The Venetian turned 20 this year, and Delmonico Steakhouse chef de cuisine Ronnie Rainwater celebrated along with it. Rainwater has witnessed the ebbs and flows that have washed over the Las Vegas dining scene, and he and Delmonico have stood strong through it all. Part of the restaurant’s opening team in 1999, Rainwater was named executive sous chef in 2007 and four years later took the helm in the kitchen.
Delmonico is celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s sophisticated enterprise, with vaulted ceilings, a baby grand piano, and a killer whiskey selection. It’s a hit with conventioneers who return time after time for a well-prepared steak, but longtime fans know that it’s really a New Orleans–flavored restaurant masquerading as a steak house.
“Delmonico has found a balance between staying on top of trends and incorporating seasonal dishes,” Rainwater says, “while remaining true to—and offering most of—the items we have featured on the menu since we opened.”
