Eating Vegas (and happy Canada Day!)

A few weeks ago many of the world’s celebrated chefs gathered in the 35 C alfresco heat at Bon Appetit’s Vegas Uncork’d Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace, part of the sold-out annual culinary weekend where more than 30 events are packed into four days, with some 60 restaurants, 50 chefs and 30 sommeliers snacking, chatting and swilling together. At the Grand Tasting, the biggest and splashiest of the weekend’s events, I positioned myself at the end of the red carpet, where I asked everyone from Nobu Matsuhisa to Gordon Ramsay what their favourite dish is at their own Vegas restaurant -- plus a dish they enjoy at a friend’s Sin City table. Then I feasted on their top picks during a chefs’ grand tour, which ran in the Globe & Mail this week.

This trip actually changed my mind about Vegas. I had been a couple of times before, and wasn’t a fan. Too much of too much – people with gallon-sized colourful frozen drinks strung around their necks, other people chained to the one-armed bandits for days -- the whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way.

But as I learned, it needn’t be so. Book a nice hotel – I highly recommend the new Cosmopolitan (it’s super cool, has great restaurants, clubs and swimming pools, and it's the only hotel on the Strip whose rooms have private terraces), go for a couple of nice meals, read by the pool, take a swim, do some light shopping, and you’ve got yourself a really enjoyable weekend. 

That said, you know where I think the restaurants are even better than in Vegas? Canada! And with the fireworks, swimming, hot weather and good grub, this long weekend has been almost Vegas-like, and mighty enjoyable too.

Happy 145th B-day, Canada.

This just in: Trains, avocados and a TIFF of the toque to Vegas

Today, in the spirit of Mexican Independence Day and Canadian multiculturalism [and marketing savvy], 20,000 Mexican avocados will be handed out at Union Station starting at 6 a.m. while a live Mariachi band plays, festive Mexican dancers perform, chef Juan Salinas creates avocado recipes and the Mexican flag is raised, transforming a regular workday commute into a rush hour fiesta.

But it’s not all about guacamole and strolling musicians. Rated as the world’s most nutritious fruit in the Guinness Book of World Records (la-dee-da), avocados contain almost 20 essential nutrients such as folic acid, protein, iron, vitamin E, vitamin K and a variety of B vitamins. The also contain about 9 grams of fibre per avocado – more than any other fruit. They’re cholesterol free, a good source of lutein, which helps maintain healthy eyesight, they’re a source of potassium and are low in sodium.

Who knew taking the train could be so healthy?

In other news, it seems like Vegas chefs are taking over T.O. during TIFF. Chef Carlos Buscaglia from Las Vegas' Fiamma at the MGM Grand made the rounds as he "popped up" a restaurant with Chef Rob Gentile (ONE, Bymark) in his soon to open Buca, nestled along King Street West’s restaurant row. Penelope Cruz enjoyed Chef Buscaglia's signature gnocchi with lobster and white truffles. Two days later the chef was at it again, this time transforming Brassaii into Fiamma for the likes of George Clooney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman and Bill Murray, where they dined on braised Piedmontese style short ribs and truffled potatoes, heirloom tomato salad and a wild Ontario blackberry Neapolitan.

Meanwhile, John Schenk, Executive Chef at Strip House Las Vegas was in the kitchen at Jacobs and Co. for an evening, working his meaty magic on Ed Norton, Kerri Russell, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.

Not to be outdone, I was recently spotted at a TIFF party, chewing a piece of gum while standing near Naomi Watts, Jimmy Smits and Anthony LaPaglia, and a couple of days later, almost tripped into Colin Firth’s chest while he left a Yorkville sushi spot. So, I’m basically like a Vegas chef.