You’ve seen it—an enormous jumble of glass, right there across the street from the MGM.

And you’ve been intrigued. Judging by the shape, you’ve been expecting something big, like a high temple to humankind’s greatest achievements in the arts and sciences.

Or a good place to get a fish taco and a magnum of Krug.

Either way, really.

Introducing Beso and Eve, a restaurant-club duo imported from LA (with the help of one desperate housewife), serving dinner now with upstairs bottle service arriving December 30.

Nestled inside CityCenter (which is finally open after three-and-a-half short years of construction), the place is basically Tinseltown’s Vegas branch—they actually imported the massive chandelier from last year’s Oscars. (Think of it as the Sean Penn of giant lights.)

You’ll recognize the Beso name and decor from power lunches at the spot’s LA incarnation, and the highlights should be just like you remember them: hipsters and celebs drawn in by owner-mascot Eva Longoria and saffron-soaked paella whipped up by Todd English.

It’s dinner-only for now, but as of the 30th, you’ll be able to venture upstairs to Eve to check out the colossal video screens, enjoy the soothing sounds of the night’s DJ and get an intimate look at any Kardashians who might be stopping by.

Beso and Eve
at Crystals, CityCenter
3720 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-254-2376
official website

Chef Joël Robuchon: “Chef of the Century” Redefines French Cuisine

Classic French cuisine–straight from the kitchens of the educated, working-class bourgeoisie–is known around the world for its complex mix of flavors and heavy sauces. In the 1960s, nouvelle cuisine changed all that. It was up to Chef Joël Robuchon–known to culinary students as the “Chef of the Century”–to rescue classic French cooking while embracing the simplicity of nouvelle cuisine.

Getting to Know Chef Robuchon

The New York Times bio for Joël Robuchon starts off this way: “Long praised for the way in which he intensifies the essence of a dish–he often pays more attention to accentuating two or three flavors than creating unusual combinations–Joël Robuchon has for a quarter century been on the short list of renowned chefs.”

That’s putting it mildly. At age 28, Robuchon received the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Outstanding French Craftsman) award and three years later received the award again. In 1984, he was the youngest chef ever to own a three-star restaurant. In 1990, the influential French restaurant guide Gault Millau named 44-year-old Robuchon the “Chef of the Century,” and in 2006 Bon Appetit named him “Chef of the Year.” Robuchon is a permanent member of the Académie Culinaire de France and owns 19 restaurants worldwide, most of them Michelin-starred.

Redefining French Cuisine

Robuchon used his relentless drive for perfection to reinvigorate French cuisine. Classic French cooking had been rich and heavy; then, in the 1960s, nouvelle cuisine began emphasizing the taste of individual ingredients but also leaned toward minuscule, over-designed presentations. Robuchon combined the best of both styles to create fresh, simple, satisfying food. SmartMoney.com says, “Not for him the flash and dash of bitey flavors and food done up to resemble something it isn’t. Robuchon is all about making it look and feel natural, turning simple food into something luxurious.”

“Turning simple food into something luxurious”–that’s the burning desire of culinary students around the world.” Chef of the Century” Joël Robuchon, still going strong at age 63, shows how it’s done.

Sources
Fleury Michon Groupe
Joël Robuchon
New York Times

In life, there are but a handful of days you remember forever. Like this one.

Because Thomas Keller, he of the venerated French Laundry and Per Se, is finally bringing Bouchon to Beverly Hills on November 18—and today’s the day the reservation lines go live.

Bonus: it’s also the day we’ll tell you about his secret little wine bar.

But first things first—from the courtyard next to the Montage hotel, you’ll enter the stately Beverly Hills Gardens building and ascend to the second floor alongside a ravenous flock of besuited Gersh agents, trophy wives, moneyed celebs, beards and eager foodies who’ve eaten Top Ramen since March to save for the big night.

If you’ve been to Bouchon in Yountville or Vegas, you know to expect refined bistro classics—Leg of Lamb, Trout Amandine and a two-tiered Grand Plateau seafood tower. To wash it down, the Vin de Carafe program brings in exclusive blends from the central coast, and they’ll also be serving the pilsner-style White Apron beer here and here alone.

Speaking of washing things down—if you want a more covert hideaway, just veer into the courtyard-level Bar Bouchon, debuting shortly after the restaurant. It’s an intimate 11-stool nook, with additional terrace seating under the sun, for charcuterie, Escargots Bourguignonnes and potted foods to go with your cabernet.

