NEWS: Scott Ian's Food Coma: Vegas

CULTURE: Scott Ian's Food Coma: Vegas

I hate that stupid “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” slogan. What’s the point of having fun and not sharing?

Yeah, if your trip ends with a dead hooker in your hotel room and a CSI investigation, keep your mouth shut. But too much food, too much booze, poker, David Wells, Jason Giambi, and Mario Batali -- that’s a weekend to blab about.

I was supposed to have this column in on Friday night. I figured I’d get into my room at the Hard Rock, write it and then go get some food, have an early night and wake up fresh for the poker tourney. The best laid plans….
I texted my buddy Joe Bastianich (co-owner of Mario’s restaurant empire) to see if he was in Vegas and it turns out he was. They are opening a new spot, Carne Vino, at the new Palazzo tower in the Venetian and were doing a soft opening. I called my buddy Paul Crook and we headed over for dinner.

The Palazzo is massive. Even by Vegas standards, it’s giant. Carne Vino reflects its surroundings. Beautiful bar, super high ceilings. The main dining room as well, open and huge but nothing gets lost. Joe told me there are more dining rooms off of the main room. With their restaurant B&B literally just a few hundred yards away, it’s a testament to Mario’s power that he can open another place on such a grand scale.

Joe started pouring wine (Bastianich Vespa available at K&L here in LA, killer white) and it was on. I don’t know if it’s a Vegas thing, but the menu was huge. Bigger than Babbo in NY or Osteria Mozza here. There had to be twenty-five antipasti choices, a dozen pasta choices and then the meat. It’s called Carne Vino. There are separate columns for Beef, Veal and Pork. I had the Romana salad with anchovies, the Spaghetti Frutti Di Mare (lobster, shrimp, clams, calamari) and the Veal Marsala. All perfect; all Mario-ized. When you eat Mario’s food you realize why he can have thirteen or so restaurants. It’s just fucking great. No bullshit -- simple, quality ingredients cooked perfectly.

After diner Joe invited us back to the curtained off main room where Mario was holding court. Paul and I joined the crew and spent the next five hours drinking wine and Amaro (it’s basically Italian Jager). Tom Colicchio was there as well so I was in full-on dork mode sitting with him and Mario. Both of them are so cool and down to earth. Tom gave me a bunch of behind the scenes stuff about "Top Chef" which I can’t repeat here under threat of being filleted.

At some point I got up to pee and ended up in a taxi. I could barely speak; the Amaro hit me like a Hatton right.

I made it back to my room and somehow played online poker at Ultimate Bet 'til the sun came up and my head stopped spinning. Fucking Amaro.

I was still drunk when the poker tourney started. It was a charity event hosted by Randy Couture to help injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. One hundred fifty people entered; celebs, poker pros, MMA fighters and the public. David Wells (ex-Yankee) was at my table. I’m a huge Yankee fan and a huge Wells fan. I found it hard to concentrate on the game at first being half drunk and sitting next to one of my idols. He introduced himself and we ended up hanging out til 4 AM. Turns out he was in the same boat as me when the game started so we just started drinking again. What a fucking blast. Ended up meeting up with Giambi later that night and I was in Yankee heaven.

What does this have to do with food? Nothing. We did eat at the new Ago at the Hard Rock and it was very good.

Oh, I made the final table, finished 10th. They raised 100K. Great event.

Until next time, your newly sober friend,
Scott


Scott Ian plays guitar for revolutionary metal band Anthrax and also for Pearl.

Artwork credit: Shepard Fairey

man, i want twenty five antipastos

This article made me feel really, really bad about the awful fucking fast food burger I just scarfed.

scott, you slay at poker. congrats on finishing 10th. i played dominoes for the first time last weekend and won. i can't stop bragging about it. im actually considering making myself my own trophy out of an empty wine bottle. looking forward to the next Food Coma installment.....

Oh dear me. Must---fight---the---JEALOUSY! ARGH!

I drank bourbon, ate a frozen pizza & played online poker all night on Monday. Like a pathetic fun house mirror version of your evening.

Did I mention the jealousy? Please excuse me while I go look at photos of the (infrequent) meals I have enjoyed at Babbo, and then drool all over them, weeping softly.

(goddamnit, I love this column)

This column couldn't come at a better time. I now have a place i NEED to go in my trip to Vegas. Here we go!

oh yeah...amaro is a sneaky motherfucker. When I first moved to italy everybody started giving me this amaro they do with artichoke and I was like "yeah, the local version of jager and probably way too hyped like that one". Can't say I remember much of what followed after the third shot of that thing.

Hah, nice...

Awesome job, as always.

I'm jealous. I can't wait to see the menu as soon as it's posted on Mario's site. I'm sure the menu I've been working on pales in comparison.

*drool*

I have eaten at Babbo's. The food is fucking incredible, nevermind the wine list. I guess I can at least get an idea of what you are talking about.

10th place is pretty good...and you were drunk?

Always a good read! Waiting for him to hit NYC, perthaps the L.E.S. apparently there is a great restaurant on Stanton St. he should try?

I love these articles. Except they always end with me going into the city to spend money on delicious foods.

I agree with this, in every sense but the pizza and online poker.

I would have given anything to have shared time post-meal with the likes of Tom Collichio and Mario Batali.

Fuck.


/Jealous.

*drools* I wish I was in Vegas.

the funny thing though is that "what happens in vegas" isnt our slogan anymore
its "Your Vegas Is Showing"......yeah i dont get it either

I got to meet Tom Colicchio and Thomas Keller at the same time a few years ago. Food boner. He let me just wander around the kitchen at Craftsteak. They were closed (it was late) and he just told me "go ahead, look around" Super cool.