Bradley Ogden’s photo is plastered all over Vegas, especially anyone near the Caesars Palace complex that houses the restaurant humbly named…Bradley Ogden. These ubiquitous ads tell the world that Bradley Ogden was named the best new restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation, reportedly the Academy Awards of food trophies.

Which only makes one wonder if the James Beard people ever left the Caesar grounds. Or if there was a typical travel writer like incentive program. For this restaurant getting named the best of anything is like Cuba Gooding Jr. winning an Oscar for “Boat Trip.”

I’m sure Bradley Ogden was a wonderful chef somewhere. Just not here.

Now I’m not the Rebel Blogger, who rumor has it is actually from lovely Santee. I can tell the difference between a fork and a spoon without poking myself in the eye with it first. I’m not Tim McDonald who thinks Biloxi is a modern marvel metropolis because he lives in a Florida town that’s so backwards he’s just discovered electricity. I enjoy the splurge $200 meal for two. (I lived in New York for a long time and became a devoted Blue Hill diner, which those obnoxiously-self-titled “foodies” among us will recognize.)

I don’t mind dropping some cash on a great meal. The places that charge big and don’t deliver on the promise deserve particular scorn however. Enter Bradley Ogden. Better yet, don’t.

Ogden loves to brag about how he gets organic food FedExed in every day. His signature squash soup tasted like it was still in the FedEx carton on a recent visit.

Checkout:
http://www.travelgolf.com/departments/blogs/baldwin/archives/2005/03/23/33/bradley-ogden-vegas-most-overrated-restaurant/