So, I took a random sampling from some of my closest chef colleagues and we all agree that we gained our love for food and cooking from dear old mom.

I thought it would be fitting since we just celebrated Mother’s Day that I pay homage to all those mom’s, grandma’s and mother figures who made impressions on future culinary stars.

Some of us  started cooking while holding their mother’s apron strings, most of us were inspired by the treasures served at the family dinner table — or possibly, if their mothers’ priorities weren’t in the kitchen, learned to cook in self-defense — maternal influence can usually be found in a chef’s cooking.

In another sign of the times, rockstar chefs Charlie Trotter and David Burke are walking away from their namesake restaurants in Sin City. Late last year, one of my early mentors, famed chef Daniel Boulud indicated that he would be closing his namesake brasserie at the Wynn when his lease runs out next month.

However, other chefs are re-tooling their concepts to react to the current environment.  Chef Rick Moonen is creating a more upscale experience at his place and Joel Robuchon is actually raising prices at his Attlier De Joel Robuchon in light of a more optimistic outlook for this year.

Should be interesting to see how Vegas reacts over the next year or so.

Mark