Vegas' Hottest Chefs

Top 10 Vegas Chef as Selected By Us:

1. Chef Charlie Palmer

2. Chef David Burke

3. Chef Bradley Ogden

4. Chef Nobu

5. Chef Michael Mina

6. Chef Alessandro Stratta

7. Chef Wolfgang Puck

8. Chef Paul Bartolotta

9. Chef David Walzag

10. Chef Rick Moonen

Chef Charlie Palmer
Born and raised in upstate New York Chef Charlie Palmer is a true pioneer of American cuisine. At just the tender age of 24 he was selected to be the executive chef for the River Cafe in New York. A short time after he was awarded the three star award of excellence from the New York Times. This was a huge honour for Charlie because it opened many new doors. A few years after receiving his Executive Chef position at the River Cafe, Charlie decided that it would be a good time to open his own restaurant. He felt that he had enough experience and expertise to run a successful restaurant.After some thought he opened the restaurant Aureole and he carried the duties of head chef and proprietor. This is when Chef Palmer really started to stand out from all of the other restaurants in the area and began emerging his new style of cuisine. Many critics were interested in Charlie because his cuisine was so different but still “American” at the same time. Over the years Charlie was labelled as a true pioneer of American cuisine and also taught many notable chefs in America. Charlie is now running and operating many restaurants In America. He gathered a selected team of Chefs which he meets frequently to discuss different menu items, ingredients and of course the success of the restaurants. Charlie still feels the need to go behind the line and cook and feels that “there’s nothing like jumping behind the line and cooking with the new guy on the fish station for three hours, establishing a good rapport and having him learn to cook to the standards of my palate.” He is also an author of three cookbooks that are available throughout bookstores across North America.Chef Charlie Palmer’s Sterling Club in Las Vegas is the most private dining room that is exclusive to very few people. It offers patrons a choice of personalized eight course menu, a five course Degustation menu, a vegetarian Degustation menu, seasonal lamb, beef and seafood menus.

Some Menu Items Include:

Maine Lobster and Artichoke Salad - Thai-basil scented vegetables and citrus vinaigrettePan Seared Barramundi Filet - Citrus Braised Butter Lettuce, Organic Carrot-Orange Reduction Strawberry Lemon Shortcake with Mar De Bois - sour cream ice cream, lemon sabayon

Chef David Burke
David Burke is a New Jersey Native. He attended the Culinary Institute of America for his education of the Culinary Arts. He then moved to France where he had worked for many different Nobel Chefs. David realized he had a passion for pastry's and went to school in France for Pastry Art. Years later, David moved home to America to work as a Sous Chef for Waldy Malouf. At 26, David Burke was the youngest and only American to win the France's coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d'Honneur. He then became the recipient of many other well respected culinary awards. As a Las Vegas icon, his career began there when he partnered with E-Brand restaurants to create the restaurant; "David Burke". Not only is David Burke a outstanding chef, but also an inventor, entrepreneur and an artist. Chef David Burke’s restaurant in Las Vegas called, was built to showcase Chef Burke’s panache for presentation and includes a bar and lounge, with seating for 50; a main dining room, with seating for 250; and space for up to 100 guests in the private banquet facilities.

Some Menu Items Include:

Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake – mango, poppy seed honey

Bronx style Filet Mignon of Veal – Yukon gold dumplings, morels
Butter Scotch Panna Cotta – curry cocoa jelly, meringue

