Rita Demontis

Vegas a la carte

By RITA DeMONTIS, QMI Agency

March 10, 2010

Food trends from fabled city

You know the old saying what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas?

Not the food! After a whirlwind tour and dining marathon, I discovered there's more to Vegas than slots, sin and sensational shows -- the place is an excess of awesome eateries. And some of the hottest food trends around -- trends you can easily recreate back home.

Like exquisitely detailed miniature wedding cakes, (for $20US), elegant desserts in glass preserve bottles, olive oil served in butter, bright green chive spaetzle (tiny german noodle dumplings) and thinly-sliced apple chips that doubled as edible plates.

And talk about licking chocolate through glass -- the unbelievable sight of a glass-enclosed 27-ft. fountain with more than 2,100 lbs. of melted chocolate flowing through it. Designed by Montreal artist Michel Mailhot, this engineering marvel can be seen at Bellagio Hotel's Jean-Philippe Patisserie.

And yes, the famous buffets are still big business in Las Vegas, as are the jumbo shrimp cocktails -- but you can also find the foods of such notable chefs as Bobby Flay, Charlie Palmer, Joel Robuchon, Wolfgang Puck and the homegrown comfort of Caesar Palace's Rao's (in case you never get a seat at the legendary eatery's original New York restaurant -- and odds are you won't.)

And you can have the most incredible Sunday brunch at the Palm Place's Simon restaurant, home to celebrity chef Kerry Simon, and where you're encouraged to show up on Sundays in your PJs for a belt-unbuckling buffet of traditional favourites. We're talking no less than five types of eggs benedict along with hundreds of other delicious specials including sushi, panini, fresh vanilla bean yogurt and a delicious corn flake-crusted French toast.

Brunch ends with Simon's signature "Junk Food Platter" that features all your childhood favourites including cotton candy, rice krispy treats, cookie dough, and hostess cup cakes.

"The platter is allowing people to indulge in foods that make them happy," says Simon, dubbed the rock-and-roll chef by Rolling Stone Magazine and, who among his impressive CV, was Donald Trump's personal chef for two years. "And, no matter how many times I introduce healthy food options, customers always asked for foods that comforted them -- like meatloaf and chicken and dumplings.

"When I took meatloaf off my menu once patrons went crazy -- I had to bring it back!"

We wanted to bring it all back home, too, junk food platter and all.

SIMON FRENCH TOAST

Recipe courtesy Kerry Simon (simonatpalmsplace.com).

3 eggs
1/4 cup (50ml) milk
1/4 tsp. (1ml) EACH vanilla extract and cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
8 slices brioche, sliced on diagonal
1 box corn flakes, crushed
Butter

Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Submerge brioche in milk mixture and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Remove toast from milk, and coat in corn flakes. Pat corn flakes on so that there is no bread exposed. Cook bread in a nonstick pan coated with over medium heat, 4 minutes per side. Garnish with berries and powdered sugar.

Serves 4-6.