SLS Dine-N-Dash With Jose Andres And Friends Part 1

The SLS Las Vegas tries real hard to bill itself as a “foodie” hotel. Honestly, I can’t say I blame them. The site houses 7 very good restaurants, and it works tirelessly to lure not just tourists to the northern end of the strip, but locals away from their homes, with reasonable food prices, tantalizing deals, and world class chefs behind the scenes. After attending this event, I feel I should give it a more wholehearted shot for a full meal.

Pretty sure there's enough champagne for a bath here.

The Dine-n-Dash event was modeled after celebrity chef Jose Andres’ event in the Washington DC area: one price, and you get to run around and try samples all over the place. Also like its DC-based brethren, Dine-n-Dash raised money for Andres’ World Central Kitchen as well as the Las Vegas-based Three Square, both focused on helping those in need in terms of hunger and food insecurity issues. Nothing like knowing you’re helping those who need help while having a grand time, right?

Paper thin Iberico puts bacon to shame. SHAME.

Unlike the DC event, the SLS Dine-n-Dash started with a christening of The Foundry, SLS’s new concert hall, by way of a live cooking demo featuring Andres, chef Curtis Stone (you probably know him best for Take Home Chef on TLC), and mixologist Rob Floyd. Upon entering the Foundry, there were cocktails and champagne galore, along with stacks of Jamon Iberico freshly cut for us to munch on. I easily wormed my way up front, and waited for the demo to start.

Chefs Jose Andres and Curtis Stone.

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect in terms of the cooking demo, but it sure wasn’t what happened. Less Good Eats or Emeril, and more stage show, it was roughly an hour of zany antics, dumb jokes, and things being thrown to the crowd.

John Curtas being hassled by Andres.

It opened with Andres hassling local food critic John Curtas, and was followed by each chef making an opening cocktail. Granted, these were party-sized of course, so entire bottles of alcohol made their ways into giant alchemical vessels, along with dry ice, flower petals, and who knows what.

Party sized cocktails call for party sized measurements.

Next, each chef made several dishes, although “made” might be too generous, and “added Iberico to everything” might be more like it. Amongst the items put together that night was Iberico topped pizza (pizza courtesy of 800 Degrees),

Iberico-caviar tacos (literally caviar on top of an Iberico slice and folded up),

A lucky attendee getting the Iberico caviar "taco".

and a dish consisting of potatoes, Iberico fat, salt, and gluttony. Being up front, I did get handed by Curtis Stone a bowlful of said potatoes, and they were salty and creamy and soft and decadent in a way I’m sure is wrong.

I know it doesn't look like much, but it was so rich that I'm probably going to hell for eating it.

The last dishes of the night were challenges issued to each chef by the other, requiring the use of culinary items from the other chef’s homeland. Andres came strong with a dish consisting of sashimi-style Australian fish (what kind I couldn’t remember), topped with olive oil, an Australian spice mix, and just a smidge of vegemite (because what’s more Australian than that?).

Stone countered by trying to best Andres’ signature “cotton candy foie gras” by creating a core of foie gras surrounded by thin strings of melted Chupa Chups he created on stage (I was in the danger zone for getting burnt by melted candy. How exciting!).

Nothing like the danger of a sugar burn to start your night.

Yes, because nothing says haute cuisine like candy covered meat butter.

They ended the demo by helping with a champagne fountain, and it was time to run around the SLS for foods.

Catch part 2 for more on the crawl around the SLS’s restaurants and their offerings!


-Janette G (anarchymarie)