Category: Interviews

The Guy Who Cooks The Food

The protege in Robuchon’s kitchen

The Chef of the Century’s name is above the door, but this is the guy who’s really cooking dinner

“French chefs are so well trained, they don’t know how not to make it right.” – Laurent Tourondel

I first met Steve Benjamin in January 2005, shortly after Joël Robuchon had opened his two stunning restaurants at the MGM Grand. Benjamin was pointed out to me as the fellow who would be taking over executive chef duties at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, once Robuchon and his Parisian team were satisfied that this second installment of J.R.’s restaurant empire was performing up to Chef of the Century standards. Continue reading “The Guy Who Cooks The Food”

ESTIATORIO MILOS – Big Fish

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“In Spain and Europe, even middle class people are proud to spend their money on the best, fresh food from farmers and fisherman. But too many people here (read: Americans) have gotten spoiled and now want everything cheap.” So says José Andrés (arguably the chef with the most food cred in America right now) to me as we discuss the most remarkable restaurant to open in Las Vegas in the past five years. Essentially, that restaurant is his competition — sitting as it does a stone’s throw from Jaleo (his just-opened spot) across the third floor of The Cosmopolitan — in what will soon be called The Ultimate Gourmet Food Court by every gastronome in America.

Continue reading “ESTIATORIO MILOS – Big Fish”

ELV goes Greek to Greek (feta to feta?) with MILOS founder Costas Spiliadis

ELV note: The original of this article appears in today’s issue of the Las Vegas Weekly.

COSMO’S ESTIATORIO MILOS REFLECTS ITS CREATOR’S BACK-TO-BASICS VISION

“I got into this business to change how people think about Greek food.” That’s how 63-year-old Costas Spiliadis greets me as we sit down for lunch. With the opening of his Estiatorio Milos inside the Cosmpolitan fast approaching, he’s living at the Mandarin Oriental these days, training his staff round the clock. He’s ready to be questioned, Greek to Greek, about running the best Greek restaurants in the world.

Continue reading “ELV goes Greek to Greek (feta to feta?) with MILOS founder Costas Spiliadis”