NOTE: WE ARE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE IMAGES. WORKING ON IT…

My system was already reeling from consecutive meals at Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist, Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, and Piero Selvaggio Valentino at the Venetian, when I arrived on a perfect, cool Friday evening for the Grand Tasting 2010, sponsored by the magazine Bon Appetit. (Why do I not expect sympathy from you, dear reader?)

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the event is held at Garden of the Gods in Caesars Palace, which is possibly the largest pool area on the Strip, and a magnificent venue.

Earlier in the afternoon, on the previous day, I watched four of the greatest chefs in France, Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse, line up on a stage with Mayor Oscar Goodman, and most of the leading chefs on the Strip, for a group picture.

(One local wag remarked that if a terrorist bomb had exploded at MiX, where the photo was shot, the end of food as we know it would have been at hand.)

My Friday lunch, only a few hours before the Grand Tasting, had been especially incredible. The menu was created by Luciano Pellegrini, the chef at Piero Selvaggio Valentino. (His thoughts are further down this page in an in-depth interview.)

The lunch started with stuzzichini, Italian appetizers; cuttlefish and cannellini beans in a porcelain spoon, small lobster lollipops, and fried mozzarella cheese.

That was followed by three types of tuna tartare, squid ink risotto topped with Dover sole, Australian lamb with onion marmalade, and twelve types of gelati, (the plural of gelato, if you insist.) Poor Max, I know. Papapietro Winery, who makes killer Pinot Noir, poured a few of their excellent selections.

After a long nap, I ventured out into the Vegas night, with camera in hand. (The images here come from the site administrator, not from the jaundiced eye of this reporter.) This tasting was as amazing as it has been in past years. It certainly boasted the largest turnout yet.

Many  superstar chefs were actually cooking, such as Bradley Ogden, the Too Hot Tamales from the Food Network, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, and Society’s Kim Canteenwalla, who manned the booth all by his lonesome.

But not all the stars got their whites stained.

Some were spectators. Guy Savoy was spotted walking around, and had his team serve his legendary artichoke soup with black truffle and Parmesan cheese. Joel Robuchon stayed in his restaurant to oversee a high end wine dinner. Alain Ducasse came in an expensive Italian suit. And Mario Batali did not attend at all. (Zach Allen, his Corporate Chef in Vegas, represented him well with a variety of Happy Hour snacks.)

Having a Press badge enabled me to enter just before 7, well in front of the crowds. By 8:30, the passageways were elbow-to-elbow, like the tourist crowds in Florence on a September weekend. My strategy was to be completely full by 7:30. By 7:15, I needed a wheel chair.

So what delicious creations did your intrepid reported like best, I hear you cry? Believe it or not, the dishes I am most craving today are in no special order: Luciano Pellegrini’s spaghetti alla chitarra with polpette, or meatballs, in this case, made of rabbit; Zach Allen’s arancini; a Bleu cheese, bacon and mushroom burger from BLT Burger and panna cotta with strawberries, by dessert genius Francois Payard.

There were several lighter things, to be sure. Warm rice noodles with a pork mushroom sauce from Beijing Noodle No. 9 and khao soi Burmese style egg noodles with beef stewed in coconut milk from Lotus of Siam were two of the Asian standouts, in spite of an overabundance of sushi and sashimi (yawn!).

All in all, it was a Bacchanale for the ages, and I left around 10 p.m., after being virtually as well-oiled as the Gulf of Mexico. This is one of the only national food events that actually surpasses the hype. Bring a tube of Rolaids if you plan to attend, next year.

The Grand Tasting cost $175 in advance, $195 at the door.

A Very Special Thank You to Erika Pope.

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