Chef Jean-Philippe Maury

Bio

Jean-Philippe Maury enjoys the sweet life in Las Vegas, as his expertise and passion for French pastries have found their ultimate expression through his two Jean Philippe Pâtisseries, one located in Bellagio and the second in ARIA.

Maury grew up in Perpignan in the South of France and declares a simple inspiration for his attraction to the pastry arts: his aunt. “No one in my family is a sous chef or a professional, but my aunt loved to make cakes and she would let me help,” Maury said. “At eight years old I told my parents I wanted to be a pastry chef. And, they believed me!” At age 17, he enrolled at L’Ecole Hôtelière du Moulin à Vent in Perpignan where he trained in the specialties of pastry, ice cream, chocolate and confections.

Weekends were spent in an internship with Master Pastry Chef Marc Comte, which allowed Maury to add Mediterranean and Catalan pastries to his repertoire. For several years after school, Maury worked tirelessly at various restaurants to fine-tune his craft and enrich his experience. But it was the competition circuit that finally allowed Maury’s indisputable talent to claim a place on the public stage: Bronze Medals in Paris and Sète, a Gold in Bordeaux and in 1997 the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France – Best Pastry Chef in France.

This top honor brought instant international recognition. Within the year, Chef François Paillard brought Maury to New York as pastry chef for his restaurant and shop, and the new champion’s elaborate creations were published in Pastry Art and Design and The New York Times. Less than a year later, Maury accepted the position of executive pastry chef for the AAA Five Diamond Bellagio in Las Vegas and later opened Jean Philippe Patisserie in ARIA Resort and Casino.

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Bio

Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, France, Jean-Georges earliest family memories are about food. He trained in a work-study program at the Auberge de I’Ill and as an apprentice to chef Paul Haeberlin, later working with Paul Bocuse and Master Chef Louis Outhier at L’Oasis in the south of France.

Jean-Georges traveled Asia for positions in the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Madarin Hotel in Hong Kong.

Involved in every aspect of his restaurants, from concept and menu to architectural design, staff selection and finishing touches, he and partner Phil Suarez have worked together for more than 18 years to create restaurants that are both timely and enduring.

Chef Masa Takayama

Bio

Masa Takayama may well be the most famous sushi chef in the United States. He has impressed diners on both coasts with his four-star menus, unassuming charm and artistic dexterity. Now he brings his renowned charisma and cuisine to Las Vegas, joining the impressive restaurant line-up at CityCenter with barMASA and Shaboo in ARIA Resort & Casino.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo and was hired by a reputable sushi restaurant, Ginza Sushi-ko, as a dishwasher. Intrigued by the genuine joy he perceived in diners, he began to develop an equally genuine interest in the restaurant and its culinary craft. Before long, he moved his way up to sushi chef.

Eight years later, Takayama visited Los Angeles, intent on seeing expanses of flat land entirely antithetical to Japan’s island mountains. He worked at a number of small Japanese restaurants before opening his own Ginza Sushi-ko in Beverly Hills in 1983. Small and intimate – and located in an unglamorous mini-mall – Ginza Sushi-ko quickly attracted a cult-like following and a rare four-star review from The Los Angeles Times. Takayama became famous for sourcing the very best ingredients available and, in the early years, would fly to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo himself each Saturday.

Soon after the turn of the millennium, Takayama received an offer to open a restaurant in New York City’s newly built Time Warner Center. Encouraged by Thomas Keller, along with a strong economy and the excitement of an even bigger food city, Takayama opened Masa in 2004. The restaurant soon won four stars from The New York Times (the only Japanese restaurant to do so in 20 years) with respected food critic Frank Bruni declaring, “Masa engineers discrete moments of pure elation that few if any other restaurants can match.” A Mobil five-star rating and Michelin’s top rating of three stars soon followed.

Now, five years later, Takayama returns west to join the culinary explosion taking place in the unprecedented CityCenter in Las Vegas. barMASA and Tetsu, sister properties to his New York establishments, have enabled him to return to his loyal West Coast clientele, as well as express the shabu-shabu concept he has been developing for some time

Chef Michael Mina

Bio

Born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Mina has had a love affair with the kitchen from a very early age. Mina’s epicurean journey began in 1987 at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. During those 18 months of formal schooling, he spent his weekends sharpening his natural talents with hands-on experience in Charlie Palmer’s kitchen at the upscale Aureole in New York City.

