Las Vegas Weekly

March 23, 2009 · 10:46 AM

One Vegas wine director and two chefs are nominated for James Beard Awards

By Robin Leach

Wynn chef Paul Bartolotta.

Photo: The Wynn

Two Las Vegas chefs and a wine director are among the nominees announced in New York this morning for the prestigious James Beard Awards. Additionally, five other celebrity chefs, all with local restaurants, also were nominated.

The black-tie awards ceremony is at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center on May 4, with Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Stanley Tucci and star chefs Cat Cora and Emeril Lagasse serving as hosts. Stanley formerly owned Finch tavern in upstate New York.

Emeril, who owns Delmonico at The Venetian and Table 10 at the Palazzo, was nominated in the Outstanding Service category for his Emeril’s restaurant in New Orleans. David Burke, who owns his restaurant of the same name at The Venetian, will be inducted into the Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America at the ceremony.

Photo: Craig Mathew

Bam! It's chef Emeril Lagasse.

Nominated for Best Chef in the Southwest category are Paul Bartolotta of the Wynn and Claude LeTohic at the Joel Robuchon restaurant in MGM. Robert Smith, the wine director at Picasso in the Bellagio, is nominated for Outstanding Wine Service.

In New York, celebrity chefs Mario Batali and his partner Joe Bastianich and Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his partner Phil Suarez were nominated for Babbo and Jean Georges, respectively, in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Both chefs have restaurants here, Mario at The Venetian and the Palazzo and Jean-Georges with Prime at the Bellagio. Daniel Boulud, who’s Manhattan same-named restaurant was nominated in the Outstanding Service category, owns Daniel Brasserie at the Wynn.

The James Beard Awards are recognized worldwide as the leading chef and restaurant industry awards ceremony.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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