Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/63192
J ames Benson, Kim Canteenwalla, Carlos Guia, René Lenger, and Mark LoRusso got together recently for a leisurely lunch at Society Café at Encore to talk about what it's like to work for Steve Wynn, how a new local farmers' market is changing their lives (and their menus), and their favorite topic of con- versation: What's for lunch? One of the many things that distinguish the restaurants at Wynn and Encore is that the chefs who run them all live in Las Vegas and are responsible for their day-to-day operations. What this means for the guest is a sense of pride and ownership that comes through in the food and the service. What this means for the chefs is a sense of camaraderie, the idea of strength in numbers. "Once we put on the white jacket," says Kim Canteenwalla, "we are all brothers." The chefs meet regularly to share products they have discovered and are thinking about using. They team up to produce charity functions and other events. But seldom do they gather as they have today, to enjoy lunch and talk about what they love most: cooking. Each chef has prepared a course. For the first course, Canteenwalla has made a shaved raw- vegetable salad, an offering on the Society Café vegan menu, which he also serves with his turkey burger in lieu of french fries. clockwise from top left: Kim Canteenwalla, executive chef at Society Café, with Botero's Mark LoRusso; lunch being prepared; The Country Club executive chef Carlos Guia; Society Café's shaved raw- vegetable salad; executive chef of Wynn and Encore catering James Benson with Switch Steak executive chef René Lenger; succulent fruits and vegetables; vegetables on the chopping block. WYNN 63