Vegas Food Expo Food Convention in Las Vegas

Written & Photographs by Nikki Artale

On March 30-31, 2017 the Vegas Food Expo with over 100 food producers in the nation met at the Gold Coast Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. This expo was for small innovative companies, retailers, distributors and restaurants from across the country. This wonderful food expo was created by Brett Ottolenghi, proprietor of Artisanal Foods. www.artisanalfoods.com

The attendees met with over 120 of the food producers, tasting and interacting with them and gaining knowledge about their products. The food was excellent and I enjoyed meeting many of them and talking about their products.  There were many scheduled speakers and one of my favorite speakers there was Karen Caplan. Karen is President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and a fruit and vegetable Guru in Los Almitos, CA. She has introduced over 200 specialty fruits and vegetables and has brought one of a kind products to the marketplace. In 2015 an independent film document was made “Fear No Fruit” which shows the rise of the Frieda Family in the food industry.  www.friedas.com 

                                                               Karen Kaplan

Another outstanding booth display was from Samuels Seafood Co. that showed a large display of seafood which I really appreciated because my favorite food is the “Monk Fish”, which incidentally is hard to find here in Las Vegas. Samuels Seafood Co. is in the process of opening a new warehouse here in Las Vegas which will allow it to expand its customer base and product base in the valley within the next 45 days. Samuels and Son Seafood has a 100 year tradition of bringing excellent seafood to the market.  www.samuelsandsonseafood.com   

Uncle Dan’s seasonings and salad dressings can be mixed in with your favorite ingredients and customized in dips. They are delicious and I came home with sample packets that I love using in my salads and vegetables. Products are gluten free and no added MSG. Uncle Dan’s son was an added plus in his booth. www.uncledans.com   

                                                                   Uncle Dans

If you have a sweet tooth then the booths to go to would be Macaron Paris for their refined French Macarons. These delicious French macarons can be found in cafes, restaurants and specialty shops across North America. www.macroncafe.com   

Another fabulous treat was the gourmet caramel apples I found in the Sinfully Sweet Apple Co. located in Upland, CA. They have over 150 different apples and every day they are creating more delicacies. They say the caramel will not stick to your teeth and they are a work of art. Sounds good to me. www.sinfullysweetgourmettreats.com  

Las Vegas Herbs are grown in a 5,000 sq. ft. greenhouse and they are delivered live to restaurants, chefs and are available at the Farmers Market every Saturday at Tivoli Village.  

The Food Expo teamed up with Three Square Food Bank to donate any excess food from the Expo to feed the hungry in Las Vegas. Many thanks to everyone for creating this wonderful Food Expo and we all look forward to attending next year.