THE ART OF THE SNACK | A GREEK FEAST FOR THE TASTEBUDS

We head back to Las Vegas and swing by Greek Sneek, a festive restaurant and bar serving fresh, authentic Mediterranean cuisine and cocktails at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. We sat down with Executive Chef William DeMarco to talk about his culinary background, restaurants that he has worked at and their signature dishes.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You’re the Executive Chef of Greek Sneek. We also know that you are the Corporate Executive Chef for all of Morton Group, which includes Greek Sneek, CRUSH, La Cave, La Comida and MB Steak, which are all located in Las Vegas. Tell us what your culinary background was prior to coming to the group as well as what your role as a Corporate Executive Chef is with so many restaurants under your belt?

CHEF WILLIAM DEMARCO: I was introduced to the restaurant industry at an early age, as my family owned a neighborhood pizzeria in Long Island, New York. I spent some time in the kitchen, which sparked my love for the culinary field. I began my culinary career in Brooklyn working for renowned chef, Sam DeMarco, and eventually worked my way up to executive chef for several of his restaurants. In 2005, I relocated to Las Vegas, and worked for a few different restaurants on The Strip including Aureole, inside Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, and The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, before becoming Corporate Executive Chef for Morton Group.

I now oversee the food programs at Greek Sneek and CRUSH at MGM Grand; MB Steak at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas; and La Comida located in Downtown Las Vegas. My day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining the highest of standards in servicing guests, overseeing the restaurants’ chefs and food preparation, scheduling and staffing, as well as menu development, using my culinary expertise to craft new, inventive dishes with fresh ingredients.

AM: For those who have yet to attend Greek Sneek, what can one expect in terms of the ambiance, dishes, etc?

CHEF WD: Greek Sneek is tucked away down a hallway reminiscent of the maze of narrow streets in the old country. The entryway passes through the wine room before opening into a 2,000-square-foot white brick barrel-vaulted dining room. The main dining room features an open kitchen with a wood-burning oven for baking fresh pita bread and Saganaki. The dining room is flanked by a full bar which accommodates ten guests for dining or toasting “Opa!” with a glass of Ouzo. A private dining room on the opposite end comfortably seats parties of up to forty people. Greek Sneek’s menu is inspired by authentic, traditional Mediterranean and Greek cuisine, including hummus, Mykonos salad, gyros and more.

AM: What are signature dishes that we should know about at Greek Sneek?

CHEF WD: For starters, the Mykonos Salad and baked feta are some of our most popular dishes. The Mykonos salad is our rendition of a Greek salad, made with heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green peppers, barrel aged feta and Greek olives. The baked feta is a reimagined caprese salad with a Greek twist, made with roasted heirloom tomatoes baked with fresh feta cheese.

Our lamb gyro is also one of our most popular items, made with fresh pita, red onion, tomato and tzatziki. End the meal with our house made Greek yogurt, served with huckleberry compote and honey.

AM: Greek Sneek is located at the MGM Grand can you tell us the meaning behind the name?

CHEF WD: CRUSH (neighboring Greek Sneek) always had a “hidden” ramp located on the side, which served as an alternative entrance to the restaurant. When the concept of opening a Greek restaurant adjacent to CRUSH was forming, we decided to use the long, narrow ramp as the main entrance to the restaurant, and played on the “sneaky” aspect, deciding to call it Greek Sneek.

AM: What are 3 signature cocktails available at Greek Sneek?

CHEF WD: In addition to our signature Greek and Mediterranean dishes, we also offer a selection of specialty cocktails, Greek wines, beers and Ouzos. Three of our signature cocktails, all made with Greek spirits, include the Greek Freek, made with Don Julio Blanco, Skinos Mastiha Liqueur, fresh lime juice and middle cucumber; the Mediterranean Mule made with Ouzo 12, Shrub & Co. Peach, coldpressed watermelon juice and Fever Tree ginger beer; and the Adonis, made with Metaxa 5 Star, Om Meyer Lemon & Ginger Liqueur, fresh lemon juice and Aromatic Tonic.

AM: If there is anything else that we should know about Greek Sneek, let me know!

CHEF WD: Greek Sneek is great for any occasion, including private parties and special events. Available for full or partial restaurant buyouts, Greek Sneek seats 120 guests or up to 40 guests in Greek Sneek’s private dining room. Greek Sneek offers happy hour Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., and includes wines by the glass, sangria and select beers, priced at $6; and flatbreads, priced at $11.

IG @GreekSneek

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | A Greek Feast for the Tastebuds in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | GRAB A HEARTY MEAL

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior coming to MB Steak, what is your culinary background and how would you define your style of cooking?

EXECUTIVE CHEF PATRICK MUNSTER: I started my career in St Louis, working in a great farm-to-table restaurant called King Louie’s. The menu at King Louie’s changed daily, depending on what the farmers would bring. That gave me the opportunity to learn hands-on with a variety of cooking styles and ingredients. From St. Louis, I moved to New York and studied at the Culinary Institute of America and worked at a few restaurants around campus in the meantime. I fell in love with Las Vegas and its culinary scene when I took an internship at the Effiel Tower Restaurant, located on the Las Vegas strip. I began working at SW Steakhouse at the Wynn Las Vegas in 2004, where I remained for 10 years, rising to the level of Chef de Cuisine under Chef David Walzog.

