It seems like you really hit the ground running this year with DB Brasserie at Venetian. I think so, and I think we would never take it for granted that we could do that, start out right. I took my time to come back to Vegas, waiting for the right opportunity to find a good spot. When it came, we wanted to do this brasserie concept, which for me is a little bigger than a bistro, yet very much in the spirit of one. The French brasserie is the foundation of it, approachable, affordable, market driven. There are some classics from Daniel [in NYC] and some from DBGB, with a touch of Boulud Sud, some inspiration with different dishes. And it’s good positioning for this restaurant, not only to attract high rollers or more exclusive guests but also to appeal to the local market. I believe locals will go out to the Strip as long as the restaurant is consistent and is quality and service driven.
This isn’t your first time on the Strip. How different is this project from your restaurant at Wynn that operated from 2005 to 2010? We certainly had an understanding of how to operate here, how to work with a staff here. At Wynn we were in a partnership with Steve Wynn. Here it is more independent; we are in partnership with the Venetian but we are more involved, or rather, involved in a different way. It is more of our business. The restaurant itself, the difference is not that big. It’s a different setting and a different feel but the urban look of a brasserie today is still there. The restaurant is smaller by about 25 percent. It’s still a chef-driven restaurant. This is the entertainment business, where there is a lot of hype, but for us what the customer will get still matters the most.
How important are dining trends when you are planning a restaurant? We make sure we are staying relevant with the food. Fine dining is changing but it will remain, fine casual will always remain. There will always be places like Tao or Hakkasan, where it’s 100,000 square feet and about entertainment and partying as much as the restaurant, and there will always be restaurants like ours who can serve you a burger just as well as côte de bœuf with side dishes reminiscent of a more upscale restaurant. I’ve discovered the burger is a crazy thing in Vegas, but I was one of the early chefs to do a lot of burgers.
How much more intense has competition become for food and beverage in Las Vegas? It is true that there is much more than how it was then [ten years ago]. But at the same time, there are restaurants that are ending their cycles. If you’re in a major city there’s a 25-year cycle. In Vegas it’s probably 10 or 15 years, except for those landmark places like Spago or Nobu. In Vegas, you have to reinvent yourself once in a while.
A restaurant in Las Vegas is a must for many famous chefs. Is Vegas a must for you? No, I don’t think it’s necessary. I’m not a TV star. For example, Gordon [Ramsay], maybe it is necessary for him to have a restaurant because he is such a TV star at the same time. I’ve always loved it in Las Vegas and it is the only city in the world that brings so many different talented people from so many places. It has really become one of the strongest food and beverage cities in the world. There is no other like it. In Singapore there is this life and locals and restaurants and then big casinos and an array of chefs, and even Miami is almost close to Vegas when it comes to an amazing presentation of chefs. But they don’t have these massive hotels that have become their own culinary villages. And Vegas has some of the most amazing food and beverage professionals. For me, it was not about going to Vegas but about who you are partnering with, and we have a great relationship with everyone at Venetian and it’s a pleasure to work with them. That matters a lot.
