Columnist Muriel Stevens: In '99, Las Vegas joined dining elite

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at [email protected] or 259-4080.

The New Year is in full swing, yet I'm still playing '99 catch-up. This past year was the one when food writers who never before could be convinced to write about Las Vegas dining came to see for themselves the remarkable changes.

It's very exciting. For the first time my national colleagues are taking the time to personally dine at our splendid new restaurants.

One writer for a national magazine invited me to join her on two of the days she would be here. I accepted before knowing the madness of her schedule. She would be here less than five days, but wanted to cover everything -- buffets, lunches and dinners.

She also wanted to be anonymous. I couldn't promise that, when I was with her (she had other dining partners for every meal), but assured her that if the reservation was under her name(s), they could hardly change the kitchen when we arrived. We would have dinner at two different restaurants each night -- the first at 5:30 p.m.; the second at 9 p.m. Reservations would be made under one of the three names she uses for dining assignments.

On the first night I forgot which name she was using at that restaurant and had to recite all three. It was, of course, the last of the three.

We ate as sparingly as we could without being too obvious, but even with the smaller portions of the tasting dinners we ordered it was not easy. At each restaurant we arrived on time, but between eating and discussing what we ate we barely made it to our next dinner at 9 p.m.

At the end of her short stay the writer had eaten at 18 eateries! Her pattern was to have a buffet and a lunch and two dinners each day. And if that doesn't add up, be assured that there were days when she managed to do a few more!

During our dinners she wrote copious notes on a steno pad barely concealed on her lap. So much for being anonymous. And if you ask questions of the staff, that also blows your cover. But at no time did she identify herself or her assignment and no one dared ask.

We discussed only the food, not what she was going to say about it, so I'll just have to wait to see the article when it comes out in the spring.

James Beard dinner at Rio: What a dinner the "Great American Chefs" created for those attending the late fall James Beard Foundation dinner at the Rio. The James Beard Foundation was established in 1986 as a charitable foundation dedicated to keeping alive "the ideals and activities that made James Beard the acknowledged Father of American Cooking."

The splendid dinner took place in Napa restaurant and was hosted by Executive Chef Jean-Louis Palladin. Palladin was in fine form, as were all the other participating chefs: Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger, Boston), Jasper White (seafood expert), Ken Oringer (Clio, Boston), Michael Ginor (Hudson Valley Foie Gras, New York), Craig Shelton (the Ryland Inn, New Jersey), David Burke (Park Avenue Cafe, New York), and Tom Colicchio and Claudia Fleming (Gramercy Tavern, New York).

A reception with canapes by Jean-Louis and Taittinger 2000 champagne preceded dinner -- five courses and dessert. Absolutely smashing was the first course presented by Ming Tsai -- the base of a double martini glass was the platform for a tall "parfait," layered with tuna, hamachi and osetra caviar with fresh wasabi vinaigrette. Inside the upturned glass were a ball of wasabi and decorative greens. Both the parfait and presentation were glorious. Ming Tsai can be seen regularly on his "East Meets West" show on the the Food Network.

Jasper White's Bermuda chowder of crab and rockfish was accented with sherry peppers and a splash of Gosling's Rum. A sumptuous pairing.

Oringer and Ginor dazzled with their hot and cold foie gras offerings. It was so good that there were requests for seconds, something rarely seen at one of these dinners.

Shelton placed savory slices of roast mallard duck atop a bed of amaranth, a nutritious ancient grain. The combination was delicious.

Burke's poached lamb, served with cauliflower mousse and clams oregano, refreshed our waning appetites. The lamb was perfect, and so beautiful was the rosy color.

Completing the ideal meal was dessert by Colicchio and Fleming -- individual apple tarte Tatin with sweetened goat cheese and apple raisin verjus (juice extracted from large unripe grapes). The verjus added just a bit of tartness.

This was an exceptional dining experience. The Beard Foundation dinners are open to the public. For information on upcoming James Beard Foundation events, call 252-7777.

Short orders

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