Talking With Al Mancini – June 3, 2024

Ira Sternberg: There’s a traditional American folk song called Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah. Well, if we update the song and link it to Las Vegas, it would be called Someone's in the Restaurant with Al, and that would refer to my guest Al Mancini, who has covered the Las Vegas dining scene for numerous publications since 2003. He’s co-host of the popular Food and Loathing podcast — it’s available on multiple platforms — and creator of the Las Vegas dining guide app Neon Feast, which features recommendations from chefs, critics, insiders, and influencers. It’s available on app stores for both Apple and Android. Al will be a special guest on Milk Street Radio Live in Las Vegas, hosted by Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball, at the Beverly Theater on June 10th at 6 pm. You can follow Al on X and on Instagram at Al Mancini Vegas. And, Al, welcome back to the show!

Al Mancini: Hey, it’s great to be back. Thanks so much for having me.

Ira: Absolutely. So what’s with you and food?

Al: What’s with me and food? I don’t know! You know, I got sucked into writing about food because I love Las Vegas chefs and restaurateurs so much. I came here to cover entertainment. I had covered rock and roll most of my young journalistic career, constantly out here in Vegas covering bands and performers. I came out here for ABC News Radio to cover entertainment, and I loved it, but I started writing about food on the side because I wanted to stay local. The more I got to know the chefs in Las Vegas, the more I realized they were some of the most creative, exciting people I had ever met among all the artists I’d interviewed, all the scenes I’d reported on. I knew I was here in Las Vegas at a very special time for culinary. I felt like the same way that if you were in Seattle when the grunge scene was taking off, or if you were in New York for the birth of punk. I felt like being in Las Vegas in the beginning of the 21st century was witnessing an amazing transformation of a culinary scene, and I decided to make my career about writing and documenting it. I’ve been so lucky — all these chefs have welcomed me into their world, told me their stories, trusted me to share their stories. It’s been a fun ride.

Ira: You’re right — the food aspect of Las Vegas didn’t have much impact in the 20th century. Sure, you had one or two good restaurants, maybe a chef or two, but it really exploded. You hit it at the sweet spot, in terms of timing.

Al: Yeah, and if you’ve ever covered the arts, you know that once in a while you stumble across a scene that’s really special, at a unique moment in time. I would tell my friends as recently as six or seven years ago: appreciate this, enjoy it, because times like this don’t come again. They’ll build something bigger and better, but to be there for that gestation period — it moves you inside. It really does, and it’s exciting to be a part of. So I feel very lucky.

Ira: Was there one magical moment that hit you when you realized you wanted to focus on the culinary scene rather than just entertainment or other aspects of Las Vegas?

Al: I think the first hints were when I saw how all the chefs were helping each other out. Chefs were moving off the Strip; they decided to stay in Las Vegas instead of going back to their celebrity chef bosses’ restaurants in New York or San Francisco. I was getting excited seeing that creativity, that hunger in the chefs. I will tell you there were a few tragedies that hit, and I saw how the Las Vegas culinary community came together — for one restaurant critic’s injury, Max Jacobson; for Kerry Simon’s illness; and after the shooting on October 1. I’ve seen this town come together, with the chefs leading it. It was those crises that made me say, “Wow, I want to give back to these people because I see the way that they’re giving back to their community.”

Ira: I think you’re going to be in that scene for a long time to come. Just to lighten the moment: have you ever cut a pie with your hair?

Al: (Laughs) Have I ever cut a pie? No. The older I get, the easier it is to spike, but the less it holds up because there’s a lot less hair up there. This is the ultimate comb-over; it’s just a comb-up, basically.

Ira: For those just listening, go check out a picture of Al, and you’ll see what we’re talking about. Al has always had a distinctive style. It’s been part of you for how long now?

Al: 25 years. I’ve had some form of a mohawk since I moved to Las Vegas. It used to be a long jet-black mohawk that I combed back, down to my butt in the back. But after dyeing my hair black for like 30 years, I just told my guy, “Start bleaching the roots and cut everything else out.” Now, every time I come to him, he gives me whatever colors he wants. I don’t know what color I’m getting anymore. It’s just for fun — I’m 56 years old, surprised I still have hair, so let’s have fun with what I’ve got left. I started it with the weird hair, the long mohawk, when I was working in rock and roll. I was on a lot of red carpets and wanted the rock stars, who I wasn’t friends with but who knew me, to come over and talk to me. That’s carried over into the restaurant industry, to the point where the late great Joel Robuchon, one of the greatest chefs that ever lived, loved my hair. He came up to me for a picture every time he was in Vegas. I have a picture of him kissing the side of my head! I didn’t speak French, so maybe he was making fun of me — but I don’t care. The fact that he wanted to hang out with me was cool, so it works. People remember it.

