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Las Vegas Restaurants Step Up in Class

LAS VEGAS -- Long known as a haven for cheap buffets and 99-cent shrimp cocktails, Las Vegas is quietly developing a reputation as home to some of the world's finest restaurants, several industry experts said Tuesday.

Nearly 2,500 chefs and culinary professionals were in town this week for an American Culinary Federation convention at the MGM Grand. Between sampling hors d'oeuvres and attending seminars on the latest cooking techniques, several longtime visitors said they were impressed by recent improvements to the local dining scene.

"Restaurants in Las Vegas have reached the status where they can compete with slot machines, production shows and all of the other things this city has been known for," said New Orleans-based Chef Paul Prudhomme, who first visited Las Vegas in the 1960s. "Here restaurants used to fight wars over who could provide the lowest prices. Now they're going to war over who can offer the best quality of food, and I think it's a wonderful change."

Prudhomme also said Las Vegas' ability to attract visitors - particularly inside its casinos - has made the city more attractive to top-quality restaurateurs.

"Anytime you can open a business and get 3,000 or 4,000 people to walk past your front door every day, it's a good thing," Prudhomme said. "This city offers restaurants tremendous exposure."

Visitors have responded to improvements in the local restaurant industry by spending more money on food and drink. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, tourists spent an average of $213 per trip on food and drink last year. In 1996, that total was less than $111.

Chef Edward Leonard, president of the American Culinary Federation, said Americans in general have raised their standards when it comes to dining out.

"People see celebrity chefs on TV or eat in good restaurants at home, so they want to do the same thing when they come on vacation," Leonard said. "The restaurant market has become huge and that's driven consumers to look for better food, whether it's in Las Vegas, on a cruise ship or at a neighborhood restaurant."

Customers are also drawn to the names of famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Charlie Palmer, all of whom operate restaurants inside local resorts.

"Our guests expect chefs whose names they're familiar with," said Jenn Michaels, spokeswoman for MGM Mirage, whose MGM Grand property recently added restaurants operated by award-winning chefs Tom Colicchio (Craftsteak) and Michael Mina (Nobhill). "These (chefs) are the best in the world at what they do, and (diners) enjoy knowing their names and reputation."

Hard Rock Hotel President Don Marrandino agreed today's hotel-casinos must offer top quality restaurants to meet the rising expectations of their guests.

"People come from places like New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles and many are accustomed to eating in some of the world's best restaurants," Marrandino said. "If you want to be a world-class resort destination, you've got to have world-class restaurants."

The Hard Rock is already home to Nobu, a Japanese-themed restaurant headed by renown Chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa. In October, Marrandino said it plans to add another high-end restaurant when it opens Simon at the Hard Rock. The $2 million restaurant will be headed by Chef Kerry Simon, formerly of Prime in the Bellagio, and Elizabeth Blau, former senior vice president of restaurant development at Mirage Resorts.

Bert Cutino, a certified executive chef and co-owner of The Sardine Factory, an award-winning seafood restaurant located in Monterey, Calif., believes Las Vegas' dining scene has also benefitted as casino gambling spread across the United States.

"People who come here want to have the best experiences possible, be it in the shows, the hotels or places they eat," Cutino said. "Starting from the first days of (gambling in) Atlantic City, Las Vegas was very wise to realize it had to do more if it wanted to survive, and adding top restaurants was another way to bring people here."

Cutino said Las Vegas offers dining experiences that compare with or top any other location in the world.

"I think this city's restaurants are on par with New York and San Francisco. I would have loved to have been a part of things here," said Cutino, who turned down a chance to cook on the Strip when he and his longtime business partner, Ted Ballestereri, declined to open a restaurant in The Venetian several years ago.

"If I was a little younger, I'd have jumped at the chance. These days, I know you can have as good an experience eating here as (anywhere) in the country."

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