We Partied in Vegas With Chef Jean-Georges and Lived to Tell the Tale
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who owns 36 international restaurants, knows a thing or two about how to have a good time in a crazy city. With Jean-Georges Steakhouse and Prime Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Vongerichten occasionally finds himself in the city of sin. In between hosting brunches and dinners at this year's Vegas Uncork’d event, he found time to treat his team to a crazy night on the town. He let Bon Appétit tag along and catch some of the action. Here's how it all went down.
Dylan + Jeni1/17Vongerichten, or JG, as his friends know him, had rounded up a crew for the evening. The posse consisted of his friends and closest team members from his Vegas and NYC restaurants, Prime, Jean-Georges Steakhouse, and ABC Kitchen, who were in town for Uncork’d. Pictured here: friend Fiona Perrin, Ryan Rowland General Manager at Prime, Jean-Georges, and Christian Pollack, General Manager of Jean-Georges Steakhouse.
Dylan + Jeni2/17The evening began at Prime, Vongerichten's steakhouse at Bellagio. The team was just about to kick off with a toast on the terrace when the fountains erupted and Glen Miller's “In the Mood” began blasting over the speakers. A casino security guard warned everyone not jump in the pool. “If swimmers make it to the halfway point, we let the police take care of them,” he said. “But if you’re on this side, you’re on our turf.”
Dylan + Jeni3/17As the fountain show wound down, we finished our drinks and got ready to hit the road. When I was a culinary student in New York City years ago, I treated myself to lunch at JG’s restaurant at the Trump Hotel. The foie gras terrine with strawberries has fueled my daydreams ever since. Never in a million years did I think I’d be eating dinner with him in Vegas.
Dylan + Jeni4/17No booze in the limo? No problem. A few bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé from the restaurant and a handful of flutes will do just fine. The corks flew and everyone fueled up, piled in, and hit the road.
Dylan + Jeni5/17First stop: Herbs & Rye, a seriously cool off-strip bar with a serious cocktail menu. The drinks are organized by era, starting at the Gothic age, traveling through Prohibition, and ending up with a current smattering of 2015-relevant drinks. What were we about to take a shot of? Only God and the bartender know.
Dylan + Jeni6/17Okay, fine, one more shot. Instigators.
Dylan + Jeni7/17JG had made dinner reservations at a Japanese restaurant at midnight (yep, midnight), but someone ordered a few baskets of French fries and chicken wings at Herbs & Rye at about 11:15. They did not go wasted.
Dylan + Jeni8/17The man, the myth, and definitely the legend.
Dylan + Jeni9/17Look, if you’re at a bar and someone orders a 40-ounce beer to pass around the table, it’d be rude not to take a sip. It may not have been the tastiest thing I drank all evening, but I think I played it pretty cool.
Dylan + Jeni10/17Raku is an off-strip Japanese grill that's a favorite haunt among local and visiting chefs. On the table: yellowtail carpaccio (pictured); agedashi, or deep-fried, house-made tofu; crispy pork ear; Kobe beef tendon; skewers of chicken breast wrapped in chicken skin; and enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon.
Dylan + Jeni11/17Tokyo-born Mitsuo Endo is the chef and owner of Raku. He stopped cooking just long enough to be persuaded to shoot some sake and meet the crew.
Dylan + Jeni12/17A couple of pitchers of Asahi were ordered to sip alongside the sake. The…many…bottles of sake.
Dylan + Jeni13/17…The many, many bottles of sake.
Dylan + Jeni14/17Crispy fried shrimp: These babies are eaten whole—head and all.
Dylan + Jeni15/17There’s only one way to work off a big dinner: Spontaneous limo dancing. On the playlist: Michael Jackson and Prince.
Dylan + Jeni16/17More Champagne may or may not have been consumed after dinner.
Dylan + Jeni17/17Somewhere around 3 A.M., we found our way back to the casino to try our luck at roulette. Cameras aren’t allowed on the floor, but suffice it to say that we won’t be quitting our day jobs any time soon. And besides, you know the story: What happens in Vegas stays there.
