The culinary event of the year Ultimo – A Weekend of Excellence, hosted by The Venetian® and The Palazzo® Las Vegas, will take extravagance to new levels, Dec. 17-20.
For the third year in a row, Ultimo will celebrate the romance of Italy with lavish feasts and exceptional experiences from an A-team of award-winning chefs as it unfolds around The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas. Renowned culinary luminaries participating in the weekend will include Chefs Jérôme Bocuse, Daniel Boulud, Josiah Citrin, Shaun Hergatt, Gavin Kaysen, Thomas Keller, James Kent, Roland Passot, Philip Tessier, Ming Tsai, Richard Rosendale, and Dario Cecchini, the famed Chianti “Butcher of Panzano.”
“This will be, without a doubt, the most spectacular gathering of world-renowned chefs in Las Vegas,” said Sebastien Silvestri, vice president of food & beverage for The Venetian and The Palazzo. “For the culinary enthusiast, this will be a weekend to remember.”
This exceptional winter weekend will feature the return of The Venetian’s Grand Banquet, a landmark collaboration between several of the world’s best culinarians including Chefs Keller, Tessier, Hergatt and Tsai.
The Grand Banquet, originally introduced in 2013, has become a signature Las Vegas culinary event, with its sumptuous setting on a spectacular table that spans the iconic Grand Colonnade of The Venetian. In its first year, Chef Mario Batali called it “the grandest meal ever served in Las Vegas.”
This year, Ultimo will kick off with a noteworthy Bocuse d’Or Team USA competition event, held in partnership with ment’or BKB Foundation, a nonprofit organization, founded by Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, that aims to inspire excellence in young culinary professionals and preserve the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. Bocuse d’Or is the world’s most prestigious culinary competition for young talented chefs. At the event, one team will be chosen to represent the United States at the 2017 Bocuse d’Or biennial competition in Lyon, France. This opportunity is especially noteworthy following the 2015 Silver medal showing of Team USA at the event.
“Each time an American team competes for the Bocuse d’Or, they honor and extend traditions older than themselves,” said Chef Thomas Keller, president of ment’or BKB Foundation, “The Bocuse d’or serves as a direct connection to culinary history and that’s why our participation matters.”
This phenomenal all-day event will usher in a fanciful winter weekend of decadent food by the world’s most celebrated chefs, in conjunction with Urbani Truffles, Southern Wine & Spirits, and Krug Champagne.
The Ultimo itinerary is rich. With a theme of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, each of life’s elements will be celebrated during a once-in-a-lifetime meal experience.
Ultimo – A Weekend of Excellence will feature an array of special festivities throughout the weekend, including the following:
Bocuse d'Or Competition
Thursday, Dec. 17
Location: The Venetian Ballroom
The resort will host 400 members of the culinary elite, including its own Chef Daniel Boulud from db Brasserie and Chef Thomas Keller from Bouchon, for the competition that will determine who represents the United States at the world renowned 2017 Bocuse d’ Or in Lyon, France. Guests will be able to watch as the chefs compete to win the title.
Celebrating Earth: Evening of Truffles, Wild Game and Tradition
Thursday, Dec. 17; 8 p.m.
Location: Venezia Colonnade
The competition will be followed by a special dinner prepared by Chefs Jérôme
Bocuse, Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco hot spots Jardinière and Mijita, and Josiah Citrin, who has studied under the greats Georges Vernotte, Claude Peyrot, Wolfgang Puck, and Joachim Splichal.
The theme will be Earth and will highlight the finest ingredients from wild game, Urbani truffles, and the traditions of the revered French chef and Bocuse d’Or board member. A portion of the proceeds for the 200-person dinner in the Venezia Colonnade will benefit the programs of ment’or, including the Young Chef Competitions and Grant Program.
Price: $200 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Celebrating Air: The Grand Banquet, Dinner in the Clouds
Friday, Dec. 18; reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Location: The Grand Colonnade at The Venetian
Guests will be on cloud nine during the luxurious return of The Venetian’s Grand Banquet as they dine in the spirit of “Air.” One spectacular single table made of glass, spanning the Grand Colonnade, with clear acrylic glass chairs and custom effects will create a dinner in the clouds experience.
A Krug Champagne, Urbani Truffles, and caviar reception will lead into a dreamy meal that will indeed be the most heavenly affair. This meal to remember will be prepared by Chefs Thomas Keller of Bouchon (Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Yountville), Bouchon Bakery (Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Yountville, New York), Ad Hoc + Addendum, Per Se and The French Laundry; Philip Tessier (first-ever American Bocuse d’ Or silver medalist); Shaun Hergatt (award-winning executive chef/partner of Juni in New York); and Ming Tsai (Massachusetts-based, award-winning chef of Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon, and popular cookbook author). Southern Wine & Spirits will provide the world-class libations, and a portion of the proceeds for this main event also benefit ment’or.
Price: $1,000 per person, all inclusive
Celebrating Water: Floating Luncheon on the Grand Canal
Saturday, Dec. 19; 12 p.m.
Location: The Grand Canal at The Venetian
Diners will kick off their heels (literally) for a one-of-a-kind luncheon offering the healing powers of “Water.” The table for this seafood extravaganza will float over the Grand Canal as gondoliers serve Prosecco from their boats. This 50-person special event will transport guests straight to the Mediterranean onto a slightly submerged clear acrylic platform “floating” on the canal.
Price: $150 per person, all inclusive
Celebrating Fire: A Mastery of Cooking Over Open Flame
Saturday, Dec. 19; outside reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Location: Doge’s Palace entrance to The Venetian and Paiza Club
The romantic outdoor piazza at the Doge’s Palace entrance of The Venetian will heat up with the sultry allure of “Fire.” Guests will sip Krug as they
watch big pieces of steak, whole fish, and a traditional full-size pig roast on an open flame.
The 120-person party will then move inside to the private Paiza Club for a dinner masterfully prepared by Olivier Dubreuil, executive chef of The Venetian and The Palazzo and Dario Cecchini the famed Chianti “Butcher of Panzano.” Toast the mouth-watering meal with pairings by Southern Wine & Spirits.
Price: $250 per person, all inclusive
Truffle Farewell Brunch
Sunday, Dec. 20; 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Delmonico Steakhouse
On Sunday, before it’s time to say goodbye guests can join a special farewell brunch of top Italian fare. The menu will feature
Urbani truffles, organic farm-fresh eggs, premium beef, house-cured salmon and Krug Champagne at Chef Emeril Lagasse’s award-winning Delmonico Steakhouse.
Price: $200 per person, all inclusive
Tickets now on sale. For prices and more information on these events, please visit
www.venetian.com/entertainment/events/ultimo.html
STAY THE NIGHT
During this indulgent Ultimo weekend there is no better place to stay than The Venetian or The Palazzo, located side by side in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The all-suite luxury resorts, where every key unlocks suites that are roughly twice the size of the average Las Vegas hotel room, boast the best accommodations, with Roman tubs and sunken living rooms offering plenty of additional space.
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