Chef Bradley Ogden
Bradley Ogden was born in Traverse City, Michigan. His passion for the culinary world began at a young age when he decided to pursue his infatuation with food by attending the Culinary Institute of America. In 1977, Ogden graduated with honours and was awarded the student most likely to succeed. Ogden started off as a Bay Area Chef and moved his way up to an executive position at the Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco. It was when Chef Ogden partnered with Michael Dellar to open The Lark Creek Inn in Marin Country when the critics started to rave; Lark Creek was branded as one of the best restaurants in the nation. Following the success of Lark Creek Chef Ogden the opened up the following restaurants; One Market Restaurant in San Francisco, Lark Creek Inn in Walnut Creek and San Mateo, Yankee Pier in Larkspur, Parcel 104 in Santa Clara and finally Arterra in Del Mar. In 2003 Chef Ogden partnered with Ceaser’s Palace in Las Vegas and opened Bradley Ogden, claimed to be the ‘Best New Restaurant’ according to the very prestigious James Beard Foundation. Bradley Ogden is said to bring a little bit of Northern California to Las Vegas. It is a state of the art eight thousand square foot fine dining restaurant which can only be described as refined elegance and a benchmark for the food and wine that is known to Northern California.Chef Ogden has become widely recognized as one of America’s greatest chefs, with his philosophy being: “Keep it simple; use the freshest ingredients available and put them together in such a way that the flavours, colours and textures combine to bring out the best in each other” there is no wonder why he is admired and so well accepted in the culinary world.

Some Menu Items Include:

Fresh Monterey Bay, Pan-Sautéed Calamari - garlic butter, lemon, romano beans

Wood Grilled Whole Branzino - pine nuts, capers, bronx grapes, tea soaked raisins, lemon butter

Dark Chocolate Tart - Espresso Cream, Shaved Guittard Chocolate

Our Justification:
In order to determine Las Vegas’ top Chefs our group did extensive research online and in food and wine magazines. We chose who we thought were the top ten and then ranked our chefs based on the awards that they one. We divided the categories into International and Prestigious Awards, National Awards, Food and Wine Based Magazines, Las Vegas city Magazines and Rankings. It was here where we were able to asses who we felt we the three best Chefs of the ten that we chosen.

Tokyo's 10 Best

Top 10 Restaurants in Tokyo

1. L'atelier de Joel Robuchon - Chef Joel Robuchon
2. Sukiyabashi Jiro - Chef Jiro Ono
3. Sushi Mizutani - Chef Hachiro Mizutani
4. Koju
5. L'Osier
6. Quintessence
7. Hamadaya
8. Kanda
9. Yoshi
10. Tsukiji-Tamura
    
    

Chef Joel Robuchon

Joel Robuchon is a French chef born in 1945 in Poitiers, France. He was titled "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989 and also awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's Best Craftsman) in cuisine in 1976. He has published several cookbooks in French, two of which have been translated into English, and hosted a culinary television show in France. He operates more than a dozen restaurants in cities worldwide, including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Macau, Monaco, New York City, Paris, and Tokyo, with a total of 17 Michelin Guide stars among them - the most of any chef in the world. At the age of 28, he was appointed head chef at the hotel Harmony-Lafayette. He has mentored such distinguished chefs Gordon Ramsay and Michael Caines. At 31, he won the Meilleur Ouvrier de France for his excellent Craftsmanship in culinary arts. Robuchon is the most influential chef of the post-nouvelle cuisine era and since the mid-eighties has been called primus inter pares of Paris’ three star chefs for work both at Jamin and at his eponymous restaurant. He was renowned for the relentless perfectionism of his cuisine. His food was seen as instrumental in leading French cuisine away from the excesses - and excessive reductionism - of nouvelle cuisine. In particular, his cuisine was seen as harkening back to a more authentic, even bourgeois French cuisine - the "cuisine actuelle" of Patricia Wells' book (re-published as "Simply French") which focused on making each ingredient taste of itself.

Chef Jiro Ono

An 82-year-old sushi chef crowned the world's oldest three-star chef by the famed Michelin Guide. Ono was born in Shizuoka Prefecture. He went into service at a restaurant at the age of 9, and after studying in Tokyo, he became independent in 1965. He says he never drank coffee because it would change the taste on his tongue. Ono is head chef of three-star restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro. The restaurant is located on a basement level, has no menu, and doesn't accept credit cards. Its bathroom is shared with another business. A Tokyo edition of the Michelin guide stated that the price for a course ranges between 27,000 yen and 32,000 yen regardless of the time of day.

Chef Hachiro Mizutani

Master Mizutani has been working at Sushi bars for 44 years after graduating from junior high school. He worked Kyoubashi Yosino, Sukiyabasi Jiro, Yokohama Jiro then Sinbashi Mizutani. He now the head chef of three star Michelin award restaurant Sushi Mizutani.

