Celebrity chefs came to work for their proteges on May 18 at the fifth Vegas Unstripped, a food festival focused on local Las Vegas chefs who have garnered critical and creative acclaim.
Legendary Chefs Marc Vetri and Bradley Ogden could be seen at booths at Sammy’s Island at Palms Casino Resort promoting local chefs Michael Rubinstein (Vetri Cucina) and Sean O’Hara (Esther’s Kitchen), while Michael Symon and Rick Moonen were among other kitchen royalty mingling with the crowd.
Created by Chef James Trees (Esther’s Kitchen, Al Solito Posto, Ada’s Food + Wine) and The Feast of Friends agency head Eric Gladstone, Vegas Unstripped began as a reaction to previous Las Ve gas-based food festivals that overlooked local talent.
Those events have faded while Vegas Unstripped has grown with every edition, now nearing 1,000 attendees supporting 30 local chefs alongside bartenders, brewers and more. Vegas Unstripped gathers leading local chefs and tasks them with creating one-night-only dishes.
Entertainment was provided by Vegas Golden Knights host Katie Marie Jones, Jason Harris, Samantha Souza and DJ Night Weapons. Bartenders included Adam Rains (Golden Tiki), Chris Gutierrez (Stray Pirate), Joe Mikulich (EDO/Anima by EDO) and Max Solano (Bar Chef Productions).
Wine and beer selections were donated by MGP Fine Wine, Drink Boutique, Bird Dog Wines, Able Baker Brewing, Trumer Pils and Big Noise Beer. This year’s proceeds will be donated to Obodo Collective, Families for Effective Autism Treatment and Baby’s Bounty. Donation amounts will be announced later.
