Regarding the James Beard Awards, the high honors bestowed by Foodie Nation last night, we gotta figure there are some NYC chefs with names like Wylie scratching their heads at getting beat out by a Las Vegas restaurant for the coveted best new restaurant title?a restaurant in a casino with a gold statue of Caesar at its front door, no less! However, it can now be revealed that Curbed dined at the award-winner, Bradley Ogden, back in January (see dignified digital photo, above) and found it every bit the equal of its NYC competition?with the added benefit of nearby blackjack tables! We have yet to see Jean Georges come up with a way to top that.
Meantime, our new pals at The Corner Table report on last night's Beard Award afterparties: "Over at Todd English's Olives, they cleared the tables in the dining room to make room for a DJ, and guests grooved on the packed dance floor alongside the likes of Daniel 'Boogie Down' Boulud."
· Beard's best new restaurant: Las Vegas' Bradley Ogden [USA Today]
· And The Winner Is... [Corner Table]