Getting Smashed with Class – Cocktails and Cuisine at Encore

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When you put master mixologists Steve Olson, Tony Abou-Ganim and Patricia Richards together at the same time, you can pretty much be assured that the good booze will be flowing.

Combine their talents with Italian nibbles from Theo Schoenegger and James Benson, and you have the booziest, funnest, and tastiest sippin’ seminar….ever.

It all took place beside the Encore pool and was packed with devotees of the cult of the cocktail. Surprisingly, the afternoon soiree was a remarkably sober affair for all the top shelf hooch being hand-crafted to a fare thee well.

Maybe that’s because Abou-Ganim’s acolytes are more interested in flavor, ingredients and technique than intoxication.

ELV of course, was only there to lap up the libations and plow through the potent potables.

And as you can see, the result of seven spectacular drinks before 5 PM wasn’t a pretty sight.

Culinary Luminaries Loom Large Over Vegas

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Nowhere on earth but Las Vegas has the economic and tourism horsepower to gather the likes of Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Masa Takayama, Alain Ducasse, and Pierre Gagnaire — Michelin 3-star chefs all — in one place at one time for a photo op and press event like the one above.

But there they were last Thursday afternoon at miX at the top of THE Hotel in the Mandalay Bay to meet, kibbitz and be photographed by the press corps for the beginning of Vegas Uncork’d.

This year Ducasse saber’d the champagne for the official kickoff, ELV actually shook hands with Bobby Flay*, and Oscar Goodman finally admitted that food in general (and gourmet restaurants in particular) are something unique and wonderful about our humble burg — that even lasagna-lovin’, gin-swilling, populist politicians need to pay attention to.

As usual, the event got minimal-to-no coverage from the Review Journal — which seems to take some kind of perverse pride in ignoring the world-wide impact these chefs and restaurants have had on our town.

Pity.

For them, not the rest of us.

Because they don’t know what they’re missing.

* Not exactly a warm, I’ve missed you so bro-type of handshake, more like a “…we need to turn you around about my restaurant…” sort of greeting, followed by a “…okay dude, I’ll give it another chance…” pressing of the flesh.

ELV Brutally Attacked as Chefs Kickoff Uncork’d at Three Square!

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For all of the fun Vegas Uncork’d is for a local foodie, we would be remiss in our duties to our community and this most worthwhile charity, if we didn’t recognize its good works, and the donation of time and effort a number of notable local chefs made to help make sandwiches for the hungry as a kickoff for last week’s Vegas Uncork’d Presented by Bon Appetit.

It was all going soooo smoothly until David Werly, that heretofore amiable Alsatian, started channeling Andre Rochat (or perhaps Paymon) and brutally attacked ELV by attempting to strangle him, whilst a gaggle of gourmet talent stood by and…well…let’s just say they didn’t exactly LEAP to our defense.

Thank god Three Square Executive Director Julie “The Hammer” Murray was there to restore order and save our life.

And it was all because ELV tried to show Shawn McClain, Jean-Philippe Maury, Issac Carter, Martin Heierling and Rob Moore how to make a simple sandwich, but they just wouldn’t listen!

Geez Louise! We were just trying to help…

The good news is: no matter how…choke choke sniff sniff….bad the experience was, ELV is man enough not to go all Perez Hilton over it.

And he supposes a few meals at Le Cirque will be just the thing to soothe his shattered nerves.