Brandon Smith has seen a lot during his time in the food and beverage industry. After all, he’s visited destinations like Cancún and Koh Samui, Thailand, and even his journey to becoming general manager at the Four Seasons Hotel’s Veranda Cucina Italiana plays out like, well, an actual journey.
Smith first interned with the Four Seasons in Dallas in college, where he gravitated toward the F&B staff. “That’s really what I fell in love with,” says Smith. “Being able to talk creatively. Being able to play with this, say, ‘Let’s use this plate, let’s use this sauce because it’s a little brighter.’”
The staff remembered Smith and rehired him as an intern the next year—and full time the year after that. After spending some time in Texas, Smith would go on to a Four Seasons resort in lovely Lanai, Hawaii, where he worked with weddings, banquets and golf for about two years, before getting a call about Las Vegas.
Now he’s been here for nearly three years and he’s really cooking. Vegas, and the remodeled and revamped Veranda Cucina Italiana, are a great fit for Smith, which works out in the guests’ favor.
The Italian Job
“Vegas is the place I’ve always wanted to be. It’s the crème de la crème of food and beverage, where we’re always doing something experimental and creative,” says Smith. “We want to make sure that a guest ... can try something that they’ve never had before. That when they come back they ask us what’s new or just go, ‘Hey, let’s make something.’”
The Italian Job
We’ve heard of a three-martini lunch, but this martini includes an actual delicious snack. The Italian Job is a take on the dirty martini, with Grey Goose vodka getting a big dose of flavor from a special herb-infused olive juice. It’s simple, tasty and elegant as a vodka martini should be. And then, there’s the garnish: Spanish olives, stuffed with a blend of smoked mozzarella and Boursin cheeses and crispy pancetta. Buon appetito!
