flew into Guadalajara and enjoyed the city and local food specialties like the Torta Ahogada and Panuchos with Cochinita Pibil. We strolled through the cobblestone streets with Spanish colonial architecture and plazas that echoed with the sounds of mariachis. Along with sights and smells of street vendors, we found our way to a local Pulqueria. There we sampled many versions of the legendary healthful beverage of the Mayans and Aztecs, Pulque; we also enjoyed an indigenous bar snack, flash fried crickets with chile and lime—Delicisoso!

After a short reception, we were then off to the town of Tequila. While it’s a commercial and cultural epicenter for the world, it is still a some-what sleepy town full of Mexican tradition. As many pueblos in Mexico, it has a rustically beautiful main plaza and church dating back to the 1700s. The history and tradition of Tequila has been championed by Fortaleza, who founded the Museum of Tequila, which celebrates this rich heritage and is perfectly located in the main plaza.

It is very fitting that Fortaleza is in the heart of the city, main plaza and the region of Tequila. Along with the most sought after terroir and lineage to tequila royalty (Owner Guillemero Sauza is 5th gen-eration), they are committed to doing it the right way with a small production that’s done with skill, tradition and passion. While there are over 20 distilleries all over town of varying sizes, Fortaleza and friends invited us to tour 4 boutique distilleries of varying size and different styles. The most artisanal and strikingly beautiful was that of Fortalelza and Los Abuelos. Set on a beautiful rolling and piece of land that frames the town. It contains a beautiful lookout over its lush fields, small plaza, bottling & shipping areas, cellars & even a bat cave. The distillery itself is made up of a rustic brick oven that slowly roasts the abundantly ripe piñas (harvested agave), two small copper stills and one huge Tahona. The Tahona is the traditional stone wheel that is still used to crush the cooked agaves which is how to best set free the nectarous and sweet agave juice. We toured Fortaleza, Don Roberto, Arete and Don Fulano and sampled the entire way. All of them have their own style and aesthetic; they were beyond insightful in their demonstrations of different production methods and choices that can be made in the magical process.

That night after the tours, we would return to Fortaleza for the now infamous “Cave Party!” We arrived in the main plaza of Fortaleza which had been transformed into a bazaar of good times. Tacos de cabeza, pas-tor & adobada freshly made, live guitarista, churros and burros! This is not to mention freshly-made cocktails by two international mixologists. Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, things got batty! The Cave opened up, the bats flew out and we stepped in. Guillermo poured for us Fortaleza’s entire luscious line of Tequila including some unfiltered barrel strength blancos y reposados until the wee hours of the morning. We danced, we roared and we sang songs of praise to Fortaleza and to the goddess of Agave, Mayahuel.

The next morning startlingly arrived and we found ourselves licking our wounds from the previous night’s battle between our sobriety and Quetzalcoatl’s serpent tail. But after a short barley-pop filled breakfast, our souls were soothed. We triumphantly set out for Tonalá where we were invited to assist in the ancient art of blowing bottles. Our booze fueled bus full of bingeing bartenders with a thirst for knowledge and penchant for morning Karaoke all partici-pated in the final step of this molten liquid art. Yes, it did make us light headed but we were still able to make our way our final stop, Guadalajara. Everyone on the trip had all bonded, tasted their fill, sang songs and rejoiced in this mystifying beverage called Tequila. The trip finale would be a rooftop party in Guadalajara. With its beautiful skyline in the background, we were all in content eupho-ria. As we talked and laughed and reveled in the night, Guillermo came to us with a final surprise; we were set to see the infamous masked Mexican wrestlers the Luchadores! Much can be said about the turbo-charged surrealistic theatre of the absurd that Lucha Libre is, but I will leave that for another day! There is too much to write about, too much that was experienced. If you are able, please go and visit Fortaleza on Distillery Row in the Heartland of Tequila. You will never forget it! Salud!

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By Bob BarnesBob 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: [email protected]

what’s BREWING?

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Public House Expands Beer MenuI recently stopped in at Public House at The Venetian. Our friends Freddie Delatorre (formerly Beer Manager at High Scores) and GM Mark Del Monte are doing a phenomenal job running their beer program. The beer list has grown to more than 250 beers, including two casks; and the locally-brewed Joseph James American Lager is their new house beer, which is also used for brining the gastropub’s chicken wings. I’m happy to report that Public House further supports local beer, with Tenaya Creek’s Calico Brown and Jackalope Barleywine and Joseph James’ Red Fox Imperial Stout and Raspberry Saison being poured.

New Breweries Opening in HendersonTwo new breweries—Bad Beat Brewing Company and CraftHaus—are being christened in Henderson within what’s now being referred to as “The Booze District,” so named because

in addition to the new breweries there are also Grape Expectations (hands on wine making classes) and the Las Vegas Distillery in the same industrial complex, all within 200 yards of each other.

The first out of the gate is Bad Beat Brewing Company, which had its grand opening on July 11. Owner Nathan Hall, a longtime homebrewer, went all in to open the brewery debt-free, selling his house and liquidating his savings. Nathan said the first thing was to convince former Joseph James Brewing Assistant Brewer Weston Barkley take on the Master Brewer position to brew in the 10-bbl brewhouse with three 10-bbl fermenters and a 10-bbl brite tank. The brewery will soon expand to 20-barrel tanks and will operate primarily as a production brewery, but there is also a 55-seat taproom that resembles a man cave with a rustic feel accomplished via walls made from 80 wood pallets, wooden tap handles and taster holders made personally by Nathan and GM Mike Dominiak; 10 taps (six theirs and four guest taps); shuffleboard; darts and Nintendo games. A poker theme carries over to most of the beer names, of which the initial offerings are Ace in the Hole Basil Pale Ale (made with locally-grown basil), Gutshot Dry Irish Stout, Hoppy Times IPA (Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Magnum and Willamette hops), Daily Grind APA, Bluffing Isn’t Weisse (a Bavarian-style hefe) and Ante Up Amber Ale. Future seasonals will include a Berliner weisse with guava and an imperial milk stout spiked with Serrano peppers. The taproom opens on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:30 and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

As mentioned previously in this column, it’s possible these new breweries would not be opening had CraftHaus Brewery owners Wyndee and Dave Forrest not worked to get the city to separate gaming from the brewpub license at a greatly reduced fee. While plans are to open in September, build out is progressing, with the brewery’s 10-barrel Premier system, two 20-barrel fermenters and a 20-gallon pilot system for experimental beers that will be served exclusively in the 48-seat taproom now in place. Initial beers will be a saison, IPA and Comrade: a Russian imperial stout brewed in collaboration with the Las Vegas Distillery—the beer is aged on oak chips that have been soaked in the Distillery’s whiskey.

The “Booze District” is located on Eastgate Road in Henderson a few miles north of Lake Mead Pkwy and the 215 Freeway. Bad Beat is at 7380 Eastgate Suite 110 and CrafHaus is at 7350 Eastgate Suite 110.

Beer Tip of the MonthThis month’s tip comes courtesy of Melissa Long-Higgs, a Certified Cicerone® who is employed at Nevada Beverage as a Craft Beer Specialist. Prior to Nevada Beverage she worked in retail management for 17 years. Melissa has done a substantial amount of traveling and lived in Germany for several years. This is where “the beer bug” first bit her and she has been learning about and enjoying great beer ever since!

This month’s topic is: Terroir of Hops:

We’ve all heard about terroir and grapes but the terroir also plays a role in hop varietals. Terroir is basically the elements of a certain geographical area of the world that interacts with the plants being grown there, giving it a distinct characteristic. English hops are defined by their earthy, herbal, sometimes woodsy characteristics, whereas “noble hops” from Europe are more minty, spicy and floral. American hop varietals portray more pine, resin and citrus such as grapefruit. New Zealand & Australian hops remind me of a good sauvignon blanc with its tropical fruit notes of peach, melons, pineapple and citrus. Hops can basically grow anywhere grapes can, and just as grapes make a distinct wine style, hops add the “spice” to make unique beer styles!

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Public House GM Mark Del Monte and Bar Manager Freddie Delatorre show off their tap handles.

Bad Brewing Company Owner Nathan Hall and Head Brewer Weston Barkley

As always, great beer happens in Vegas!

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ASK DOCTOR SAKE… Sake Brewing RegionsAny Major Differences orRepresenting Characteristics?

By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural

science-technology-business 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 and food areas both in Japan and

the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles.

Traditionalyet New

A golden color white soy sauce

No burnt dark soy sauce flavor

No darkening color in cooking

Remarkable for sea foods, veggies, pasta,

fusion and natural foods

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Perfect Soy Sauce Flavor

without the Color!

The sake homeland, Japan, consists of the five major islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa and thousands of small ones. Meteorologically it is situated in a sub-tropical zone in the south and a snowy cold climate in the north. Kyoto, 350 miles west of Tokyo, had been an old capital for centuries, where many things involving manufacturing or consumption were centered. Commercial sake brewing started there and in its vicinity like Fushimi and Nada. Sake brewed there was recognized as authentic and pristine. Even today many people use Kyoto sake for a special occasion or gift and local ones for daily use.