Justification: Our group did an extensive research on the Top restaurants in Tokyo. We researched a total of twenty restaurants and ranked them according to the most prestigious awards. Out of our twenty awards we then selected the top ten according to the most prestigious award received. Our ranking was based on three teirs. Teir one contained national and international recognition such as Zagat, Michelin and Gault-Millau with fifty points. Teir two contained local and regional recognition such as yahoo travel, new york times with twenty points and teir three contained individual favourable reviews by individual food critics with ten points.

Based on this ranking, L'atelier de Joel Robuchon ranked number one on our list with awards such as Michelin, Zagat and Gault-Millau and a total of one hundred eighty points. Sukiyabashi Jiro ranked second with one hundred and twenty points and awards such as World's 50 best and Michelin and Sushi Mizutani ranked third with awards such as Zagat, Michelen and Yahoo travel and a total of ninety points.

All three of our top restaurants received the Michelin three star award this year.

Fine Dinning in Los Angeles & South California

TOP 10 RESTAURANTS
1. The French Laundry - Chef Thomas Keller
2. Cyrus - Chef Douglas Keane
3. Fleur de Lys - Chef Hubert Keller
4. Patina - Chef Theo Schoenegger
5. Chez Panisse - Chef Alice Waters
6. Spago - Chef Wolfgang Puck
7. Mélisse - Chef Josiah Citrin
8. The Belvedere -Chef Sean Hardy
9. Matsuhisa - Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
10. Providence - Chef Michael Cimarusti


CHEF THOMAS KELLER

Thomas Keller was born on October 14^th 1955 in Camp Pendelton, Oceanside California. His father; Edward was a marine drill instructor and his mother; Betty a restaurateur. Keller is the youngest of five brothers.

Keller began his passion for cooking in his teens, beginning as a dishwasher at the Palm Beach Yatch Club. Keller later moved up to a chef and was discovered by his mentor Roland Henin. Roland Henin hired Keller to come work at the Dunes Club as a cook for staff meals. Through the watchful eye of Henin, Keller learned the fundamentals of classical French cooking.

The next couple of years took Keller to New York, Paris and Los Angeles. Where he began his work at The French Laundry.

Today, Keller is a well known for his French cooking style, which is shown through the dishes of The French Laundry. Keller is an American Chef, Restaurateur and Cookbook writer.

Thomas Keller was honoured various awards throughout his career thus far. The awards include:

Ÿ Best American Chef: California, James Beard Foundation, 1996

Ÿ Outstanding Chef: America, James Beard Foundation, 1997

Ÿ Chef of the Year, Bon Appétit Magazine, 1998

Ÿ Five-Star Award, Mobil|Mobil Travel Guide, 1999-2004

Ÿ America's Best Chef, TIME Magazine, 2001

The French Laundry:

Thomas Keller discovered The French Laundry in 1992, when he just happened to stumble upon an old French steam Laundry. Keller fell in love with the building, property and potential, he then began his nineteen month scraping of $1.2 million to purchase the property. The French Laundry opened in the summer of 1994, and has received numerous awards since including:

Ÿ Best New Restaurant (Per Se), James Beard Foundation, 2005 Michelin Guide New York, 3 Stars for per se, November 2005, 2006, 2007 Michelin Guide Bay Area, 3 Stars for The French Laundry, October 2006, 2007

Ÿ Best Restaurant in the World, for French Laundry in Restaurant Magazine Top 50 Restaurants of the World 1st place (2003, 2004), 3rd place (2005), 4th place (2006, 2007) Best Restaurant in the Americas, for French Laundry in Restaurant Magazine Top 50 Restaurants of the World, 1st place for French Laundry (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007),

Ÿ Outstanding Wine Service Award, James Beard Foundation, 2001

Ÿ Outstanding Service Award, James Beard Foundation, 2003 and 2nd place for per se (2005, 2006, 2007)

Ÿ Favourite Restaurant in the U.S. - Restaurant Experts' Poll, Food & Wine Magazine, 2000

Ÿ Top Restaurant for Food, Wine Spectator Magazine, 2000

Ÿ Voted #1 - Top Food, Zagat Guide to the Bay Area, 1998-2003

The menu for the French Laundry contains a fixed price of $240.00 USD per person (2007) with a 5-9 tasting dish. The French Laundry is known for Keller’s praised signature dishes that have ’whimsical names’ such as Oysters and Pearls, Tongue in Cheek, Peas and Carrots and Coffee and Doughnuts.

