Three Square Food Bank

Las Vegas has suffered through its share of challenges since then, but both the food bank and the annual event are thriving. This year, more than 120 restaurants plan to participate, and Restaurant Week actually is two — Monday through Sept. 11.

“We kept hearing that people were saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t get to go to all of my favorite restaurants,’ ” said Brian Burton, president and chief executive officer of Three Square, explaining the new two-week window.

Aside from the charitable aspect, Restaurant Week is a good time to go to those favorite restaurants — or those restaurants that normally aren’t quite in the budget — because the special menus created for the two-week period are generally priced lower than the restaurants’ regular offerings. Depending on the meal and the restaurant, they’re $20.11, $30.11 or $50.11. (For a complete list, go to www.HelpOutDineOutLV.org or www.ThreeSquare.org.)

“I think that’s what makes it magical,” Burton said. “It’s such a great value for the price point. They get a night out that’s very, very special for them and their family or significant other, at the same time knowing that that meal cost is being directed into hunger relief locally. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”

Rick Moonen, executive chef of rm seafood at Mandalay Bay, has been a Restaurant Week supporter since the first year.

“I was tempered into the idea of Restaurant Week because we did it for many, many years in New York City,” Moonen said. “I was already really excited about helping end hunger in the United States. There’s a lot more than you could possibly fathom. Being involved in the food-service industry, having the luxury of such great products, I get to give back to the community.”

Moonen said he has long supported Share Our Strength, which “takes more of a teach-a-man-to-fish approach. Three Square is more food disbursement. That’s where it starts; therefore, I wanted to be a part of it.”

In addition to donating money to Three Square for every Restaurant Week meal sold, Moonen said he invites his customers to make direct donations to the food bank.

“You get another reminder of why you’re there,” he said.

Burton said the company that’s now MGM Resorts International “really was the catalyst that first year. We wouldn’t have had a Restaurant Week without them.” Indeed, a letter circulated by Three Square singles out MGM Grand food and beverage executives David McIntyre and Scott Hamilton for their early support.

But Burton noted that the event has moved well beyond the Strip, with the participation of suburban spots including Todd’s Unique Dining, Petra, DW Bistro and Create. And the website enables users to sort restaurants by cuisine, location or the size of the donation to Three Square, which doesn’t necessarily correspond to the price of the meal.

Burton, who started at Three Square on April 25, said he has had quite an introduction to Las Vegas.

“As a new member of this community, the thing that blows me away is just the amazing diversity of restaurants and the network of chefs and really how they rallied around the formation of Three Square food bank five years ago,” he said, adding that the food bank building, which has a kitchen as its centerpiece, was finished in 111 days.

“To think that this food bank started from scratch and the major donors in the community and the grocery markets and the restaurants all coalesced so quickly behind it at a time when the economy was really starting to slide, that all says to me there was a great sense of urgency in getting out to meet the increased need in our community,” he said. “It also spoke to the incredible compassion of the community. Becoming aware of hunger is a very real issue here in the valley — everybody realizing that we are part of the solution.

“Some causes are so far out in the future. Hunger is a solvable issue. This is something we can do together.”

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella or telephone 702-383-0474.

Source:
Heidi Knapp Rinella
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Richard Geoffroy speaking to audiences in London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York and Tokyo via hologram.

There are many places one could wear a sleek blue suit.

For Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave for Dom Pérignon, that place just happened to be a hologram.

Geoffroy, the tall handsome scion of a long line of Côte des Blanc winegrowers, was transformed into a foot-high digital version of himself for Dom Pérignon’s unveiling of its 2003 vintage. Geoffroy’s shimmering image was beamed simultaneously to press conferences in London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Hong Kong, where myself and other reporters watched in rapt attention as he declared, “Yes, there is a Dom Pérignon 2003 and I am very proud to show you this wine today.”

Perhaps the simple announcement of a vintage should hardly warrant a presentation worthy of Star Trek, but 2003 was not just your average year and this Dom Pérignon was not your average vintage.

“The year 2003 has remained in the collective memory of all wine producers in France, and in the Champagne region.” explained Geoffroy at the press conference.

“It is a vintage that was a real challenge to create. The frost… will forever leave their mark on the people of Champagne. There was a small harvest, especially in the Chardonnay areas, and then a really hot, blistering summer.”

These circumstances discouraged several houses to produce limited quantities of wine and champagne — if at all. But Dom Pérignon pushed full steam ahead.

“For us, creating (this) vintage has always been more than just positioning. It is a commitment, more philosophical than just knowing how to deal with climate constraints, whether they are moderate or extreme like in 2003. [It was about] taking this constraint and turning the challenge into a chance of greatness for Dom Pérignon.”

Geoffroy’s poetic words about a glass of bubbly could easily fly right over the head of those, like myself, with a simple palette. And yet, once the audience finally got their chance to sample the delicious vintage, we understood.

