COMPETITOR

Hash House a go go

HEAD COOK:

COMPETITION: Bacon World Championship

QUALIFYING EVENT: Tastemaker's Choice

CHEF ANTHONY VIDAL (Biography) Chef Anthony Vidal reinvents home-style cuisine for Hash House A Go Go on a daily basis. His presentations of sage fried chicken, served with fried leeks and hardwood bacon cooked into golden brown waffles cause customers to take out their camera phones and snap photos as proof of these awe-inspiring dishes. The entrees are magnificently presented with sprays of fresh herbs on oversized platters drizzled with delectable homemade sauces. For guests it is a restaurant but for Vidal it’s passion. Vidal was born in 1967 in South Bronx, New York. Raised in the Bronx, he spent his childhood growing up in a struggling single-parent home. When his mother was away at work Vidal began his cooking experiments in the kitchen. During his teenage years he kept busy playing sports and worked at a local grocery store bagging groceries. Vidal was soon promoted to the deli department where he made sandwiches and salads. His passion was obvious and his cousin LISA encouraged Vidal to go to chef school and further explore his talents in the culinary arts. In 1998, Vidal began his career in the restaurant industry after graduating from New York Restaurant School. A position with the Cheesecake Factory led him to Pasadena, California. In 1999, Vidal continued to move up in the restaurant ranks and worked with the Cheesecake Factory to open the Grand Lux Café in the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Next Vidal opened the Rock Lobster in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino and then returned to the Cheesecake Factory at Caesars Palace. Vidal was sent on to the Cheesecake Factory in San Diego where he trained to become a Sous Chef and opened Cheesecake Factory locations in Phoenix and Chandler, Arizona. • In 2001, Vidal parted ways with Cheesecake Factory and went to work alongside the James Beard Award nominated Chef Carlos Guia at Commander’s Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. When restaurant entrepreneur Jim Rees came across Vidal’s resume he offered him an exciting opportunity of a brand new restaurant called Hash House a Go Go that he was opening in Las Vegas. The restaurant would be edgy and extend a lot of creative freedom to Vidal. Vidal took the position and Hash House A Go Go opened to tremendous praise and was featured on the Martha Stewart Show, The Travel Channel, The Rachel Ray Show, and Unique Eats, along with various local radio and TV stations and became a place to spot a celebrity behind an enormous plate of food. One year after opening, Vidal was promoted to Hash House a Go Go Executive Corporate Chef. • Vidal’s passion for food and life is evident as he continues to give back to the community. Vidal has lent his chef skills to assist in raising money for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, the Nevada Restaurant Associations Pro Start mentor program and feeding those in need at the St. Therese Center and Children’s Heart Foundation. • Hash House a Go Go Awards include: Las Vegas City Life Magazine- Best of the Valley, AOL City Guide-Best Breakfast in Las Vegas, Bite of Las Vegas–Best Burger, Bite of Las Vegas-Best Beverage • Vidal’s culinary talents can currently be seen and tasted on the tables at Hash House A Go Go: Current locations – 4 in Las Vegas NV, Reno NV, Downtown Chicago IL, Mohegan Sun Casino CT and the newest location, Orlando Florida. • Chef Anthony has also been named the 2012/2013 Face for the American Heart Association, and is an Ambassador for Certified Angus Beef.