Category: Miscellaneous

Letter Of The Week

Readers of ELV: The following letter was sent to KNPR – Nevada Public Radio by a listener. Eating Las Vegas thought you might be interested in its contents and our response.

Dear Editor,

I recently read “My almost dinner with Andre”, column, posted at www.eatinglv.com by John Curtas, KNPR’s “Food Critic”.

In it, John Curtas brags about spending $19,000 a year in restaurant tabs.
Let’s look at this figure and break it down some.
– 20% of this amount consists of gratuities, leaving $15,833 in gross
restaurant tab
– 7.75% of this is tax, leaving $14,694 in net restaurant tab
– Divided by 12 months, this makes it $1,224 per month in restaurant tab or, per week, $282.57.

$287.57! That’s just what one expects to spend on an average check for
food and wine, for two people, at the great majority of fine restaurants in town (The kind Mr. Curtas promotes on his website).

One could conclude that Mr. Curtas either eats out only once a week,
hardly the hallmark of any serious food critic’s research standards, or, eats “freebies”
the rest of the days and thus, looses the objectivity required and expected of a true crtic. Which is it?

John Curtas, a Bona Fide Food Critic? Where is Ruth Reichl, I ask? Enough said.

Chris Mullis
KNPR Listener
Las Vegas

Dear Mr. Mullis,

Your arithmetic is correct but your methodology is wrong. Continue reading “Letter Of The Week”

Best Food Week Ever – Contest

In lieu of a more complete posting, accompanied by a number of snaps from Friday’s and Saturday’s James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Las Vegas festivities (that will be coming in the next day or two, along with the pithy, witty, erudite and tongue-in-cheek commentary for which he is known), Eating Las Vegas hereby offers the following reader contest regarding this pic: Can you tell us what these two guys have in common with this guy?

The prize: Lunch with ELV and an uber-babe to be named later.*

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 An obscure clue to be sure….but nonetheless, a clue.

Hot Bartender Watch – Restaurant Charlie

Jeremy ain’t exactly ELV’s cup of tea, but plenty o’ ladies think he melts the ice in their drink. More flaming by far are the mighty cool cocktails he conjures nightly at the uber-fashionable cocktail bar at Restaurant Charlie.

To celebrate October 15th, The Official Birthday of The Official Number Two Son of ELV, he gave us a preview of his appropriately Autumnal libations. One of them, “Pumpkin,” tasted just like liquified pie, and his “Autumn” cocktail with housemade chai soy milk, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and fresh grated Chinese cardamom is so good it could make even this gal rethink her politics.