Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 | 9:14 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or [email protected].
To fully understand what celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse is all about he must be seen when he is cooking a dinner in a private home. Emeril is a generous, charitable man. The dinner I watched him prepare was the winning bid at last year's "Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children" fund-raiser.
Winning the bid for an Emeril dinner has become such a plum that Saturday, at the most recent event, the opening bid was $100,000. Bidding ended when two competitors each won a dinner for 12 people. The price? A mere $145,000.
Emeril had invited me to join him in the kitchen before he knew I'd been invited to dine. I had the best of both worlds -- a prime seat in the kitchen and one at the table.
A cocktail reception was scheduled for 6 p.m.; dinner service at 6:30. The chefs arrived at 3 p.m.; I arrived at 5. Emeril and his staff were quietly talking; all of the food preparation had been done. The batter for the buckwheat blinis was resting in a bowl. The kitchen was squeaky clean. It was talk-down time.
I listened as Emeril discussed the service and the timing. It was all so serene and peaceful. Emeril's team included Jean Paul Labadie, chef de cuisine at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand, Richard Ziegler, general manager of Delmonico's at The Venetian; Kevin Vogt, master sommelier and wine director for Delmonico; Scott Farber, regional director of restaurant operations for Emeril's Las Vegas restaurants and the kitchen staff.
By the time the first guests arrived, the blinis were cooked and ready to be topped with beluga caviar; the filo-wrapped lobster with wild and exotic mushrooms were baked and spreading their heady aroma throughout the house, and the shrimp, poblana chiles and cheese pizzas beckoned.
By now all of the guests were in place and enjoying the fabulous hors d'oeuvres. The warm blinis, though delicate, were just the right size and thickness to support a generous spoonful of caviar and accompaniments (I like mine straight).
Champagne, of course, an effervescent Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne "Cuvee Palmes D'or" (Epernay) Brut '90. Later, when I asked Kevin about the wines served -- to most of us they were all new -- he explained that most of the wines were small production vintages with limited allocation. They were chosen to make the tasting and dinner much more memorable. "More than anything else I wanted the wines to be dynamic, with variations of flavors, textures and colors -- the ultimate goal was to choose wines that completed this extraordinary dining experience."
Food presentation was exceptional. The aromas that wafted to the table before the dishes were placed, tantalized. With every dish, the first bite exceeded expectation. We showed our appreciation by devouring every irresistible morsel.
There was no stopping midway, even when we wanted to, we couldn't. This was Eden, and Emeril, the seducer.
What we ate: Sliced heirloom tomatoes on toasted brioche with warm, grilled Maine lobster, homemade mozzarella cheese salad drizzled with 100-year-old balsamic vinegar and a chiffonade of purple basil. Wine: Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc To Kalon Vineyard "I Block" Napa '98.
Delicate pan-fried lemon sole on a truffle and crabmeat ravioli with wild mushroom couli. Wine: Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Bonneau du Martray '98.
Rice paper-wrapped salmon and foie gras with a thin slice of apple and four-onion wild rice with a verjus (a tart juice primarily made from unripe grapes) reduction. This innovative dish, created by Emeril, was as interesting as it was wonderful.
Atop the salmon was a thin slice of foie gras and apple. Rice paper was softened and wrapped around. The tender salmon, the foie gras and apple and the springy wrapping and wild rice inspired many comments. Quite a delicious conversation piece. Wine: Newton Napa Valley Viognier '99.
We had a brief respite when Emeril came to the table to present the block of bluefin tuna that would be our next course. According to the chef this ruby red tuna was peerless. With the seared tuna were sweet potato fries tossed in a leek and pecan relish -- on the side, barely cooked baby spinach and a sauce Pinot Noir. Wine: Domaine Serene "Grace Vineyard" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir '99.
The last two courses were a challenge. By now we had eaten and imbibed like Romans at a Bacchanal, but there was no stopping us. We were putty in the hands of this culinary Svengali. We vowed to take just one bite of each meat course, but it was a lost cause. We were defeated by the flavors of black pepper-crusted lamb loin with a lentil sauce and goat cheese gnocchi tossed with Kalamata olives and citrusy gremolata. Wine: Barossa Valley Vineyards "E & E Black Pepper" Shiraz, Barossa Australia '99.
And finally, a small grilled filet of beef on an exceptional celery root and Gruyere cheese gratin. Wine: Dunn "Howell Mountain" Napa Cabernet Sauvignon '85.
There was a welcome intermezzo before dessert. We visited with Emeril. Applauded the staff. Kept Kevin longer than we should have, asking about the wines and wondering where we could find our favorites. The chances are we will have only our fond memories. We toasted the chefs, the staff and each other for having such good fortune.
Of course, we weren't going to have dessert and we would only sip the special Austrian dessert wine -- Alois Kracher "Zwischen Den Seen" Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese No. 12 Neusiedlersee '98. We sipped and we sipped and then we decimated the demi-desserts -- a tall, small version of Emeril's signature banana cream pie; pecan pie; creme brulee; and a lemon bar and a fig sugar cookie (both new).
No wonder grown men cry when they lose the bid at any price for one of Emeril's "Dinner at home for 12" packages.
Short orders
Bellagio expansion: Good news for those always asking me about where they can take cooking lessons. Bellagio's new tower will include a cooking school and more restaurants.
Lagasse baby; Alden and Emeril Lagasse will welcome their first child in March. Emeril has two daughters from a previous marriage; this is Alden's first.
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