Epicurean Affair serves up taste of Las Vegas

By Melissa Arseniuk

Friday, April 24, 2009 | 6:45 a.m.

The 19th annual Epicurean Affair took over the pool and gardens at the Flamingo last night and, once again, the event put the “epic” in “epicurean.”

Though numbers were slightly down from last year, the vendors were there in familiar force – and there was oh, so much, oh, so delicious food on hand.

From Maggiano’s lobster ravioli to Veloce Cibo’s macadamia nut-encrusted foie gras lollipops, there was more than enough to go around and satisfy a diverse range of palates.

There was also a notable abundance of oysters (both in the shell and as shooters); strawberry-infused drinks and desserts; champagne; and chocolate.

Considering the plethora of aphrodisiacs on hand, it seemed the “affair” in “Epicurean Affair” was also well represented.

And the night was an affair to remember.

With restaurants like Dos Caminos, Valentino, Cathouse, Origin India, Tao, Envy Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's, and the Cupcakery all on hand, the offerings were as diverse as they were plentiful.

There was Mexican, Italian, American, Indian, Asian, steak, seafood, sweets, and then some -- and almost as much booze, too. Between all the beer, wine, champagne, margaritas, mixed drinks and specialty spirits, it was safe to say no one went thirsty last night.

Here’s a list of some of the more notable foodie finds:

Most Impressive Spread: Valentino

The James Beard-awarded restaurant went above and beyond the standard two or three offerings at Epicurean Affair ’09, serving up a dozen different items for those who were willing to wait in what soon became quite the line.

On the menu: orcchiette pasta with pesto and ricotta salata; veal tommato vitello; chicken galantina; stuffed calamari; three salads (seafood with celery root, tuna and red onion, and shrimp and white bean); fresh bread; and homemade marinated artichokes, red peppers and eggplant. For dessert: Nutella crepes.

Best New Performance: M Resort

M Resort’s debut at Epicurean Affair was a big one, as the newest casino on The (far south) Strip showcased its culinary offerings in grandiose fashion.

There was sushi, several varieties of seafood, more meat than a person could eat (including the previously-mentioned macadamia nut-encrusted foie gras lollipops) and sweets to top it all off.

Most Unexpected (and delicious) Offering: Jasmine.

(Honorable Mention: Renaissance Catering)

Most wouldn’t think of pairing crustaceans with watermelon, but that’s precisely what Jasmine did, serving up perfectly symmetrical cubes of sweet melon topped with a light lobster salad.

One of Renaissance Catering’s atypical offerings is also worth mentioning. It wasn’t the blackened tuna that was surprising; it was the cherry, apricot and cranberry-crusted balls of goat cheese served on tawny port skewers that stole the show in a shocking kind of way.

Most Raved About Offering: Marche Bacchus.

Three separate parties mentioned the scallops at the Summerlin restaurant’s booth as one of their favorites of the night, making Marche Bacchus the most talked about spot along the road to a very, very full stomach.

Best Functional Booth Presentation: Red Square

While the Russian bar proved to be somewhat of a contradiction last night – they served Canadian vodka – the East-meets-West pairing made for a tasty martini.

Staffers poured shots of straight, sweet vermouth and cranberry Crystal Head through an impressive ice skull sculpture to chill it to perfection before serving.

Mini martinis were made using the vermouth version of Dan Ackroyd’s spirit, each complemented by a blue cheese-stuffed olive.

Some final thoughts:

-- While Cathouse was in the house last night, Kerry Simon’s namesake eatery, Simon, was not. This left the door open for Planet Hollywood’s Spice Market Buffet to hand out Simon’s signature sweet, cotton candy.

Simon’s branding seemed to shine through, though, as the clouds of pink still seemed to scream “Palms Place” more than “Planet Hollywood.”

Participating restaurants included:

Bally's

Bellagio

Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel

Binion's Ranch Steakhouse

Boyd Coffee Company

Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace

Brinker International Restaurants

Caesars Palace

Cathouse

Chicago Brewing Company

China Grill Group

Company Kitchen & Pubhouse

DeLuca Liquor & Wine, Ltd.

Diego

Don Miguel's

Dos Caminos

Elements Kitchen & Martini Bar

Embers Steakhouse

Emeril's New Orleans Fish House

Envy The Steakhouse

Fiamma Trattoria & Bar

Fiji Water Company

Flamingo Las Vegas

Four Queens Hotel & Casino

Gaylord India Restaurant at the Rio

Giorgio Italian Restaurant

Gordon Biersch Brewery

Harrah's Las Vegas

Hugo's Cellar

Il Mulino

Imperial Palace

Jasmine

LAVO

Le Burger Brasserie

Les Artistes Steakhouse

Luxor Hotel & Casino

M Resort

Maggiano's Little Italy

Mandalay Bay

Marche Bacchus

Margaritaville

Marinelli’s

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

Memphis Championship BBQ

MGM Grand

Mirage

Neros

Nora's Wine Bar & Osteria

Origin India

Oyster Bar

Paris Las Vegas

Payard Patisserie & Bistro

Paymon Hookah Lounge

Pearl Chinese Restaurant

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

Prime Rib Loft

Rao's

R.E. Tapas Kitchen & Lounge

Red Square

Renaissance Catering

Renaissance Las Vegas

RhumBar

Ricardo's Las Vegas

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

Rum Jungle

Samba

Sin City Brewing

Southern Wine & Spirits

Spice Market Place

Steakhouse 46

TAO Asian Bistro

Tao Beach

Terzetto

Texas de Brazil

The Cupcakery

The Orleans Hotel & Casino

The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino

The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino

Toby Keith's

Valentino Las Vegas

Valentino Restaurant Group

Veloce Cibo

Via Brasil Steakhouse

WetRepublic

Whole Foods Market

ZINE Noodles