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/78247
SO MANY DINNERS… SO LITTLE TIME "Marché Bacchus is tranquil— an escape to another world. —Robin Leach " Desert Shores lake. thirsty for success STRIP-WORTHY ESTABLISHMENT. BY JOHN CURTAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE FUELED BY THEIR FAMOUS WINE PROGRAM, MARCHÉ BACCHUS'S NEW CHEFS ARE MAKING THIS SLEEPY NEIGHBORHOOD HOT SPOT A "W hat's your favorite restaurant?" is a question I get asked all the time. "It depends on many things, including my mood, the season, and what I had for lunch," is my usual reply. I go on to say that the restaurant I visit most often—at least once a month for the past few years—is Marché Bacchus. Is it the food? The quaint alfresco seating by the Desert Shores lake? Or is it the stellar wine program that always seems Owners Rhonda and Jeff Wyatt seating area offers views of the The outdoor Heirloom tomato salad After various upgrades to the kitchen, dining rooms, and expansive outdoor patio, it was time to take the food to the next level. And who bet- ter to do it than consulting chef Alex Stratta–formerly of the eponymous Michelin two-star restaurant Alex, and the more casual Stratta, at Wynn Las Vegas? When Alex's David Middleton came on the market, followed quickly by John Courtney from RM Seafood, the team was secured to cre- ate a menu that was every bit the equal of the Grand Cru Burgundies and California cult wines that line the shelves. celebrity chefs Top talent like that doesn't go unnoticed by others in the food world, and like Rick Moonen, Carla Pellegrino, Julian Serrano, Bradley Ogden, and Guy Savoy can be seen rubbing shoulders with other famous faces at Marché Bacchus any night of the week. In addition to all the drop-your-fork-delicious food, the very non-Strip atmosphere is a big draw. "I love it because you'd never guess you were in Las Vegas," says Robin Leach. "No 'ka-ching' slot machines, no thumping nightclub music and other noisy distractions always associated with Vegas and the Strip. to have the most intriguing bottles at the best prices? All of the above, Marché Bacchus is tranquil—an escape to another world." along with the explanation that what was once a quaint little hideaway for wine lovers twelve miles from the Strip is now making a move to be one of the best restaurants in town. When Rhonda and Jeff Wyatt decided to buy the business from Agate and Gregoire Verge five years ago, they wanted to elevate the menu at what was then little more than a wine shop with a pleasant café attached. "I was one of their best customers, but I always felt the food could be better," Jeff says. "It was our intention to bring in top-quality kitchen tal- ent and make the food the equal of the great wines." 74 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM Wayne Brady, Anthony Cools, and such note- worthy foodies as Cosmopolitan CEO John Unwin and Caesars president Gary Selesner are regulars, and singer Deborah Gibson frequents it "more than any place on the Strip." Like the legions of other customers who keep MB humming seven days a week, she loves the low-key elegance and quiet, quaint atmosphere. "Jeff's wine picks are exceptional," Gibson says, "and it's the only place we've been to where you can see and read about the choices in the unique wine shop in the front, continued on page 76