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"It's been more than a two-decade quest to get people to realIze how theIr food selectIon affects theIr envIronment." —rick moonen harvested in eco-friendly ways. (Ask about the sustain- able catch of the day, a program highlighting uncelebrated but plentiful fishes.) He began campaign- ing tirelessly for sustainability in the '90s, when he spear- headed Give Swordfish a Break, an initiative that helped repopulate swordfish fisheries in the North Atlantic, and sustainability has remained close to his heart ever since. "It's been more than a two-decade quest to get people to realize the importance of their food selection and how it affects their environment," Moonen says. "I think we've hit a point where we're realizing the embrace that I desired." Given that Mayor Carolyn Goodman has declared April 1st "Rick Moonen Day" in his honor, it appears he's right. Rx Boiler Room opened in 2013, and Moonen admits that the decision to abandon fine dining, even partially, was difficult at first. "But I'd watched too many chefs that I'd worked for in my career, French chefs, stick by their guns and go out of business. So I knew that I had to do something about it." As he accepted the need for change, he resolved to do something new and exciting: "The idea was to not use the word 'gastropub,' because that's been overused." So he took the gastropub ideal of comfort food and redefined it. The setting would be a fantasy version of industrialized Western civili- zation in the 19th century, inspired by the works of Jules Verne and decorated with clock gears, diving helmets, plush drapery, and bubbling test tubes. The menu, labeled a "Nourishment Chart," would include playful dishes like bacon-wrapped bacon and quail egg, chicken pot pie nuggets, and a Tater Tot – based duck confit poutine. The result is one of Vegas's most original dining experiences. Rx Boiler Room's initial menu took Moonen away from his signature seafood dishes because, he says, "comfort food doesn't mean seafood in America." But his fans weren't buying it, and he recently added several sea- food dishes to the lineup, including surf-and-turf sliders made with filet mignon and lobster tail, New Bedford jumbo scallops, and paella- style sustainable salmon. The chef celebrated his 10th anniversary in Las Vegas in February by revisiting favorite menu items from the past decade, but Moonen is still looking forward. He recently took an ownership interest in a sustainable farm in Pahrump, and he's considering taking a more active role in the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation. "I'm not the kid anymore," he concedes. "But I'm still as excited about food as I've ever been. In my head, I think I'm 24." Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7200; rxboilerroom.com V clockwise from far left: A table in the dining room at Rx Boiler Room; the reception area; New Bedford jumbo scallops with cauliflower mousse, Romanesco, and crispy prosciutto. A LittLe Smoke, A LittLe HeAt To complement the Rx Boiler Room vibe, Rick Moonen and his lead barman, Eric Smith, have created a cocktail counter that looks more like an alchemist's labo- ratory than a bar. Liquids bubble, burners fame, dry ice vaporizes, and smoke infuses spirits. The "Libation Chart" includes the Luna Rossa, made with gin, goji berry liqueur, and cayenne pepper, among other things. The Fleur de Lis contains lavender-infused Absolut Elyx, Hellfre habañero shrub bitters, and cucumber soda. And smoked cherry- wood chips garnish the Smoked Whiskey & Cola. Other tricks up Smith's sleeve include custom Italian sodas, barrel-aged cocktails, house-made birch beer, dozens of bitters, Colonial punches, and recipes dating back to medieval times. "We have this new juxtaposition of both science fction and classic," Smith says of his offerings, "melding them together and seeing what shakes out." vegasmagazine.com 61