Where I Stand — Tom Kaplan: Fine dining no illusion

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1999 | 9:28 a.m.

Editor's note: Today's Where I Stand is written by Tom Kaplan, managing partner of Wolfgang Puck's fine-dining restaurants. These restaurants include Spago and Chinois in the Forum Shops and Lupo at Mandalay Bay. Kaplan writes of two opportunities: for Las Vegans to experience world-class fine dining, and for restaurateurs to give back to their community.

IN LESS THAN one year Las Vegas has witnessed the single largest opening of fine dining establishments in one city at one time in the history of the restaurant business and almost instantaneously positioned itself to compete with the best food cities in the United States.

This incredible phenomenon has been extensively documented by the local, national and international media and, as a result, Las Vegas has become both the darling and the envy of the culinary world.

Underneath all the hype there have been many tangible benefits for Las Vegans -- primary among them are outstanding cuisine, talented local chefs, great wine selections and magnificent dining rooms.

There is now a broad range of cooking styles and a diversity of quality food offered at Las Vegas restaurants. These include perfectly executed Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Southwestern, Italian, French and Southern cuisine. Frozen and imitation products have disappeared and chefs are using only the freshest products on the market, flying or trucking them in from around the country. Even casual dining and neighborhood restaurants are upgrading their menus in response to a more discerning clientele.

While the infamous and ubiquitous celebrity chefs may only occasionally visit their outposts, Las Vegas has developed its own bastion of great chefs who make the desert their home. David Robins (Spago), Julian Serrano (Picasso), Mark Ferguson (Trattoria del Lupo), Joe and Megan Romano (Aureole), Alex Stratta (Renoir) and Michael Jordan (Rosemary) are producing innovative and cutting-edge cuisine.

Wine programs, thanks in part to Aureole's stunning wine tower, have risen into the stratosphere. No other city in the United States has seven working master sommeliers (there are only 38 in the country). These individuals have created incredibly impressive wine lists, trained and educated service staffs and made the experience of consuming this once mysterious and intimidating product fun.

The physical restaurant has become a statement in its own right. Internationally acclaimed designers such as Adam Tihany and Tony Chi have created masterpieces worthy of a visit -- if not for dinner then just a drink. Few if any restaurants can boast that their walls bear the artwork of Renoir, Picasso, Rauschenberg, Rosenquist and Vistosi or that Villeroy and Boch china, Riedel crystal and Christofle silverware adorn their linen tabletops.

If the new guard wants to be fully vested in the Las Vegas community, however, certain improvements need to be made in the recognition of locals, evaluation of some inflated pricing policies and increasing charitable giving.

Accessibility both in terms of simply obtaining a reservation and the high price tag that accompanies can be frustrating for Las Vegans. Naturally a hotel-casino has to favor its own guests, but the practice of neglecting local customers is not entirely prudent. Good will, frequency of potential visits and keeping a restaurant full in leaner months are just a few reasons why local patronage matters. At Chinois, Spago and Lupo, for example, locals are always the first priority even, for example, if Comdex is in town.

Because most hotel-casino guests are composed of business travelers, conventioneers or casino comps, menu pricing can at times push the outer envelope beyond what is reasonable. And it does so especially with wine prices where, at some restaurants, one may be hard pressed to find a Cabernet Sauvignon under $100 or the cost of an identical bottle of wine may be twice as much at one restaurant as it is at another.

In fairness to the hotel-casinos, the investment made in most of their establishments is in excess of $5 million per restaurant. This represents a lot of debt and, coupled with the high operating costs of food, labor and rent, demands elevated prices if they are going to be even mildly profitable. Some restaurants resolve this by having a cafe in addition to a formal dining room with lower prices but the same quality food, wine, decor and service. They may also have one menu with a wide range of price points or offer complimentary food to locals to soften the check total.

Finally all businesses have an obligation to give back to the community. As Las Vegas grows as a city so does its charitable needs, and restaurants should be playing an even greater role than they are currently. At least once a year they should close for a significant fund-raising benefit dinner as well as donate food and a percentage of their profits to philanthropic causes.

As we advance into the 21st century Las Vegas is positioned to become a permanent fixture in the culinary universe. Consistency over time will be the true measure of its success. Restaurateurs must re-examine some issues, but the foundation has been firmly laid and the culinary culture is evolving and maturing rapidly. For a city that will be hosting, feeding and serving more champagne to visitors than any other city in the world on New Year's Eve, the timing is perfect. The spotlight is on Las Vegas, and it is already shining. Suddenly fine dining is a reality and not an illusion.