Uncork’d goes vegan

By Sarah Feldberg

Thursday, March 24, 2011 | 9:40 p.m.

We totally saw this coming. Back in November, we put Steve Wynn on the Weekly cover presiding over a bounty of vegetables. The headline: “The Vegan Apostle.” So it only makes sense that Wynn would use annual culinary festival Vegas Uncork’d as a way to spread the gospel. On May 7, Wynn/Encore chefs Alex Stratta, Kim Canteenwalla, Jet Tila, Mark LoRusso and David Walzog will all serve meat- and dairy-free dishes as part of Viva Las Vegan, a special event co-hosted by vegan author Tal Ronnen. While some chefs might shudder at creating lavish dishes without such culinary staples as butter, meat or cheese, Wynn’s crew already has plenty of experience. Every restaurant at the resorts now offers vegan dishes, and Ronnen is working with the chefs to craft all-vegan menus that live up to the standards set by their omnivorous fare. Viva Las Vegan, $125 per person, will feature each chef’s creations, along with organic cocktails by mixologist Patricia Richards and desserts from pastry chefs Kimberly Valdez and Jenifer Fournier. Which is to say, even if you’re eating vegan, you’ll be eating very, very well.