Wynn Resorts Goes Vegan!

[UPDATE: I didn't notice this when I posted this item, but Al Mancini of CityLife has a terrific compilation of the vegan offerings at the various Wynn restaurants here.]


I don't usually republish press releases in their entirety, but this one is so intriguing -- and I don't mean that in the snarky way I usually take on such things -- that you need to see it all. It comes from Casey Leblang of BeccaPR:

Getting in touch with some news: Wynn Resorts debuts an all-new vegan culinary program, furthering their commitment to providing exceptional guest experiences.

Every fine dining and casual restaurant at Wynn and Encore now offers vegan menu items to cater to diners of various tastes and dietary preferences. As the first resort on The Strip with such extensive vegan offerings, Wynn remains on the cusp of a larger shift toward healthy eating.

Special vegan dishes include Fava Bean Puree with sautéed hon shimeji mushrooms, snap pea salad and aged balsamic vinegar at ALEX and the Market Chopped Salad with avocado, carrots, celery, pumpkin seeds, edamame and tarragon vinaigrette at Society Café Encore. Hearty entrée options—such as the Summer Vegetable Gratin at Botero, Risotto con Verdure di Stagione, risotto whipped with seasonal vegetables at BARTOLOTTA Ristorante di Mare, and Napoleon of Savory Tofu with ratatouille and fried eggplant at Tableau—entice vegan and non-vegans alike. The Country Club excites palettes with a vegan version of their popular Watermelon Gazpacho with avocado, jicama, tomato, cucumber, cilantro and yucca crisp, while STRATTA offers Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera, a vegan take on the Italian American staple. SW, Wynn’s signature steakhouse, serves crave-worthy vegan dishes such as Grilled Royal Trumpet Mushrooms with creamy polenta and shallot balsamic sauce.

Wazuzu’s Vegan Crunch Roll with crispy asparagus, avocado, cucumber and arare, Okada’s Vegan Cold Soba Noodle and Wing Lei’s Crispy Tofu with sugar pea, water chestnut, carrot and bean sprout feature flavorful Asian ingredients. Decadent desserts such as Blueberry Cobbler with toasted almond ice cream at Sinatra and Banana Crepes with coconut ice cream, avocado mousse at SWITCH provide a sweet close to any meal.

Earlier this week, a fellow writer asked if I knew anything about Steve Wynn going vegan. I knew that he ate very blandly, but otherwise it sounded like a rumor. Then food writer Max Jacobson broke news on Aug. 12 in Vegas Seven of Wynn's "recent commitment to veganism" and Alex Stratta's working on a vegan menu.

It turns out, this is much bigger than just Mr. Wynn or just Alex. I can't imagine these dishes will be huge sellers, but it's just another little distinction for the property.

Fascinating. I do wonder, though, if they'll bother with this in Macau. Doubtful.

Now, if only we could get the Asian Equation back on the Parasol Up/Down drink menu...