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yesterday as i was thinking about who we could get to contribute to this blog, my thoughts turned to an experience i had in march that stuck out in the culinary world. my lady and i were in las vegas, staying at the wynn hotel. on the second night, we dined at Alex, which is in the wynn. as a student of ratings, i have found mobil to be the most accurate of the rating systems. they have the fewest members of their most exclusive class (5 stars), so i feel it is the hardest echelon to reach in the restaurant business. there are 17 on this years list, which shows the 17 most exclusive restaurants in america. michelin can have their stars, i feel europe suits them just fine. and most newspapers grade on a four star system, which seems to work well for them. when i grade a restaurant, it will be on a 5 star curriculum. i have not eaten at a 5 star restaurant in kentucky- none are deemed so by me- so 4 is the best louisville has to offer. and there are 4 star restaurants in louisville that i have the utmost respect for. maybe tomorrow i'll list my top ten.

but for today, we will talk a little about alex. not an official review, just a few observations. the dining room was nothing short of heavenly. the meal was seamless, as perfection should be. there were heavy doses of cauliflower in the dishes. a foie gras was excellent and i had the single best dessert i've ever had i n my life. it was a chocolate hazelnut nougat cake with cherry sauce. words would not do any justice to this dish, so i will let it stand in all its glory without them. we asked the waiter to send the chef over, and he was at our table within 10 minutes. to me, meeting a 5 star chef is as good as it gets. ive met many many celebrities over the years:muhammid ali, president Bush, payton and eli manning, tom brady, michael jordan, toby keith, george strait, johnny unitas, just to name a handful. but the apex is when the master chef saches over and sticks that hand out. they are able to do with ordinary ingredients- extraordinary things. seems simple enough, but only a few can pull it off. he was probably the most genial of all of them i'd met.. we spoke for about 6 minutes, as i asked him culinary questions and we talked of mutual experiences. i thought he would be an excellent part-time contributor to this blog. we want this to be a place where the best chefs can trade ideas. a place of idea swapping and industry updates done by the top critics, chefs, and the best foodies who blanket the land investigating the goings-on of the food world.

at alex, the hostess and i became acquaintances as our stay went on. i try to make it a point to get to know someone on the staff. i am pretty out-going, and it never hurts to have contacts, if they want to come to the derby, i offer my basement apartment. friendships help the world spin. the meal turned out to be a $600 dinner. we were amazed for 2:45 hours, and loved every minute. when i leave a 5 star restaurant, i truly smile in my sleep. it is as good as it gets in my book. i am looking forward to my upcoming trip to the cloister in georgia. we will dine at The Georgian Room, and an official review will follow. check for that just after Labor Day. AE