CHEF DOUGLAS KEANE

Douglas Keane discovered his love for cooking when he was a young boy, helping his mother out in their Michigan home. This love carried Keane through his teens, where he applied and attended Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. During his schooling, Keane apprenticed in San Francisco’s Ritz-Carleton Hotel.

After graduation he worked at the Four Seasons in New York at the Seminal Restaurant in the Seagram Tower. Here he learned the different cooking stations, and pressures of cooking for celebrities. During his time at Four Seasons Keane worked his way up to Sous Chef. Keane then moved onto the Lespinasse, which is one of the Big Apples high end dining destinations. It was here at Lespinasse that Keane found his mentor: chef Gray Kunz.

Despite his experience and work in New York, Keane’s love for California had him return. In 2002 Keane was honoured by San Francisco Chronicle with the “Rising Star Chef” award, earning a 3.5 star for his cuisine.

In 2003, Keane opened his restaurant Market with his friend Nick Peyton. Keane ran the back of the house, while Peyton ran the front of the house. Their restaurant key focus was on all-American cuisine, such as grilled cheese sandwiches, meatloaf and pork.

Cyrus:

Nestled in the heart of Sonoma wine country, with its intimate elegancy, Cyrus restaurant is describe by Keane as his “dream restaurant.” The restaurant illustrates a combination of contemporary luxury cuisine with a strong French base, and contemporary global accents with an emphasis on seasonality. The Cyrus menu is price fixed yet completely flexible, it consists of a 3-5 dish selection from anything on the menu, wine sommelier to pair for you, amuse bouche and extensive cheese tray to start, and to end your night, mignardises and bon bons to take with you.

CHEF HUBERT KELLER

Hubert Keller was born in Alsace, France and attended École Hotielier in Strasbourg. Upon graduating, he began his career as a pastry chef. Keller has trained with legendary France chefs, Paul Bocuse, Paul Haeberlin and Roger Verge before coming to San Francisco. Keller’s cooking is contemporary French cooking with a Mediterranean accent.

In 1986 Keller co-owned with executive chef Maurice Rouas, of the first Fleur de Lys restaurant. Keller opened the Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where he featured a $60 “Rossini Burger” which was made of American kobe beef, sautéed foie gras and shaved truffles. When 1990 arrived, Keller received an invite from the White House as their first guest chef. Keller prepared a gourmet, low-fat dinner for President Clinton and his family.

Keller has been honoured with many awards throughout his career thus far. Some awards include:

Ÿ 10 Best Chefs in America (Food & Wine Magazine)

Ÿ Best Chef, California (James Beard Award), 1993

Ÿ Who’s Who of Food & Beverage (James Beard Foundation) 2003

In 2004, Keller opened a Fleur de Lys in Las Vegas, and now works alongside his wife: Chantal Keller. She assists with running the restaurant, she tests recipes and styles gifts, and assists with his cookbooks and TV shows.

Fleur de Lys:

Fleur de Lys restaurant is world renowned for its dishes. It has been honoured with many awards including:

Ÿ Second Best restaurant in the World (Wine Spectator), 1998

Ÿ Ivy Award (Restaurants & Institution)

Ÿ Dining Hall of Fame

Ÿ DiRoNA Award (Nation’s Restaurant News) 2006

Ÿ Top 25 Restaurants in America (Food & Wine Magazine)

The Fleur de Lys menu is classic French cuisine on a fixed priced. Keller uses his Alsatian sensibilities for his dishes instead of the old standards. The menu is also attractive to customers because it offers dishes that are reduced in fat, vegetarian, no-fat dinners all with seasonal California ingredients.