Early in his career, Mina was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime with then Executive Chef of the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, George Morrone. The two were asked to develop a concept and create a menu for an upscale seafood restaurant in San Francisco – the city he had dreamed of calling home one day. When AQUA opened in 1991, it was met with rave reviews and national acclaim.

Looking to expand his portfolio of restaurants, Mina founded his own company, Mina Group, with partner Andre Agassi in 2002. Under the auspices of Mina Group, he has since opened 18 concept restaurants and a lounge concept including MICHAEL MINA, CLOCK BAR, RN74, BOURBON STEAK, ARCADIA, STONEHILL TAVERN, SEABLUE, NOBHILL TAVERN, STRIPSTEAK and AMERICAN FISH.

Named Gayot Restaurateur of the Year 2011, Food Arts Silver Spoon Award winner May 2011, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year 2005, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year 2005, as well as Restaurateur of the Year 2005 by the International Food and Beverage Forum, Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with bold dining concepts that have contributed to Las Vegas’s reputation as a world-class epicurean destination and made him an integral part of the dining scene across the country.

Chef Shawn McClain

Bio

Shawn McClain has a knack for balancing innovative concepts with tradition and sensibility. His spirited Artisanal American menu takes the seasons as its departure point, tapping the freshness of California’s fertile environment to produce elevated flavor combinations with Mediterranean undercurrents.

McClain’s star rose quickly in the culinary world. He first broke onto the national scene at Trio restaurant in Evanston, earning four stars from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. After seven accolade-filled years, he left to open Spring in 2001, which served as his homage to seafood and earned extraordinary critical acclaim and consumer success. That same year, Spring was nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award, and McClain was named Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year.

By 2004, McClain was ready to take on a new challenge and opened his second restaurant, Green Zebra. An immediate success, this vanguard concept brings vegetables to the center of the plate and was lauded by The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine and several other prestigious publications.

After continuing his success in Chicago with Custom House, McClain eventually found his way to the bright lights of Las Vegas. At Sage in ARIA Resort & Casino, McClain changed focus once more with a New American menu built on the irresistible freshness of California’s local harvests. After having achieved so many of his goals in Chicago, McClain was drawn to both the challenge of a new city and the allure of CityCenter as a culinary destination. His sharp eye for distinctive concepts forms the cornerstone of his ongoing ability to excite diners nationwide.

Chef Julian Serrano

Bio

Award-winning Chef Julian Serrano turns a discerning eye to the cuisine of his Spanish heritage as Executive Chef of his eponymous restaurant, Julian Serrano.

A native of Madrid, Serrano is a graduate of the Escuela Gastronomie P.P.O. hotel management school in Marbella, Spain, and has pursued his affinity for French cuisine in some of Europe's most celebrated kitchens. He has spent time at Lucas-Carton in Paris, Hotel de France in Auch, France, Chez Max in Zurich and L'Aubergine in Munich.

Following brief positions in Miami and Nashville, Serrano moved to San Francisco, where in 1983 he helped open Masa’s restaurant under the personal tutelage of the restaurant's renowned founding chef, Masataka Kobayashi.

In 1998, Serrano brought his memorable Mediterranean-French cooking to Bellagio in Las Vegas as Executive Chef of Picasso. The Michelin two-star restaurant has won the AAA Five Diamond Award every year since 2002, and its wine list has received the coveted Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine.

At his latest venue in the dazzling CityCenter, Serrano satisfies a long-held ambition of sharing the secrets of his own Spanish cuisine. In 2010, Esquire magazine named the restaurant Julian Serrano one of its Best New Restaurants of the year. The restaurant also received the Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine in 2011.

Chef Robert Moore

Bio

Robert Moore’s first foray into cooking was unintentional, as a friend accidentally enrolled him in seventh grade Home Economics rather than Metal Shop class. However, after the first day of making cinnamon buns, he no longer considered it a mistake.

After getting his start in the industry at a young age with a dishwashing job, he eventually came to Lespinasse in New York City, where he cooked under esteemed chef Gray Kunz. His time with Kunz made a lasting impact—it’s where he learned so many of the skills critical for any rising chef: organization, time management, working neatly and respecting the product.