As Japan expanded economically in the old days, anything “Kyoto” was carried through a sea route to harbor towns such as Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kanazawa, Niigata or Akita. Sake brewing was transferred to these places, where local or migrant brewmasters tried to make equivalent or similar to the one in Kyoto. Even in use of the same or similar ingredients and process, local sake varied from Kyoto sake. Among the probable causes for the difference, brewing water and environment are seemingly significant, contributing to the regional characters of sake. The taste or character is a matter relative to something superior or the standard. In the case of sake, comparison was always with the sake from Kyoto. Let’s try to compare the sake characteristics of Kyoto and Niigata, representing sake regions.

Most likely the minerals in water may play a role to affect the taste of sake in terms of their kinds as well as contents. Some minerals taste salty, bitter, astringent or even sweet in a defined sensory evaluation. A water of a specific mineral spectrum may affect sake taste directly somewhat but in large part through influence on the microbial activity-function of yeast. A few references suggest the minerals of Kyoto water affects yeast activity more vigorously while Niigata water does so quietly, making Kyoto sake complex in taste while Niigata is subtle. The minerals also perform differently with Koji fungi in a conversion process of rice starch to fermentable sugars. It seems to me the minerals of Kyoto water, mostly passing through granites, activate Koji fungi to leave more branched starchy molecules, giving a characteristic heavy body in sake. Meanwhile the minerals of Niigata water, mainly snow-melt, do break down more to shorter chain molecules, giving a light mouth-feel. This brewing environment contributes to the regional characteristics. Kyoto is located inland, where summer is very hot, muggy and winter is cold but relatively short, whereas Niigata receives icy cold wind from Siberia over the Sea of Japan in a long snowy winter. Traditionally temperature control was very limited or non-existent and ambient temperatures governed the microbial functions, creating the characteristics in particular of flavor.

Roughly divided, sake from the western regions such as Kyoto or Hiroshima, follows the tradition, good for serving hot with complex-heavy body, while sake from a cold country such as Niigata, Miyagi or Akita is subtle, light mouth-feel, probably good for serving cold. Besides, some brewers in other regions try to characterize their products recently for differentiating from others like Yamagata, where aromatic sake is made with a specific yeast strain for an impact of aroma in the first sip. Many brewers try to promote the local characteristics for a cutting edge of marketing-sales, however, sorry to say, Japan is a small country where everyone knows everything and everyone tends to follow anything good lately. Many brewers would jump into brewing very similar sake once favored by consumers. Thus the regional characteristics appear fading a little bit in this homogeneous market. Rather brands and specific product characteristics or their images or combined may play a decisive role for the purchase of sake. Large sake brewers promote their own characteristics in the conventional mass marketing-distribution-sales with good financial resources, while small brewers brew unique sake in a small quantity, selling in a new network and appealing to young consumers who tend to venture for the good characteristics, not necessarily regional but individual today. “Tasting is believing” is my philosophy of sake tasting. Try to find your favorite among the options. Kanpai or cheers with good sake with your favorite character depending on an occasion.


By Les KincaidLes 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 [email protected]

www.facebook.com/leskincaidwww.twitter.com/leskincaid

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Ready For Summer Grilling & SippingDuring Warm Weather

Who could possibly imbibe a room-temperature red when the mercury is straining to reach the top of the thermometer?

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain.

But to limit yourself to whites this time of year is to miss out on some of the greatest hot-weather treats around. The key to branching out is to focus on reds, rosés, sparkling wines and sweet wines that have enough acid to keep your mouth watering,

a lithe enough body to pair with lighter summertime foods and the ability to be chilled down a bit — even if they’re red.

Fear of rosé wine is a common malady afflicting American males. Like many fears, roséphobia is irrational. Rosés, after all, are made from red grapes. The difference is that with pink wines the grape juice is run off their color-giving skins early in the process before deep color builds without too much tannin. Rosés end up light, fruity, and refreshing, and they take to a nice chill.

Rosés are also terrific food wines. There are great rosés from the South of France, Spain, Italy, California, and Washington State. They were practically made for backyard barbecues and picnics or just plain enjoying on the patio with friends.

Chilled rosé wines go well with grilled meats (beef and pork), barbecued ribs and burgers, grilled seafood and grilled sausages.

It’s also true that reds like Syrah and Zinfandel go great with barbecue, but on a hot day who needs their additional warmth? If you just can’t do without red wines and rosé just doesn’t do it for you, try the lighter, brighter reds, like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Barbera. These wines aren’t as full-bodied as Zinfandel or Syrah. They have some nice food-friendly acidity and you can stick them in an ice chest to cool them down just a few degrees before serving. And they still taste great!

Try the following wines chilled well with the summer heat: Beaujolais with grilled meat, grilled salmon or tuna or cheddar cheese burgers. Or Pinot Noir with grilled salmon or tuna, grilled meats or grilled sausages. Or even try Barbera with good barbecue, particularly pork ribs, grilled chicken or bacon cheese burgers.

There you have it. Find a cool place to ride out the hot weather with a wine of your choice and think longingly of winter (especially you “red wine only” people – cheer up—it’s only a few months away).

With the onset of summer, who can stomach anything but ice-cold beer and chilled white wine?


theRevolution

Wine Talk w i t h A l i c e S w i f t

By Alice SwiftAlice 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: [email protected]

There are a number of companies that have launched their products successfully, such as Stack Wine, The Vini, Copa di Vino, Nuvino, Spot Wine, Underwood, etc. Surprisingly enough, each of the products has a different packaging design, but with one thing in common—they are all packaged in single-serve containers, ranging from one to two glasses.

One product that I was introduced to during UNLVino this year that stood out is Zipz Wine. Rather than being single-serve wine in different shapes and sizes, Zipz are products that are as close to a standard wine glass as you can get. The great thing about them is that they are very sturdy, with a twist top cap and a patented seal.

Zipz were invented by J. Henry Scott, after noticing that wine was not offered in many public venues

like baseball and football stadiums. In April of 2013, Zipz Wine began production with accounts for various baseball stadiums. It only made sense because of the sturdiness and ability to seal the wines at these high energy events.

However, the popularity of the concept began to reach beyond the stadiums. Zipz signed a contract with Fetzer Vineyards to offer their wines as well as the Zipz’s own Z Selections in the Zipz packaging, and this year, it plans on producing over 100,000 cases!

The Z Selections currently include a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio which are from California. One glass (187mL) ranges from ~$3-4, and has a shelf life of more than a year. After tasting the wines, I’ve discovered that they are quite easy to drink, and would be a great

option for events like baseball games and other public events. The resealable container makes it great to seal up in case I want to continue drinking it later. There definitely is a place in the market for single-serve wines, especially for people like me who are drinking only 1-2 glasses and often have to discard my leftover opened wines.

For more information on Zipz Wine, go to: http://www.zipzwine.com/

With the many different options for innovative wine solutions out there, I’m excited to see what comes next!

Cheers~!Alice

ofSingleServeWineSIn the world of wine production, bottles are sold in a variety of sizes and shapes. The latest and greatest invention that has hit the market is the single-serve wine option. It’s a wonder that the single-serve wine revolution did not take off until now.


KERRY SIMON’SHARD ROCK INSTALLATION

By LeAnne NotabartoloA 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

[email protected].

The Hard Rock, worldwide, is well known for an expertly curated collection of Rock & Roll memorabilia. Upon entering any of their locations you will see some of the coolest, rarest, one-of-a-kind items inspired by or derived from music. What you have never seen, up until now, is a chef recognized and memorialized at a Hard Rock. On July 17th, 2014, that all changed as Chef Kerry Simon, “The Rock & Roll Chef,” was honored with an installation at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

In a sunlit hall between Culinary Dropout and The Ainsworth you can see some of the tangible items that demonstrate what made Chef Simon a fixture on the music scene. This is the first time ever, at ANY Hard Rock property, that a chef has been so honored. Chef Simon was one of the first celebrity chefs to bring his talent to Las Vegas. In 2002, with partner Elizabeth Blau, Chef Simon opened Simon Kitchen & Bar in The Hard Rock. Since then he has opened a variety of fun, innovative concepts here in Las Vegas and in other cities that have all become popular with the Rock & Roll crowd, celebrities and foodies alike.

Surrounded by family and friends, Chef Simon, who is battling MSA (Multiple System Atrophy), gracious-ly accepted praise and accolades and posed for pictures. The displayed items were chosen by Chef Simon and Warwick Stone (curator for The Hard Rock) for their visual appeal, uniqueness and lasting impressions. Items include a guitar, photos of him with celebrity friends, concert tickets, knives and more.

The installation ceremony was followed by a champagne reception at The Ainsworth featuring some of Chef Simon’s favorite dishes and of course the “Junk Food Table” that is unique to Chef Simon.

Chef Simon and Al Mancini Junk Food Table - featuring L-R - Cupcakes, Fruit Cereal Bars and Fruit Sushi

A portion of the display

Kerry Simon at the installation prior to the reveal


WHAT’S COOKING?

By Bob BarnesBob 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: [email protected]

Sonoma Cellar Stands the Test of TimeNearly every casino resort boasts of a steakhouse with all the accoutrements of a fine dining experience, but few remain that epitomize the classic steakhouse. Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse at Sunset Station fits the bill, and is one of only a handful of restaurants left on the planet that still serves tableside Bananas Foster and Berries Jubilee, both of which are a flaming spectacle worth the price of admission.

