Vegans in Vegas

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: Vegas in Vegas: Bachelor Party 2011
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: May 19–22, 2011
Why: First-ever event for vegan men

The United Brotherhood of Vegans: Chef Jason Wyrick, Jack Norris, 

Ryan Henn, Joseph Connelly, Dan Mims, and Lt. Col. Robert Lucius

The Scoop: Vegans in Vegas organizer Ryan Henn's brilliant idea was "the first event designed for vegan and veg-interested men." A vegan bachelor party! In Las Vegas! Bring vegan men together for some brotherhood and bonding, y'know, 'cause being a minority within a minority ain't easy. VegNews jumped on as the title sponsor, and the next thing you know there was a wild four-day orgy happening in sin city that was going to ruin (or improve!) vegans reps forever.

Not.

VinV might have strayed slightly from original concept (about half of the attendees were women) into unique conference, yet in the end was still a first for Vegas. How so? I've been to more vegan conferences then, well, probably anyone, and I've never attended a class by a professional poker player on how to win at Texas Hold-'em (though there is one summer conference that will remain unidentified in which there is an annual Hold-'em tournament). Ed Miller, Vegas' resident vegan poker pro and author of five poker books, attempted to teach attendees the basics, and graciously donated his book sales to Mercy for Animals.

What else did you miss? The conference was a blend of the expected lectures from stalwarts including myself, Mercy for Animals' Nathan Runkle, and Vegan Outreach's Jack Norris, plus new faces such as Jim Morris, the 75-year-old former Mr. USA/Mr. America/Mr. Universe who has not fathered a secret love-child with his former housekeeper (as far as we know) and Lt. Col. Bob Lucius, the marine-turned-vegan building humane communities around the globe through his Karios Coalition.

Bodybuilder Jim Morris lost his shirt while in Vegas. He turns 76 in August.

How many other veg gatherings offer dueling piano bars; Purple Reign, a Prince (he's vegan, you know) tribute; or Improv at Harrah's Casino? None. We also dined at one of newly vegan Steve Wynn's restaurants, Wazuzu, inside the Encore Hotel (all of the restaurants in Wynn's hotels have vegan menus) and learned to cook via demos by Chefs Stacey Dougan and Jason Wyrick, the latter of The Vegan Culinary Experience, another event sponsor. Yes, a bachelor party with break-out cooking lessons. I did say it was unique!

Chef Stacey Dougan gives cooking tips at a local Whole Foods Market

Vegans in Vegas was original, fun, and a welcomed event in a city not exactly known as a vegan destination. Ryan Henn is changing that, helping to put Vegas and VinV on the "Bucket List" of must-do's, a conference you shouldn't miss. Let's all hope he decides to roll the dice again next year.

Vegas Goes Vegan

Who: VN Las Vegas Correspondent, Blair Stirek

What: Viva Las Vegan! at Vegas Uncork'd

Where: The Encore hotel in Las Vegas, NV

When: May 7, 2011

Why: To experience an all-vegan culinary showcase with some of the nation's top mainstream chefs.

The Scoop: As a long-time resident of Las Vegas, I can say that it's not the most veg-friendly city. So when I first heard about the Viva Las Vegan! event to be held at the very-fancy Encore hotel, I was ecstatic. I’ve never attended a public event in Vegas where I don’t have to constantly ask “what’s in this?” So when VegNews asked me to cover the event, I couldn't say yes fast enough and enthusiastically awaited the big day.

For a bit of background, Viva Las Vegan! is part of the Bon Appétit magazine-sponsored Vegas Uncorked, a who's-who gathering of top chefs around the country who take over the city to cook, eat, and schmooze. Steve Wynn, a successful Vegas hotelier, is a passionate vegan and arranged to host a Saturday afternoon event to showcase meat-free cuisine. Joined by celebrity vegan chef Tal Ronnen and a handful of five-star chefs, the goal was to educate the industry on how delicious and cutting edge vegan cuisine is.

Hotelier Steve Wynn takes the stage at Viva Las Vegan!

As attendees entered the Beethoven Room at Wynn's Encore hotel, we were greeted with cosmopolitan cocktails and glasses of sangria. I immediately started chatting with Cupcake Wars' winner and owner of Sticky Fingers, Doron Petersan, and the Humane Society of the United States' Director of Online Communications, Grace Markarian. Both mentioned their love for VegNews, so I was even more proud to be representing the publication at this first-of-its-kind event.

 HSUS' Grace Markarian and Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan

Soon, Steve Wynn took the stage. I couldn't help thinking to myself, "This is Steve Wynn! Of the Wynn hotel! Oh, and he also owns the Encore. No big deal." But then my thoughts switched to how this man single-handedly has the ability to turn Vegas into a veg paradise. He shared how he went vegan (a friend gave him a copy of the film, Eating, while yachting in St. Tropez), how he's educating his 15,000 employees about veganism (by giving them all copies of the video), and how he is now offering completely vegan menus at all of his Vegas restaurants (including Botero, Lakeside, Society Café, Stratta, SW Steakhouse, and Wazuzu). His co-host, Ronnen—celebrity chef to Oprah Winfrey and author of the best-selling, The Conscious Cook—then took the stage. Ronnen has been hired by Encore to work with Wynn's restaurant chefs to help create the vegan menus. Then it was time to eat!

Six of Wynn's restaurants were in attendance, and each offered at least two dishes. I sampled pasta and clams (garganelle pasta in a kombu broth with broccoli rabe, sweet peppers, and oyster mushrooms) from Botero, roasted tomato bisque and a tomato salad with cashew cheese from Society Café, Crispy Gardein Milanese with arugula, fennel, and marinated tomatoes from Stratta, vegan clam chowder (a cashew cream base with smoked oyster mushrooms) from Lakeside, and veggie dim sum and sushi from Wazuzu. The dessert stations offered up "peaches and cream" with a crunchy peach cylinder, sangria-soaked peaches, and a citrus-soy rice cream, along with a classic carrot cake with pineapple marmalade and walnut tuile cookie. I finally found heaven in Vegas.

The incredible vegan clam chowder by Chef David Walzog of Lakeside

The beautiful (and delicious) chopped market salad by Chef Kim Canteenwalla of Society Café

And there's more! All of the chefs demonstrated how to make each of the dishes, and the guests received recipe cards for each dish to take home.

Vegas is quickly changing, and I encourage all VN readers to visit this budding vegan paradise. I'll be attending Vegans in Vegas in two weeks, and I hope to meet you there!

The perfect ending to a perfect day: a classic carrot cake by Chef Kimberly Valdez of SW Steakhouse