Photos: Fourth Vegas Uncork’d is best year yet; plans for fifth year get set

Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau

The 2010 Vegas Uncork’d.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 | 3:28 p.m.

2010 Vegas Uncork'd

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2010 Vegas Uncork'd: Arrivals

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2010 Vegas Uncork'd: Grand Tasting

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DJ Hubert Keller Spins at Vegas Uncork'd

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At every turn, the four-day epicurean extravaganza Fourth Annual Vegas Uncork’d was a record-breaking success, so much so that the world’s greatest chefs have already marked their schedules for May 5-8 for next year’s fifth anniversary of the fabulous food festival.

This year with 76 participating chefs, there were more of them than ever before. There were 30 key events jammed into the round-the-clock festival -- also more than ever before. Additionally, the six resort partners -- Bellagio, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore -- were more than any previous year.

Food fanatics traveled from as far away as Japan and Korea to see the greatest gathering of international chef superstars on Earth. The main event was the Grand Tasting at the Garden of the Gods in Caesars Palace last Friday with a huge jump in the record-breaking attendance of more than 2,300 revelers enjoying taste treats from 56 restaurants and more than 100 wineries pouring -- again all new records.

Barbara Fairchild, editor of Bon Appetit, the magazine that sponsored Vegas Uncork’d with our Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Bureau, told me that she’s already planning and looking forward to next year.

“I was thrilled with the quality of the events -- and with the turnout. It was our biggest ever, and for me, it’s always such a pleasure to talk to the attendees,” she said. “I'm excited about our fifth anniversary, and we’re already planning how to make it even bigger and more exciting!"

Last year, 1,600 guests took part in the Grand Tasting, and this year it jumped to 2,300, more than double the first one four years ago. It was a who’s who of the culinary world that included the fabulous French foursome of Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse, all of whom have restaurants here. Matt Goss, Rick Faugno, Chazz Palminteri, Laura Prepon, Rita Rudner, Miss USA Kristen Dalton, Nathan Burton, George Maloof and Johnny Weir also attended. Other chefs included Bradley Ogden, Bobby Flay, Charlie Palmer, Hubert Keller, Francois Payard, Julian Serrano, Steve Martorano, Akira Back, Luciano Pellegrini, Carla Pellegrino, Rick Moonen, Alex Stratta, Jet Tila, Rene Lenger, Kim Canteenwalla and many more.

Bon Appetit’s executive chef Cat Cora gave me the chef’s definition of culinary porn! She explained that when a restaurant chef serves up dinner for a couple in love, they can always tell by the way the food is eaten and the mood at the table that it’s a successful meal because l’amour is guaranteed to follow.

Chef Joseph Elevado, who worked for eight years with chef Nobu Matsuhisa, told me that he will be opening Social House in late June. Social House left T.I. and is now set for Crystals in MGM’s CityCenter. Executive pastry chef Megan Romano of Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in Mandalay May autographed the first copy of her new dessert cookbook It’s a Sweet Life. Her perfection with incredible creations that finish a fine meal is platinum and practical.

I shot more than a dozen TV interviews with chefs for the syndicated TV show Daytime, and we got in the kitchen with everybody from Wolfgang Puck, Bobby and Paul Bartolotta to Rick and Susan Feniger, and the two Top Chef Masters competitors even did their demos for All the Kitchen’s a Stage on a raised platform in Rick’s RM Seafood in Mandalay Bay, where Susan was presented with a birthday cake.

Other highlights included the chef’s blackjack tournament, which Paul won for the third consecutive year. “Pure luck,” he told me. “They wouldn’t even allow me to use my little crib card on how to play the game. Now they’re sending out my photo to have me barred from playing blackjack anywhere,” he laughed. Paul served up a superb fresh Mediterranean seafood luncheon with fellow Wynn and Encore chefs David Walzog, Frederic Robert, Jet and Alex at their all-star luncheon, and I even got a kiss from a really fresh snapper! Chefs Alain Ducasse and Charlie Palmer teamed for a gourmet barbecue at Mandalay Bay Beach, and Charlie threw a follow-up brunch to meet the cast of The Lion King on Sunday.

The Palazzo presented After Hours: Crushed -- Wine That Rocks! poolside hosted by winemaker Joe Bastianich, who is Mario Batali’s partner in all their restaurants. Actors Chazz, Rick and Laura, rocker Scott Ian of Anthrax and Six Foot Nurse added to the star power, along with celebrity chefs Zach Allen, Vince Chiyuto, Sam DeMarco, Frank and Carla Pellegrino, Luciano Pellegrini, Tom Moloney, Scott Linquist and Roberto Hernandez. Six Foot Nurse got the party started with rock and roll classics. Bon Appetit Restaurant Editor Andrew Knowlton welcomed guests and introduce Joe, who discussed his philosophy on how he pairs wine and music.

The closing night’s event was the Fashion Feast at Bellagio, where three-time U.S. National Champion figure skater Johnny Weir walked the runway, and Cat was his co-host. Food fused with fashion as Bellagio chefs created exquisite dishes inspired by the Fendi 2010 Spring/Summer collection. Fendi donated a portion of the proceeds to the Vegas Uncork’d partnership with Three Square.

The evening started with a Bubbles and Baubles cocktail hour featuring a champagne chandelier from which suspended servers poured bubbly. The Chic and Savory runway dinner featured Julian Serrano’s Maine lobster salad salpicon, poached breast of squab Bastilla by chefs Michael Mina and Marc St. Jacques, and Kobe strip steak by Sean Griffen, executive chef of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Prime Steakhouse. The extravaganza ended with Chocolate Couture, an elaborate dessert presentation by executive pastry chef Jean-Marie Auboine.

How do you top that? Well, “The Pope of the Culinary World” Joel Robuchon managed to pull it off with a Mother’s Day brunch at his restaurant L’Atelier in MGM Grand. I met guest after guest who proudly told me that they’d be back next year and every future year. Vegas Uncork’d has become one of the food world’s most important events and a keeper for Las Vegas!

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.