Food and Loathing | Covering the Las Vegas Food Scene

It's an action-packed episode as Al reports back from the Pizza Expo, two pre-expo parties, the Bar & Restaurant show and a couple of nights out. Co-Host Rick Moonen recounts his busy week, which involved cooking, cooking and more cooking. And Rich shares the latest on which US restaurant chains are doing when regarding their operations in Russia. The centerpiece is Al's conversation with Buddy Va...

With no centerpiece guest, Al, Rick and Rich tackle a bunch of things this week - chief among them the 40th anniversary celebration at Piero's. Al attended the party at the stand-alone restaurant that is Ground Zero for old Las Vegas, and grabbed comments from owner Freddie Glusman and longtime lounge singer and Hollywood semi-legend Pia Zadora. Also: a deep preview of a new steakhouse coming to H...

Al and Rich get the lowdown on the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities at one of Las Vegas' best Irish bars and restaurants: Ri-Ra at Mandalay Place. Managing Partner Scott Sherman and lead barman Wally Lang preview the fun to be had, and share the history of Ri-Ra. Also: Al talks to Chef Bobby Flay about his latest burger joint on The Strip, and Rich shares all the food he DIDN'T eat at Las Ve...

Chef Rick Moonen is back as co-host, and he's in great company. He and Al get the lowdown on Chefs for Kids, the foundation that fights malnutrition and hunger in children through education and awareness, Chris Johns in the longtime Executive Chef at the South Point Hotel and Casino - and has been a guiding force in Chefs for Kids for years. Also joining the episode is Food Network veteran Vic Veg...

After hinting at it for weeks, Al makes the big reveal: his new Las Vegas restaurant guide app, Neon Feast. Rich quizzes Al about the details of the app. It's a curated list of at least 500 restaurants, but much more. Also joining the show, Jonathan Batista and Jordan Dunewood, owners of Artisanal Foods. The go-to source for many restaurants in the valley opened a large retail outlet nearly a year...

It's back to the Convention Center for more great conversations from this month's Fancy Foods Show. Among those who stopped by our table: Donald Contursi of "Lip Smacking Foodie Tours" and Michael Stamm of Cured and Whey. Also, Rich takes a Covid test. But you'll have to listen all the way to find out the result! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a long one but a good one! Al and Rich dive into the Winter Fancy Foods show, which was held in Las Vegas for the first time in decade. This trade show lets distributors, importers and food makers show off their products to the world. Well, the food world. From grains to syrup to hot sauce to cheese (and more cheese), Al and Rich gained some weight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...

It's all about the Charcuterie - which does NOT include chocolate! Nor does it include cheese, according to Diana Brier, the proprietor of Valley Cheese & Wine in Henderson. But it DOES include a lot of tasty meats, with cheese as an accompaniment, according to the man who literally wrote the book on the subject: Jeffrey Weiss of Valencian Gold. His book is "Charcuteria: The Soul of Spain." Also:...

Hot Dogs take center stage in this episode, in which we talk to two of the valley's best purveyors of artisan tubes: Snap-O-Razzo's Ralph Perrazo and Jordan Camacho, creator of the "To Be Frank" popup inside Sticks Tavern on Water Street in Henderson. Both talk about how they came from serious fine dining to creating and selling their own dogs. Ralph sells his packaged dogs online and at Green Val...

Al and Rich hunker down in their respective broadcast bunkers, as both tested positive for Covid-19 last week. But, through the magic of Zoom, they talk about events they had to miss - as well as two events coming up and underway. Diana Edelman of 'Vegans Baby' checks in from New York to talk about the great vegan items that means restaurants are offering in the final days of Vegan Dining Month. A...

Al, Rich and co-host Rick Moonen welcome the chefs from two of the top restaurants at Resorts World: Daniel Ontiveros of Carversteak and Nicole Brisson of Brezza. Recorded inside the knife room at Carversteak, the two discuss their commitment to high quality beef raised in a humane way, their individual paths to these new properties and how they both compete and cooperate in adjacent spaces. Al an...

We're back poolside and Rick Moonen's house to put a cap on the holidays. Al, Rick and Rich share thoughts on Carversteak, the new cutting-edge steakhouse at Resorts World. Al sits down with Heidi Knapp-Rinella, who's just retired after 22 years as the top food writer/critic at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. And Rich quizzes Al and Rick on several food items that are loved around the world, but ill...