Rumors of a secret 12th stool remain unconfirmed.

Note: Bouchon, 235 N. Cañon Dr, Beverly Hills, phone lines open today at 310-271-9910, opens November 18, Bar Bouchon shortly thereafter.

Visit the official website here.

When Le Cirque opened in 1974, it received immediate criticism. Its proprietor, Sirio Maccioni, was not “democratic” in his seating practices—ensuring that the best tables went mainly to the beautiful, the famous, and the powerful—and, as The New York Times reported, its fare was more bistro-type than fine French cuisine. At the same time, Le Cirque stood out as an innovator among the ranks of Manhattan’s French restaurants: As a Tuscan, Maccioni did not feel constrained to adhere to the sometimes stultifying traditions of classic French cookery; instead he presented guests with more creative, less rigid menus than those of once-legendary culinary palaces like Lutèce, La Côte Basque, and La Caravelle. Over the years, Maccioni allowed his young chefs—among them Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, and pastry master Jacques Torres—?to modernize haute cuisine in ways that satisfied both the old guard and the new elite.

Today some say this trendsetting restaurant of the ’70s and ’80s has become outdated. But while the longtime ringmaster, who is now 77, continues to cater to Le Cirque’s loyal habitués, his three sons—Mario, 44, Marco, 41, and Mauro, 37—are looking to attract a clientele of their own generation. As Mauro told the media last year, “We want a great chef, someone who will get us three Michelin stars.” The restaurant currently holds none, though its Las Vegas sister venue (also named Le Cirque), which Mario manages, received its first Michelin star last year.

The executive chef on whom the younger Maccionis have pinned their Michelin hopes, Craig Hopson, arrived at the Manhattan flagship in December. Unlike most of his seven predecessors at the restaurant, Hopson is not French but Australian. Still, he is no newcomer to classic French cuisine, having trained in some of Paris’ most illustrious restaurants, including Guy Savoy and Lucas Carton. Moreover, as chef de cuisine at New York’s Picholine, Hopson helped that restaurant earn two Michelin stars.

Hopson was one of six final candidates for the position at Le Cirque. “It was hands-down once we tried his cooking,” Marco says. “When he made a ham-hock consommé with pecorino ravioli, my father saw an elegant simplicity that our customers would easily order. [Hopson] makes even the most humble-sounding dishes fit for a king.”

In tying on the apron strings at Le Cirque, Hopson is well aware that he also is tying himself to an establishment that has become an institution. “When I interviewed with the Maccionis, they told me to cook whatever I want,” says Hopson. “But they also told me I had to be able to make what they call the ‘menu that’s not a menu,’ which consists of signature dishes—like flounder Le Cirque, osso bucco, and pasta primavera—that are not actually printed on the menu. While I respect the history of Le Cirque, I also try to take out some of the stuffy plating and make lighter and fresher-tasting dishes.”

To that end, Hopson’s menu includes a butterless, creamless pea soup; a softshell crab made tempura-style (instead of sautéed in butter); and updated specialties such as a terrine of foie gras, rabbit, and bacon that is served with tempura-fried squash and a Granny Smith apple gelée.

In Hopson’s hands, Le Cirque appears once again to be breaking new ground, successfully enlivening its new act by borrowing a few tricks from the old.

Le Cirque, 212.644.0202, www.lecirque.com

A new wave of young cleaver masters are reviving not only a lost art but also a lost pleasure. Get to know your butcher and you won’t just save yourself time (yes, he’ll butterfly that for you) and money (for free!), you’ll learn how to make a skirt steak or a stack of short ribs taste more succulent than you ever imagined. Here’s how to get the most out of your meat man

The first time I went to a butcher was in college. I wish I could say it was my idea, but the inspiration belonged to my roommate, Robert, a sophomore from Burbank, California, who was trying to transform himself into a sophisticate who knew the best vintages of the past ten Bordeaux and Napa harvests. (He memorized the cheat sheet in Wine Spectator.) Robert decided that we would invite friends over for a steak dinner and that we would, in his words, serve the finest beef known to mankind.

Now, this was years ago, long before the current fascination with meatmen—butchers weren’t photogenic dudes with tattoos, they were middle-aged guys with missing fingers. Our neighborhood butcher shop was busy and reassuringly spotless; the tile floor sprinkled with sawdust. It was only when our number was called that I realized Robert didn’t have a plan. The butcher asked what we wanted, and Robert calmly stepped behind me and gave me a little push.

