Luxe Life Blog

Strip Scribbles: Adam Richman, World Food Championships in L.V.

Posted July 5, 2012 • 5:00 p.m.

Adam Richman, host of the Travel Channel's Man v. Food.

Photo: The Travel Channel

Producers of the Nov. 1-4 World Food Championships to be held in Las Vegas say it will be the highest-stakes food competition in the world. Full details are not yet known, but I’ve learned that the four-day event will be hosted by “Man vs. Food” star Adam Richman at the Paris and will showcase 25 top U.S. chefs competing with 20 top local chefs in a probable one-hour network TV special.

It’s a $300,000 battle to crown champions in multiple food categories and then determine the World Food Champion at the Final Table. “It’s the best of the best squaring off to settle the score,” Adam said. “The sport of competition food has grown into a multimillion-dollar industry: recipe challenges, barbecue festivals, chili cook-offs and the thousands of other food competitions that take place annually have grabbed the attention and imagination of millions of fans.”

In addition to his debut Travel Channel show, Adam is a culinary expert and the author of “America the Edible: A Hungry History From Sea to Dining Sea.” He also will host Travel Channel’s upcoming 11-episode weekly series “Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America.”

The 2012 World Food Championships categories will feature American cuisine: barbecue, chili, burgers, sandwiches, side dishes, a Champions Challenge featuring winners of online recipe contests and a World Chef Challenge open to the best chefs in America’s greatest food cities using sanctioned, celebrity and customized judging. There will be winners in seven categories and after each is crowned a victor, they’ll meet at a Final Table to be crowned World Champion. Registration starts Friday, and local chefs will be recruited this summer.

‘TOP CHEF’ SCREENINGS: When Season 4 of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” begins July 25, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will host weekly viewing parties at its Boulevard Pool, and the culinary action will be up on its 65-foot digital marquee screen. After the premiere, screenings will be Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Sept. 5, 12 and 19, with the action-packed finale Sept. 26.

The Cosmopolitan served as the host resort for “Top Chef Masters,” but one highlight was a luncheon held at the Venetian’s forecourt as a French picnic that yours truly attended. During the filming of Season 4, cheftestants lived in and competed throughout the Cosmo. There are no Las Vegas chefs this season.

FARM TO STRIP: First Food and Bar at the Palazzo executive chef Sammy DeMarco has partnered with Downtown 3rd Farmers Market for a series of monthly Farm to Strip dinners to be held on the first Friday and Saturday of each month starting Friday. Sammy’s restaurant will offer communal and group seating; the $48-per-person menu will feature the freshest local ingredients from Southern Nevada. Add $21 if you want an alcohol pairing.

WICKED WHISPERS & RACY RUMORS

Which poker player who made it to the big-bucks Final Table in the Guy Laliberte Big One for One Drop poker tournament is rumored to have had to fork over 85 percent of his winnings to pay back sponsors?

Expect the announcement of the country duo residency I’ve written about to be made official in about two weeks with a run of dates from November to April.

Is former Mayor Oscar Goodman being invited to take on a Michael Buffer-type role as a ring announcer for an upcoming internationally televised series of Las Vegas fights?

Is rapper Ray J involved with an upcoming fight as revenge for an altercation that allegedly took place with fellow star Fabolous?

ANTI-GRAVITY TRICK: A massive TV campaign starts today for “Mindfreak” magician Criss Angel’s new The Revolutionary Anti-Gravity Card. Idea Village, which is distributing the illusion, has projected 2 million in sales before the holidays. The product from the star of “Believe” at the Luxor was designed and developed at his warehouse where the Float It commercial was created, produced, directed and edited; check it out at FloatIt.com.

For the first time, Criss is lifting the veil of secrecy around the Secret Warehouse on his second MagicPlace.com live online broadcast July 14 at 5 p.m., and more celebrity magicians have promised to attend: Lance Burton, Johnny Thompson and Fielding West join my previously reported lineup of Nathan Burton, Carrot Top, “Fantasy,” Banachek, Devlin, Luke Dancy, Sean Fields, Mark Calabrese and Jesse Feinberg. Also debuting: Criss’s Angels, a troupe of go-go dancers. The first broadcast from Criss’s estate Serenity broke online records with more than 200,000 viewers from start to finish.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

Comedian Louie Anderson dined with two friends at Society Cafe in Steve Wynn’s Encore. Team USA -- LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler, competing in the London Summer Olympics -- arrive today and start practice Friday for their July 12 game against the Dominican Republic. The NBA’s Summer League begins July 13. And Kathy Griffin and separately Carson Kressley attended Celine Dion’s Fourth of July performance at Caesars Palace.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk hosts a meet-and-greet at the Fight Shop in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile and will be followed by Octagon glamour girl and Playboy cover girl Brittney Palmer. Comedian Kevin Hart celebrates his birthday at Gallery in Planet Hollywood. The new dueling Lucille’s Piano Bar opens at B.B. King’s Blues Club in the Mirage. And B.J. the Chicago Kid teams with resident DJ M!keAttack at Boulevard Pool.

TOMORROW’S TEASE

We’ve already posted our weekly Weekend Celebrity Preview because it’s a belated four-day holiday weekend in Las Vegas. Have fun, and be safe!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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