Strip chefs work together to help Sandy victims

By Ron Sylvester

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 | 6 p.m.

When Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast in October, it hit home for some of Las Vegas' celebrity chefs who made their names on the streets of New York City.

Now some of them, including Connecticut-born Scott Conant and Francois Payard, are now ready to cook up a storm on the Strip to raise money for Red Cross relief efforts back home.

An event called "Start Spreadin' the News" brings together 22 restaurants from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on the Brooklyn Bridge in front of the New York-New York Hotel & Casino.

"When it comes to the hospitality industry, Las Vegas and New York City are really sister cities," said Michael Severino of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, sponsor of the event. "This is just a small way all of us in Las Vegas can help those who have been affected by these monster storms."

Sunday will weight heavy on New York imagery, including specialty cocktails with names like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Forgetaboutit!"

Chefs will serve dishes from booths along the bridge, including Conant, who runs Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. Enoteca at the Cosmopolitan, and Payard, who has the patisserie and bistro that bears his name at Caesars Palace.

Among other restaurants represented: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (Cosmopolitan), Todd English P.U.B. (Crystals at CityCenter), Todd English's Olives (Bellagio), Rao's (Caesars Palace), the Palm (Forum Shops at Caesars Palace), Aureole (Mandalay Bay), Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak and Stage Deli (MGM Grand), Gordon Ramsay Steak (Paris Las Vegas), B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, Otto and Bouchon Bakery (Venetian and Palazzo), Broadway Burger, Nathan's Famous Hotdogs and Bonanno's New York Pizza (New York-New York) and Smith & Wollensky.

Entertainers from across the city are scheduled to perform throughout the day.

The $100 tickets and are available online from the Red Cross and New York-New York. The event is for ages 21 and older.

All proceeds go to the Red Cross, which continues to provide meals, shelter and health referrals to victims of the storm.