Dining

[Chef talk]

Marche Bacchus chef Dave Middleton dines like a Spaniard

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Marche Bacchus executive chef Dave Middleton goes for Spanish, Thai, and teriyaki.

Though Dave Middleton is a French-focused chef—he spent years at the now-shuttered Michelin 2-star Alex at Wynn before becoming executive chef at Marche Bacchus—when he goes out to eat, he’s usually in a Spanish state of mind. “When they go out to eat, they don’t sit at one restaurant,” he says. “They go to different tapas restaurants; they eat the best dish at one place and move on to the next one.” In Vegas, it doesn’t really work that way, so for Middleton, it might be beef tendon at Raku one night and beef tongue at Blue Ribbon the next. “I’m very dish-oriented.” It makes sense that his favorite spots are, too.

Firefly (3900 Paradise Road, 369-3971)

Restaurant Guide

Marche Bacchus
2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 106
804-8008

“I go to the one on Paradise because I love the vibe. It’s dark and red and dimly lit, and I love their tapas. Some people knock it but I don’t know why. It’s very affordable, the sangria and mojitos are pretty damn good, and there are things on that menu I really like. I’ve never had a bad meal there.”

Prommares Thai Food (6362 W. Sahara Ave., 221-9644)

“The restaurant is the size of our patio. I think the owner actually takes your order. She’s kinda got that attitude, like ‘What do you want honey?’ It’s almost intimidating, the kind of place where you don’t want to mispronounce something. But the food is great. You gotta go for lunch, when the food is just spot on, especially the pad see ew. And you have to walk through the kitchen to get the bathroom. That’s my kind of place.”

Yogi’s Teriyaki (4825 S. Fort Apache Road, 873-9780)

“Chefs don’t do a lot of elaborate dining. If you had to pick your last meal, there are some chefs that would say foie gras or something, but a lot would just ask for a perfectly cooked whole chicken, some type of good sauce, vegetables or starch, and be happy as a clam. As long as its seasoned well, there’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked piece of chicken, and they do it well and simple here."

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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