Vegas Uncork'd 2009

This is a guest post by Jennifer Heigl, one of MustHaveMenus' freelance writers. She attended Vegas Uncork'd this year and agree to write a little bit about it for us. Next year, I hope to be in attendance!

With food, fun, and interactivity, this weekend's Vegas Uncork'd food festival was one to be reckoned with!

Kicking off on Thursday, with a champagne toast hosted by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Bon Appetit Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild, the weekend's events were perfect for the every foodie. The festivities began with a series of Master Dinners featuring some of the top chefs in the culinary industry, including François Payard, Bobby Flay, Bradley Ogden, and Carla Pellegrino. Late Thursday night also included a fantastic collaboration between super chef Joël Robuchon and Cirque de Solelil's KA ensemble. Thursday’s events ended atop Caesar’s Palace nightclub PURE in an after-hours party for local food bank, Three Square.

Friday and Saturday were filled with discussion panels and interactive activities. Cocktails and Cuisine, hosted by Bon Appetit Wine & Spirits Consultant Steve Olson and master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim was a hands-on, cocktail mixing experience, making the crowd feel as though they could mix any drink! Friday's piece-de-resistance was the Grand Tasting, centered around the pool at Caesar's Palace, featuring the top 150 restaurants and spirit companies in the Las Vegas area. Celebrity chefs, press, and foodies alike moved from booth to booth to taste the fabulous food offerings from the top local restaurants, including Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Rick Moonen's RM Seafood, Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern, and Tom Colicchio's craftsteak. Capping off the evening, many of the celeb chefs participated in a Celebrity Chef Blackjack tournament at Wynn's Encore.

Some of Saturday's highlights included a fabulous talk on sustainability and utilization of local food producers, featuring Edmund Wong, the Bellagio's Executive Chef, as well as green advocates, Paul Bartolotta, Rick Moonen, and Bradley Ogden. The afternoon included the Ultimate All-Star Interactive Luncheon, where Daniel Boulud and Marc Poidevin taught guests how to sear squab breast and Japanese eggplant right at their tables! The evening made way for Iron Chef-like competitions between hotels, with the Wynn/Encore up against Mandalay Bay, and the culinary staff of Caesar's Palace taking on the MGM Grand. David Foster and friends brought the day to a close with a late-night bash at RM Seafood in Mandalay Bay.

The festival wound down on Sunday morning, with a mouthwatering Mother's Day brunch hosted by Top Chef host, and craft owner, Tom Colicchio, as well as a chocolate demonstration at Mandalay Bay's Aureole. With food and drink like this, how could anyone wait until the 2010 Vegas Uncork'd?