Specialty Room Chef Britt Beeland attended the “school of hard knocks,” working nearly every position in the F & B industry beginning with his first job as a dishwasher at age 14 in New Orleans. After coming to Vegas in 2000 he held positions at Sam’s Town’s Billy Bob’s (executive chef), at Caesars (where he worked room service and even cooked for Celine, Elton John and Elton’s dog), Trump’s DJT and Mandalay Bay. Chef said, “I like to do a twist on the classics and spice things up a bit.” Case in point are his Oysters Rockefeller made with a la sauge hollandaise sauce; Lobster Bisque made with brandy, lobster stock and cream; Seared Scallops clarified in butter and oil topped with a chimichurri sauce; or the nightly special we enjoyed—coffee-crusted ahi steak topped with a lobster stock, lemon cream and shrimp sauce.

Chef marinates all of the steaks in a tomato base making them quite tender, with cuts of Bone-In

Ribeye, Bone-in New York, Porterhouse, Filet Mignon and New York Strip and six sauces to complement, such as shiitake mushroom & red wine demi-glace. Pork T-Bone, Veal Chop, Brick Chicken and seafood choices of Fresh Fish of the Day, Atlantic Salmon, Sea Bass, Alaskan Red King Crab Legs and Canadian Lobster Tail round out the entrée selections.

At Sonoma Cellar, it’s the norm rather than the exception for staff to have longevity, with three of its servers having been on the job since day one. Jason Rivkin, a Las Vegas native who has served guests at the steakhouse for more than 10 years said, “It’s like a tight knit family. So many of us have been here so long that this room runs itself.” Jason’s resume runs the gamut of food & beverage positions, with stints as a lead cook, food runner, busser, bartender and server. A bonus for the guests is the fact that all of the servers are Level 1 Sommeliers who are knowledgeable and ready to assist you in making a selection from the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence award-winning wine list.

While the pyrotechnics of the aforementioned desserts are spectacular, there’s more in store if you finish with a Flaming Coffee. It’s not on the menu; you have to know to ask for it (you’re welcome). The delectable mix of Courvoisier, Kahlua, Frangelico and coffee is a dramatic presentation performed only by longtime server Francisco, who expertly

ignites and pours the elevated flaming liquid into your cup.

As for the décor, it exudes Old World Mediterranean charm with Spanish Mission influences. Design elements including ample amounts of dark wood, cabinets with stained glass, decorative antique chandeliers and inlaid stones in the ceiling arches all work together to suggest you are dining in a wine cellar in Spain. Sonoma Cellar is open nightly from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. A private dining room is available with seating for up to 24.

Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse @ Sunset Station702-547-7777sunsetstation.sclv.com/Dining/Sonoma-Cellar

Carmine’s Celebrates Its First Anniversary The Las Vegas branch of the legendary NYC family style Italian eatery, Carmine’s at The Forum Shops at Caesars, celebrated its first year anniversary in July. The restaurant’s trademark is its gargantuan food portions meant for sharing between four to six people. Impressive numbers are the tallies of more than 125,000 meatballs, 25,000 gallons of marinara, 1,200 Titanic sundaes and 14,800 pounds of garlic served during its first year.

Carmine’s has you covered if you need to feed an army. The 27,000-square-foot restaurant features nine private dining rooms and more than 750 seats and a full special events staff ready to help you with any of your party needs. The menu offers something for everyone, with gluten free, vegetarian and vegan menus for guests with dietary restrictions.

Carmine’s @ The Forum Shops at Caesars702- 473-9700www.carminesnyc.com/locations/las-vegas

Francisco expertly makes his signature Flaming Coffee

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Why Join JCCNV?Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Nevada works in

conjunction with local citizens, businesses, educational and governmental partners to support a vibrant international

business environment, and to improve and nurture business relations between Nevada and Japan.

You are welcome to attend our many exciting events, and you are encouraged to bring lots of business cards!! We also welcome you to join a committee, check our website, and support your fellow JCCNV members. Please contact

us via e-mail, [email protected] if you have any questions or comments.

Annual Membership FeeIndividual Membership Fee - $20

Corporate Membership Fee - $200 (includes 5 membership cards)

www.jccnevada.com [email protected]

(702) 428-0555 (We speak in English and in Japanese!)

FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL SPECIAL2-MONTH BASIC MEMBERSHIP

$118 VALUEJUST $39

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

Call to sign upUse promo code XX2376MG

877-456-RIDE(7433)www.designateddriversinc.com

Fryer’s Favorites Mike Fryer, Sr. Editor/Publisher

By Mike FryerAfter graduating from the University

of Tokyo, Mike worked for 30 years developing, operating, and owning

establishments throughout Southeast Asia. In 2002 he returned to the US

and started the Las Vegas Food & Beverage Publication.

Contact: [email protected]

KERRY SIMON WAS HONORED at the Hard Rock Hotel recently with his very own display showcase dedicated to his past history as the ‘Rock & Roll Chef’ and his influence in bringing unique eclectic cuisine to the Las Vegas market.Additionally, Kerry will be honored once again at the upcoming Bartenders Competition at Tommy Rocker’s on July 30th and LVFNB will be there to cover it.

AL DENTES’ PROVISIONS SISTER COMPA-NY ‘THE SPICE OUTLET’ should be on your list to visit for all your BBQ spices, rubs and seasonings to complete your summer cook-out. Summer won’t last forever, ‘thank God,’ so get

over to The Spice Outlet on Warm Springs at Rainbow Blvd. www.thespiceoutlet.com

THE REVOLUTIONARY PIZZA, a new book by Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau, founder of Dimo’s Pizza, and home of Chicago’s most distinctive pies, gives us a new look at bold pies that will change our lives, or so they say! It’s worth a look especially if you are into unique pizza pies. Page Street Publishing/July 2014

GRILL TO PERFECTION by two champion pit masters shares recipes and techniques for unforgettable backyard grilling in this book by Andy Husbands and Chris Hart.I found this book exciting since the recipes included flavors from all over the world, in-cluding Tamari-Glazed Steak, Curried Chicken

Tenderloins, Coconut and Papaya Salad, Guava Glazes, Ginger Clams, Sake & Scallions, etc.Page Street Publishing/April 2014

THE WESTERN RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY EXPO coming to the Anaheim Convention Center in Los Angeles August 17-19 is the yearly expo presented by the California Restaurant Association and a ‘not to miss’ event for food & beverage professionals. Along with 100s of industry dedicated exhibitors you will have the chance to pick and choose a seminar to your liking; don’t forget to visit the ACF Chefs Competition on the show floor. www.westernfoodexpo.com

UPCOMING SHOW/EXPOS/EVENTS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ATTENDING

8/17-19 WESTERN RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY EXPO-ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER

8/23-24 SAN DIEGO SPIRITS FESTIVAL-PORT PAVILION ON BROADWAY PIERwww.sandiegospiritsfestival.com/directions

9/20 FLAVORS OF THE HEART-WORLD MARKET CENTER

9/30-10/2 G2E AND F&B@G2E LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER


& Jason transformed this national dish into a stunning and mouthwatering representation. Its subtle meaty goodness was rich yet completely balanced. Jason’s twist involved infusing the fresh tagliolini with saffron, which brought fur-ther complexity. B&B’s head sommelier, Pascal Balduc, paired it with the Bastianich Rosato from Friuli. Made from the indigenous Refosco grapes, it complemented the briny complexity of the dish with fruit and minerality. The next arrival made our mouths sing: Involtini with Panelle and Heirloom Tomato Brodo. It was a perfect summer dish of a thinly filleted Cobia wrapped around a julienned summer squash, all poached in heirloom tomato water. This dish was delicate and fresh which was off-set by creamy, slightly crispy & earthy panelle (chickpea fritters); chef topped it with a lightly fried squash blossom stuffed with ricotta and a tomato coulee on the plate. Vespa Bianco, a “Super White” comprised of Chardonnay, Sau-vignon Blanc and local varietal, Picolit, matched the dish with a balanced richness and body. Course #4 was the Seared Cobia with Pesto Pantesco, which elevated the Cobia to a new level. It was not only a celebration of the Cobia but was also an ode to the gardens of Sicily. The pan-roasted fillet was served with a pesto

Challenge Cobia

By Adam RainsAdam has a passion for food, wine & spirits.

He has completed the BarSmarts program and is a Level 2 Sommelier. A supporter of farmers markets, his mantra with cocktails and food is

“fresh is best.” His podcast, “Las Vegas Cocktail Weekly,” can be downloaded for free on iTunes.

www.lasvegascocktailweekly.com

in the style of the island of Panteleria (yellow tomatoes, toasted almonds, garlic, basil and mint). The celery salad with cumin and small cherry tomatoes and toasted almond, echoed some of the nutty freshness of the pesto. This Sicilian dish met a Sardinian wine, the renowned Sella Mosca Cannaou, which added hints of Apician spice to the pan-roasted notes of the Cobia & the complex pesto. The poised acidity of this Sardinian Granacha helped to create “the sensation of freshness.” Although in this particular episode of Iron Chef America Mario did not make a dessert. Chef Neve felt that finishing with a creamy & savory Olive Oil Gelato would be appropriate and I defi-nitely agree!!! This Olive Oil Gelato was made with the Sicilian Olio Verde and brought a savory and fruity component that Pascal matched with the bright beauty of the Maculan Dindarello, a wonderful late harvest moscato from the Veneto.I can only hope that it won’t be too long until I can enjoy a dining experience as special as this. There will be a different theme every Thursday through September, all hosted by Chef Jason. Like his boss, Chef Jason Neve is a culinary master; all guests that are fortunate enough to be part of it will not be disappointed... Contact B&B Ristorante for reservations or go online at www.bandbristorante.com.

