Wild Truffles works to unearth gala style

Chef adds gourmet touch to home-based events

At first glance, people might call Chef Georg Paulussen's new business Wild Truffles, 7905 W. Sahara Ave. Suite 106, a catering service. But that wouldn't be quite right.

They might call it a party planning service with food. But that doesn't quite cover it, either.

He calls it a "gourmet restaurant on the go." Wild Truffles specializes in bringing high-end cuisine to people's homes for private parties or to corporate events for gala dinners.

"When I meet with a client, I say, 'Tell me what you want,' " he said. "We talk about the theme, the colors, then I take the ball and run with it. There are little updates here and there but I take care of everything. You become a guest at your party."

Paulussen handles everything, even non-food details like valet parking.

Where most catered events are served by a wait staff, Paulussen's concept has guests going from one serving station to the next where chefs hold court. One station might offer wild mushrooms. Another could have risotto or sushi or pizza.

The most popular to date, Paulussen said, is the mashed potato station. Guests can customize their mashed potatoes with toppings like sauteed lobster or cooked ham, chorizo sausage, smoked salmon or simply garlic and onions.

It's not just the toppings which take things out of the norm. The side dish is served in martini glasses.

Another idea which is a hit with clients is the cascading fountain in the host's choice of melted milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate.

Guests use skewered pieces of fruit or marshmallows to pierce the curtain of goodness to coat them.

Lincoln Spoor, owner and president of Krispy Kreme, used Wild Truffles twice recently for holiday entertaining.

"The chocolate fountain was one of the things that was a big hit at the party," he said. "It was so unusual and it tasted so good. We started out covering pieces of fruit but by the end of the night everybody was putting spoons in just for the taste of the chocolate."

Party themes to date include Alaska, Tropical Island or Mardi Gras. Ice and cheese sculptures as well as fine china and color-coordinated linens are all part of the package. Perhaps best of all, the team cleans up after the guests leave.

All this does not come cheap. Depending on the complexity of the party, prices range from $70 to $350 per guest.

Wild Truffles has the capacity to handle 2,000 guests but usually sees parties with 40 to 250 people.

There is more to Wild Truffles' business than opulent parties. Its location on West Sahara Avenue offers a shop filled with imported chocolates in unusual containers.

There are leather-covered chests stacked atop one another, filled with the goodies. There are clowns sitting atop chocolates. The chocolates even come in wooden purses, available in various sizes.

To one side of the shop is the deli section. It's gaining a following with business people in the area and has boxed lunches which include a gourmet sandwich like salmon garlox Paulussen with cr¸me cheese wrapped in a spinach flour tortilla. A variety of salads are offered, too.

A choice of pastries are in a glass case nearby, large enough to satisfy a sweet tooth but small enough to prevent guilt-laden angst.

For those who like to do things hands-on, Wild Truffles offers cooking classes done in the home. Instructors can teach two people or as many as 350.

The classes are fast becoming "the" corporate gift of choice. Spoor's office staff bought him one as a Christmas present.

The man behind Wild Truffles is Paulussen, 38. Born and raised in Germany, he knew from an early age he wanted to become a chef and trained in Europe.

He went on to various positions, working in exotic places like Japan and India. Most recently, his resume includes stints as executive chef at The Venetian, Caesars Palace and the Atlantis group where he was responsible for three properties, a culinary staff of 1,200 and $110 million in food revenues.

Not everything goes smoothly in the kitchen. He spoke of a high-roller who gave a late-night party in his suite. But the rolling shelves holding the desserts tipped over on its way up to the suite. All the goodies were a loss. Paulussen called in his chefs who whipped out a fast dessert and managed to deliver them with barely a wrinkle in the schedule.

He also spoke of celebrity quirks like the un-named boxer who ordered six tenderloin steaks. He chewed the steaks and swallowed the juice but spit out the meat so he wouldn't get fat. Another celebrity ordered coffee so hot it could have made for another McDonald's lawsuit, then put four packages of Sweet'n Low in it.

About six years ago, Paulussen began seriously looking into business opportunities but decided not to open his own restaurant like many chefs. The concept behind Wild Truffles, he said, gives him freedom to create and ensures every work day is different.

Although he is a tireless worker, starting his day at 6 a.m. and often not finishing until 2 a.m., Paulussen cannot run the business alone.

At his side is his wife, Evadney, a chef in her own right. They met while working at the same property in New York City. They first came to Las Vegas in 1997, and returned in 2003 to open Wild Truffles.


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