Las Vegas Weekly

March 23, 2010 · 1:18 PM

Counter Intelligence: Star chef Rick Moonen celebrates string of success

By Robin Leach

Rick Moonen and Adam Sobel look for a few new ideas.

Photo: TVT

Hot off the grill! Celebrity chef Rick Moonen is all fired up for an April hat trick of unprecedented culinary successes. Yesterday, as Vegas DeLuxe reported, Rick was named one of three local finalists for the prestigious Best Chef of the Year: Southwest Award from the James Beard Foundation. He’ll go to New York for the announcement of the winners at a Lincoln Center gala May 3.

But first he’ll sharpen his kitchen knives to do battle as a returning contestant on Season 2 of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. That premieres April 7, and Rick will join the cast April 21. Season 2 also features another Mandalay Bay restaurant chef, my good friend Susan Feniger from Border Grill. For Rick, it’s a chance to avenge his untimely Season 1 elimination.

Rick completes his hat trick of accomplishments by reopening his fine dining upstairs full time in the second story of his RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay. It’s been a year in the making for his staff led by executive chef Adam Sobel, who was formerly at the Las Vegas restaurants of super chefs Guy Savoy and Bradley Ogden. Rick and Adam are joined by chef de cuisine Gerald Chin, who previously worked with culinary genius Joel Robuchon at MGM.

As I previously reported, Rick first experimented with his unique fine-dining option just on Tuesday nights. Now its success and recognition have turned it into a nightly experience except for Sundays and Mondays. The three esteemed chefs have reinvented the menu to include distinctive and imaginative dishes presented with an artful flair.

“When I was creating the menu, I wanted to push the boundaries of fine dining and bring it to an entirely new level,” Rick said. “The dishes we’ve produced are innovative, playful and even interactive -- part of the Las Vegas dining experience that I felt was missing.”

Proving that his culinary expertise extends far beyond simple yet elegant seafood, Rick serves up inventive dishes, such as Spider Crab: artichoke, sunchoke and ruby red grapefruit surrounded by Dungeness crab, which clings to the rim of the bowl like a spider; Onion Soup 3000, a deconstructed version of the French classic comprised of Gruyere custard and onion veloute served atop a caramelized onion chip; and the Chocolate Car Bomb, Guinness Beer ice cream topped with Bailey’s Original Irish Cream and beer suds.

A trip to RM Seafood would not be complete without sustainable seafood done as only Rick, Adam and Gerald can do: jet-fresh menu favorites include Walu in Cherry Leaf with white soy emulsion, shitake mushroom and Yuzu powder; baked Tasmanian Ocean trout with king crab, yellow endive and orange carpaccio; and roasted turbot with saffron chorizo congee, mussels and rice cracker. And check out the 630 wine bottle selections!

Adam said: “When we set out to re-establish Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood upstairs, we wanted to do the traditional untraditionally. And, of course, to continue RM’s commitment to using only sustainably caught seafood.” Rick is a founding member of the Seafood Choices Alliance, a nonprofit organization that encourages chefs and the food industry to make thoughtful choices in the seafood marketplace, as well as an active member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.

“We want the food our guests eat to not only be innovative, but thought-provoking, as well. We want our diners to take pause and think about where their food came from. At my restaurant, only sustainably caught seafood is on the menu, so our guests can take comfort in the fact that the food they’re eating is not only delicious, but environmentally friendly, as well.”

With the completion of the upstairs menu, Oprah Winfrey’s favorite seafood chef is now is ready to take care of “unfinished business” on Top Chef Masters. On Season 1, Rick failed to complete his Moon Doggies in the Quick Fire Challenge, and while he received top marks in the final challenge, the mistake cost him the competition. Luckily, his winning personality and culinary prowess secured him a spot on Season 2, and he’s looking forward to showing the world what he is capable of cooking.

He joked: “I’m unbelievably thankful they’re giving me a second chance to redeem myself. I want to show everyone that I could have been a contender.” For a sneak peek, go to: BravoTV.com.

Rick next Monday is hosting a Super Green Cuisine dinner for the Slow Food Las Vegas Chapter featuring seafood selections from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Super Green List. The six-course dinner from 6 to 9 p.m., with beverage pairings and a signed copy of Rick’s bestselling cookbook Fish Without a Doubt, is $125, plus tax and gratuity. Super Green seafood has been identified to be not only good for nutritious food consumption but also less stressful on oceanic environments when gathered correctly. Guest speakers for the evening are leaders in the sustainable seafood movement and include Sheila Bowman, the Seafood Watch manager of the Monterey aquarium.

MORE CULINARY NEWS

*With spring in full glory, Marche Bacchus French Bistro & Wine Market in Summerlin has become our town’s top al fresco lakeside dining location. The restaurant’s relaxing outdoor terrace is the perfect place to enjoy chef Jean Paul Labadie’s cuisine and one of the best wine programs in the city. The patio seats 130 and offers a beautiful view of the manmade lake. During the hot Las Vegas summers, a Koolfog cooling system makes dining outside pleasant, with the temperature lowered by 20 to 25 degrees. The restaurant also hosts live music lakeside under the stars with flamenco guitarist Dirk Kleutgens on Sundays and Mondays and Live Jazz Wednesdays with saxophonist Tommy Alvarado.

*Local celebrities are guest scoopers for a cause today at three Ben & Jerry's locations. It’s the 32nd Free Cone Day, with the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum benefiting from scoops at the Galleria at Sunset, Ben & Jerry’s in the District at Green Valley Ranch will donate to St. Jude’s Ranch, and the Sunset Station store will benefit Nevada Community Learning Centers. There’s no charge for a small cone filled with ice cream, but patrons are encouraged to donate to the local charities. Among those scooping up until 8 p.m. today are magician Nathan Burton, comedian Vinnie Favorito, Human Nature, NASCAR’s Taylor Barton and cast members from Disney’s The Lion King, Thunder From Down Under, Angelica Bridges and her Fantasy dancers, X Burlesque and Men of X.

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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