Prevue November/December 2012 - (Page 62)

the masters We spent a weekend at ARIA Resort in Las Vegas with celeb chefs Masa, Serrano, Vongerichten, Mina & more. [ON LOCATION] GREG OATES T he 4,004-room ARIA Resort & Casino has more celebrity chef restaurants than many large U.S. cities— in its lobby. Just off reception, you have four: Julian Serrano, Todd English P.U.B., barMASA by Chef Masa Takayama, and Sage by Iron Chef winner Shawn McClain. Upstairs, there’s Jean Georges Steakhouse and AMERICAN FISH by Michael Mina. That’s a special kind of dinearound destination with six star chefs within one building. And there’s a bunch more at the rest of MGM Resorts, which combined provide over 40,000 guestrooms and three million sf of meeting space. For example, there’s Joël Robuchon Restaurant at MGM Grand and Alain Ducasse’s miX at the top of Mandalay Bay. Those two chefs are #1 and #2 in terms of the most Michelin stars awarded over a career. I’m visiting all of the above during a pre-IMEX America trip in October, but surprisingly the biggest thrill isn’t the food. It’s meeting the chefs themselves and learning everything from leadership training to defining excellence in any field. Planners can easily create the same experience for their VIP groups with one phone call to MGM Resorts. “I believe that chefs are the rock stars of the meeting industry, and they are true partners with us,” says Mike Dominguez, senior vp of corporate sales at MGM Resorts. “With our food and beverage experience, we’re sharing with companies the cachet of these amazing chefs. The quality of the food is kind of a given. We’re trying to promote to the industry the breadth and diversity that we offer, and I don’t think there’s any other company that can match it.” THE ROI OF TAPAS Julian Serrano at ARIA seats semi-private groups up to 100 diners, with a menu well regarded for its paella and seafood that Spanish visitors in online reviews say is as good as any in Barcelona. Chef Serrano has hosted events for groups from 10-500 for cooking classes/demos and Q&A sessions at his restaurant, Bellagio’s Tuscany Kitchen and MGM ballrooms. “People ask all kinds of things, like how to run a restaurant, how to make great paella and my philosophy of food,” he says. So I ask him about his philosophy of food. “You need to smell, think and feel about food as much as you taste it,” he explains, rubbing his fingers together under his nose. (Read the long answer on Prevue’s website.) Then I ask Serrano what elevates a chef to “celebrity chef.” “You have to learn how to trust people,” he answers quickly. “You have to learn how to find and see people who are smart enough and have the ability to work well when you’re not in the 58 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November/December 2012

Planner's Pick: Loews Portofino Orlando
Fresh Meets: Marriott Innovention
Bureau Buzz: Philadelphia CVB
Good Business: Chennai, India
Sea Shores: Carnival Cruise Line
The Creative Types
On Location: Eden Roc Renaissance Miami
On Location: Coronado San Diego
Monaco
Latin America
On Location: Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta
On Location: St. Regis Mexico City
Las Vegas
On Location: Sheraton Macau
Denmark
Istanbul + Izmir
On Location: Hyatt Trinidad
On Location: Grand Hyatt New York
On Location: Lake Placid Lodge
Check Out: Waldorf Astoria, Edinburgh

Prevue November/December 2012