Top Chef's Mei Lin and Competitor Katsuji Tanabe To Dish at UNLVino

A couple new notes on UNLVino, the wine-tasting festival coming to Las Vegas April 16-18. Now comes word that Top Chef season 12 winner Mei Lin and Katsuji Tanabe, who competed with Lin on the show, were added to the mix at the event’s Grand Tasting on Saturday, April 18, at Paris Las Vegas.

Season 12: Boston winner Lin worked as a sous chef at Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars. She plans to serve up her ceviche dish at the event. Her competitor-turned-friend Tanabe has MexiKosher in Los Angeles (guess what that serves) and appeared on Food Network’s Chopped, Travel Channel’s Chow Masters and PBS’ Cooking Under Fire in the past.

Also new, some of the restaurants that will serve up fare at the events. DW Bistro, Andre’s, Herbs & Rye, JinJu Chocolates, Makers & Finders Coffee, O Face Doughnuts, MTO Café, Fleur by Hubert Keller, Burger Bar and The Goodwich will all be on hand.

Culinary students from UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration have their own menu of dishes including Korean bulgogi beef tacos, prosciutto-wrapped dates, carbonara arancini, oysters Rockefeller, jumbo lump crab cakes, chocolate truffles and more.

The night honors Steve Martorano with a Dom Pérignon Award of Excellence. Martorano has Café Martorano at the Rio and Martorano’s at Paris Las Vegas.

Bonus: You can pick up two-for-one tickets to all three UNLVino events today for 24 hours starting at noon. Use promo code “BOGO” at UNLVTickets.com.