Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.
Matthew Hurley landed a lucky break at the beginning of his career that guided his future. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Hurley packed up his life and headed to Vegas to work for Wolfgang Puck as a prep cook at Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars. He worked his way up through the ranks as a café chef, line cook, kitchen and purchasing manager to finally become the corporate catering chef for the Las Vegas-based private dining and catering. Then came the big gig, as executive chef of Cut at the Palazzo, Puck’s sixth fine dining restaurant in Vegas. Surprisingly, when he’s not in the kitchen, he enjoys cooking. Here he shares his favorite places to dine when he’s not wearing a toque.
Where do you enjoy eating when you’re not working at Cut?
When I am not working, I like to spend as much time at home with my family. When I do have the opportunity to go out and eat, I like to go to Lotus of Siam, Hot N Juicy Crawfish and Joyful House.
What dishes are most memorable?
At Hot N Juicy Crawfish, I like the special shrimp or King crab with lemon butter.
At Lotus of Siam, I order the steak tartare, beef jerky, whole fried catfish and ginger prawns.
At Joyful house, I get the Chinese duck and salt and pepper lobster.
Why do you enjoy going there?
Hot N Juicy Crawfish has a cool atmosphere. At Lotus of Siam, they have a great wine list and it is a popular spot to see people in the industry.
· All Coverage of Cut [~ELV~]
· All Dining Confidentials [~ELV~]
Matthew Hurley [Photo: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining]
