Restaurant Guy Savoy's Mathieu Chartron Shares Three Favorite Las Vegas Restaurants

Get to know Mathieu Chartron, the executive chef of Restaurant Guy Savoy. He’s only 28 and he’s been at the helm of the restaurant on the second floor of Caesars Palace’s Augustus Tower since 2010. Last month, he was named a semifinalist for the Rising Star of the Year category from the James Beard Foundation.

Chartron grew up in Saint Donat sur L'Herbasse, France, where he started working in his parent’s restaurant at age 12. He began culinary school at 16, and after graduation, started his first job at the Michelin-starred restaurant Bouvarel in Saint Hilaire du rosier, France. Four years later, he moved to Paris to work at Restaurant Guy Savoy under the master chef himself. By 2009, he became the sous chef position at Savoy’s newly opened Las Vegas restaurant, Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace.

Here he shares three of his favorite places to dine when he’s not at Restaurant Guy Savoy.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?
I go to Old Homestead, The Great Greek and Raku almost every week.

What dishes are most memorable?
At Old Homestead at Caesars Palace, the porterhouse for two is amazing. The searing on the meat makes a real difference, and the flavor is amazing.

At the Great Greek I always start with some delicious hummus, seasoned just perfectly. Then I have the rice bowl, a mix of rice and orzo pasta topped with a Greek salad and grilled shrimp or falafel. The produce is all really fresh and incredibly tasty.

At Raku, the crispy asparagus is a must try. It is so crispy and cooked to perfection that sometimes I dream about it! The poached egg with salmon roe and sea urchin is one of my favorite dishes there. It is simple and complex at the same time. It’s just a fantastic dish- poached egg with a creamy yolk, salty salmon roe, sea urchin to bring some ocean flavor, mountain potatoes for the crunch and mushrooms.

Why do you enjoy going there?
At Old Homestead at Caesars Palace, the quality of the meat there is incredible. I always bring my family when they are in town and want a great piece of meat! I also love to sit at the bar, have a great steak and a glass of Cabernet Sauvingnon.

Girair Goumroian from The Great Greek has been a friend since I moved to Las Vegas. I love to have lunch on the patio with him and catch up. It feels like home there. It’s just one of the best Greek restaurants in town. The food is fresh, full of flavor and authentic.

I have been going to Raku since 2008. I love the consistency. I’ve never had a bad meal there. It’s creative, and I enjoy their Sake selection a lot. It’s a great place to go after work, and if I go on my days off, I usually go see chef Mio Ogasawara at Sweets Raku.