UNLVino kicked off four days of events on Thursday with Bubble-Licious at the Venetian. Thomas Keller of Bouchon was honored with the Dom Pérignon Award of Excellence for his collection of restaurants.
“I can’t tell you how incredibly honored I am to be standing here tonight in front of all of you and the students of UNLV. The reason I’m standing here is because of them. We raise millions of dollars for the scholarship fund to help these students realize their dreams. I was able to realize my dreams because I had people surrounding me and supporting me throughout my life,” Keller said as he accepted his award.
Offering his advice to the students, Keller hit on the importance of patience and persistence. “Whatever you’re doing, be patient. Take your time. Learn your skills. Learn your craft. And don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do something. And whatever happens, continue to stay true to who you are, stay true to your goals, and believe me, you’ll be fine.”
Some highlights of the night:
The party started with Bubble-Licious’ signature “21 Cork Salute,” where 21 sommeliers from UNLV and Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada simultaneously popped corks off 21 bottles of Dom Pérignon champagne.
Chef Keller personally served Pate de Campagne with pickled garden vegetables from Bouchon and provided cookies from Bouchon Bakery as a guest takeaway.
Guests sampled more than 100 varieties of international champagnes, sparkling wines, wines and other specialty beverages, including Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Brut, Moet + Chandon Imperial Brut, Luc Belaire Sparkling Rare Rose, Cupcake Prosecco, and many more.
Guests dined on dishes from a collection of the Venetian’s celebrated restaurants including B&B Ristorante, Bouchon, Delmonico, Lagasse’s Stadium, Postrio Bar & Grill, SushiSamba, Table 10 and Zine Noodles Dim Sum. Favorites included a carpaccio of scallops created by the resort’s executive chef Olivier Dubreuil and Postrio Bar and Grill’s Bavarian Bratwurst.
Click on the photos below to enlarge.
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