From one of the best chefs in the world(arguably) to one of the best chefs in the city (no doubt), comes a series of Thursday night dinners happening all summer long at Mario Batali’s B&B Ristorante. Lucky for me, I was able to procure a sought after spot for the latest chef-hosted culinary soirées. Chef Jason Neve, Molto Vegas’s Culinary Director, provided a 5-course culinary recreation of Chef Mario’s epic battle with Chef Jaime Oliver (and may have even bested Mario, but don’t tell). The challenge for the show was the sustain-ably-harvested large game fish, Cobia. The delicious and wonderfully meaty fish was show-cased in two different lights for the first course, Cobia & Crudo e Cannolo. This included amaz-ingly fresh and served raw in the Italian sashimi style with a light and fruity Sicilian olive oil and sea salt, both highlighting the firm texture and pure essence of the fish. The second variation was a savory cannoli filled with a house-made ricotta and puréed Cobia cruda. All of this was lifted by the method traditional Contrato spar-kling wine which reacted brilliantly to the fish and did what it should do—cleansed the palate and perfectly complemented the flavors. Simply put….YUM!!! The second course was a play on a traditionally pungent Sicilian dish, Pasta con la Sarda. Mario

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A few months ago I mentioned composting in my article about eggs, when writing about the shells. Eggshells are great to compost due to their high calcium content. Eggshells should be crushed before adding because they take time to breakdown if left in large pieces. I wanted to expand on this because I am a true believer in composting. I have had gardens and composted during many periods of my life and it works great as a natural fertilizer. Las Vegas is a great place for composting, as the hot summer we experience here helps speed up the time to breakdown the organic material.A compost should be made up of two types of ingredients: brown and green organics. Ideally you should have a 30:1 ratio of brown (carbon) material to green (nitrogen) materials. Green or wet materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, tea bags, fresh green grass clippings and plant trimmings grown without pesticides or weed killers and plate scrapings (excluding meat and bones). Brown or dry ma-terials include dry leaves, dried grass clippings, wood shavings or sawdust, nuts and shells, coffee grounds and filters, pinecones, pine needles, shredded paper egg cartons, newspapers, twigs, peanut shells and dryer lint. Grass clippings, another summer ingredient, is almost perfect on the ratio, but if you are using kitchen scraps they come in at a 12:1 ratio so you would have to add some additional brown material. If you need some brown materials, when you stop in a Starbucks ask them for some coffee grounds, which they will give you if they have them. High carbon may be lowered by adding grass clipping and low carbon can be adjusted by adding shredded paper or wood chips. As a chef/instructor I have always taught my students to try to utilize as much product as possible or it is hard to make money in this industry. That is one of the reasons that I made a lot of stock in my classrooms. We would save most vegetable peeling and bones leftover from butchering lessons, but I know that practice is not done in most kitchens these days so composting is another way to fully utilize product. This process is environmentally friend-ly by saving tons of trash sent to landfills. The average American produces over 200 pounds of food trash per year.Here in Las Vegas there are a few options in which you can utilize food scraps. A1 Organics has been collecting uneaten foods from area businesses since 2006. They collect food from 26 casinos on the Strip and they also collect from area supermarkets. They then turn it into compost and sell the compost. R C Farms in North Las Vegas also collects food scraps from 12 casinos and trucks it to the farm, and feeds it to their 1200 pigs, thus repurposing food that would go to the landfill. Another option that is becoming more popular in the restaurant industry is to create a local garden to produce food for your restaurant. If you do this you can compost it yourself and use it to fertilize the garden.The steps to composting are easy and there are not a lot of things you will need to buy. One important step to composting is to properly aerate the mixture. When I first started composting I did this by hand with a shovel and pitchfork. That did not last long. A valuable investment is to buy a compost tumbler. This equipment allows you to crank the barrel to rotate it. It is very easy to use and saves a lot of labor. The more oxygen supplied the quicker the compost-

ing will occur. These types of containers cost from $100 to over $750. You will need to find a container to compost in anyway, so why not make it easy. The smaller the organic materials the quicker it will compost, so you should shred whatever you are putting in your bin. Another important factor in composting is moisture. You should add water often to compost, especially in the summer in Las Vegas. The moisture content in good compost should be about 50%. In rainy areas you may need to cover the bin to avoid too much rainwater getting in.Another good investment is in an activator. In the summer here you probably do not need one to get the pile heated up, but in cooler temperatures you can add a product such as alfalfa meal, bone meal, blood meal, cottonseed meal, comfrey, or even high-protein dry dog food. This will help activate the decomposition.Another type of composting is worm composting. This can be done indoors or outdoors and can be done year round. In this method you would start with some shredded newspaper as bedding and then add food scraps and red wriggler worms.

Chef TalkBy Chef Allen Asch

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.


On Wednesday, July 30, Tommy Rocker’s Mojave Beach bar hosted the Flip, Shake & Pour Bartender Extravaganza bartending competition that also served as a fundraiser for former Iron Chef Champion Kerry Simon’s Fight Against Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) through the Keep Memory Alive foundation. The event featured four separate categories of competition and was sponsored by Ozone Vodka.

Kerry Simon, aside from being an Iron Chef champion, has also been a Las Vegas based restaurateur for decades and some credit him with starting the trend of celebrity chefs opening restaurants in town. He revealed that he had MSA in 2013 and has since coordinated several efforts to raise money and awareness about the rare disease, which presents similar symptoms to the more well-known Parkinson’s disease. Flip, Shake & Pour is the most recent of several events aimed at the overall goal of fighting MSA.

The competition/fundraiser was originally planned by Tommy Rocker’s general manager, Jim Kleiss, and bartender Ken Hall, who was one of the first flair bartenders in Las Vegas and the creator of The

Legends of Bartending, the largest flair competition in the world. Hall has been friends with Kerry Simon for a long time and says it was a “no-brainer” to feature Simon’s cause as the focus of their fundraising efforts, which were focused on raffling and auctioning donations from businesses all over the city.

The four categories of competition featured in the event were two styles of speed bartending, flair bartending and mixology. Hall says his aim was to encompass all the different styles of bartending in an effort to draw a larger crowd and make the fundraiser as successful as possible. The competition incentivized participants by offering cash prices to the top scorers in each category, which were funded by entry fees for participation.

Speed bartending had separate categories for nightclub and lounge/restaurant bartenders, which featured different styles of drinks. The mixology event required competitors to make a cocktail of their choosing with the requirement that it contain one Ozone Vodka flavor and one Finest Call mixer. The flair event allowed five minutes of

performance with the requirement that it produce two servable drinks featuring the sponsoring brands.

Tommy Rocker’s was a natural place to host such an industry-focused event as it has a reputation for being the top industry bar in the city. Kleiss credits the industry popularity of the bar to its close proximity

to the Strip and also the several years he and Tommy Rocker spent “wooing” local casinos into attending. Kleiss and Rocker recalled that when the nearby Cosmopolitan and Aria casinos first opened, they would go every night to a different bar and have a few drinks and then invite the employees to Tommy Rocker’s after their shifts ended. Kleiss says it paid off and Tommy Rocker’s became what many Strip employees consider to be “their bar.”

Tommy Rocker’s Mojave Beach began life 25 years ago as a dedicated place for Tommy Rocker and his band to play, although he began playing in Vegas at another bar and currently tours all over the country when he’s not playing at his home bar. Despite holding a law degree, Rocker says music was always his passion and so that’s how he ended up opening Tommy Rocker’s. In addition to focusing on live music and targeting industry patrons, Tommy Rocker’s also features a diverse and constantly changing craft beer program run by Kleiss that makes every effort to acquire specific beers requested by patrons. Their craft program was recently expanded by 7 and now features 21 taps.

The sponsor of the event, ozone vodka, is a relatively new brand that has only been available in the US for four years, although they have existed in europe for a decade. The brand is owned by Stumbras, the oldest liquor production company in lithuania.

tommy Rocker’sand ozone vodkaCome Together for aBartenders Extravaganza toSupport Chef Kerry Simonand FMSA.

Story by Joe Fogarty • Photos by Jeff Ragazzo

Winning Drink

1.5 oz ozone vodka.5 green charteus .5 Sweet vermouth.75 fresh lemon juice5 droops of paychaurs bitters .5 simple syrup .75 egg white

Top with OZONE logo made withpeychaurs bitters and edible flower !!!


The sponsor of the event, Ozone Vodka, is a relatively new brand that has only been available in the US for four years, although they have existed in Europe for a decade. The brand is owned by Stumbras, the oldest liquor production company in Lithuania. The people involved with the fundraiser event are Stumbras Export Director, Nerijus Raudonis; Chief Operations at B&I Overseas Trading Inc – US importer of Ozone, Rolan Paul; and Area Manager North America & Asia & Middle East, Odeta Kazakauskaitė.

Ozone Vodka is made from whole cereal grain ethyl alcohol and is distilled five times and filtered four times, which includes passing through silver and platinum filters. Ozone is currently available as a standard vodka, and in lime and blood orange flavors with sweet melon and white peach flavors coming to the US market within the year. Ozone is a good fit for an “international” city like Las Vegas as they describe their target market as being diverse in age, origin and culture. Parent company Stumbras serves markets across the entire world and averages a production of 17 million liters per year across their various products.

