Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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Glamour in Green Some of laS VegaS'S moSt luxuriouS dining experienceS are alSo itS moSt eco-friendly. by marisa finetti edibles in California and at Nevada farms in Overton, Caliente, and Pahrump, and she sells them at local farmers markets, too, so everyone can enjoy them. McClain's partnership with Clasby allows him to change his menu often to ensure that his dishes offer the freshest ingredients with the purest f lavors. "No GMOs and no unnatural additives," he says, "will ultimately leave an ingredi- ent—either vegetable-based or meat—a more pure food that contains more natural f lavor and heirloom characteristics." At Nobu (Caesars Palace, 702-785-6628; caesars.com), 95 percent of the menu items are sustainably sourced, accord- ing to chef Christopher Shane Chan Yai Ching. "Every Gone are the days when partaking of some impossi- bly rare delicacy sourced at great expense from an endangered corner of the globe signified the height of luxury dining. While it's true that Las Vegas is still one of the best places on the planet to conspicuously consume the ingredients that make conservationists weep, more and more of the city's finest restaurants are introducing their guests to locally sourced, sustainably produced foods in eco-friendly environments. Take the team of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, whose restaurants—includ- ing the critically acclaimed Carnevino Italian Steakhouse (Palazzo, 702-789-4141; carnevino.com), B&B Ristorante (Venetian, 702-266-9977; bandb ristorante.com), Otto Pizzeria (Venetian, 702-677-3390; lasvegas.ottopizzeria.com), and B&B Burger & Beer (Venetian, 702-414-2220; bandbburgerandbeer.com)—are all making impressive strides in reducing their environ- mental impact. These are the only restaurants in Las Vegas to boast the Certified Green stamp from the Green Restaurant Association, and their efforts range from using energy-efficient lighting and kitchen equipment to implementing full-scale recycling and composting programs. "One of the ways we eliminate waste before it even happens is we don't offer a straw with water, unless requested," says chef Jason Neve, the hospitality group's culinary director. Triple carbon filtering lets the restaurants serve their own chilled sparkling or still water in reusable bottles, and their meats come from humanely raised, genetically sound animals that have not been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. Adds Neve, "We also source from local farms, reducing our carbon footprint and helping our community." Chef Shawn McClain of Sage (Aria, 877-230-2742; aria.com) works with Kerry Clasby, known as the "Intuitive Forager," who brings to McClain's kitchen an incredible variety of specialty produce, such as Buddha's hand, minutina greens, chickweed, and limequats. She seeks out these unusual from left: Shelton's Farm organic chicken at Sage; Carnevino's main dining room; the sushi bar at Nobu. photography by biondo photo (sage); kelly campbell (carnevino); sabin orr (nobu); opposite page: kelly campbell (b&b); kevin mccullough (beets); Joshua resnick (curry); abc7 (ramen) 62 vegasmagazine.com taste Cuiscene