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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POWER STRIP Moonen has designed his new restaurant in the style known as steampunk. VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN Rick Moonen's inclinations and inspirations. *kitchen tool kismet "The microplane; everywhere I go I have a microplane. I love citrus, so I like to take the outer zest off of it or fine-cut nuts or spices. It's just perfect. I wish I had invented it." *fish tale "I love cobia. They're a firm-textured fish, like a swordfish, but it's got a lot of fat in it like hamachi. And you can do anything you want with it. You can grill it. You can sauté it. You can broil it. Anything you do with it, it comes out great. It's like veal of the ocean, so it's a pretty cool fish." *when i travel i miss… "My backyard, cycling, hiking in Mount Charleston. I'm out almost every single day that I can be because I think it's just beautiful. I love to cycle. I either road bike or mountain bike in my neighborhood, or I try to go hiking—take my dog out for a walk." *the honor that means the most "The 2006 Seafood Champion Award from Seafood Choices Alliance, and the Chef of the Year award in 2011 for my work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It would be hard to say which one had more meaning to me. But I appreciated the latter for the recognition I was getting for something I felt needed to be broadcast to the hospitality industry." 44 PHOTOGRAPHY BY RONI FIELDS (MOONEN AND ABOU-GANIM) continued from page 43 the now-trendy "gastropub" theme, he's opted to do something completely new—a restaurant dedicated to the steampunk sensibility. To those unfamiliar with the concept, think handlebar mustaches, aviator glasses, and Jules Verne novels. "When I was a kid," the chef says of his inspiration, "I wanted a chemistry set and to blow things up. I wanted to mix things, to see reactions." He utilized that childhood fascination when designing his new bar. "I wanted to see steam and smoke. I wanted to see bubbles and for ice and fire to be involved. I want wood aging going on, some air, some foam. When I said 'lab,' I mean I like beakers and flasks. You know we'll use those as mixing vessels." All of that transpires on a lab table in the middle of a bar that may become Las Vegas's most talked-about beverage concept, if the buzz at May's A-list food event Uncork'd is to be trusted. Moonen says that moving from seafood to cocktails was seamless, because making a great drink is just like making a great fish entrée. "No matter what you're consuming," he says, "I like to pick it apart a little and break it down." BELOW: Moonen with Vegas-based Moonen's new concept is being watched so closely because his influence in the cocktail guru Tony world of seafood has been profound. He was the first chef in town to introduce a Abou-Ganim at Uncork'd. BOTTOM: If 100-percent sustainable seafood menu, and he began actively preaching the gospel of he wins any more sustainability to any chef who would listen. During his frequent trips across the country awards, Moonen will need a bigger office. to spread that message (including several appearances before Congress), he turned the reins of his kitchen over to a host of talented young chefs, many of whom have gone on to become stars in their own right. And people have noticed. After publishing Fish Without a Doubt, he served as a guest judge on Top Chef in 2009, following his appearance that year as a contestant on Top Chef Masters. After a disappointing performance on the latter, he redeemed himself on the second season of Masters, making it to the finals before being beaten by Marcus Samuelsson. Moonen is also committed to ending hunger in the US, specifically in our valley, and is currently a member of the chef's advisory board of Three Square Food Bank. And he continues to serve only species that aren't endangered and are harvested in ways that don't harm the environment. Despite his role as a pioneering teacher and leader, Moonen is far from resting on his laurels. "Cuisine is always an evolution," he says. "You always look over the fence at what each of us are up to and use it as a way of plotting ourselves to evolve and do better." V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 043-044_V_SP_PowerStrip_Sum13.indd 44 6/17/13 12:13 PM