KNPR’s FOOD CRITIS CRITIC JOHN CURTAS UNVEILS TOP RESTAURANT AWARDS FOR 2008

A 30-seat Japanese restaurant has scored top restaurant and chef-of-the-year honors from KNPR food critic John Curtas.

RAKU, located in Summerlin at 5030 Spring Mountain Road, "puts out superior Japanese food on a level that Las Vegas has never before witnessed," writes Curtas.

It is "nothing short of amazing," said Curtas, that RAKU chef Mitsuo Endo has taken a tiny eatery in a run-down shopping center and turned it into a local and nationally recognized restaurant.

Curtas' other selections include:

Cocktail Bar of the Year: The original Nora’s Cuisine on West Flamingo nabs the top spot for its trailblazing creativity in the cult of the properly crafted cocktail. A close second goes to the Downtown Cocktail Room.

Ethnic Restaurant of the Year: Los Molcajetes, an authentic Mexican restaurant located in Northeast Las Vegas is, according to Curtas, “…a must for lovers of the real enchilada.”

Excellence in Management and Service: CUT, Wolfgang Puck’s latest restaurant located in The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. Says Curtas, “No one ran a smoother operation this year…better than the team at CUT.”

Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: East side – Settebello West side – Marché Bacchus: According to Curtas, “Both establishments continue to prove that good, locally owned, neighborhood restaurants are not an oxymoron in the High Mojave Desert.”

Sommelier of the Year: Desi Echavarrie at Restaurant Charlie, “…because he paired not only wine, but beer and cocktails with this restaurant’s sophisticated food flawlessly,” says Curtas.

Pastry Chef of the Year: Vannessa Garcia at Restaurant Charlie. According to Curtas, “Her deconstructed beauties put a post-modern spin on sweets that still have me scratching my head over their hyper-deliciousness.”

The full list can be downloaded at www.knpr.org.