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Except for ELV (who prefers more demure, refined women), every guy in Bellagio’s Tuscany Kitchen last Saturday wanted to flirt with Top Chef’s Gail Simmons.

Food and Wine guest chef Fabio Viviani had all the women swooning as well…the way only a funny, swarthy, demonstrative, self-effacing, good looking Italian dude can.

To complete the picture, Michael Mina’s Marc St. Jacques had everyone laughing (who knew he was such a card?), and Le Cirque/Circo pastry chef Philippe Angibeau was satisfied just to blow everyone away with white chocolate ice cream inside a molded milk chocolate ball, melted with warm chocolate sauce he conjured up to a packed house of hungry eyes.

Master Sommelier and Bellagio Wine Director Jason Smith accompanied each course with contrasting new world/old world pairings (although the meal began with the distinctly old world, exquisite Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Grand Cuvee 1998), and if you asked anyone of the 100 or so folks in attendance, every one of them would’ve described it as the best lunch in Vegas that day (with instructive cooking demos, fabuloso wines and plenty of yuk yuks thrown in for good measure).

Every event at Tuscany Kitchen is unique, but it’s an experience no experienced (or novice) foodie can afford to miss. For details and reservations, call the number below and tell ’em ELV sent ya!

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TUSCANY KITCHEN

In the Bellagio Hotel and Casino

Call 866.406.7117 or 702.693.7076 for information on upcoming events.