Critic scoffs at LV in Michelin guide

There's some anticipated fallout over the Michelin Guide's first-ever inclusion of Las Vegas restaurants.

Prominent food critic John Mariani of Esquire magazine questions whether the Las Vegas culinary scene deserves a guide ahead of Chicago, Boston or Washington.

The Las Vegas restaurant sector, he said, "is, obviously, booming" but lacks the depth and breadth found in other American cities.

Mariani said he posed the question to Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides.

Naret's response, Mariani said, was that Michelin already had five inspectors in place to do the L.A. guide, and they could cover Las Vegas as well.

"They must be eating as fast as they can!" Mariani added, parenthetically.

But that aside, Las Vegas "still lacks the kind of neighborhood, free-standing restaurants that it needs to be a great food city," Mariani said.

He cited the assertion of fellow critic John Curtas of Nevada Public Radio, who has noted that Las Vegas lacks the markets and local fare other cities have access to. "Indeed," Mariani added, "If Fed-Ex did not exist, L.V. wouldn't have many restaurants."

Mariani's article in Esquire includes criticism from Los Angeles Times food editor Leslie Brenner.

"What shocked me wasn't who did and did not get stars; rather, it was that the book that purports to be the bible of fine dining is so poorly researched and lamely written that the ratings have no credibility."

More specifically, Brenner said she found "just too odd" that a whopping 17 restaurants" in Brentwood were listed in the L.A. guide.

The only three-star restaurant in Las Vegas or Los Angeles was Joel Robuchon's at the MGM Grand.

Among Las Vegas' 16 star recipients, two received two stars: Picasso at Bellagio and Alex at Wynn.

Los Angeles had three two-star eateries and 15 one-star awardees.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

"Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria joked that she may be job hunting in Las Vegas if the Writers Guild of America strike continues to shut down production. Longoria, during a trip to The Michael Boychuck Salon at Caesars Palace, asked stylist Dawn Oguri if the salon were hiring. She also told Oguri that she swore she'd never remarry, but that all changed when she started dating NBA star Tony Parker.

SIGHTINGS

Actor Jason Statham, at Moon (Palms) on Saturday, ordering bottles of Patron Platinum tequila, which go for about $1,000 a bottle. At the next table, Sarah Larson, George Clooney's girlfriend, who was a cocktail server at Moon before she began dating Clooney. ... Pro golfer Natalie Gulbis, dining with friends Saturday at SW restaurant (Wynn Las Vegas) before heading to Blush nightclub to celebrate with friends. ... Actor Frankie Muniz and MTV reality star Jack Osbourne, dining Saturday at Company American Bistro at the Luxor before walking over to LAX nightclub with a group of friends. ... Race driver David Gilliland, checking out Pure nightclub Saturday inside Caesars Palace. Gilliland drives the No. 38 car on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit. ... Venetian headliner Wayne Brady at Jet (Mirage). ... Actress Paz Vega, dining Saturday at Stack restaurant with her husband, Orson Salazar, inside The Mirage. ... Statham, at Wynn Las Vegas clubs Blush and Tryst on Friday. Also at Tryst: New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi and Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl. Also at Blush: actor Jet Li. ... Members of the rock group All-American Rejects, celebrating Friday at Studio 54 nightclub (MGM Grand). ... Rapper Flava Flav, shopping Friday at Target on Eastern and Silverado Ranch Boulevard with a young woman and infant. ... At Patti LuPone's sold-out shows at the Suncoast over the weekend: members of "The Producers" and "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular" and Clint Holmes and Kelly Clinton. ... Tony Bennett and his wife, Susan, at George Wallace's show (Flamingo).

THE PUNCH LINE

"When your record sells 50,000 or 60,000 copies, you're hooking up with bigger women in, like, southern Ohio. Then, 10 million, 15 million, when the sales went up, the girls got prettier." -- Kid Rock, in the Observer (London)

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.