Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace Las Vegas has been named Best New Restaurant in the nation by the distinguished James Beard Foundation in New York. Opened on March 17, 2003, Bradley Ogden is the namesake restaurant of famed Bay-area chef and the first restaurant in Las Vegas to win this award.
The award announcement was made by 2003 Best New Restaurant winners Scott Conant and Chris Cannon, of L'impero restaurant in New York City, who joked that Ogden "should be prepared for the hard work ahead with the increase in business."
"We are thrilled that the world-renowned James Beard Foundation has selected our new Bradley Ogden restaurant for this honor, which validates the Caesars Palace commitment to great chefs and great cuisine," said Caesars Palace President Mark Juliano. "In many ways, Chef Bradley embodies the spirit of James Beard - the quintessential American chef, who creates impressive dining experiences for his guests and who inspires colleagues to share that vision. We are deeply grateful to the culinary world leaders who participate in the James Beard Awards and to the Caesars Palace food and beverage team who have worked hard with the Ogden organization to create a memorable fine dining destination."
Chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur, Bradley Ogden is celebrated for bringing vitality and soul to authentic American cooking. Ogden, who has worked with James Beard and is a James Beard Award-winning chef, is widely renowned not only for his seasonal farm-fresh cuisine, but also as mentor to a generation of fine culinary talents, many of whom work with him at Caesars Palace. Co-owner of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, with his wife Jody Ogden and business partners Michael and Leslye Dellar, Chef Bradley opened his first restaurant outside California at Caesars Palace in tandem with a property-wide renaissance highlighted by the March 25, 2003, opening of the resort's 4,100-seat Colosseum theatre. Located just a few feet from the restaurant entrance, the Colosseum features performances of Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld and other top-tier talent.
The Caesars Palace fine dining destination is the chef's eighth restaurant and the only one that bears his name. His California establishments include One Market Restaurant in San Francisco, Yankee Pier in Larkspur and San Jose, Parcel 104 in Santa Clara, Arterra in Del Mar and The Lark Creek Inn in Walnut Creek.
Within months of its opening, Bradley Ogden at Caesar Palace was named among "America's Best Restaurants" (Gourmet magazine, October 2003) and lauded by the Zagat Guide, for its "extravagant, outstanding New American" cuisine. It also was heralded one of the Top 10 restaurants in Las Vegas by Wine Spectator magazine and is named Best of the Best Dining in the June 2004 issue of the Robb Report magazine.
Among the most distinguished honors in the industry, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence in their fields. The 2004 Illy Best New Restaurant category honors establishments open for less than one year that demonstrate excellence in food, beverage, and service.