My experience at the Wynn fueled my passion for great ingredients and flawless service – the same passion I carry today in MB steak. My style of cooking is relatively simple, as I let the ingredients speak for themselves. I am careful to not to mask the flavor of the ingredients by overthinking a dish. This helps keep the flavors of each ingredient bold.

AM: For those who have yet to attend MB Steak, what can one expect in terms of the ambiance, dishes, etc?

EXECUTIVE CHEF PM: While MB Steak is known to be a sexy and luxurious steakhouse, the restaurant is also comfortable and fun. I feel like steakhouses have a different value system as far as fine dining. There are certainly expectations a person has coming to a steakhouse and upholding those old standards is what keeps guests coming back. A guest should have the same experience if they are ordering a filet with mashed potatoes or if they decide to venture down a more adventurous path with something like octopus or a dry aged bone-in New York Strip with maitake mushrooms. No matter what you’re comfortable spending, you should feel comfortable in the dining environment – that is the intention at MB Steak.

In terms of ambiance, the 7,800-squarefoot space occupies two levels, including a gorgeous low-lit main dining room, bar and lounge, and private bar room on the first floor; and a garden bar and lounge, with a towering skylight above the bar surrounded by succulents and moss on the second floor.

AM: What are signature dishes that we should know about at MB Steak?

EXECUTIVE CHEF PM: We are running a 24 oz bone-in Creekstone Farms ribeye currently, and hands down, it’s one of the best steaks I’ve personally tasted in a while. I like to encourage people to eat family style, so a lot of the dishes are created to share. To name a few, the calamari, rock shrimp, and roasted heirloom tomato salad are all great for sharing. The porterhouse is one of my favorite steaks and it really is actually two steaks in one. One side is the New York Strip (my favorite) and the other side is the more well-known and beloved filet mignon. It’s prepared sliced and ready to share.

I also personally love our bacon, and it’s one dish I usually recommend to tables. Big slabs of braised bacon, grilled and glazed with maple syrup, it’s one of those simple, still elegant, bold flavor type dishes that is perfect to start a meal. The octopus is definitely a favorite.

I love side dishes, so narrowing it down to just a few is impossible, but the maitake mushrooms with aged goat cheese and balsamic is probably my favorite. I should mention that we’ve gotten a lot of viral buzz from social media in response to a feature we had on our whole roasted 17lb. Tomahawk Steak.

AM: MB Steak is located at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and has been noted as the best steakhouse in Las Vegas in 2017 – how do you continue to push the envelope of creating great dishes that distinguish you beyond being a steakhouse?

EXECUTIVE CHEF PM: Seasonality is the great motivator for creating new dishes. Each season has its own “voice,” so I’m there to add a bit of creativity in the mix. Great, quality ingredients like stone crab, truffles and mushrooms that have limited seasonal availability are always great to cook with, and people really get amped when it’s back on the menu. I like to get the entire staff educated and excited about new ingredients and dishes. When a cook or server sees how passionate I am about something, they can easily convey that to the guest. With today’s accessibility to food knowledge, the general public is a lot more knowledgeable than past eras, which drives the stakes naturally higher, and emphasizes the need to always be at our best.

AM: What are 3 signature cocktails available at MB Steak?

EXECUTIVE CHEF PM: Magic Mike Live is our neighbor inside the Hard Rock. We wanted to bring that fun, exciting vibe into a cocktail. Our “Magic Mike” cocktail is made with Channing Tatum’s Born and Bred vodka, raspberries, and moscato rosé poured over cotton candy. Keeping with the rock and roll theme of the Hard Rock, we created the Hotel California cocktail, made with lemongrass and buddha-hand citrus infused vodka, grapefruit and pineapple. Lastly, Chicago Way is made with barrel-aged rye whiskey that we age in-house. It’s made in old fashioned-style with Punte Mes vermouth and St. George Brutto Americano. It’s belly warmin’ and always smooth.

IG @MBSteak

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Grab a Hearty Meal in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #38 JAN ISSUE

Our editorial, Winter Chill showcases fitness, lounge, on the go and evening wear and is modeled by Charlie and Alyne of Wilhelmina models. In this issue which focuses on all things regarding a fresh start to the New Year, fitness, wellness and more – we talk with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Lacey Stone of E! Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian to talk about how she got into the fitness industry, her approach with working with clients an the importance of creating superheroes. We also have a fun interview with BRAVO’s Top Chef, Chef Brooke Williamson about her restaurant group, her love for cooking an how she got into the industry. When it comes to nutrition, we like to kick off the year to find out about what we need to be mindful of eating regardless of what are food journeys are, in this month’s issue we talk with Amanda Baker Leimen MS, RD to find out about rich nutrient foods, non-starchy veggies and more.

As always, we have a number of our features and roundups that we include in each issue and on some articles, you will see links to our multimedia podcast network, Athleisure Studio which has a number of shows that we launched in #TRIBEGOALS (Lacey Stone as well as Sara Happ was recently include), The Road To Tokyo 2020 (US Track & Field Natasha Hastings) and more.

See the entire Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag.