On
Thursday, May 21 nearly 2,000 people gathered poolside at Palazzo to raise
scholarship funds for high school students who may become the restaurant
industry’s next rising star through the Association’s ProStart program. The Nevada Restaurant Association’s 2015 Las
Vegas Epicurean Affair gave attendees the opportunity to sample dishes from 45
notable Las Vegas restaurants, and wash down the delights with beverages from
more than 30 wine and spirits purveyors.
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| Mint Julep Recipe |
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| Mint Julep |
It is
very hard to pick favorites when the top restaurants in Las Vegas are serving
up their best dishes. With that said I did have some favorites. Every year the
Kentucky Derby is run and every year I promise to try the famed Mint Julep.
Having heard many stories of how sweet and syrupy a Mint Julep can be I was a
trifle nervous about trying the Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Mint Julep. Absolutely
nothing to worry about!! Refreshing, minty and smooth this Mint Julep was
divine, not sweet at all and with a hint of mint perfect for the summer weather.
See the picture for the recipe, TRY IT! You will love it. See the picture for
the recipe.
The year
before I did not have a chance to visit the TAO booth and this year I made the
decision to stop on by. WOW was I glad that I did! Their black seafood black
rice with lobster, shrimp, crab, crispy squid was out of this world! I have
never had black rice but the seasonings were perfect and it is hard to find the
correct words to describe this dish other than if you enjoy Asian food you will
truly enjoy this dish.
Another
favorite was the Porcini ravioli in a truffle cream sauce that was at the Il
Mulino booth. RAVE RAVE RAVE about the creaminess, the smoothness and the
richness yet delicacy of this pasta dish. Balancing the earthiness of the
mushroom with the delicate truffle taste is a feat and Il Mulino does this
beautifully.
Las
Vegas’s weather has been very favorable for outdoor events this year. But the
temperature was still in the 80’s so having the Devotion Vodka table offer
their Blood Orange Crush Punch was perfect. Finding a Sugar Free, Gluten Free
vodka with no allergens and no GMO’s well that was a FIND! Devotion Vodka
comes in 7 different flavors – www.devotionvodkacom
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| Blood Orange Crush |
Blood
Orange Crush Punch Recipe
2 oz.
Devotion Blood Orange
Squeeze
fresh lime juice
½ oz
of triple sec
Fill
half with 7-Up
Fill
other half with orange juice
Garnish
high-ball glass w/orange
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| Phil's Italian Steakhouse Offerings |
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| Phil's Italian Steakhouse Old Fashioned &Blueberry Lemondrop Martini Drinks |
With over 75 restaurants participating it was very fun to find new ones! I was not familiar at all with the steakhouse at Treasure Island but what they offered was absolutely top notch!
For a
complete list of all the restaurants who participated go here - www.palazzo.com/entertainment/events/epicurean.html
This
event is geared towards one purpose and this is; "The event proceeds
support the Nevada Restaurant Association's educational and scholarship
programs, including ProStart, a national high school culinary skill and
restaurant management program. In Nevada, more than 2600 students in 33 schools
take part in the program, which teaches students the skills and knowledge
needed to succeed in the foodservice industry." Learn more here - www.nvrestaurants.com/.
Acclaimed
visionary Jose served as the celebrity
chef host for the evening and gave an impassioned speech about supporting the
students who will be the future of the industry. Attendees continued the festivities with the
official after party at TAO Nightclub.
Pool Photo
credit: Erik Kabik
Other Photos - I Love Las Vegas Magazine Blog
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