Moore developed many friendships while cooking throughout New York City. One of those friends was Chef Martin Heierling, a co-worker at Lespinassse who invited him to be a part of his team when developing Sensi at Bellagio in Las Vegas, where he spent two years at Sensi as sous chef, sharing his experience and skills as part of Heierling’s management team.

In 2006, he accepted the position of executive chef at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio. Moore’s culinary style – global with nods to French technique and Italian sensibility – fits perfectly with Vongerichten, particularly the practice of letting the quality of the ingredients take the starring role.

Chef Vincenzo Scarmiglia

Bio

Born off the coast of Tuscany, Vincenzo Scarmiglia grew up immersed in Italy’s robust cuisine and culture. His passion and discipline for culinary arts ultimately led him to executive chef roles in two famed Maccioni family restaurants in Las Vegas, Osteria del Circo at Bellagio Resort & Casino and Sirio Ristorante at ARIA Resort & Casino.

Chef Scarmiglia attended the Spoleto Culinary School in Umbria, Italy and earned his degree in 1990. Upon graduation, Scarmilgia began his first job as a line cook at the esteemed Il Gambero Rosso Restaurant in Porto Ercole, Italy. Scarmiglia’s career was interrupted briefly when he was called to fulfill one year of military service for the Italian Army. At the end of his service, Scarmiglia returned to Il Gambero Rosso where he worked his way up to executive chef.

Searching for new experiences and the challenge of learning a new language, Scarmiglia eyed Las Vegas as offering the biggest opportunity for his career. In 1999, he opened famed restaurateur Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino at The Venetian as assistant chef and immediately made a name for himself in the Las Vegas culinary scene.

In April 2005, he assisted with the opening of Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas and served as assistant chef for several months. That December, Scarmiglia accepted the position of executive chef for Terrazza restaurant at Caesars Palace where he worked until late 2006.

In 2007, Scarmiglia took his talents to the Tuscan-inspired Osteria del Circo at Bellagio, where he worked for renowned restaurateur Sirio Maccioni as executive chef for two years. In 2009, he moved to ARIA to serve as executive chef of the Maccioni’s Sirio Ristorante.

In that role, Scarmiglia makes the Italian kitchen of Sirio hum with homemade pastas and sausages among other delectable dishes. His famous Limoncellos, a recipe he developed while working at Osteria del Circo, provide the perfect ending to any meal. Working with seasonal ingredients, Scarmiglia has several flavors he rotates throughout the year including Berrycello, Trufflecello and Chocolatecello in addition to the classic Limoncello.

Chef Jose Picazo

Bio

Chef Picazo has extensive experience with restaurants beginning with one he opened himself in a small town called Pozuelo, next to Madrid, Spain. His restaurant was decorated by a designer from Washington, D.C., who soon became his girlfriend. Picazzo’s disbelief in long distant relationships brought him to the United States in 1998 where he began work with Jose Andres at Jaleo for 7 years.

He continued to work at several restaurants, including a Tapas and Sushi restaurant in Washington, D.C. called Perry’s. At the time, Award-winning Chef Julian Serrano was looking for an Executive Chef for the opening of Julian Serrano in ARIA. Chef Serrano visited him in D.C. and was immediately impressed. He was offered the position and is currently working with Chef Serrano.

In his years working with numerous chefs, Picazo has utmost respect for Chef Serrano. He said “A good chef doesn’t need to stay in the kitchen. Its like a composer of an orchestra, they don’t need to play all the instruments to make it work. However, Julian is the composer that also knows how to play it all.”

At Julian Serrano, Chef Picazo tries to bring as many ingredients from Spain as he can in order to prepare dishes that will give customers the closest taste and experience to what they would have in his home country. His favorite dishes at Julian Serrano are the Mediterranean Bass and Ahi Tuna Tempura. Stop in yourself and try the delectable interpretations of native Spanish cuisine.

Chef Claude Escamilla

Bio

Claude Escamilla grew up in Perpignan, France and began studying pastry arts at La Chambre des Metiers at the age of 14. He joined “Le Clos Des Lys”, a large-scale catering enterprise in 1995 and worked under Chef Jean-Philippe, to prepare the best French pastry. Claude pursued a pastry degree in the master’s program "Brevet de Maitrise" at "La Chambre de Métiers" in Perpignan and received his degree in 1998. In June of 1999, Claude became the Assistant Pastry Chef for the Bellagio and since then has been promoted to Executive Pastry Chef at ARIA Resort & Casino.

