It’s been almost a year since the Las Vegas Cannabis market blew up; it doesn’t show signs of slowing down either. Nearly 40 million people visit the valley a year and they are helping mold Las Vegas into the new Amsterdam.
Even though we have a long way to go locally and federally, there has been a lot of education and acceptance around Cannabis. As a result, the city has helped evolve the view of Cannabis and connect it with all things Vegas. With the laws involving Cannabis consumption, however, many have opted for edibles rather than traditional bud. A lot of chefs have seen that market and have begin to make a business out of it.
Today we spoke with Gregory Chapin and Mike Richardson of MyExclusiveChefs about their blooming business in the new market and what they have planned for the city..
[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
Tell me a little more about yourselves.
Mike – I’m originally from LA, been cooking over 30 years. I’ve cooked for entertainers, sports figures, so on and so forth. Now, I’m the Chef de Cuisine for Exclusive Chefs.
Greg- I’m from Florida but, I studied at Johnson Wales culinary in Miami. Like Mike, I’ve been cooking for 30+ years, working the Olympics in Atlanta. Been up to NY then to Houston 3 years. I’ve covered most of the United States before coming to Las Vegas in 2000. I’ve worked for some official chefs before I decided I wanted to start working on my own dream. This is where I crossed paths with Mike.
From everything you guys have done, do you prefer the work you do now?
Greg: Can I be honest? I get tired of people, I had a client with for a few years and I prefer the variety. One of the reasons I stay away from the casinos, that’s like prison sentence.
I imagine with the structure it can be pretty redundant after a while?
Mike: After the first week!
Greg: A lot of our stuff has evolved. As a private chef your only cooking for 2 – 4 people; where as catering, you’re cooking for 50 to 500 or 1000. It’s better variety because you’re not doing the same menu, in the same restaurant, surrounded by the same four walls.
Now, we go to $4 million mansions one night and then across the desert the next night…our life is pretty exciting!
So I’m sure the variety keeps you passionate?
Mike: That’s for sure. Then, with the legalization of Cannabis -I had already been cooking with Cannabis-it actually inspired an ‘Art Renaissance’. The way people look Art was one way, one perspective but now with Cannabis included with all the technology and social media, you see art in a whole different perspective. That’s what we want to push: Creativity and Art.
For my art, I do sculpture and I do poetry. I pair my sculptures with my poems and if you buy a piece, you also get a 5-course-dinner in your home with it. I sell the whole package to stimulate all 5 senses. Part of my art-Our Art- is our food.
From all your experiences, cooking in different places, did that make the transition to Cannabis easier?
Greg: It’s no different from cooking with Lemon Thyme or Lemongrass or any other herb.
We do have to calculate the dosage but, other than that, it’s an extension of what we have a very deep background in.
Mike: It’s like adding an additional card to a deck of 52: you have an almost unlimited ability to change up what there was. We try to delve into, not only the effects of the weed but, the Terpenes and how they pair with whatever we’re making: food, drinks, a combination of the two. We try to break things down to a molecular level to increase the pleasure.
Greg:The art is at the forefront and the Cannabis is only an option. A side dish, to indulge or not. Unless they specifically ask we never dose very high; There’s beginners, and habitual user will get his ‘freak on’ either way.
A lot dinners we serve two sauces on the plate, one is medicated and one is not. That way, if someone didn’t want to participate, they aren’t forced into anything. We don’t hide anything in the food; we aren’t weird about it. It’s important for them to know that there’s always options.
Being transparent about it?
Greg: We also offer CBD water, different things to create the atmosphere. A lot of our food has dynamics that you don’t normally see: dry ice, Pop Rocks, or something that is surprising. As a Chef, you’re always trying to look for some edge.
Mike: We try and give you the complete package when you dine with us. Not only the food but, the service as well. If people really stopped and thought about it, service is half of the meal because, if you give bad service, it’s all gonna be bad. Know what I mean?
Of course, it’s all about ambiance too.
