Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/63192
three or four times a year. They become regulars. They're hugging the servers when they come in. They're hugging them! You don't think of that in a huge building like this, or in a city that has this many restaurants. That they come back and they're on a first-name basis, that's cool. CC: Mark, what did you make? Did I see whole fish? LoRusso: Yeah I stuffed some whole fish—loup de mer, or Mediterranean sea bass—with a bunch of different vegetables: fennel, peppers, artichokes, onion, all cooked in olive oil and vinegar. CC: Why did you choose to make this? LoRusso: Because even though I run steakhouses, I secretly want to run a fish place. I love cooking fish. I find it more challenging than cooking steak. Canteenwalla: And he's really good at it. It's really good, Mark. LoRusso: Thanks, man. CC: Do you guys all know each other's dishes? I mean, in addition to running your own restau- rants, do you also work together? LoRusso: Yes, we all work together. Especially René and I because our restaurants are so close. We always call each other up, borrow stuff from each other. I think we're competitive in some ways, but whether they're in our restaurant or another restaurant on the property, we want everyone to have a great experience. Canteenwalla: We're always sharing: sharing product, sharing knowledge, just helping and learning. Lenger: Don't get it wrong. We all have our egos. So the competition, it's here. Canteenwalla: Competition is healthy. Lenger: It is healthy. It keeps everyone on their toes. A guy you're working with here comes up with something new, you feel like you have to come up with something newer. Benson emerges from the kitchen carrying an enormous platter of risotto with mushrooms and asparagus. Benson: It's a small portion today. Everyone laughs. Lenger to Canteenwalla: You might have to order more butter for your kitchen; there's none left! Benson: This is porcini risotto. Typically what we'll do is we'll get in fresh porcini—or morels or chant- erelles. And then we'll do a conserva with tomatoes and olive oil, in batches of, like, 200 pounds. We use them in quite a few things on our menu. This dish is one of the things I grew up eating at home. CC: Do you guys do a lot of canning here? Benson: We do a lot. We can about 10 kilos of truffles a year—black truffles from central Italy, the Marche [region]. And then we can a lot of fruits. We usually have about seven or eight different marmalades on hand, plus chutneys. We do a lot of cheese boards, so instead of buying the stuff we make our own. CC: Carlos, what did you make? Guia: Chile-rubbed flatiron Wagyu with potatoes and roasted garlic mojo. The mojo is kind of Caribbean. Lenger: Good job, Chef! CC: Is this a traditional sauce from your native Venezuela? Guia: In a way. It's got cumin and coriander, which are flavors I grew up with. But I infused a lot more flavors into this one. And I also use it in untradi- tional ways. For instance, I use this mojo on our vegan menu: I make fried yuca, like french fries, then I top it with the mojo and micro cilantro. Canteenwalla: I learned something new today. The guys devour the steak. Guia: I only brought one steak. Should I cook another one? n " I think we're competitive in some ways, but whether they're in our restaurant or another restaurant on the property, we want everyone to have a great experience." clockwise from top left: Lenger at work; Chef Lenger's scallops with parsnip purée; Guia; Canteenwalla; Chef Benson's porcini risotto; Benson flashing a satisfied smile. WYNN 67