Chef Krairit Krairavee

Bio

Krairit Krairavee is a highly trained chef from Bangkok, Thailand. He was the Executive Chef at Nest, a rooftop restaurant in one of Bangkok’s most luxurious hotels, Le Fenix. He attended the most famous cooking school in Thailand, next to Bangkok’s deluxe Dusit Thani Hotel and trained in both Thailand and the Netherlands. Chef K has taken second place in Thailand’s Super Chef contest and appeared on prestigious cooking shows in Thailand, including Iron Chef and Idol Chef. He joined ARIA to open Lemongrass in 2009 and is currently the Executive Chef. Lemongrass offers a modern interpretation of Thai cuisine with flavorful authentic dishes.

Chef Richard Camarota

Bio

Richard Camarota was the Chef de Cuisine of Shawn McClain’s Custom House restaurant in Chicago. While at Custom House, Chef Camarota gained national attention for his work. When Sage opened inside of ARIA, Chef Camarota was chosen by Shawn McClain to become the Chef de Cuisine.

Sommelier Clarissa Castillo

Bio

Clarissa Castillo didn't discover her passion for wine until she worked for Bart Mahoney, VP of Food & Beverage at the Mirage. While working in the Food & Beverage department, she worked very closely with Alex Stratta, Executive Chef of Renoir at the Mirage. One of her duties included updating and modifying menus and wine lists. Clarissa admits that she had minimal wine knowledge and didn't understand the importance of a wine program for a restaurant. It wasn't until Alex Stratta's wine director gave her a book called Windows on the World, that she became intrigued. She enjoyed learning about wine so much that she decided to turn her passion into a career. Clarissa has been a sommelier for five years, working at Julian Serrano since the opening of ARIA Resort & Casino.

When asked what makes a sommelier unique, Clarissa responded with "The standards of service that we hold ourselves to. A good sommelier can anticipate guests needs, provide excellent service, and ensure the guest is satisfied." Clarissa communicates with her guests and utilizes her knowledge to give them an unforgettable experience.

Clarissa enjoys working in formal dining rooms. She enjoys structured menus, allowing her to pair multiple wines with courses. Currently, her favorite dish and wine pairing at Julian Serrano is the Mixed Paella with the 2001 Lopez de Heredia, Vina Tondonia, from Rioja, Spain. Create an unforgettable experience with the help of Clarissa Castillo at Julian Serrano!

Sommelier Nick Hetzel

Bio

Nick Hetzel, an Iowa native, became interested in Food & Beverage when he worked in the back of the house at Aunt Maude’s Restaurant during High School. He moved to Las Vegas in 1997 to attend University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he studied Food & Beverage Management. Nick’s fascination for wine began in college when he took a class at UNLV taught by Steve Geddes, Master Sommelier.

While attending the UNLV, he also worked in the kitchens of James Beard Award-winning chefs Stephan Pyles and Mark Miller. In 2001, upon completion of his Food & Beverage Management degree, he spent a year in the management training program with Houston’s Restaurant in Irvine, CA.

Building on his love of wine, he worked as Sommelier at Rosemary’s Restaurant for four years in Las Vegas, and two years as Sommelier at the acclaimed Redd Restaurant in the Napa Valley. He was presented with the opportunity to move back to Las Vegas and open Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro in 2008, serving as the opening Beverage Director. While at Morels, Nick built a 500 selection wine list deep in Rhone, Bordeaux and California cult selections and was integral in the creation of a seasonal cocktail program.

In 2009, Nick was part of ARIA’s opening Sommelier team as the lead at Sirio Ristorante and is currently the Lead Sommelier at Sage, Chef Shawn McClain’s restaurant in ARIA. Sage has been named by Wine Enthusiast as Top 100 Wine Restaurants in the nation for 2011 and 2012 as well as the current winner of Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Be sure to ask for Nick Hetzel to assist you in pairing the perfect wine with Sages contemporary American dishes.