Mike: Especially with the Game Of Thrones, we wanna emphasize the front of the house more and have everybody interacting in-between courses.
Why GoT? Are you GoT fans?
Greg: Mike is the Game Of Thrones enthusiasts, he read all the books
Mike: I’ve been reading George R.R. Martin before he came out with A Song of Fire and Ice. I enjoy that Fantasy genre of Sword and Sorcery. Our event after GoT is gonna be Midsummer Night’s Dream. It would be more woodland creatures and really let people escape.
Greg: We have a 420 friendly Airbnb that a friend of ours offers. It helps give the most bang for your buck with the experience. People see $150 for a seat but, that is for drinks, appetizers, 5-course dinner, show, and a piece of art. As our popularity grows, we’ll venture into more high end clients.
Since this isn’t your first infused event? What made you start doing cannabis dinners?
Mike: With our niche, we interview the client beforehand and really pull out what it is they are looking for. We’re dream makers. One time, we had this client, she had this recurring dream of coming upon a Gypsy Caravan. So we had them in a horse-drawn carriage and, look up ahead, there’s a caravan! We did the whole dinner with that experience. That is what we want for the client, to be as memorable as your wedding.
Greg: Whenever you want to bring out those memories we try to focus on the experience. We are a company always trying to get better and culinary is always growing like martial arts. You’re always gonna learn more. It’s an ever evolving thing. It’s a lovely place to be when you love what you do and you always want to do more.
So what is your typical event/day like?
Mike: An average day when we do an event? I’m ex-military, I like logistics, I like to set myself, and the team, up for success. Greg develops the menu, Dennis (Owner) will cover the front of the house and all the necessary things, and I pretty much handle the crew. We set it up and execute. Typically it’s a long day; we go from 10-16 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Greg: We get around things by selling them a piece of art. Mike will sculpt something, in this case the Dragon Egg. We’re designing a dragon egg for $150 but we are gifting you the dinner and presentation. It keeps us away from the legalities of it. We’re not selling anything that we aren’t supposed to. We’re a licensed caterer and we typically are on private property.
It’s a lot like prohibition where they would sell you the glass and gift you the beer.
Once things progress more with the laws and smoking lounges, it opens up more revenue and business to us. We evolved from exclusive chefs, to private, to medicated, etc. We have more businesses we are ready to launch once the laws catch up.
What do you think of the current market in Las Vegas?
Mike: We have a town where everyone comes to visit and we have legal marijuana but there is no where to smoke it. That’s ridiculous. It’s a trick bag. That’s not proactive.
Greg: We are about the art. Cannabis is one of the variables of our art but, we want to get everyone to see that and appreciate it. It’s not all ‘Cheech and Chong’ sitting in a parking lot smoking. This is an elegant orchestrated evening that you’ll never forget.
If you could tell your patrons one thing before their dinner starts what would it be?
Mike:That we are here to serve you. We look at ourselves as Samurai; we get pleasure out the service we provide. We give them the Full Monte whether they are medical patients or not.
Greg: We’re not a catering company that is cookie cutter and ‘these are the four options you have to choose from’. We actually interview the guest to find out what memory or what childhood experience they want to relive. We always try to customize our menus to what they are looking for. We can help them find that with what we are capable of.
If anyone wants to find out more, where can they look?
Greg: You can find us at, Myexclusivechefs.com
We run the Lake Las Vegas Sports Club’s catering. We do private dinners on Fridays for members but, we open to the public for brunch every Sunday. We’re doing Italian in May, French Rivera last month; we change it pretty regularly.
If you’re still on a Star Wars binge, you can check out Chef Mike’s Princess Leia’s Fruit Skewers and Luke Skywalker’s Lamb Chop “Lolli-Pops”.
My Exclusive Chefs will also be hosting a Game Of Thrones themed dinner on May 17, from 6pm to 10pm. With the purchase of Dragon Egg you can join the dinner as well as win prizes at the event for best costume, quote, and more. Check here to purchase tickets and here to check out the menu.
