Q: Burger Bar is a 180-degree turn from Fleur de Lys. How did you get involved?
A: I would've never believed we'd do burgers. When Mandalay Place opened, there was supposed to be a burger joint. Fleur de Lys was behind on construction and I was offered the space for three months. We decided to do a burger joint but we had no idea what we were going to do. So my wife and I went on a three-month crash course and I learned to tell the difference in quality. I wanted us to have the best burger. That's why every single burger we make is fresh and made by hand. We needed a few more hooks, so we put 24 beers on draft, the largest selection on The Strip. So with the burgers and beers, we called it Burger Bar. Then we introduced the $60 Rossini Burger with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras and shaved truffles along with sweet burgers made from donuts and chocolate ganache, just to be playful.

Q: If there were something on Fleur de Lys' menu you could eat every day, what would it be?
A: The rib-eye. I don't have it in San Francisco. When I come here, it's the first thing I order.

Q: And from Burger Bar?
A: The lamb burger.

Q: You do interesting things with food like your dish called "Blackjack," which mimics playing cards. Talk about the process of creating original recipes.
A: I would've never done the Blackjack dish in San Francisco because it's not Vegas, even though I use the cod brandade, Osetra caviar, tomato, and cucumber gelée, in both places. You have to have fun with the recipes and I think that comes out in the food. The presentation allows you to express yourself.