Columnist Muriel Stevens: Summit credits celebrated restaurants with transforming LV

Friday, Feb. 11, 2000 | 10:01 a.m.

Happy Valentine's Day dining! Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at muriel@vegas.com or 259-4080.

Long known as a prime vacation haven, Las Vegas is now recognized as a prime dining destination.

Earlier this week the American Gaming, Lodging & Leisure Summit 2000 that took place at the Venetian and Paris Las Vegas took notice of our growing stature as a first-rate restaurant city with a program titled: "Good Eats: How the Fine Dining Experience Has Transformed Las Vegas."

With Robin Leach (Leach Entertainment) as moderator, and a panel that included Venetian President Robert Goldstein, celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck (Spago, Chinois, Lupo and Postrio), Susan Feniger (Border Grill), Jean-Louis Palladin (Napa), Kevin Graham (Nevada Nick's-An Original Steakhouse), Steven Pyles (Star Canyon) and this food writer, the discussion was a lively mix of personal observations and opinions.

Interacting with this illustrious assemblage of culinary power, I couldn't help remembering the days when Las Vegans traveled the world to dine at celebrated eateries. Today we travel our own city for the same kinds of meals.

That's why I was there. As the only panelist who remembered what it was like before Wolfgang Puck, I was the historian. Who else could remember when Perino, the venerable Los Angeles restaurateur, boldly opened a second Perino's at the new Tropicana hotel waaaaay down at the then end of the Strip?

In those days "come as you are" meant exactly that. Folks were more likely to show up in cowboy garb as a suit. Perino's was a sophisticated dining room with style and poshness. Las Vegas was well-worn boots and chuck wagon. Timing is everything and this wasn't it.

We transplanted city folk loved it, but there weren't enough of us. Before long, Perino's was but a memory to be shared by a restaurant reviewer at a Gaming, Lodging & Leisure Summit.

There's no question that dining is part of the excitement of the new Las Vegas, as vital to our economy as gaming and entertainment. Gaming may generate the highest gross, Goldstein said, but when the chips are counted, the restaurant net is higher. Startling, but true.

Each chef shared successes and problems in this previously uncharted market. As the first to test the water, Wolfgang Puck had the most to say. With four Las Vegas restaurants and a cafe, he is without question the BMOC (big man on campus).

And there were many questions from the audience. Some wanted to know if there would ever again be restaurants such as the long-gone Sultan's Table at the Dunes or the soon-to-close Bacchanal Room at Caesars Palace. Of course, the answer is no. They were great in their time, but out of favor in this new millennium.

The three-day summit was produced by Bear, Stearns & Co., Casino Journal Publishing Group and Lionel Sawyer & Collins law firm.

Speakers at the many programs included: William Weidner, president, Las Vegas Sands Inc.; Gov. Kenny Guinn; and Sheldon Adelson, chairman, Las Vegas Sands Inc. Arthur M. Goldberg, president and chief executive officer, Park Place Entertainment Corp., was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Some of the top names in the gaming and hospitality industry sat on the various panels or were keynote speakers -- Bobby Baldwin, president of the Bellagio; Bill Hornbuckle, president, MGM Grand; Bill Bible, president, Nevada Resort Association; Jason Ader, senior managing director, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman; and many more.

Billed as "the most important event in the industry," the summit lived up to its rhetoric.

Short Orders

Family Valentine: Four Seasons Hotel has created an original Valentine's Day dining experience for families or couples at the Verandah restaurant.

Here's how it works: Enjoy a three- or four-course dinner in the Verandah (kids get their own menu). Then take home a delectable Valentine's Day cake, sized for two, to be enjoyed later when the kids are abed. You provide the soft lights and music, Four Seasons provides the take-home dessert.

The dinners designed by Executive Chef Wolfgang von Weiser feature a delicious selection of choices -- three courses, $38; four courses, $48.

The Valentine's Day kids menu is $8. Included are vegetable soup with heart-shaped noodles, "Be Mine" chicken fingers with baby carrots and french fries and a vanilla ice cream sandwich with strawberries and white chocolate sauce.

If there are just two of you, choose the Verandah outdoor terrace, for couples only on this special night. The terrace area is beautiful, glowing with candlelight that reflects the lush gardens around the nearby pool. Overhead, the dark sky and twinkling stars add another kind of beauty.

Valentine Day's dinner service is 5:30-10 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call 632-5000.

Lutece for lovers: Eberhard Muller's elegant Lutece restaurant at the Venetian will feature a price-fixed Valentine's Day menu for $95 per person. Two menus are offered. Opt for the warm Fisher Island oysters with caviar and champagne sauce as a starter. It's a sensuous, extravagant dish. Reservations are advised. Call 414-1000.

Romance at the Stations: All four Station properties -- Sunset, Texas, Boulder and Palace -- will feature Valentine's Day menus in their restaurants. Sunset's Sonoma Cellar will give female diners a long-stemmed rose and a box of Ethel M chocolates: generous extras. Sonoma Cellar is a well-priced, beautiful dining room that includes many extras with their entrees. Roses will also be given to women at Capri Italian restaurant and Guadalajara Bar & Grille. Call 547-7777 for reservations. Reservations should be made for all of the Station's restaurants. Remember, Valentine's Day is third on the list of the most popular dining-out days compiled by the National Restaurant Association.

Dinner at home: New York's famous Fulton Fish Market delivers a romantic candlelight (you supply the candles) lobster dinner right to your door. Of course, there are other dinner selections, too. FFM is a highly-rated Internet service. Overnight delivery is available. Just log on to www.fultonstreet.com 24 hours a day, every day.