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.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/61759
SHAWN MCCLAIN & KERRY CLASBY WEEKLY DRIVES TO BERKELEY ENSURE THE FRESHEST PRODUCE AT SAGE. THE FARM-TO-TABLE KING & THE FORAGER: A San Diego Midwesterner, native and award-winning longtime chef Shawn McClain of Sage at Aria Resort & Casino knows his way around a farmer's market. His commitment to the highest-quality, seasonal produce and artisanal meats runs so deep that he works with Kerry Clasby, "The Intuitive Forager," who drives from Las Vegas to the Berkeley, California, markets every week. McClain and Clasby met through Mario Batali's group and bonded over their love of foods grown on the finest small farms. McClain's menu changes constantly to ensure that dishes reflect the purest flavors from the markets Clasby frequents. "We adapt the menu so that we are not forced to buy something that might not be at its peak," he says. For spring, he intends to create dishes that incorporate rhu- barb, nettles, artichokes, and asparagus. After earning four stars at Trio, his acclaimed eatery near Chicago, McClain created restau- rants ingredients—seafood at that allowed him to focus on specific Spring, produce at Green Zebra, and meats at Custom House— while picking up awards and accolades as if grabbing berries from the market. Sage, the cul- mination of these experiences, brings dedication to organic, seasonal, artisanal ingre- dients to Las Vegas. When McClain moved here, he had doubts about the quality of produce he could get, pictur- ing "some big truck that just dumped off the ingredients," he says. Instead, he found that com- ing to Vegas offered many options for expanding on his commitment to a market-driven cooking philosophy. "I have found great communities here, and I have access to ingredients that don't even make it past the West Coast," he says. He adds jokingly, "It also helps that the farms aren't covered with snow for six months!" his When it comes to quality, McClain does not skimp, shunning the type of corporate volume discounts that might entice others. And his com- mitment doesn't end with food: His mixologists infuse drinks with seasonal fruits from his favor- ite farms. Having used Afghan mulberries and caviar limes in the past, they are currently fea- turing papaya chipotle tequila in a cocktail. V vegasmagazine.com 111