Casino Press Releases

LAS VEGAS (September 2011) – Batter up! Celebrity Chef Rick Moonen will bring his culinary A-game to the baseball field for Project Dinner Table’s event on Saturday, October 15. The beautifully set, 150-seat table will be situated in the heart of Cashman Field. The dinner will benefit the Huntridge Teen Clinic http://www.huntridge.org/ and Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (VMSN) http://www.vmsn.org/. Social hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner following. Tickets are $140 per person and can be purchased through www.projectdinnertable.com.

Project Dinner Table is the wildly popular community dinner series founded by Gina Gavan. What makes Project Dinner Table so special is the delicious sense of community each event brings. Every dinner is hosted in a unique location, typically not available to the public for dinner, with each location selected based on its ability to host the event’s signature long, white dinner table where the meal is served family style. Local chefs work with local growers and regional producers to not only create a one-night-only menu, but also to educate Las Vegans on local ingredients, community and culture while feasting on a gourmet dinner experience. Since Project Dinner Table’s launch in April 2010, every dinner table has been full.

Moonen, who is making a return appearance after closing the 2010 Project Dinner Table season, will prepare canapés with Maitake oyster with vegetable crudo, rye crumb, celery leaf; Merguez Meatballs with feta cream, mint puree, hot and spicy oregano; Andraki Farm deviled eggs with Blue Oasis shrimp salad, house made Napa cabbage and Vege Maki with pickled mushrooms, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and his funky sauce.

For the savory courses: roasted cauliflower soup with ras al hanot, goat cheese, hatch chilies; warm mushroom salad and smoked brook trout, baby kale, hazelnuts, manchego; lobster pot pie with seasonal root vegetables, meyer lemon, padron peppers and seared antelope with delicata squash, faro and chestnuts. To complete the meal: chocolate mud pie with toasted marshmallows, brownies, caramel and fudge.

As for Moonen himself, he has devoted his career to being the country’s top culinary advocate for sustainable seafood.

In February 2005, Chef Moonen opened his multi-level restaurant Rick Moonen’s rm seafood at Mandalay Bay. The lower level of the restaurant offers “State of the Art Sustainable Seafood” and a world-class sushi and raw bar. The upper level offers a more elegant dining experience featuring globally inspired cuisine from Chef Moonen’s fun and whimsical tasting and á la carte menus.

Since opening rm seafood, Chef Moonen has enjoyed national attention and acclaim. In 2008, Moonen accomplished a lifelong dream with the publication of his cookbook Fish Without a Doubt, a practical, hands-on guide to buying, preparing and cooking a wide array of fish. That same year, his Catfish Sloppy Joe was highlighted in Esquire magazine’s “Sandwich Encyclopedia,” prompting a guest spot on The Oprah Winfrey Show where he served the talk show queen this signature dish and earned the title of “Best Sandwich in America.” In 2009 he made a memorable appearance as a contestant on Bravo’s hit TV series Top Chef Masters, followed by a stint as a judge on Top Chef Las Vegas where his eponymous restaurant served as the location for the show’s popular “Restaurant Wars” episode – which led to an invitation to participate in the second season of Top Chef Ma sters where Moonen finished as runner-up – raising thousands of dollars for his charity of choice, Three Square. Stay current by following him on Twitter @RickMoonen, Facebook.com/ChefRickMoonen or www.rmseafood.com.

When not behind the stove, Moonen can be found throughout the country educating about ocean conservation and the dangers of over fishing. As an industry leader, he has testified for environmental and sustainability policy issues in Washington, D.C. and New York. He is a founding member of the Seafood Choices Alliances, which named him “Seafood Champion” in 2006, as well as an active member of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and Seaweb. In 2011, Monterey Bay Aquarium also honored Moonen as “Chef of the Year.” Second only to his passion for sustainability is his commitment to ending hunger, Moonen puts that commitment into action serving on the chef’s advisory board for the Las Vegas Three Square Food Bank.

Joining Chef Moonen in the kitchen will be his Chef de Cuisine Anthony Fusco, who shares Moonen’s sustainable philosophies. He has a hand in every role of rm seafood at Mandalay Bay. Unyielding in his pursuit of culinary perfection and dedicated to the staff who supports him; at the end of every day he stands by his credo: “It’s about being in the kitchen and getting my hands dirty – I devote myself to the craft because food is my true love.”

Project Dinner Table’s 2011 season is sponsored by Nevada Beverage Company, Whole Foods Market, Seven Magazine, and Renaissance Catering. Local partners and purveyors include: Gaia Flowers, Bacardi USA, Colorado River Coffee Roasters, Pahrump farms, Gilcrease Orchard, Herbs by Diane, UNCE Orchard, Chefs Warehouse, Hydro Greens and Bon Breads.

To purchase tickets, go to www.projectdinnertable.com. For past photos, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/projectdinnertable/sets/72157626935338935/. (Photo credit: Nate Ludens.)

Cashman Field is located at 850 Las Vegas Blvd., North Las Vegas, NV.

In addition to the monthly dinners, Project Dinner Table recently launched the Downtown FEED local farmer’s market located at 115 N. 7^th Street, right behind the El Cortez Hotel & Casino. The farmer’s market is every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is an excellent extension of connecting people with local growers.

Project Dinner Table blends a philanthropic approach and appreciation for the farm to table movement, while focusing on what we love: food, community and purpose. A series of once-in-a-lifetime, white tablecloth-draped dinner’s hosted on-location in unique and adventurous settings, Project Dinner Table pays homage to educating guests regarding local growers and sustainable sources. The gatherings celebrate community, local producers and the lost art of conversation. Guests break bread with local growers, food artisans, restaurateurs and other spirited community members. Project Dinner table is a tasty reason for people to gather, give back, connect and share in a phenomenal culinary adventure. A donation will be made to a selected charity at each dinner. For more information, go to www.projectdinnertable.com or find on Facebook at or follow on Twitter @Food4Good.

Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (VMSN) is a nonprofit, volunteer-run medical clinic that fosters a “culture of caring” by providing free health care and wellness services to the working uninsured and unemployed residents of Southern Nevada. VMSN was established in 2008 by a group of local health care and community leaders in order to provide access to medical care to Clark County’s medically underserved residents. Inside its Paradise Park clinic, VMSN provides eligible patients with adult and pediatric primary care, preventive and acute care, well newborn checkup and immunizations, and diagnostic tests and medications. Learn more about VMSN at vmsn.org or by calling (702) 967-0530.

Since 1994, The Huntridge Teen Clinic has provided free or nominal-cost medical and dental care and counseling to uninsured, underprivileged and at-risk teenagers between twelve and eighteen years of age who are unable to obtain care otherwise. These are kids from families with meager financial resources, no insurance and few options. Some are homeless. The Huntridge Teen Clinic represents, in most cases, their only hope for the basic medical and dental care most people take for granted. Learn more about the clinic at www.huntridge.org or calling (702) 732-8776.