I didn’t know what to say. Of course I’d eaten steak, many times, but I had never bought any, and when I scanned the glass case I was intimidated by the abundance of beautifully marbled beef. Only one cut came to mind, a miserable steak I recently had that was gray and chewy.

“I don’t want London broil,” I said.

“Then don’t get it,” the butcher said.

Luckily, butchers live to elucidate.

After some basic questions (budget, ambitions, skills), the butcher gave us a short tutorial, steering us away from bland tenderloins to more flavorful New York strips. Then he explained how to sear the meat, how to let it rest. He gave us a bag of coarse salt mixed with cracked pepper. As he spoke, he jotted the instructions down on a piece of paper, and when he handed us our steaks, he told us to come back and tell him how it went. He was sincere.

It was a seminal afternoon for me. But I’ve since learned that for the man behind the counter, it was just another workday. A butcher shop is one of those institutions, like a good barber or a tailor, that are as much clubhouses as commercial enterprises, except you’re granted membership simply by stepping through the door. And lately, more doors than ever are opening. A new generation of butchers are setting up shops from Brooklyn to San Francisco. Whether you choose a new-school spot or a joint that dates from before you had canines, know this: It doesn’t matter if you’re advanced (you special-order game), intermediate (you know the cut you want), or beginner (porkchops? chicken breasts?)—cutting meat is the butcher’s trade, but his art is making shopping for it the best part of your day.

Some things are just a given.

Summer lasts until November. Your Halloween costume will bring tears of exhilaration to all who see it. And when you are offered the chance to drown yourself in gratis bubbly on the beach—you take it.

Yes, there’s a kind of amazing new Sunday Brunch in town—now available at the Hotel Casa Del Mar.

Under the soaring windows facing out onto the sand, the waves and the pier, you’ll settle in at the Veranda (some might call it the lobby lounge) for a three-course affair. Shellfish and Avocado Salad to start, then some Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or Country French Toast With Honey Roasted Figs. And as for that third course, well, it involves as much dessert as you can stomach. (Which is a lot.) Grand total so far: $29.

But here’s what just might make this your next great Sunday institution. Before you go, just text the word “Casa” to 21534, and they’ll send you a covert message back. Flash that message to the staff upon arrival, and your meal suddenly also includes all the bubbly you can drink. (Which is more than a lot.) Grand total: still $29.

Your kind of math.

A little to the left. Down a bit. There. Right there.

You’ve never been afraid to take direction. So allow me—you’ll want to head East as soon as you can. The reservation lines are now open.

The first restaurant from David Judaken’s Syndicate Group (Mood, MyHouse), East reveals itself slowly. A 10-foot-wide glass fireplace keeps the front lounge visible from the street, its paper walls and Balinese yoga chairs flickering mysteriously behind flame. Past that, a raw bar like a block of ice, where you might enjoy your sashimi with Miso-Mustard Cream or Southwestern Chipotle-Lime Sauce.

And then: a black lacquered chef’s table, risen up from the floor by gnarled trunks, rooted at the gateway to the main dining room out back. Under a 65-foot skylight far, far above, you’ll want to snag one of the carved-wood confessional-style booths across the rear wall. (Yes, designer Dodd Mitchell was here.) After some ceviche prepared tableside, and some Caviar With Truffle Crème Fraîche if you’re really buying all this recession-over talk, the time will come for French-Asian-ish shared plates of Carpaccio and Tartar With Quail Egg and Drunken Sake-Infused Tofu.

You’re known to have your ways.

East, now soft-open for private events, officially open October 6, 323-462-3278

Vintage from Champagne, France – Other regions

Winemaker’s Notes:
“The Dom Pérignon Vintage 1998 has a special way of holding its final note on and on. It’s as if it doesn’t want to let go. It’s surprising, unique and magnicent.”
Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave

Color:
Pale yellow with golden highlights.

On the nose: The initial notes of fresh almond and grapefruit gradually lead into cashew nut and spices complemented by lightly toasted brioche.

On the Palate:
Satiny texture unfurls on the palate, embracing and caressing it. Momentary weightlessness with a vibrating finish arouses the taste buds with controlled ardor. The persistence is remarkable, with the slightest undertone of tartness (citrus zest and buds.)

The 1998 Harvest
The year featured two unusual and contrasting weather related events: Record high temperatures in August followed by exceptional rainfall in the first half of September. Patience prevailed at harvest and was rewarded by a period of miraculously good weather resulting in healthy, especially well-ripened grapes.