Sommelier Kim Wood

Bio

Kim Wood was born in Dayton, Texas and raised in Fort Worth. He graduated from John Hopkins University with a degree in biomedical engineering and finance. Upon completion of college, he moved to Dallas where he worked as a server and bartender. Kim admits that he fell in love with the restaurant industry but had no idea what he wanted to do. Luckily, his friend referred him to a wine director at Papa Bro’s Steakhouse and at the time, Kim had very little knowledge of what a sommelier was. Kim worked closely with Drew Hendricks, Master Sommelier and current Director of Wine and Beverage Education at Pappas Restaurants, Inc. and immediately became fascinated with wine. Drew saw Kim’s passion for wine and guided him with knowledge.

Kim worked at Papa’s for 5 years until he felt he had reached his ceiling. At the time, Rob Bigelow, Master Sommelier and current Director of Food & Beverage at ARIA was putting together ARIA’s team. Kim’s name was mentioned multiple times and he made the decision to join the team in 2009 and had the opportunity open Jean Georges Steakhouse as the Sommelier.

Jean Georges Steakhouse has over 720 wines and champagnes. Kim’s favorite pairing at Jean Georges Steakhouse is the Tuna TarTare with Domaine Weinbach's Rieslings. Stop in and try it yourself!

Mixologist Dominique Awad

Bio

Dominique Awad was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She began her career in Food & Beverage as a cocktail server at Delmonico Steakhouse, requiring her to learn every drink and ingredient. A few years later, she transferred to cocktails at Bellagio and participated in several bartending competitions.

Her fascination in creating new drinks and modifying recipes comes from her interests in cooking. Her Grandparent’s owned a restaurant, Angelo's Cornucopia in Syracuse, NY where she learned most of the family recipes and enjoyed reinventing dishes with her own ideas.

While serving cocktails and participating in bartending competitions, Dominique was determined to eventually become a mixologist. After much time and dedication, she was able to transform her passion into her career. Dominique is currently a mixologist at Julian Serrano in ARIA and loves the fun & easy-going clientele.

Dominique’s favorite drinks to make are Caiprinhas and Cucumber Martinis. Her creativity and knowledge of flavor profiles sets her apart from other bartenders and mixologists. Be sure to pay a visit to Julian Serrano and experience her imagination!

Mixologist Darren West

Bio

Darren West moved to Las Vegas about 17 years ago from Huntington Beach, CA. He realized he was a natural behind the bar when he was 21, working as a bar back at a restaurant. The interaction with new people everyday inspired him to become a bartender.

After moving to Las Vegas, Darren was chosen to be part of the opening team at Bellagio and bartended there for 13 years. Here, he was inspired by Tony Abou-Ganim, “The Modern Mixologist” who elevated bartending to another level. He entered several bartending competitions and traveled around the world to participate. He is a two time USA Champion of the United States Bartenders Guild Competition and represented the United States in the world finals. Darren continues to compete heavily in bartending competitions and prides his trophy case.

In 2009, he was presented with the opportunity to work with Chef Robert Moore at Jean Georges Steakhouse in ARIA and has loved every moment since. If you’re not too sure what to drink, Darren has an answer. Stop in Jean Georges Steakhouse and taste his expertise.

Mixologist Manuel Garcia - View Bar

Bio

Born and raised in New York City, Manuel Garcia joined the Navy in 1985 where he was stationed in Southern Maryland. He moved to Clear Water Beach, Florida after serving and started bartending in 1989. Soon he became the Beverage Manager for an Interstate Hotel property. Manny moved to Las Vegas in June of 2004 and started work at Excalibur Hotel Casino Las Vegas as a bar back. His hard work was quickly noticed and he was promoted to a bartender three months later. In 2005, he began bartending at the Bellagio where he discovered the art of mixology.

Manny was chosen to represent the USA for the “Cocktail World Cup” in New Zealand in 2006. One of the events he participated in was called “Extreme Cocktail Making” that involved 3 stages. During the first event, he had to create a Cosmopolitan, bungee jump, and serve the cocktail to the judges in a boat while hanging upside town. The second event was called “Helishake”, where he was taken on a helicopter to the highest point of Southern New Zealand to create a cocktail on the mountain and then serve it to the judges on the helicopter. The third event was called “Jet Boating”, which required him to create a cocktail using all unfamiliar ingredients and liquors. The competition was a life changing experience for Manny and taught him about the drink culture and how boundaries are expanded.

Manny joined ARIA’s team in 2009 and can currently be found at View Bar near ARIA’s Main Lobby. Stop in and enjoy a custom cocktail served right side up, with no