Kazakauskaitė says Flip, Shakes & Pour “just felt like the right event” for their Ozone product. The event even served as an opportunity to test their new flavors coming to the mass market later in the year as they were available in the mixology competition to make custom cocktails. She says Ozone hopes to work with Tommy Rocker’s again in the future.

“Tommy Rocker’s is the place where people gather like friends and family—everyone seems to know everyone—and we want to be a part of that every day.”

Contest WinnersFlair ChampionAlexey BalashovFlair Runner-upRodrigo Delpech

Finest Call Stall Champion Alexey Balashov

Mixology ChampionChristian Oldan

Mixology Runner-upJason Hughes

nightclub Speed ChampionRodrigo Delpech

nightclub Speed Runner-upRobyn Closson

Restaurant Speed ChampionAdam O’DonnellRestaurant Speed Runner-upAnthony Alba


By Bob BarnesBob 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: [email protected]

These Girls Have It— Kudos to Our Female Certified Cicerones®

Danielle GramsNow with the advent of the craft beer renaissance with a myriad of beer styles and flavors, beer drinking has become a co-ed sport. Here in Southern Nevada we now have our first female head brewer (at the soon-to-open CrafHaus) and no less than five Certified Cicerones®. As previous-ly mentioned in this publication, a Cicerone® is beer’s equivalent of a sommelier, and like the qualifications of a som-melier, it takes an abun-dance of determination, perseverance and prepa-ration to attain the title of Certified Cicerone®. Those who achieve this certification have passed a test assuring they have a deep and well-round-ed knowledge of beer and beer service as well as competence in assessing beer quality and identity by taste. In this monthly feature we will highlight those in our city that have attained this distinction,

beginning with our five female pioneers.

This month the spotlight shines on Danielle Grams, the Wine Manager for all of the fine dining outlets within MGM Grand. An Illinois transplant who earned a degree in beverage management at UNLV in 2010, Danielle has the distinction of being a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Sake Specialist and a Certified Cicerone®. She enjoys studying different cultures and finding new dish-es to pair with her favorite wine and beers.

What motivated you to become a Certified Ci-cerone® and how did you prepare for the tests?

What is the difference between an English Pale Ale and an American Pale Ale? Why

might a beer with 120 IBUs be perceived as less bitter than a beer with 60 IBUs? My curiosity drove me to buy some great beer books which then turned into a passion for learning the intricacies of the beer world. Like wine, you can never stop learning about beer; there will always be a new beer for you to try or a style to read about. Preparing for the test meant a lot of great books, a lot of notes and a lot of beer tastings! That, of course, is the best part. However, with so many interpretations of a style, that was actually the most challenging part of the test for me. How does having this knowledge and exper-tise help you excel in your current position?

Being the Wine Manager at MGM Grand doesn’t mean I can only work with wine. I love being able to help the outlets on property with their beer selections. Right now we are building a stronger craft beer program at Craftsteak, focusing on domestic beers from our favorite craft breweries. In L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, we are building a Belgian and French-focused beer program to complement their unbelievable cuisine. Beer drinkers should not be left out of the fine dining experience; there is an infinite amount of beers that pair incredibly with our restaurants’ menus. How did you originally get interested in craft beer?

Although I’m more involved in the wine world, I always tell people beer was my first love and it is true! The great thing about beer that a lot of people may overlook is that it is incredibly complex. There are so many styles and interpretations of those styles that you’ll never run out of new beers to try or learn about. Although beer can be very com-plex, it is still incredibly approachable and down to earth. Beer doesn’t have to be scary, and the more styles you try, the more you’ll understand what you prefer, and the more your taste buds will develop into liking new styles. I remember when I was first getting into beer, I couldn’t stand IPAs. Now that’s one of my favorite styles!

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In the not so distant past, beer was considered a man’s drink and it was only the exceptional woman that professed a love for the barley beverage.


Not only is Chefs Food Fest a well-anticipated event by Laughlin locals, but LVFNB has been honored to be a part of the grand occasion for several years now and the event continues to be a favorite for myself and many others. This event was special for me, as it was my one year anniversary with LVFNB and my second time attending the fest; Laughlin was just the right place for us to celebrate. From ice sculptures to Mardi Gras beads, Chefs Food Fest gets bigger and better each year. As this fest continues to grow, so does the amount of people who attend, making it Laughlin’s most prevalent and finest culinary event of the year.

Chefs Food Fest ties together innovation, imag-ination, creativity and more in food and booth design as it hosts a fun competition between local hotel restaurants and their top chefs. In competition this year were Riverside Resort, Aquarius, Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall, Colorado Belle/Edgewater Casino Resort, River Palms, Tropicana, Avi Casino Resort, Golden Nugget of Laughlin, Stratosphere of Las Vegas and Harrah’s, who steadily hold best booth design showcasing extreme colors and character.

Chefs Food Fest takes place at the Aquarius Casino Resort in a fabulous ballroom located on the second level; you can’t let the half mile line to get into the event fool you, as there is plenty of seating and room. It really is heart-warming how Laughlin comes together for so many events and this fest is definitely one of those, boosting up business for almost every casino, hotel and restaurant in the area.

Such a boost in business for events like this

really keeps a small city like Laughlin thriving. Especially happy with the business the fest brings in is Mr. Sean Hammond, general manager of the Aquarius. We were lucky to enjoy break-fast with Sean the following morning at Café Aquarius where we chatted about all the great things happening in Laughlin over some delicious morning grub. As I enjoyed my Lox and Bagel Platter and listened to all the great things Sean had to say, I couldn’t help but notice the passion that he has not just for the Aquarius and its guests but for the Laughlin community as a whole. Sean, a part of the Laughlin area since 1982, has been with the Aquarius for eight years and is constantly doing things to keep guests coming back. Sean, a graduate of a local Bullhead City high school, shared some great stories from his childhood in Laughlin; one of his most vivid memories was a 79-cent chicken buffet he relished as a kid. Sean was very professional and knowledgeable as he answered all my questions and gave lots of great information. Sean has some great things going at the Aquarius but two things that really caught my attention are progressive dinners and wine walks for players. In addition to the new coffee/snack shop at the Aquarius, the Duet, is a new non-smoking bar and gaming area, The Cove.

Things to check out in Laughlin include a margarita competition between local Laughlin mixologists-Best Margarita In the Tri-state; the annual River Regatta in August where hundreds gather up their air floats to travel seven miles down the Colorado River; a BBQ competition at Riverside Casino Resort; a chili cook-off at the Golden Nugget of Laughlin; dinner or cocktail cruises; water taxis to and from hotels; the Col-orado Belle/Edge Water Casino Resort where

Pints Brewery is; jet-ski rentals; the beaches at Harrah’s and the Avi; and new restaurants such as The Loading Dock at the Colorado Belle and Blueberry Flats at the Pioneer. Chefs Food Fest 2014 was another successful event donating $15,000.00 to River Fund Inc. We reveled in such delectable eats and drinks, although it’s practically impossible to enjoy what all the booths have to offer because the ‘sample’ portions are ridiculously filling! After enjoying the culinary side of the fest and voting for best food and best booth, we were able to let our tummies settle as we watched Chef Rick Giffen help to raise $6265 in a live auction for River Fund Inc. There were some outstanding auction items including an in-home dinner by Chef Rick himself. The ticket price to Chefs Food Fest is only $50, well worth it when all proceeds go to River Fund Inc., a non-profit organization helping families and individuals of Bullhead City in need.

Not only is Chefs Food Fest a blast but Laughlin is charming with so much character and a lot of fun. I spent my birthday there last March, have now attended two annual Chefs Food Fests and look forward to my next adventure out there!

Helping to make Chefs Food Fest possible are:Desert Distillery of KingmanWirtz of NevadaNevada BeverageJohnson Brothers of NevadaSouthern Wine and Spirits BottomsUpBeerHualapai Mountain LodgeRocky Mountain Chocolate FactoryKJJJ 102.3 Radio

By Crystal MarieCrystal Marie is the brand ambassador and journalist

for The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. She is a leader in networking, excels in persuasive

writing and has an extensive background in sales and marketing. New to the Las Vegas area, she is ready and willing to try anything when it comes to food, as food is

the way to her heart.

Laughlin Chefs Food Fest


Dining Out with the Harrises

By Elaine & Scott HarrisElaine Harris, sommelier, owner of Vino

Las Vegas LLC and Editor-In-Chief of The Cuisineist.

Scott Harris, sommelier, President of Vino Las Vegas LLC and a staff journalist

for The Cuisineist. [email protected] • www.cuisineist.com

Mercadito Raises the Bar for Mexican Cuisine in Summerlin

Mercadito, meaning little market, is not a market at all, but a new dining venue that is creating a large “Ole” to the Mexican cuisine scene. This new restaurant offering at the Red Rock Resort is quickly becoming a favorite of locals and visitors. The pricing is perfect for families on a budget or for those wanting maximum food quality for their well-earned greenbacks. Blending traditional Mexican cuisine with seasonal ingredients, along with the creative flair of Chef Patrico Sandoval, Mercadito is worth a visit trip to this region with-out leaving the USA. There is nothing pretentious about this eatery. Open seating gives it a communal and lively feel. We were directed by our helpful and knowledge-able server to start with the “trios,” meaning three samples of guacamoles that tease the taste buds: Traditional—tomatillo pico de gallo with jalapeno, garlic, key lime and cilantro; Mango with jicama, chipotle, pico de gallo; and the Tocino—bacon, corn, habanero, crispy hominy and pico de gallo. The beauty of the menu is that it lends to trying and sharing and experimenting with flavors and bites. Cerviches of shrimp, mahi, mahi, and the “Mixto” is the best way to experience all three, combining mahi, mahi, octopus, shrimp, tomatillo pico de gallo and passion fruit-Serrano broth. Tacos, yes the tacos, are plentiful and you will need more than one trip to savor their flavors. Our favorite was the Carne, with perfectly cooked marinated skirt steak, watercress-jicama slaw with Serrano-roasted garlic aioli and crispy shallots. Indulge in one of the many interesting cocktails that are unique to this venue. Many of these cocktails are served draft with infused tequilas that provide a delicious fresh cocktail. Try the draft Margarita of El Jimador Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice, organic agave nectar, and you can add smoke, heat and fruit for a creative twist. A good bet on a blistering hot day in Vegas are the frozen cocktails, such as the Pepino el Pyu—Olmeca Altos Blanco Tequila, lemon, cucumber, hoja sata and cumin salt. A full beverage menu is filled with great tequilas, mescals, and wines.

The Lovely New 250-seat Yusho Is Casual and Delicious at theMonte Carlo Resort.

The Monte Carlo Resort has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation to its Strip facing façade. This fun, open air plaza features six dinning venues and live entertainment literally located right on the famed neon of the Las Vegas Strip. One of these homes of gastronomic treats is Yusho. We dined on creative Izakaya fare, perfectly prepared by the tutelage of Chef Matthias Merges, His artful culinary creations have been honed for years as he was at the helm of Chef Charlie Trot-ter’s acclaimed Chicago flagship and now has brought this experience to Las Vegas with this gem of a restaurant where his culinary expertise is amplified in this Japanese street food eatery.We started our meal trying some very unique on-tap cocktails, which are made in limited quantities and then poured from a tap like a beer, giving the cocktail a fizzy, slightly carbonated finish. Our meal started with lovely oysters, fresh with their salty briny taste, alongside our plate of the octopus with haricot vert, egg yolk and enoki mushroom. The octopus is cooked to perfection and the mix-ture of the green beans and creamy egg yolk makes it a dish worth visiting over and over again. Up next, our server delivered an assortment of tasty bites. A stand out was the Logan Poser Ra-men, made with crispy pork, egg, nori and cucumber. This dish had a rich savory broth, delectable noodles, and a lovely dallop of nori and egg. Another treat was their homemade pickled radishes which help bring a bite of acidity and sparkle between courses. The 2X Fried Chicken, created with spicy kanzuri, green tea and lime zest was sumptuous and satisfying. We weren’t over yet as perfectly cooked rib-eye that would satisfy any meat-lover’s palate arrived on our plates. The final ending to our meal was their signature dessert, the soft serve-ice cream drizzled with Fernet caramel. This refreshingly light treat left us presently pleased. Yusho is most likely the best, innovative restaurant that has opened in Las Vegas in years.

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Perhaps one of the most specialized, regulated, and perhaps even misunderstood varieties of wine, resident expert and food writer E. C. Gladstone entertained and educated a select few in a private room at the famous steakhouse.

Champagne, a wine so closely tied to celebra-tion and extravagance, deserves the upmost quality of expertise in the city that goes through some of the most expensive bottles in the world. From the region that became associ-ated with royalty and finer things when French kings were traditionally coronated in Remis, a city in the Champagne region, the production of the namesake wine became associated with celebration and joviality.

There is a great amount of scrutiny and regu-lation surrounding the production of wine that bears the Champagne name. In fact, there are generally only three grapes used: Pinot Noir and Pinot Menuier for body and complexity, and Chardonnay for lightness and fruity notes. There are rules about nearly every facet of the wine-making system. There are rules about how vines are grafted from one species onto another, rules about how Rose style cham-pagnes get their pink hue, when you harvest, from where, how long you age, what you say on the label. It would not be an overstatement to say that Champagne is quite possibly the most regulated beverage on earth.

For a drink that has such an infrastructure of control and regulation, it’s important to protect the name of “Champagne.” Most of the world has specific laws about the “appellation d’orig-ine controlee” (Protected Designation of Origin or PDO in EU law), yet the United States is one of the last to officially recognize the origin as the main character of importance in this category. Tequila has such protection, and benefits from it, but luckily the wine industry largely polices itself in regards to making sure anything called “Champagne” actually comes from Champagne, France.

The champagnes sampled were selected to give a good range of specific qualities. Even though

A ChampagneTutorial by E. C. Gladstoneat Delmonico Steakhouse

By Mitchell WilburnMitchell Wilburn is a food and

drink writer living in Las Vegas. You can view his restaurant,

beer, spirits, and event articles at mitchellwilburn.com, or follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/

mitchellwilburnofficial.

the designation is quite restrictive, there is a great range in terroir and expressions once you take into account Vintage, Non-Vintage, differ-ent blends of grapes (including some that color it pink, in the Rosé varieties), types of fermen-tations, etc. The first was the Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV. Brut, which actually has a root in the homophone “Brute,” was a name the French gave for champagnes that catered to the English palate, which were very dry and crisp, and hardly sweet at all.

The second was from the Robert Boncuit house, a « blanc de blancs » brut. Blanc de blancs, which means “white from white,” refers to the fact that this was only made from white grapes, almost exclusively Chardonnay. Up next was one that had an opposite designation, Mailly Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut. Anoth-er brut, so very dry, but “blanc de noirs” refers to it being made only from red grapes. It may come as a surprise to those less familiar with wine production, but if you press red grapes without letting them rest amongst the skins, the juice and wine will stay white.

Because of the same principle, the next wine we sampled (which was a Rosé) came in a pink

hue. Ayala Rosé Majeur NV was another Non Vintage, slightly sweeter than a brut, but with a certain body from letting the red grapes sit with the skins. Though many Rosé wines are made that way, some are turned pink by adding a “concentrated color” made from a very long-rested red grape wine.

The last was kind of a « dessert » champagne, as it was a Demi-Sec, or « semi-sweet » style. The Franck Bonville Demi-sec Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc was from the Avize region. Grand Cru doesn’t necessarily refer to the level of quality of a vineyard, but refers to the region it is grown in being renowned and recognized by the wine community in France for having exceptional terroir and history.

The category of Champagne is an interest-ing and storied one, and we in the Las Vegas F&B community are lucky for the privilege of being able to attend such in-depth educational seminars and hear from speakers of such great experience and passion. The Champagne Bureau and E. C. Gladstone did a great service to the young professionals that gathered at Del-monico, and a great service to any Champagne lovers that come to Vegas.

Wine and Restaurant professionals alike were subject to a terrific treat, thanks to Delmonico Steakhouse and the Champagne Bureau.

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FlashPour InventionMaking Pouring More Efficient

By Joe FogartyJoe is a writer and photographer who

has lived in Vegas for a collective 13 years. He has a degree in creative

writing from the University of Nebraska and learned photography

by taking a lot of pictures and asking a lot of questions.

The FlashPour is a specially designed pour spout which features an internal light that flashes four times for every ounce of liquid that travels through the spout. The obvious and intended application for the invention is for use in bars to make free pouring, or pouring without any sort of measuring cup, as accurate and efficient as possible.

Houck’s concept grew out of an unhappiness with the market’s current solutions. The most prevalent solution, self-stopping spouts that cut off the flow

at an ounce, can slow how quickly drinks can be made. An extra second or two per drink may not seem like much, but in a city with a nightlife like Las Vegas, that can add up to a substantial amount of time over the course of a night which can impact the money made by both the bar and the bartender.

Similar to the time, the amount of alcohol con-sumed in Las Vegas also lends to the value of a device which can prevent over-pouring. A pour that is a fraction of an ounce more than it should be here and there doesn’t seem like a big deal, but with the amount of alcohol consumed in Vegas in a year, it can definitely add up quickly.

Houck came up with the idea six years ago and so far has spent two years and a considerable amount of his own money developing the FlashPour from concept to prototype. When he began he had no idea how the manufacturing business worked or how to even go about it. He started by doing a patent search and found that nothing similar to

what he imagined existed. He then went about finding a product designer who could create a concept and blueprint for the object. Now he is in the process of working with a factory capable of turning the design into a physical product. The factory is currently on its fourth prototype, with various improvements to the waterproofing and battery life with each iteration. As soon as a design gets final approval, the last step will be a full scale production run of at least 10,000 units.

So far Houck says he has received interest from all over the country, being contacted by potential investors from various major cities. He wants to keep the FlashPour company itself a strictly Las Vegas-based business, though, and hopes to first and foremost serve the hundreds of bars across The Strip and around the city. According to Houck, success will mean being able to walk into any bar in town and see his invention in action.

www.flashpour.com

Nick Houck is a Las Vegas bartender with dreams of being a Las Vegas business owner. His hopes rest in his invention, the FlashPour, and he would be hard-pressed to find a better city to trial his invention than Las Vegas.


Brett’sBY

Dining and Beverage ExplorationsYardbird Southern Table & Bar by 50

Eggs, Inc. will open at The Venetian’s Restau-rant Row early 2015.

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’ first restaurant GIADA at The Cromwell is now open for lunch and dinner.

