This year’s edition of Vegas Uncork’d marks the first time a certain celebrity chef who’s had a major impact on the Strip (and everywhere else) has popped in for our annual mega-foodfest. Emeril Lagasse is hosting a Master Series Dinner at his 20-year-old(!) MGM Grand restaurant on April 23 and a New Orleans-style seafood extravaganza on April 25 (hunt for remaining tickets at vegasuncorked.com).
Any time with Emeril is cause for celebration, so we asked the culinary icon to mark the occasion by constructing a perfect meal using dishes from his four Vegas restaurants. Check out this dream-feast:
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Charred fresh spring peas at Table 10 (Palazzo)
Table 10 is a seasonally-focused restaurant that uses market-fresh ingredients and locally grown products whenever possible. “This dish epitomizes that philosophy,” Lagasse says. “Just fresh peas in the pod with great olive oil, charred on the grill and eaten like edamame. It’s a simple and satisfying snack to start a meal.”
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Tuna poke chips at Lagasse’s Stadium (Palazzo)
“Lagasse’s Stadium is not your typical sports-bar food,” Lagasse says, as evidenced by this dish of fresh Hawaiian ahi tuna, avocado, ponzu vinaigrette, spicy mustard sauce and wakame seaweed salad. “This is my favorite way to eat ahi.”
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Wild mushroom gnocchi at Table 10
“Pasta is one of the best dishes to highlight fresh ingredients like many seasonal wild mushrooms available.” This decadent dish is rounded out with fresh herbs and Parmegiano Reggiano.
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Seared sea scallops at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House (MGM Grand)
“My first restaurant in Las Vegas has been committed to sourcing the best seafood since opening, and this dish highlights that. The scallops with the black-eyed peas and sweet corn cream create a unique and delicious flavor combination.”
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Bone-in ribeye at Delmonico Steakhouse (Venetian)
“The only way to end a meal like this is with one of our prime, in-house dry-aged bone-in ribeyes. Add fresh asparagus on the side and it doesn’t get much better than that.”
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Caramel butter cake with vanilla double cream at Delmonico Steakhouse
Don’t forget something sweet ... and rich. “It’s one of my favorite desserts, deceptively simple with deep, rich flavors. Watch out, it’s very addictive!”