Al and Rich share a few bits from the first 29 episodes. Among the subjects and guests: Italian food with Gina Marinelli and Chris Conlon, cooking for the Raiders with Gary LaMorte, Top Chef Portland finalist Jamie Tran, and all about the geneses of Vegas Uncorked with James Trees. If you're sharing with someone unfamiliar with the podcast, this is the perfect introduction! Learn more about your a...

Politics, Tomatoes and more highlight the second half of Al's dinner and conversation with the legendary Jose Andres. Also: Al and Rich check a few news items and review a light week of going out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the episode that Al's been waiting to drop for two weeks: the first half of his very long interview and dinner with Chef Jose Andres, the man behind Jaleo, China Poblano, E, MiniBar, Bazaar Meats and other restaurant concepts. And he's the man who's fed hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are the victims of disasters - both natural and human-made. Also: Al and co-host Rick Mo...

Two years after the season was shot, Hell's Kitchen Young Guns finally aired this past summer. And delaying the release also meant delaying the prize for winner Trenton Garvey. But now he has his money, and his new job as Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris. From his new home in Henderson, Trenton sits down with Al to explain it all. Rick Moonen is back as co-host. He recounts a very bu...

It's a combination of celebration, remembrance and education this week – all wrapped up in a tasty package. We celebrate Hanukah with a primer on what it means to keep kosher, and a discussion of all things kosher in Las Vegas. And we found two men who know their stuff: Ken Heck, owner of Chinglish and Chinglish Kosher, and Rabbi Tzvi Bronchtain, who certifies that a restaurant or shop is, indeed,...

We're celebrating the holiday by asking some of our best friends in the Las Vegas restaurant community to share their best Thanksgiving moments. From family fun to challenging times in the kitchen to heartbreaking moments, we hope you'll find something that speaks to you. Among our friends sharing their stories: Justin Kingsley Hall, Elizabeth Blau, Rick Moonen, Cory Harwell, Bruce Kalman, Ken Hec...

The meat in the sandwich that is this episode is all about sandwiches: what makes a good one and why are there so many awful sandwich sellers? We talk with two of the best at their craft: Dave Simmons of Goodwich in Downtown Las Vegas, and Ismaele Romano, who just opened Via Focaccia at Elis Island Casino. Sandwiching that conversation, Rich critiques cheap steak, Al and co-host Rick Moonen play M...

Chef Rick Moonen is back to talk about his travels. He and Al also compare notes about Harlo, the new Downtown Summerlin steakhouse from Chef Gina Marinelli that's still in "preview" mode. And Rich bitches about not yet getting an invitation. But the bulk of the episode is all about Spanish food and the great Las Vegas joints that celebrate it. From the private dining room at Jaleo in The Cosmopol...

Most restaurant kitchens may be 'boys' clubs.' But that's changing in many places - especially in Las Vegas. Our guests include Dr. Lisa Cain, who teaches a course at UNLV called "From the Classroom to the Boardroom: Leadership for Women in Hospitality. "  Also joining us, Elizabeth Blau, one of the most successful restaurant operators in Las Vegas, male or female. And we recorded that conversatio...

We take a deep, delicious dive into the Las Vegas sushi scene with two of the best sushi chefs at one of the best sushi venues. Chef John Um treats us to a fantastic array of raw fish in the newly refurbished and expanded bar at SushiSamba at the Palazzo. John is SushiSamba's corporate chef. Also joining us at the table is Josh Bagwin, formerly of RM Seafood - which is a nice coincidence, since th...

For the second time in history (well, our history) Food and Loathing is releasing a bonus episode! Well, it's more like a leftover episode. There was just too much good stuff at and great guests at "Vegas Unstripped" for just one episode. So we've constructed this extra helping of Unstripped. It features Chef J.P. Labadie, as well as Vegas' most famous (and most recognizable) mixologist Adam Raine...

We've recovered from an epic night of gluttony on Main St. in the Arts District, and we're sharing what we saw, heard and tasted. Before then, co-host Rick Moonen shares his tale of 'glamping' in Utah, Al and Rick recount their 'secret' dinner in Tivoli Village, and Rich 'reviews' the new fast foot joint that serves nothing but plant-based food. That includes 'cheese' - heavy on the quote marks. A...

Jenny Wong, co-owner of Every Grain, is our co-host this week. She shares her story about bringing the Taiwanese staple Lu Rou Fan to the valley. The centerpiece of the show is barbecue. And two of the best in town are here for us: Bruce Kalman of Soul Belly BBQ and Rollin' Smoke's Mike Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices