Palazzo Saves LVS From Michelin Wipeout

The very prestigious 2009 Michelin Guide for Las Vegas comes out this week and the selections are posted online here. The three-star and two-star honorees are the same as 2008, with Joel Robuchon getting three and Alex, Guy Savoy and Picasso getting two.

There's some shake-up in one-star column, though. Remember, just getting one star from these folks means these places are amongst the smallest, most exclusive club of the finest eateries in all the world.

The one-star list includes Alize, Andre's, Aureole, Bradley Ogden, Daniel Boulud Brasserie, DJT, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Le Cirque, Michael Mina, MiX, Nobu, Restaurant Charlie and Wing Lei. Dropped from last year's list was the Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace.

Newcomers include DJT and Restaurant Charlie. Both are interesting for different reasons. DJT at Trump International Towers is interesting because The Donald's personal chef, Joseph Isidori, has left and is "pursuing other opportunities," so I wonder if this rating reflects that significant personnel change. Spokeswoman Erin McCleskey told Norm Clarke in August: "Based on guest feedback, we have decided to modify the DJT experience to become more approachable and casual." That hardly sounds like a place striving for culinary masterwork anymore.

And Restaurant Charlie, which is Charlie Trotter's place at Palazzo, means that Las Vegas Sands got one. Last year, the absence of any of the Venetian's restaurants from the star list was conspicuous. I'm a little amazed that Palazzo, with such a huge new food lineup, could only muster one for this list.

Still, that's one more than last year. So now it's Wynn 4, Sheldon 1. Yes, I still count Picasso for Wynn. But hey, who's got two successful Broadway shows and who's got none, huh?