Las Vegas Weekly

May 26, 2010 · 10:48 AM

Counter Intelligence: Mandalay Bay chefs duke it out tonight on Bravo

By Robin Leach

Chef Rick Moonen.

Photo: TVT

Hot off the grill! Two tough challenges face the Top Chef Masters cheftestants this evening, as Mandalay Bay celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Rick Moonen remain with three other finalists.

In the elimination segment you could call “It’s All Greek to Me,” the kitchen contestants are ordered by the judges to create a dish inspired by a Greek god and fit for Mount Olympus. Susan has to cook for Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Rick for Hades, god of the underworld. They are given four hours to cook for 50 diners.

In the second showdown tonight, Susan and Rick are blindfolded and have to “Name that Ingredient” -- of course conveniently disguised. The chef with the most correct answers from all the ingredients wins. Bravo has posted a preview video of the chefs’ divine inspiration.

We’ll be back tomorrow with photos and the results to see if our Las Vegas chefs proceed in the competition.

*One of Italy’s most beloved expressions is “the beauty of doing nothing” (Il bel farniente) -- the reward after a hard day’s work to simply relax and enjoy life with fine food and wondrous wine. Valentino Las Vegas chef Luciano Pellegrini has taken that to heart to create his new Vin Bar and Lounge at the restaurant in The Venetian. The stylish new lounge is decorated with plush couches and flat-screen TVs with a Happy Hour that starts at 2:30 p.m.

To accompany the legendary wine list, there are bite-sized Italian antipasti along with cheeses from Italy, Spain and Britain and raw platters. Check out the tastiest blood orange lobster tail and the smoked swordfish carpaccio.

*Hats off and huge kudos to Scott Frost, who celebrated his 44th birthday at his Hussong’s Cantina in Mandalay Place. Last May, Scott was paralyzed from the neck down in an off-road motorcycle accident. He vowed that he’d walk into his restaurant without mechanical assistance for his birthday -- and he did, showing the excellent progress of his amazing recovery.

Scott introduced the new El Gigante cocktail named after his own tall standing, and a portion of each drink now sold will go to his new Spinal Injury Recovery Foundation that he launched the same night.

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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