As he readies for a return to Las Vegas – where Tropicana Las Vegas is kicking-off the 12th Las Vegas Restaurant Week by hosting the second annual Summer Cookout featuring Robert Irvine, in his namesake restaurant, on Thursday, June 14th – Robert Irvine took some time to speak with me.  Read on for Chef Irvine’s thoughts on running a Las Vegas restaurant, buffet, the Troops, and his favorite chefs on the Strip.

Good morning; or I guess, good afternoon for you...

Afternoon for me, Michael.

Alright!  As a chef with an international following, how important was it for you to have a signature restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip?

I'm going to answer that a little differently than you’d probably expect. First of all, I could have been in Vegas, a long time ago; but I chose to partner with a great company, at the right time. They had the same visions as me which is important.  So, it had to be the right time and the right product, if that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense.

So, it's important that I have a restaurant, whether it be on the Strip or not.  That's important to me, personally, because if you're going to be anybody in culinary or in hospitality, you have to be where the big boys play; and Vegas is the only place in the United States, where all the big boys play together.

What dishes at Public House are things that you would make at home?

All of them! Public House was – and the menu is about to change now, in the next couple of weeks – but Public House is based on traditional food done with a twist of my travels and I would make any one of those. If I was preparing the Royal Wedding, I’d make the Fish & Chips from Public House, for sure. There's nothing more British than fish and chips, and we do it (as you know, because you've been there).*

I had the fish and chips the other night, and I have to say it was crispy without being oily, and that's just the way I like it.

That's the way it’s supposed to be, right? We change it up by doing the feta cheese, with curry aioli, and the fries and the bacon.  That’s different, and the people love it.  So, I’d cook any of those dishes, for any of my friends, in my home, any time.

Marvelous!  Why did you pick “Public House?” Now I know that a pub in England is technically considered a public house—

Yes, but that's not why it was picked, believe it or not.

Okay…

So the name Public House was born for me out of a place that people would come and converse, in a convivial atmosphere, like your front room. (And you went in the restaurant, right, a couple of days ago, whatever it was this week, and you saw the couches at the front and the tables and whatnot there.) It's very comfortable. It's a big restaurant!

There's a few more changes coming in the next couple of months that will make it even better than it is already, and I wanted people to be comfortable. If you come in on your own, I want you to be able to talk to anybody at the bar, sit down anywhere, and have a conversation; because, believe it or not, it has become a local's favorite.

People who live in Vegas, Henderson, and all the surrounding areas come in, every week; and I know a lot of them, and that's what I wanted. I didn't want just the visitors. I wanted the locals to come and find a place where they weren't being ripped off, where they could have great food, and by the way, where they'll see Robert Irvine.

You mentioned a few changes coming. What new items can we look forward to seeing as we get—

Oh, the whole menu's going to change and the drinks menu is going to change. So, I'm not going to let any of that out until we actually change it up, in June; but it's exciting!

Because I did make a comment-- your executive chef there, by the way, is fantastic.

Great guy…

And incredibly charming.  Came out to the table, and talked to us for a bit.  That said, my only comment was that, with pool season coming up, this menu is not exactly conducive for getting into a bathing suit.

But it's not meant to.  Listen, and I could fight you on that, right?  Because if you ask any female, they would disagree with you.

Perhaps.  But, I was actually referring to myself…

For you?!?! Well, we do a lot of lighter stuff.  But it's funny – this is the third time we've changed the menu, since we opened, almost a year ago. And it's interesting to see the people's feedback.

Here’s something that a lot of chefs don't do. We have a company called Humm Systems. I put a tablet on the table, and ask every guest, “Hey!  What do you think?  What would you change?  What would you like to see?  Etc…

So, when a table is presented with the check, here's what happens: You get a tablet in there.  It's five questions.  It's 34 seconds.  And that’s what we use to find out what needs tweaking.

That’s so interactive!

It's very interactive.  And that's what nobody else does, all right? Because we own that company.  And it’s such a great technology, because we get to listen in real-time, as the guest is “speaking” – so, if the guest says “Oh, the steak's not cooked,” or “My server's not nice,” or “I wasn't greeted nicely,” (or whatever the case may be), we’re able to learn of it, while the customer is still in our restaurant.

But, back to your earlier question; we’re gonna change what needs changing.

Continued in Part 2…

Summer Cookout featuring Robert Irvine – a benefit for Three Square Food Bank
Robert Irvine’s Public House | Tropicana Las Vegas
Thursday, June 14th | 7-10pm
Click HERE for info and tickets

Get into it!
#TropLV

[Editor’s Note: I did eat there; and you can read about all thirteen courses of Chef Irvine’s gourmet comfort food, that I tasted, in a future essay.  Stay tuned!]