The El Cortez will close The Flame Steak-house Aug. 31 and open a new 24-hour dining concept Siegel’s 1941 with historic artwork this fall.

ALIBI Cocktail Lounge, a 24-hour cocktail lounge, will open at ARIA this fall.

The Third Annual Downtown Brew Festival hosted by Motley Brews will return at the Clark County Amphitheater Saturday eve-ning, Sept. 20.

Desert Hops: An International Beer Ex-perience will return to Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan Saturday night, Sept. 27.

Pantry will be the new 24-hour restaurant opening September at The Mirage with all-day breakfast.

Celebrity Chef Kerry Simon’s new Carson Kitchen is open inside the old John E Carson Hotel downtown. Simon partnered with restau-rateur, Cory Harwell, and executive chef, Matt Andrews.

LYFE Kitchen, the Oprah Winfrey-ap-proved restaurant, opened in The District.

Cousins Reza Arshadi and Azad Zahedi opened their second health conscious Presto Cafe at 215 and Stephanie.

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill will open this fall at Downtown Summerlin.

Rock ‘n Roll Wine will host its ninth wine and music event Wine Amplified Festival Oct. 10 and 11 and move to The Lot across from the Luxor with featured headliners Train and Blink 182.

The second Distill opened last month in Southern Highlands.

Mercadito at Red Rock Resort has already started lunch service daily.

OpenTable’s 2014 Diners’ Choice Awards named Chicago Joe’s downtown as one of the Top 100 Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America.

Downtown Grand will transition the former Red Mansion restaurant space into a private dining and meeting room and introduce a new eatery in its William Hill Sports Book, replac-ing The Spread Deli.

The Riviera has new catering packages for its newly-remodeled Top of the Riv ballroom.

Newsy About Town NotesCaesars Entertainment is re-imagining the

Quad Resort with a $223 million contempo-rary upgrade to make it The LINQ by Oct. 30. The hotel will feature 2,256 new rooms/suites, a renovated lobby bar, all new retail, spa ame-nities and pool deck plus the fifth-floor Vortex Roof Deck event venue.

Westgate Resorts acquired LVH, renamed it Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, and will convert some rooms to luxury timeshare villas.

IKEA will open its first Las Vegas store in summer 2016 on 26 acres at Sunset and Durango.

The Hacienda near Boulder City is re-maining open while being transformed into the new rustic desert lodge-themed Hoover Dam Lodge by new owners Nevada Restaurant Services.

Delano Las Vegas the luxury all-suite hotel will debut at Mandalay Bay Sept. 1.

Three white lion cubs – Freedom, Tim-ba-Masai and Madiba – are additions to Sieg-fried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage.

Kerry Simon, dubbed the “rock ‘n’ roll chef” by Rolling Stone Magazine, is honored with the inaugural culinary memorabilia case at Hard Rock Hotel.

The Window, a multi-purpose space down-town at The Ogden, has opened with an arts and educational focus.

Market LV, an industrial chic marketplace at Tivoli Village, has four new tenants: Pas de Deux Children’s Couture; Collective Souls Fine Art; SprayTansand Dana Delgado Dance Studios.

The Four Seasons’ porte cochere has two electric car charging stations: one for Teslas – the other for smart cars, with two more being installed soon.

Ross Dress for Less opened a new store at Best on the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway.

The Black Canyon Water Trail flowing through Lake Mead National Recreation Area has been designated a National Water Trail, making it one of 16 in America.

Entertainment HighlightsLive Nation and MGM Resorts Interna-

tional will start a new music festival, Route 91 Harvest, in Las Vegas at The Lot across from the Luxor Oct. 3-5.

Big name performers include Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Dwight Yoakam, Brantley Gilbert and many more.

Viva Veracruz! The Show dance and music journey through the enchanted folklore of Vera-cruz, Mexico, is making its American premiere at Planet Hollywood.

Life is Beautiful Festival returns for a sec-ond year downtown, Oct. 24-26, and expands to three days with nearly 70 chart-topping acts, dozens of culinary giants, and world-renowned speakers, all on four massive stages.

The reworked Pawn Shop Live! show is now at the Riviera, following a day in the life of Rick, Corey, Chumlee and the Old Man.


Linda Westcott-Bernstein has provided sound human resources advice and guidance to Fortune 500 companies and others for over 25 years. She has helped these organizations review procedures and implement solutions that are designed to reduce liabilities and increase their profits. She also as-sists with the development of human capital through focused employee retention and training programs designed for all levels of employees.

Linda has recently published her self-help book entitled It All Comes Down to WE! with Author House Publishers. Her book offers guidelines for building a solid and enduring personal work ethic. You can find her book on Amazon or Google Books.

Phone: 702-326-4040Email: [email protected] Website: www.LJBConsulting.nett

By LindaWestcott-Bernstein

HUMAN RESOURCES INSIGHTS

Human Resources: A Business Partner

LAS VEGAS’ ORIGINAL BREWING COMPANY

ww.bigdogsbrews.com

ON TAP AND IN BOTTLES THROUHOUT SOUTHERN NEVADA

What are the contributions of human resources as a business partner? If you have a pro-active, approachable HR person at your place of business, then you should experience some of the following types of contributions. With the right HR person in place, you will know that the following attributes ring true for your company:

• Employees seek out the advice, counsel, and impartial evaluation

HRQuestion ofthe Month

Next month’s topic: Keeping People safe at WorkHR Question for next month: What does your organization do that contributes to your safety at work? Do you have formal prac-tices and policies that you follow to ensure

safety? Share your comments on this topic or a situation. Send to [email protected]. Responses for next month’s column earn a copy of my book (see above, left). Be sure to include your mailing address when sending useful responses.

of HR to address their concerns or challenges.• Embraces the importance of company culture, mission and vision, and looks for/expects those ideals in leadership.• Engages in the goals of the business, understands the role of your operations, and embraces the many ways that HR can sup-port the financial success of the company.• Finds the best, most “human” individuals for your openings and career opportunities.• Understands the value and outcome of training and devel-opment… that learning is never complete.• Watches for and evaluates where gaps, weaknesses and poor practices may create challenges or liabilities.• Looks for and focuses efforts on the most meaningful ways for HR to support the business!

What is the primary goal of HR?

Is it to hire good employees? Of course, yes, but even that role is not the primary one. Is it to write good, legal documents like applications forms, policies and procedures? Sure, that is essential for HR, but not game ending. In actuality, the most important role of human resources professionals is to ensure fair and equitable people practices. These practices protect your organization from costly mis-takes and help to bring the best out in your people. Sound HR practic-es, and support for those processes, can/will contribute to the financial success of your organization.

So, when asked if HR is a business partner, that answer should be a resounding “Yes!” To partner means to join in. The contribution of HR to the success of the busi-ness is achieved by leveraging the most important asset ANY organi-zation can utilize – the knowledge, resources and contributions of human beings!

What is in a name? Everything it would seem. When it comes right down to it, what does Human Resources (HR) really mean? I’d say that HR is defined exactly as it sounds. Human resources means “peoples’ contributions.” As a partner, HR represents that critical part of any business which starts with people (humans) and culminates with their efforts and ideas contributing to the success of that business. If you aren’t sure what those efforts amount to – take away the people – and what do you have left? In HR, we view people as the valuable resource that they truly are – a partner in our success.


By Shelley Stepanek

Maggiano’s at the Fashion Show Mall always has terrific fare ready to enjoy. With warm surroundings, nice music, a large bar area, appetizers at the bar, this is an appealing place. Maggiano’s always serves up a tantalizing meal for any type of crowd. They have a fabulous happy hour during the week. I would suggest the Street Baked Zita and some perfect Italian flatbread. Plenty of wines and expertly mixed drinks to top off the meal. On the 2nd floor, open 11 a.m. 10 p.m. Texas de Brazil, located at Town Square, will serve you one amazing slice of meat after another. With 8 kinds to pick from, whether it

New Spots andOld Favorites

be beef, pork, sausage or chicken, they are all cooked individually on big spits to perfection. The salad bar is never ending, with over 50 items of seasonal salad and vegetables to pick from. The buffet also has plenty of soups, breads and appetizers. The specialty is the house-baked Brazilian cheese bread. 6533 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702-614-6080.Fogo de Chao is another Brazilian themed restaurant located in Las Vegas on Flamingo and Paradise. Huge portions of meats and countless salads to pick from. Mouth-watering desserts and as all Brazilian restaurants have, that fabulous cheese bread. Easy valet parking. 702-431-4500.

If you have company and want to see a change of pace from everything on the Strip, pick the Hofbräuhaus. An authen-tic German brewhaus, with huge steins of beer, and plenty of old fashioned German food, the waitresses carry trays as heavy as a small car. Some of the favorite dishes are Goulash Soup, Asparagus topped with Black Forest Ham and Swiss cheese and a full HB Smokehouse Platter. Finish up with Fried Apple Rings dusted in cinnamon and sugar and topped with vanilla ice cream. Plenty of live entertainment. 4510 Paradise. Open 11 a.m.-12 a.m. 702-853-2337


Major Products, the stock and sauce specialists, have innovatively changed the way they package their existing range of Superb Gravies and

Sauces. The highly successful line includes Brown, Chicken, Turkey, Pork and Country Gravy as well as the seriously delicious Cheese and Nacho

Cheese Sauces.

