From Campton Place, Ogden went on to open Lark Creek Inn in
Larkspur, just across
San Francisco Bay, and, later, One Market in
downtown San Francisco. The Lark Creek group now boasts eight
restaurants in
California, all co-owned by Ogden and his longtime
business partners, Michael and Leslye Dellar. Close relationships
with
West Coast purveyors, farmers, and fishermen, carefully
nurtured over the last two decades, mean that Ogden can bring fresh
ingredients with him wherever he goes. "We use 99.5 percent
domestic raw materials here," says the chef.
His eponymous restaurant in
Las Vegas is Ogden's first restaurant
outside the Golden State. It also happens to be a very personal
venture in that Ogden's son Bryan, who, like his dad, is a Culinary
Institute of
America grad, joins him in the kitchen as senior chef
tournant - the jack-of-all-trades who fills in at every
station in a busy kitchen, as needed. "What I'm doing here is much
more detailed than what I've done before in California," Ogden
says, "and more carefully thought out. Here, I'm behind the stove
again, cooking every night."
Menu items such as the Humboldt Fog blue cheese soufflé with
watercress and blood orange, or Alaskan Ivory salmon with artichoke
hash and lobster
gremolata show Ogden continuing to explore
the bounty of American cuisine and further refining his
farm-to-table style. The dining room has a relaxed, modern feel
with rustic touches that deliver a bit of all-American relief from
the Roman splendor of
Caesars Palace. Even Liberace would have
loved it.
CHEF'S CHOICE
Kistler Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2001 ($55)
Bradley Ogden matches this gorgeous Pinot with his oak-grilled,
corn-fed pheasant breast with cèpe soufflé. While this particular
vintage is sold out, you can sign up for the mailing list to
purchase Kistler's future releases by e-mailing
sskubic@kistlerwine.com.