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/66705
so many dinners... so little time This summer, the first- come, first-served patio will be one of the hardest tables to get in town. The dining room is always packed with movers and shakers. purposely hard to see from the road. Vintner Grill's signage is no reservations W GOOD LUCK GETTING A PATIO SEAT THIS SUMMER AT SUMMERLIN'S FOODIE CENTRAL, VINTNER GRILL. by john curtas hen Vintner Grill opened on December 4, 2006, no one involved with the project had the slightest idea it would become Las Vegas's most prominent neighborhood restaurant. Almost everything associated with it was a first—and a big gamble. Michael Corrigan, who co-owns the place with his brother Sean, wanted a wine- focused restaurant, in an office building, that depended on word of mouth for its customers. "We just opened the doors and hoped the word got out," is how general manager Peter Varela puts it. Executive chef and partner Matthew Silverman is more blunt: "We were either going to be a big suc- cess or a colossal failure." None of them suspected that Vintner Grill's sleek interior and swanky bar were destined to become the hot spots for everyone from serious oenophiles to socialites to celebrity chefs. These days, it all feels like a foregone conclusion, and five years after roll- ing those dice, you are as likely to run into Nicolas Cage or Bette Midler as you are a power broker on the tented, outdoor patio. And if you're enjoying one of Silverman's signature flatbreads and think you see Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf sitting in a corner booth, you probably do. 80 vegasmagazine.com Those long odds are a story unto themselves. To begin with, there is that location. Las Vegas has never had a successful food- and wine-oriented restaurant in an office building. And this one was going to be 12 miles from the Strip. If that weren't enough, there is the inconvenient fact that the place is practically hid- den—it's more difficult to find than a celebrity chef's humility. The street signage is pretty much invisible. "Everyone said we were crazy for not having a big sign out front," Silverman says. "But there's something to be said about having to seek out and find a place." No gas: filet mignon hot off the grill, fueled by mesquite, apple, and cherry wood And find it people have. Almost since day one, they have flocked here for food and wine that is like no other off the Strip. This summer, the first-come, first-served patio will be one of the hardest tables to get in town, especially the comfortable white cabanas bedecked with romantic lanterns. The wine program, kicked off by Troy Kumalaa, adds to the enchanting ambience. Kumalaa was hired by Varela, who was himself poached by Corrigan after 20 years of service with the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Kumalaa, who has since left the operation, had been a sommelier at Spago and was told to "write your own list"—pretty much a dream directive for any wine guy. What he did was set a template for an aggressive-yet-gently priced program. No wines by the glass cost more than $20, and the bottle list is chock full of "eclectic whites" and interesting reds for well under $100 (with a drool- worthy "50 Under 50" section). continued on page 82 photography by beverly poppe (entrance, diners, filet)