Developed by chefs, for chefs, Major felt it was time to bring something new to the marketplace. This has come in the form of reinventing their

Superb range by designing a new label and presenting the products in a foil pouch for guaranteed freshness. The feedback from customers

has been sensational and Major is delighted at the overwhelming thumbs up. The new packaging looks much more visually appealing and now

matches the quality of the first class product inside.

The five gravies yield up to 1 gallon when prepared. With no artificial additives or preservatives and both Low Sodium and Gluten Free flavors

available, they really are the answer to all your nutritional needs. Easy to use in a few simple steps, they offer the utmost in convenience and

ensure consistency throughout your guests’ dining experience.

The two Superb Cheese Sauces come in 24 oz pouches and again make up to 1 gallon when prepared. With real cheese being the first

ingredient, the sauces are offering a rich flavor, while both products are Gluten Free with no added MSG, artificial additives or preservatives.

To find out more about Major’s exciting full product portfolio or to request a selection of FREE samples of the Superb range call (800) 222-1296 or

take a look at the website, www.majorproducts.com.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis caused by food results in 100 to 200 deaths.(Referenced from the Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network)Chef Keith Norman knows about these statistics all too well. Working at the South Point Hotel & Casino as the Assistant Exec-utive Chef and Food Safety Manager, Chef Keith has devoted himself to the instruction and awareness of food allergens. I person-ally have taken his class and it definitely opens your eyes to issues that not many take seriously. After being engrossed in the class, I then asked Chef Keith a few ques-tions to get his side of the story and how allergen awareness is important to him.

What makes you certified to instruct others on allergen awareness?

Well, first of all I have three certifications in allergen. I am also on the board of the Food and Allergy Anaphylaxis Connection Team. Within the board I am privileged to work with a medical board and other advisory boards wherein I have access to first-hand information. Just having been around these guys for so long, I think helps and I have also been an expert witness for an actual allergen case.

Why is it important to you?

Because either one of my kids could be affected with life-threatening food allergies. So, I guess the best answer is that I love someone with life-threatening food allergies.

How are South Point’s restaurants aller-gen friendly?

It starts off with everyone in the restau-rants being trained. We have alerts in our menu. Training is the biggest point I want to make. Think about the three-legged stool: you have training, you have the reference cards that each employee has to have on them at all times and then you have me running around. My biggest point to that question though is that we are more so allergen aware.

In training your staff, how do you ensure that they make allergen awareness a priority?

When I show them the “uglies” I think my friend Nancy Donnelly said it best, “You don’t truly get it until you put a face with the illness or the in-jury.” When I put a victim on the screen, I think that’s a life changing moment for most.

What special training have you created at South Point for the staff?

Well, there’s no special training, but in 2001 a group called Food Allergen Anaphylaxis Network came out with a training video which I purchased and I use as my training tool. So, in Massachu-setts, Chef Ming Tsai’s son has seven of the food allergies and he was instrumental with working with the state to implement three things: training video, signage which is what you see in our kitch-ens and a disclaimer on the menu.

Do you have a message to our readers who are industry professionals about food allergens?

Get in the game, because life-threatening al-lergies are here to stay. Just having an overall awareness is the key. If there are chefs reading, “doubley” get aware and get in the game.

For any inquiries on allergens visit the Food Allergen Anaphylaxis Network website at www.foodallergy.org.

South Point Hotel & Casino’s Chef Keith Norman Talks Food Safety

By Juanita Fryer Juanita is currently a culinary student at UNLV, previously at CSN and is the

ACF Chefs of Las Vegas liaison journalist working at South Point Hotel’s main

kitchen in the garde manger department. Born and raised in Asia, she brings a

unique view to this industry page!For inquiries and suggestions email

[email protected]

More than 12 million Americans have food allergies. That’s one in 25, or 4 percent of the population.


JO IN US FOR THEfirst annual Taste of Hospitality2 0 Y E A R S O F C H A N G I N G L I V E S

We are providing 20 scholarships to local nonprofit organizations in celebration of our 20th anniversaryAll proceeds will benefit the students of the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas

Tickets: general admission $75 I VIP reception $125 I Tickets available for purchase at www.theculinaryacademy.orgFor more information, contact Sydni Sayles at ssayles@culinaryartscatering or 702-924-2182.

Poolside at the3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 89109

Thursday, September 18, 2014 6-7 p.m., VIP Reception I 7-9 p.m., General Public

An all-inclusive event featuring: Tastings from premiere Strip restaurants World-class chefs Celebrity DJs Craft beer, wine, and cocktails Art, collectibles, and amazing staycations for auction and raffle

Honoring:Congressman Steven HorsfordGeorge Seess, Chef EmeritusJim Bonaventure, Director of Legal Affairs, Culinary Union Local 226Alumna Mayumi CamaraoMGM Resorts InternationalNevada Partners, Inc.Southern Wine & Spirits

Let’s Get Together at BJ’s!Let’s Get Together at BJ’s!Weekday Lunch Specials • Snacks and Small Bites • Fresh Salads • ENLIGHTENED ENTREES®

Signature Deep Dish Pizzas • Culinary Creations • Pizookie® Desserts • Award-Winning Handcrafted Beers

CALL AHEAD WAITING LIST | ONLINE ORDERING | CURBSIDE TAKE OUT

CENTENNIAL | 702-851-8050 | SUMMERLIN | 702-853-2300 | HENDERSON | 702-473-2980

join us for HAPPY HOUR Mon.– Fri. 3–7PM | LATE NIGHT Sun.–Thurs. 10PM–CloseWWW.BJSRESTAURANTS.COM | “Wow – I love this place!”®

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EVENTS AD INDEXAUGUSTNational Panini Month

August 1-3 Eat-Drink-SF San Francisco, Fort Mason Center www.sfchefsfoodwine.com

August 6 Sake SessionBenihana Japanese Restaurant West-gate Las Vegas (previously LVH)

August 7 LUCKYRICE Festival Los Angeles, Hollywood Blvd www.luckyrice.com

August 13 Michael Mina’s StripSteak 5-Course Pairing Dinner with Anchor Brewing

& Distilling Mandalay Bay newsroom.mandalaybay.com/manda-lay-bay/latest-news/dining

August 17-19 Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo Anaheim Convention Center www.westernfoodexpo.com

August 17-20 Gentlemen’s Club Owners Expo & Tradeshow Mandalay Bay Convention Center www.edpublications.com

August 20Michael Mina Bellagio Wine Dinner Featuring Huneeus VintnersBellagionewsroom.bellagio.com/bellagio/lat-est-news/dining

August 22-28 Las Vegas Restaurant Week Various Locations Throughout Las Vegas www.threesquare.org

August 23-24 San Diego Spirits FestivalSan Diego, Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier www.SanDiegoSpiritsFestival.com

Al Dentes’ Provisions page 7 [email protected] 702-642-1100

Big Dog’s Brewing Company page 26 www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse page 30 www.bjsrestaurants.com 702-851-8050

Cicerone® page 19 Certification Program www.cicerone.org

Culinary Academy page 31 www.theculinaryacademy.org

Designated Drivers, Inc. page 13 Las Vegas www.designateddriversinc.com 702-456-7433(RIDE)

Lyfe Kitchen page 2 Las Vegas www.lyfekitchen.com 702-558-0131

Jay’s Sharpening page 15 www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049

JCCNV page 13 www.jccnevada.com 702-428-0555

Major Products page 29 www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698

Stumbras-Lithuanian Spirits page 25 [email protected] 888-201-0733

The Spice Outlet page 7 www.thespiceoutlet.com 702-534-7883

Visstun page 32 Visually Stunning Cups www.visstuncups.com 800-401-2910

White Soy Sauce page 8 www.whitesoysaucefood.com

JO IN US FOR THEfirst annual Taste of Hospitality2 0 Y E A R S O F C H A N G I N G L I V E S

We are providing 20 scholarships to local nonprofit organizations in celebration of our 20th anniversaryAll proceeds will benefit the students of the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas

Tickets: general admission $75 I VIP reception $125 I Tickets available for purchase at www.theculinaryacademy.orgFor more information, contact Sydni Sayles at ssayles@culinaryartscatering or 702-924-2182.

Poolside at the3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 89109

Thursday, September 18, 2014 6-7 p.m., VIP Reception I 7-9 p.m., General Public

An all-inclusive event featuring: Tastings from premiere Strip restaurants World-class chefs Celebrity DJs Craft beer, wine, and cocktails Art, collectibles, and amazing staycations for auction and raffle

Honoring:Congressman Steven HorsfordGeorge Seess, Chef EmeritusJim Bonaventure, Director of Legal Affairs, Culinary Union Local 226Alumna Mayumi CamaraoMGM Resorts InternationalNevada Partners, Inc.Southern Wine & Spirits

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Buy Smart Today! Call Visstun® (800) 401-2910 visstuncups.com

Buy SmartLook BIG

NEW SIZE

Tall 21oz

NEW SIZE

Tall 12oz

• Custom Cups & Containers• Hi-Definition, Full-Color Print• Easy Versioning Options • Low Minimums• Quick Turnaround

Visstun® is a Las Vegas-based custom cup & container manufacturer specializing in Hi-Definition, full-color lithographic printing on reusable, recyclable plastic products and single use paper products. Our crisp vivid graphics and low order

minimum give you the branded, high quality look you need to grow your business while buying smaller, smarter volumes.

August 2014

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Transcript of August 2014