Kobe Beef Hot Dog?
Budget Travel’s Elaine Glusac offers insight into one of the newest trends involving celebrity chefs. And no, it’s not talk shows – it’s fast food. According to the article, one celebrity chef “doesn’t like to call it fast food.” He thinks of it as “fast casual” and “to add to the distinction, diners who eat in are served on real china.” Charlie Trotter further defined the trend by stating, “A fast meal doesn’t have to be fast food as we know it.”
Chefs entering the “fast casual” fray include David Burke (Burke in the Box), Thomas Keller (Bouchon Bakery), Tom Colicchio (‘Wichcraft), Ferran Adri? (Fast Good), Rick Bayless (Frontera Fresco), and Charlie Trotter (Trotter’s To Go Express).
David Burke, who owns the upscale davidburke & donatella in New York, recently opened his Burke in the Box in the Bloomingdales’ flagship store in NYC. He offers a Kobe beef hot dog for $14 and suggests that it pairs well with “fries topped with Asiago cheese and truffle oil ($4.50).” I can’t argue about fries with cheese, but a Kobe beef hot dog? Is that really necessary?
These “fast casual” restaurants are also finding a home in Las Vegas. Keller’s Bouchon Bakery opened in the Venetian in Las Vegas and Colicchio’s ‘Wichcraft is located at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I actually ate at ‘Wichcraft the last time I was in Vegas. It is conveniently located near the pool in the Studio Walk section of the hotel and provided a wonderful post-margarita-and-pool-lounging lunch. The food definitely had a sophisticated spin and you could tell by the style of the restaurant and the menu that it was not your ordinary fast food sandwich shop.
To find out more details about the offerings and prices of these new “fast casual” restaurants, check out the entire Budget Travel article here.