Like a selection of suits for the presentation, producing a 2003 vintage was the right choice.

Source: Zandile Blay Founder of The Blay Report.com
Read the original article by Blay via Huffington Post: Click Here

What is the most impressive way to open a bottle of champagne? I present you The Noble Art of Sabrage

History

Sabrage is the technique of opening / beheading a Champagne bottle with a sword or a Saber. It's origins have been traced back to the Napoleonic Era and practiced to celebrate victory.

In those days the wire ‘cage’ around the cork was very tough and not easy to remove. After doing battle, the cavalry were hot, thirsty and also in a hurry to quench their thirst, which is what led to this impressive technique.

Technique

Sabrage is done with a slicing action rather than a chopping one. The sabre is slid along the body of the bottle towards the neck and the force of the blade hitting the lip (called the annulus) breaks the glass to separate the collar from the neck of the bottle. Due to the high pressure inside the bottle the cork shoots out at high speed and can travel quite far. The inside pressure of a typical traditional method sparkling wine bottle is around 5-6 atmospheres – the same amount of pressure as the tyres on a London double-decker bus.

One must be very careful to remember to slide rather than chop. Chopping the neck of the bottle will shatter a cold pressurised bottle, deluging the area and, what is very sad, leaving one with no wine to drink. A baptism of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is perhaps nothing to complain about however.

Safety

One should be extremely careful regarding the safety of others (and oneself!) when attempting this ceremony. Whilst there is no risk of glass falling into the bottle because of the pressure of the wine, the cork and annulus at the top of the bottle fly at some speed. Always point the bottle away from yourself and anyone else in the vicinity.

Highlights from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Last night’s show, the 16th annual event for the high street lingerie powerhouse, offered no hard clues. What is certain, though, is that it’s the company’s marketing juggernaut. There is a reason the executives put on a show that costs $12million to produce, and it’s not just for the fun of it.

See the Victoria’s Secret fashion show

“It’s Show Time” was the theme of this year’s pageant, divided into six vignettes. Kanye West performed and he introduced a surprise appearance and performance by Jay-Z. The two hip-hop stars sang as top models Adriana Lima, Karlie Kloss (her first time in the show) and Erin Heatherton strutted up and down the silver glitter catwalk dressed as supermodel superheroes.

Victoria’s Secret Angels over the years

Unlike most fashion week runway shows, where dour faced models tend to walk passionlessly up and down so as not to distract from the clothes, here the models are encouraged to wink, wave, blow kisses and whoop up the crowd. At the end of the runway, there is more winking, wiggling – and at one point Joan Smalls pulled the rip-cord on her costume and a silver parachute inflated around her shoulders. Alessandra Ambrosio wore gold-plated wings that weighed 22lbs and were decorated with 105,000 Swarovski crystals.

What does it take to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel?

Orlando Bloom, in the front row, stood to cheer and clap his wife Miranda Kerr’s appearance in a Victoria’s Secret “Very Sexy” bra and knickers accessorised with a custom-made silk wrap and tutu. The designers had commissioned red ballet style shoes with ribbons criss-crossed up the models’ legs. Kerr’s came undone and she left the runway with ribbons trailing behind her.

Miranda Kerr reveals her $2.5million Victoria’s Secret ‘Fantasy Bra’

Maroon 5 performed their current single “Moves Like Jagger” during the “Angels Aquatic” themed portion of the show. Adam Levine hammed it up on the runway, cooing at his model girlfriend Anne Vyalitsyna and then held her hand as she walked the runway. Carine Roitfeld, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Patrick Demarchelier cheered and danced in the front row.
Straight men at fashion shows are a rarity, but last night they were out in full force. Self-respecting fashion people do not greet each other with the words, “What’s up, dude” but junior Wall Street bankers in conservative suits do. The crowd was full of aspiring Gordon Gekkos.

Behind the scenes at the Victoria’s Secret fitting with Adriana Lima

The booming voice announcing the start of the show called it “an unforgettable entertainment experience… with the world’s most beautiful women and the hottest musical acts.” In all the hype, it’s easy to forget this is a company that began by simply selling bras and knickers.

BY MELISSA WHITWORTH | 10 NOVEMBER 2011
Source

Celine Back in 2011

Celine Dion has had 5 consecutive years of sold-out shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and she is coming back in 2011. There will be several shows starting Tuesday, March 15th.

Dates:
Tuesday, March 15th
Wednesday, March 16th
Saturday, March 19th
Sunday, March 20th
Tuesday, March 22nd
Wednesday, March 23rd
Friday, March 25th
Saturday, March 26th
Friday, April 1st
Saturday, April 2nd
Sunday, April 3rd
Wednesday, April 6th
Thursday, April 7th
Saturday, April 9th
Sunday, April 10th
Tuesday, April 12th
Wednesday, April 13th
Friday, April 15th
Saturday, April 16th
Sunday, April 17th