Ira: It’s your personal brand. Let’s talk about your podcast, Food and Loathing. I remember when you started it, and it’s always tough at the beginning. Was it challenging?

Al: The podcast for me has always been — when I left the Review-Journal, I wanted a no-pressure zone. I knew I was going to start Neon Feast, my first startup as an entrepreneur. I knew there’d be crazy pressure and business decisions, and I wanted a place where I could just talk about food. So for me, the podcast has been where I just cut loose, get chef friends on, and talk. Since I didn’t put pressure on the podcast, it was a lot easier. But it’s still work. I’ve had great partners from the beginning, like my producer Rich Johnson, and co-hosts over the years. For the past year and a half, it’s been Samantha Gemini Stevens. She helped me start Neon News, where we take interviews from the podcast and repurpose them as a food blog. Getting the right people to help has made all the difference, and that’s why we haven’t missed a week in three years now.

Ira: Who came up with the title?

Al: I did. It’s a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. We call it Food and Loathing. It’s that Gonzo sense of journalism that he created, which is that you have to go out and be part of what you experience. Even after 20-plus years of covering entertainment in Las Vegas, I still think you need to be out in the field, and that’s how I approach it.

Ira: You mentioned the Neon Feast app. When did you come up with that idea? Also, you’re running a contest right now, right?

Al: Yeah, we’re giving away dinner for two at Joel Robuchon, one of the most expensive meals you’ll ever win. Neon Feast is an idea I had for a long time. I was frustrated that food experts were mostly in old media, which was losing readers, while tech companies that grabbed eyeballs were crowdsourcing information. That’s like landing in Vegas and asking a stranger where to eat. Wouldn’t you rather ask someone who lives here, works in a restaurant? So I called all my friends — chefs, journalists, and influencers who know what they’re talking about — and asked them where they send friends and family. We have about 100 categories: date night, old Vegas, Italian on the Strip, and so on. I just took recommendations from people I trust, organized them in a way that’s easier to use than some of the crowdsourced apps, and we’re there to give restaurant recommendations. If you see a Neon Feast ad that says “Hungry near Allegiant Stadium?” you can click on it, and we’ll tell you where to eat in that neighborhood.

As for the contest, any time before June 30th, go to one of the restaurants on our app, take a photo of your food or yourself in front of the sign, upload it to their page on our app, and you’ll be entered to win a free dinner for two at Joel Robuchon. That includes the tasting menu, wine pairing, tax, and a 20% gratuity, all for free. It’s just under $2,000 in value.

Ira: Wow, Robuchon. That’s a special meal.

Al: Yeah, it’s a meal of a lifetime, honestly. Even for those of us who are foodies, it’s a special meal.

Ira: The phenomenon of people taking pictures of their food and posting it — do you think that takes away from the experience of enjoying the food itself?

Al: I think it takes away from the experience for everyone else at the table, but for the person doing it, it’s how the new generation experiences everything. They go to a concert, they take video. That’s how they live, and for them, I don’t think it takes anything away. It’s part of their life.

Ira: That’s a good answer. I mentioned Milk Street Radio Live in Las Vegas, hosted by Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball. How did that come about?

Al: I was flattered to be contacted by Milk Street, and Jamie Tran, one of the chefs who’s on the panel with me, recommended me. Christopher Kimball is a legend in food journalism, and his radio show is on 200 PBS stations. I’m honored to share with him some of the special things about Las Vegas that not everyone knows. I told them whatever they need, I’m there. Tickets are only $25, available on the Beverly Theater website, and it’s June 10th. It’s going to be a busy week with events like the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Three Square’s Restaurant Week.

Ira: Before I let you go, a question I ask all my guests: Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert, yet we have an abundance of food. How does that work?

Al: Once the casinos went all in on fine dining, ingredients started flowing here, and smaller restaurants could take advantage of that. We’re like a major market now, with access to great ingredients just like in New York or LA.

Ira: It’s amazing. Well, that’s a great way to leave it. My guest has been Al Mancini, co-host of the Food and Loathing podcast and creator of the Neon Feast app. He’ll be a special guest on Milk Street Radio Live in Las Vegas on June 10th at the Beverly Theater. You can follow him on X and Instagram at Al Mancini Vegas. Al, thanks for being on the show.

Al: Thanks for having me, Ira. It’s always great to be here.